by Des Pensable
‘What a load of reptile dung.’ said Snowbelle.
‘If you believe that Miranda you deserve everything you get from this midget cold blooded wizard, which will be nothing but heartbreak.’
‘The trouble with you mother is that you’ve forgotten how to believe in people and how to trust them. I trust Aquitain with my life and my heart. We are leaving you now and not coming back. I’ve had enough of your vile schemes and your lies. From now on you can plot and scheme all you like by yourself but if you ever try to deceive Aquitain into believing that you are me again I will kill you without compunction like a diseased animal.’
‘My we are getting possessive.’ replied Snowbelle and laughed.
Nothing more was said. Miranda grabbed Aquitain’s arm and together with Allalanllea they fled to the gateway, hurried through the gate and once in Mudrun Allalanllea cast a closure power on the gateway.
‘That will temporarily lock the gateway for a while. Have you a safe place that we can teleport to?’ she asked.
Aquitain suggested the water elementals’ cave in the magic node below the town of Twin Towers as he knew it would be extremely difficult to detect them there, with all the residual magic in the rock. Once there, Aquitain would seek out the elder water elemental Waverider Squalash to ask for permission to remain for a short period, then they could plan their next moves.
They teleported there and soon after arrival were readily invited to stay and were informed Squalash wished to talk to Aquitain but was temporarily absent.
Chapter 5 Some Home Truths
At last able to relax a little Allalanllea took Miranda aside for a private discussion and Aquitain sat down to work out a list of questions that he would like to ask the Llanllean wizard. This could be a real stroke of luck he thought. This was Snowbelle’s right hand woman. She must know a lot about the little people and quite possibly some useful information about the Great Storm and the Founts of Wisdom but how much would she willingly divulge?
He guessed that she would be like Featherdown. She would have a lot of hard won knowledge but would be quite reluctant to part with it especially to him, as she didn’t know him well enough yet to trust him. Still he would have to try.
Allalanllea took Miranda a hundred paces away from Aquitain but kept him in view so as to be sure that he didn’t try to listen and then asked Miranda to cut off her mindlink with him. Miranda had never seen Allalanllea so serious but then the Royal Wizard had never gone against her mother or quit her job before.
‘Thank you for what you’ve done for me all my life Allalanllea and especially for today. You’ve been the most wonderful friend. I feel as though you’re my real mother. I don’t think that I’ll ever be able to repay you.’ said Miranda with tears in her eyes as she finally realized the gravity of the situation and hugged into Allalanllea.
‘Thank you my child. It’s been my greatest pleasure to be with you, to protect you and assist you to grow into the wonderful woman you are but that time is now over. Many things have changed over the last few weeks. I fear your mother is correct. The Time of Chaos may be upon us and I am needed in Moonmist. Chaos has already been unleashed there and I am needed to help to contain it.’
‘I have no idea where you and Aquitain fit into the greater puzzle but I’m sure it will be important and up to you to help and guide him on the right course. Beware of your mother as I think she has taken a strong interest in him and that is not a healthy sign as she has become quite unbalanced lately.’
‘Now to the question uppermost on your mind; you caught me by surprise the other day when you asked me whether you are a Llanllean like me. The answer is not as clear-cut as you might believe. You were a Llanllean but I’m not quite sure whether you still are. I know that sounds strange but let me explain.’
‘It was me that made the suggestion to your mother in the first place to have the chastity tattoo placed on you and it was I that placed it there when you were eight years old. It was one of the most complex jobs that I have ever done but it worked perfectly as designed.’
‘It was a blend of three powers, a location effect to track you anywhere on Mudrun, a contingency power to transport you home immediately if you were critically injured and a death rune for anyone that tried to force themselves on you. The intention was to remove them when you came of age.’
‘However, something unforeseen happened. When you decided to become a druid and your mother took you to be blessed by The Lady the powers were transformed from arcane to divine powers and an extra effect was added. At that moment all subtle signs that you were a Llanllean disappeared. So while you were born a Llanllean neither your mother nor I are sure that you still are a Llanllean and no one other than The Lady is likely to know until the tattoo is removed.’
‘What does the extra magical effect do?’ asked Miranda quite shocked at this revelation.
‘It’s purpose has always been hidden to us. Since you have never changed to a spider form it may be to stop that transformation but we don’t know. Unfortunately it’s had a negative effect on your mother. She always believed that she was a favourite of The Lady. After The Lady did this to you and never gave her a reason for it she has become bitter and jealous of you. She has even considered leaving the service of The Lady for another goddess.’
‘She wouldn’t!’ shouted Miranda visibly shaken. ‘That would be unforgivable.’
‘If the Time of Chaos is truly upon us I’m afraid nothing will be sacred any more. I have pondered over the meanings of the prophecies like many others but nothing is clear except that there will be great upheavals and many things will change. The course of the future will be in the balance and no one be they God or otherwise knows the outcome but all will be trying to influence it. It is evident that both you and Aquitain are pawns in the game but always remember that there will be many other pawns as well and you will all be expendable.’
‘That’s what Aquitain was saying a few days ago.’ replied Miranda.
‘He said all we have to do is concentrate on staying alive.’
Allalanllea smiled, ‘I think he’s got the idea right, however, he needs more practice. You’ve had to bring him back twice now. I think you had better keep a closer watch on him or get a rod of resurrection.’
Miranda smiled for the first time.
‘I think you’re right. He thinks he’s so smart and yet he’s the one that’s died twice not me. Although I must admit they did seem to be after him not me.’
‘That only makes your job more important.’ replied Allalanllea. ‘You wear the mark of The Lady but he wears no marks. I believe that The Lady has placed you together so that she can have some control over his actions. We don’t know who is guiding him but while you are with him she will know what he is doing.’
‘But that makes me a spy. I don’t like that idea. I love him. It’s not right to spy on someone you love.’ replied Miranda.
‘He has the makings of an Agent of Chaos. The Lady has drawn you together for some favorable reason. She can just as easily drive you apart if she sees fit. Think of it not as spying but ensuring that he does the right thing by her so that she in turn will allow your tattoo to be removed.’
‘Anyhow I must leave you. I have much to do and I must give your mother a few false trails to follow to keep her off our paths for a while. I have two amulets of non-detection to give you as parting presents. Each of you should wear one continuously to block her ability to locate you. She is probably scrying for you right at this moment so don’t leave here without it.’
‘Do you really have to leave right now? I’m sure Aquitain would like to ask you some questions.’
Allalanllea smiled again.
‘I’m sure he does. Attend to him. I’ll try to return for a few minutes before dawn. If I don’t I’m sure that we’ll cross paths again. Be careful and may The Lady always be with you.’ and she teleported away.
Aquitain noticed her disappear and came running up to Miranda.
‘
Where’s your nanny gone? I need to ask her some questions.’
‘She’s gone to lay some false trails to keep mother off our backs for a while.’
‘Did she tell you anything interesting?’ asked Aquitain.
‘Is that all you’ve got to say to me?’ replied Miranda changing herself to a little Newman girl the same size as him.
He took the hint and hugged and for the first time ever kissed her on the lips, a long passionate emotional embrace that took their breath away and set their hearts pounding. She broke off the kiss only long enough to ask him to mindlink with her and after he did she kissed him with such passion, such wanton abandon, such blatant animal lust that it arced viciously across the mindlink like wild lightning, blanked his mind, buckling his legs and he fell unconscious.
She sat down and dragged him onto her lap, cradled his head in her arms and watched his face as he returned to consciousness.
‘Whoa. Calm down Miranda. I think I just found out why you have that tattoo.’
‘That is a sample of what’s in store for you my prince and also a warning to never to touch another female again.’
He very briefly thought of telling Miranda that the story about his father being an exiled king was a lie to keep the peace between her and her mother but decided discretion was better than valour at this precise moment.
‘Thank you for bringing me back to life again, I’ll try not to die anymore.’
‘I damn well hope so.’ she said.
‘Now look me in the eyes and tell me you can’t remember anything that happened between you and that little reptile witch.’
He looked her in the eyes and said
‘I erased it all. I only want to remember what truly happens between us.’
She looked in his eyes carefully and thoughtfully for several seconds then smiled.
‘I believe you my prince.’ and kissed him tenderly.
After they had finished he looked her in the eyes and said
‘Now you tell why you killed fifteen of your paralysed colleagues after you discovered I was dead.’
Her expression changed to one of sadness.
‘I don’t know. I’ve thought of all sorts of excuses. I have even blamed you for changing me and somehow making me chaotic but the truth is I don’t know. All I know is I feel terribly guilty about it. It’s not something I would ever think that I would do. It happened and I did it but I can’t tell you why.’
She thought to herself, I should kiss him on the nose, so she did. Then she thought. Now, I’ll strangle him. She moved her hands to his throat then her mind and her hands froze.
‘What’s happening?’ she asked with a hint of fear.
‘I just made two mental suggestions to you to illustrate a point. The first was to kiss me on the nose and the second was to strangle me. The first you did without question as it was natural and normal to do. The second was not, so your mind questioned it and stopped it from happening.’
‘This morning before I went to your mother’s place I visited Featherdown. He was very upset that you had killed so many of your own defenceless colleagues. He said that Quab is heartbroken and is seeking atonement for not guiding you properly.’
‘I wasn’t happy about it either although I can understand your predicament. But it didn’t seem like you so Featherdown and I visited the sanctuary where the fight took place and did what’s called a magic residue analysis. When you’ve practiced magic for a long time you can smell the type of magic that was used in a location. There was strong priest magic there. I was killed not by Curbut’s wizard magic but by a very powerful blast of lawful priestly fire cast on me by a priest.’
‘But I didn’t see any priest there.’ exclaimed Miranda.
‘I would have definitely killed him first and felt no guilt, as it would have been a profanity for a priest to attack a druid in a sanctuary of The Lady.’
‘Exactly my point!’ said Aquitain.
‘We think that the priest remained invisible possibly with the help of a ring of invisibility. He or she saw Featherdown arrive and paralyse your druid colleagues. No priest would be silly enough to take on an Arch Wizard so he kept quiet and watched. When Featherdown left you alone, you examined my body and found me dead. You were mentally distressed and the priest slipped a suggestion into your mind to kill your colleagues. You did it without question and then only later when you calmed down you realized what you had done and felt guilty about it.’
‘But why would a priest do a thing like that? They’re supposed to help and heal people not harm them.’ said Miranda quite alarmed.
‘To further the cause of his or her deity I would suspect. Priests will do anything in the name of their deity. Won’t you? It is relatively common in Panmagica for priests to use suggestions on their flock to manipulate and control them and to be honest they’re damn hard to detect and block. Suggestions are excellent when somebody’s mind is confused or distressed or simply too busy to question a strange thought. A smart wizard or priest can use them to great advantage in combat situations.’
‘For example if you broadcast a suggestion to your enemy that they are losing and had better retreat you can dramatically reduce their morale. Alternatively, by suggesting to your allies that they are winning you can increase their morale and change the outcome of a battle. The trick is to do it when their minds are occupied with other problems. If you do it when their minds are not busy then they can detect it and unless the suggestion is beneficial and normal like the kiss on the nose they may reject it.’
‘But that’s horrible! Have you ever done it to me?’ asked Miranda.
‘Other than the two examples just now, no. The reason I have brought this up is to convince you that both Featherdown and I are of the opinion that the priest tricked you into killing your colleagues. It won’t change what happened but it might lessen your guilt and perhaps make you less susceptible in the future.’
Miranda sat thinking for a minute or two while Aquitain lay in her arms looking into her eyes. Eventually she said.
‘I don’t think I would like this city of Panmagica. It seems to me that with all the charms, dominations and suggestions that half the people must be controlled by the other half.’
‘No I suspect that it’s worse than that. My grandfather thinks that about eight out of every ten are controlled or affected in some way by the religious faiths while the remaining two are mainly controlled by their own greed for gold. The religious faiths and merchants are always fighting for control of the Council of Unity, which governs the city, but the infighting amongst the faiths themselves for believers is where the most intense battles occur.’
‘Every couple of months there are fights in the streets between priests or followers of one faith or another. Priests are known to hire assassins to murder their seniors or rivals so that they can rise more quickly within their hierarchies. Occasionally a temple of one faith is sacked or raised by another. One thing is for sure any priest that rises to the top is both tough and cunning. A priest game enough to come to Mudrun illegally won’t blink at falsely incriminating you or worry about the deaths of your druid colleagues.’
‘By The Lady I never realized how lucky I am to be here in the jungle. I’d much rather face fangs and claws or fly in howling gales than be forever defending my mind against intruders. How did you survive?’
‘My family survived by each trusting and watching over the other. I also had Alpha to watch over me while I slept and to watch my back when I left the protection of our mansion or shop. If the Time of Chaos has really arrived you are now my only protection and I yours. We must trust each other absolutely or we will not survive the coming struggle.’
‘Then there is no time to waste. We must exchange our pledges.’
Aquitain sat bolt upright.
‘You want to exchange pledges with me? What if I cannot remove the tattoo? We will never physically join and never be able to have children.’
‘If that occurs then it is the w
ill of The Lady, however, I have faith in Her and in you my love. I know that She will guide us and you will find the way. Besides we can still make love mind to mind.’
‘I am not a prince, Mandy. I don’t know what my father is or does. I made up that story to prevent you coveting your mother’s throne and her worrying about you stealing it.’
‘I could have guessed as much but your intentions were honest and pure so it makes no difference to me. You are my Captain and still my prince. Will you pledge yourself to me?’
‘Umm. There could be a problem. I’m not sure whether it is legal for a creature like me to join with a Newman like you.’
Miranda smiled. ‘Have you wondered why The Lady reincarnated you as a Llanllean?’
‘Yes I have.’ replied Aquitain. ‘I think it is another one of her jokes on us.’
‘Tain, when I used the Miracle scroll I asked her to make you the same kind as me so that we could fulfil the second condition for lifting the tattoo. She made you a Llanllean and at first I didn’t understand but it finally sunk in that I might not be a Newman as I had thought all my life but instead I might be a Llanllean. The tattoo is somehow blocking me from turning into my spider form. Allalanllea just confirmed that I was born a Llanllean so we are currently the same kind. It doesn’t scare you that I’m a Llanllean does it?’
‘No Mandy if there’s one thing above everything else I’ve learnt over the last few weeks is that beauty comes from within regardless of what you look like externally. I love you very much and I would be honoured and very pleased to pledge myself to you.’
‘Then it’s settled. When Allalanllea returns we will go and see the High Wizard to witness our pledges.’ said Miranda happily.
‘Are you sure you want do this without your mother’s knowledge or consent? She is likely to react quite badly.’ asked Aquitain.
‘I don’t need her consent and we’ll never get her blessing so there is nothing to stop us.’
Aquitain thought for a minute or two. In the last few weeks he had been a Newman, a Logicon slime creature, a bear and now a Llanllean shape changer. He had done the most extraordinary things and already died twice. Miranda was right. Currently they were the same kind. If this was the case they should take advantage of the situation for tomorrow or next week he might be some other creature or even dead again. Who could tell in a Time of Chaos?
