aoramon motioned for moonfox to stay where she was, and for some
reason people started fialing in to the arena... both in the spectator
stand and on the ground level as well.
       Aoramon just walked over and was talking with the three elderly
centaurs when a loud |"YOU......!" was heard above the cround, and then
with a huge inhale of surprize the crowed opened up to reveal the
centaur bush the moonfox had just grown...
       "but... ho...? what?.... wh...? huh?!?!?!?" she just splurted out
not making any sense. she couldn't believe  her eyes! her creation
was...ALIVE!
       "come forth! creature!" said one of the elders. surprized to find
that they were right behind her moonfox jumped.
       "moonfox I would like you to meet my father, jobien" moonfox
looked at the huge creature that stood before her.
       "it's a pleasure to meet you sir" moonfox bowed her head slightly
and curtsied.
       the centaur just ignored her. "is he your creature?"
       "well no... yes... OH MY! this NEVER happened before!I really
don't know how...I always thought that the extent of my majic was to
make plants grow!!!!!
       when moonfox heared somthing in her head laughing at her.. she
knew that she must be going mad or SOMEthing!!!! she just couldn't
figure it out!
       "why are you laughing at me child?" asked jobien looking at
moonfox expectantly... maybe it wasn't all in her head after all... she
looked at him with a flat expression on her face.
       "sir I assure you that I am NOT laughing"and moonfox looked back
to her creation.. and wondered what on earth she was going to do...
                              *****
  Q continued to sob, not too embarassed to show his emotions to anyone.
Azrael sat next to him and Q felt the gentle warmth of her hands on his
back.

  "It's all right Q, you didn't mean it.  Do you know what happened to
your spell?" said Azrael in a gentle soothing voice.

  Of course Q knew what happened. It is what always happened. His spells
always backfire out on him. Q didn't have the will to continue with
spellcasting. He knew he was incompetant. He figured it would be safer
if he gave up magic altogether.

   "Do you really wish to go home Q?  I think we need you here, I really
do.  I guess I will leave you here, if you need me my room is down the
hall.  It's the third door around the corner to the left.  I must go, I
need to talk with my Master and see if I can find Wervil." said Azrael
in a calm voice.

  She read him like a preschool book. He missed his home, the gentle
sound of kids playing, the rustling of the trees, the smell of mom's
burnt meatloaf...yes, he was homesick. He remebered how him and his best
friend Cyran caused mischief in the town. How they would set Old Lady
Hamburg's bushes on fire and how they would harass her horse by putting
oil all over the horse's horseshoe. Then he remembered when one of his
spells accidentally got his pet neutered, and how he cursed magic. But
his dad encouraged him and built his spirit back up and told him to
never give up. Q lived by that saying, of course Sparky was never the
same...
  Something in what Azrael said hit him. She said that she needed him. Q
never felt needed at all. All of the encouragement Q ever got from his
parents were "If you try hard enough, you can become a medic!" The only
encouragement Bayor gave was "At least you didn't blow up da castle!"

  "The old fool." thought Q.

  Q began to think about his options, since he might actually be needed
fer some reason, here, in this strange place, Q felt that it would be
best if he did stay here. But Q felt that he has to go home at least one
time to say goodbye to his parents, fer he knew that in the future,
there might be many more dangers, and the dragons won't be the only
thing he accidentally blows up. Wiping his tears, Q goes out and into
Azrael's room to talk to her about his decision. Not seeing her in her
room, Q knew that she was out looking fer Wervil. So he just sat and
waited....
                              *****
 Azrael walked towards her room, she was still down the hall when she
saw that her door was open a little bit, -Wervil, whose been in my room?
 She looked down at the animal in her arms.   -Oh, it's just that kid,
Q.
 A small smile crossed Azrael's face, she liked the kid, and right now
he was her first and only true friend in this place.  She certainly
hoped that his waiting in her room meant he was staying.
  Azrael walked in, "Hello Q, I take it you mean to stay.  Do you think
you could help me fix Wervil up?"
 Q looked at Azrael, and for the first time noticed a small strand of
golden hair floating around the edge of her hood.  It was the most
extradonairy color, it looked like pure spun gold, but yet had shades of
brown.  It seemed to keep changing as he looked at it, one minute pure
gold, the next a dark deep brown.
 His eyes ran to the Warbel huddled in her arms.  It's fur was matted
and looked a little muddy brown.  His left foreleg was just kind of
hanging limply with what looked like blood matted to his foot.  His eyes
went back to Azrael's hood, "What can I do??"
 "I need you to open that closet there," she pointed to the corner of
her room, "and pull out some cloth from the bottom drawer.  And pour
some water into the bowl for me.  Wervil hurt his leg, and I need to
bandage him.  I don't have any Gharl root, so I will just have to clean
and wrap it for now."
 Azrael looked at Q, "You do not have any idea why your spells backfire
on you do you?" she didn't even wait for an answer before she continued,
"Have you tried to purposely backfire a spell??"  She looked up at Q's
face....
                              *****
   Coris laighed so hard his sides hurt. It had been along time and the
action of laughing was difficult. After the dragon had flown out of
sight Coris turned towards the city.
   "Well, that was an amusing distraction." he said "Now it is time to
continue on."
   With that Coris began to walk towards the city. After about five
minutes he could see the city gates. The business of allowing peddlers
and merchants and pillgrams into the city had started backup the moment
the threat of the dragons was over. Coris stood in line waiting to be
allowed into the city.
   After about ten minutes Coris walked up to the gate and the guards
eyed him suspiciously.
   "What is your business within the city pillgram?" the guard asked.
   Coris looked the guard over and determined that the m,an was nothing
but a drunkard in a soldiers uniform. With a smile he awnsered. "I am
tired from my long travel and seek a hot meal and afew nights sleep."
   The guard looked over the stranger once more and said. "Make sure all
weapons are secured with peace knots before you enter." The guard looked
the Coris over once again and asked. "Are you a mage by chance?"
  Coris' look darkened as he replied. "Why do you ask?"
   The guard shrugged, "Well we are suppose to findout if anyone is and
warn him to be careful not to cause any damage with a misguided spell."
   Coris smiled again. "No sir, I am not a mage, I am just a wanderer."
   With that the guard nodded and waved him in. Coris shook his head at
the apparent lack of security. "A guard like that would have been
executed in the old days." he thought. With that he began to look for an
inn to get a meal and room at.
                              *****
   Coris had not been within the cities walls ten minutes when he came
across the guards clearing the remains of the dragons skeleton away. The
closer he got to the bones the more he could feel it.... this had been
done by a mage. The scent of the magic in the air was easily noticable.
   Suddenly another scent caught his attention. Scanning the crowd
Coris' eyes were drawn to a young woman kneeling near the bones. For
some reason she was weeping as if she had known the beast. The other
thing was that she could not have been human. The aura of magic was too
strong. Only afew things had that kind of aura and all were creatures of
magic.
   Coris smiled and knew that this city was full of surprises. This was
definitley the right place to stay for awhile. Coris stood there and
continued to watch the woman. His gaze was so intense that there was no
way she could not have felt it.
                              *****
  Q sat waiting for Azrael to return. He looked around her room, it was
clean as a politician's alibi. He waited and waited, thinking about what
to exactly tell her. For some reason, he felt close to Azrael, even tho
he hasn't even seen what she looks like. He opens a closet slightly so
see what he could find. Just then, he heard footsteps come closer.

  "It must be her." thought Q.

  Just then, Azrael walks into the room with Wervil in her arms. He
doesn't know why she is so attached to the thing, as it seems to follow
her everywhere. She also seemed to understand what it says, as if it was
human, or a close personal friend. Q was running low on friends.

  "Hello Q, I take it you mean to stay.  Do you think you could help me
fix Wervil up?" Azrael said as if she knew exactly what he wanted to
talk about.

  There was something really weird. She knew his thoughts, his feelings,
as if she can see into him. Maybe that's why Q felt so close to her.
Wervil looked pretty banged up, its fur was all matted and it appears as
if he had injured his leg.

  "Help me fix up Wervil??..." thought Q, "I hope she doesn't want me ta
try ta heal the wound, I wouldn't want to give him gangren or
anything.."

  "What do ya want me ta do?" asked Q.

  As if she knew that he was hesitant to use magic again, she asked him
to pour some water into a bowl so she can bandage it. Q obeyingly walked
up to the closet and took out a cloth.

  "You do not have any idea why your spells backfire on you do you?"
said Azrael, "Have you tried to purposely backfire a spell??"

  The last thing Q wanted to talk about was magic. But, not to be rude,
he answered her.

  "I never had to, it does it by itself."

  Q didn't know where she was going with this. In an attempt to change
the subject, Q began to talk about his plan.

  "I've decided to stay..." said Q while helping her bandage Wervil's
leg, "But I want to go back home and say goodbye to my parents..."

  Q paused, hoping fer some reply...he stared deep into the dark shadow
of the hood, but all he saw was hair, that seemed to change color at
every glance. Azrael was hesitant to reply, as she seemed to have some
kind of objection of leaving castle grounds. Q spoke on..

  "Hey, do you EVER take off yer cloak???" asked Q, in an attempt to see
Azrael's face....
                              *****
       "Well human. I know who you are and what you have done. It is
however unfortunate that you had to go about and kill the taskmaster and
a few guards." Fox looked over at the human as he picked up his stuff.
       Fox walks closer to the human and looks up into its eyes. "Look
human if you don't have anything to say it will be quieter to take you
back. The king has been waiting to find out what is going on. If you are
truely on the run you are only making it more difficult for I may have
to destroy you. That would be unfortunate because I am against doing
that, and believe me your strength does not scare me." Fox said as he
takes a step back.
       A rusling in the bushes towards the north starts. The sound of
belching howls and the overpower stench returns. The smeel so potent
that it almost knocks Fox out, but he stays with it. Coming from the top
of the small hill he can see staggered figures heading towards him and
the human. "Great." Fox says in his native tongue. "A stupid human and
now brainless zombies, or is that the other way around?" He chckles and
turns around to see what the human is doing.
       "You're no help." Fox unsheathes his ruin-encrested sword and
heads towards the walking dead. His eyes focus on the three figures
getting closer and his keen nightvision allows him to see them and his
sense of smell is all fouled up by their smell. "By the gods you things
stink to high heaven. Gonna have to fix that."
                              *****
       Fox swings at one of the zombies and it belches one last time as
it looses its head and the body slumps down to the ground. Fox starts to
back away as he realizes that he must be standing in a desecrated burial
ground. "Oh no. Why didn't I sense this, I feel so human in my
ignorance." He says in his dialect.
       Fox looks back at the human who is trying to kill a zombie and
not having much luck. "Not with the hands you dope, use a holy item or
something magical! They can regenerate!" Just as Fox says that two boned
hands grab his feet. "oh s#!t... that's not good." He tries to kick his
feet to break the battered hands to no avail.
       In his fit Fox begins to sence there is something else here. The
clawed boney hand from the ground grab his tail and they start climbing
to his knees. "Dammit!" He swings his sword to lop the new hand at his
tail without hitting himself. "Get off me you bastard!"
       The ground below him starts getting uneven and his feet start to
sink into the dirt. Fox starts getting into a panic state for death his
nipping at his heals, literally. His feet now buried half a meter in the
ground and covering his knees he begins to really panic. His sword
flashes about destroying the boney hands and arms. "Freelance if you are
watching, save me!" Fox mumbles to his god.
       As he cries out to his god he notices that the skeletal figures
scream and disappear. He look at his perdicament and he is stuck halfway
in the softend soil. Then his attention falls to the human who is
struggling with a few zombies. A sickening crunching sound is now heard
by Fox and he starts frantically tries digging himself out.
       A few leaves drop into his sigh as his nightvision looks at them
fall. He turns around as best he can to see that a tree is looking at
him. "Tonight is not my night. TREANT!" Fox yells to the human who's
attention looks up the hill.
       The treant pulls Fox from the ground by his head.
"ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!" Fox shouts as the pain from both his head
, waist, and legs stabs him. The treants branchy arms struggle to yank
Fox out and Fox hears a snap and his right leg goes numb. "Oh god no....
" His leg goes limp as the treant finally frees fox from his situation.
"areggggggg."
       Fox reaches for his sword which lay a few inches from his
fingers. He finally grabs it and chops the treants arms off. The treant
screams in pain and starts to head away from him. Fox not in the
perdicament to move decides not to follow it but instead lays on the
ground in agony. Fox soon then feel something wet on his leg and he
looks down but his nightvision can't really make out what that is on his
leg. "Blood... ah damn it compound." Fox hisses and he starts to feel
woosy. He can se the bone pertruding through his fur and the black
colour of his blood. (Would be red but nightvision prevents colour
correction).
       Fox looks around once more before his eyelids start to feel
heavy. Then Fox falls unconcious.
                              *****
       The female weeps over the intact skeleton of the dragon before
her. Then the bones make a creeking sound and the eye sockets grow evily
red and a screch sound brings the dragon to life.
       "RUN! IT'S A DRACO-LICH!!!!!!" a peasant yells out into the
crowd. The rest of the crowd starts to flee and the city militia
foolishy try to stop the beast.
       All but a lone figure flees or scurries about. The figure seems
to have intrigue in his eyes as the dragon must have been playing
possum.
       The drco-lich coughs flames igniting two of the nearest guards
and they didn't even appear to know what hit them. The flames speew
catching a shoppe aflame which brings a chain reaction.
       "FIRE!" a guard yells.
       No one wants to douse the flame as long as the draco-lich stands
before the city. The figure whom has not yet flinched decides that this
thing doesn't belong here and he pulls out a sword from his sheath. The
sword quickly ignites to a flaming sword and he walk towards the
draco-lich with no expression on his face.
       The lich turns towards the man and if it had flesh or scales
still it would be smiling. "You are mine." The skeleton voice chatters
however no voice box is inside it. Then it lunges towards the man with
the sword.
                              *****
   The bones of the dragon shifted slightly, the average person would
not have noticed it, but Coris sensed the magic hidden within the
skeleton. He stood his ground as the Lich rose to its full height
andbeganto attack the city. Coris noticed quickly that the creatures
unholy  nature had spread its dragon fear around him causing the guards
and peasants to flee. He knew right away that unless he did something
the entire city would be destroyed.
   As the monster turned towards him he knew right away that the mage
that had destroyed the dragon had also raised it into what it was now.
This was a mage Coris would have to find. Drawing his scimitar Coris
spoke the mystic word to ignite the hellish flames that empowered his
sword. "Hell's Dawn" he said and the blade began to dance with an almost
black flame. With that Coris walked towards the Lich intent on sending
it way to hell or to its master when it was living.
   The dragon swiped at the man with its claws tearing a large gash in
Coris' robes, but did not leave a mark on him. Coris swung his sword
cauing the lich to pull its claw back, the strike had done little more
then chip the bones. The dragon reared its head back and sent forth a
gout of flames again. The heat caused Coris to have to shield his eyes
but nothing more.
   Around him several more buildings errupted into flames sending even
more peasants fleeing. When the flames had stopped Coris rose and
charged the lich. His sword swung in and hit several times but did
little to the dracoliches magically created body. With a mighty swipe of
its claw it sent Coris sailing intoa buring building.
   The lich immediately turned its attention towards the surrounding
city figuring its quarry was dead. It began to reak havok with its tail,
claws, and flames.
                              *****
   The impact of the dracoliches claw had caught Coris off guard. His
sudden crash into the burning building dazed him slightly. The first
thought that ran through Coris' mind were "Thank the Gods for the
amulet." With that Coris rose from where he had landed and ran his hand
across the emerald stone that danggled from his necklace. Gathering his
sword from the flaming rubble Coris could hear the Liches attacks
continuing.
   "Its bad enough that the thing hit me when I wan't looking, but it
knocks me into this building where I will be a mess covered in ashes!"
Coris said as he walked from the building.
   As he exited the building several people standing around watching the
Lich's attack sunndenly backed away thinking he may be a undead, thier
expressions turned to shock when they saw it was him.
   Sheathing his sword caused the flames to be extinguished immediately.
Coris scanned the area and noticed the Lich not that far from where it
had been fighting him. This time though  its back was turned to him, and
Coris was not about to give up such an easy target.
   Coris began the chantingof a spell he knew probly would not destroy
the Lich but it would definitely attract its attention. The Lich
suddnely sensed the gathering magic and turn to find out where it was
coming from. The creature howled in unholy rage when it saw Coris. It
bellowed forth another rush of flames which encirled Coris and again did
nothing to him.
   As the flames died Coris shouted the last syllables of the spell and
pointed at the Lich. Suddenly there was a *BOOM* and lightning began to
streak from Coris' finger tips and strike the Lich. The monster tried to
defend itself from the lightning  but the blows continued to rage on.
The spell ended as quickly as it had appeared. All around the Lich
several buildings had been damaged by the spell but most of it had
struck the Lich. Weakened the Lich cast a spell of teleportation and
vanished. It reappeared several miles from the city. After casting
another spell, this one to hasten its flight home, it began to move back
towards its masters castle, it began to head straight towards Malcolm's
castle.
   Coris watched the creature vanish and cursed knowing that it was not
dead but probly returning to its master. Several people in the area
began to beg for his help but Coris simply ignored them and left them to
the returning guards, after all it was their job not his. He turned and
began to look for a suitable inn to get a meal in. Know that any in this
part of the town were probll destroyed he headed towards another part.
                              *****
 Azrael looked up at Q, his blurted out question ringing in her ears,
"Hey, do you EVER take off your cloak??"  She tried to think of how to
answer that, she knew she should, but at the same time her lessons
floated through her mind; never show your face, use your secrets to save
your life, your looks are what can get you out if noone knows what you
look like.  She glanced up at the young lad, she had never had anybody
to call friend buy Wervil, and he knew what she looked like, but he
couldn't tell anybody.  She would just have to think about this.
  It hit her then, he had mentioned he wanted to go home, to say
goodbye.  "Goodbye?? Did you not say goodbye before you left for home?
Yes, well, I do not have the right to stop you, but do you know how long
it might take you?  Or do you think you can do that teleportation spell
right??  If possible, I think that might be the safest way, quicker
too."
  Q just looked at her, his face showing his relectance to use more
magic.  "You know I do not think you have to worry about your spell, my
friend.  You will learn how to get the effects you want."
 Azrael looked back down at Wervil, -I certainly hope that he learns how
to backfire the spells the right way.  Do you think I should show him my
face??  I feel safer knowing that I could walk down the hallways and not
have anybody know me, but I can trust him, right?  He trusted me, why
should I give him no less?
 She looked back up at Q, "Do you truly wish to know what I look like?
I will tell you, that it goes against what I was taught, but you have
given me your trust, so I wish to show you my trust as well.  Do you
think you could agree to not let anybody know what I look like, if you
see me outside of this cloak.  Which means, you must never call me
Azrael unless I am in this cloak...DO you agree to this??"
 The young lad gave a small nod.....
 Azrael raised her hands, and slowly started to lower her hood, her
hands shaking slightly.........................
                              *****
 She slowly started to lower the hood, as the hood was pushed back with
her slender fingers, it revealed a mass of the golden brown hair,
cascading around her shoulders and disappearing down the back of her
cloak.  The hair slightly feathered around her face, setting off, her
very pale blue eyes, small flecks of gray and green seeming to float in
and out or their depths.
 Her nose, just a short, stubby nose, seeming out of place while it sat
above her full pale pink lips.  Her face was clear of any blemishes, and
she was a dark tan.
 "You are the first to see me as Azrael, other in the castle call me
Mistrel on occasion.  I trust you with this secret, as you entrusted me
with your life." She reached into her cloak and pulled out a small
pendent, it was just a small knot of battered gold, she handed it to Q.
"Take this, my gift to you.  If you ever need me, just send this, and I
know that it is a true request of you, and not some imposter.  Look
closely at the surface."
 Azrael watched as Q held the small pendant close to his face, His eyes
looking up at hers in wonder, "How???"
 "It is a small picture of a Warbel," She glanced down at Wervil, "They
are a special group to me, and it proves that the pendant can not be
copied, no one around here has seena warbel for almost 10 generations.
Go, visit your family, I will be here when you return, or will get word
to you."
 Q just looked at her.  Azrael started thinking of the antromorph, he
had not yet returned and perhaps it was time she took a look at his
room.....
                              *****
       Fox jumps up some time later reaching for his sword and swipes
into thin air. He tries to sit up but the pain in his right leg beckonds
him to lay still. He looks over at the human just in time to see him
splatter the last zombie. He sits up as best he can and scans around for
the treant. Not to be seen he uses the sword as a crutch and stands.
       "Sharr laki-morishenchew!" Fox shouts as he looks up at the night
sky. Another tree whispers to Fox and he kneels to the ground. A strange
whispering sound echoes throughout the area like wind through dry grass.
Fox closes his eyes and mumbles the incantion again. "Sharr
laki-morishenchew." He opens his eyes to see that his bone is now where
is belongs, on the inside.
       "Thank you my friends. That will do perfectly as repayment." Fox
says and the whisper sound replies to him. Fox stands up and heads away
from the human and into the graveyard that lays beforer him. "Hmmmm,
elvish city ruins. I will be safe here for the night." He mummbles and
leaves the man he chased to do his own thing. He reaches for his pack
and opens it up. "Damn left all my parchment in my room. Damn my map
too."
       Fox stumbles into the city-in-ruins and looks for a good place to
stay for the night. "Ok, well I found the murder and he is an idiot. My
job is done and tomorrow I head home."
                              *****
       Everything had happened so fast, the unicorn had to think back in
time to catch up.  She had been kneeling at the dragon's remains, when
she had felt eyes upon her.  She had been about to turn around, when the
dragon's skeleton had come back alive.  Backing away into the shadows,
she saw a man, the one who had been staring at her, fight it, until it
had run off, returning to it's home.
       Blending in with the shadows, she saw the man turn back.  He
seemed to have forgotton about her.  Which she thought was good.  There
was something about that man.  When she looked at him, she got this
vision of death.  - I wonder what it means.. -  She thought.. but there
was nothing she could do.  - Oh well.  His business is not important to
me.  I want to find out who killed the dragon. -
       Since there was no one around, they had all fled when the dragon
had come back to life, she quickly focused her mind onto a figure of a
bird.  Happy with her form as a snow white dove, she flew off, up near
the castle's towers, and found herself looking into a room, that had a
cat like animal in it, a young man who seemed to have been crying, and a
woman.  As she watched, the woman lowered the hood of her cloak.
       The unicorn was so busy looking at the woman's face, she didn't
notice the small cat like creature had seen her, and was watching her
intently, with a preditor-like look upon it's face.
                              *****
  Q looks at Azrael.

  "Oh great, the teleportation spell.." thought Q.

  The teleportation spell was what got him into this mess. But he had to
go home, and he had to see his parents one more time. He saw Azrael look
down at Wervil and mutter something to it. There was silence fer a
minute.

  "Do you truly wish to know what I look like? said Azrael sternly.

  This is the moment. Q began to feel excited to see the face of the
mysterious woman. He felt honored that she would share such a secret she
kept from everyone with him. He knew they were friends fer life. They
had cemented this friendship with the ultimate sealant, trust.

  "Which means, you must never call meAzrael unless I am in this
cloak...DO you agree to this??" she went on.

  Q gave a small nod and cracked a smile. With her hands shaking, she
began to hesitate. Then, with a slow movement, she lifted off the hood
and revealed her face. Q's eye widened as he saw the shadow that hid her
face slowly disappears. She had long flowing golden hair. Her skin had a
deep tan to it. To Q, she was beautiful.

  "You are the first to see me as Azrael, other in the castle call me
Mistrel on occasion." explained Azrael, er Mistrel.

  Q said nothing as she continued to explain the conditions of her big
secret. All of a sudden, she  reached into her cloak and pulled out a
pendant.

  "Take this, my gift to you.  If you ever need me, just send this, and
to you." she explained.

  Q hesitated, thinking that the gift was too much. Slowly, thinking
about how it might come in handy, Q took it with both hands and looked
at it. It was a small picture of the teddy bear, I mean Warbel.

  "How?" said Q, moronically.

  She continued to explain about the significance of the pendent.

  "Thank you." said Q gleefully.

  "Go, visit your family, I will be here when you return, or will get
word to you."

  Q put the pendent on and it began to glow.

  "Heh, maybe it's the glare from the lamp..." thought Q.

  "Well, goodbye fer now." said Q as he exited her room, "I will be back
before ya know it."

  Q felt a strange magical presence, but thought nothing of it. Q goes
into his room and began to concentrate deeply. With a small breeze, a
portal opens.

  "Well, I guess I'll never learn..." said Q with a grin, aa he entered
the portal...
                              *****
       "sir I assure you that I am NOT laughing at you" and moonfox
looked back at her creation and wondered what in the world she was going
to do.
       the Bush centaur had walked forwared, and stood infront of his
creator.
       "hello mother" and he kneeled down to her.  moonfox not quite
sure how to react, took on a strange face that no one could read.
       "looks like he will be your responsibility." jonia looked down on
the young princess that seemed to be in panic.
       "mother?...." moonfox had no idea what she did.... she opened up
her bag of seed... "what on earth did I USE??!?!?!?!?!?!?!" she dug
through her bag of seeds desperetly trying not to look at Bushy.
       Aoramon sensing her desperation, came up behind her and put a
reasuring hand on her shoulder. then he bent over and whispered in her
ear.
       "I don't think that you have too much to worry about my dear. I
do believe that he is old enough to take care of himself."
       Jonia steped forth "and there is still the matter of the snakes
to discuss."
       when moonfox heard this she stoped... she was right they did
thing that she had done that! she turned around and looked up at the
centaur.
       "I assure you sir, I do not know what is going on around here,
but the only thing that I had done is grow this, and I meant it to be as
a gift for all to appreciate, I must have grabed some kind of magic seed
of some sort, for I have NEVER seen this happen in all my years of
practice." moonfox babbled.
       "I believe you child." he said with a reasureing smile.
       "you shall be welcom in our city providing that nothing more
outlandish happens in your presence... "
       "do you know who I am?" jonia nodded
       "you are daughter of the elven king" said the elder centaur.
moonfxo just nodded... her secret was out. and she wasn't going to
accomplish what it was that she wanted to get done now.
       "I thank you for your hospitality. " moonfox looked over at the
bush one more time.
       she walked up to him, "do you wish to come with me? I created
you. therefore you are welcome with me at any time." moonfox looked him
in his flower eyes.
       "yes mother, I would." and Aoramon showed them out of the
arena...
                              *****
       "Die you verminis scum!" cried Undertaker.  His large hammer
crushing the final zombie.  It splattered into a foul smelling mass, and
some of the goo splattered onto Undertaker.

       "Great.  Now I'll never get this smell out."  he exclaimed.  He
had no idea as to what he had just fought.  These things moved slow, but
kept gettin up.  No matter how hard he had hit them, they'd still get
up.  Finally, he had swung with all his might, and that seemed to do the
trick.  Now, breathing heavy from the battle, he scanned the area.

       "Where the hell did that fox creature go?  Last thing I need is
some weird creature following me around.  Well, there ain't no way I am
going back to..."  he was interupted by a scream.

       "TREANT!" came a cry.

       Undertaker looked up to where the cry had come from.

       "Treant?" Undertaker thought to himself.  "What the hell is a
treant?"  Then, another scream echoed through the valley.  Then nothing.

       "This is too creepy for me!" Undertaker thought to himself.  A
bipedal fox, weird looking humans, or close to humans, that smelled bad
and died hard, and now screaming.  He decided that it would be best to
get out as soon as possible.  He began to pack up his gear.  He was
almost finished when a soft breeze picked up and Undertaker thought he
heard a soft whisper.  Then he heard it again, and again, like an
echo...and then, nothing.

       "Okay.  That convinces me that I should be moving."  Undertaker
said and began to walk towards the river.  "Man, do I hate the night!"
                              *****
 Azrael watched as exited her room, she was glad he was wearing the
pendent, Master Grolic had told her who to go to for such an item, and
she had never really thought she would need the pendant.  She never
thought she would have a friend who might need it.  Giving a small shrug
of her shoulders she looked down at Wervil, -Come on, Furball, we need
to go take a look at Fox's room.  We don't know how long he will be
gone, and the thing is, I'm kind of scared.  He is an animal and so I
know that he will want to talk to me once he realizes we have been in
there.
 She noticed that Wervil was staring at a beatiful snow white dove
sitting in her window sill.  Pulling her hood back over her head, -Come
on, I'll find you a nice piece of meat from the kitchen.
 -There's something funny about that bird P.a
 -Yea well, if we see if later, we can ask it what it wants ok?
 The warbel gave a little nod and headed for his place near the bottom
of her cloak.
 The two of them took off for Fox's room.  It didn't take long for them
to approach his room.  Heading to the end of the hallway she opened the
door behind the tapestry, entering the small room she pushed on the wall
connecting it to Fox's room.  He might be able to smell her scent, but
he could at least have a fun time tracking the scent through the wall
and not through the door.
 Azrael noticed that his apartment was just about as neat as her own.
She noticed a few pieces of parchment on a nearby table and slowly
started lifting them up, making sure to leave them in the order she
picked them up.  It was then that she came across the map of the nearby
countryside, looking at it closely, she was surprised at the detail and
information it had.  She smiled as she realized that it was a good and
true map of the area as well, she actually felt a little proud that he
could map so well.
 She couldn't find anything else of real interest to herself, and made
sure that the papers were in the order she found them, blank or not.
She knew that he would know she had been there, and that even Wervil,
but didn't want to give him any true reason to want to hurt her.  She
wanted to talk, to find out what he thought King Oberon was up to.
                              *****
       The snow white dove saw the woman and the cat like creature leave
the room.  From somewhere else in the tower, she felt a surge of magic.
- That feels like it was cast by the person who killed the dragon.  But
it would take forever to find the source of it.  I'd rather find out
what the woman and the cat creature are doing. -  Thinking this, the
unicorn flew into the room, and landed on the floor.  - At least they
left the door open. -  Changing into a small little cat, that was white,
with a sparkle of gold on her whiskers and forehead, she followed them.
       She wasn't sure if they were aware of her, as they went into
another room, by a secret door in a wall, and went through the things in
the room.  Hiding with the dust bunnies under the bed, the unicorn used
the kitten nose to sniff the smells in the room.
       - Who ever is staying in here, smells very earthy.  Yet human.
It's like they are of the children of the earth, but have been living by
the humans their whole life, or most of it.  How interesting.  I wonder
who it is. -  The unicorn thought.  Looking up, she saw that the lady
and her friend were still looking at the things in the room.  She
wondered if they would notice her.  - If that cat like creature has the
smelling abilities of a cat's, then it should pick up my scent, but
among all of this dust, it'd be possible not to.  Maybe it's too wrapped
up with what it's mistress is doing.  How odd.  Just what are they doing
anyways? -  The small kitten gave a small human like sigh, and then gave
a tiny sneeze.  - This castle needs a great many more people cleaning
it. - She thought, and sneezed again.
                              *****
   Illysa awoke with a start. She could have sworn that there had been a
sound. SNAP! Illysa turned in time to see two men rush at her from the
edge of her camp. The men had drawn swords and had a look of murderous
rage on their faces. As they neared she made some quick movements with
her hands and vanished.
   The men stopped dead in there tracks. "Where'd she go?" one asked.
   Before the other man could awnser a gout of flame struck him from
where Illysa had been sitting. As it did she reappeared. The other man
could only stare in horror as it appeared that the flame was errupting
from her hands. The second man screamed and began to roll on the ground
in an attempt to extinguish the flames but they would not go out.
   See his friend turned into a crispy critter was enough for the first
man and he took off running.
   "Think your getting away that easy do you verim!" Illysa shouted.
With another couple of gesters 5 glowing arrows materialized next to
her. When she pointed at the man running the took off flying after him
like a bat out of hell. A second later there was several sickening thuds
and a short gurgling scream as the man fell to the forest floor dead.
   Illysa smiled a wicked smile. "That's only half of what I have
planned for you dear father." she said evilly. With that she gathered
her belongings and headed in the direction of her father.
   Without knowing she was still nearly two weeks walk from Lakesdale.
                              *****
   Coris left the people behind with a laugh.
   "Poor fools probly had no idea that there city had been attacked by
such a rare creature." he thought to himself.
   As he walked Coris saw several inns that looked very average. Then as
he rounded a corner he saw a inn that was stationed on the road to the
castle. It was a large in several stories tall and crafted very well.
With a smile Coris walked inthe front doors.
  The inn was well lit and smelled of ancient leather and wood. The
moment he walked in the inn keeper looked up from his desk. His first
expression was one of disgust at how dirty this man was. Then he looked
down and saw that the vaggrant was tracking soot onto his carpet. He
picked up a bell and rang it. Instantly a rather large man walked out
from a back room. With a look from the inn keeper the man begam to walk
towards Coris with the intent of throwing him out.
   Coris watched as the man approached. A quick smile came across his
face as he thought of how much trouble this big oaf was getting himself
into.  With a flick of his wrist Coris brought out his dagger. The man
seeing the glint of silver froze in his tracks.
   "I want the best room, NOW!"he shouted with anger.
   "I'm sorry sir but it is obvious that a man in your...Monetary
condition could not afford even a small room here, I suugest you go and
sleep off what ever you have drunk beforemy friend here removes you."
the inn keeped said smuggley.
   Coris reached into his belt and threw several dozen gold coins at the
inn keeper who started to collect them quickly. Then Coris spoke, "I
believe that will be enough to get me the BEST room and a bath as well
as a meal right?"
   The inn keeper stampered, "Yyyyyes sir it will." With that he quickly
waved the other man away and handed Coris a key to the largest room
in the inn. "Shall I have a bath readied for you or would you rather
dine first MiLord?" the inn keeper asked.
   "I would like a bath and then your best meal brought to my room."
Coris replied. With that Coris headed off to his room to bathe and eat.
                              *****
   The DracoLich continued on its way to its masters castle. It was
expending several of its spells to get it there faster. When its last
traveling spell was used it found a place to await for its spells to
return. As it waited it could only think of two things. First of that
man who had sent IT, a mighty DracoLich, running home with its tail
stuck between its legs and of its master, Malcolm.
   He would have to see what Malcolm had to say before he decided
whether or not to kill him.   With that the Lich waited.

   As evening fell the DracoLich arose with all of its spells reknewed.
It was now only two days travel by spell and flight from Malcolm's
castle. It planned to get near the castle and then let its spells reknew
themselves and then pay a visit to its master. With that the DracoLich
started towards home again...
                              *****
       Fox wakes up the following morning and looks at the burned out
armour shoppe that sheltered him over the night. He gets up and streches
only to firget the lingering pain in his leg and collapses on the the
ground. Upon his fall he knocks over some metal objects and they fall on
top of him.
       "Ouch! Dammit!" Fox pulls himself off the floor and moves the
metal objects away from him. "Hmmmm... Elven Chain Mail." Fox looks
closely at the chain mail armour that landed on him.
       The mail is a bit dusty but is one of the lightest pieces of
armour one can find and still give protection like regular chain mail.
The craftsmanship on the piece is excellent and Fox dusts off the mail
hoping for a insignia. He turns it around so he can see the front. On
the front there is a symbol of a tree and mountain behind it on the
upper right hand corner.
       "Wonder if it fits." Fox climbs up on a stone table and sits and
tries to put the armour on. "Damn elves could never make a 'morph proper
armour even though we are slender." He chuckles and slides into it.
"I'll be damned. Perfect fit."
       Fox looks at his leg to see that it is covered in dried blood and
dirt. "That's not gonna do, infected no doubt." Fox runs his hand over
the clumped fur. "Blechhh." He wrinkles his nose and grabs a descent
sized stick to use as a walking stick or crutch. "Ahh waterfall." Fox
exits the building and looks outside and cocks his head and hears a
waterfall in the distance. "Bath time."
       Fox heads towards the waterfall sound which is also conviently
located the same direction he has to go to return to Lakesdale. "Well
one thing good about this side of Avalon is the abumdance of clean
water." Fox heads towards the water for his morning bath and to clean
the blood off.
                              *****
Dangling in Moonfox's hair still, one of the Centaur elders noticed
somethng strange in her hair. Asking for Moonfox to stand still a
moment, he plucked it out.
Jeannie dangling now in mid-air, quickly stopped her mirth, and
exclaimed "WHOOPS!" and quickly poofed into smoke and escaped.

She landed a half a moment later in some hairs of someone else!

She also noticed that she was carrying more than just her lamp now. She
had with her a very pretty large diamond ring on her finger, a small bag
of seeds and a bunch of arrows.

*****************************************************************************

The Centaur elder still looking confused didn't notice that his quiver
was empty... and Moonfox hadn't yet noticed that her pouch of seeds were
GONE!
                              *****
 Azrael was sitting in her room, she didn't have much to do today, and
it was Mistrel's day off from the kitchen.  She looked down at her small
friend, -Well Wervil, Q is gone, and we don't know when he will be back,
that fox, Fox, is also gone so I can't follow him.  We've explored all
the tunnels the map of the West Tower showed me, and we can find any of
them in our sleep.
 -I don't know P.a, I'm just tired.  My paw still hurts, and I can't
believe you threw me on that dragon...
 -I'm sorry Werv, but well, I had no other idea of what to do.  You know
I cantdo magic, just parlor tricks like things up my sleeves, and
seeming to disappear but still be in the room...
 -Yea, well I sure wish you could heal my leg.  The Wervil stared up at
his big friend.  He could remember the first time she had found him.  He
had been straving and near death...and only a few weeks old.  Standing
up he crawled slowly to her.
 Azrael looked up as her friend neared her, reaching out she picked him
up and put him next to her on the bed, running her fingers through his
fur.  She looked at him, his head usually reached a little above her
mid-calf, with small pointed ears that seemed to catch everything. His
nose, pushed forward a little, and always twitching.  His deep black
eyes, it seemed he had no pupils, they were all black; barely glistened
in teh dark.
  His body, looking round and fat, but actually composed of muscle, his
legs looking a little funny on him because of their thinness next to his
round body.  The speed he could get up to was amazing, Azrael couldn't
quite figure out how he did that.  His black and white spots, blending
and at times, in some light, he looked almost brown.  It kind of
reminded her of her own hair and how at one minute it seemed blond and
the next dark brown.
  His long slinky tail, looking fuller than it was because of the thick
fur covering his body.  Azrael passed her hands down his legs and lifted
one of his paws,  lightly pushing on the pads, his claws shot out.  It
amazed her on how he could hang on and never hurt her, when he was
riding her.  Usually perfering to walk between her feet, hiding under
her cloak.  She never understood how he got himself to fit there either,
but they had, had several years to practice, she had found him about 8
years ago...and it seemed like yesterday.....
                              *****
       - Her nightmares are getting worse.  Every night, the same
dreams, and she always wakes up shaking and unable to sleep.  If it
weren't for my sleeping spell, she would never be able to get any rest.
I think it will do her good to go on a trip with me, though..  Make her
forget the blackness, and just enjoy being Kat. -
       The ogre's musings were interrupted by a bundle of fur lightly
leaping up to the table.  It stopped and looked at him, with a look of,
"See?  I can too control this!" on its face.  As he watched, the cat sat
on the table, and began to quickly shift into the woman that had
occupied his thoughts.
       "Well, Kat, you are indeed doing much better at your
shape-shifting.  It is a skill that can stand you in very good stead..
Few enemies think to look for small animals, when they have been
fighting a humanoid.  If you keep practicing, you may find that you can
change just parts of you, say your hands into paws, even though the rest
of you stays 'human'."
       "Thank you.  I think I'm starting to get the hang of it.  And I
like it."  Kat said with one of the few smiles she had smiled in the
past several weeks.
       "I'm glad that you aren't bitter.  And you did learn that anti-
magic spell very well.  You almost cast it faster than I do!"  the ogre
said with a grin that made ordinary humans faint or die of seizure.
"However, I think it is time that you and I go on a trip.  I must go and
purchase some vials for that potion I am brewing, and I also need some
Ninphys Root.  I'm almost out.  I will be leaving for the town of
Lakesdale tomorrow."
       "Tomorrow?!  But I'm not ready to see other people yet!"  Panic
is barely checked in the young woman's voice.
       "Yes you are.  And i have something for you, as well."  Reaching
into one of the many small pouches that the ogre has arrayed about his
chest and waist, he removed a small golden circle.
       "A ring?" asked the cat woman, puzzled.
                              *****
       "No, not a ring.  This is an amulet, of sorts."  As the ogre
spoke, he also pulled gently at the sides of the ring of gold.  The
sides steadily expanded, making a larger, yet not thinner, ring of gold.
Soon, it was large enough to slip around Kat's head.
       "A necklace?  But what is it for?"  Kat had no idea.
       "This necklace is magical.  It will stay on you until you remove
it.  No one else can.  It will also change size, as you change from cat
to human and back.  Here, put it on."  Kat was undecided for a minute,
but the kindly look in the ogre's old eyes was what decided her.  Taking
the proferred necklace, she slipped it over her head and let it fall
gently to her shoulders.  It slowly contracted to a comfortable band
around her neck.
       "Now, if you look in the mirror, you will notice a pattern of
small stones on the band, in the front."  Kat climbed off the table and
went to look.  Sure enough, there were two small garnets next to each
other at the top, two small slightly pink crescent-shaped gems that were
set one to each side, curved outward, and there was a small ruby in the
center, just beneath the garnets.  A sliver of glittering diamond was
set horizontally at the bottom.
       "It almost looks like a face.  That's cute!" Kat said, amused at
the silly design.
       "It is?  I never noticed." The ogre's voice issued from the small
face, just as quietly as a cat walks when hunting.  Nevertheless, it
made Kat jump half a span straight up.
       "You talked through it!"  Cat stared at the little face in the
mirror, watching to see if it changed at all when he spoke.  "How did
you do that?!"
       "Easily, my dear," came the normal rumbling of the ogre's voice
from behind her.  "Now come back to the table, and please sit. We have
much to discuss before we leave for the town."
                              *****
       "Achoo!"  The little white kitten, burried in dust bunnies
sneezed.  The dust surrounding her flew in all directions, but the woman
and the cat creature were oblivious to the cloud of dust that blew out
from under the bed.
       They didn't notice the few sneezes the kitten gave, either, as
the woman took the creature and set it on the bed, just above the
unicorn's head.  The unicorn sat their, on her throne of dust, trying to
hear what they were saying.  Silence filled the air, and surrounded her
like walls, until she sneezed again, shattering the fortress of nothing.
- What are they doing?  They seem to be communicating, but they're not
speaking.  Maybe they can speak mind to mind.. but the only ones who can
do that.. are.. well.. a few unicorns have that gift, some of the
sprites and pixies.. but out of humans... wizards.. mages.. witches..
but only with their familiars.. that's it!  This woman must be a witch,
and that creature her familiar.  But what are they doing here, and why
hasn't she noticed me yet? -  The unicorn sighed, and her exhale created
a small dust storm, but not as big as the first few.  - I wonder what
they would do if they saw me... -  The unicorn's thoughts mixed with
those of any ordinary kitten's, and couldn't help but stick her head
out, and take a look at them.  Crawling forward, she put her head out of
the protection of the bed, and looked up ever so slowly to see...
                              *****
 Wervil glanced down as he noticed a small cloud of dust come up from
under the bed, his nose started twitching even faster, his ears
switching from side to side, -Umm, there's something under the bed.
 -Hmm?  Azrael focused back on her small friend.
 -I said there is something under the bed, smells like a cat, but not a
cat.
 -Yes, well there are cats all over this place.  What would a cat be
doing in our room anyways?  They all have and know your scent.
 -Oh, like I know why this one decided to hang around.  But it,  He gave
a sniff of the air,  smells fresh somehow.
 Azrael looked down at the warbel, -Fresh?  How in the world does a cat
smell anything but like a cat?  And how would it smell fresh??
 The warbel gave a small sigh and jumped down on the floor, just as he's
feet hit the floor a small white head peeked out from under the bed.
 -Umm, p.a I don't recognize this cat, and it's a baby.
 Azrael lowered her head and looked down, spotting the small white
kitten she slowly reached down and lifted it up.  It started to scoot
back but then stopped and allowed Azrael to lift it into her arms.
 "Well kitten, what are you doing in here, Hmmm?"  Smiling at the small
cat she continued, "Well welcome to my room, my name is Azrael, and this
is my friend Wervil.  You must not be scared of him, he is a warbel, and
as much as he likes meat, i think you may be to thin for him."
 Azrael grew quiet after introducing them to the cat, glancing at
Wervil, -Well what should we do with it?? I suppose I could take it to
the kitchen or barn??
                              *****
       -This is so beautiful! The trees, the grass, the sun. It all
looks familiar, as if I have been here before.- Cat wanders behind her
master, the ogre mage.

       Suddenly something catches her eyes. She hears him saying
something, but all she can think of is, -Butterfly! I'll get you!-
Quickly shifting to a more cat-like state, she runs after it jumping
occasionally to try and bring it down. -Got to get it. It can't get
away.-

       The trees whiz by and soon she is hopelessly lost in the forest
or at least she would be if she stopped. Then the butterfly gets away
and Cat stops. She finds herself in a small clearing right next to a
small lake. She shifts to a more human shape and starts drinking up the
water.

       A finger touches her on her shoulder. She reflexively jumps as
high an as far away as she can. On her way down she enters a tree and
grabs a branch. She scrambles to gain her balance and then looks
down. She is high in the tree.
                              *****
       Cat looks around from her perch. She can see the lake but not her
attacker. She quickly says the one spell she knows, hopeing that it will
save her. She looks down and fear runs down her spine. -Yikes! I'm high
up!- She tries to get to the nearest lower branch, but it just to far
away for her fear-filled limbs.

       Then a familiar face appears below her. Her master! "I'm sorry,
master, I thought you were attacking me."

       His gentle laugh vibrates the tree. Cat's claws emerge and grab
the tree all the tighter. "Come down, Cat."

       "I can't! I'm afraid!" She looks at herself, for that is where he
is looking. She sees nothing unusual, just her night-like flesh and black
fur.
                              *****
       Morgian enters her room with her treasure. It is a rock about 5-6
inches long and about 3 inches tall and an inch thick. -If it was that
easy to get, why hasn't someone gotten it already?- She thinks about her
quest to get the stone.

       First, she found "The hidden cave" without any trouble. It was
sitting there in plain sight with a invisibility spell on it. But that
was easily bypassed.

       Then there was the projectiles. A simple shield and levitate
spells rendered them harmless and the pit as well. The falling rocks and
the pool of acid, she just flew through. The other obstacles were just
as useless.

       She came to the altar and almost didn't find the stone. But then
she got it and got out. No problem. She went back to the castle, and
here she is.

       Then Malcolm voice reaches her, "Morgian, are you there?" She
replies an affirmative. He continues, "What did you do with the virgin's
body?"
                              *****
       After sending off the messenger, Mordoc went back into the room
with Malcolm. After a few days of studying with very few new
possibilities, Malcolm looks up at Mordoc with fire in his eyes.

       "Mordoc, what did you do with the virgin?"

       "After the spell?"

       "Yeah."

       "Nothing, why?"

       "Hmmmm," he says to himself and then outloud to a nearby door,
"Morgain, are you there?"

       "Yes."

       "What did you do with the virgin's body?" Morgian comes in
looking concerned.

       "Nothing, why do you ask?"

       "Because if I didn't do anything with it, and niether of you two
did, then we have a real stinking body out there. Who's going to clean
it up?"
                              *****
       All three rush out to the balcony where the spell was attempted.
Looking at the tilted table, they find that the woman's body is gone,
and has been for a while.

       "Malcolm, where's the body?"

       "I'm not sure, you two don't know?"

       "Nope." Morgian and Mordoc answer in unison.

       "Hmmmm, I wonder what happened," then inspiration hits him, "I
bet it's that stupid ogre! I bet he did it to spite me. I'm going to get
him for that!"

       "But he beat you last time you messed with him."

       "And he's stronger than you."

       "I'll think of something. Maybe the element of surprise may aid
me here." The three go back inside.
                              *****
       - Uh oh.  Hide, hide, hide, hide! - The unicorn/kitten tried to
scoot back underneath the bed, but the woman grabed her and picked her
up.
       "Well kitten, what are you doing in here, hmmmmm?"  The woman
asked, and smiled at her.  "Welcome to my room, my name is Azrael, and
this is my friend Wervil.  You must not be scared of him, he is a
warbel, and as much as he likes meat, I think you may be too thin for
him."  Azrael fell silent, and the unicorn figured she was wondering
what she should do with her.
       - Should I reveil myself, or stay as a kitten? - The unicorn
wondered.  - Do I trust her?  I don't even know her... - but something
inside of the unicorn, a little voice pointed out - You can take care of
yourself, and your quest won't get any farther along if you don't take a
risk here and there.. go for it. -
       Taking a deep breath, she spoke.  "Hello, Azrael."  She greeted.
       Azrael didn't scream, but her eyes widened, and her grip loosened
on the unicorn.  "You.. can speak?"  She gasped.
       "Yes, I can."  Squirming out of Azrael's grasp, the unicorn
landed on the floor lightly.  Concentraiting, she changed into herself,
a unicorn as white as snow, with a gold horn that glittered as if it
were the shadow of the sun.  Hearing Azrael's quick intake of air, she
looked at her, from her own shape.
       "You're.. you're.. a.. "
       "Unicorn."  The unicorn finished for her.
       "But.. umm.. " Azrael took another breath of air, and then sat
down on the bed.  "What do they call you?"
       The unicorn sighed.  - I guess I should tell her.. -  Opening her
mouth, she explained to Azrael about her quest for her name, and about
all that had happened up to the present.  Studing Azrael's face after
she was finished, the unicorn could see that she was absorbing all of
the things that she had just told her.
       "So, you can look like a human then?"  Azrael asked.  Satisfied,
when the unicorn changed into her previous human shape.  "If you wish to
go around the castle, you should have a name that one could call you."
Looking out of her window, she saw the night starting to creep in.  The
day had passed quickly.  "Well, it is almost evening, I should show you
a room where you can stay to sleep.  We can talk more in the morning."
       "Evening?"  Said the unicorn, trying out that word.  It flowed
over her human tounge.  "That's a word for night, isn't it?"  When
Azrael nodded, the unicorn said the word again.  "Evening.  I like that
word."
       After the unicorn said that, Azrael had an idea.
                              *****
       "Since you like that name so much, how about if we call you
'Eve' ?"  Azrael suggested.
       Thinking about it, the unicorn desided she liked that.  "I
wouldn't want it for my name, but it would do for now."
       "Well then, Eve, shall I show you a room?"  Azrael asked.
       Eve nodded, and followed Azrael.
***
       Once Eve had found her room, and knew the way to Azrael's room,
they talked a bit.
       "Tomorrow, we can talk a bit more, and I can show you a bit of
the castle, maybe.. are you hungry?"  Eve shook her head, and Azrael
continued on.  "Okay.. well, I guess I should let you rest, you've had
quite a day."  Azrael got up, ready to leave, and was almost out of the
door, when Eve's voice stopped her.
       "Azrael.. my name is short for Evening, but what does your name
mean?  Azrael."  Eve said the name again, just to listen to the sound of
it.  To her surprise, Azrael smiled, as if lost in memory, and opened
her mouth to explain.
                              *****
       moonfox started to follow Aoramon out the door, when jonia stoped
her..
       "wait... you have somthing in your hair....." moonfox looked at
him.. and let him pull itout... whatever it was... she caught a glimps
of somthing humanlike... but very tiny.. before she heard a tiny voice
say "whoops" and then it was gone....
       "did you see it? what was it?" moonfox looked at jonia he just
shrugged his shoulders.
       "there are many strange unknown creatures in this world... I
suppose it can be considered one of them." and he turned and walked off.
       moonfox looked at Aoramon and Bushy and saw that they didn't even
slow down... so she rushed to catch up to them, shrugging off the
incedent.
       As moonfox and Bushy followed aoramon through the town... they
got a lot of looks.... I princess and a walking, talking, breathing,
thinking bush in the shape of a centaur... moonfox wondered what on
earth people would thing of her small little group if they just happened
upon them out in the middle of nowhere.
       "princess?" Aoramon was standing in front of her looking down...
       "are you alright?"
moonfox just nodded and looked around. she found herself standing in a
huge building.
       "yea, yes... I'm fine" moonfox said... realizing that she had
alowed herself to daydream again... when she does that she just
compleatly forgets the real world, but somhow still functions there...
       "this is where you may stay while you are visiting us." and he
opened a door into a huge library in the corner was a small room... she
walked over and opened it, and there was a small bed and bath.
       This is perfict! and she went to throw her belonings on the bed,
starting to get in a panic she started patting her whole body down..
       "where are they!?! where did they go?!?!" and she started looking
around the room on the floor... she pushed her way past them and started
retracing the steps that they took.
       "what are you looking for?" aoramon asked concerned.
       "my seeds. my little bag of seeds I had them before I went in the
arena, now they are gone!"
        she started looking all over the place, she was bound and
determined to find them before nightfall... she was just glad that she
had a small emergency supply stashed away, but the bag that she seemed
to have lost had all of the good seeds in it.
       so bushy looked, and so did aoramon.... but to her great
dissapaointment, they found nothing....
                              *****
 Azrael stood in front of the door, ready to leave when Eve's voice
stopped her, "Azrael, my name is short of Evening; but what does your
name mean?  Azrael."
 A smile crossed her face as she recalled the day she had first seen the
name.  She had been researching something else for her Masters and her
many tasks, it had proven to be one of her best abilities, finding what
somebody is looking for -whether written word or object.  She had come
across a story about an angel.
 At first the story hadn't stood out from any other story about angels
she had read, but this angel was the angel of death, and in one religion
it traditionaly took the soul from the body.  It never explained what
the angel did with the souls, but the name had stuck.
  She had brought it up with Master Grolic, and he hadn't said much of
anything, he hardly seemed to hear her.  However, the day of her
nameing, he had seemed taken aback at her choice, considering her main
area of expertise was research and finding.
  Azrael looked up at the young lady standing in front of her, "Well my
name is the name of the Angel of Death in a religion I know of.  It
traditionally takes the soul from the body at the moment of death."
 Eve just looked at the young lady standing in front of her, "Does that
mean you kill people?"
 Azrael looked at Eve, "Of course, but I do not have the power to take
their soul, but I do take their life; when and if necessary.
Goodnight."  Azrael closed the door behind her and headed back to her
room.  -Well I wonder when that fox is getting back??  And I wonder how
Q is doing??
                              *****
       Fox eventually limps to the area where he can see the waterfall
and a river flowing. He gets to the edge of the water and sits down
dangling his legs in the cool water. Then slowly he takes off his tunic
and sticks it in his backpack. Then very carefully takes off the rest of
his clothes, with the leg still hurting. He slides into the water and
feels his injured leg almost stiffen up totally from the cold water.
Reaching up to his pack he produces a small vial of thick liquid and
drinks it.
       After about an hour or so Fox decides that it is time to go so he
gets out of the water and shakes excees water from his body, kind of
like a dog does. Then he produces another vial from his pack greenish
white pastelike and puts it on his injury. Hissing almost to scream Fox
flinches as if the ointment is extremely painful. Then he puts his tunic
on and produces a new set of breeches and puts those on. He folds the
other pair and shoves it in the pack.
       He looks down the river and begins the long journey back to
Lakesdale. Watching the canopy's shadow move as the day grows long he
decides that this pace would take him forever to get back so he
shapeshifts and bolts to the city as fast as he could. By nightfall he
can see the torches and lights in the widows of homes of Lakesdale. He
shapeshifts back to normal and decides that this would be better.
       On the same path he was before he ever enetered Lakesdale it
feels to him like deja vu but only at night. It takes him until midnight
to reach the city gates. Diferent guards are there and Fox is in no mood
to chat at this time. He walks on through showing the key to a guard and
heads into towne unstopped.
       "well, well, well... look what the cat drug in." A voice from
behind Fox says.
       Fox spins around, "I am not in the Dartanian."
       "Do I look like I am concered about your pitiful needs fuzzy?"
       Fox rolls his eyes and shakes his head.
       "I owe you a little something."
       Before Fox could even think about reacting in his condition a
sharp pain in his injured legs starts. A metal pole met his leg and that
cause him to collapse to the ground. Fox trying to scuttle up but the
excruciating pain lingered in his leg like touching a bone to a hot
iron. A crowd forms.
       "What's the matter fuzzy? Does it hurt?"
       Fox now hurting as bad as he could imagine focuses on Dartainian
and leaps at him shoving his right hand in the humans throat and pulls
out his voice box. "No human fox has your tongue." Fox shows a gleem of
evil in his eyes as Dartainian throws him off and reaches at his throat,
gasping for air, then finally dies.
                              *****
       A hush falls about the crowd that formed and an elven cleric
approaches Fox. He looks at him in disbelief for he saw Fox's first
confrontaion with Dartanian and couldn't believe that this was the
outcome of a second. Seeing that Fox is in extreme pain the cleric puts
his hands on Fox's leg and mummbles an incantation.
       "The pain will subside." The cleric says.
       "Thank you friend." Fox looks at the dead body of Dartanian.
       "What you did was wrong even though some would call it
justified."
       "What do you mean?"
       Helping Fox up the cleric continues, "He would take from the
church to pay for his tabs. Rape the virgins on a Holy Day."
       "Ya well when the city guards ever get here I doubt they will
care."
       Just as Fox says that the guards look at their dead Captian and
demand to know who did this and fingers point at Fox. The two guards
take Fox and put him in custody by roping his hands behing his back and
sticking him on a horse. The crowd boos at the guards for doing this.
       "ENOUGH! Go back to your things, he has commited a crime and we
will see him put through." A guard shouts at the crowd.
       The two guards and Fox head towards the castle on horseback.
Halfway there Fox decides that with his arms behind him is uncomfortable
so he frees himself. The guard behind him watches Fox intensly on how he
got out of the ropes. "Good job Marcus." The guard mumbles. "It's a good
thing he seems to be coming quietly."
       They arrive in the castles court and Fox slides off the horse and
follows the guard down a corridor. A long set of steps go down and Fox
just stares at them then looks at his leg. Slowly Fox makes his way down
then quickly realizes that the pain is gone and his leg feels fine.
       The sound of dripping water echoes here. The guard opens a heavy
oak door and there is a musky damp smell the eminates from the room. Fox
crunges his nose for the smell to him is potent. He is lead through the
dungeon and is stopped infront of a cell.
       "This is yours until morning. After the king goes through his
daily public hearing you will be brought up on charges of murder or if
the king says it was self defence. Have a pleasant night." The guard
says as he locks up Fox and laughs his way out.
       Fox looks at the cell and sits on the wooden plank bed/table and
stares out the cell to the one across him. He can see a female figure in
there but he sees that she is shacked standing up. He stands and gets
closer to the door to get a better look. The woman is naked and bleeds
out of the mouth. -Wonder how many times the guards here had their way
with that human.- Fox ponders to himself and goes back to the bed and
lays down. He can hear some of the things happening outside the cell and
he soon falls asleep.