Edge of Chaos

by Des Pensable

  ‘I will stay in the little crystal body for five days.’

  ‘No I will not allow it. If I cannot stay in that little statue for five days I do not expect Gizel to stay there. She can come and stay with me. We will cohabit in my body for five days.’ said Miranda.

  ‘What!’ said Aquitain.

  ‘Are you okay Miranda? You hated being possessed. Cohabitation is almost the same.’

  ‘It’s quite different.’ replied Miranda. ‘When you are possessed you have no say and no control. In cohabitation it is voluntary for both people and they both share control of the same body. It will give Gizel and me a chance to know each other.’

  ‘I don’t like this!’ said Aquitain. ‘It doesn’t sound like you Miranda.’

  ‘I am willing my Lord. You may take my body and I will share the Princess Miranda’s body. I will not be a burden she can keep control of it.’

  ‘Why are you doing this Gizel?’ asked Aquitain suspiciously.

  ‘I am doing it for both of you and my people. We need you and Miranda to create a new future for us. We need you to get rid of the Mentarin and unify the people of Moonmist.’ she replied.

  ‘Now tell me why you are doing this?’ asked Aquitain.

  ‘It is embarrassing Warden. I have never had a proper family and you and Miranda have so warmly welcomed me into yours. I really want help you.’

  Aquitain was worried. Gizel seems genuine enough but he was worried about Miranda. Ever since he unlocked her memories and she got her Tempest persona back she’s been behaving strangely but unless he made the power limiter things were likely to get worse.

  ‘Okay. Thank you Gizel. I will move my spirit into your body and move your spirit in with Miranda’s spirit. It will take me about five days to make the power limiter and then I will move your spirit back to your body and I will go back into the statue. I will not force you to do this against your will Gizel. If you choose not to agree then there will be no repercussions. We will simply find another way to solve the problem.’

  ‘I agree to do this with all my heart my Lord. You may move my spirit into Miranda’s body and I will cohabit with her for five days or until you have finished the magical item that you are making. I have absolute faith in you that you will then return my body to me.’ replied Gizel.

  ‘Okay so be it. Let’s hold hands.’ and he began the spirit swapping. In less than a minute it was all over.

  ‘This is a nice body Gizel. I will honour it and keep it from harm. I will leave you two women and get to work.’ He drained enough power from Miranda to fill his source, shape changed to his big green stony dream world form and strode out to the forge.

  ‘It’s strange Miranda. I feel like I’m in my body but it’s somehow different. You move your arm and it feels like I moved it but I didn’t. By all the gods I can feel what you are feeling. How can you stand it? I want to scream and smash things or perhaps have an orgy with the guards.’

  ‘Now you know Gizel. This is what it is to be a Tempest. Massive desire, mood swings, deadly emotion, murderous passion, rage and lust and it will get worse.’

  They lasted well for the first two days but on the third when they tried to play with Tigerlilly they ended up shouting at her and she ran off crying to her grandfather Wyvern. They tried to rest and to sleep but the rage just grew and grew until their body ached. Miranda walked in the dark, she began talking incoherently, she shouted, cursed and screamed until Darkmantle and Prendergrass came and suggested she went out for a walk somewhere and calmed down.

  ‘I’m going to have to make a storm.’ said Miranda to Gizel.

  ‘It’s the only thing I know other than entertaining the troops and that wouldn’t go well with the Warden.’ So she whirled and became a whirlwind then flew up into the sky and began singing powerful verses of an ancient song rarely heard anywhere in the universe.’

  Clouds formed around her and winds began to blow. Her whirlwind grew in size and the power grew and the pure pleasure of the rage grew. She cast lightning bolts across the sky which echoed into the distance.

  ‘Oh god oh GOD! I’ve never felt like this ever!’ said Gizel becoming delirious with power.

  Miranda sang words of immense power normally used only by the gods themselves. Dark clouds spread out across the sky from horizon to horizon. It hailed and poured buckets. She laughed and screamed in the ecstasy of madness as she filled the sky with lightning.

  Gizel lost touch with reality. She felt like she was a goddess. Her mind was in harmony with the pure joy of destruction. She was chaos in its ugliest form. Every lightning bolt caused joy every clap of thunder sounded like the finest music. The chaos of the swirling clouds hypnotized her. The howling wind the cold. It was like death itself was happy and dancing at a party.

  She lost all concept of time then suddenly woke up standing on dark damp ground soaked to the skin. She was totally drained of all emotion.

  Miranda trudged back to Darkmantle’s mine. Aquitain stood there in his giant body watching her return.

  ‘Are you okay Mandy? I’ve been really worried about you. Why didn’t you get me to drain you.’ he said.

  ‘Don’t waste time Tain it’s building up faster. Please get that power limiter made. I’ll try to last.’ she replied and he returned to the job.

  She dragged herself back to her room and saw Darkmantle there with Tigerlilly.

  ‘Are you okay. Aquitain said that storm was you. Was it really?’ he asked.

  ‘Yes father and I’m dead tired. I need to sleep. I should be okay for a couple of days.’ And she fell unconscious to the floor.

  Tigerlilly covered her with a blanket and said.

  ‘The gods are giving mummy too much magic. It’s upsetting her body and making her sick. Daddy is making something to fix her. We should leave her to rest. She’s got Gizel in there visiting her as well.’

  ‘Oh you poor child. How can they possibly raise you properly.’ said Darkmantle. ‘Come and stay with me.’

  ‘No I need to watch over mummy to make sure she’s alright.’ She replied.

  Darkmantle left with tears in his eyes and called for Prendergrass.

  ‘Can’t you do something to help Aquitain make this limiter thing quicker?’

  ‘No my Lord. I don’t even understand what he’s trying to do. His skill is far beyond mine. In fact, it’s far beyond any artisan that I know. It’s as if he has the knowledge of the gods!’ and he did.

  Aquitain was frustrated that he didn’t have the right materials. He could see Miranda suffering so he did the only logical thing he could. He sought the knowledge he needed in his divinity seeds.

  He spent several hours in autohypnosis and unlocked and searched for every relevant detail to make the limiter. Nothing he knew could block Miranda’s power it had to be almost powerful enough to limit the power of a god. The only material that could do the job was his chaos matter and he was ready to sacrifice that for Miranda.

  He had never attempted anything as powerful as this was. He never imagined ever needing to make anything this powerful. The rituals for each step increased in power and the first was the most powerful he had ever attempted. He had to be slow and careful and very methodical. Every word, every ritual had to be perfect.

  The pressure was immense. Guards kept every one well away from him. At times he seemed to be sitting just looking at the item he was making but in reality he was mentally forging an artefact so powerful that it would make the gods themselves envious of his skill.

  Miranda and Gizel were happy for two days after the storm. They played games and laughed and had fun with Tigerlilly but they could feel the emotion building.

  ‘It’s getting worse quicker.’ said Miranda to Gizel.

  ‘Yes I can feel it.’ replied Gizel.

  ‘I don’t know how you can stand it. I nearly went mad last time. I’m not looking forward to that again. Only a day or so left. I will help you as much as I can. Together I think we can make it Miranda.’

 
; ‘Yes having you with me does help a lot.’ replied Miranda. ‘I’ve been thinking about things.’

  ‘I don’t know how bad things will get a few weeks from now let alone a few years from now. You now know why I wanted you to cohabitate with me for a few days. You have experienced what it’s like. I’m turning into a monster. One day I’ll become a storm of such malicious hate and intensity that I’ll lose all memory of who I am. I will forever stay a storm. You now know it. I know it but Aquitain refuses to accept it. He will try to stop it. He will do anything for us. He will challenge the gods if he thinks it will help.’

  ‘You mustn’t lose faith Miranda. The Warden is strong like those in the legends. They never give up. He will fight for what he believes in until his last dying breath. He is totally devoted to you and Tigerlilly. You are so lucky.’ replied Gizel.

  ‘Am I lucky to be cursed like I am? Don’t be foolish. The gods are trying their hardest to keep us apart. It’s a game for them. While he tries to keep us together he cannot do the job he needs to do. I am stopping him from completing his mission, which I suspect the gods don’t want him to do. I must leave him not just for his sake and Tigerlilly’s sake but for the sake of all the people in the world.’

  ‘You’re mad Miranda. You have something that is precious. Forget the world! They will survive. Be selfish, hold onto him. He would be heart broken. You can’t do it.’ replied Gizel.

  ‘No one will be more heart broken than me but I must do it to save him and Tigerlilly. Will you look after Tigerlilly and care for him when I am gone.’

  ‘I can never fill your place but I will care for Tigerlilly and help him if he asks but you must not do this!’ replied Gizel.

  ‘Thank you Gizel. You like him and Tigerlilly. I saw it in your eyes and somehow I can feel that you are a good and strong person. I know you will care for Tigerlilly and be the mother to her that I can’t.’ said Miranda.

  ‘If the worst happens I will do my best Miranda. I promise you that.’

  Chapter 17 A Taste of Ambrosia

  Morale in the stronghold increased out of sight. The fact that everyone had protection against possession by the Mentarin had a huge positive effect and the delightful little Tigerlilly became a joy to all. There were so few children that none could help loving her. She went around with Darkmantle talking with everyone laughing, being happy and cheerful. All the while acting like the proper little princess.

  The fact that Aquitain the new Warden had given them this protection cast him as a strange but wondrous hero. Wardens were legendary and all the old tales began to circulate. Amongst them was a walking talking legend and his green stony body added extra mystery that caused massive discussion amongst Darkmantle’s people.

  It was whispered that Tigerlilly was born without Miranda ever being pregnant. How could this happen unless a god was involved. Did he know and talk to gods. Was he a god in the guise of a Warden come to liberate Moonmist?

  What was wrong with Miranda? One day she seemed okay. All sweetness and purity but the next she was screaming and ranting as if she was cursed or possessed.

  What about Tigerlilly’s nanny? She was quiet and aloof. None knew what she looked like. She spoke to no one except Miranda and Tigerlilly. It was said that she was a Hidden One. Was she horribly misshapen? If not why did she hide from them in the black chafra she wore?

  Finally Aquitain finished the power limiter. He had forged it in the shape of a golden belt that looked like a work of art and simply oozed magic. Prendergrass had come to check on his progress so he held it out for Prendergrass to see. The wizard activated his power to see magic, glanced at the golden belt and quickly looked away as it hurt his eyes.

  ‘Well done! That is the finest example of the magic art that I have ever seen! I can’t even begin to imagines how anyone could make such a powerful item. You are truly a master among masters.’ said Prendergrass.

  ‘Necessity is the sire of invention. I never conceived of making an item like this but Miranda’s need is great. I just hope that it is enough.’ replied Aquitain as they set out to show Miranda.

  When they arrived Miranda was in quite a bad state. She was rapidly walking back and forth and talking to herself or perhaps Gizel. She looked in pain and her eyes looked strange almost as if she was on the verge of madness.

  He clamped the belt around her waist and it lit up fiercely like the sun.

  Prendergrass made a dash for the door thinking that it would explode but Aquitain didn’t worry. He knew it would take the load but it was designed to be used when her power was low then once her power increased to the preset level then all extra magic power would be radiated off as light.

  She was overloaded with power. He created a power link and filled his source but there was still too much power. It was uncanny. They were in a dead magic rock area. How could she be getting so much power. He looked at her spirit aura. It had changed since he last saw it. Damn they must have done something to her spirit he thought. I better have a look.

  He thrust his mind into her head and was confronted by two delirious minds singly crazily and seemingly whirling as if dancing together. She was loaded with a massive amount of magic essence several times more than his source could store. He was nearly overcome by the intensity of the kaleidoscope of passion and emotions. He quickly retreated to erect a mental block and then dove back into the maelstrom.

  Miranda’s emotions were an internal storm. There were dark clouds of despair, fleeting zephyrs of sorrow and anguish, flashes of rage and occasional thunderclaps of fear overlaying a fierce gale of lust as she and Gizel clung to each other trying to hang onto their sanity. He stood like the figurehead on a ship facing into the heart of a storm battered by countless waves trying to dislodge him from his purpose.

  The blazing belt was not working quickly enough. He knew that unless he could do something else he might lose both her and Gizel so he withdrew to form a plan. Prendergrass was hovering in the corridor.

  ‘Leave me Prendergrass. Clear the corridors. This might get dangerous. They’re overloaded and perhaps in power narcosis.’ he said as he contemplated how best to solve the problem. He remembered the last time this happened Miranda nearly died. There were two of them this time. He couldn’t heal two. One was hard enough before. He might have to let one die.

  He would have to do something that he might regret. There was no time to consider the consequences. Miranda had said that the only thing other than a storm that could help her was to relieve the lust.

  He took Miranda’s hand and laid her on their bed and joined her. He created his most powerful mind block thrust his protected mind into her head and with little effort dominated her and Gizel’s minds. They offered no resistance. They let him take their burden. He was immediately assaulted by a massive emotional hurricane as he drew their three minds together in a protective embrace then constructed a tower of will around them.

  ‘This is the end my love I’m think we’re going to die. I’m sorry. I love you.’ said Miranda.

  Gizel was delirious.

  ‘I want you both to listen to my words for you know I would never harm you or lie to you. I love you both more than anything in the world and you trust me with your lives.’ he whispered seductively.

  ‘You are being deceived in what you feel. All the sadness, the anguish and despair are really different levels of happiness. All the feeling of anger, pain and rage are really joy. We are in a ship together sailing in the clouds. Look they are all the colours of the rainbow.’

  He could feel a change in the respiration in both bodies. He had their attention they were interested. They trusted him.

  We are going to stop the ship and step out onto the clouds. We’re going to be little children and we’re going to play on these pretty coloured clouds. Look the dark clouds have gone and the sun has come out. Let’s play together.

  They wanted to play. The universe exploded, the sun came out and a million rainbows encircled them. Aquitain found himself in an ill
usory land of dreams. Miranda had created an illusory landscape in her mind for them.

  ‘That’s it Mandy help me fight it. We can do it together. Burn your power with illusions. Create a world for us!’ he yelled.

  The dark clouds vanished, the wind became gusts of exotic perfumes. They were flowers waving in the gentle breeze in a grassy paddock, they were birds singing in the trees, they were monkeys squabbling over fruit, they were fish in a silver stream, they were clouds in the sky, they were rains drops on brilliant green leaves, they were a waterfall and the foam at the bottom, they were the earth and the sky.

  They were little children in pastel coloured play clothes. They danced and sang songs together, they chased each other and laughed and giggled. They built snowmen out of pink cloud and threw cloud puffs and laughed even more. They rolled around the ground giggling until they all fell in a clump together. The two little girls cuddled into him one on either side and kissed him on the neck and sparks flew.

  He noticed out of the corner of his eye that there were other children on other clouds nearby and wondered about it. They suddenly began to grow and so did he. They were naked and pressing close to him. He could feel the warmth of their bodies, the moistness of their skin, the closeness of their breaths. He could taste the sweetness of their sweat as they began kissing him on the neck and chest and all over.

  He began to lose control. They began fighting against his domination. They broke free. He tried to regain control. They surrounded him with their embrace, they kissed and rubbed their bodies against him with increasing desperation and suddenly he began to melt. They all were melting. They were like honey of different flavours and different colours. The cloud turned into a funnel shaped flower and they slowly flowed down the petals dripping and intermixing at the bottom.

  He tasted the mixture and the flavour was divine. He recognized the perfume from the passion flower. It was intoxicating. He knew there was no chance of regaining control. He surrendered and their minds melted into one inside the flower as it gently closed and opened as if it was breathing.