by SJB Gilmour
Penethelia nodded and turned to Donna and Angelina. ‘Let’s all get back,’ she told them, walking towards the wall nearest the door. ‘You,’ she said, pointing to Angelina, ‘stay put. I’ve got a team bringing the orb here any minute. See if you can exorcise the demons from outside the orb.’
She turned to Sarah with a stern expression. ‘And, you,’ she ordered, ‘if they get loose, you’re the toughest thing we have, so they better not get through you. And,’ and she stressed this very seriously, ‘I’m ordering you to stay human only so long as you have to. The moment you need to, use whatever form you need to against them. Got me?’
Sarah saluted instantly. ‘Aye, Ma’am,’ she replied automatically, more than a little scared.
Penethelia laughed. ‘Don’t worry, young recruit. We’ll back you up. See?’ The Queen waved out into the parade ground where the team she referred to earlier had just appeared. Nine necromancers, all stark naked, appeared, standing in circle, all facing inwards. They raised their hands out in unison, chanting what Sarah now knew to be a very powerful spell. After a few moments, they clapped their hands and a huge shimmering containment orb appeared inside the circle they made up.
Inside the containment orb, Sarah could see the six demon-possessed quicklings, all running around in a blur. At that moment, she wished she was in her wolf form which had much sharper eyesight. Angelina was also having a great deal of trouble trying to keep track of the quicklings.
‘Well, Troy?’ Penethelia called.
‘I can’t track them, Majesty!’ Angelina yelled back. ‘They’re too fast!’
‘Can you slow them down?’
Angelina shrugged. ‘I’ll give it a go, Ma’am…’ She frowned. ‘But doing so might weaken that orb.’
Penethelia nodded. ‘Do it.’ To Sarah, she ordered, ‘Get ready!’
Sarah drew on her power. Her skin immediately began to gleam a golden hue and her eyes glowed brightly.
Penethelia swore. She tilted her head to Angelina. ‘Does she always glow like that?’ she murmured.
‘Only when she’s about to do something that uses a lot of power, Ma’am,’ Angelina answered, ‘and I’ve only seen her do it when she was a wolf.’
‘Go ahead, Captain,’ Penethelia ordered.
‘Haltemuum!’ Angelina commanded, using a spell written by Benjamin that he had used to slow Maddy down when the quickling was especially excited. She sent a dull, greyish wave of force out at the buzzing quicklings, but it bounced off Mannix’s containment orb harmlessly.
‘You try, Sarah,’ Angelina told her.
Sarah nodded, not taking her eyes off the blur of motion within the orb. The nine necromancers surrounding the orb all backed away a few metres.
‘Haltemuum!’ Sarah yelled, using all the power she had welled up within her. Unlike Angelina’s spell, Sarah’s wave of power was golden and very, very bright.
Mannix gave a yelp as the force of Sarah’s spell penetrated his orb. The quicklings were surrounded by what appeared to be a golden fog and their movements slowed down to what seemed like a crawl. Now Sarah could focus on all of them, she could see the enchantment surrounding the quicklings very clearly. Their minds and souls were gone completely. Only the curse Mautallius had put on them to possess them in the first place was preventing the demons within from breaking free. As she studied the enchantment, Sarah realised a little grudgingly, that it was very well-written indeed.
Mannix’s orb was beginning to fail. Seeing this, the quicklings began moving very slowly towards the edges of the spherical barrier.
‘Do you know where they came from?’ Sarah asked Angelina.
‘Felis demons come from the Agoniasis hell, so that’s where I’ll send ‘em back to.’
‘Then you better get that portal open. As soon as they get to the edge of that orb, they’ll break it and I’ll blast ‘em,’ Sarah told her teacher.
Angelina nodded. She clicked her fingers and was suddenly as naked as the other nine necromancers. She marched away from Sarah and the orb, gesturing for the necromancers to follow her. As soon as they were clear, they immediately produced a large burning nonagram on the ground. Angelina walked through the fiery design to stand in the very centre. The ground in front of her feet became a large shimmering portal.
‘Ready!’ Angelina yelled at Sarah.
Sarah heard the voices of Wolfenvald within her mind and again felt such a surge of power that her body glowed and her eyes shone with light stronger than the sun. She waited and watched the quickling reach the edge of the orb. As the first one of them touched it, Sarah waved her hand. She knew that she had to reserve her strength for the spell after this one, so she allowed only a brief burst of power to flow in her command.
‘Annullarikus!’ Sarah yelled.
Mannix yelped again and was thrown backwards to crash against the wall of the compound. The orb exploded in a wave of golden fire that engulfed Sarah and the quicklings inside it. The demons began to erupt out of the quicklings with gory, evil relish. Blood and worse exploded outwards as the horrid creatures tore their hosts apart from within.
‘Sarah!’ Angelina yelled urgently. ‘They’re breaking free!’
The demons, huge cat-like creatures covered with venomous spines, howled with triumph and glared at Sarah. Sarah stood in the sunlight, drawing in all the power she could summon. The power within her was so vast that she wasn’t simply glowing any more. Nor was she able to remain in human form. She flowed into her werewolf shape and stood there, facing the orb, all ablaze. She glared at the six demons, which were now moving much more rapidly directly towards her. As she glared at them, her grip on her temper failed. These were the very demons who had participated in the attack on her parents. If she had been thinking rationally, Sarah may have contained the demons or even tried to interrogate them. But, right then in her fury, she wasn’t thinking very rationally at all. Sarah was going to kill these horrid things and rid the universe of them for good.
‘Mortis!’ she barked, using one of the worst and most powerful Magaeic commands she knew of. It translated simply and clearly to “die!” Four took the full impact of a white-hot blast of pure fire and energy and were incinerated completely. The fifth, slightly behind the first four, was blasted backwards, terribly burned.
Penethelia and Donna withdrew with wide eyes.
‘Maybe she doesn’t need a bow after all,’ Donna murmured.
Angelina didn’t hesitate. She cast her own spell at the fallen demon, sending it howling and horribly wounded, through the portal at her feet, back into to its hell of Agoniasis. The sixth demon dodged most of the blast, but still managed to have nearly all its deadly spines and whiskers burned away. One of its green eyes had exploded with a pop of green goo. Dazed and half-blinded, the demon shook itself to clear its head. With a furious roar, it launched itself at Sarah, baring razor sharp and highly venomous claws.
Sarah stood firm and watched the demon fly through the air towards her. As calmly as if she were doing no more than swatting at a fly, she stood there and watched it until it was almost upon her.
‘Mortis!’ she commanded again. The demon was incinerated, and its ashes fell to the ground as dust.
In the moments that followed, several things happened at once. The alarm rang out and hundreds of Amazons began materialising in the parade ground, all armed to the teeth and ready for battle. They appeared a little disappointed that there was nobody to fight. Angelina and the nine other necromancers closed their nonagram and sealed the portal to Agoniasis shut.
Sheila had changed form and was crouched beside her fallen mate. Sarah also padded over to the prone form of Mannix.
‘Let me, Black Coat,’ Sarah ordered Sheila in a calm but very firm tone. She looked down at Mannix. The great Black Coat was breathing, just. His body was limp and motionless.
‘Santicularus!’ she commanded at Mannix and let two beams of light from her glowing golden eyes sear into the near-dead form of the Black Coat. She steppe
d back into the sunlight, tilted her head back and howled in pure joy and victory. That howl was instantly joined by victorious cheers from the Amazons.
Mannix gave a snort and sprung to his paws excitedly. He yipped and capered about with uncharacteristic glee. Sheila gave a joyous bark and immediately began frolicking with her mate in exultation.
In the middle of the parade ground, a gold shimmering form appeared. Within a few moments, that form solidified into the handsome form of Apollo. There were several startled screams and cries of joy. As one, every Amazon on the ground fell to her knees and bowed to her god.
Sarah tilted her head sideways and looked at Apollo. Now that she had met Him before, as well as Hades, Persephone and Demeter, she knew she could be a little bolder when meeting certain gods. She padded up to Him, her pink tongue lolling out happily.
‘Hello, Holy Apollo!’ she said politely in a happy tone.
‘Hello to you, Sarah Kopernik,’ He said, using her proper name. He gave her a friendly ruffle on her head and ears. The fact that Sarah was still very hot indeed did not seem to matter at all. As He patted her with genuine affection, her body cooled and she returned to her normal golden-haired werewolf state.
Sarah responded by nuzzling His thigh. His touch and smell, she discovered, was very, very nice. Apollo smiled and rubbed her head and neck again, then turned and walked over to Queen Penethelia, who was still bowing. The Amazon Queen was as surprised as every other Amazon (except Angelina), when she saw how familiar Sarah and Apollo were with each other. She gazed up at Him with love and awe in her eyes.
‘Rise, my child,’ Apollo told her with a smile. ‘It warms my heart to see you restored to health again!’
Penethelia did as she was told and stood up. She bowed respectfully to Apollo. ‘Thank-You, My Lord!’
‘The time is coming near, Queen of Lentekhi,’ Apollo told her. ‘I have come to give you a charge that may be your last.’
Penethelia blinked but remained silent for a moment. Finally, in a quiet voice, she said, ‘Yes My Lord?’
Apollo placed one strong hand on Penethelia’s shoulder. ‘The risk is great,’ He told her, ‘but death is not certain, especially for a warrior with such prowess as yours, but I must charge you to aid The Golden Mane. Soon she will join in battle against The Usurper and his minions. The Nine Forces of Hope must prevail.’
Being given an order was not the kind of thing Penethelia was used to, but she understood it and knew how to react. She snapped to attention and saluted her god. Every other Amazon on the ground did the same.
Apollo turned to Angelina, who was still bowed before her betrothed. Hearing His command silently within her mind, Angelina rose and went to Him, a smile of rapture on her face. Apollo embraced her briefly. As He did so, she shimmered. Her hair was restored to its normal length of well past her shoulders. Her skin, which had been gleaming with sweat and marked with grime, was once more clean and fresh. He kissed her once on the forehead and released her.
In a voice that was not a loud shout but which could clearly be heard by every Amazon, everywhere, Apollo said, ‘Go with my love, children of Lentekhi!’ Then He was gone.
The parade ground was silent for several moments. Then the Amazons lifted their voices in a glorious, heartfelt hymn to Apollo.
When the crowd had dispersed and Sheila and Mannix had retired, Penethelia crooked her finger at Sarah. Sarah resumed her human form, once more armed and clad in her Amazon uniform. She stepped up to Penethelia and saluted.
‘Okay Kopernik,’ Penethelia told Sarah. If Apollo was going to use the old Polish pronunciation of her name, so was she. ‘You can do all that, but you can’t hit a simple target?’ Her tone was almost identical to that of Donna’s.
Sarah flushed, not knowing how to respond. ‘Ma’am? I—’
Penethelia waved that aside. ‘Okay, so you’re not an archer. If you can’t hit the side of a barn, you better be twice as good with a blade and shield.’ She turned to Donna. ‘Get two more Anthropophagi. See how she handles multiple opponents,’ she ordered and strode away.
Donna saluted her queen and then turned to Sarah with a grin that was positively evil.
By evening, Sarah was exhausted. When she finally returned to her quarters, she could barely move. Every muscle ached. Her arms especially were so tired she felt as though she could hardly turn the handle on the door. Her thighs felt as though they were made of jelly. Donna had spent the rest of the afternoon with several — far more than the two Penethelia had ordered her to use — Anthropophagi warriors, all attacking her from every angle, with every weapon imaginable. She’d been kicked, punched and smashed to the ground. Her armour had taken the force of all manner of thrusts, stabs and slashes. Her lips had been fattened, her nose bloodied and she was certain her body would be just one big bruise come the morning.
A fresh uniform was waiting for her. Sarah tried it on and strapped on her sword and knives. When she was satisfied that everything fitted and went together the way they should, she stripped off again and laid her kit out neatly just as she’d been trained to do. She ran her fingers through her sweat-soaked hair, which was now about five centimetres long. She still looked like a boy, she thought miserably as she began running much-needed bath.
There was a polite knock at the door. Wearing only the brace on her wrist, Sarah looked about for something to put on. She spied a towel and quickly wrapped it around herself. Once she was covered, she opened the door curiously. She was quite surprised to see a wizened gypsy woman. The stooped old woman shuffled into the room and held out a small yellow crystal ball.
‘One crystal ball for Sarah Coppernick,’ the old witch wheezed. She sat the crystal ball on the table and produced a delivery pad and a large quill. ‘Sign here,’ she instructed, sounding quite bored. She thrust the pad and quill out at Sarah. Sarah gaped at the old woman and then at the ball. Her skin tingled a warning. There was something about this woman that wasn’t very nice.
‘Who are you?’ She began to draw in her power in readiness for a fight without even thinking about it.
The gypsy sighed. ‘Get your hackles down, werewolf. My name is Theresa. Yes, you feel the need to be cautious around me, and so you should. Right now though, I’m on your side. Sundew Farms wanted you to have a crystal ball to help you fight Mautallius, so I’m giving you and your lot the best system I have.’
‘She speaks the truth, Golden Mane,’ Wolfenvald whispered within her mind. Sarah signed the pad and watched the old woman shuffle out of the room again. When the door was shut, she picked up the crystal ball with tired, trembling hands. She peered at it, not knowing the first thing about crystal balls. The witch had also left behind a slim tome. Sarah put the ball back down on the table and picked up the tome.
The tome fluttered out of her hands and up into the air. ‘Hello,’ it said. ‘I’m your Crystal Ball User’s Manual!’ Sarah shut her eyes wearily. She was tired, very sore and in no mood for bossy tomes.
‘Before using your ball, please make sure you have read and understood all the safety features,’ the tome went on officiously.
Sarah groaned. ‘Whatever,’ she sighed and picked up the ball again. She carried it into the bathroom where she sat it on the bench beside the bath. She covered the ball with her towel and she climbed into the bath gingerly. Everywhere hurt!
The tome floated into the bathroom and continued talking. ‘To keep the ball in good working condition, it must be kept clean and away from direct heat and cold temperatures. The warranty does not cover breakages or damage caused by—’
‘Shut up!’ Sarah moaned. She lay back in the tub and shut her eyes.
The tome kept talking relentlessly. ‘To activate, simply place your hands on either side of the ball and gaze. With practise, grasping the ball on either side may not be necessary.’
Sarah looked at the tome sceptically. ‘Side?’ she asked with one eyebrow raised. She really wasn’t in the mood for this. ‘It’s a ball. It doesn’t have
any sides.’
The tome ignored her. ‘Once gazing has commenced, speak the name of the one you wish to contact, and concentrate.’
‘Alright!’ Sarah muttered at the tome. ‘Unless you can make my hair grow back or something actually useful, bugger off!’
The tome shut itself in a huff and drifted back to the table. Sarah reached out and grabbed a jar of Sundew Farms Rejuvenating Bath Herbs. The label instructed users to use no more than a capful per person, per bath. Sarah ignored that advice. She unscrewed the lid and let it drop over the side of the bathtub, and dumped the entire contents of the jar – dozens of capfuls – into the steaming water of her bath. The effect was quite amazing. In minutes, her tired and sore muscles were relaxed and she felt as though a great weight had been lifted. A huge knot that had been growing between her shoulder blades seemed to melt away.
Sarah lay in the bath until the water began to cool. She had very nearly fallen asleep when an insistent humming forced her to open her eyes. Grumpily, she looked down at the now only room-temperature water she was lying in.
‘Pyrillico!’ she ordered the water and gradually, a few degrees per minute, it heated up. After five minutes or so, the water was beginning to steam again. Sarah lay back and waited until the water was so hot she almost had to get out. Sweat began to bead on her brow.
‘Okay!’ she complained and waved at the water. ‘Haltus!’ Then she looked around for the source of that annoying humming. Normally Sarah was quite aware of her surroundings, but her wits had been more than a little fuddled by the excessive use of the bath herbs that had been a gift from her eccentric friend James Isaacs. It took her a few more fuzzy minutes to find the source of the noise, and that was an accident. With the water being so hot, she was sweating profusely. Intending to wipe her face so she could at least see more clearly to search for the source of the noise, she grabbed the towel with which she had covered the crystal ball.
‘You better put some clothes on, Sarah,’ a voice said. Sarah sat up with a start, splashing water everywhere. She looked at the door and then around the bathroom. Nobody was there.