The next morning Anwen is up first and feeling pretty good. Till she steps outside and finds herself in an 'Elven glade' that had not been there the previous evening. Everything is 'Technicolor' bright, there are flowers and butterflies and very strange looking elves in clothing far to light for this region dancing around. A young hansom elf bounds up to her, "Well met welcome to" She interrupts him, "Really, someone is stupid enough to try this crap." The elf looks taken aback, "what ?" he says and she glares at him, "Dropping an illusionary town around a group who were in a totally different place previously is childish and not well thought out at all. Whatever entity created you is none to bright. Bye bye now" Cast a cleansing spell with her annoyance behind it. The whole of the scene just vanishes with a pop. She looks around, and not seeing one Technicolor anything she nods and goes to collect the horses which had been taken back the way they came, fuming she follows.

The little critter that was walking off with them gave a yelp when he saw her, "How did you escape the masters spell ?" The imp exclaimed.

"Your master is an idiot for one. For two it only took a level one spell to remove that badly designed set up, now leave my horses and supplies or I will send you back to your master in Pieces."

The imp shifts form to a mange covered wolf and growls, "Give it your best shot human"

She shrugs and shifts to her Lion form, "Ok meat stick, wolf meets werelion, who do you think wins ?" Then she opens her mouth and roars. The roar shakes the tree's scatters all the wild life and awakens her charmed horses. The horse coming out of their daze, proceed to stomp the wolf-imp in to pulpy chunks. After that it did not take much to collect their supplies and return to camp. Anwen shifts back to normal and pats and caresses the cheeks of the horses, praising them for being so smart and brave.

Upon returning to camp Anwen informs the others about some stupid mage that tried to steal their stuff with a combination of illusions and an imp. She goes on to tell them how her roar woke the horses and how they then stomped the imp in to pulp. "Somewhere out there is a mage with a sick headache and the need of healing for his imp familiar."

Nast looks at her, rubbing his chin. "So he tried the illusion of an elf village appearing around us. How did you see through it so easily ?"

Anwen, making a face, "Well for one everything was To brightly colored and for two it was obvious the fellow has never seen an elf before. They looked like badly drawn caricatures of elves."

Sarah looking behind her, "For three it looks like the idiot, in a very badly made grey robe and beard, is stomping up the road behind you to."

Anwen turns and watches this 'mage' come up the road with his badly mangled familiar under his arm, "Alright I want to know which of you fools messed with the Mighty Glarrons familiar ?"

Anwen steps forward, "That would be me boy, Anwen Wonder Maker. Your beard is falling off and your very weak chin is visible. You make a very poor looking, well anything."

He pulls his scrawny frame up, "I will teach you to eat those words." he starts chanting and doing a little jig while pointing at her. She takes a long stick they got for firewood and walks over to him and whacks him across the knuckles with it. Very effectively ending his spell. "Owowowow Why would you do that ?"

Sarah laughing, "You’re an idiot for one. "

Nast, "When did we get in this thing of saying for one, for two, etc ?"

Owen, "Last night, when them two were flirting with each other." nods at Shule and Anwen.

Henrik looks at the boy mage, "Child go home, Anwen is a powerful sorceress your barely a beginner. I am just the muscle and I can tell that much." Owen adds, while playing with his steel dagger, "Unless you know, you care to stay and play with the big boys."

The would be mage runs off yelling about the group being sorry for this.

About 2 hours later as they are packing the last of the camp supplies up a group comes up a side path. The leader is a big man, roughly 6ft tall and 200 pounds of fat and muscle, next to him is a smaller and thinner woman with a mages staff in hand and a falcon on her shoulders. Behind both of them is the scrawny kid, minus his grey 'robe' and fake beard. The man speaks, "Our boy here says you attacked him on the road, beat his familiar in to a pulp and called him all kinds of names."

Anwen pulls out her cane and moves in front of the man, "Your boy here tried to enspell us with a poorly designed illusion first thing this morning, while his familiar tried to walk off with our horses and supplies. Once I dispelled the illusion I caught up with the little thief and retrieved our goods. The horses are the ones that stomped that thing in to the road.

Then he comes up here in a ratty looking greyish robe with a badly made fake beard calling himself the Mighty Glarrik, flormop, or some such and tried to cast a charm on me. Except he mispronounced 3 words in it, so I took a stick and cracked his knuckles before he hurt himself with his own mangled spelling."

The woman, trying to look superior, "You think yourself a mage then eh." She holds out her staff and makes the end of it glow. Anwen rolls her eyes, "Cantrips, really ? Look I went easy on the kid, my friends they are not so nice. You do not want to try your magics against mine." she ends as the woman takes a more aggressive stance.

The woman spits, "I formerly challenge you to a duel of magic right here and now." the glow gets stronger. Anwen shakes her head, "Fuck off bitch"

They all looked shocked then the man states, "Under the rules of the court of mages, you can either accept the challenge or forfeit and lose all your goods."

Anwen steps aside, "All yours Nast'al."

He smiles and a dagger appears in the big man's throat, the woman loses her arm, the one holding the staff and blood gushes from the stump. Anwen looks at the boy, "Taking on members of the Guild of Assassins is really stupid kid." Him they let get away.

Nast looks at Anwen, "Guild of Assassins ? Really ? Huh, I like that."

Shule shrugs, "They exist in my lands actually, guilds for thieves and beggars to."

Henrik, who used his speed to get behind the woman, quickly gathers her up even as Owen gets out the special bottles and gear to properly bleed the two out, waste not want not and all that.

Sarah, "What was that all about anyway ?" Anwen pulling her ring out of her ear, "They were running a scam, they hit people they took to be wealthy and first try to steal their stuff the way they tried with me. Then if that does not work the kid runs and brings back 'ma and pa' Both were actually low level mages. They try to scare us in to fighting them and their dirty tricks or forfeiting our goods. So far it has worked they never expected to run in to anyone who could actually take them.

Guess our youthful looks worked to our advantage and your lunch for the next few days."

Sarah ponders, "Why let the kid go, won't he get more help ?"

Anwen nods, "That or they will send someone competent to check his story, then I will send that thief back to their hideout, holding his head under his arm."

Owen, "But aren't you a thief ?"

Shule, "She is an Anti-thief, she steals form thieves and works against them when she can. Right ?"

Anwen thinks, "Naw, not really. I am just more of an adventurer really the thief stuff just makes doing certain things easier."

Nast'al is just snickering to himself over that. He mutters, "like locks, sneaking, hiding, skulking."

Sarah to Nast'al, "Isn't sneaking and skulking the same thing ?"

Nast'al shakes his head, "Sneaking is getting around without being noticed or seen, skulking implies trying to get in position to do something, like killing a target or stealing an item while not being seen."

Anwen shrugs, "When I first learned this stuff I was dreaming of searching ruins and dungeons and such things. You know like in the stories. Never thought about much about how my life is actually turning out. Almost never get to use my skills, other than for thwarting pick pockets. Mostly I use my mage skills. Go figure."

Shule nods, "Oh I remember such stories. Alibaba and the 40 thieves, the princess and the dragon and so many others." she sighs, "Good stories and I see your point. The worlds of the story tellers always sounded far more exciting than the real world. Still does even though we are now creatures of those stories." Sarah kisses her cheek, "You are not a creature, you are a Goddess." smiles and skips off to her horse even as Shule grins behind her.

They are about 2 hours down the road from the camp (3 hours since the meeting with the rogue mages) when a mage on a flying carpet fly's over them and without warning lobs a fireball at them. Anwen learns in that moment that she can actually Control Fire, as she ended up pulling it in to a tiny sphere in the palm of her hand. She stares at it in awe of what she just did. The others stare at her to, then Sarah cries out, "He is coming around for another pass."

Anwen shoots up in to the sky and smiles, "Always wanted my own flying carpet." and hits the attacking mage with a push spell, (lv1) that knocks him off his carpet and to the ground some 20ft below. He is unfortunate in that other than a broken leg, he survived the fall.

Anwen catches the carpet and using her powers learns not only its command words but that it's last owner was tortured to death while they went about learning all the command words for his items.

As Anwen plays with the carpet Shule leaps on the mage and punches him so hard it snaps his jaw. "No more spells for you meat. Trying to take on Gods is really stupid." she tells him before grabbing his broken leg and dragging his screaming doomed-self back to the party.

Sarah and the boys strip the man of everything he has while Shule holds him up by the back of the neck.

"Well we now have a nice flying carpet and whatever other stolen items this bastard has on him. The spirit of the carpet tells me this guy, the two we killed earlier and the kid are the entire gang. They have been torturing people with magic items to learn their command words. I tell you I tempted to pop over there and clear the place out, and get that kid. Make a nice present for this province's governor."

They turn to tell her not to bother and she is gone. But the carpet is still there. Sarah sighs, "She compulsively collects magic. There is no way she could resist such a thing. "

Back up the trail, down a side path, through a hidden passage is a large complex of caves and carved rooms. What was once a huge group of mage thieves is down to 1 boy and he does not even know it, not till the red haired woman appears in the middle of the place and looks around, rubbing her hands together and muttering 'magic items hehehe'. He screams and then whimpers. No one could find this place No one who is not a god …

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

She spots him and waves, "Hello boy. Your friend on the carpet is dead. My pet immortals ate him." she says even as she grows huge, hair on fire and body, encased in black leather, to a cross of a human female and a lion, "Really picked the wrong group to try and rob. But don't worry, I am sure you'll do fine in the afterlife." She tosses his masters last fireball at him and happily listens to him scream before turning to explore the place and pick over the best items they have.

4 hours, she was gone 4 hours. They just trussed up the mage and put him on a mule Sarah pulled from the Cloak and moved on. She ask Shule, "So why are we keeping this guy ?" Shule smiles at her, "Well if you are to join us your going to need a meal or 20. I figured a mage of his quality would make a good first meal for my baby girl." She considers that then nods, "Ah, good point." She pats the mage, "I will try and make you last as long as the last mage you tortured to death." his eyes rolled in to his head as he faints.

Nast looks at her with approval, "Nice threat, very well delivered. You show promise." She curtsies as Anwen taught her to do. Shule smiles to. "Some people need dying more than others. By that one's reaction he is one of them."

After another hour with no Anwen, "How long do you think she will be ?" Sarah ask worriedly.

Shule, "How long will it take her to find the magic items, identify them and find a way to cart it back to us ?"

Sarah sighs.

2 hours, "Do you think she is ok ?"

Nast'al, "She is a minor goddess who controls fire and turns in to a lion. I am sure she is fine."

3 hours Sarah opens her mouth, the guys flinch, then she ask, "Who wants lunch ?" They relax and Sarah hands out left over's from last night's dinner.

3.5 hours, "So Shule, just curious, but do you have any idea when you will turn me ?"

Shule drops back next to her, "Well there are a few things that need to happen first. One is your period, you want that over and done with. Trust me, it's almost worse than being an eternal virgin. Cramps forever, no fun, makes most grumpy to. Next we are going to need to be in an area where you can get enough to eat. Now we can eat animals but they don't taste as good as most things on two legs and really humanoid blood is much healthier for us. Then of course we will also want a place we can hold up for a bit. The change is no fun wait, you like pain right ?" Sarah nods with a huge smile, "Ok then, you may enjoy it. Some do, I didn't, but there you go. Even so the change takes a few days, mostly you'll be unconscious for it, expect some really weird dreams, mostly about drowning in blood. We all get them. And there is some prep work we need to do to train you to resist the darkness. That's those spirits that promise power and such but if you take their deal sunlight will reduce you to ash and you will never be able to cuddle with Anwen as her fire would destroy you utterly, and it won't even need to be out to do it. They will lie to you, and try to use your desires against you as well as your fears. It's not an easy thing and many have failed against it. But I know you’re a strong person or I would never try this."

Sarah nods, biting her lip.

Shule gives her a one arm hug, "Fear is normal to, it's a big thing you are doing. No going back, like marriage, only with out the promise of death as a release."

There is a loud boom pop behind them, then Anwen the Crinos Lioness jogs up looking quite pleased with herself. She is sporting several bags, "What a hall. Lots of gold and silver, some platinum trade bars, not as much magic as I would have liked, but all these bags are of the holding type, most of the smaller varieties, but still Nice. Got a few portable holes to. No more flying carpets but did find a cloak of flying. So two of you can now fly with me." she is so psyched.

Sarah, "What of the boy ?"

"He whimpered and whined so much I killed him." she states blandly.

Nast'al gives Shule a look. Anwen is supposed to be the 'nice one' in their little band of killers.

Owen, "So why kill him ?"

She sighs, "He was a wasted cause, when I arrived he was torturing small animals to death for entertainment. You know how I feel about needless torture. "

Nast nods, somewhat relieved that her sense of 'necessary evil vs unnecessary evil' seemed to be intact.

She eventually stores the items before shifting back to normal. Calming down as she does so. Still she is happy to have new items in her horde.

Let's out a breath, "I tell you, it's addictive to go in to the mid form. Problem is my mid form is not as nice a person as my human self. It's far more aggressive. Where I in this state would have just knocked the kid out as a present, she just tossed the old man's fireball at him. And yes I know referring to myself in the 3rd person like that is not quite sane. But the Lion is a different spirit that has been forcefully melded to my own spirit. And Bast and her ilk do occasionally eat humans. They are known for it, part of their War God persona's. And yes I am talking to myself and not you guys cause I am trying to come to terms with her just killing the kid cause he was annoying."

Nast'al nods, "I was a bit worried about you actually. You are not one to casually kill someone, that is my thing. God of Death, Assassins and random badness." he says with a smirk and a wink at Anwen.

Anwen looks at him, "You are really getting in to that God role aren't you ?"

He shrugs, "Well as you pointed out, I have my own cult and there are other lesser immortals who have taken on the god mantle successfully so I figure why not. Either way I am still me, happy, evil, person who loves my life and likes living it."

Shule snickers, "He has a point and well … I called myself a goddess when I punched out that mage, though I was inspired by Sarah." if she could blush she would be at that moment. Her body language though shows it with the shy cast to her eyes and the small smile.

Sarah sits up with a cat that ate the canary smile.

Anwen, who has been walking beside them up to this point, floats up next to Sarah and kiss her on the cheek.

Sarah, looking over at her, "Anwen, why don't you fly around more ? I know you enjoy it, but you just don't and I don't know why."

Anwen smiles, "While it's not physically exhausting it does drain me mentally. And your right I love flying, but I get sleepy after a while. And well, you know how I hate missing things." Sarah laughs, Nast shakes his head while Shule just smiles at everyone. Owen comments, "How about like tree's, mountains' that cliff you flew in to last time you fell asleep while flying." Anwen nods, "Yes Those I like missing, I am talking about missing events or conversations. Hard to hold a conversation when I am a hundred feet up and your all down here."

Shule, still smiling, "Which is why she was so excited when she found items that would allow us to join her up there."

Henrik, "I don't see why you don't just turn Sarah in to a being like you Anwen."

Anwen sighs, "Henrik, we have been over this. While it is possible Someday, the spell is 8th rank and I am just now figuring out 5th rank. It will take, most likely, years and years before I get to that point."

Henrik shakes his head, "I don't mean via spell, I mean like how it was done to you. From what you said of it it sounded like a version of how they make childer."

Anwen sighs, "One their way was an accident, two I don't know how and if I screw up Sarah is Forever Dead. I don't want that, SHE does not want that. I don't want to have a ghost lover."

Sarah nods, "While being like Anwen would be nice from certain aspects, being like Shule is good to. And also Anwen pointed out, even if she turned me in to a fire cat, there is no guarantee that I would get the immortality, which is the point of this."

Nast is giving Henrik a strange look then he turns and signs to Anwen, changing his language to something far older than anything spoken today, "Anwen, something is not right with him."

Henrik turns to him, "What is wrong with me ?"

Everyone comes to a stop and stares at him, Henrik looks confused, "What ?"

Shule, who knows this old language, "Henrik my boy. Why this sudden concern about Sarah's future ?"

He shrugs, "Just seems to me that she would be better suited mate to Anwen as an El'nar Bastet." Anwen comes up behind him and round house kicks him in the head, sending him out of his saddle on on to the ground, he glares up at her, "What did you do that for ?"

"Cause you are Not Henrik, you may be in his body, but HE does not know that language, no Mortal knows That language." The being Inside Henrik suddenly looks surprised at being caught so easily. Then he narrows his eyes, "How did You catch me at it, you only hear your own language."

Anwen shakes her head, "Actually I hear both languages being spoken. Just something inside me translates it really fast. But If I concentrate I can tell the difference in words. And either your Egyptian or someone who has spoken to them cause Only they had that information."

He sits on the ground with his arms crossed, "Well either way you should not let that fool of a girl become one of the Damned."

Anwen rolls her eyes, "Oh gods and little fishes, I have heard that line of crap before. Bigoted little piles of shit calling them Damned when most of you are far more Evil than they may ever be." Anwen surrounds 'Henrik' with her fire, there is a second aura overlapping his, with a clear line leaving him and heading toward the east and south, back toward Egypt. Anwen focuses on that line, then 'sets fire' to it, causing what, or whoever is reaching out to control Henrik to scream and yank back it's connection. Henrik's body drops and he is unconscious.

Anwen looks to Nast, "Sorry about that, but it was the only way I could think to free him from their control. I am unsure how long he will be out. But my soul sight says his own soul is still in there, just been pushed down."

Nast nods, "It's ok, it had to be done to free him. I understand." he picks up Henrik and cradles the bigger man like a child.

Owen glares around, "Why did they go after him ?"

Sarah, "Cause he is the deep thinker and quiet one. We would not normally suspect something off like that. They screwed up though when they used the old language and the term for her other self that she no longer uses."

Owen nods frowning at his friend. Anwen digs out the non-descript rug and has Nast put Henrik on it and himself as well. That way he can stay next to his thrall and keep up with the group as they travel.