[Traveler]

The heat was rising. It was stifling, He knew Mara would be fine, and he would be consumed by the flame.

Mara stirred, and said something. His head was filled with fog. What she said didn't register. Then, the heat stopped, but not the roaring sound of flame. There were some screams, and the sound of running.

The drug was slowly draining from his system. His bonds were loosed and he fell to his knees. His vision was blurred. He saw shapes moving dimly, but couldn't make anything out.

Mara said something about gathering supplies while she purchased some more clothes. She left with the shop owner they had been with earlier.

After a bit he realized that there was only the sound of the wind blowing, all other sound had ceased. He rubbed ash from his eyes and it stung. There was a smell of burning flesh heavy in the air. He choked on it. He rubbed his eyes and was able to see more clearly. He wished he had not. What he saw horrified him.

~This town was so alive. There were people here I knew and trusted.~ The destruction was near complete. There were only a couple of buildings left standing. He dropped to his knees as he looked around. Suddenly he gagged and threw up.

~Is helping this girl worth this?~ He knew he had to go on, but grief struck suddenly as his past caught up with him. His mind was swept back to his wife, and for a moment he could see her before him. He knew he had to keep on. Mara had to learn to control herself.

He picked himself up and began the gruesome job of picking through the rubble to find provisions.

[Mara]

As she walked along with the dressmaker, listening as she spoke of new clothes, Mara sensed something in the air around her. It was like her skin was being pricked by tiny needles. Looking up she saw Moiran floating a few feet above her, screaming that she had killed.

"Yes you foolish little Imp! I killed them all because they tried to harm me and Traveler. I had no choice in the matter. Did you see what they tried to do to me? They threw me in a well...a well full of...water!"

She choked out the last few words, her body shook at the thought of having the cold water around her, the darkness. She closed her eyes, shaking her head to brush away the memories. Her eye then snapped open as a smile grew. Her eyes narrowed, her fists flexed with each breath as she looked back up.

"I would do it again if I had to powers to resurrect the dead! They deserved what they got. They all did," she all but screamed. Now leave me be in peace. Go help Traveler with the mules if you have nothing better to do that harass me. I must find better clothes for we still have to find Carriac! Now be off with you. Go....go play with your mules."

Meanwhile Miss Dearborn had no idea who Mara was talking too. All she knew was that if there were any survivors left, they would be needing dressings for their wounds and burns. With her being the only building standing, it being a clothing shop, she could charge a pretty copper for anything, thus making a great profit.

IF anyone survived.

"Never mind him, dearie. Let's get you something to wear. You can't travel looking like this."

[Moiran]

His blazing eyes flashed. How dare she! The fury roiling through him could not be contained. As the unrepentant murderess turned her back on him, Moiran's fists clenched tightly at his sides. The whirlwind of debris went suddenly still as the power that formed it was focused directly at Mara. Moiran's rage quite literally exploded from him in a palpable fist of force that struck the elf-maid full in the back. The impact blasted Mara ten feet forward. The wall of the dress shop cracked as Mara struck it. Still, the rage flowed, pinning her to the wall, her feet hanging inches off the ground.

"THE MULES ARE DEAD! YOU _KILLED_ THEM! THEY WERE COMING TO HELP YOU AND YOU MURDERED THEM WITHOUT A THOUGHT!"

Fury gave way to grief suddenly and the light drained from Moiran's eyes. The force holding Mara to the building disappeared.

"They were my friends...my only real friends. And now they're dead."

Moiran sank to the ground, his shoulders heaving with tearless sobs.

[Mara]

The blast of plasmac energy was unexpected as it sent Mara into the dressmakers shop. She was stunned only for a moment, until she slid down the wall. It felt to her like someone had struck her with a very large, and heavy club. Her whole body ached, her muscles screamed. She knew that her chest was crushed because she was having a very hard time breathing.

Holding her chest with her hand while taking in some deep and much needed breaths, Mara slumped to her side, her shoulder and cheek resting against the wall. Her hair fell in her face as she slowly turned to face the arrogant little gnome, her words came slowly with each breath.

"Wha...what do...do you mean? H...how can...can they be...dead?"

Moiran's words rang in her ears, along with a number of other sounds. She tried to picture what went on when the wall of flame was pushed out by her powers. In her minds eye she watched, as the ones in the first two rows were the first to be incinerated followed by the woman that sprinkled the strange powder on them. Then her minds eye shifted to the right as the wall grew in strength. She remembered hearing one of the mules baying, and then she had caught a glimpse of something gray.

"By Hera...No," she gasped, before closing her eyes. "I...I didn't see them...I thought they were...still locked away. How...how did...did they escape?"

She was starting to feel light headed, her chest hurting more with each breath. Pressing her hand to her chest tighter, she slowly started the healing process, something she never thought she would ever have to do.

Heal herself!

What or who ever had struck her down used some type of force that was unknown to her. But once she found out who, or what did this to her, she would make damn sure it would never happen again.

Feeling her breathing and heart rate slowing, she stood up, with help from the wall she had crashed into. Looking back at Moiran, she slowly made her way over to stand beside him.

"I'm...I'm sorry for you lose. I never meant to harm them. They were..."

She let the rest of her words drop, knowing that nothing, not even prayers would bring the two creatures back. She started to place her hand on the small gnome, but stopped.

"We must go on. They would have wanted us to go forth, with...or without them. I promise that once this is over I will find a way to...bring them back."

[Moiran]

"Bring them back?" The words began as a whisper, but grew in intensity. "Bring them back?!? If you could do that, you elvish witch, you could bring ME back!"

The outburst ended as suddenly as it began. Moiran resigned himself to the loss. He pushed his emotions just below the surface, but refused to let go of them. His emotions were his only source of power, he realized, and he was never going to be powerless again.

"Never mind. What's done is done. We need to save Carriac. I'm leaving now. You can follow me if you want to. Or don't. I no longer care."

The ghost rose into the air and floated off.

[Traveler]

Shock turned to surprise. Surprise turned anger. Anger turned to sickness as he surveyed the destruction around him. He sank to his knees for a moment fighting back the bile rising in his throat again.

~I would have done the same, I have done the same.~

He rose and called out for Mara. He needed to see her face again. She didn't answer. He panicked. He heard a large crash and ran in the direction it had come from. He watched as Mara rose. She had been hurt, but he couldn't see from what. He walked towards her and called out, "Let's get the mules and leave this forsaken place."

He didn't know who or what it was, but there had been a familiarity about the girl that sprinkled the dust around them. Not the girl herself, but something about her seemed familiar. He walked up in time to hear her say she would bring them back.

"This town was a good town once, though I think it turned in to something else. Don't be hard on yourself. I don't think it's worth bringing back."

He paused for a moment.

"Let's get the mules and head out. We need to try and find our friend, now."

[Mara]

Mara looked down as Moiran spoke, feeling like a child once again. She understood she had done something wrong, but this side could not comprehend what. Looking up as Traveler walked up, she smiled.

"I need to get some clothes on first silly, then we can leave," as she danced on the balls of her bare feet. "Oh! The mules! They're dead! They'll not be coming with us unless you wish to sweep up their ashes. Maybe the oracle can put them back together again. We could ask I guess."

With her hands behind her she smiled once again, a child like smile before grabbing Miss Dearborn's hand in hers.

"I need some new clothes! Lets see what else you have in your shop for traveling. It looks like we'll be leaving quicker than we thought."

Dragging the older woman into the shop Mara bounced around like a child in a candy store, grabbing clothes, throwing them over her shoulder before looking through a rack of boots. Finding all she needed she quickly dressed. Finding a bit of ribbon she pulled her hair back, braiding the ribbon in her hair.

"I'll take these things, she said as she giggled. "Traveler hun? Would you be so kind as to pay the nice lady?" Running up to the man, she kissed him on the cheek before running outside.

But as soon as her nose caught the scent of burnt flesh, she stopped. "I...I'm ready to go now," she said in a soft voice, looking up to find the ghostly Gnome. "Moiran? Do you hate me? I'm not always this...angry. I...I promise to try to control my temper more. And I will ask the Oracle to bring you and the mules back, instead of having it heal me. If...if you want me to leave...I...I'll understand."

Reaching up, she tried to take the Gnomes hand, but stopped within inches of reaching him. Dropping her hand to her side she turned and started walking away. But she stopped, stomping her foot down hard.

"Be that way," as she took off running out of town, tears staining her soot covered face. Of course she was running the right direction the Gnome was taking.

[Moiran]

The small ghost tried to ignore the man and woman behind him, but was only effective for the first couple of miles. Moiran was a forgiving person by nature - at least he had been before his untimely death - and he found it difficult to maintain the excessive level of anger that had fueled his actions back in town. His rage dissipated to be replaced by a deep aching grief. There was only one way he knew of to overcome the overwhelming feelings of loss and that was work. So he pushed himself forward at such a rapid pace that the others were soon required to cease their bickering over the fate of the mules in order to save their breath for the effort needed to keep pace.

They traveled that way, in silence, until at midday they stumbled across a faint trail of footprints. Traveler was quick to verify that they belonged to Carriac, but they were probably a good day old. There was no discussion of what that might mean. Moiran just floated off down the trail leaving the others to follow.

The shadows were lengthening when Moiran crested a small hill and saw a farm below. It was a small farm, but the fields were tilled in neat tidy rows and the small vegetable garden was well tended. The tracks led directly down to the front door.

This bothered Moiran more than a little. Why would Carriac, possessed by some shadow creature if the alchemist's theory was correct, need to visit a farm? To hide from the sunlight? That was one possibility. Moiran tried to ignore the second.

And failed.

Too many things were wrong with the picture below. There were no sounds - no animal noises, no sounds of working, no voices. Too quiet for a healthy farm. The front windows were open, printed draperies blowing in the evening breeze. The door to the barn was open, swinging silently on well-oiled hinges.

So was the door to the house.

With the speed of thought, Moiran was at the door. He paused, steeling his resolve, then entered.

The fading light from the horizon lanced through the open window, illuminating the grisly scene. Moiran had no body, but he gagged just the same. He suddenly found himself standing outside the ruined home, moved by an unconscious need to escape.

Traveler and Mara caught up to him and he gestured feebly at the house. By the look on their faces, he knew there must be a smell.

A steady stream of questions assaulted his mind. How had this happened? What gods had allowed such a sadistic act to happen? Why? But one question far outshone the others.

Who was going to pay?

[Mara]

Mara was having a time trying to explain what had happened to the mules to Traveler. After a time she just gave up, throwing her arms across her chest and storming ahead, her stride carrying her away. She remained silent when they found Carriac�s tracks, yet her heart raced when Traveler mentioned that they were but a day old. She so much wanted to fin him, to hold him in her arms. She spent her time looking down the path and anything watching as the sun slowly dropped inch by inch.

"Oh Carriac! Where are you? What has possessed you to run away, to act like you did," she thought, unsure if she spoke the words aloud or not. They moved on, still no one speaking, her eyes set on the horizon in hopes of a flicker of movement, a gesture, a wave of good cheer from her lost friend.

Her lover...

Cresting over yet another small hill Mara looked down into a small valley, seeing not the farmhouse, but the green garden to the side. Her stomach growled, her hands clinched, her mouth watered as the sight of the fresh vegetables that were growing so ripe and proper on their vines. Licking her dry cracked lips she followed the ghost gnome down, her nose wrinkled to the smell of something foul, but that didn�t stop her from walking over and grabbing two ripe tomatos from the vine. Biting into one she turned in time to see Moiran entering the small wooden structure. A soft smile played across her face as she thought how the family living there would react to a ghost Gnome entering their home.

"Boy, will they be surprised," she whispered before taking a bite out of the red fruit. Walking up, the scent of death caught her nose, causing her to back up. Pressing the back of her hand to her nose she saw Moiran floating back out, gagging as he pointed into the house.

Stepping past the small man, she slowly stepped inside, her eyes watering, her mouth snapping shut to the taste of death. Flies buzzed al around as she stepped softly, checking each room and finding nothing living, only bits and pieces of bone, muscle, skin, blood and guts. There was nothing there to show who, or what had lived there, be it man, woman or child. The devastation was everywhere, on the walls, the ceiling, and the floor. It was as if the people that lived there had just exploded into a thousand pieces.

Mara started to gag too, the tomatoes were all but crushed between her fingers. As she started to step back out a rat ran by, carrying with it an eyeball of blue. Revolted by the sight she pulled her dagger and threw it, killing the rodent before it could dodge under the table. It let out a loud squeak before its limbs stopped quivering, its jaws went slack dropping the eyeball to the floor. Reaching down she picked her blade up, wiping the blood from its edge before stepping out into the light of day.

"Don�t go in there," she said as she walked past Traveler. "There is nothing anyone can do to help them now. There�s not enough left to identify..."

Still feeling the pains of hunger, she stepped up to Moiran, her hand reaching up to console the small man. "Moiran? We must go on. We cannot let this happen to another soul. I see it now...Carriac must be stopped, somehow before he, or what ever is affecting him kills again."

Looking back towards the house, then the barn, she notices that here are no sounds of any livestock, no chickens, any horse or cow. Fearing the worst she turned back before looking up.

"If you wish, I will cleanse this place so no other may witness what went on here. I will set the troubled spirits free by bathing this place with fire..." as she held her hand up. "It's the only way!"

[Traveler]

He knew something was wrong before Mara walked into the house. It didn't fell right. Things were not normal, though it had been a while since things were actually normal with him. He watched as Mara walked into the house and come back out. He dreaded the worst.

Mara held up her hand and was about to flame the place. When he heard it. It was a scratching sound, and a soft mewing.

"Mara! Wait. Listen."

He strained to hear the sound again. He waited for some time.

He was beginning to think he imagined it. He walked around the house trying to ignore the stench that came from it. He had reached the far corner of the house when he noticed movement and heard it again. It was a small kitten that had hidden from whatever horror had happened here. It's paws were red from blood that came from inside the house.

He walked over to the tiny cat and reached out to grab it. it hissed and back itself into a corner. It tried to bite him, but he succeeded in picking it up.

Suddenly, the scene around him changed. He was in the house looking up from under something. The woman had set a bowl down and poured something in it. A larger cat moved to the bowl and drank. It looked good. There was a loud scream from the other room. There was a sudden smell of blood. Suddenly it seemed the room grew darker. He could sense someone there. Another scream. More blood. There was a putrid smell in the air. There was a gentle whimpering. It was a child. There was laughter, a hellish sound.

The scene shifted again and he found himself standing there holding a kitten. He walked back to the front and said, "Torch the place. Everything. I'll be over there." He walked away holding the kitten, wondering what had just happened.

[Morian]

"Yes. Torch it." His voice was strangely calm. Eerily calm. The kitten in Traveler's arms shrieked at the sound, burying itself in his cloak. Moiran didn't notice. He had discovered a lone set of tracks leading away from the farmstead. They were much easier to see than the trail they had followed here. They were fresher.

"And hurry. He lost time here. We're gaining on him."

[Mara]

Mara could only nod as she stepped back into the house. She was surprised to see Traveler carrying out a small kitten, holding it to his chest as he tried calm the wild beast. What that small soul must have seen sent a chill down her back. At one time it must have been a peaceful place to live. The family there wasn't rich, but they made up for it by caring for the land and themselves, taking only what was needed. But now their souls would not rest until they found Carriac. She looked around the blood-spattered walls, seeing past the stains to that of a house that held laughter, tears and joy. But just as quickly those thoughts faded as the stains reappeared before her eyes. She thought she heard the laughter of a child, the scent of bread baking, but knew that it was all in her mind. Digging deep into her own soul, she spoke a small prayer as two balls of flame started to form in the palms of her hand.

"Rest in peace, knowing that we will find who has done this bad thing. We will punish the one, mark my word," as the flames grew brighter. Soon they were no longer yellow and red, but had turned white, with a blue tint. Stepping back out, she threw both balls into the house and walked away. The house was consumed by the flames in a matter of minutes, yet no smoke or heat could be felt or seen. Within a few minutes all that was left was a black stain on the dirt where the once proud house had stood. Already the wind was whipping away at the scorched earth, blowing it away.

"There will be nothing left once the fires consume this place. There will be no ash to mark its passing, no tinder to mark its place. Only the outline of the structure will stand, before time and the weather washes it away."

She did the same thing to the barn and crops, setting everything but the garden ablaze. Once she was finished she stepped into the center of the garden and started eating, pulling things from their vines and devouring them within a few bites. Before long the garden was left empty, a few scattered seeds and husks were all that marked it as a once thriving garden. Wiping her mouth clean with the back of her hand, Mara slowly stood before looking around.

"I'm ready to go now..."

(to be continued...)