The Lutin Chronicles Chapter 15 Lurker in the Deep The sun glistened on the waters of the new lake as it rose over the trees in the east. The sight was beautiful. In years past, this place had been a marsh, completely unusable for any civilised purpose. The water was stagnant, riffled with disease and haven for all manner of unclean insect and vermin. Now it was lovely, suitable for fishing and boating. The mosquitos and horseflies had gone off in search of more habitable climes downriver. Homes were popping up around what would eventually become the shoreline, once the lake was filled to capacity. Otters and Beavers from Bounty were settling here, as well as two families of koalinth. A number of werepenguins had also moved in, led by princess Kapik herself, drawn by the clean water and open air. The lake was well-stocked, thanks to a clever idea from Rog the spectacular, the wizard-in-training. Each day, he would leave a cube of meat in the wilderness. A week later, he would come, nose pinned tightly shut, and retrieve the meat. Whatever small creatures now infested it would be transformed magically into fish, a new species every day. The new railroad had already been laid, running from Punishment out to Fargone, coming up around the lake, out to the highway and going back to Singing Pony to meet up with the existing line. This meant that the lake was now accessible from any part of the federation with only a few minutes' ride. Consequently, a city was beginning to form. Those settling there, who ranged from lutins to humans to the odd wood elf, had dubbed the place Sun Harbor. It was well on its way to becoming a member state of the federation, although no mayor had been chosen, yet. Perhaps the happiest citizen of Sun Harbor was Zoog, the friendly ogre-troll who had returned with Sytet on his mission to Lavamist. Zoog had always lived under a bridge, and would continue to do so. The crevasse which would eventually form the outflow from the lake back to the river ran directly beneath the road leading to Fargone. An stately bridge had been constructed by the halflings and giants, one end of which contained a cozy house for the ogre. As far as Zoog was concerned, it was a palace. Just north of that bridge was the pet project of Darren Hardfoot, mayor of Fargone. He was building a museum for all the wondrous treasures, not just of his own people, but of the many races of the federation. A small set were already on display, including a silk painting from Yamato, a bracelet from Fan Shoar once said to contain a genie, and the Soulrender, a sword which some believed had the power to destroy its victims' souls. Guarding the museum was the job of Jabar, a ghast who had been employed in the halflings' bank vaults and had complained about mind-numbing boredom. Perhaps this job would prove more interesting for him. Certainly, he seemed happier, and could often be seen hovering around the little museum, gazing at the exhibits. His favorite seemed to be a statue of Shanar-Kallas, created by one of the dwarven children. Another regular visitor to the museum was Kyrk, a half trag, half dwarf boy who had just come of working age. It was his ambition to become a great warrior in the service of Kayrok, the captain for whom he had been named. Kayrok therefore thought it a very good idead to hire Kyrk to patrol Sun Harbor, especially the museum, and report anything suspicious. This Kyrk did with aplomb and pride, along with his partner, an elderly dalmatian by the name of Bonegnaw. Bonegnaw was an ordinary dog, not one of the talking variety. Nonetheless, he was Kyrk's best friend and the two went everywhere together. Such was the case today, when Kyrk was paogreing the shores of the lake. Diligently, he sought out any sign of suspicious activity. Happily walking the lake's perimeter with Bonegnaw by his side, Kyrk heard a strange sound. It was like the buzzing of flies. But why would flies swarm here? Hadn't they all left? Kyrk headed toward the source of the sound. He found the swarm near the edge of the lake, as well as what the flies were attracted to. It was a leg. He couldn't tell what sort of creature the leg had belonged to. It was far too badly decayed. "We need to tell the captain at once!" * * * It had been a very pleasant afternoon at Camp Dimtorch. The summer sun was at its furthest north, treating the camp to some rare direct sunlight. Recently, Splin had located some trees which could thrive without direct sunlight and brought them to the southernmost outdoor towns of Dimtorch and Punishment. Kayrok found himself sitting beneath one of these. the fact that his work was done for the day conspired with the sunlight as it played in the spaces between the leaves to make Kayrok's eyelids heavy. "Lovely day for a nap." said Dimtorch, sitting down next to him. Kayrok glanced over, acknowledging the monster with a noncommital grunt. "Nice looking city you have here." said Dimtorch, leaning back against the tree. "I'm flattered you named it after me." Kayrok surveyed the town with one sleepy eye. "I guess it has turned into a city." he noted. "I hadn't really noticed." Dimtorch nodded his shaggy head. "I think the threshhold was when the dentist's office went up." Kayrok shrugged. "We had to do something. All that rich halfling food was starting to rot our teeth." "Can't have rotten teeth." Dimtorch agreed. "You're pretty well-spoken these days." Kayrok noticed. "Yeah, well, death has been good to me. I was pretty fortunate. Stormhaven takes pity on the stupid." Kayrok looked over at Dimtorch as if seeing him for the first time. "That's right... you died. I had forgotten." Dimtorch dipped his ursine head. "I did a pretty foolish thing. In fact, we were all pretty foolish back then. What we did..." "We were deceived." said Kayrok. "That's my excuse." said Dimtorch. "I was an idiot. I was dumber than Gerf, over there. But you, Kayrok... you've always been smart. You should have known better." Kayrok let out a sigh. "What's done is done. Besides, if I hadn't served Nasoj back then, none of this would be here." He motioned to the federaton with a sweep of his hand. As it was a dream, he and Dimtorch were able to see all of it at once, from Halfway all the way to Point Grove. "That's true." said the monster. "You have been very blessed. But you need to know that your actions have consequences which will come back to haunt you." "What do you mean?" "You have been touched by darkness, Captain. All those who fought in the battle of Devil's Strand have been so touched. That darkness never lets go. It will come back for you." "I don't understand." said Kayrok. "Three things you need to know. First, do not stop the tower. Second, return the eye to vigilance. And finally, when all else is gone, you must complete the mountains and plant the lemon grove." "Dimtorch, you're speaking complete nonsense." Kayrok responded with a touch of irritation. "What does any of this mean?" "You'll understand when the time comes, Captain." Then rising and walking away, Dimtorch turned and waved, saying only "Captain". This he did twice more as Kayrok slowly rose into wakefulness. When he opeed his eyes, there was Point, his right-hand cyclops, shaking him gently and repeating his title. "Captain! I'm sorry to wake you, but there is something you must hear." A young hobgoglin walked nervously up to the alliance chairman. "Sir, my name is Kyrk. This is Bonegnaw." "Pleased to meet you." said Kayrok. "Sir, I've found something unusual by the lake at Sun Harbor." "And what have your keen eyes found? A new species of plant, perhaps?" "No, Sir. A severed leg." Kayrok was silent for just a moment. So this was going to be one of THOSE days. * * * Chrkrkuk was happy today. Life had become so good, lately. Ever since those strange creatures moved into the forest, there was food to spare. The green men ate a lot, and they threw away nearly as much as they ate. Chrkrkuk and his fellow raccoons had learned of the bounty to be found in the waste bins of the humanoids. Even the other animals, those weird folks who spoke and acted like the green men, threw away enough to feed a whole forest of raccoons. And today was a special day. Today was when all of the trash bins in the new people town were emptied into one big pile. The green men would still use it, of course. They would pick out the things that could be made into other things, such as houses and tools, then they would take everything that was food and put it together. It would be allowed to sit and rot until it turned into dirt, then they would spread it over their farms and gardens. But in the mean time, it was a raccoon's dream buffet. With a big grin on his muzzle, Chrkrkuk examined the trash pile. Right there on top was a turkey leg which had been thrown away with only a single bite missing. The raccoon couldn't believe his luck. Grabbing the tasty meal, he ran with it down to the lake to wash it. His mouth watered with the thought of digging into this terrific treat. As he washed his dinner, Chrkrkuk thought he heard something. Rotating his ears, he listened. Hearing nothing, he reassured himself that it was just his imagination. Some bubbles rose from the water. Chrkrkuk stiffened. He stared at the water, ready to turn and bolt if something dangerous rose from the water. The raccoon never got the chance to run. The monster attacked too quickly. The last thing Chkrkuk ever saw was his dinner floating in a murky cloud of his own blood before everything went black. * * * Kayrok stood and surveyed the lake as Hornbeam examined the remains which Kyrk had found. The boy and the dog stood on one side of him while Point the cyclops stood on the other. There was something amiss about the lake, but Kayrok couldn't quite explain what it was. That is to say there was something other than the severed leg. "From the length and the color, I'd say it was a human." said Hornbeam as he examined the limb. Roughly forty years old, some combat experience. There's a scar on the side near the knee which shows some evidence of bhuka-style stitches. If I had to guess, I'd say this person was Khumari or Yamatoan. Given the amount of hair, Yamatoan seems more likely." "That should make the victim easy to identify." said Kayrok. "What can you tell us about the attack?" "I was just getting to that. Look at the way the tissue has been twisted, here. It's like something grabbed his leg with some very sharp teeth and rolled. The damage is too extensive to get any idea of the shape of the teeth, but we can get a general sense of the size of the jaw. Look. The lower jaw was here... and the upper jaw, here." "That's a big jaw." said point, noting how the marks were distributed around the leg. "Could it have been some sort of a crocodile?" "We're too far north for crocodiles." said Kayrok. "Not to mention that we're weeks away from any ocean." Bonegnaw began to bark, his hackles raised. "What is it boy?" asked Kyrk. "He's barking toward the lake." Kayrok observed. "Everyone, get back." "Captain, look." said Point, indicating an object floating in the water. Hornbeam used a long stick to pull it toward him. The object was an arm. "Raccoon arm." said Hornbeam. "Not a talking one, or the thumb would bend a bit differently. This leg is several days old, but the arm is new. Less than an hour." "Do we have any idea what we're dealing with?" asked Kayrok. "All we know is that it's a large, vicious animal, Sir." The commander turned to Kyrk. "You've done good work today." he told the boy. "I'd like you to continue to patrol the lake, but from now on, I want you to stay at least a hundred feet from the water's edge." He gave the boy an armband containing a mini crystal ball, much like his own soldiers used. "If you see anything suspicious, call me immediately on this." Kyrk saluted. "Yes, Sir!" he said proudly. "Bonegnaw and I won't let you down." "Very good. Dismissed, soldier." * * * Chow was feeling a bit naughty today. He knew that if his parents knew what he was doing today, they would wholeheartedly and unreservedly disapprove. And while it had been a long time since he had seen either of them alive, he still took a great deal of pleasure from doing things they didn't like. His parents had both been purists, objecting vociferously to dating across species lines. He had once dated a bhuka, which resulted in a horrendous backlash. Cavorting with a norker had gotten him several lashes and what he had done with a lovely young koalinth had gotten him thrown out of the house. All of that paled in comparison to this, for sprawled on her back beside him was a lioness. Chow just grinned to himself as he toasted a bit of lamb cube over a small campfire for the two of them to enjoy. Her name was Chara. She was quite taken with the goblin, and her parents were absolutely horrified at this. At least that's what she told him. "The fire's starting to go out." said Chow. "I need to get some more wood." "You stay here." said Chara. "I need to visit the bushes anyhow. I'll gather some sticks." "Hurry back." said the goblin. "You know I will." said the lioness, licking his cheek. Chow chuckled to himself. He wasn't sure whether it was Chara herself that was so much fun or the knowledge that this was way outside acceptable goblin behavior. There was a splash nearby, as if someone had thrown a large rock into the lake. Chow stood up to look down toward the shore. He couldn't see anything, so he sat down again and concentrated on his cooking, waiting for Chara to return. Two hours later, Chow was getting severely worried. His lioness had not returned. Why had she not returned? The campfire had long since gone out, so Chow abandoned it to go and search for his girl. He didn't have far to go, for he found her, or what was left of her, facedown in the water. Everything below the waist was gone, as if it were ripped away by some gigantic teeth or claws. Chow wasn't prone to being squeamish, for he was a goblin, and goblins were not given to weak constitutions. Nevertheless, when Chow was found, he had passed out following several intense rounds of puking. * * * "I've finished my autopsy." said Hornbeam. "The lioness was killed by the same creature that got our human and raccoon. The bite marks are identical." "How is Chow?" asked the commander. "Severely traumatized. It's as if he's lost the ability to speak. I've been trying to question him, but he just sits there, staring straight ahead and shivering." "I know Chow, at least by reputation. I can't imagine anything that would do that to him." Point stepped into the command quarters. "Sir, I've questioned Chara's family. They were very helpful, but they don't know anything so far." "Thank you, Point." said the captain. "If you have the time, ask around in the community around the lake. Perhaps someone has seen some trace of the creature." "Yes, Sir." said the cyclops, who immediately left to carry out the order. "There's something else you should see." said Horbeam. He pulled back a curtain. Behind it sat James, the nilbog healer. In his arms was cradled a baby. The baby's species was not easily identifiable. It looked as though it may be a tragso, having a tail and claws, but greenish skin and the sharp facial features of a goblin. "The baby was found in what was left of Chara's womb. It's barely clinging to life. Even with James' powers, he may not make it. He's simply too underdeveloped to live without a mother." "Vertarbna have mercy." said Kayrok. "Apart from concern for the little one's life, this raises some worrisome questions. Now... there is no law against interspecies marriage..." "Of course not." said Kayrok. "We treat the talking animals as people, the same as anyone else." "But goblins and lions can't breed. That child shouldn't even exist." "Magical fertility spell?" "there's no sign of such." "Perhaps he's a werebeast." "I tested him. He's not even werebeast kin." "You sound like you suspect something." "I do. Look over here." From a small dish, Hornbeam produced what looked like a large hair. "This, Sir, is a whisker." "So I see. What's wrong with it?" "I plucked this from Tiro this morning." Kayrok raised an eyebrow. "From Tiro. Did he get into some magic potion?" "He swears up and down that he hasn't. And then there's Barga. She's been having sneezing fits." "Well that's not unusual." "She's been sneezing salt. I don't know what's going on, Sir, but my gut tells me we're seeing the beginning of something potentially devastating." "Thank you for bringing this to my attention, doctor." said Kayrok, taking one last look at the premature baby before returning to his duties. * * * Zoog was a happy camper, literally. The weather was so nice that he decided to spend the day outside. He had a hamock strung up between two sturdy maple trees. A roaring campfire blazed behind him, whereon a fish was toasting up nicely. The ogre himself was fishing in the lake and humming quietly to himself. The sunshine was streaming down while the water lapped gently at the shore. Zoog was beginning to doze when the line received a tug. Zoog pulled. There was a great deal of resistance. "Fish must be huge!" declared Zoog as he wrapped his line around the branch he was using as a pole, pulling the fish nearer and nearer. Finally, his toes almost in the water, Zoog gave a mighty yank, and the creature lept out of the water. * * * When Point reached Zoog's campsite, the Ogre was sitting on the shore, panting. Cuts and bruises decorated his entire body. "What happened to you?" asked the cyclops. "Zoog attacked by monster. Got into an battle. Zoog hit it real hard, but it not am killed." "What did the monster look like?" asked the captain's aide. "Funny looking. Had fur, but also had an scales. Had hook in mouth, too. Zoog am did that part." "Can you draw a picture of it?" "Yes. Zoog draws goodly." "You should see a doctor about those cuts, Zoog." said Point. "And then Kayrok is going to want to talk to you about the monster." * * * Zoog drew the monster as he sat in the infirmary getting his wounds tended to. The creature he drew resembled a cross between an otter and an aligator. It was as ugly as sin, though no one was quite sure whether that was because it was truly so ugly or because Zoog had overstated his talent. It was covered in scales, but had a thick ruff about it's neck and on the tip of its tail. Whiskers protruded from a very long snout. Wickedly sharp claws adorned both hands and feet. And of course, it had Zoog's hook in its mouth. "You're sure this is what you saw?" asked kayrok, examining the strange picture. "It are." Zoog confirmed. "Zoog got real close look on it." "Do you have any idea what it is?" "It monster." "I mean specifically." Zoog looked as if he were going to say something important, then thought for a moment, and had to admit "...no. But Zoog got idea. You ask penguin people. They swimmy birds. Maybe they am know about an swimmy monster." "That's actually an excellent idea. Thank you, Zoog!" "Zoog are smart in hims own special way." beamed the ogre. * * * Kapik sat on the ground in front of her tent and leafed through a book of pictures while Point and Zoog looked on. "Perhaps this was it." suggested the werepenguin princess. "It has both hair and scales. It's called a makara." "That am not it." replied Zoog. "Well, what about this? This one is called a capricorn." "That not it either." "Hmm..." Kapik continued flipping through pages until the ogre stabbed the book with his finger. "There! That monster!" Indeed, it looked very much like Zoog's drawing, and was every bit as repulsive. "What that am?" "The title of the picture is 'Dobhar-Chu'. Sounds Kitchlandic." "What can you tell us about it?" asked Point. "Nothing, I'm afraid." said Kapik. "This is the first I've ever heard of one." "Perhaps one of the other werepenguins have heard of one." "Perhaps, but I think I know of someone who could tell us a lot about it, someone whose life revolves around magical creatures." * * * Jabar was whistling happily to himself as he puttered about the museum. There was a brand new acquisition toay which had just come in via Singing Pony. The treasure was a golden multi-armed spiral set into a black background. Each of the arms was made up of spirals, which were in turn made of more spirals in an incredibly intricate carving. The spiral turned when the user spoke the words "Wewe ni sinzia", which invoked a spell that allowed the user to perceive the world as if they were a mouse or cat or some other animal. The Heshima tribe on the west coat of Fan Shoar made these to give to their children. It gave the young ones a sense of respect for the beasts around them, as well as a sense of wonder. They were called Mnyama charms, and were once in plentiful supply until the Qor horde nearly wiped out the Heshima. To find one completely intact was a rarity indeed. As jabar dusted off the treasure, he was overcome with a feeling of curiosity. "Wewe ni sinzia." he whispered. The spiral began to turn. Instantly, the world seemed to become humungous. The light around him turned very bright and everything went out of focus. All the sounds became so much louder. The tick of the clock was like hammering. He could also feel a slight breeze in what could only be whiskers. It was extremely disorienting. "Jabar!" someone called. The ghast felt the urge to flee and hide in some dark corner. Realization hit. He was experiencing the world as if he were some sort of rodent. As calmly as he could, the ghast put down the charm and stepped away. The panic subsided and everything returned to its proper size, brightness and volume. "If it's the tax man, I'm not here!" joked Jabar. "It's Point, the cyclops." said the captain's helper as he entered the room, a book under his arm. "Welcome, my depth-challenged friend." jibed the ghast. "Welcome to Fan Shoar." Point looked about. The room was filled with paintings and artifacts from the distant continent. "Impressive collection." he said. "These must have been hard to come by." "You have no idea." replied Jabar. "Getting anything from Fan Shoar is like pulling dragons' teeth these days. The Qor horde destroys whatever they can't use. The whole west coast has become a wasteland. But that's not why you're here, is it?" "No, though I will definitely be coming back to tour the displays. No, I need to ask you about something." He opened the book. "Have you ever seen one of these?" Jabar just about jumped out of his skin. It seemed there was still a little bit of rodent adrenaline left in his system. "I hoped I would never see one of those again." "Then you have." "I'll say. Nasty creature. It's called a dobhar-chu. A master of mine once got eaten by one. They lurk under the surface of the water, then when you wander to close, they LEAP!" Point stumbled backwards a step or two at Jabar's sudden outburst. "The poor man never had a chance to activate the genie ring he was wearing. Worst week of my life, stuck in that ring with ten other ghasts and a genie waiting to get pooped back into the world." "Yeah... I didn't need to know that part." "So why do you ask?" "It seems we have a dobhar-chu in the lake at Sun Harbor." Jabar turned blue as his blood ran cold. "How many people has it killed so far?" "At least three. It also attacked Zoog, the ogre." "My advice to you: blow up the lake. When you've finished blowing it up, burn it down. Then fill it in with concrete, blow it up again and poison it. Then blow it up a third time." "I'm afraid none of those are really options." "Well, barring all of that, I'd say fill the water with a million spears." "I'd prefer to take it alive if possible." "You've got moxy, my monoscopic amigo." said the ghast as he put an arm around Point's shoulders. "And let me just be the first to say "ARE YOU ABSOLUTELY INSANE?!" "We don't kill animals for acting like animals. If we can capture it, maybe we can learn from it." "Well, okay, but when you're down to one leg, don't come crying to me. Actually, do come crying to me. I've got this awesome silver leg, used to belong to Pucebeard. Not much of a pirate, but did he ever have style." "I'll keep that in mind." said Point as he closed the book and made his way to the exit. * * * Kayrok was in the middle of a meeting with an otter and a small, long-eared lutin when Point entered the command quarters. "That's just the point I'm trying to make." the otter was saying. "If Graggish starts broadcasting radiant signals, it's going to interfere with ours. Instead of music and news, it'll just be noise." "Well, what do you want me to do?" asked the captain. "Tell Graggish he can't broadcast?" "No, no. Not at all." said the long-eared one. "We don't want to eliminate the competition. We just want to make room for everyone. Let each broadcaster use a different frequency of magic. The council assigns the frequency, the thurges set the frequency, the listeners tune into the frequency on their radiants." "We'll each use a different name, or perhaps some sort of code to let the listeners know which station they've tuned to." "Fine." said Kayrok. "Since Jun knows much more about magic than I do, I'll have you iron out the details with him." As the otter and the lutin left, they were chatting animatedly about whether to call their broadcasting station "RAOF" or "RandomTunes". Kayrok rubbed his brow. "I remember when administration consisted of pointing at something and yelling 'Smash that!'" he mumbled. "If that was the kind of simplicity you wanted, you wouldn't be here." said Point. "And you wouldn't have me." "Point taken. Have you learned anything about our monster?" "It's called a dobhar-chu." said Point. "A rare but nasty predator. Part mammal, part reptile, all teeth." He showed Kayrok the picture in the book. "How do we capture it?" "With immense difficulty, I imagine. Even Jabar didn't know much about the creature." A koalinth stook his head in the door just then. "Excuse me, Sir." "Report." said Kayrok. "The channel for the shortcut to the north portion of the river has reached the highway. We will need a bridge built if we are to proceed." "I already have a crew on it. Tell the excavation crew to take the rest of the day off and have an extra portion of dinner on me." "Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir." "Dismissed." Then, after half a second, 'Wait... what's your name, koalinth?" "Krobi Dillfang, Sir." "Krobi, how would you like to make a few extra coins?" * * * As Krobi stood on the shore of the lake, the steely expression on his face belied the terrible panic he was feeling inside. As a koalinth, he was faster and more agile than any other goblin in the water, with the possible exception of the kol'ksu. Still, the thought of getting anywhere near the beast made his heart catch in his throat. Nevertheless, he was a goblin, and goblins did not let feat control them. Taking a deep breath, he stepped into the lake while Point and Kayrok watched from shore. The environment beneath the surface of the lake was quiet. A slight current ran from east to west. The water was still a bit cool from its trip through the mountains and down the aqueduct. Sunshine shone across streamed through to the lakebed in a web patterns, playing on the fronds of newly grown water plants. A trout swam by, keeping a wary eye on the goblin as it swam. It was a misleadingly placid scene. Krobi started across the lake, partially swimming, partially walking. A school of guppies came by, swarming curiously about the koalinth. Krobi was amused by them until they suddenly scattered. His blood chilled. He looked back. There it was! Jaws gaping, the dobhar-chu was coming straight for him! Krobi took off like a bolt. The monster gave chase. The goblin was fast. The monster was faster. Krobi leapt out of the lake and onto the shore with the snapping jaws of the creature inches from his heels. "Are you all right?" asked Kayrok. "Did it injure you?" "Did you see a nest of any kind?" asked Point. "Perhaps a den or a burrow?" "I couldn't see anything but teeth." Krobi reported. Someone came walking by at that moment. It was Jabar, the ghast. "Please tell me you're going deliberately looking for that thing!" he said. "That's absolute madness!" "Captain, I don't think anyone or anything is getting near that creature. Not unless that anything is another dobhar-chu." said Krobi. "I should say not." said Jabar. "Certainly no goblin, anyway." "You're right." said Point. "We have to send someone in to catch it, but it mustn't be a goblin." "It shouldn't be a fleshly creature at all. Better one made of magic." Kayrok added. "True. And it would be best if that magical man had some prior experience with a dobhar-chu." "I know what you're trying to do." sighed Jabar. "Fine. I'll do it. But not like this." "Like what?" asked the captain. "Like THIS." repeated Jabar. "You don't go into a den of lions dressed like a zebra. I want a transformation charm so that I don't look like an apetizer with legs to that thing." "Can't you just shape-shift?" asked Krobi. "JUST shapeshift? Do I LOOK like a genie to you?" "Well... yes." "Well I'm not. I can't do that kind of magic. I only amplify the magic of others. I need a charm to transform." "Point, get Rugi on the radiant." said Kayrok. "Tell him what we need and have him put a rush on it." * * * Once Jabar had his charm, he didn't feel any better. Still, he was a ghast. His lot in life was to serve, so he put aside his fear and put on the charm. As he stepped into the water, the changes began. His clothing, which was simply a part of his magical body anyhow, changed into a mixture of scales and fur. His fingernails turned into long, sharp claws. A long, thick tail sprang from his backside. Hands and feet changed to large, orange flippers. His head became filled with sharp teeth. Jabar took a deep breath and dove. It felt wonderful to be in the water. It was as if he never had to take another breath of air. Of course, he didn't need to breathe in his normal form, but this was different. He knew instinctively that the need for air was hours upon hours away. He knew that he could easily stay submerged for days, if need be. A fish swam by. It looked tasty. Jabar felt a little bit hungry, but nothing really seemed appetizing. His stomach craved warm blood. Yes, that would be the thing. Something in the back of his mind remembered that there was prey on shore. There was a green thing, a blue thing and a pink thing. All of them were full of tasty meat. Jabar swam back toward the shore. Through the waving surface of the water, he could see them, succulent and juicy. The blue one was the closest. Jabar leapt out of the water. The blue thing jumped back. Jabar pursued. The other meat was yelling at him, now. They came toward him waving sticks. The green one had a metal stick, very sharp and hard. It cut Jabar's arm. The creature shrieked. "Captain, wait!" shouted Point. "Look, on it's chest!" Kayrok looked and saw the transformation charm. "It's Jabar!" he exclaimed. "Why is he attacking us?" Jabar was angry with the yelling meat. He would hurt it back before he ate it. He lunged. He missed. He lunged again. The meat was just too fast. "Jabar!" shouted the commander. "Stand down!" Jabar lunged at his prey. This time he pinned it to the ground. Swiping angrily, he tore it with his claws. Kayrok howled in pain as Krobi and Point moved in to pull Jabar off of him. Kayrok's hand closed around the transformation charm. Immediately, his appearance began to change. Plain green skin became a mixture of fur and scales while already sharp teeth became even sharper. Jabar hesitated. This meat was transforming into one of his own species. The hesitation gave Kayrok the opportunity he needed. He yanked the charm off of Jabar and threw it away from both of them. Immediately the ghast and the lutin returned to their normal forms. Jabar stood up, horrified at what he had done. "Captain, I'm... I'm so sorry!" Kayrok huffed and cradled his bleeding arm. "It's not your fault. I should have realized... These charms are made for lutins. Your magic makes them much more powerful. Instead of merely giving you the shape of the creature, it actually turned you into one." "Are you all right?" asked Point, as much to Jabar as to Kayrok. "No, I... I have to go." said the ghast, who promptly vanished. "What now?" asked Krobi as he tore some strips from his tunic to use as bandages. "Drain the lake?" "We can't." said Kayrok. "Do that and you destroy Sun Harbor. The fish would die, as would the crops that are irrigated from the lake. Homes of aquatic lutins and animals would be destroyed. No... there's got to be another way." * * * After he had gotten patched up, Kayrok went to see Jabar in his museum. He didn't see the ghast at first, but he certainly heard him. Sounds of someone rummaging around could be heard coming from the back of the building. "Jabar? It's Kayrok." called the captain. "Listen, Jabar, I want you to know that I don't blame you for what happened. I understand that you're upset. Do you have a moment to..." "Oh, hello, Captain!" said Jabar, his yellow face smiling and showing a set of badly alligned teeth. "I was just looking for... let me see... I thought I had it here somewhere..." "Looking for what?" "A solution to our problems if I can find it. I'm fairly sure that my old boss' book had an entry on the dobhar-chu." "I remember you said you worked for a genie of a book." "Exactly. But not just any book. An encyclopedia of magic. Last time I saw the book, it was in Irombi. If I can retrieve the book, we might be able to find something we can exploit to capture the beast." Kayrok raised an eyebrow. "You want to go all the way to Irombi? How fast can you fly?" "Not fast enough. It would take me months to get there on my own power. But there is something I picked up when working for Prox. Aha! Here it is!" Jabar held in his hand a rather plain-looking golden bracelet. "A teleportation charm! Bracelet, teleport to the last known location of the genie of the book!" The bracelet promptly vanished. Jabar stood there, ashen-faced for a moment before saying "I... probably should have put that on first." * * * Chara opened the door just as Kayrok was about to knock on it. She did this every time a visitor came to the door, but it never ceased to surprise her guest. "Come in." said the seer. "We've been expecting you." "Of course you have." said Kayrok. Algene the cyclops was one of the best seers the world had ever known, and his wife, Chara the bear, was no slouch of a prognosticator either. Between the two of them, they had a tendancy to know everything. In fact, the only things which blocked Algene's mystic sight were intense magic and his own death. "Good afternoon, Algene." said the captain. "Welcome, Captain." said the cyclops. "I took the liberty of brewing some hot chota just before you arrived. Would you like some?" "Yes. Thank you." On a whim, he decided to throw the seer a curve ball. "I'll have one with mallowsap and eucalyptus." Chara took the lids off of two jars sitting on the coffee table. In one was mallowsap cream and in the other, ground eucalyptus leaves. "It wasn't easy getting the Eucalyptus. We had to trade three geese for it last winter when a traveling tribe of bhuka came through from the orient." "You two never cease to amaze me." said Kayrok. "I just now decided I wanted this, and you prepared for it months ago." "That's why he gets away with charging such exhorbitant fees." said Chara. "Oh, phooey." said Algene. "You know my services are always free to you, Captain." "Thank you, Algene. So, I assume you know about the creature at Sun Harbor." "I do." "I've been weighing my options. One is to drain the lake. That would be a disaster. Two is to send in an aquatic goblin after it. Also not a decent option. So I'm here to ask if there's any way to capture it." "Yes." said Algene. Kayrok waited. When Algene remained silent, he prompted "So what is it?" "I'm afraid I cannot tell you that." "What? Why not?" "Because if I told you now, history would not unfold as it needs to." Kayrok seemed a bit angry. "Algene, people are dying." "I know." Kayrok's brow furled. "Algene, how long have you known about this?" "Oh, about six months." "And you never warned us?" "Oh, but I did. Not you in particular, but those who would have fallen victim to the dobhar-chu. I sent each of them a letter warning them of the time and place they would have been attacked." "But some of them still died." "That is true." said Algene. "I can only share my knowledge, my dear captain. I cannot make anyone heed it." "So you won't help us, then?" "I didn't say that." the cyclops corrected. "Do you have anything belonging to Jabar?" "I saw where he kept his belongings in the museum." said Kayrok. "It's not much." Algene closed his eye for a moment, using his mystic vision to scan the museum. "There. the ring, the one with the green stone. Take it to Rugi. Have Rugi prepare a single-use teleport charm. Have him tune it to Jabar's magic frequency in order to maximize the range." "And what good will that do?" "You'll have to trust me on this." Kayrok nodded and rose to leave. He trusted Algene implicitly. Downing his chota in one swig, he left to go find Jabar's ring. He also resolved to buy some of his own Eucalyptus. * * * Sytet was sitting at a desk in the command quarters, scratching his head. He'd been given the task of alotting this month's proffits according to who had how many shares of the extracted minerals from the mines. The werebat sighed to himself. This was a job better suited to someone like Sujan, who was incapable of feeling frustration or boredom. "I understand you have a monster problem." Even though Sytet's sensitive ears had heard the stranger entering, he still could not help being startled. The man who stood before him was a weird sight. He looked like a koalinth, but was much larger and more slender. His skin was pale blue. His hair, which extended halfway down his back, was shockingly white. Hands and feet were both enormous, with claws and webs not unlike those of a platypus, if a platypus were the size of a bear. The only clothing he wore was a weapon belt, on which a large knife sheath was strategically placed. The belt contained a variety of weapons, including a tomahawk, a scythe and some sort of a barbed javelin. In his hand, the kol'ksu held a large spear with a wickedly sharp head. "Can I help you?" asked Sytet, anticipating that he may not like the answer. "I am Durak, son of Uma. I am here to slay your monster." Sytet noticed a youthful tinge to the visitor's voice. Mentally, he began to pout the puzzle together. Most Kol'ksu were extremely proud, too proud to associate with what they considered lesser goblins. Something important must have brought him here. They considered themselves mighty warriors. This undoubtedly meant that a teenager would need to prove himself to be taken seriously as an adult. Since the Federation was a pretty peaceful place, he'd need to find some animal worthy of a right of passage. Such animals were in short supply. This one was looking for an opportunity to prove himself by slaying the dobhar-chu. "How old are you?" asked the werebat. "My age is not important." replied Durak. "I am more than capable of slaying the monster." "I don't doubt that." Sytet responded. "Have you spoken to the mayor of Sun Harbor?" "Sun Harbor has no mayor." answered Durak. "The people there are weak and disorganized." "The people there are the same people who have fought to survive in this harsh wilderness." said Sytet, just a little testily. "They've withstood invasions by wood elves, werebats and diseases, and they've managed to thrive and build this wonderful land you now live in. They're not weak." Durak seemed insensed that this lesser goblin would address him in such a manner, yet he kept his composure and continued as if Sytet had not spoken. "I'll kill the creature for a thousand gold coins." Sytet rolled his eyes. No one in their right mind would pay that kind of money, despite the fantastic economy. Durak leapt forward and put the tip of his spear against Sytet's throat. "Do not dare to disrespect me with your eyes!" he hissed. Durak didn't even see what happened next. All he knew was that one moment, he had Sytet dead to rights. The next, he was on the floor with Sytet kneeling on his chest and the shaft of his own spear pinning his neck down. "I am Kofak Sytet." said the lutin. "I was a warrior long before you were born." He let the kol'ksu up. "Don't threaten your elders. It's not only disrespectful, it's dangerous. Now go home. Captain Kayrok is expected to be back before supper time. Come back then." Durak grabbed his spear and stormed out of the CQ, angrily. * * * Mara was hard at work today, if standing in a field could be called work. Splin had just planted a nectarine orchard slightly north of Point Grove. Mara's job was to stand there in the field and allow her age charm to do its thing. She wasn't entirely sure it would work, since there hadn't been any cold weather, but the age charm apparently made up for the lack of a winter. The seeds sprouted the same as they would have over the normal course of time, only much, much faster. While the unicorn munched the grass that grew up around her hooves, the trees steadily transformed from seedlings to saplings. In a few more hours, they would be fully adult and begin producing fruit. A crop of ripe nectarines would be ready for picking by nightfall. She was so enjoying the tranquility of the place that it was quite startling when the grinning, yellow face of the ghast popped up before her. "Oh, good! I found you!" declared Jabar. "You're Mara, correct? They told me you'd be here." "You have me at a disadvantage, Sir." said the unicorn. "Oh, not at all!" replied the ghast. "Oh, sure, I can fly and I'm immortal and I have this whole magic-enhancing thing going, but you have your own magic powers." "I meant you know my name but I do not know yours." "Oh. OH! Of course. Jabar the ghast." He held out his hand, ignoring the fact that Mara had no had of her own to shake it with. Mara, far from graceless, responded to the gesture by touching his hand with the side of her face. "I, uh... would like to ask for your help." "What may I do for you?" Jabar looked around at the rapidly growing trees, obviously distracted. "They tell me that... uh... you can teleport." "That's right. Once per day." "I would like to hire your services." said Jabar. "You want me to teleport you somewhere." Mara conjectured. "That's right. To the land of... What is that smell?" Mara looked around. The trees closest to her had not only sprouted fruit, the fruit was starting to rot. "We'd better move." said the unicorn as she began walking. "Come with me to Point Grove. My age charm won't work in the town." "Did you say age charm?" Jabar asked with alarm. "I naturally enhance magic! If I... oh dear..." As Mara watched, Jabar seemed to suddenly grow very weak, clutching his chest as if his heart was failing. "Jabar, are you all right?" she cried. Jabar was suddenly fine. "Yeah, I'm just kidding. I'm a ghast. I don't age!" "That wasn't funny." said Mara with a scowl. "I'm sorry." Jabar apologized, his mind already distracted again, watching the cling vine grow and blossom along the side of the road as they walked by. "Any way, I'd like you to take me to Irombi." "Irombi?" Mara echoed. "That's on the other side of the world. You must have far more confidence in my abilities than I do." "Yes, I do." replied Jabar. He was silent for a moment, but continued upon seeing Mara's confused expression. "Like I said, I enhance magic. I can increase your power, range, control and recovery time." "That... does sound appealing." Mara admitted. "Not permanently, of course. The effects would disappear as soon as I left you." Mara couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. "So what is there in Irombi that you must go there?" "A book." Jabar replied. "One that could provide a solution for the problem at Sun Harbor." "The Dobhar-Chu." Mara deduced. "Yes. The book I'm after is a book of magical creatures. I'm certain it had an entry on the dobhar-chu." Mara stopped. "I will help you, but I insist on complete honesty." she said, her voice a bit icy in a way that Jabar did not pick up on. "Of course." "I am from Hipocc. My people are quite familiar with magical creatures because we dedicated our lives to containing the dark magic practiced in Devil's Strand. I know from my studies, as well as from the fact that my husband is a shape-changer and has BEEN a dobhar-chu that they are not magical. It is unlikely that your book would have any information on the creature." Jabar suddenly looked very uncomfortable. "What is your real reason for wanting to go to Irombi?" "It really is the book, I swear." Jabar promised. "I really do believe it has information on the dobhar-chu." "This seems like a very extreme measure to combat a single animal." Mara scrutinized Jabar's face, but could see no evidence of a lie. "There's more you're not telling me." she concluded. Jabar wrung his hands. "Well, I..." "Jabar, why do you want that book?" The ghast sat down on a rock, looking as though he'd just dropped a family heirloom into the ocean. "You'll think it's stupid." he said. "Try me." "I'm a ghast." Jabar explained. "I'm a type of djin. Many people assume that because I'm djin, I can grant wishes or spirit them off to parts unknown in the blink of an eye, or turn their enemies into pigs." "And you can't." "No. And... I'm not supposed to tell any mundane creatures about these things..." "I am not a mundane creature." said the unicorn. "True." said Jabar, suddenly brightening. "The land that I come from is filled with magic. There's a place there called Qorkinchlia. It's where I was... I guess you would say 'born'. I lived there for many centuries, quietly farming pomegranites with my family. Does it surprise you to know I had one? Yes, I had a mother and father, once. Two brothers and a sister as well. I even had a pet thirdak. They're so gentle at home, where there's plenty of magic to eat. Then the genies came. They were so much more powerful than us. They enslaved my people. They use us as living bottles of fuel." "That's horrible." said Mara, though she had seen much worse in her homeland. "I was enslaved to a genie named Kikatili. He was excedingly cruel. We were in misery, but we kept our sanity because at the end of the day, we still had each other. Then, a few hundred years ago, one of the humans of Irombi summoned Kikatili. The Irombians are surprisingly good at it. The summoner not only brought my master into this plane, but all of his slaves as well. Grenara, Hoptanes, Hamzads, Amir, Khubuth, and yes, Ghasts. All of us were bound to the book through Kikatili." Mara twitched an ear to demonstrate that she was listening intently. "Being enslaved himself didn't make my master any more sympathetic. The more frustrated he became with his situation, the more he abused us. Then the day came that he was forced to give some of us away. Marcon Prox the explorer wished for some of the genie's power. Kikatili filled his wish by giving him some of us ghasts. In a way, it was a wonderful time. Prox was a good master." "But you miss your family." "If I can gain possession of the book, I can take authority over Kikiatili and order him to let my family go. But I can't do this on my own. I can only do so on the authority of a mortal." "A mortal being must order you to retrieve the book." "Exactly." "Then I order you to retrieve the book." said Mara. "I wish it were that easy. No, it has to be that person's idea. You gave me the order because I wanted you to. The idea must originate with someone who doesn't know my situation. Besides, I'm not sure you still qualify as mortal." "And Kayrok...?" "I tried to get him to send me. He never actually said the words. You... You must think me quite horrible, now." "Why?" "Because I would use the suffering of others to serve my own ends." "That's not how I see you at all. I see you as someone trying to turn a chance to save a few into a chance to save many." "Really?" The ghast's face brightened. It was almost scary. "Really. Now come with me. I know just who to talk to." * * * Urik listened intently as Jabar told him the story of the dobhar-chu and how the book he was once bound to may be able to save the lake, and how Mara's teleportation power could help him retrieve it. "If Mara thinks it's a good idea, then so do I. Let's go get that book." "You want to come, too? Darling, do you think that's wise?" asked Mara. "Why wouldn't it be?" "Think about it, Urik. Right now, it's night time in Irombi. The moment we arrive, you'll be transformed by your curse." "Curse?" echoed Jabar, alarmed. "Nobody said anything about a curse." "Oh, yeah." said Urik, a little embarassedly. "I was bitten by a werewolf. My friends tried to cure me, but the cure went wrong, so now, I turn into anything BUT a wolf. It's totally random." "I can help you with that." said Jabar, even as the thought occurred to him. "You can cure me?" "I wish. No, but I can amplify your control. As long as you're near me, you'll be able to transform when you want, into what you want." "No kidding. I have got to get me one of you!" Neither Mara nor Jabar dared tell Urik why that was a tactless thing to say. Urik's ignorance would be the salvation of Jabar's family. * * * The trio arrived on the shores of Irombi with a rush of wind. The teleportation had been flawless. There wasn't even a drop, as everyone's feet were firmly on the ground. She had never had this kind of control before. It felt amazing. "Where exactly are we?" asked Urik. The moment he spoke, his curse kicked in with a vengeance. The lutin changed at an alarmingly fast rate, ripping through his tunic as he changed into a huge brown bison. "Nuts." he exclaimed. "That was my favorite tunic. Hang on... I can speak!" "You'll be able to speak as long as you remain close to me." said Jabar. "You'll also find that your animal forms are much more powerful." "Sweet!" the bison exclaimed. "In answer to your question, we are on the Shida peninsula. To the west lie the great lakes and beyond them, the city of Spake. To the east, the Sea of Afa." "How do we find your book?" asked Mara. "When we are close, I'll be able to feel it's presence. But to find its general location, we might have to ask around. There's a village about two miles inland. It's called Utumwa. Not a place I like to visit, but I should be all right as long as I'm with you." "Allow me." said Mara. "No, don't." replied Jabar. "We were lucky that no one saw us arrive. We do not want to advertise magic in this place." Mara looked upward. "This might be a bit of a giveaway." "I can fix that." said the ghast. "I don't have much magic of my own, but I did pick up a trick or two while I was in the book." He waved his hand and the appearance of the three changed. None of them felt any different, but Urik assumed the appearance of a cebu, one of the indigenous oxen of Irombi. Mara took on the guise of a donkey, loaded with old supplies in worn saddlebags. Jabar himself appeared as human merchant, his clothes faded and tattered, yet no less gaudy than before for that. His skin, now a deep brown, had a yellow tinge to it still, but if one did not already suspect a deception, one would be hard pressed to tell that he was not human. * * * Utumwa was not a very welcoming place. Because it was a port town, it did have a hospitality industry, but to call it that was extremely generous. There were three taverns. One was for the seedy element of the town. The second was for the even seedier element. The third was for those who no longer ha seeds but were now completely rotten fruits whose seeds had already sprouted and begun to cover them in poisonous-looking organisms. Jabar picked the worst of these, as it was the most likely to contain any useful information. Leaving his companions untied in case a hasty getaway was needed, the ghast entered the bar and sat down. Some part of his brain was recording the episode, beginning with "a ghast walks into a bar". "Jambo." said the barkeep with no hint of warmth. "What you wantin'?" "Vente half-calf cappuccino with two shots of vanilla and a caramel drizzle." The barkeep stared. "Rum. Double." "Two copper, man." said the server. "NOBODY ever gets that joke." muttered Jabar. His little performance had the intended result. He'd gotten the attention of the others around the bar without addressing them directly. "You ain't from 'round here." said a large man with a bald head and a face like charcoal. "No. I'm passing through here on the way to Fan Shoar." said Jabar. "Name's Kitabu." "What business you got going to Fan Shoar?" asked another man, a scruffy white fellow with one eye. "Hunting treasure." replied the disguised ghast. "I have a lead of some incredibly rare items." "Only a fool would go to Fan Shoar!" said a voice from across the room. There sat a man at a table looking impossibly thin. He was clothed only in a long kitenge-style robe and was nursing an ale which he held in his left hand with an unnecessarily tight grip. His skin, despite being quite dark, betrayed the presence of bruises in far too many places. "I don't believe I've had the pleasure." said Jabar. "And you won't, for there's no pleasure to be had in Fan Shoar." "I meant we hadn't been introduced. I'm Kitabu." "I heard. Take my advice, Kitabu. Stay out of Fan Shoar." "Why?" "There is great trouble in the land. The horde of Qor has ravaged the entire western coast. In the north, the machine-maker Toxicon has destroyed the forests with fire and poison. In the midlands, the devil Uraga has swept the plains with the power of the storm. In the south, Matopax the beast has turned the very ground against us. The fourth warlord, Aqualo, is unaccounted for, and could be anywhere." "That does make things difficult." said Jabar. "But when I find what I'm after, it will all be worth it." "What could possibly be worth marching straight into the mouth of Hell?" "A book." said Jabar. "A magical tome that once belonged to Marcon Prox. It's said to contain a powerful genie." "Good luck with that." said the bald one. "I heard that thing was last seen in Haramu. That's exactly where Matopax is at right now. You wouldn't last ten seconds before you was captured and killed, or worse." "Haramu, eh? Are you quite sure?" "Sure as death, man. The wizard Elimbaya, he had the book in his tower. Was going to use it to call up some wicked bad stuff. Only the wicked bad found him first. The whole tower was burnt to the ground. If that book survived the fire, it belongs to Matopax, now." "Well, that is precisely what this little adventure of mine will determine." Jabar downed his drink, paid, and left while the patrons of the bar stared after him, wondering how long he might remain alive. He didn't notice that the thin man was smiling. "I have a lead." said the ghast as he led his companions out of town. "The book was last seen in the possession of a wizard in Haramu." "How far is it?" asked Mara. "Haramu lies across the sea of Afa. The bad news is that Haramu has been taken over by the horde." "What horde?" Jabar turned to stare. "You haven't heard of the Qor horde?" "Should I have?" "Ruthless savages." Jabar's voice dripped with disdain. "They're convinced that their master warlord, Qor, is a god who can damn their souls on a whim. They take or destroy everything in their path. If you're a man with a valuable skill, such as shipbuilding or reading, they may let you live. Most of the men are killed. The women are taken as concubines and the children either serve as slave labor or, if the boys are particularly obedient, they may grow up to be horde barbarians." "They sound..." Mara couldn't think of a word with enough gravity. "Then let's get this over with." said Urik. "Agreed. Mara, if you would, please..." Jabar had no sooner spoken the words than something strange began to happen to her ghast friend. His body became transparent, like a reflection on a pane of glass. "Oh no." he cried, though his voice sounded very far away. "Mara, quickly! Before I am..." but it was too late. Jabar had vanished and his clothing fallen to the floor in a heap. Urik grunted. Without Jabar's enhancement, he was hard pressed to gather up enough brainpower to understand what had just happened. * * * Jabar was trying very hard not to panic. He found himself in a glass jar, which was quite firmly stoppered. He was naked, his disguise and clothing both gone. The jar in which he was sealed was clasped tightly by the hand of the man with whom he had spoken earlier. A wicked smile split the man's face in a frightening way. "I knew what you were." he hissed. "You can't fool Uchoyo. Oh no. I knew by your skin, by your eyes, by the way you spoke, that you was djin." "I'm not a genie!" cried Jabar, his voice barely audible through the glass. "Now that's what you would say if you WAS a genie, now isn't it? But when Uchoyo went and summoned you, the spell worked. You ain't no man. You're a genie, and you gonna work for Uchoyo." "I'm a ghast!" cried Jabar, pounding on the glass. "Please, let me out!" "Oh, you gonna get let out." Uchoyo made some marks on the jar with a grease pen while uttering some magic words. Jabar was frightened, for he knew exactly what the man was doing. The jar opened. Jabar emerged and resumed his full size. He wanted to bolt, but knew that if he did so, the result would be excruciating pain. "Make me strong." said his captor. "I can't do that." Jabar explained. "My powers are limited to..." The ghast was cut off by sharp, stabbing pains to both temples, as if his head were being crushed between two icicles. "I told you to make me strong. You will obey me." "I'm trying to explain that I can't. I can only make magical creatures stronger." "I will not fall for your lies, djin. You will obey or I will return you to the fire from which you were made." Jabar screamed as searing, burning pain rocked his body. "Please!" he begged. "Don't do this! I'm just like you! I lost everything!" "How dare you compare yourself to me, djin?" Uchoyo hissed. "You know nothing of my suffering!" With that, Uchoyo clenched his fist. The marks on the glass jar glowed brightly and Jabar yowled with pain. The torment seemed to go on forever, then it subsided. Before he passed out, Jabar saw Uchoyo, looking down with a dumbfounded expression at the horn protruding from his stomach. * * * "Jabar!" called a voice from somewhere far away. "Jabar, are you still with us?" Opening his eyes and sitting bolt upright, Jabar took stock of his environment. He was in a stone hut. Mara and Urik were with him, hovering over him. Uchoyo was on the floor, unconscious. He was breathing, though barely. The man had been healed, presumably by Mara's magical powers. He would live, but he would have a nasty, aching scar. "How long was I out?" asked the ghast. "Only for a moment." said Urik, his deep, bison voice filling the hut. "Come on. Let's get out of this place." Jabar was only too happy to comply, but when he reached the door, it was as if something jerked him backwards. "It's the jar." he noted. "Uchoyo bound me to that jar." "How can we unbind you?" asked Mara. "You can't." answered Jabar. "His summoning spell made him my master. Only he can set me free." Urik picked the jar up and put it in Mara's saddlebag. "Well we have your jar now. You've been commandeered." That gave Jabar an idea. If Uchoyo knew how to summon djin, he probably had other useful magic. He scanned the hut, his special senses helping him to detect every source of magic. There were many charms there, each powered by a captured spirit. He dressed quickly, stuffing the charms into his pockets. "I promise, I will set you all free when this is over." he declared. Then, once he was sure he'd liberated every last asset, he jumped onto Urik's back and the three of them raced away. * * * Kayrok did his best to follow Algene's direction. The seer had said that the problem of the lake monster must be solved by Jabar, or at least by his ring. The commander had done as he was told and delivered the ring to Rugi. He now made his way back into Camp Dimtorch as the sun was setting. This evening provided him with the first glimpse of one of Fugu's new inventions in action. It was a horseless carriage, one which did not need rails to run on, but could run directly on the street at very high speeds. The first customer to receive one had been Hornbeam, who had the brilliant idea to convert it into a rolling infirmary. A team of local goblins including two tommyknockers and four hogboons, had been trained to act as emergency medics, driving the ambulatory contrivance out to the sick and injured, bringing them back to the infirmary and treating them along the way. To avoid running down unsuspecting pedestrians, the vehicle had been fitted with loud whistles and flashing lights to warn everyone of their arrival. It was at this very moment that one of the teams rolled into Dimtorch with lights blazing and whistles blowing. The carriage pulled up to the infirmary and two hogboons unloaded a pair of badly injured boys. The first was a young kol'ksu whose body was so badly mangled that it physically hurt just to look upon. The other was a cyclops. Kayrok had to check twice to be sure that it wasn't Point. The cyclops was also badly injured, but nowhere nearly as badly as the kol'ksu. Kayrok stood in the doorway of the infirmary where the medics were trying desperately to stabilize the kol'ksu's condition. The cyclops boy sat patiently, knowing that his injuries were much less severe, and could wait. "What happened?" the captain asked him. "Captain?" said the cyclops boy. "Captain Kayrok? It's a pleasure to meet you, Sir." He offered a hand, only realizing afterward that is was quite bloody. Kayrok didn't shy from grasping the hand. "And you are?" "Jorun Fogbow. I'm one of your miners. I just started working for you last week." "You look like a good one, too." said Kayrok. "But please tell me, how were you and the water goblin injured?" "It was at Sun Harbor, Sir." said the young miner. "The kol'ksu... his name is Durak. He was talking up a storm about how he was going to slay the lake monster. Well... a few days ago, I got a letter. It was from Algene the seer. He said I had to be in Sun Harbor today to save someone from the lake monster. I thought it might be him, and sure enough, it was. He had only been underwater a few minutes when the water started churning and turning bloody. A few seconds later, I saw a foot float to the surface. So I grabbed a couple of big rocks and jumped in the water." "You must have been terrified." Kayrok observed. "Not really. We cyclopses know when we'll die. Me, I'll die in a fire when I'm in my nineties. Of course... I didn't really stop to consider what I can live through. I was pretty beat up when I reached the surface, but I'd fought the monster off. Durak wasn't as lucky. He lost his foot, his hand, an eye, and I think an ear. But when we got to shore, Kyrk was there. He used his radiant to call for help." "Good work, Jorun." said Kayrok. "If you're ever interested, there's always a place for men like you in my troop." "Thank you, Sir!" said the cyclops. "When I'm a little older, I'll definitely be taking you up on that! It'll be an honor!" Gitch left the area where the medics were working on Durak and approached the captain. "I'm glad you're here, Captain." he said. "We have a problem." "Yes?" Kayrok replied. "This kol'ksu has lost a lot of blood. We need to perform a transfusion if he is to stay alive." "What exactly does that entail?" "We need to find a compatible donor." "A family member?" "Possibly. There are several factors that determine compatibility. We need to find someone with all these factors in common. Even family members may not be the right fit." Kayrok didn't need to think about that. "You want me to bring in volunteers." he said. "Yes, Sir. As many as you can. We'll test them for viability until we find a suitable donor." Kayrok presented his arm. "I'll be the first." * * * The sun was just rising in Irombi. Urik was starting his transformation back into a lutin while Jabar took inventory of what he had liberated from his captor. Mara patrolled the area to make sure that no humans or other unsavory creatures came by to cause them trouble. "I like charms." said the ghast. "They're such a terrific way to get magic to people who can't cast spells for themselves. But this..." "It isn't right." said Urik. "Some of these spirits have been trapped in their charms for decades." "Will they help us?" asked Urik. "They will. They don't have a choice. But to answer the question you meant to ask, yes, they want to help us." "So what do we have?" asked the werebeast as he pulled on his tunic. "I wanted to wait until Mara returned so that... ah, good. Here she is. All right. Listen carefully. Each of these items has a spirit inside. That means they are living things, so be very careful with them." "Understood." "Uchoyo was apparently planning something big, judging by his collection. These are portable holes. They'll allow you to phase right through solid objects. These are teleporters. They work on line-of-sight. You need to be looking at the spot you want to travel to. This is a strength charm, an intellect booster, this one is the big gun. It's a transformation wand. Just point, think about what you want the subject to become, and flick." There were dozens of items in the arsenal, and Jabar went over each one as the trio prepared for their mission. * * * "What happened to me?" groaned Durak. "Why can't I move?" "Be calm." said Blackdove, a mountainshade lutin who had recently been employed by Hornbeam as a nurse. She offered the kol'ksu some water, which he accepted. "You were very badly injured. The doctors were able to patch you up somewhat, but you lost a lot of blood. You'll be weak for a while." "Why can't I feel my hand?" Blackdove was about to answer when Gitch walked in. "I see you're awake." said the medic. "Good. We need to talk." "What did you do to me?" demanded Durak. "Saved your life. There's no easy way to say this, but you've lost your left hand, foot, ear and eye. We'll help you recover as much as we can, but you're going to have to learn to live without those." "You should have let me die." Durak hissed. "And what is this in my arm?" He lifted his right arm with difficulty to indicate the tube that had been stuck there. "Blood transfusion." Gitch explained. "You can thank the humans for that. They're the ones who figured out how to..." Durak was enraged. "You have poluted my blood with that of lesser goblins!" Gitch wasn't having any of that. "Listen here, you. First, I don't want to hear the phrase 'lesser goblins' from your mouth again. If you want to talk about lesser goblins, we can talk about the one who was foolish enough to take on a fully grown dobhar-chu in its own element and as a result, is now laying on my hospital bed covered in bandages. That donated blood is keeping you alive. You might find it somewhere within yourself to actually express a little grattitude instead of contempt." Durak fell quiet for several long minutes and allowed Gitch to examine him. "Whose is it?" he asked. "The blood?" "Yes." "Sytet." That answer seemed to make Durak feel better. * * * "Is everybody ready?" asked Jabar. "Ready." replied Urik and Mara, together. "Go." Mara focussed her attention on the place she needed to go. In an instant, they were there. As soon as they were, they were surrounded by a thousand spears pointed at their throats. Jabar, Mara and Urik were placed into separate cages while they awaited a decision from the warlord on what to do with them. Before long, he was roughly escorted into a large tent among the remains of a castle. Before him, on a throne, sat a terrifying creature. Its body was roughly humanoid, but its head was rather like that of a lion. Behind it curled a segmented tail with a wicked stinger on the end. Its hands and feet were paws from which sharp double claws protruded. Its skin was like granite and its eyes, like peering into the depths of an active volcano. Jabar had a moment to take it all in before his head was forced down in a bow. A small oriental man, nearly naked but for a loincloth, approached Jabar. "You are in the presence of Matopax the mighty, warlord of Qor. I am his translator, Isi Yotaka. "Pleasure." said Jabar. "If you wish to remain alive, please follow my instructions as closely as you can. Do not speak unless you are asked a question. When you are, answer as quickly as possible, lest Matopax believe you are formulating a lie." "Is it okay to flick boogers at him?" "If you wish a slow and painful death." "Got it. Speak when spoken to, answer quick, no boogers." Isi nodded to Matopax, signifying that the subject was ready for interrogation. Matopax' voice was like the grating of stone on stone as he spoke. "Ambao wewa? Kwa nin hapao?" Isi translated. "What is your name, and why do you come to this place?" "I am Puddin Tayne. I'm looking for a lost contact lens." Isi translated. Matopax barked an order. Jabar was forced to the ground and his mouth filled with mud. "Matopax wants you to understand that he has been merciful. The next time you speak a lie, he will remove an eye." said Isi. "I am Jabar the ghast. I come seeking a magical artifact." "Nin chi kutoka?" Matopax growled. "From what country do you come?" "From the Alpha Omega Federation, in the far-away land of Galendor." "Nin Jesha Amara?" "What are your nation's military strengths?" "All of them. We have every advantage. Our council has advisors who can see the future, so we would see you coming years in advance. We have warriors who get stronger when you hurt them. Our infantry has giants. We have an air force of werebats. We have a fortress that extends for miles and miles eneath the most impenetrable mountains in the world. We also have the means of surviving a seige indefinitely." Isi translated. Matopax seemed intrigued. "Nin achawi jombu?" "What is the magic item you seek?" "A book about magical creatures." "Umbona?" "For what purpose?" "To conquor a sea monster that has been preying upon our people." "Kifo gurudamu." said the warlord with a dismissive wave of his massive paw. Isi bowed. "Thank you for your cooperation." said Isi. "For what is about to happen, I am truly sorry." "Why? What's about to happen?" Jabar found out soon enough when he was strapped to the wheel of a giant wagon. As soon as it moved, it would roll over Jabar's back with every rotation of the wheel. "Well, isn't this a fine pickle?" he muttered. When the men who tied Jabar to the wheel had gone, Isi Yotaka came. "I am truly sorry for this." he said. "I wish I could have done something to help you." "You sound like your heart's not in this." said Jabar. "It is not. I hate Matopax. He keeps me alive only because of my ability to help him interrogate anyone we encounter." "So... was the book ever here?" "It was. The magic of the book was... incompatible with Matopax' own magic. Unable to destroy it, he had it sent away." "Do you know where?" "Taabu Island." "Thanks. So... want to get out of here?" "Nothing would please me more, but..." "Now, guys." Jabar said into the air. Urik applied a portable hole to the side of his cage. Mara touched her age charm to the bars of her cage, causing them to decay until she was able to break though them. With Jabar nearby, it took only seconds. Mara then commanded Jabar to return to his jar, causing him to vanish and the ropes tying him to the wheel to simply fall. In the briefest of moments, all three were at Isi's side. Jabar grabbed him and Mara teleported them all away to Taabu Island. The change in the landscape was almost startling, having gone from a burnt-out wasteland to lush jungle in an instant. "Excellent teleport, dear." said Urik. "Thank you. I'm glad I studied those maps last night." "I'm free." whispered Isi Yotaka. "I'm free!" "I can feel the book." said Jabar. Then after a short pause, "I can feel a lot of things!" "Matopax hates any magic but his own." Isi explained. "But his fear of Qor outweighs his own desires, so instead of destroying magical charms, he has them hidden in a secret stash to be turned over to Qor later." Urik did a double take. "Wait, that would mean that this island is guarded." "It is." As if on cue, they arrived. Seven sphinxes, horrific large cats with ugly human faces, surrounded the party. "I can't teleport yet." said Mara. "The wand!" said Jabar. "Use the wand!" Urik grabbed the wand and flicked it at the nearest sphinx, who then turned into a cute, fluffy albino bunny. "Nice work. I especially love the nose." said Jabar. "Thank you." Urik hit the next Sphinx as it leapt at him, changing it into a squirrel. The next, a puppy. The remaining four sphinxes got smart and slunk back into the woods. "This way." said Jabar, following the feeling of the book. "And keep an eye out behind you. Sphinxes don't give up easily. They'll try to take us from behind." The trek took the rest of the day. Urik was changing by the time Jabar honed in on the book. His skin was turning rubbery and his legs disappearing into his body. This was one of his worst fears. He was becoming a dolphin where there was no water. "Don't fret." said Jabar, taking two items out of Mara's bag. "Levitation charm." he said, placing a necklace over Urik's dorsal fin. "Thirst stone." He placed a rock under Urik's tongue. Immediately, Urik's whole body felt hydrated and refreshed. "And remember, you should be able to control the change when you're with me. You can become something else." "I've tried." Urik replied in a squeaky, dolphiny voice. "I haven't gotten it to work, yet." "I think I found something." said Mara. It was a stone. A headstone, to be exact. Jabar cleared away some brush to examine it. The script was in the local language, but Jabar was able to read it. "Here lies Marcon Prox. Captain, adventurer, friend." "Oh, Jabar, I'm so sorry!" whispered Mara. "That can't be." said Jabar. "He can't be dead." "Death is difficult to accept." said Isi. "No, I mean he CAN'T be dead. Not this soon. He wished for long life. Kikatili would have kept Prox immortal until he begged for death. "I'm not dead!" a voice shouted. Jabar looked around. "Marcon? Marcon, where are you?" "In the cave!" Jabar followed the sound of his former master's voice. Sitting in a cave in the side of a hill was a bird. An eagle, to be precise, bound by a chain that went directly through his leg. "Marcon!" cried the ghast as he rushed to embrace the eagle. "Then whose grave is that?" asked Urik. "Frederick Magus, my latest traveling companion. He pretended to be me while I pretended to be his pet. I say, would you mind terribly getting me out of this thing? I'd really like to get out of here before the sphinxes return." "Had a bit of trouble with them?" "I'll say. They kill me. Every night. Chained up like this, I'm easy prey, so they eat me. But as you know, I cannot die, so during the night, my flesh regrows." "How terrible!" cried Mara. "I barely feel it any more." said Marcon. "I've learned to escape into my mind. It's become an interesting place. We're having ice cream tonight. Oh, hello, Aunt Mildred. Why, yes, I love your new dress." "He's completely off his rocker." said Urik. "You don't say." Jabar shot back. "Friends, I think you should see this." said Isi. Near the back of the cave was an entrance to a second cavern. It was much too dark to see until Jabar took a second sun charm from Mara's bag and threw it into the air. The cavern was immense, and it was filled with treasure of every kind. But more than that, it buzzed with magic. Jabar felt dizzy as his magic sense was assaulted. It was like living in darkness for years and then seeing the sun for the first time. It was painful, but it was welcome. Jabar touched everything, his magic sense telling him immediately what everything was and what it did. "This is a cloak of slowing!" he declared. "And this, it's a neverwet hat! Look, a sliver of doubt! Well, that's probably not what it is, but look! A wine glass of temperance. And over here, a bacon mill! Oh, I love these! Oh, oh! Future goggles! And a sword of sharpness! I know just what to do with this!" Taking the sword, Jabar went out into the other cave and raised it high above his former master. With a swift and decisive blow, he cut through the chain binding the bird to the island. "Oh, thank you so much!" said the bird. "It feels so good to be free! Wait until I tell Homer. Homer? Where is Homer?" "It's just us." said Jabar. "There's no one else here. By the way, why ARE you here, anyway?" "If you'll just be patient, I'll answer your question in a moment." said Marcon. "I'm busy talking to Jabar, right now. It was Matopax. He tried to kill me so many times. He had me crushed, boiled, stabbed, roasted, flayed, sliced, shocked, drowned, dropped, poisoned... if there's a way to kill a bird, he tried it. When he finally realized I can't die, he put me here to... Will you be quiet please? I am talking to Jabar! He put me here to act as perpetual bait for the sphinxes to be sure that no one could get past thim into the treasure trove. How did you get past the sphinxes, anyway?" "Transformation wands." "Brilliant! I am not crazy. Quit saying that!" "I never called you crazy." Jabar insisted. "Not you, the camel." "Jabar!" called Mara. "Come! We think we found it!" Jabar ran into the treasure cave. There stood Isi with the book in his hands. He handed it gently to Jabar. The ghast's heart raced. Turning to Mara, he said "Urik needs to have the jar." "Honey, will you please take Jabar's jar?" Urik hovered over the saddlebag and pulled out the jar with his teeth. Jabar held the book tightly, staring at Urik. The dolphin put the jar down and said "What are you waiting for? Open it!" Feeling as though his heart would leap from his chest, Jabar complied. He had become the book's owner on the authority of Urik. He was now its master. As soon as it was open, the genie appeared. He was ten feet tall and bright green with features that looked very goblinesque. He wore baggy pants and a vest along with a pair of bracelets and two oversized earrings. He was a frightening sight to see. "WHO DISTURBS MY SLUMBER?" he demanded. "You sleep way too much." said Jabar. "Hello, Kikatili." "You... Jafar, isn't it?" "Jabar." "So which one of you opened my book? Was it you, little naked man?" "It was me." said Jabar. Kikatili stared. "You? You cannot be my master! You are but a ghast!" "...on his authority." Jabar explained, pointing at Urik. "Ooh, popcorn!" said Marcon Prox, who began chewing on food that wasn't there. "What do you want?" demanded the genie. "First thing's first. No twisting wishes. Whatever I tell you to do, you are to obey the spirit of the wish, not the letter. Got it?" "Yes, Master." said the genie, voice dripping with contempt. "Number two, I wish for a means of defeating the dobhar-chu at Sun Harbor." "Done." Kikatili conjured a scroll, wrote something down upon it, then handed it to Jabar. "Oh, that's brilliant. That's so simple! Okay, third wish, I wish for every being in this room to be free, except for you, of course." Kikatili's green skin began to turn red. "I will kill you, Jabar!" "Yeah, that's not going to happen." said the ghast. Kikatili waved his hands. You are all free." Immediately, the spirits bound to Uchoyo's tools floated up into the air and vanished through the cave ceiling. Then, one by one, djin began to appear. Grenara, Hoptanes, Hamzads, Amir, Khubuth, and yes, Ghasts. With shouts of joy, they began to dance in celebration of their freedom. Among them, Jabar's family. He ran to join his parents and brothers in a blissful reunion. * * * Kayrok was helping Sopok to make his way outside for some fresh morning air. The boy was slowly regrowing his fingers and toes, but it would be a while before he was able to walk unaided. "Thanks, Dad." he said as Kayrok helped him sit down on a bench. "You're welcome, Son." said the captain, sitting beside him. The two of them sat on the west side of the town square, looking east toward the coral and the rising sun. It was a wonderfully serene moment which was broken by a rack of thunder and the sudden arrival of Jabar and company. "Well, that was dramatic." said Urik. "Why did you bring us here?" Jabar asked his genie. "You said 'take us to the Federation'. You didn't say where, so I took you to the capital." Urik transformed rapidly back into a lutin, managing to put his tunic on just in time. "We need to get to Sun Harbor, though." "What's going on here?" asked Kayrok. "To make a long story short, Jabar freed his family, Fan Shoar is being invaded, we have a genie, and the dobhar-chu is going away." "That's wonderful news!" said Kayrok. "Well, except for the invasion part." "Kikatili," said Jabar. "Take us all to Sun Harbor." There was a thunderclap, and immediately, everyone was in Sun Harbor. Sopok fell on his butt with a thud. "I didn't mean them." Jabar clarified. "You said everyone." Kikatili pointed out. "Besides, this is hard without my slaves." "You'll live." Kayrok approached Jabar. "Algene had Rugi make this for you." he said as he offered the ring. "Perfect! All right! Now we just need some meat and a string. There's meat in the bag, I think. Genie, string please." Kikatili conjured a length of string and held it out as if it were something vile. Jabar tied the meat and the ring together along with a weightlessness charm from Matopax' trove, with one end of the string, then handed the other end to Urik as he flew out over the lake and dropped the bait. A few short minutes passed, then there was a tug on the string. Immediately, the dobhar chu appeared, string hanging from its mouth, in the middle of the air. Being weightless, it had nothing to push against in order to move, and hung there, helpless. "What do we do with it now?" asked Sopok. "Genie," said Jabar. "Send the dobhar-chu where it will do the most good." * * * Matopax wanted very much to maintain the illusion that he was far above the mortals who comprised his horde. So, while it was inconvenient, he always dug his own secret latrine in every camp. That was, the hordelings would never see him enter the loo. Ungraciously, he sat down in his personal outhouse, not knowing that directly under his butt was a very angry dobhar-chu. The camp of the Qor horde at Haramu was filled with inhuman screams. * * * "You did all right." said Jabar to his former owner. "I'm going to set you free." "Why would you do that?" asked Kikatili. "Because I don't want to be like you. I won't enslave another being. But this is conditional. You will remain free as long as you behave. If you hurt even a single person in the future, if you twist one wish or even suggest that someone else cause mischief for you, you'll immediately return to the book." "I hate you." "That's your perogative. Now go. Genie, I wish you free." Kikatili disappeared with an implosion of air and a clap of thunder, not even pausing to say goodbye or "So long, suckers!" * * * Jabar sat in his museum, staring out at all the fascinating exhibits. He was lost deep in thought when Kayrok entered the room. "Jabar?" he called. "Here, Captain." said the ghast. Kayrok smiled to see the museum's curator dressed up in a new suit of clothes. His shirt was bright green with purple polka dots. His pants were pale blue with a floral design and his jacket, maroon and white plaid. He looked absolutely hideous, which was exactly right for him. "I have news." said the captain. "Sun Harbor has elected a mayor." "Oh, whom?" "Someone with real leadership capability. A man who values freedom. A man of courage, integrity and intelligence." "What... Sytet?" "You." "ME?" Jabar sputtered. "I'm... I'm not even an earth creature! I can't possibly... This is really for real?" "If you accept, yes." "Yes!" cried Jabar, shaking Kayrok's hand. "Yes, of course I accept!" "Good. The next council meeting is Wednesday at one. Don't be late." * * * "Just take one step at a time." Blackdove encouraged as Durak made his way across the pool at Singing Pony. Rugi and Fugu had worked together to make him some new limbs. He looked to be as much gears as goblin now. So badly had the dobhar-chu ravaged him that the skin on his left side was pretty horrible to look upon. Fugu and Rugi had taken this into account when they designed his prosthetics, making a thin, light armor which covered his left side completely. The suit had some wondrous capabilities and was quite strong, but it would take time to learn to use it naturally. Nurse Blackdove has patiently acted as Durak's therepist to help him adjust. Sytet's blood had done wonders for the healing process. He would never grow back his lost parts, but what was left was healthier than ever, and on the right side, the scars had healed completely. Sadly, the emotional scars might never heal. Durak had been rejected by his family. He had failed as a fighter and his blood had been poluted. They no longer considered him a kol'ksu, but one of the lesser goblins not worth the breath it took to speak to them. As a result, Durak understood what it felt like to be looked down upon, and developed a greater respect for others. Algene entered from the store side. Taking off his robe so that he was dressed only in short pants, he slipped into the water. "Ah, that feels nice." he cooed. "Good morning, Algene." said Durak. "Good morning, Durak. How's the therapy coming?" "It's going well." "So how's that armor?" "It feels like a part of me. Well, it IS a part of me, really. Parts of it are magically fused to me. Even if I take it off, I'll still be part machine." "And is that so bad?" "A week ago, I would have said yes. Now... I think I'm okay with it." "Good." said Algene. "Because you've going to need to master your new abilities quickly." "Why do you say that?" "Because you're going to Taabu Island." "Are you insane? I was literally torn limb from limb just a few days ago and you want me to the island where the Qor horde keeps their magical goodies?" "I don't want anything." said Algene. "I'm merely telling you what's going to happen. You and several others are going to go there soon. You'll establish a base there where you'll muraud the murauders and raid the raiders. It will be completely your idea." Durak went back to his therapy. He was sure Algene was imagining much more than he was seeing, yet he resolved to work all the harder.