And find one they did. It was a simple collection of huts that looked to be unused. As Rick strode off toward one hut, thinking he saw a hint of movement, Bors stayed where he was. So it was Rick who was caught off-guard as Bors called out and started his song while being attacked by a plethora of the bestial Callistians.

Rick watched as Bors, even as feverish as he was, let out a bellowing roar and charged the group of salivating creatures. His black sword hewed through one after another like a scythe cutting down chaffs of wheat. Rick had taken up a defensive position behind a hut, Bors stood to one side—protecting Rick’s flank. Rick realized how stupid he had been and started shooting at any of the Callistians that came close to him or tried to attack Bors. His Tellic flashed green death again and again as Bors tried to keep from being surrounded, Rick found couldn’t get a clear bead on with his weapon with the barbarian in the way.

Rick spotted a flash of red in the corner of his eye. It was Al’Kara, another Golgoro standing beside her. The one beside Al’Kara held a long gleaming silver staff with metal bangles and flaring lights coming off it. Is that the witch?They appeared in a flare of red and purple light. Blinking back tears, Rick called out for her, “Al’Kara!”

She turned, her eyes looking at him blankly. She was not dressed as he had known her; her hair was now woven into a complex braid with gems, her body cloaked in a sheer gauze-like dress of green and purple. She gestured toward him. Rick was flung backward hard against the wall of the hut by some unseen force. Rick hadn’t known she was that powerful with her Mind-Blade powers. He rebounded off the back wall of the hut, the wind driven from his lungs by what had happened. Stunned, he tried to pick himself up but found it difficult. Something started to swim through his head, a strange song of some kind. It had a low, constant drumbeat just on the edge of hearing, rhythmic clapping, and low wailing. It faded in and out as he struggled to stand up.

“Let me help you, Ranger,” a voice whispered in his head, the song growing more intense.

He looked around. “Who’s talking?” he gasped out. At first, he thought it was Al’Kara, but that didn’t make sense. She called him beloved.

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“I can help you with all of them. Let me in,” the voice was deep and sepulchral, yet feminine.

“Who are you?” Rick fairly screamed when he got the air back in his lungs.

“I am the Soul of the Mother,” the voice said, pleased with itself.

Rick slashed at the air with his Tellic. “No. I know what you do to my friend, Bors. Get out of my head.”

“Even if you die here?”

Rick smirked. “Then I die free.”

There was a growl of frustration in his head, then movement at the doorway, and Rick saw the form of the other Golgoro woman staring down at him with violet eyes. She was covered in two strips of metal-trimmed cloth so transparent it was see-through. “You speak as if you have a choice in this matter?”

Rick jerked his Tellic up, firing at her. His green beam shot right through her. He shook his head as she loomed to his right. “What—”

“You have no idea what is going on, Ranger. I am in your head.” The woman laughed. “Soon, you’ll be the pawn of La’Haja . . . like your beloved, Al’Kara.”

“Then you should know I won’t give up,” Rick said. “And she will be free.”

A disgusted growl rose from her. “You will die, and I will take my cousin from you, completely.”

There was a moment of rage when she said those words. He could see everything filtered through a red mist for a moment. She was three feet to the left of where he thought she was. He jerked his arm that way and fired several times without aiming.

One ray struck her in the arm, causing the red mist to fade. La’Haja crumpled to the ground while gripping the stump of her left arm with her right. She screamed for Al’Kara.

Rick pushed himself to his feet, seeing that Bors was holding his own against the Callistians, who had backed off now that their mistress had fallen. Rick moved closer to La’Haja, eyeing the staff that had fallen in the dirt beside her with her right hand and forearm still gripping it tightly.

When he turned back, Al’Kara appeared beside the fallen La’Haja. Before Rick could speak, Al’Kara pulled her wounded cousin to her feet and gripped the staff, ignoring the macabre appendage.

Rick asked, “Al’Kara?”

Her eyes were hard. “You wouldn’t understand, beloved,” she said. “This is a family matter.”

The words slapped him like a physical blow. He wanted to reach her. “Please, Al’Kara, I—”

Al’Kara shook her head hard, looking away from him as La’Haja murmured something to her. Then she pinned him with a stare, eyes filling with tears. “I love you, and I always will.” The staff flared into a bright nimbus of purple light. She disappeared in the blast of light, and Rick jerked his arm up instinctively to shield his eyes.