Fatima's Diary

reflections for the lost

57. Rescuers Rescued

I felt the Else begin to gather and swirl around all of the cloaked figures about us. I warned Rihana and my friends, in Kaeron, that they were spellcasting, and weaving magic. They seemed unworried, so I listened to my instincts and began to quickly make my way to the outside edge of the circle that had formed. I knew that within my Heward's Haversack were held all the components for our portion of the Emperor's cure.

Above us, there was a great thunderclap as a swirling thin line rotated and revolved around itself, making a vertical slash in the sky. Out of it came riding a dozen misty men-shapes with glowing orange and red coals for eyes. Out from inside the slash they rode, astride black steeds whose hooves left falling traces of ash and fire. Behind them, the swirling revealed only stormy clouds, black lightning, and a low moaning sound, like the souls of thousands of tortured, broken slaves. They sped towards us, and in their wind was brimstone.

The cloaked figures threw off their disguise and revealed veteran heros that Toran himself once battled alongside, the Mac Culainn. They are a unique band, and one of them caught my attention; a strangely fair-skinned lovely elf with human features like my own, though the glittering fey wings that lifted her into the sky were distinctly unlike mine. It was almost as if sparkles of light followed her into the sky, shed from her swiftly beating butterfly wings. I could feel a stormy fury of Else about her, which I recognize now as spells quickened to release with a thought. She and her battle companions sped to intercept our attackers, blades bared and swirling deadly spells.

Which they did, for the most part; four broke away and flew towards us, their terrible visage framed against the background of dire spells and keen blades dancing through the clouds. My companions and I fled, but our pursuers kept on and caught us.

While Lobar, Malakon, Sanantha, Asherm and Grayn stood firm and fought the misty, storm-born assaulters, I did the only logical thing for me to do in that situation; kept out of harm's way and once victory was assured, fled with swift speed to Lyrenn.

Fortunately my friends were quickly behind me, speeding to our goal; to deliver at any cost the cure for the Emperor. Which, of course, we did, and did perfectly well considering the circumstances. We regrouped just outside of Lyrenn and Tolmadrin again teleported us.