Sword and Sorcery (tentative)
Chapter 7

by D.Fire
phongb9@idt.net


	Raeni was running.  Deep in the darkness, Raeni was running
from something.  She could feel it's hot breath behind her, driving
her like a wild animal.  Stumbling through a dark, twisted forest, she
ran without control.  She could feel a deathly cold reach for her
back, and suddenly, she tripped ...

	And woke up screaming.  She woke up to the stillness of the
forest.  Soon enough, the normal sounds of a nighttime forest
returned, releasing her from the grip of her vivid nightmare.  As she
waited for her rapidly beating heart to settle, she scanned the forest
clearing where she and Azure had set up camp the previous night.

	As she listened, the nighttime forest sounds were slowly
replaced by early morning ones.  Looking to the east, she could see
the blackness of night fading away into the early morning gray of
pre-dawn.

	From his position three feet away, Azure gazed at her in
concern but did not speak.

	Breaking away from her fear, she shifted to mage-sight and was
reassured at the sight of the wards she placed on the ground winking
at her undisturbed.  Placed in a roughly square pattern, the wards
connected primarily to each other, although each did radiate crooked
lines, forming a web of warning.

	Reaching over and lovingly rubbing Azure's tummy, she
reassured him, "It was nothing, Azure.  Just another bad dream."

	<*I* think something is wrong.  You've been having these
nightmares for a week now, ever since we left home,> the panther
stated resolutely.  <Each time, these dreams hove awoken you just
before dawn.>

	Turning away and dismissing the argument, she said, "They're
nothing, Azure.  Besides, I can't even remember it now."  As an
afterthought, she added, "Besides, I don't know why I wake up in
terror.  Nothing scares me.  Hey, oww!"

	Azure, rolling up his eyes in disgust, had swiped at her with
a claw out.  <You'd think you were super human or something.  God,
what an ego!>  He readied his paw for another strike.

	Leaping away, she turned and posed for him, "Well, with this
beautiful body and this magnificent brain, I think I have a right, so
nyah!"  She blew a raspberry at him and turned away.  "I'm going for
an early morning swim.  Wanna come?"

	<Nah.  Come wake me up when you are done,> Azure replied.

	"Ha!  Lazybones.  Better watch it, or most of that mass might
become fat!"  Jumping up to a high branch, she quickly disappeared
from Azure's sight.

	***

	'I saw the river around here somewhere,' Raeni thought as she
bounded through the early morning stillness of the forest.  She could
hear birds, newly awakened, calling out to each other, greeting the
others of their kind.

	Hearing a low roaring noise, she turned in that direction and
was rewarded by finding a small waterfall.  About ten feet high, the
tiny waterfall seemed perfect for her, so slipping into a bush, she
quickly shimmied out of her daily dress.  Popping up her head and
peering around, she made sure that no one was in sight.  She then
quickly ran over and dove into the river.

	The cold of the river, though not unexpected came as a shock
to her system.  Still, it felt great to wash off the grime and sweat.
It especially felt good to wash away the aftereffects of that last
nightmarish dream.  The chill of the water held no comparison to the
icy coldness she felt in her nightmares, but it took her mind away
from disturbing thoughts.

	She had lied to Azure.  She could still remember the dream
from this morning in clear detail, but she didn't want to talk to her
familiar about it.  She swam over to some rocks near the bottom of the
falls, shielding herself from the spray behind them.  'Why am I having
these dreams?' she wondered silently.  Once at the rocks, she relaxed,
letting her mind wander, hoping that her subconscious could divulge
what was ailing her.

	Raeni did this on a very regular basis.  She had found that
over the years, letting her mind wander often solved hard problems
that she encountered.  If she didn't concentrate on the matter at
hand, it seemed that the solution would present itself to her.  But it
didn't work this time; no answer was forthcoming.

	Sighing, she left the shelter of the rocks and swam underwater
to right below the falls, letting the waterfall blast her clean.  She
suddenly wondered, 'Hey, I wonder if this fall has a cave behind it.'
Pushing through the force of the waterfall, she finally reached the
inside cliff face.  Exploring the surface with her hands because the
falls blinded her eyes, she made her slowly across the face.

	About a third of the way across, she pushed through the face,
falling to her hands and knees as she landed roughly on the slippery
cavern floor.  After standing up suddenly, she abruptly fell on her
behind from the sudden motion.  "Oww, that hurt!"  Unable to see, she
muttered, "MIRUS", summoning a small globe of light.

	Excited, she looked around the room, thinking perhaps that
this was someone's private treasure cache, but she was disappointed at
what she saw.  The cavern was not very big and had no jewels nor money
laying scattered on its floor.  Toward the center of the room, a large
pool was formed from the backwash of the falls.

	As she stood there examining the interior, she noticed some
movement.  Something in the pool moved!  'Uh oh!  I don't think this
was such a hot idea.'  Panicking, she turned to the entrance, but her
quick movement on the slippery floor betrayed her.  She slipped and
fell, this time cracking her head on stone.  Almost blinded by pain,
she lost her concentration, causing the globe of light to die slowly
die out.  But before the light had fled, she managed to see something
big and sinewy slither out of the pool.

	Scrambling toward the entrance on her hands and feet, she
thought, 'Almost there.'  Before she could actually jump into the
fall, something gripped at her ankle, yanking her slightly back.
Using her unnatural strength, she grabbed onto some rocks she passed
by applying counterforce and kicking, she felt the grip loosening.  In
a flash, she was in the waterfall and soon enough in the river.

	The thing came after her, though.  As soon as she hit the
river, Raeni made for the shore.  Behind her, she heard a giant splash
confirming her fears.  Fearfully glancing back, she saw a blurry form
in the dim, pre-dawn light.  With a monstrous head and a long,
snakelike body, it headed toward her.

	Not wanting to be something's early morning meal, she doubled
her efforts to get to shore.  It caught her just as she reached the
shore.  As she screamed, it yanked her beneath the surface of the
water, causing her to take in some water in her lungs.  She struggled
futilely as it wrapped its body around hers.  Rather than squeezing,
it just held her just below the surface.  Seeing the surface taunting
her from just inches away, she struggled harder.  She lost strength in
her shock though and soon blacked out.

	***

	Raeni awoke to something licking her face.  As her fogged mind
processed the input.  Something slimy yet rough was licking her face.
Her nose told her it had a fishy smell to it as well.  Suddenly, the
facts fell into place as she realized who was slurping at her.

	She bolted up from her prone position, yelling "Azure!"  Then
she opened her eyes and turning away, she gave a long, hacking cough.

	She was still on the shore of the river by the waterfall.  A
blanket covered her naked body.  To her right, Azure sat looking
awfully relieved and yet also very pissed.  Downriver, to her left,
the body of the monster that attacked her lay, with arrows sticking
out of it.  Gruesome wounds, made by some bladed weapon, decorated it
further.

	<Raeni, what were you thinking?> demanded Azure.

	Azure's voice resounded in her head, much louder than usual.
Gripping her head in pain, she said, "Oww, Azure.  Will you keep it
down?"  Looking back at the dead monster, she could see in the clear
morning light that it was, simply put, a giant newt.

	Puzzled at his mistress's reply.  <But I am speaking
normally,> he defended himself.

	"Well then speak in a whisper!" snapped Raeni still clutching
her head.  It sounds like a drum in here.

	<Sorry,> whispered Azure.  Getting back on track, he asked
again, <What were you doing?  Were you trying to kill yourself by
going in there alone?>  His eyes softened and his mind-voice became
plaintive as he continued, <Don't do that again.  I only just lost a
master.  I don't want to lose you too.>

	"I'm sorry, Azure.  I guess I wasn't thinking at all."  Raeni
threw her arms around him and gave him a big hug.  Looking back at the
monster, she pointed at it and asked, "You didn't do this, did you?"

	Shaking his head slightly, he answered, <No.  It was like that
when I got here.  You were just laying there on the ground with that
blanket covering you.>

	"Well, Azure?  Is my savior still here?"

	Azure looked embarrassed as he replied, <Umm, I didn't check.
I freaked when I saw you laying there unconscious.  I'll go check
now.>  He bounded off into the forest following a scent trail Raeni
could not follow as she huddled shivering in the blanket.

	Five minutes later, he was back, saying, <Sorry, Raeni.  He
was here when I got here, but left soon after.  He was hiding over
there.>  Azure indicated a clump of trees a hundred feet away.

	"He?  HE?!  It was a guy?!" she yelled.   "A guy saw me naked!
Ooh!  That pervert!" she fumed.  She suddenly pulled herself together.
Muttering under her breath, "Baka, baka.  What am I saying?  I'm a
guy, remember?  Starting to sound like Akane," she punched herself in
the side of the head, forgetting her current condition.

	In a daze, she said, "Ohh!  I don't think that was such a good
idea."  Then she dropped over unconscious.

	***

	When Raeni woke this time, her pounding headache had subsided
to the low growl.  No, wait.  That was her stomach.  She was back at
camp, and Azure lay snoozing at her feet in the afternoon sun.  Rising
to her feet, she felt no dizziness, so moved to get dressed.  After
she dressed, she felt much better.

	Bustling around camp, she prepared a light meal for herself
and Azure, a light meal being a normal sized portion for any other
human being.  After she finished, she woke up Azure, saying, "C'mon,
lazybutt.  Time for a quick meal."  Glancing at the sky, she measured
out the time.  "I think we can get a few more miles before the sun
sets."

	Grumbling mentally, Azure got ready to eat.  <Geez, she's like
a little child, full of energy.>

	Raeni, in reply, pouted, "Hey!  I heard that!  And I am not!"

	***

	Sunset was quickly approaching as the two traveled through the
forest, following the tugging of the guidestone.  Raeni, noting that a
full moon was on tonight, asked Azure, "Are you up to traveling for a
little while longer?  It look's like it'll be nice and bright
tonight."

	<I guess.  But don't you think you should be resting after
that fiasco this morning,> he replied.

	"Pfegh.  That was nothing, Azure.  I've taken harder blows
than that and nothings ever happened to me," she boasted.  "Hey, if I
can take Akane's blows, then a little drowning is nothing."

	<Who's Akane?> the panther asked.  Then it answered itself,
<Oh yeah.  It's that short-haired girl from your memories, right?  The
one pestering you for money.>

	Giving out a short bark, Raeni laughed, "No, no.  That was
Nabiki, her sister.  Akane was the other one.  She was one of my
fiancees."  Raeni's gaze shifted to a faraway look, as if lost in
contemplation.

	Eyes narrowed slyly, Azure jibed, <Oh ho!  The cute one,
right?>

	Flushing red, Raeni yelled, "No!", startling a flock of birds
into the air up ahead of them.  More quietly, she continued, "I don't
even know what she's like anymore."  As an afterthought, she added,
"Actually, I don't even know if I even like girls anymore."  And then
more frantically, "What am I saying?"

	As they walked, the sun slowly dipped beneath the horizon,
leaving beautiful oranges and reds to streak the sky.  Soon enough,
the vibrant colors faded into deep, purple twilight.  As predicted by
Raeni, a full moon shone down on the pair through the dense forest,
leaving alternating patches of shadows and lights.  When the wind
shifted and blew through the tree tops, the shadows danced and played.
Normal night sounds encroached upon their ears as they continued to
stroll through the forest.

	***

	An hour and a half later, they reached a large-sized clearing
in the middle of the forest.  "This looks like a good place to stop
for tonight, Azure."  She put down the heavy pack and made ready to
set up camp.  Halfway through her preparations, Raeni's magical senses
prickled.

	She quickly looked around the clearing for any hidden danger,
but she couldn't locate the source of her feelings.  Hissing to Azure,
she said, "Azure, do you feel it, too?"   Only silence answered her as
she looked to where she expected Azure to be.

	The panther was nowhere in sight.

	Worried, she yelled out, "AZURE!  Where are you?  What
happened to you?"  Still no answer.

	She happened to glance up, and what she saw really shocked
her.  The moon, which was just moments before shedding a healthy soft,
white glow into the clearing, now shone blood-red.  Whispers started
all around, as she whipped herself around in circle, crouching into a
battle stance, arms and feet at the ready.

	Then the shadows began moving.  The shadows did not shift as
though a wind were blowing.  They actually moved.  They oozed out of
crevices.  They ran out of the nooks and crannies of tree stumps in
the clearing.  They formed from the very shadows at her feet.

	Merging together, the shadows formed six distinct shapes.
Worried, Raeni thought, 'They look like ... wolves.'  The shapes
surrounded her and hemmed her in.  Gathering her courage and a little
magic, she attacked the closest one.  Not wishing to actually touch
the seething shadows, she formed a magic blast, yelling, "ORUS MOUKO
TAKABISHA."  A ball of ki-powered fire formed in her cupped hands and
shot toward the shadow, nailing it.  The shadow whined silently as if
in pain and then blurred.  Where there was one shadow, now stood two.

	"Oh, Shit!  That didn't work."

	She frantically thought of her next attack.  'Well, they are
shadows, right?  Shadows can't exist with light.  Let's try a light
spell!'

	Yelling out, "MIRUS POCANUS", she conjured up a massive sphere
of light, flooding the entire clearing with a bright, yellow light.
For a moment, Raeni was blinded by the intense light she conjured.
Through heavily lidded eyes, she could see the shadows dancing in pain
as they faded away.  'Yes!  It's working,' she thought gleefully.  She
let the light die out.

	To her horror, when the light was finally exterminated, the
shadows reformed and they had friends, lots of friends.  In a flash of
insight, she realized her error.  Shadows can ONLY exist with light.
She had just fed them what they needed.

	Terror bubbled up from the pit of her stomach as the shadows
began circling.  The whispers started up again, but this time, she
could make out the words.  "Run!  Run!", they urged her.  "Get out,
run away!"

	Instinct took over as she fled the clearing, breaking through
the lines of shadows.  A small of her mind commented on the ease of
her escape, but for the most part, she ignored it.  Behind her, the
voices urged her on.  Driven, she ran in terror through the forest,
feeling the hot breath of something breathing down her back.  Running,
tripping, stumbling.  Each time she fell, she got up and continued
onward, fleeing the shadows that chased her.

	Her eyes could no longer see, her ears could no longer hear.
She was one giant bundle of fear clawing her way through the forest,
and the suddenly, she could run no more.  Her legs moved at a sluggish
pace, pushing against something soft and yielding.  Frantic, she
struggled, "Must ... get ... away.  Must ... run."

	A sharp pain jerked her out of her terror.  As she came to her
senses, reality crashed in on her.  What she found did not please her
one bit.  She was in a sand pit of some kind, and worse, she was
sinking.

	Shaking her head clear, she reached for the solution.
Chanting, "LATI ORUM", she cast a spell of levitation, preparing to
pull herself from the sand.  The spell fizzled.  "No!" Raeni yelled.

	<Raeni!  Raeni!  Can you hear me now?> came Azure's frantic
voice.  <Raeni!>

	"I can hear you, Azure.  I'm sinking into this sand!  Where
are you?"

	<I'm over here, on the shore of the trap of the sand boggle.>

	She yelled back, "I tried a spell to get me out!  It failed!"

	<I know.  I saw,> Azure replied.  <I can't pull you out.
You're too far in.>

	"If magic won't work, then hurry, Azure.  Find me a rope or a
vine or something," she commanded him, although where he would find
such items she had no idea.

	<I'll find something, keep still!  The more you struggle, the
faster you will go down,> he yelled as he bounded away in search of
something to help.

	When Azure was out of sight, Raeni heard a laugh, a twisted,
evil laugh.  Looking up, she saw the moon red once again, but this
time an outline of a woman showed clearly.  The woman threw back her
head and laughed.  The laughed continued for a time and then slowly
faded away taking the image of the woman with it.

	Time passed slowly for Raeni as she sunk slowly into the
sucking sand.  Soon, she was in up to her arm pits, and after that,
her chin.   In a last ditch effort, she tilted back her head, trying
to keep her nose and mouth above the sand.  She could no longer see as
sand covered her face.  Before her mouth sunk below the sand, she took
one last great, desperate breath, in hope that Azure would be back in
time with something.

	Soon, only her arms remained above the surface of the trap,
clearly positioned in a plaintive gesture.  A minute passed.  And then
another.  With almost no hope left in her heart, she felt something.
Something had landed in her hand!  It was long and thin.  A rope!
Clutching desperately, she pulled on it and met resistance.  Exultant,
she pulled on it.  The other end pulled back.  As she held on for dear
life, the rope pulled her free.

	With one last mighty tug, she was pulled from the sand and
landed roughly on the shore.  Hacking and coughing up sand, she lay
there on her stomach, gasping as sweet, clean air flooded her system.

	Raeni's rescuer remained silent as she regained her breath.
When she was better, she looked up to thank Azure, but it was not
Azure that greeted her.  It was a man, a little taller than she and
very broad of chest.  With the cut-off jerkin he wore, it was obvious
that he was a he, and as he turned toward the moonlight so that she
could see his face, Raeni received the shock of her life.

	"Ukyou," she whispered as she fainted into the stranger's
arms.