Not willing to brave his anger any more today it comes out from its hiding place. Looking down the wizard sees it. �Ah, there you are,� he says to it �now get out of that form it is entirely undignified.� Slowly the rat starts to change. First getting bigger, and then its fur disappears. Until there is a human girl standing there, her skintight clothing showing the outline of her body. �There, that�s much better.� The wizard says to her. �Now we have much to do today. And a lot of time has been wasted while I have had to search for you, so lets go.� And he turns his back on her. The second he turns his back she throws a look of pure hatred at him, but follows nonetheless.
This hadn�t been the first time she had run, and she knew that if he hadn�t needed her healthy right now. She would have been getting ready to crawl into bed for the next week from the injuries he would have inflicted. A punishment she was sure would come later if he remembered. Walking back through the corridors they enter his workroom. �I need the claw of a shancloc.� He says to her. Nodding her head she transforms into the beast, a biped creature with reptile hide and clawed fore arms. Taking an axe he slices one of her claws off. Screaming she grads her arm with her other claw, Crawling into a corner she starts transforming back to get rid of the injury.
This was the usual day for her. Transforming into different beast so he could harvest the parts he needed for his magic. That was the reason she had run; she was a slave here, forced to do whatever he asked. Her running this morning had been just another attempt at escape, again ending in failer. It almost seemed as if he had sealed the entire manor. Every way she tried ended in ether a cave in or a dead end. The structure reinforced by magic so even her strongest forms couldn�t break them down. Even the roof was sealed from entry. It seemed like she hadn�t seen the sun in ages. And with every attempt she grew more and more desperate to get outside. She didn�t know how long she had before she went insane.
* * *
Elsewhere on another world called Alaskyr at Caer Brynmor, Karvet, a newly searched candidate for the clutch, was taking a leisurely walk, finding a cave off the path, he went in to explore. He was walking along the rock path when he tripped. Reaching out to catch himself, his hand falls into one of the rocks. Staring at his arm in amazement he slowly pulls his hand out as if not expecting it to come. Staring at his hand in disbelief he sticks it back into the rock and pulls it out again. And he goes on doing this a few times, staring at his hand each time. Then the rock underneath his supporting hand gives way and he falls head first into the rock.
He finds himself shooting through a strange tunnel, lights flashing before his eyes. He comes out and falls flat on his face his mouth filling up with dirt. Wiping the dirt from his mouth he looks around to find himself inside a stone hallway. �Hello.� He whispers scared. �Where in the world am I?� he asks no one. Walking down the hall he doesn�t find a soul. �Where am I?� he silently asks again.
* * *
In the wizards workroom he lifts his head up. �We have a visitor.� He says out loud. �However did that happen? Well it will be quickly dealt with.� Throwing a quick look at Dax who is again curled in the corner, transforming to erase yet another injury. Turning his back on her he leaves the room and closes the door behind him, but doesn�t bother to seal it.
Walking down the halls toward the intruder, the two men quickly meet each other.�
* * *
While searching for someone, anyone, Karvet sees someone walking down the hall. �Hay.� He says excited, and starts to walk faster. But he quickly stops when he sees the person walking toward him. An old man dressed in colorful flowing robes, and a red ball glowing in his hand. �Hay, mind telling me where I am.� �Soon, it won�t matter.� The wizard says to him, and the ball goes flying at him. �Whoa!� and he jumps/falls to get out of the way. �What do you think your doing?� Karvet yells getting to his feet. �Just getting rid of a little pest problem,� the wizard says, throwing another fireball at him. Quickly trying to move out of the way he�s grazed by this next attack. �Argh.� He groans as he falls to the floor again. �This is too easy.� The wizard gloats moving closer to Karvet who is huddled up on the floor.
Standing over him the wizard forms another ball this one intended to finish the job. When a growl is heard behind him. �What the?� turning he gets a good look at a set of fangs before a creature knocks him over and starts attacking him. �Dax what do you think your doing?� he yells at the creature knowing who it is. Before he�s knocked out by one of the creature�s claws.
* * *
Felling a rush of wind blow over his body, he looks up in time to see the man and a cat like creature tumble to the ground next to him. Shuffling along the floor to get out of the way his side stings with the pain caused by the movement. Looking down he sees his side badly burned from the energy ball that hit him. Looking back up at the fight in front of him, he makes it in time to sees the man knocked out by the creature on top of him. And he is horrified as he watches the creature rip the man to shreds.
What scares him even more is when the creature backs off and starts to change, its limbs moving in strange ways and its fur sinking into its skin. Until a girl is standing there, covered in the wizard�s blood.
* * *
�Are you alright?� She says to the boy who is lying on the floor. All he can do is stare at her. Looking down at herself she sighs and rushes over to him. �Look we don�t have time to stand here. I don�t know how long it�s going to take him to put himself back together.� And she looks back at the corpse lying on the floor. �Now, you have to show me how you got in. Can you remember?�
* * *
He could hear her worlds but they didn�t seem to register. He just kept looking at her. Finally he was able to shake his head at her last question. �Good.� She says grabbing his arm and trying to pull him off the ground. The pain caused by that finally broke him out of his stupor. Getting up off the ground, �Now which way?� the girl asks. �Th� th�at w�w�ay.� He stutters, pointing back the way he had come. Grabbing his arm she pulls him down the hall. When he�s out of the site of blood he comes back to himself, �Who was that?� �A wizard.� �A what?� �A wizard. He uses body parts of monsters to use magic.� After what he had seen he believed her even if he only understood half of it. �This way.� he says pointing around a corridor.
* * *
She didn�t know where she was going and she didn�t care as long as it got her out of here. Following the directions of the boy at her side. Every now and then looking behind of her expecting to see the wizard at their heels. �That way we�re almost there.� The boy said. Following his directions she takes another turn. �Right down here.� He tells her. �DAX!!!� they hear behind them. Looking behind them the wizard is right behind them and gaining fast. �RUN!� she yells. And they book it. Running as fast as they can go. �Here, right here.� He says pointing at a rock. �What are you�?� �Just trust me.� He says grabbing her hand and pulling her into it. Expecting to hit bare stone she�s surprised when they go straight through the stone and end up in a strange tunnel. �Come on!� he yells pulling her along. When they come out the other side she finds herself in a cave.
* * *
Unable to believe what had happened he collapses on the cave floor. �You think you can get away from me that easily!� they hear coming from inside the rock. �He�s coming. Quick close it.� The girl says to him. �I can�t close it. I don�t even know how it got there.� �WHAT?� she yells in panic. �I can�t close it.� He says again. When the look on her face changes it scares him. �Then get out of here.� She says to him coldly. �I wouldn�t want you to get hurt.� To tired to argue with her he stumbles out the cave. Sparing one look back. He seeds her changing, but that�s all he sees before stumbling out. When he gets out he collapses next to the cave mouth.
* * *
Giving the boy as much time as she dared. She starts to change. Getting bigger and bigger she starts knocking at the cave walls causing the cave to fall in on itself. Picking up a large boulder she throws it into the portal. She hears a grunt from inside. Picking up more boulders she throws these too into the portal. Screams can be heard coming from inside. The rocks start to cover her and she starts to shrink herself. Bringing down more of the cave with her. Slowly making her self smaller and smaller soon she�s no longer crushes by the rocks. Weaving herself in and out she slowly makes her way out of the cave.
When she is back to proper size. She looks around for the boy. Seeing him sitting next to the cave mouth she breaths a slow sigh. Listening she hears the sound of rushing water. Looking down at her self she�s disgusted to find herself covered in the wizards blood. Headed toward the sound of water she finds a small stream. Submerging herself in it she cleans herself off. When she finds herself clean enough she heads back to the boy.
Finding him where she left him she starts waking him up.
Next