Realms of Shadow

5

They found one of the horrors they sought during the third day out. They watched the beast for a while, and the druid-wizard remembered when she had crouched as a wolf to watch the man in much the same way, not so long ago. She would not lose him now.

She directed the man to a position opposite her in the undergrowth, so that the creature's path would lead it directly between them. She imbued her arms with a spell of strength, removed her boots, and formed her feet into panther claws.

After a few minutes, the creature emerged and shambled down the path.

One of its heads swung from side to side, on the lookout for food. The other head lay at an unnatural angle off of its shoulder, bobbing limply whenever the creature took a lurching step with a clubfoot. It already looked as though it had spent several sessions in the druid-wizard's spell-testing chamber-its creator, whether it had been evil magic or nature, had done much of the druid-wizard's work for her. She particularly appreciated the lolling second head-the irony of death in such close proximity to life. Many of her own creatures possessed similar features. It was almost as though she had been destined to capture this very beast-but she saw destiny everywhere now, ever since she had met the man.

The druid-wizard tensed as the creature's live head swiveled to peer her way, but then a crackle sounded in the opposite direction-that would be the man. When the creature's head pivoted toward the sound, the druid-wizard sprang.

The creature snuffled when the druid-wizard landed on its back and choked its live head in her arms, scratching at its sides and back with her panther's feet. She closed her eyes to better feel its spirit casting about within its body. She felt its fear-its confused thoughts grasping to regain the contentedness it had felt moments earlier.

Already its thrashing lessened. The best moment passed, but the druid-wizard could still feel the pulse of power she had gained from the hunt's climax. She would remember it every time she visited the creature in her museum.

The druid-wizard suspended the creature, gasping, at the end of a magical tether. The man approached it with curiosity verging on awe. He saw its anomalies, but he also saw its original design. A graceful neck. Tapered fingers. Deep, brown pools of wisdom in its eye sockets.

"Can you relieve its pain at all?" he asked.

The druid-wizard shrugged and cast another spell. The creature fell back on its tether, still panting but calmer for the moment.

The druid-wizard was pleased that the man felt comfortable calling upon her magic-his request told her that he was growing accustomed to it.

"What kind of a creature is it?" the man asked.

She had no answer. She remained silent.

The man didn't seem to notice. He had begun to whisper to the creature, as he used to do with his rose. It watched him-looked into his eyes-and its breathing evened out.

The druid-wizard felt a pang of envy and stood.

"We should go," she said. "The sooner it settles into its new home, the better."

She yanked the creature after her and turned to hike back down the mountain.

The man followed, admonishing her to treat the creature gently.

She smiled fondly through her annoyance. The man never failed to amuse her with his concern about such insignificant things.