His eyes vacant and glazed, Savrin sat slumped in his
chair, his mind on other things, unmindful of the quiet approach of Ms. Valace,
until a heavy book slammed down on the desk before him. Savrin shrieked and
fell backwards, hitting the ground with a thump that sent titters of laughter
through the other students.

“Master Savrin!” Celestine growled quietly, as she watched
him scramble back into his chair. “How nice of you to rejoin us!”

“Ms Valace – I…” Stammered Savrin.

Retrieving her heavy book from his desk, she whirled
way, her robes hissing against the stone floor as she returned to her lectern
at the front of her class.

“If you find the study of magicks boring – ” She spoke
quietly, her voice cold and chilly. “Then I can not help but wonder how you
would enjoy scrubbing down the hallway floor with a toothbrush?”

“Nice going Wolf-boy!” Abbalion jeered.

“Master Abbalion – you have wished to join him?” Celestine
dropped her voice a touch, inflecting it with the power she held within her.

“Err – no miss!” Abbalion croaked, and he winced as Diane
poked him in the ribs with an elbow.
 

With a sigh, Celestine shook her head and resumed her
lecture.

“We were discussing the basic principles of magicks,
and how they should not be used flippantly – or for practical jokes…” Celestine
peered at Diane purposefully, making the young Diane blush and shrink back in
her chair. “Magick is not to be used flippantly – as it carries a heavy responsibility,
and also incredible danger to the ill-prepared, or easily swayed. With its power,
you can do great things – or in the wrong hands – terrible things….”

“Ms Valace – is magick good or evil?” Abbalion spoke
up.

Diane poked him in the ribs again, and even Savrin chuckled
quietly, making the young coyote blush and withdraw himself in embarrassment.

“A very good question master Abbalion – something you
*other* students would do well too listen too. In answer to your question, magick
is neither good nor evil. It is the *intent* the magick is summoned and used
for, that is the problem. If you are angry and hurting, and use magicks for
evil, then it is not the fault of the magicks – they are impartial. It is the
person weaving those magicks, that is acting out of evil intent.”

As the wail of the bell went off, the students cheered
and snapped their books closed and hurriedly stuffed them into their bags and
roared like banshees for the door.

“Master Savrin – ” Celestine breathed softly.

Savrin stopped dead, forced by the compulsion of his
teacher’s magicks to turn towards her.

“Master Savrin – please – stay a moment.” Celestine spoke.

“Now you’ve done it wolf-boy!” Abbalion laughed.

Diane punched her brother in the arm, and Savrin glared
at Abbalion and whispered, then Abbalion squealed and clutched his tail, belting
the burning tip against the doorframe.

“Master Savrin – cease and desist!” Celestine growled.

Savrin’s face broke into a twisted grin, and Abbalion
glared at him, then laughed good-naturedly.

“I’ll get you boy – you just wait.” Abbalion growled
in mock anger.

“I look forward to it – ” Savrin responded, his appearance
menacing, but the look in his eyes betraying his friendship.

“Arrrgh – *men*!” Diane growled and stomped from the
chamber.
 

Savrin and Abbalion exchanged glances, and the unsaid
look spoke volumes. Abbalion chuckled and walked out of the chamber.

“Master Savrin – that was uncalled for – and you know
it.” Celestine spoke quietly. “Magicks – ”

“Forgive me mistress – I…I just couldn’t help myself….
I know I shouldn’t use magic for such frivolous things, but there are times
– “ Savrin replied, looking chastised.

“Forgiven – this time.” Spoke the old feline, as she
pushed her spectacles back up her narrow nose. “Now – what is wrong with you?
You’ve been daydreaming more and more lately…is something troubling you?”

“It – yes mistress.” Savrin sighed. “It is – ”

Celestine sighed, and led the young firewolf hybrid to
a chair and sat him down. Savrin sat in the chair, but he was shrunken – almost
withered looking, burdened with the weight of the cosmos – or so it seemed.

“Tell me Savrin – ” Celestine spoke, her magicks reaching
out and soothing the tormented firewolf.

“It – its the Tai-far Queen – ” Savrin growled, his paws
suddenly gripping the chair arms in anger, then there was a sharp snap and Savrin
yelped, looking at the broken armrests he held.

“Ahhh – ” Nodded Celestine. “You’re still troubled by
nightmares of her?”

Sarvin’s shoulders quivered and he nodded slowly.

“She can not hurt you now Savrin – she is a creature
long turned to dust – in the distant past. I know only a little of her cruelty
– and what she done to you – but you must put it behind you Savrin. She can
not hurt you anymore….”

Savrin rose and he straightened himself, and Celestine
involuntarily shuddered, feeling the cold flames of rage and hate that were
building in Savrin.

“You do not understand!” Savrin suddenly screamed. “She
is here – *now*! I draw breath and smell her stink – I see her black eyes gleaming
from every shadow – I am telling you, she is here…now!”

Without another word, Savrin bolted from the chamber,
leaving Celestine gasping, never having felt such anger in all her years.

*

In an ancient temple, deep below the city, hunched figures
in their hundreds moaned and weaved, their hollow eerie voices raised in dark
prayer. The temple itself was shadowy, lit only by flickering torches that flickered
and guttered in the sconces amongst the black granite pillars that supported
the ceiling. By no stretch of the imagination was this temple dedicated to any
kind, loving god – as the frescoes painted on the walls and ceiling showed acts
of violence, depravity and cruelty. Standing at the altar, a black robed creature
stood, holding aloft a pure black wavy-bladed dagger, as the sobbing cries of
a creature on the altar pealed forth.

Raising the dagger higher, the figure then plunged it
down, and there was a sickening crunch – and a black robed figure held its paws
aloft, the fur slick with blood, as it held up the young anthro’s heart. Blood
from the sacrifice dribbled down the altar, as it turned around and threw the
heart into a blazing brazier, that stood just in front of the altar, as he intoned
dark words of power, and reverently opened a ebony Canopic jar and sprinkled
the dust within into the brazier, which began churning out a choking smoke,
the flesh crisping and sizzling on the hot coals.

“Dark Mistress – across the worlds we call out to you!
Come to us – come to us – come too…” He chanted.

Silence gripped the throng, as they waited and watched
on.

“Across the worlds we call – come to us now – come too
– urk…”

Gasping, the black-robed figure tore his hood back, exposing
the mottled colours of a sewer-rat. His muzzle wrinkled as he began choking
and convulsing, then he screamed in mortal agony as it felt as if something
were tearing him apart internally. He dropped the sacrificial dagger that clanged
off the floor, as he shrieked again and started clawing at his muzzle his claw-tips
gouging great furrows in the soft fur.

“She comes…she comes…she comes….” chanted the crowd
eerily.

“No.it…it can not be…” Shrieked the rodent, as he
felt the sickening crushing feeling of magicks beyond his comprehension seize
him in an iron like grasp.

His robes began bulging at the stomach, and he screamed
helplessly, as they split and tore, revealing the fur of his stomach heaving
and roiling, as it grew larger and larger – impossibly so.

“Noooo – ” Screamed the rodent…it was the last he would
ever utter.

His stomach tore open, his entrails spilling across the
platform, as some black, sinuous figure tore itself free and collapsed, gasping
and retching. It squealed and convulsed, as its form began to twist, the bones
snapping and fur rippling, as it grew swiftly, the agonising screams nearly
killing all within earshot, as the wails rang from the temple walls. Slowly,
it rose on bloodied paws and stretched languidly, revealing the unmistakable
form of a female weasel, her black eyes blazing with bloodlust and anger, as
she smoothed down her blood lathered fur, then grinned and licked her paws clean,
shivering in hunger.

“Hail Yuira – hail Yuira – hail Yuira – ” Came the rising
cacophony of voices, as they sank to their knees before their resurrected Queen.

Blinking and wiping blood from her eyes, Yuira looked
around at her devoted worshippers – who treated her as a Goddess. She was unhappy
with only a few hundred of her faithful – but it had been enough to bring her
back to life…and now…nothing was going to stop her!

Tilting her head back, Yuira let forth a scream of pure,
frenzied bloodlust and hate, that struck dead dozens of her faithful, as she
stole their life essence to give herself the strength and power she craved.
Satisfied, Yuira glared at her followers, and she looked at her bloodied paws,
from which ebony lightning crackled ominously, as she stretched.

“I have returned my faithful – ” Yuira growled quietly,
her voice chilling all who heard it. “Now – I shall have my revenge…”

*

Coral’mi blinked her sea-green eyes, and looked up from
within the seawater pool, in which she slept. Blurrily, she could see an anguished
young creature looking down at her. Breaking the surface, Coral’mi blinked,
and then wiped her webbed paws across her eyes, breathing in the scent of fear.

“Mother Coral’mi – come quick!” Diane wept. “Oh please
– you must come!”

Coral’mi blinked again, then stepped from her pool and
hurriedly pulled a robe around her, as she tightened the belt.

“Miss Mail’lar – ” Coral’mi coughed softly. “It is 4am
– what in the great sea’s do you think you’re doing?”

“I…Dorm-mother – I…I can’t explain – oh – its terrible…please
– you *must* come!” Diane wept, tugging on Coral’mi paw.

Wringing out her bluish tinged hair, Coral’mi flicked
her ears and quickly followed the tearful Diane back to the student’s dormitories,
from which came a primal shrieking. Slamming open the door, she took the destroyed
dormitory room in a single glance, and saw the crumpled figure of Abbalion –
blood oozing from a deep slash across his chest…but what frightened her, was
the irrational Savrin, who cowered in the corner, his bloodied sword gripped
in his paws, the look of pure madness in his eyes.

“Kill – kill you…all…” Savrin babbled.

As he charged Coral’mi, she stood her ground and Diane
screamed – but Coral’mi just stared at Savrin, then her paw shot out and she
snapped a command, freezing the firewolf in his tracks like a statue.

“Master Savrin!” Coral’mi snarled. “What in the great
sea has gotten into you!”

“Kill – she…kill you…tear your…” Savrin babbled
again, then he giggled with madness.

Coral’mi blinked slowly, the approached and laid her
webbed paws either side of Savrin’s head, and closed her eyes…then with a
shriek like his soul was torn from his body, Savrin bucked in Coral’mi’s paws
and the madness fled him. He looked at the fallen Abbalion and then into the
compassionate eyes of Coral’mi.

“Mother – she…is…” Savrin wept.

“Calm young one – who is what?” Coral’mi whispered, keeping
Savrin’s eyes fixed with her own.

“It… Its Yuira – she’s back…and coming for me!” Savrin
wailed, as he enfolded the stunned Water horse in a crushing embrace.

Diane gasped, and even Coral’mi shuddered, as she probed
the Firewolf’s mind, and then stretched out her senses to Abbilion. He was alive,
but badly hurt.

“Shhh – ” Coral’mi whispered soothing to Savrin. “Its
just a nightmare Savrin – Yuira is dead – you know that.”

“No!” Savrin screamed. “Yuira is alive…here…now!
She is coming to get her vengeance on me for what I done!”

Coral’mi blinked and shivered, then stretched out with
her senses and powers, then suddenly stiffened in pain, as she felt some massive
dark energy seize her and crush her will. Barely, Coral’mi shook it off and
fled back to her own body, sweat erupting over her body.

“Oh Great Sea-mother – ” Coral’mi gasped.

*

Back in the temple, Yuira froze and her eyes went glazed,
as she felt the power of the water-horse try to sneak up on her and spy on her.
With a savage counter-strike, Yuira ensnared the Water horse’s spirit, and squeezed.
Elusive as water, Coral’mi’s essence slipped away and fled back to where it
came.

“So – ” Gasped Yuira. “That firewolf has friends now
– mmmm…powerful friends indeed…. They are nothing compared to what I am
– and yes Water horse – I know your taste now…. I know what you are – and
I will make you wish your people had never been born….”

*

Coral’mi rocked with the power that lashed her psyche,
and if it had not been for Savrin holding her as tightly as he was, she would
have fallen.

“Oh Great Sea’s – ” Coral’mi gasped, her eyes wide, nostrils
flaring and ears pasted flat. “Yuira’s back – ”