{"id":32245,"date":"2023-04-02T06:30:51","date_gmt":"2023-04-02T10:30:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/?p=32245"},"modified":"2023-04-18T07:48:06","modified_gmt":"2023-04-18T11:48:06","slug":"tellest-short-story-minervas-quest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/tellest-short-story-minervas-quest\/","title":{"rendered":"Tellest Short Story – Minerva’s Quest"},"content":{"rendered":"

Minerva\u2019s Quest
\nA Tale by Aaron Canton and Michael DeAngelo<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The upper deck was a sea of rain, and Minerva staggered forward when the oversized ship hurtled up and down in the midst of the titanic storm. A wave smashed into the vessel and Minerva yelped as the swell of water surged over the deck and almost washed her off her feet, but she managed to grab on to the railing and save herself from plunging overboard. \u201cWhere are they?\u201d she screamed at a nearby sailor, her voice barely audible above the roaring waves and pounding thunder. \u201cThe animals! Where did you put them?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d The sailor, who worked to lash something to the rail, gave her a mystified look. \u201cWhat are you doing here? Get back to your cabin!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI need to protect my animals!\u201d Minerva snapped. Her auburn curls were matted to her head and a few long strands brushed against her eyes, but she just wiped them away and stepped closer to the man. \u201cTell me where they are!\u201d<\/p>\n

The sailor scowled and then jabbed a thumb in the direction of several crates, each one secured to the deck by ropes and chains, before resuming his work.<\/p>\n

Minerva made her way over to the animals as quickly as she could while keeping her balance on the pitching and rolling vessel. She distantly regretted having insisted that her animal charges be left on deck instead of secured in the hold, but she\u2019d known how much the creatures would have disliked being stuck down in that musty compartment for days, and she\u2019d naively believed the weather-witch who had predicted sunny skies for the duration of the trip. The captain had wanted them all down below, of course, but Minerva had insisted. She was the one with experience taking care of and calming various wild beasts, not Jacinda.<\/p>\n

Of course, Jacinda was the one with experience on the open seas, and right now that was looking a good deal more relevant.<\/p>\n

When Minerva reached the animals, she didn\u2019t need her magic to sense how agitated they were. \u201cI\u2019m here,\u201d she insisted as she moved between the cages and worked to calm each beast in turn. \u201cThere\u2019s nothing to worry about. Captain Jacinda is a good sailor; she\u2019ll get us to safety. You don\u2019t need to fret.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the creatures, a young lion cub, yipped in agitation. Minerva focused so that a little of her magic flared up around her before flowing into the cub, the rain passing harmlessly through the spell as it moved, and the creature relaxed by the slightest amount. \u201cThere we go,\u201d she soothed. \u201cJust relax. We\u2019ll be fine.\u201d<\/p>\n

A titanic cracking sound echoed from behind her, and she swiveled in time to see the mast shudder. Her mouth dropped as it began to sway, and she had time for one moment of regret. She shouldn\u2019t have taken this job, she thought, not even after the Cirque de Malorum had collapsed, and she\u2019d needed other employment. Transporting exotic pets from one noble to another had seemed like decent work, especially given how her own talents could make even the fiercest monsters as docile as a pack of friendly puppies, but nobody had mentioned how dangerous the seas could be. Maybe it would have been better to look for jobs which didn\u2019t require ocean travel.<\/p>\n

Then Minerva caught herself. She wasn\u2019t just some little girl anymore, she insisted to herself. She was a skilled animal tamer whose years of experience had taught her how to handle herself in any situation. Whining could wait. What she needed to do now was take charge and use her unique skills to help keep the ship afloat.<\/p>\n

The mast creaked again, and Minerva could see sailors rushing to stop it from crashing down and leaving the ship adrift. Minerva made up her mind and fumbled in her soaked pocket for the key to the cage containing the biggest of her animals, a massive bear. \u201cI need your help,\u201d she murmured to the bear as she unlocked its cage. \u201cYou\u2019re going to help me, okay? And then I\u2019ll give you lots of honey.\u201d<\/p>\n

The bear opened its mouth to roar, but Minerva summoned her magic again and it relaxed. She smiled and opened the cage, braced herself against another huge wave, and then led the newly docile beast to the mast. \u201cHold it steady!\u201d she urged it as she manipulated her magic, imprinting that desire in the creature\u2019s mind. \u201cDon\u2019t let it fall!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you doing?\u201d demanded a sailor as the bear gripped the mast and held it tight.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m helping!\u201d Minerva snapped. \u201cGet out of my way!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGet below deck, you idiot!\u201d<\/p>\n

Another wave smashed into them before she could respond. The impact was hard enough to knock several of the sailors down, but the bear stood tall, and it kept the mast straight. Minerva shot a brief smirk at the sailor before grabbing a rope of her own and lending her strength to the effort.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone!\u201d someone shouted from the prow. \u201cWe\u2019re heading for that island! Just hold on until we get there!\u201d<\/p>\n

Minerva squinted to better see through the pouring rain and was just barely able to make out a distant blob which might have been land. She frowned, knowing their route didn\u2019t take them past any islands larger than a sandbar and wondering just how badly off course they\u2019d been pushed by the storm. But then yet another wave hit them, thunder boomed directly overhead, and all of Minerva\u2019s thoughts turned toward hanging onto the rope and doing what she could to keep the mast upright.<\/p>\n

It took what felt like ages before the ship neared what Minerva could now see was a jungle island. The rain started to die down and Minerva managed a smile as a few sunbeams peeked through the clouds and brought the faintest traces of warmth to her soaked and shivering body. \u201cLand ho!\u201d she joked.<\/p>\n

Most of the sailors near her cheered at that, though the one who had called her an idiot still looked annoyed.<\/p>\n

The ship dropped anchor once it was snugly in the middle of a deep cove which was well protected from the waves. As the last drops of rain fell, Minerva led the bear back to its cage. \u201cYou did great,\u201d she murmured to it as she got it inside. \u201cYou held up the mast like a champion. You deserve a nice long nap.\u201d<\/p>\n

The bear growled in a gentle fashion, let out what Minerva thought was an adorable yawn, and then curled up to sleep.<\/p>\n

Minerva smiled at the creature, but her thoughts were interrupted by approaching footsteps. She turned to see the other members of her party who were helping her transport the animals: Ranzik, the burly gnoll whose halberd had ensured no bandits had bothered them during the overland portion of their journey; Cyndal, the dwarf cleric whom Minerva could personally confirm was an excellent healer, and Taycha, the goblin mage whose reputation was that she always knew the perfect spell for any situation. Rumor had it that Taycha had once assembled an army of fellow goblins to perform some great service for the Westwick Thieves Guild in exchange for the thieves fetching her a bevy of magical books, scrolls, and tomes stolen from the universities and archmage towers of Raleigh. Minerva could easily believe those tales; nothing but exhaustive study from a superlative library could explain Taycha\u2019s immense knowledge of magic. \u201cYes?\u201d Minerva asked. \u201cWhat is it?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCaptain wants to talk,\u201d Cyndal said. \u201cShe insists it\u2019s urgent.\u201d<\/p>\n

Minerva looked around. The crew had already started to inspect the deck and sides of the ship, with four different sailors examining the cracked mast in particular. \u201cShe doesn\u2019t want to look at her ship first? This boat needs repairs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt does, but she said she needs to talk to you first,\u201d Ranzik growled. If the gnoll had any mood besides \u2018surly,\u2019 Minerva had never seen it. \u201cHurry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Minerva was led by her party to the enclosed pilothouse where Jacinda, the lanky kaja who captained the ship, gave Minerva a tired look. \u201cI\u2019m given to understand you left the cabin area, where we instructed all the passengers to remain, and came above deck?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI needed to make sure my animals were safe,\u201d Minerva insisted.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese being the animals that were supposed to have been put in the hold in the first place?\u201d<\/p>\n

Minerva frowned. \u201cThe weather was supposed to be good. And besides, we helped. If my bear hadn\u2019t kept the mast upright, it could have come off entirely!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat isn\u2019t the point.\u201d Jacinda sighed. \u201cWhen you purchased passage for your party and these animals, I explained to you that you need to follow my orders while on my ship.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI couldn\u2019t ask you for permission to have my bear help! There wasn\u2019t time, and you were busy trying to keep this ship afloat!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd if you\u2019d talked to me in advance and mentioned that your bear could help out in the event of some emergency, that would be one thing. But you didn\u2019t. You went against my orders and could have caused a catastrophe.\u201d Jacinda gestured out the porthole. \u201cWhat if you\u2019d been swept overboard? I\u2019d have had to put my other crew in even greater risk to rescue you!\u201d<\/p>\n

Minerva scowled. \u201cI saved the mast.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know this ship better than you. My sailors could have kept it upright without your bear.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t know what you\u2019re talking about!\u201d<\/p>\n

Jacinda shook her head and then held up a hand. \u201cI\u2019m not going to argue with you, Minerva. I\u2019ll make this easy. Will you swear here and now to obey all my orders for the rest of your journey with us, or do I need to have my men lock you in your cabin for the rest of the trip?\u201d<\/p>\n

Minerva flushed and turned to her companions, but each of them looked the other way, and she realized she had no support. \u201cThat won\u2019t be necessary,\u201d she finally muttered through gritted teeth. \u201cI\u2019ll follow orders.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jacinda nodded, then turned as a sailor rushed in and began rattling off which repairs were most urgently needed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe captain\u2019s just trying to keep everyone safe,\u201d Cyndal said as they left the cabin. \u201cDon\u2019t take it personally.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow can I not?\u201d Minerva growled. \u201cI\u2019m not stupid. I know I don\u2019t look like a grizzled veteran, but I\u2019m good with my magic and I can do a lot of things!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust because you have power doesn\u2019t mean you should use it,\u201d Taycha opined. \u201cLike that guy who ran the circus you worked for.\u201d<\/p>\n

Minerva swiveled to glare at Taycha. \u201cI\u2019m nothing like Faroon,\u201d she hissed. \u201cHe just abused others to line his own pockets. I didn\u2019t try to help save the ship out of some desire to, I don\u2019t know, extort the captain. I just wanted to keep us alive!\u201d<\/p>\n

Sailors brushed by her carrying repair supplies from a hold and Minerva slouched over to the railing before looking down at the battered ship. \u201cI guess we\u2019ll be here for a while.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA few hours, at least,\u201d Cyndal confirmed. \u201cI heard the sailors talking about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, at least we\u2019ve got plenty of food for the animals\u2026\u201d Minerva\u2019s voice trailed off as she looked over the beach. A jagged, jumbled shape was behind a rocky outcropping, and as she looked at it, she thought she could start to see parts which looked familiar: a toppled mast, a cracked hull, even a figurehead. \u201cWait. Look there, behind those rocks. Isn\u2019t that another ship?\u201d<\/p>\n

Taycha stood on her tiptoes, then scrambled up to the railing and took some kind of magic spyglass from a little pouch at her waist. \u201cThe remains of one,\u201d she said. \u201cProbably hasn\u2019t been here long.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy do you say that?\u201d Ranzik asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s soaked, but there\u2019s no mold.\u201d Taycha tweaked a dial on her spyglass. \u201cThere hasn\u2019t been time for anything to grow on it. And in this climate, with that kind of vegetation?\u201d She gestured at the trees. \u201cMost bits of driftwood get moldy within a day or two.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ranzik frowned. \u201cIf there are survivors, they might try to hijack our craft so they can get off this island.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019d probably just ask for passage,\u201d Cyndal replied. \u201cWe have room, and they have no reason to hurt us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Minerva said nothing. Her gaze remained on the jungle where Taycha had pointed. Some of the underbrush rustled, but not in the way she would have expected given the direction of the wind from the dissipating storm. \u201cTaycha, can I borrow that?\u201d<\/p>\n

Taycha passed over the spyglass, and when Minerva looked through it, she saw creatures of some sort darting back into the trees and knocking plants out of the way as they went. They had short fur which ran the gamut from brown to gray, and as she watched, a few of them pointed at the newly wrecked ship and made frantic gestures to their companions. The creatures bounced around a little as if agitated before vanishing into the underbrush.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s something in the jungle,\u201d Minerva said at last. \u201cI don\u2019t recognize their species, but they seemed to recognize the ship. They might be from that other wreck.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAre you sure?\u201d Taycha asked. \u201cI mean, I\u2019m not opposed to helping them. But they might be dangerous too. And the captain might object.\u201d<\/p>\n

Minerva snorted. \u201cThe captain\u2019s in charge of the ship, but those creatures in the jungle aren\u2019t on the ship, so she\u2019s not a factor. Besides, I\u2019m pretty sure Jacinda doesn\u2019t want me around here anyways.\u201d She managed a smile. \u201cI know what I\u2019m doing. Let\u2019s go see if those critters need help.\u201d<\/p>\n

She walked to the makeshift gangplank which some sailors had extended so they could get down to the beach and do hull repairs, and once she reached it, she waved to her party. The other three exchanged glances, but they all followed.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of magic here,\u201d Taycha noted as the quartet moved through the jungle. \u201cI wish we could stay longer so I could do some more research.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHaven\u2019t you researched enough?\u201d Minerva joked. \u201cWhen I hired you for this job, you said you were one of the most knowledgeable mages in Raleigh.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA true wizard can never know too much.\u201d Taycha grinned. \u201cBesides, this interests me. I\u2019d love to learn where this island\u2019s magic came from, and if it could be harnessed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ranzik glowered, and when he spoke, his voice was surly like usual. \u201cWe don\u2019t have time. Jacinda told me that if we\u2019re not back when repairs are done she\u2019ll dump the animals on the beach and leave without us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cyndal waved a hand. \u201cI\u2019m sure she was kidding. She seems like a decent sort. She wouldn\u2019t abandon us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, maybe Minerva,\u201d Taycha teased.<\/p>\n

Minerva flushed. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter. We need to get those animals to their new home as soon as possible; it\u2019s not humane to leave them cooped up in those cages for longer than necessary. That means we need to be back on the ship the moment it\u2019s ready to leave.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWait,\u201d Cyndal objected. \u201cWhat about the other ship? If there are survivors on this island, we have a duty to rescue them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat kind of wreck? Doubtful.\u201d Ranzik snorted. \u201cBet all you saw were wild animals, Minerva. Bet nobody survived that wreck. And we don\u2019t have time to go through this whole island looking for people who aren\u2019t there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhich,\u201d Minerva countered, \u201cis why we\u2019re not going to do that. We\u2019ll just check as much of the jungle as we can before we have to leave. And we\u2019ll tell people back at port what happened so more rescue teams can be sent too, if needed.\u201d<\/p>\n

It had been some time since the Cirque de Malorum had collapsed, and while she occasionally missed Barbas (who had pretended to be her father during circus acts as per Faroon\u2019s orders, and who had been surprisingly kind to her even though he had ultimately just been some actor whom she\u2019d never even seen before joining up with the show), she was nonetheless overjoyed that it was gone. Faroon had been a wicked man, and while Minerva had been spared the worst of his abuses\u2014those had been reserved for others, like the poor kobold who had finally gotten away\u2014she\u2019d still experienced enough to know that nobody should be subjected to that sort of treatment. When people like the kobold were weak and needed help, others who knew how should step in and provide that aid instead of making those people suffer for their own gain.<\/p>\n

That was why Minerva had insisted on helping when the ship had been caught in the storm, whatever Captain Jacinda thought. And it was why Minerva needed to help now. If some crew really had been shipwrecked here, she couldn\u2019t just leave them behind.<\/p>\n

Ranzik swiveled, his ears twitching, and he jabbed his halberd to Minerva\u2019s right. \u201cThere,\u201d he growled. \u201cIn the trees.\u201d<\/p>\n

Minerva turned and saw the briefest glimpse of a grey, furry face peeking out from the bushes at her before the creature dashed away.<\/p>\n

\u201cWait!\u201d Minerva called as she ran after the critter. \u201cWe want to help you!\u201d Vines and bushes grabbed at her legs, but she forced her way through them and continued her chase. \u201cCome back!\u201d<\/p>\n

Minerva\u2019s party followed her and the group pursued the scampering critter, which led them through a circuitous path before they arrived at a small clearing that butted up against a rocky outcropping. A stream flowed off the rock and dropped down into another river below, creating a little waterfall. And in the foam of the waterfall, frolicking in the water, were several more of the creatures.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think they\u2019re local to this area,\u201d Cyndal said as the creature they\u2019d been chasing dashed over to its companions and leapt into the water. \u201cNot from the shipwreck.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStill,\u201d Taycha said. \u201cI\u2019ve never heard of any creatures like this. We should see what we can learn!\u201d<\/p>\n

Minerva said nothing as she approached the critters, though mentally she figured she shouldn\u2019t completely dismiss the idea that they were from the other wreck. \u201cHey there,\u201d she said as she reached out with her magic. \u201cCan you understand me? My name is Minerva.\u201d<\/p>\n

The creatures looked at each other, and then a few of them swam back to shore. Minerva smiled at them.<\/p>\n

And then their bodies twisted and warped.<\/p>\n

\u201cBack!\u201d Ranzik shouted as he hauled Minerva backward and jabbed his halberd forward. Minerva, however, grabbed his arm and forced him to lower his blade. Then she took another look at the creatures.<\/p>\n

They weren\u2019t all grey anymore, she realized. Two of them now had brown fur with striped patterns very similar to that of Ranzik’s, their faces had changed shape, and the little brown antlers on their heads had swung down and taken on darker colors that also mirrored the fighter\u2019s. It was like, Minerva thought, they had tried to turn into gnolls but had only accomplished a few outward changes.<\/p>\n

Nor were those creatures the only ones that looked different. Some of the others had shifted so that their bodies, faces, and other features became more like those of Taycha and Cyndal. One had even turned paler and grown thicker auburn fur on its head in what could only be a mimicry of Minerva\u2019s own fair skin and red curls. \u201cThey\u2019re trying to imitate us!\u201d Minerva managed.<\/p>\n

Taycha\u2019s eyes grew wide, and she beamed. \u201cFascinating!\u201d she said. \u201cThey\u2019re using some kind of innate magic sense to reshape their own bodies. I\u2019ve never heard of anything like this!\u201d Her hands fumbled to open her rucksack, which Minerva knew contained many pieces of magical gear. \u201cImagine what we could learn from them!\u201d<\/p>\n

Minerva watched as Taycha approached the creatures. The ones who imitated the goblin hurried to stand between Taycha and their companions, as if trying to protect them, but Taycha just smiled and said, \u201cHello, little guys! You don\u2019t have to worry. We\u2019re friends, not predators. Here, look!\u201d<\/p>\n

She reached into a small pouch of her pack and pulled out a bag of sweets, then popped two of them in her mouth before licking her lips and offering the bag to the creatures. \u201cThese are delicious! Try some!\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the creatures cautiously tiptoed forward and snatched the bag from Taycha\u2019s hand, then experimentally dropped a candy into its mouth. It chewed, grinned, and then ripped the bag apart to offer the candies to its friends. Soon, Taycha was surrounded by a bunch of furry critters who seemed very happy with her. A look of pure glee suffused her face as she spread several magical instruments from her pack out before her, some of which the creatures began to fiddle with, and she picked one such instrument up before tapping it upon her own forehead and then that of one of the creatures. The creature squeaked happily as it floated up about a foot in the air and was suffused with a faint purple glow; Taycha\u2019s eyes glowed yellow as she examined it. \u201cSuch incredible magic,\u201d she murmured. \u201cRemarkable.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ranzik still pointed his halberd in the general direction of the creatures, presumably in case some of them became hostile, and Cyndal took a closer look at the ones which had become more dwarflike. Minerva, for her part, looked at a few of the critters which were still in the water and seemed more nervous. \u201cDon\u2019t be shy,\u201d she called to them as she let her magic wash over them and soothe away their fears. \u201cYou can relax. We\u2019re all friends here.\u201d<\/p>\n

The critters seemed to calm at that, and soon enough they were trotting over to their brethren even as their bodies shifted and warped to become a little more humanlike.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is amazing,\u201d Taycha said after a few minutes of examination. \u201cI\u2019ve never seen creatures with such intricate and instinctive magical control. It\u2019s like the Strain is\u2026is\u2026\u201d She gestured feebly. \u201cI can\u2019t explain how, but it\u2019s like they\u2019ve somehow bonded with the Strain on an incredibly deep level.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you think they\u2019re native to this island?\u201d Cyndal asked. \u201cOr are they from the ship like Minerva first thought?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf they existed anywhere else in the wider world, I would have heard of them.\u201d Taycha spoke with absolute certainty. \u201cCreatures like this couldn\u2019t possibly remain secret unless they were all by themselves on this little island, with no visitors until we showed up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Minerva frowned. \u201cAnd that one ship before us. If these creatures really aren\u2019t from that vessel, then any survivors must still be out there. We should look for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Taycha sighed. \u201cI know, but it would be a shame to leave these guys here.\u201d Then she paused. \u201cDo you have any extra space in your animal cages, Minerva? Maybe we could take a few with us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe shouldn\u2019t disrupt nature,\u201d Cyndal said at once.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut we also shouldn\u2019t throw away a perfect opportunity to learn more about the magic of our world,\u201d Taycha responded.<\/p>\n

Ranzik snorted. \u201cJacinda won\u2019t like it. And besides, we don\u2019t even know if they can sail. Maybe they get seasick.\u201d<\/p>\n

Taycha looked at Minerva, who smiled a little. \u201cThey looked perfectly comfortable in the water, Ranzik,\u201d Minerva said. \u201cAnd even setting aside Taycha\u2019s studies, I think it\u2019d be good for us to help them experience the wider world on the mainland. Why should they be stuck on the same boring island all their lives?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe they like it here,\u201d Cyndal pointed out. Then he glanced up toward the sun. \u201cAnd besides, if we do want to search the island further for survivors, we won\u2019t have time to wrangle all these creatures back to the ship.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTrue, but I think we can gather up a few.\u201d Minerva nodded. \u201cAlright. Taycha, can you handle getting some of them back to the beach while the rest of us look\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDown!\u201d<\/p>\n

Minerva froze as Ranzik\u2019s word cut through the air, and the critters jumped back while squeaking in fear. Then Ranzik tackled Minerva to the grass, and she grunted as he fell on top of her.<\/p>\n

Before she could complain, a burst of magical lights went off from above her, and her vision filled with bizarre colors flashing right in front of her eyes. \u201cStop it!\u201d she cried as her mind reeled under the sensory assault. \u201cStop!\u201d<\/p>\n

Taycha muttered something from Minerva\u2019s left and the colors abruptly vanished, but before she could relax, she saw several armed figures stepping out of the trees and entering the clearing. Most wore uniforms which made them look like members of some professional organization, though their outfits were damp and torn in various places. They carried cages and they wielded a mixture of melee weapons and bows, except for a single mage who was wrapped in an elaborate robe and carried a staff with a glowing crystal attached to one end. Four of the newcomers, Minerva noticed, had more militaristic uniforms which also featured a golden sigil above their breast pockets; these included the mage, two swordsmen, and a woman with a large captain\u2019s hat.<\/p>\n

\u201cStay down,\u201d Ranzik hissed in Minerva\u2019s ear from atop her back. Minerva twisted her head as much as she could to see that Cyndal and Taycha had also dropped to the ground; the critters, by contrast, staggered around and still seemed to be afflicted by the color spell. \u201cThey mean trouble. I can smell it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d said a new voice. \u201cDo stay down.\u201d<\/p>\n

Minerva twisted her head back around to see the woman with the captain\u2019s hat smiling. She then drew a jeweled scimitar from her belt, swept it through the air, and pointed it straight at Minerva.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou four just stay out of our way,\u201d she continued. \u201cMy crew and I will gather up what we came for while you remain perfectly still. And then, if you play along, we\u2019ll take you with us when we get off this accursed island at last.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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As the newcomers approached, Ranzik leapt up and shifted his halberd forward while the rest of Minerva\u2019s party regrouped. Minerva glanced back and saw that most of the critters still stumbled around with colored lights flashing in their eyes, but after a few more seconds, Taycha muttered another quick spell and the creatures steadied as those colors vanished. Then the apparent captain of the newcomers scowled. \u201cI told you, stay out of this!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t take orders from you!\u201d Minerva crossed her arms. \u201cYou\u2019re hurting them!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHardly.\u201d The man with the magic staff chuckled. \u201cThey\u2019ll be fine. These little things are very durable on account of their shapeshifting magic.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow do you know about them?\u201d Taycha demanded.<\/p>\n

Minerva\u2019s eyes narrowed as she took a closer look at the cages the figures were carrying, and before the newcomers could answer, she already knew what they would say. \u201cSomeone hired you to kidnap those creatures, aren\u2019t you?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not kidnapping. They\u2019re not sapient.\u201d The leader of the gang smiled. \u201cBut yes, we were hired to collect a dozen ligomorphs and bring them back to our employer. Now get out of our way or suffer the consequences. I trust you\u2019re familiar with the Blades of Varagnon?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA mercenary gang,\u201d Ranzik growled. \u201cMostly works for nobles and the richest merchants. It\u2019s said they\u2019ll do anything if the price is right.\u201d<\/p>\n

Minerva gulped. \u201cAnd these guys are all part of the Blades?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo. There\u2019s no reason to send an elite army to go poaching. Most of them are probably just trappers for the creatures.\u201d Ranzik tensed. \u201cBut the ones with sigils are in the Blades. Celeste Varagnon and a few of her sellswords, to make sure nobody else grabs their creatures on the way home.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow do you know that\u2019s Varagnon herself?\u201d Taycha asked. \u201cThey might have sent an underling.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ranzik scowled. \u201cWe\u2019ve met.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d Minerva swiveled to face Ranzik. \u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe tried to hire me once. I said no.\u201d Ranzik took a breath. \u201cI have scruples. I wouldn\u2019t have fit in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Celeste beamed. \u201cI see my reputation precedes me. Well, I can assure you that everything you\u2019ve heard about me is true. My crew and I always win our fights, and like your gnoll friend said, there\u2019s nothing we won\u2019t do to complete contracts. But we also don\u2019t care for pointless bloodshed, so I\u2019ll give you one last chance. Surrender and back down, and not only will we leave you be while we gather up the ligomorphs, but we\u2019ll even take you with us when we leave.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t leave,\u201d Minerva said. She risked a glance behind her and saw the \u2018ligomorphs\u2019 were huddled by the banks of the river and rapidly cycling through different appearances. Her heart clenched as she was reminded of some of the animals that Faroon had mistreated, and she had to take a moment to steady herself before continuing. \u201cNot if you arrived on that ship we saw on the beach. It\u2019s wrecked.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAlthough,\u201d Cyndal added, \u201cwe still have a ship, and ours should be ready to leave this island in just a few hours. If you give up on your plans to abduct these creatures, we could talk to our ship\u2019s captain and convince her to take you with us. Otherwise, no matter how many creatures you fetch, you\u2019ll be waiting here a very long time for someone to rescue you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Celeste burst into laughter.<\/p>\n

Minerva and her party exchanged astonished glances while Celeste regained control of herself. \u201cFools. Do you think a little rain can stop warriors of our capabilities? We wouldn\u2019t even have wrecked at all had our client not insisted on using his own ship, crew, and trappers; my men could have weathered that storm. But no matter.\u201d She grinned. \u201cMy mage already used his magic to contact our home base and arrange another ship, this one crewed by my people, including elite water-wizards. They\u2019ll not only ensure the ship arrives safely but will also bring it to the island in a far shorter time than you can imagine. Very soon we\u2019ll be out of this horrible jungle and relaxing on deck. Along with the cargo for which we\u2019re going to be paid quite handsomely by our client, of course.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat isn\u2019t going to happen,\u201d Minerva growled. \u201cYou\u2019re not gathering these \u2018ligomorphs,\u2019 or whatever you called them, so some noble can keep them in tiny cages and abuse them for his own amusement or the delight of his sick friends.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy do you think he\u2019ll be abusive?\u201d one of the trappers demanded. \u201cPlenty of nobles have menageries.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, they do, and my current job involves bringing animals to those nobles,\u201d Minerva snapped. \u201cSo I know how to tell the difference between a noble who intends to actually care for his animals, like the one I\u2019m working for now, and a noble who doesn\u2019t care at all, like your boss.\u201d She jabbed a finger at the trappers. \u201cFirst of all, those cages are too small for these animals. They\u2019ll barely fit! You\u2019d need cages at least double that size in order to properly move those creatures without hurting them. Second, if your gang cared about what you were doing, you\u2019d have proper nets and other tools for catching animals without hurting them, but instead you\u2019re all armed with swords and arrows. And third\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

She took a breath before continuing. \u201cThat color spell could have blinded them. No real trapper, or at least no trapper who actually cared about the safety of the animals she caught, would attack the animals like that. I\u2019m guessing you\u2019re just a gang of hunters who were hired to stuff a bunch of these critters in a cage and haul them back to be chained up in a tiny room somewhere and get gawked at by idiots.\u201d She spread her arms. \u201cWe\u2019re not letting you have them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Celeste sighed, then advanced with her sword pointed at Minerva. Ranzik moved to block her and Celeste shook her head. \u201cYou\u2019re going to regret rejecting my offer,\u201d she told the gnoll.<\/p>\n

\u201cDoubt it.\u201d Ranzik hefted his halberd, then charged, and the battle was joined.<\/p>\n

Celeste and Ranzik clashed their blades together and then battled furiously as Minerva rushed at the mage, who just smirked and waved his staff almost languidly. The crystal at the staff\u2019s end glowed and Minerva was blasted backward hard enough that her teeth clacked against each other when her back slammed into the grass of the clearing. She pushed herself up in time to see Taycha making a series of gestures and casting a spell of her own, some kind of energy blast which the mage swatted away. Meanwhile, the two mercenary swordsmen rushed at Cyndal, who drew a heavy hammer from his pack to meet them.<\/p>\n

Then the ligomorphs began to run past Minerva and charge the trappers and mercenaries. \u201cNo!\u201d Minerva shouted, causing the ligomorphs to pause and stare at her. \u201cGet away from them! They\u2019ll hurt you! We\u2019ll protect you, so just go!\u201d<\/p>\n

The ligomorphs gave her a confused look. One gestured at the enemies, then picked up a long stick and waved it about aggressively, jabbing it in the others\u2019 direction like he wanted to fight them.<\/p>\n

\u201cI said, we\u2019ll do this. You can\u2019t handle them. Trust me, I\u2019m an animal expert!\u201d Minerva growled at the uncomprehending faces of the ligomorphs. \u201cI said go!\u201d she yelled as she shooed them away.<\/p>\n

Then the trappers, who were less well armed but were far more numerous than their companions, began to attack. Minerva ducked under a trapper\u2019s arrow and reached out with her magic, soon sensing what felt like a big cat in the nearby woods. She streamed her magic in the cat\u2019s direction, urging it to advance and attack the hunters; at the same time, she charged forward herself. Barbas had shown her some basic fighting skills during his time as her \u2018father\u2019 in the Cirque de Malorum, and she knew that she\u2019d need everything she\u2019d been taught if she was going to survive.<\/p>\n

The cat, a huge thing that looked like a cross between a lion and an especially nasty cheetah, burst out of the woods and tackled two of the hunters just as Minerva moved into range of one more. Her enemy struck at her with a sword, but she ducked under it as Barbas had taught her and kicked the enemy squarely in the kneecap. He howled as his knee buckled, and then he went down with a thump.<\/p>\n

\u201cMinerva!\u201d She turned in time to see Cyndal gesturing at her, and moments later she felt a rush of energy as the cleric\u2019s blessing took effect. Minerva grinned at the surge of energy and threw herself at two more hunters, felling them both in moments. Then she heard someone moving behind her and glanced back.<\/p>\n

She was slammed in the head by something which sent her sprawling into a tree.<\/p>\n

The world swam around Minerva, and it took her a few seconds to see that the mage, who had smashed her head with his staff, had already turned back around and was throwing more magical energy at Taycha. The goblin sat cross-legged and floated a few inches off the ground as magical energies ran over her body, but when the mage\u2019s spell hit, Taycha\u2019s magic stuttered, and she almost fell. At the same time, Ranzik\u2014glowing blue from what Minerva guessed was another of Cyndal\u2019s buff spells\u2014was forced down to one knee as Celeste\u2019s superior swordsmanship let her move inside his range and begin slicing apart his enchanted armor in a flurry of attacks. And Cyndal, for his part, was steadily pushed back by his two enemies.<\/p>\n

A hunter screamed and Minerva turned in time to see the big cat slash his arm. Then Celeste shouted, \u201cTrappers, retreat. Let us deal with these rabble.\u201d She smirked as they fled; meanwhile, a spell from the mage sent the cat sprawling to the ground in a stunned daze. \u201cGiven their performance so far, it shouldn\u2019t take more than a couple of minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Taycha threw several magical attacks at the mage, and a couple pierced through, but they did little more than singe his robes. Then the mage paused and raised his hands over his head as energy flooded into his fingers. His hands began to glow with power until they were almost pure white. Taycha gulped and stood up so she could scurry away, but the mage gestured, and a circle of energy appeared and surrounded her. \u201cHelp!\u201d she squeaked.<\/p>\n

Minerva surged forward and tackled the mage just before he had a chance to get his spell off. The magic went wild, blasting through the trees, and Minerva howled in pain as a thick branch dropped and smacked her squarely on her head. Then the mage scrambled away and hit her with his staff again before rushing back to where the trappers had been standing to check himself for wounds.<\/p>\n

\u201cMinerva!\u201d The animal trainer\u2019s eyes flicked up to see Ranzik struggling to disengage from his opponent. With a mighty blow from his halberd, he finally succeeded in knocking Celeste back the slightest amount, and he took advantage of the chance to dart toward Minerva. \u201cWe need to run. We can\u2019t beat them like this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut the creatures!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019re gone!\u201d Ranzik gestured at the spot where the ligomorphs had been waiting. They had, indeed, vanished. \u201cLet\u2019s move!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe hunters won\u2019t give up!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ranzik reached her and hauled her to her feet. Cyndal and Taycha also ran toward them, though Cyndal hobbled as he went and Taycha had a greenish scorch mark across her left cheek and down her neck. \u201cCan you distract them?\u201d Ranzik called to Taycha.<\/p>\n

The goblin nodded and flicked her fingers toward the trees. Vines jumped forward and surged around the pursuing mercenaries, who had to stop to free themselves. By the time they escaped, Ranzik had dragged Minerva away and the other members of her party had followed.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u201d Minerva insisted. \u201cWe have to stop them before they put those creatures in some horrible menagerie! Like the Cirque de Malorum!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMinerva!\u201d Ranzik\u2019s voice sounded more frustrated than Minerva had ever heard it. \u201cThis is not your specialty. It is mine. I know battle. And I know we cannot win. Stop arguing and run.\u201d<\/p>\n

He continued into the woods, dragging Minerva after him. And Minerva did run, but all the while her heart pounded, and her head felt flooded with shame. She wanted nothing more than to return and save the poor ligomorphs from Celeste and her monstrous client.<\/p>\n

But all she could do was flee.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll figure out a way to help them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Minerva gave Cyndal a tired look. The party had fled from Celeste\u2019s mercenaries and looped back around in the woods in an effort to track down the ligomorphs before Celeste could find them again. Taycha had cast a spell which she had said would help her to sense their unusual magic and was accordingly leading the group, though the scorch mark on her cheek flared up occasionally and broke her concentration. \u201cTheir mage knows spells which should have been forgotten long ago,\u201d had been Taycha\u2019s only response when Minerva had dared to ask about it; her unhappy tone had forestalled any further questions.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will,\u201d Cyndal insisted. \u201cCheer up, Minerva. I\u2019m confident we\u2019ll be able to find them and protect them from the hunters.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, you are?\u201d Minerva could not keep the bitterness out of her tone. \u201cBecause we didn\u2019t do a great job of that before, and now half the team\u2019s wounded.\u201d She gestured at Cyndal\u2019s right leg, which was still dragging, and Taycha\u2019s magical burn mark. \u201cNext time we\u2019ll be lucky if they don\u2019t just kill us or cripple us and leave us here to die when Jacinda sails away.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMinerva,\u201d Taycha began.<\/p>\n

\u201cStop trying to make things sound better!\u201d Minerva snapped. \u201cI know what\u2019s going to happen to those creatures. Celeste and her gang are going to stuff them into their tiny cages and haul them back to the mainland, probably lose a few to exposure and disease on the journey, and then cram the survivors into more cages in some noble\u2019s basement so they can languish in chains. Then they\u2019ll slowly die because their new \u2018owners\u2019 don\u2019t have the faintest idea of how to care for them and figure they can always hunt down more anyways.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cyndal opened his mouth again, but Minerva clenched a fist and kept going. \u201cI saw too much of this kind of thing when I was with the Cirque de Malorum. I\u2019ve met bad people who feel entitled to obedience from exotic creatures, and I know how they abuse their \u2018pets.\u2019 I was hoping that we could at least save these creatures from that horrible fate, but the stupid things don\u2019t even know how to run away right! They charged forward instead of fleeing, so we had to fight the mercenaries instead of just defending while the ligomorphs retreated, and they\u2019ll probably do the same thing when Celeste finds them again!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMinerva.\u201d Ranzik\u2019s voice was flat. \u201cStop talking.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll scare the creatures away.\u201d Ranzik turned and gave her a flat glare. \u201cAnd you\u2019re annoying me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Something in Ranzik\u2019s voice made Minerva think that continuing to argue would be unwise. She didn\u2019t know many details about the gnoll warrior\u2019s history, but she\u2019d gotten the impression he didn\u2019t have much tolerance for obnoxious or unintelligent employers. And so, despite her immense frustration, she made herself fall silent.<\/p>\n

After half an hour of pushing through the thick jungle, which included two stops where Cyndal applied healing magic to Taycha\u2019s burn mark, Taycha held up a hand. \u201cI think we\u2019re close,\u201d she whispered as she weaved an esoteric sigil in the air with her fingers. \u201cI can feel them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the mercenaries?\u201d Cyndal asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot them.\u201d Taycha shook her head.<\/p>\n

Ranzik nodded. \u201cCeleste\u2019s crew probably doesn\u2019t know how to track down wild animals themselves; that\u2019s not their skill set,\u201d he murmured. \u201cThey\u2019ll need to go back and collect the trappers before they can find the ligomorphs again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Minerva said nothing as Taycha led the group forward. The little goblin eventually scampered up onto a tree stump and tore off a few low branches from another tree, which gave the party a small window into another clearing that was surrounded by the jungle. \u201cThere!\u201d Taycha said as she peered through the hole in the foliage. \u201cI see them!\u201d<\/p>\n

Minerva was immediately at the goblin\u2019s side. Taycha obligingly moved over and Minerva leaned down so she could see.<\/p>\n

And, for a moment, she was stunned into silence.<\/p>\n

Scores of ligomorphs scampered around the clearing. Some that Minerva saw shared meals of leaves and berries. Others frolicked between rocks which had been arranged to provide shelter, makeshift lean-tos, and even a couple of wooden structures which looked like extremely rudimentary attempts at setting up huts. Several of the creatures had stayed in their shapeshifted forms, Minerva further noted, and they\u2019d also arranged leaves on themselves which resembled the outfits worn by Minerva\u2019s party and Celeste\u2019s mercenaries. Even as she watched, one of the critters which still had striped fur that matched Ranzik\u2019s body hefted a long stick and jabbed it about as if it was a halberd.<\/p>\n

\u201cFascinating,\u201d Taycha murmured from Minerva\u2019s side. \u201cTheir mimicry skills are incredible, especially because I doubt they\u2019ve ever seen creatures like us before. This island seems mostly deserted aside from them. Maybe their magic can interact with our own and give them an instinctive knowledge of our shapes, the kinds of weapons we use, our\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShh,\u201d Ranzik hissed.<\/p>\n

Minerva thought furiously. \u201cDo you think we can get them over to Jacinda\u2019s ship? They\u2019d be safe from Celeste there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t have enough people to grab them all,\u201d Cyndal noted. \u201cWe don\u2019t have the right equipment to lure them. And I don\u2019t think Jacinda has room to keep all these creatures anyways.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cStill.\u201d Minerva shook her head. \u201cI can\u2019t let them wind up like those poor creatures in the Cirque. I just can\u2019t. And since they can\u2019t defend themselves, it\u2019s up to us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho says they can\u2019t defend themselves?\u201d Ranzik again sounded annoyed.<\/p>\n

Minerva gestured in their direction, \u201cJust look at them! They\u2019re little, they have no weapons besides sticks, and their shapeshifting doesn\u2019t let them become bigger or stronger or anything. How could they fight off anything that wanted to hurt them?\u201d<\/p>\n

A faint noise sounded from the woods, no more than a few snapping twigs, and Minerva froze as her heart raced. But then she realized that if the mercenaries and trappers had found them again, there would be more than just a single footstep. Something else was approaching. So she took a breath to steady herself and reached out with her magic.<\/p>\n

At which point she sensed the big cat.<\/p>\n

It wasn\u2019t the same one that she\u2019d used before in the fight, Minerva thought distantly. This one felt stronger, and more than that, it was definitely angrier. Minerva had sensed those kinds of emotions only a few times before, when the lions or other exotic beasts in the Cirque had gotten sick and begun lashing out at anyone who approached. \u201cEveryone,\u201d she whispered. \u201cThere\u2019s an angry jungle cat approaching.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ranzik swiveled and raised his halberd, and Cyndal and Taycha both turned and dropped into stances where they would be able to cast quickly. \u201cCan you calm it down?\u201d Ranzik hissed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI can try.\u201d Minerva reached out with her magic and tried to soothe the approaching beast, but it seemed almost to swat away her attempts as it neared them. It was like the creature\u2019s rage was drowning out every attempt she made to calm it. \u201cIt\u2019s not working for some reason!\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n

Then the creature sped up and Minerva gasped, but after a moment she realized it wasn\u2019t approaching them. It was instead coming up from their side and heading right for the ligomorphs before them. Minerva turned to her party and snapped, \u201cIt\u2019s going for the creatures!\u201d<\/p>\n

The trees rustled and a huge leopard with sunken eyes and fur that looked almost moldy sprang into the clearing. It wavered on its paws like it was about to drop from exhaustion, but it stayed upright, and its steps grew steadier as it sighted on the creatures before it. The ligomorphs squeaked and scattered back to their rocks and huts in response, with several of the bigger ones peeking out from concealment and watching the leopard with wide eyes. Then the leopard made a grotesque roar as it pushed itself further forward.<\/p>\n

Minerva tensed. \u201cWe\u2019ve got to do something!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo!\u201d Ranzik snapped. \u201cWhatever\u2019s wrong with that cat could be contagious!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s magical in nature,\u201d murmured Taycha, who had again seated herself and was casting something with finger gestures as she spoke. \u201cIn fact, the magic on that cat is like the spells the mage was using.\u201d<\/p>\n

Minerva blanched. \u201cDo you think maybe he\u2019s bewitching the local predators to go crazy, stop caring for themselves, and spend all their time hunting down the ligomorphs until they collapse from exhaustion?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d Taycha frowned. \u201cHe\u2019s using evil, forbidden techniques which could destroy his body and soul. Somebody needs to stop him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Minerva\u2019s eyes bulged as the cat approached the ligomorphs. \u201cSteady,\u201d Cyndal said as Minerva tensed further. \u201cIt\u2019s a safe bet that Celeste and her wizard friend are tracking that cat. If we intervene, they\u2019ll know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t care! We have to save them!\u201d She scowled at her team. \u201cI know what I\u2019m doing. Those creatures need help!\u201d<\/p>\n

Taycha glanced out into the clearing again and froze. Minerva turned and then gaped too, because at least two dozen of the ligomorphs had just shifted to become more catlike.<\/p>\n

They still weren\u2019t great impersonations. The creatures retained too much of their initial appearances to pass as cats. But their fur had shifted to match the cheetah\u2019s very closely, even taking on the same mottled green color as the mold-like magic which coated the big cat. Their eyes had narrowed, whiskers had sprouted from their lips, and they had leaned forward like they were about to drop to all fours. And then, in unison, a half dozen of them roared.<\/p>\n

The roars weren\u2019t especially intimidating, of course. The ligomorphs weren\u2019t big enough to be loud. But six of them together were certainly notable. And then Minerva sensed a new emotion from the cat, one cutting through its unhinged rage.<\/p>\n

The cheetah, she realized, was afraid.<\/p>\n

The ligomorphs that had taken cat-like forms advanced, splitting up into teams and approaching as might a lion pack, and the cheetah clearly couldn\u2019t tell that it wasn\u2019t actually facing six other furious jungle cats. It let out another roar, that one more panicked, but it backed up a step. And before Minerva could do anything, it had sprinted away into the woods.<\/p>\n

\u201cI see!\u201d Taycha murmured. Minerva glanced down to see the little goblin had drawn a parchment from one of her pockets and slid her finger over it like she was writing something; as her finger moved, the words it traced out glowed briefly before darkening to look like they\u2019d been scribed with quill and ink. \u201cThat must be how these creatures deter predators!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat a marvelous application of magic,\u201d Cyndal added.<\/p>\n

Ranzik shot a look at Minerva, and though he was clearly trying to look professional, she thought she saw a hint of smugness in his features. \u201cWe didn\u2019t need to get involved and reveal our position to the mercenaries after all. Maybe you don\u2019t know everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I,\u201d Minerva began, \u201cI just wanted to help, to save them from that cat and from men like Faroon who abused them because they thought\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

And then Minerva cut herself off at the realization that, just like Faroon, she\u2019d also thought she\u2019d known best about how these creatures should be made to act. Yes, Faroon had wanted to exploit his exotic beasts while she had truly wanted to save the ligomorphs, but it was the same basic error. She\u2019d decided that their desires and knowledge didn\u2019t matter, that she was going to step in, override them, and force them to bend to her will. And that had already been disastrous; if she\u2019d just let the creatures charge and shapeshift like they were used to, perhaps the initial fight would have gone better. The trappers at least might have been surprised and disabled, and maybe even Celeste\u2019s people would have been shocked for a few crucial moments. But Minerva had insisted on chasing them off and leading the fight herself, which had led to things falling apart.<\/p>\n

For that matter, Minerva\u2019s plan to get some of the creatures off the island probably hadn\u2019t been a great idea either. She\u2019d wanted to help them, to show them the world and let them enjoy it. But if the creatures didn\u2019t exist anywhere outside the island, and if they reproduced as quickly as their large numbers within the clearing seemed to indicate, she could cause an ecological disaster by removing them.<\/p>\n

And finally, she forced herself to admit, she\u2019d also been treating the captain and members of her own party badly too. She didn\u2019t really have any authority on the ship, and she had less experience than Ranzik and Taycha in the fields of tracking and magic, respectively. But she\u2019d still ordered them around and insisted they obey her because, well, because she\u2019d wanted to help and had been certain she\u2019d known best.<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry too much about it.\u201d The voice was Cyndal\u2019s, and when she looked down she saw the dwarf cleric smiling at her. \u201cWe know your heart was in the right place.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ranzik growled something, but Cyndal shushed him and turned back to Minerva. \u201cNobody\u2019s perfect, Minerva.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know, but I\u2026\u201d Minerva hung her head. \u201cI\u2019m just sorry,\u201d she said at last. \u201cI should have respected your knowledge, just like I should have respected Jacinda\u2019s. And those critters, for that matter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSpeaking of which,\u201d Taycha chimed in, \u201cwhat are we going to do with them? Those things might be able to drive off their local predators; in fact, I\u2019d say we\u2019ve just seen proof that they can. But Celeste is another matter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t defeat the mercenaries on our own,\u201d Ranzik said. \u201cEspecially not with our wounds.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe aren\u2019t on our own.\u201d Minerva managed a faint smile. \u201cThose critters seem a lot better at defending themselves than I\u2019d figured. So instead of overriding them, I think I\u2014we\u2014can work with them to drive off Celeste\u2019s gang.\u201d<\/p>\n

She outlined her plan, and Cyndal immediately inclined his head. \u201cI like it, Minerva. A righteous act, and quite possible if we can get the ligomorphs on our side.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI agree!\u201d Taycha grinned. \u201cAnd personally, I\u2019d be upset if I didn\u2019t get another chance to take on that mage. He needs to learn not to meddle with the kind of powers he\u2019s working with before he does something worse than give me an annoying burn.\u201d<\/p>\n

Minerva turned to Ranzik. \u201cWell?\u201d she asked. \u201cYou\u2019re the warrior. Will that work?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026maybe,\u201d Ranzik conceded at last. But he flashed a little smile at her, and Minerva grinned. \u201cIf we can get the creatures on our side.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOn it.\u201d Minerva took a breath and gathered up her magic, then stepped into the clearing. \u201cHere goes,\u201d she muttered.<\/p>\n

The ligomorphs turned to stare at her, and then several shapeshifted to take on more human-like forms. Minerva smiled. \u201cHi!\u201d she said as she reached into her own pack and took out a few pieces of dried fruit. She tossed the snacks to the critters and also used her magic to keep them calm as she approached. \u201cDon\u2019t worry,\u201d she added. \u201cI\u2019m not a predator. I\u2019m on your side. And I think I can help you drive off those scary people from before.\u201d<\/p>\n

The ligomorphs looked up at Minerva with curious eyes and little smiles, and she beamed. \u201cAll I need,\u201d she told them, \u201cis some help from you.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

A half hour of preparation later, when Minerva heard the march of approaching armored feet on twigs and fallen leaves, she tensed. Another minute later and the footsteps were right at the edge of the clearing. There was a pause, then a shout, and a tall tree shuddered before abruptly tilting over.<\/p>\n

\u201cHere we go,\u201d Minerva muttered.<\/p>\n

The tree collapsed with a crash to reveal Celeste, who swiped her jeweled scimitar through the air as if to emphasize that she\u2019d just destroyed a tree with a single strike. The mage and two swordsmen that she\u2019d brought with her stood at her side as well. Behind them in turn were the trappers, all of whom had their weapons. And finally, Minerva grimly noted, there were a few more of the corrupted jungle cats. They prowled amidst the trappers, shuddering and softly yowling as the mottled green patches on their coats rippled in time with the breathing of Celeste\u2019s mage. \u201cOne last chance,\u201d Celeste said. \u201cYou lot back off and we\u2019ll consider letting you escape this island with your lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll give you one last chance too,\u201d Minerva replied. Ranzik and Taycha moved in front of her while Cyndal and the ligomorphs stayed back. \u201cDestroy your trapping equipment, go back to the beach, wait there for your new ship, and then sail away without harming a hair on the ligomorphs\u2019 heads.\u201d<\/p>\n

Celeste chuckled, then turned to her people. \u201cLet\u2019s make this fast. Our boat should be here soon, and I for one would like to get off this island as soon as possible.\u201d She swept her scimitar at Minerva\u2019s group. \u201cAttack!\u201d<\/p>\n

The jungle cats trotted forward, passing both the trappers and Celeste\u2019s gang. Minerva gathered her own magic to calm them, but as she sent it out, it hit what felt like a wall. Celeste\u2019s mage smirked and waggled his staff at her. \u201cNice try, lass.\u201d<\/p>\n

Minerva just let herself smile. And then the ligomorphs sprang into action.<\/p>\n

A dozen of the brown and gray critters darted forward, their features rippling and taking on a more cat-like appearance, and as they neared the cats, they let out loud yowls. The cats hesitated at the sight of other predators and the mage glowered before taking a breath and raising his staff up. \u201cNot a problem,\u201d he said to Celeste. \u201cI\u2019ll just cast again and\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Another dozen ligomorphs ran out from the huts and lean-tos. They had already shifted into vaguely human forms and dressed up in leaves and tattered scraps of cloth which, from a distance, could be said to look like mage robes. And they all carryied staffs topped with glittering \u2018crystals.\u2019<\/p>\n

There hadn\u2019t been any magical equipment in the ligomorph colony, of course, but that wasn\u2019t important. All they\u2019d really needed were some sticks and a few shiny rocks which the ligomorphs had fished out from the island\u2019s rivers or collected on its sandy beaches. Cyndal had done the work of affixing the stones to the sticks, and now each of the ligomorphs had weapons that, at first glance, could easily be mistaken for actual wizard staffs.<\/p>\n

And it worked. The mage swiveled around to aim his staff at them, acting on instinct as the new \u2018wizards\u2019 raised their \u2018weapons,\u2019 and by the time his mind had caught up to his reflexes and he\u2019d realized there was no real threat, it was too late. His cantrip which had blocked Minerva\u2019s magic had faltered, and Minerva was able to punch her own spell through his and hit the cats. \u201cShoo!\u201d she ordered them. \u201cBack off!\u201d<\/p>\n

Part of her wanted to simply calm the cats and then turn them against the mercenaries, but she knew that if she tried that, the mage would likely be able to reestablish control. So instead, she gave up on calming them and instead heightened their anxiety. The cats acted at once; they swiveled on their paws and charged back into the woods, bowling over a couple unfortunate trappers who couldn\u2019t evade in time. Minerva smiled and turned to their other foes. \u201cAnyone else?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGo!\u201d Celeste roared, and the remaining enemies charged forward.<\/p>\n

Ranzik again met Celeste in single combat, his halberd flashing out and even driving her back a couple of steps before she recovered, and Taycha blasted a massive spell which the enemy mage only barely swatted aside. Both briefly glowed blue as Cyndal cast divine spells on them. As for Minerva, she positioned herself in front of the two swordsmen, both of whom laughed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat now?\u201d one taunted her as he drew his huge broadsword. \u201cCan you even fight?\u201d<\/p>\n

Minerva smiled. \u201cSure.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh?\u201d The mercenary pointed his sword at Minerva\u2019s throat. \u201cThen let\u2019s see what you can do!\u201d<\/p>\n

And Minerva smiled. \u201cGladly,\u201d she said, then snapped her fingers.<\/p>\n

Several ligomorphs, who had spent the first part of the fight creeping through the clearing\u2019s grass into position, sprang up around them.<\/p>\n

The elite mercenaries would normally have seen such an attack coming, even from relatively small critters. But the ligomorphs had taken the shapes of chipmunks, kittens, and other little forest animals that Taycha had shown them with illusion spells, and they had blended in perfectly. Now they attacked, shucking off their animal forms and taking on bodies which were more like those of Ranzik or the burly mercenaries themselves, and Minerva couldn\u2019t help but laugh as the enemies were each hit by a dozen critters at once and went down.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll take those,\u201d she said as she grabbed the swords that the mercenaries dropped when they fell, then rolled the enemies over and\u2014even as they swatted frantically at the critters\u2014began tying them up with thick vines taken from the area. \u201cJust stay still. This fight will be over before you know it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shouts from the woods alerted her to the rest of the battle, and when Minerva looked up, she saw the trappers dropping their equipment and running as another mob of ligomorphs swarmed them. Those critters had taken on other shapes that Taycha had shown them via illusions, the shapes of big wolves, fierce rhinotaurs, and other such creatures, and though they still didn\u2019t look very much like what they were imitating, the comparison was just enough to make the trappers flinch and panic at all the wrong moments. And once they\u2019d panicked and dropped their weapons or moved into bad positions, the sheer numbers of the ligomorphs sufficed to push them back.<\/p>\n

Celeste let out a cry of triumph, and Minerva turned to see the mercenary leader grin as her sword slashed into Ranzik\u2019s shoulder, but Cyndal cast a healing spell and Ranzik\u2019s wound knitted up again. Then Celeste cursed and Minerva realized that probably wasn\u2019t the first time she\u2019d injured Ranzik only for him to be healed right away. \u201cTarkyon, deal with their healer!\u201d she snapped. \u201cI can\u2019t make any progress if he keeps fixing up the gnoll every time I wound him!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWorking on it,\u201d growled the mage. He threw spells at Taycha and swatted aside the ones she cast in return, and Minerva noted how Taycha was steadily being driven back toward the huts. The mage, presumably Tarkyon, was breathing hard but also had a triumphant smile. \u201cShouldn\u2019t be much longer before this overgrown rat gets what\u2019s coming to her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Taycha glanced at the ligomorphs around her and waved to them, at which point the critters began scampering toward the mage. Minerva\u2019s heart clenched, since she knew the mage could very easily resist their attacks and even kill them in response, but the creatures didn\u2019t attack him. They just ran close to him and then darted away, laughing all the while, with one or two even throwing little gobs of mud as they scampered around. They were mocking him, Minerva realized.<\/p>\n

The mage scowled and yelled at the critters, but they just laughed harder, and finally his face flashed an ugly red. \u201cWe only need a dozen of them,\u201d he said at last as he raised his staff high. Taycha lobbed a spell at him, but he swatted it into a tree, bursting it apart as if it were made of brittle clay, and then grinned. \u201cWe can kill a few and still make our quota. You foolish beasts will suffer!\u201d<\/p>\n

Minerva\u2019s eyes widened as the crystal on the mage\u2019s staff glowed. He then began to chant in some language she didn\u2019t know, the syllables harsh and grating on her ears, and she winced. The ligomorphs fell back too, squeaking in fear, and Minerva tensed. \u201cCome on,\u201d she muttered. \u201cTaycha, come on!\u201d<\/p>\n

Taycha grabbed a rock from the ground and chucked it at Tarkyon.<\/p>\n

It barely hit the mage and didn\u2019t even bruise his skin, but his eyes flicked toward the rock and the words leaving his mouth stopped for half a second. It was enough. The crystal began to pulse with an ugly red color as he lost control of the spell, and his voice rose into a frantic cry. \u201cNo!\u201d he screamed.<\/p>\n

The crystal detonated with the force of a small fireball.<\/p>\n

Tarkyon was blown forward and hit the ground hard enough that his arm snapped like a twig. He screamed in pain, then howled again as his robes, now on fire from the blast, smoldered. Only after a few moments of him thrashing around on the ground did Taycha approach.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou fool,\u201d the goblin snarled as she put one foot on his chest to stop his flailing, then began to beat out the flames. \u201cForbidden spells like that are forbidden for a reason. They destroy all they touch, including the caster. But you thought you were too clever for that, didn\u2019t you?\u201d She kicked the mage in his singed head, of which not a single hair had been left unburned, to stop him from interrupting as she continued her rant. \u201cYou stupid, conceited, arrogant\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Minerva finally finished tying up the swordsmen and approached Ranzik and Celeste with a swarm of ligomorphs at her back. Celeste looked around and then said, \u201cI don\u2019t care. I\u2019ll fight you all myself if I have to, and I\u2019ll win too. I am Celeste Varagnon, and\u201c\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe cats should be free now, yes?\u201d Cyndal called to Taycha.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, certainly.\u201d Taycha nodded as she kicked the injured mage again. \u201cWith the staff destroyed, all of its magic should have dissipated.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cyndal grinned. \u201cMinerva, how long will it take you to get all the big cats from this part of the island over here to attack Celeste?\u201d<\/p>\n

Minerva smiled. In truth she couldn\u2019t attract animals from huge distances, but Celeste\u2014though the events of the day had surely taught her that Minerva could control animals to some extent\u2014wouldn\u2019t know exactly what her range was. \u201cJust a few minutes,\u201d she lied. \u201cEver fight a cheetah, Celeste? Better yet, ever fight ten to twelve at once? They\u2019re incredible predators. Faster than you can imagine, incredibly strong, jaws like a guillotine, and once they get your scent, they\u2019ll never stop chasing you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Celeste paled. \u201cI have a ship coming,\u201d she managed.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, but you won\u2019t make it halfway to the beach.\u201d Minerva spread her arms. \u201cSo, what\u2019ll it be?\u201d<\/p>\n

Celeste gave them all a long, glowering look, and then she sighed and dropped her scimitar. \u201cFine,\u201d she muttered. \u201cI give.\u201d<\/p>\n

The ligomorphs burst into cheerful squeaks and rushed around hugging Minerva and her party. And Minerva, for her part, happily hugged them back. It was over, she thought.<\/p>\n

They had won.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhat, exactly, is going to stop us from coming back and finishing the job?\u201d Celeste hissed as Minerva\u2019s party led her defeated group through the jungle. The beach, Minerva thought, had to be getting close. \u201cI have a contract. I can\u2019t just abandon it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou told us that your ship was crewed by your client\u2019s sailors, right?\u201d Cyndal asked pleasantly. \u201cWell, that makes it easy. Blame the sailors. Point out that you crashed because of their incompetence, and then just say you spent all your time here tending to your wounded and making sure you didn\u2019t get eaten by predators. So really, it\u2019s your client\u2019s fault you didn\u2019t look for the creatures.\u201d He smiled. \u201cWhen your client tries to hire you again, just say you\u2019re mad about the shipwreck and refuse, and also spread the word that this client doesn\u2019t fulfill his or her contractual obligations. After all, you were promised to be safely taken to this island, and that didn\u2019t happen. Your name has weight in the mercenary community, so you blacklisting this client should make it impossible for him or her to find anyone else willing to take this job.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd why would I do any of that?\u201d Celeste snapped.<\/p>\n

Minerva said, \u201cBecause, if you don\u2019t, we\u2019ll tell everyone the truth. How the great Celeste Varagnon was beaten by a handful of people, only one of them a trained warrior, and a bunch of little critters that didn\u2019t even have weapons.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNobody will believe you!\u201d Celeste\u2019s voice was an angry roar. \u201cYou have no proof!\u201d<\/p>\n

Ranzik smiled, then drew Celeste\u2019s jeweled scimitar from his belt and waggled it in front of her face. \u201cIt\u2019s well known that Celeste Varagnon prizes her family sword and would never give it up,\u201d he said. \u201cMeaning the only way someone could have it is if they really did defeat her.\u201d<\/p>\n

Taycha, who had been prodding the mage while continuing to steadily berate him, looked up from her task and nodded. \u201cWe\u2019re willing to keep it locked up in a vault somewhere as long as you play ball. But if you don\u2019t? If we hear that you, or anyone else, has been here and so much as harmed a hair on a lagomorph\u2019s head?\u201d<\/p>\n

Minerva chimed in. \u201cWe\u2019ll take that sword straight to the nearest Adventurer\u2019s Guild, find someone who recognizes it and realizes what it means, and then regale the tavern with the story of how we utterly crushed your pathetic little gang here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Celeste glared at the others for a moment longer before she lowered her head and fell silent.<\/p>\n

They arrived at the beach a few moments later and were just in time to see a cutter from Celeste\u2019s second ship, which was now anchored out in the cove, arrive. The crew from the cutter ran forward but Celeste just snapped, \u201cNot a word. You got the sailors on the other beach?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, but\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThen we\u2019re leaving right away.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI said, we\u2019re leaving.\u201d She stormed toward the cutter, her two swordsmen and her battered mage running after her. The crew gave Minerva and her group mystified looks before turning and rushing back to the cutter as well.<\/p>\n

Minerva led her group back over to Jacinda, who was supervising as her crew finished the repairs. \u201cGlad that you\u2019re back; I was getting worried we\u2019d need to leave you behind!\u201d the kaja said in a voice that was half-joking.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry.\u201d Minerva glanced at the other ship. The cutter was already heading toward it, and its sails were unfurling in preparation to leave. \u201cWe had to take care of something.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWho were they?\u201d Jacinda gestured at Celeste\u2019s ship.<\/p>\n

Minerva shook her head. \u201cMonsters. But they\u2019re gone now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jacinda frowned for a moment, then shrugged. \u201cWell, get aboard. We\u2019re sailing in a few minutes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWait.\u201d Minerva took a breath. \u201cI need to apologize. For assuming I always knew best and for trying to force you to go along with that. I was arrogant, and I shouldn\u2019t have been.\u201d She inclined her head. \u201cLike I said, I\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jacinda smiled a little. \u201cWell, alright then. I\u2019ll accept your apology, provided you do something for me in turn. We had a couple injuries in the storm, nothing serious, but we do need someone to handle a few menial duties tonight while my sailors recover. And I figured, since you were so eager to contribute to running my ship, it\u2019d be fitting to let you handle a couple of chores.\u201d<\/p>\n

Minerva smiled, and even though she knew the task was at least partly a punishment, she found she didn\u2019t care. \u201cI\u2019d be happy to help.\u201d And then she saw the rest of her party smiling at her, and she realized she felt happy. \u201cThank you all,\u201d she said. \u201cFor helping me to see my mistake.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jacinda blinked. \u201cDid I miss something?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t worry about it,\u201d Taycha said with a merry grin. She smiled at Minerva, as did Cyndal, and even Ranzik looked a little more pleasant as he nodded at her. \u201cI\u2019ll tell you later.\u201d<\/p>\n

The party clambered aboard, with Cyndal going to provide healing for the injured sailors, Ranzik heading off to maintain his equipment, and Taycha going below deck to study some magic book. Minerva lingered on the deck for a moment, her gaze drifting back to the jungle.<\/p>\n

And she saw what looked like hundreds of ligomorphs in the tree line.<\/p>\n

All the critters began to wave, and Minerva felt a burst of glee as she responded in kind. No, she thought, she couldn\u2019t take them from the island. They\u2019d be hurt by people like Celeste, and there were overpopulation concerns too. But that was fine; they\u2019d be alright here. And besides, now that she knew where this place was, there was no reason she couldn\u2019t come back sometime. She knew she\u2019d like that, and she was sure the critters would too.<\/p>\n

The anchor clanked as it was hauled up, and then the deck jerked under her feet as the ship began heading back toward the ocean. Minerva gave one last wave to the little creatures of the island. Then, with a smile on her face, she turned and headed toward the captain\u2019s chambers so Jacinda could tell her how she could help.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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