Where finesse is required, I prefer my own body,
Vanessa said.
We have no intention of harming anyone, Errol said.
Kendra, we just want to take the artifact and leave all of you in peace. This can still end well for you and your family.
With a flick of his wrist, Warren soared up to their level.
Sorry if we're out of reach, Vanessa said.
Although hovering at the same height, they were separated by a good distance. Either you will depart, or I will emphatically insist, Warren said, raising the sword menacingly.
We could fight, Errol said calmly. But trust me, brave as she may be, it would not take much for me to wrest that lance from the girl. Errol pushed off of Vanessa so that both of them drifted over to opposite walls. They landed softly against the walls, staying near enough to control their direction by pushing off.
A contest between us will end in injuries none of us can afford, Vanessa said. Why not first slay the beast together?404 Because I don't want to be stabbed in the back,Warren said.
You don't imagine you can walk out of here without the artifact? Errol asked. There are always safeguards against such actions.
I'm well aware, Warren said. I can handle the cat.
How many times have you killed the beast? Vanessa persisted.
Three times, Warren said.
So this is its fourth life, Errol said. Hang me if it has less than nine.
At your best, uninjured, this guardian is too much for you or any single person, Vanessa said. All together we may have a chance.
I will not arm you, Warren said.
Vanessa nodded at Errol. Both of them dropped rapidly along the wall until they were level with Kendra. Warren fell with them, but without a way to control his lateral movement, he could not intervene. Vanessa and Errol kicked off the wall, floating toward Kendra. She tilted the rod, floating upwards, and Vanessa and Errol adjusted to float upwards with her.
They were approaching her from opposite directions. At best she could poke one of them with the spear. Warren had lowered himself almost to the ground, but the fierce lynx was keeping him from touching down. He swatted at it with the sword. In a panic, with Vanessa and Errol closing in,
Kendra tossed the spear toward Warren, yelling, Catch!
The spear turned end over end and narrowly missed405 piercing Warren before it clanged to the floor beside thelynx. Yowling, the overgrown cat guarded the spear, fangs bared. Vanessa and Errol plunged to the ground in pursuit of the fallen weapon. Errol struck the floor much harder than he must have intended, and he crumpled. Vanessa landed perfectly.
It was claw against sword as Warren lowered himself toward the snapping, hissing lynx. Vanessa dashed toward the lynx across the floor. Kendra saw a little white stick fly by her on its way back to the top of the room, and realized
Errol had dropped his rod.
With Vanessa approaching from behind and Warren slicing it from above, the lynx darted away, ignoring Vanessa and racing toward Errol, who was rising shakily. Vanessa dove and grabbed the spear at the same time as Warren.
Errol screamed, hobbling hopelessly away from the charging lynx, favoring his right leg.
Warren released the spear and jumped toward where the lynx was about to converge with Errol. Vanessa sprinted across the floor. The lynx sprang, and Errol vanished, reappearing a few feet off to one side. The lynx landed and swerved to stay after Errol. Spreading his hands, backing away, Errol create a puff of smoke and a blazing shower of sparks. As the undaunted lynx sprang through the fiery flash,
Errol raised his arms defensively. The heavy lynx knocked
Errol down and began mauling his forearm, shaking and dragging him. Vanessa arrived before Warren and buried the spear deep into the animal's side. Warren alighted beside her and decapitated the lynx.406 Kendra looked on from above in hypnotized horror. Shehad no love for Errol, but watching anyone get mauled like that was a terrible thing. It all happened so quickly! Smoke curled up from where sparks had singed the lynx.
Hurry, get him another gravity stick, Vanessa cried.
You can only hold one at a time, Warren said, stepping toward her.
Then back off! Vanessa panted, holding up the spear defensively. Warren soared into the air. The dead lynx was churning. The severed head was melting. Vanessa glanced upwards, as if considering racing for a stick after all, then looked at the roiling corpse. Errol, get up, she commanded.
Dazed, the injured magician rose, standing on one leg, his tattered sleeve a bloody ruin. On my back, she said, turning.
He climbed up piggyback and Vanessa bounded into the air. She rose about twenty feet before slowing, stopping, and drifting back toward the ground. The black tip of the rod was pointed straight down, but still she descended. The revived cat roared. The head was shaped differently, and the body was much more muscular. The cat was now a panther.
Errol's bigger than her, Warren whispered to Kendra.
Gravity is pulling him down and her up, but he's heavier.
Warren compressed his lips. Hand him the rod! he shouted.
Vanessa, struggling, either didn't hear or didn't care. Let go of me! she demanded. Errol clung to her desperately.
Don't look, Warren said.
Kendra closed her eyes.407 The panther leaped, claws raking Errol and draggingboth him and Vanessa to the floor. Errol lost his hold, and
Vanessa took off like a missile, escaping unscathed as the panther finished her partner.
Vanessa shot past Warren and Kendra, then slowed and descended, hovering not far from them. I have the spear; you have the sword, she said, panting, her voice slightly unsteady. The guardian probably has several more lives.
How about that truce?
Why did you betray us? Kendra accused.
One day those I serve will rule all, Vanessa said. I do no more harm than I must. At present, our needs align. We must defeat, the guardian to escape this place, and neither of us will succeed alone.
And once we have the artifact? Warren asked.
We'll be fortunate to be alive and to have reached the next crossroads, Vanessa said. I can give you no further assurances.
Defeating this guardian will be no small task, Warren admitted. What do you say, Kendra?
Two sets of eyes were on Kendra. I don't trust her.
A little late for that, Vanessa said.
You were supposed to be my teacher and my friend,
Kendra said. I really liked you.
Vanessa grinned. Of course you liked me. In the spirit of teaching, here's a final piece of instruction. I used the same approach when we met as Errol did. I rescued you from a supposed threat in order to build trust. Of course, I helped set up the threat. I visited your town the night before the408 kobold showed up at your school and bit your homeroomteacher while she slept. Later, the kobold put a tack on her chair to put her to sleep, then I took over and gave you quite a scare.