Coral’mi shrieked and clutched her head in her paws,
as she fought off the agony of Yuira’s probing psyche.  Every defence that
Coral’mi strove to raise, Yuira
effortlessly tore back down, as Celestine hurried flipped through dusty pages,
studying the runes, searching for a way to save Coral’mi, before her last defences

collapsed, along with her very mind.  There was a loud thud, and Coral’mi
lay on the floor, bucking and shrieking in agony, clawing at her head with her
webbed paws.

 “Mother – help me!” Coral’mi screamed.  “Oh
please…the pain…the pain won’t stop!”

Sobbing Celestine slammed her paw on the table in anger,
and then she glared down at the shrieking Water horse.  Quickly, she surrounded
Coral’mi in a ring of powdered silver and iron filings, and then began weaving
a powerful spell of protection.  With each syllable Celestine uttered,
the twin circles around Coral’mi began to glow with a bright golden glow…until
it blazed like a wall and Coral’mi gasped and lay still, her breathing slowly
evening out, and Celestine slumping in exhaustion over her desk, the strain
of the enchantment leaving her weak and drained.
 
 

 With a look like someone had slapped her across
the snout, Yuira growled and her head snapped back, as her eyes flew open and
she snarled in rage.

 “That…won’t help you…little one – ” Yuira growled
dangerously.  “I know your taste – and soon – you will know such agony
that you will beg to die.  I know now of who is helping you – but they
are insignificant compared to what power you possess – power that will be mine…. 
Kar’eesh!”

Stepping forwards and standing slightly behind the throne,
the man known as Kar’eesh stood quietly, awaiting Yuira’s order.

 “I want you take a hand picked group of our best
warriors of the Tai’far – and bring me that water horse!  I do not care
how many die in the process – you are all pathetic creatures, below my contempt. 
Do not return here without her – or the world will be too small a place for
you – and my anger.  Do I make myself clear?”  Yuira growled quietly,
as she squeezed the necklace in her paw.

Unable to see the look of anger that flashed over Kar’eesh’s
eyes, Yuira returned to her dark thoughts, as Kar’eesh sneered and gave a mocking
bow behind her.
 

 “As my Queen commands – ” He spoke softly.

 “Then do it.” Yuira screamed, her voice rising
into frenzy.

“At once my Queen.”  Kar’eesh responded, the faintest
hint of contempt in his voice.

Making no visible signs of detecting the inflection of
his voice, Yuira rested her head on her paws and turned her thoughts inwards,
searching through her memories for something…elusive.  Kar’eesh snapped
his orders, and a dozen stoats, ferrets, weasels and even a fox and wolf were
soon falling over each other in their eagerness to serve their Goddess, their
eyes blazing with a cruel, fanatical light.  Sending out others as spies
and runners, Kar’eesh consulted with the Master of the Bra’cen, an ancient,
silver furred stoat, and his eyes having long ago been pecked out by the Bra’cen.

 “Humph” Snorted the old stoat, as he seemed to
peer at the human who swaggered before him.  “I see Yuira has finally sunk
that low, that she now takes a – human – as her partner.”

 “Insolent dog – I’ll have your tongue cut out if
you dare insult my Queen!”  Kar’eesh growled, his body tensing.

 “Hah – you’ll what lad?  Without me, who can
talk to the Bra’cen? Unlike you – I am useful to her black-hearted Majesty –
you?”  Turning away, the stoat spat on the ground in contempt.  “You?
You’re a plaything – nothing more – and Mistress Yuira has a tendency…to get
bored…rather quickly with her playthings.”

 Bristling with anger, the human Kar’eesh shook
with rage, yet the old Stoat merely cackled then slowly, turned around, and
he then consulted with the ebony flock,
which croaked, jeered and cawed back at him.  Hurriedly the blind stoat
relayed the information back to Kar’eesh.

 “Ooooh – you going up again that Witch Celestine
and her brood?”  Cackled the old Stoat. “Bah – this’ll be over before it
begins – that old bundle of fur, she be a might powerful Witch indeed, best
be careful laddie – or she’ll flay the skin off your body in the blink of an
eye!”

 Kar’eesh turned away from him, then took a dozen
steps, before he stopped and turned back to look at the insolently smirking
stoat.

 “This isn’t over old man – ” Kar’eesh growled,
his pride wounded.

 “Oh – I look forward to it boy – you think you’re
the be all and end all of her majesty’s authority?  Pah – you’re a play
toy to her – and she’ll use you until she
grows bored – then suck you drier than an old bone!”
 

 Listening with razor-sharp senses, Yuira allowed
herself a small, grim smile, as she rubbed her chin thoughtfully and whispered
softly.  “Indeed – it isn’t over yet
Kar’eesh – and I’ve got your measure now – you’re powerful indeed – but also
possessed of a frail pride – mmmm – I’ll have to watch you carefully – I can
not allow my authority to be undermined….”
 
 

 Standing outside the filthy tenement, in the dirtiest
part of the city, Abbilion, Diane and Savrin looked at the filth and squalor,
then up at the decaying building.

 “You sure this is the place?” Diane asked, wrinkling
her nose at the stench.

 “As near as I can tell – ” Abbilion admitted. 
“I haven’t been here in a long time – ”

 Savrin snorted contemptuously. “So – my illustrious
brother has resorted to living like a rat in his own filth?  How fitting.”

Abbilion sighed and turned around to face Savrin. 
“Look – as I said, I don’t care what bad blood exists between you and him –
we’re here to find out where Yuira may be lurking – and Zephyr has – contacts…”

 “Oh – I ‘m just so thrilled for him.” Savrin shot
back scathing.  “Does he have lice too?”
 

Abbilion and Diane exchanged glances, as they sighed
together, and then Diane walked into the dilapidated foyer, feeling the carpet
squelch beneath her boots.
Indeed – the whole hotel looked fit to collapse at any moment, and the old,
grizzled human who sat behind the counter, protected by thick, yet rusted security
grill sized her up with a lecherous peer.

 “Mmmm – come seeking work lass?  Mmmm…a young
strip like yourself – real pretty girl….” He leered.

Before he knew what hit him, Diane smiled sweetly – then
she shot out her paw and twisted it, lifting the old man off his chair as she
continued to smile sweetly, as she used her magicks to lift him into the air
– slowly crushing his neck.

 “Now – ” Diane grated, the sweat appearing on her
forehead, as she concentrated. “I will ask you nicely – not to insinuate such
things again – or I will snap your neck like an eggshell. We are here – looking
for a friend – ”

 “Friend?” Savrin laughed contemptuously.

 Abbilion elbowed Savrin in the ribs.
 

 Choking and strangling, the old man began clawing
weakly at his throat, trying to draw breath.  Diane continued to hold him,
then snorted and released him, watching as he fell to the floor and lay gasping
and choking.  Abbilion shuddered and turned around the guest book, then
quickly scanned through it.

 “Ah – a Mr. James Smith – ” Abbilion grunted, tapping
the entry.  “Room 384.”

 “Oh – that’s just so original – ” Savrin commented
dryly.

 “Will you shut up!” Diane growled at Savrin. 
“Wether you like it or not – we need his help.”

Savrin made a mocking bow.  “As my mistress commands…”

Abbilion stepped between Diane and Savrin, as Diane was
preparing to punch the firewolf into the next epoch.

 “Stow it you too – save the hurting for Yuira –
she’s got one hell of a major smack-down coming…” Abbilion growled at them.

 
 

 Making their way along a filthy halfway, the plaster
cracked and flaking, they paused near the doorway to Zephyr’s room.  Savrin
waited out of sight, as Abbilion began pounding on the door.  From the
other side, came a thunderous belch and the sound of a bottle being thrown at
the door, then smashing.

 “Piss off – ” Came the drunken slur from the other
side.

 “Zephyr – its me – Abbilion…” Abbilion banged again.

The curses from the other side of the door would have
made even Yuira blush, as there was a thud, then grunts and the sound of someone
lurching their way to the door, then the scrabble of deadbolts and chains. 
As the door opened, and Zephyr was revealed, he looked at the frightened, nervous
faces of Abbilion and Diane, belched, scratched himself inappropriately and
weaved from side to side.  Even Abbilion was shocked – Zephyr was once
a proud, noble, purebred firewolf –
and a fiercesome warrior.  Now – his obese form blocked most of the doorway. 
His eyes were bloodshot and the fat jiggled as he belched again, and then peered
through rummy eyes at them.

 “Fuck off – ” He grunted, then slammed the door
in their faces.
 
 

 Savrin came around the corner, shaking his head
slowly, as the stunned Abbilion and Diane stood, and then slowly looked at each
other.

 “Told you didn’t I?” Savrin barked, his voice dripping
sarcasm.  “You’re wasting your time – even I could smell his stench – I
do not think he’s bathed anytime in the last century…  We do not have time
for this – ”

 Leaning back, he kicked the door and it burst off
its hinges, sending the firewolf tumbling head over wings into the dirt, filth
and general disorder of Zephyr’s
apartment.  Hot on his heels was Abbilion and Diane, who both gasped as
the stench of the rubbish-strewn apartment assaulted their eyes and noses. 
Zephyr sat sprawled in a broken lounge chair, a bottle of cheap whiskey halfway
to his lips – as his eyes slowly grew like dinner-plates, as he watched a heaving
mountain with wings, comprised of trash and food scraps, pulled itself to its
feet.

 “By Yuira’s black heart – ” Zephyr suddenly shrieked,
as despite his girth, he scrambled away and fled into the adjoining room, slamming
the door behind him.
 

Brushing dirt, food and other unidentified bits of refuse
off himself, Savrin coughed and shuddered, the stench of the defiled apartment
tore through his nostrils.  Abbilion stumbled across to the other door,
as he then began bashing on it.

 “Goddess curse you Zephyr – get your carcass out
here, before I come in there and drag it out!”

A faint curse was heard from the other side of the door,
and then there was a soft click.
 
 

Mother Celestine used every spell in her Repetitae to
fight off the attackers that had swarmed into the college – eventually being
forced in to defending herself with a
small dagger.  She was no match for the more skilful warriors – but more
than seven of them would never move again.  Having been king-hit from behind,
Celestine had crumpled like a sack of bones, and quickly been tied and gagged.

 “Now horse – “Grunted Kar’eesh “Are you going to
be a good little pony? Or do we start our…persuasion…on your witch friend here?”

In tears Coral’mi looked at the gagged and bound Celestine,
then at the remaining gang members who stood watching her. Kar’eesh smiled cruelly,
then unsheathed a long, wavy blade and laid it against Celestine’s stomach.

 “I know how to cut people – ” Kar’eesh giggled
softly, tapping the blade.  “Cut people really badly – but they won’t die…no
– they won’t die for days…but the pain is unlike anything they’ve ever experienced.”

 

 “Do what you want to me – ” Coral’mi wept bitterly. 
“Let mother Celestine go – ”

 “Oh – you do not yet understand horsie – it’s not
only me who wishes to do things to you…” Kar’eesh smiled, as he stroked her
muzzle softly, the scent of his growing arousal making her tremble.  “Mistress
Yuira…wishes to discuss – your future with you.  I believe – it is to be
a very short discussion.”

 Coral’mi wept and gasped as they bound her webbed
paws tightly behind her back, then gagged her and pulled a dark hood over her
eyes, blinding her.

 “Just remember horsie – ” Kar’eesh giggled quietly,
as moved in close before her, then wrapped his arms around her hips and thrust
his own hips against hers
suggestively.

 “Remember this – ” Coral’mi suddenly screamed,
as she brought her knee swiftly up, and felt the sharp impact against Kar’eesh’s
groin.

 His mouth dropped open and he stagged back, clutching
his injured groin and a low, gasping moan worked its way free of his lungs,
as he crumpled and violently began thrashing on the floor.  Laughing, the
other gang members fell about in hysteria, and none laughed more, than the raven
perched on a nearby statue, as it glared down at the unfolding scene, its raucous
cackle chilling everyone.

 “Hahahaahaha….”