Several peculiar bubbles floated from the crossing of Maxwell's robe, they popped and disappeared.

Merryn shuttered as the buzzing broke past the cloth plugs in her ears, she grunted when the buzz soon thrummed to a pulse against her skin. Whatever caused that sound need to be crushed!

Water sprayed from beneath Maxwell's robes and sprayed Parcival in the face.

He sputtered and wiped it away from his eyes with his free hand.

Han rushed from behind Maxwell and advanced at her his sword hand extended towards her, he swished it about and took another step forward. When in range he slowed then started to circle around, then lunged at her sword pointed at her heart.

The attack slid off her leather bracers cutting a grove into the top of one, she pushed the sword away, lost her footing on the wet grass, and stumbled.

Han took two steps forward and slashed her arm. "Oh ho!"

She yelped, bent down, and threw a rock at his head.

He closed in again and came even closer than before. She dropped down, stuck a leg out, and smacked his shin hard, the betraying twit fell on his side slapping his face to the ground, he held tight to his leg and meowed.

Maxwell pushed Parcival and slapped the broken sword away. "I've had enough of this lowering myself." A couple of gray tentacles squirmed free from his robe and waved about.

She rose and weaved back and forth between the people and Parcival. Maybe this will work.

The Nekhawk squirked and pulled its bulbous head free from the robe, and the buzzing intensified.

She gritted her teeth, oh it was like hot lava in the ears! Hot and stabbing!

"That is enough now, there's no need to make her deaf." Maxwell patted the creature's head. It slunk free, crept onto his shoulder, preened its feathers, and took flight then landed on the tree by the group. It turned to the side and blinked at her.

"And I was kind to you. Is everyone to betray me? Or is today special?"

He flipped his hand and that horrid dragon claw staff formed, the next second he jumped at her, then pushed down on her collarbone. "Yeee!" Her right arm went numb from the blow. She tried blocking with the other hand but he pressed forward and parried, until her back slapped against the wall, the wood pressed against her shoulder blades.

"I have no desire to harm or belittle; let me help you!"

What brought this on? Ugg. "I don't need your patronizing idea of help nor want it." An ache spread through them and spread over to her shoulders then raced up her neck, her neck muscles froze and cramped. "You're hurting me!" The pain threatened to overtake her senses. Got to brush it aside.

"I hurt you? What about what you did to me?" He looked down at her. "Why bother to fight me? Accept your fate. Only I can free you from that cursed God."

"That isn't—Can't— breathe!"

He pressed ever harder, lines of pure hate flashed across his face. Any kindness from their years before must have been imagined. Everything about him must be a lie.

A calcine caught up to Parcival grabbed him by the throat, and with its other hand slashed at his face. Parcival yelled grabbed the vile thing by its neck and choked it. "Ela's light smite you!"

The creature gurgled, trashed, as Parcival squeezed even harder. It slashed at his shoulders, face, and neck. It then opened its mouth wide.

Parcival headbutted it and tossed it to the ground. "Won't get me so easily."

Her jaw dropped open, then snapped shut.

Prying at Maxwell's hands did little good. He must still have that Touch of Ruin spell cast, it's the only one that could do this. A quick puff of breath was all she could let out as he crushed her further against the wall. She spotted Parcival who sheathed his sword as he tread with light steps until he stood behind Maxwell.

Parcival clasped both fists together and struck Maxwell on the back.

Maxwell let go, turned around, and directed a blast of pressured water from the orb on the staff, the dragon claws turned of water joining the orb, and the water stream drenched Parcival and pushed him back a foot or so.

His hair stuck to his face and the muddy clothing and armor became waterlogged, he sagged and bent down, though he stopped his fall with his hands.

Merryn swung, brought up a knee wedged into Maxwell's stomach, and rammed him on the chin. Blood dribbled out of his mouth, he hunched over and the staff dropped to the ground. The Dragon claw solidified stood on pointed claws and tip-tipped back beside Maxwell.

Maxwell slowly stood again, he wiped his mouth and flicked the blood away, where it splattered in the mud. "Was this your plan, Paladin," he spat, "to save this poor lost lamb?" Sarcasm and false sweetness oozed off his voice. Maxwell pouted his lip and fluttered his lashes.

"I owe no explanation to you." Parcival stood right where his was, and watched.

The staff jumped into his hand, his fingers flexed over it with a white-knuckled grip, he breathed out one of the spells from the north the words tangled gibberish spoken together without pause.

As he kept chanting the spell, spittle built up on the corners of his mouth and flew off from the speed of the chant.

A water ball formed above the staff, it twisted and turned and thinned into an arrow shape. It shot right at Parcival's chest he was launched back to the crack going through the path nearly falling in it. He leaned forward and balanced there, swaying.

He leaned back for a heartbeat before springing off the pads of his feet forward onto the crumbled pathway. "Well, let me inform you you're really saving the spider-nab."

Parcival face took on an alien look, a mottled red overtook his usually calm expression that distorted into a glower that was want to set the world ablaze.

His eyes glinted in the low light and held a spark to them that wasn't there before. He said not a word as he strode toward Maxwell.

Just then, the rest of them crawled on their bellies back into the temple grounds, they avoided Maxwell and for some reason Parcival. As a group, they moved to an unbroken spot near the beginning of the path.

All at once, they stuck their clawed fingers into the cobblestone. The ground rumbled and shook again, and their fingers broke free at random areas looped up, like a group of winding sea monsters.

The poxed quakes came again even harder, the people in the corner broke away and ran through the gate the women screamed and the men shouted, only stopping to pick up the children in their haste. They disappeared through the city out of view.

The wall behind her exploded sending broken planks of wood and pointed splinters flying off in all directions, one huge chunk dinged her shoulder so hard that she spun around, wobbled, and crouched down. She held her head in her hands waiting for the waves of dizziness to abide. If this day belongs to the demons then they can have it!

She groaned unable to move, what way was up or down became impossible to tell. Maybe two-three mins later the dizzy spell abated. Got lucky this time. She rose slowly and eased on over to Maxwell who was now about ten feet away.

With the coming of the morn', the rain turned to a faint drizzle before it stopped, the sun still hidden behind purple clouds, though less twisted than earlier. She shivered. There'd be no respite from them with the light.

Maxwell backed away to the gate and tossed the staff into the air, where it shot out two huge swirling spheres of water that grew with each second and as the staff spun faster so did they.

Maxwell smiled a far too gleeful one that turned into a wide grin. His teeth flashed in the low light, the light cast from above came through the spheres and cast unnatural shadows across his face.

"How long can he hold his breath?"

He began chanting again, any of the old words a mess of endless hectic syllables. His fingers glowed red, and they sprayed out, pointed forward, and he flicked them, sending the swirling waves contained within the spheres volleying at them at top speed. "That of land be of sea, overflow!"

The spheres struck her and Parcival's level on in the chest. The waters congealed over her and she tried to shout, yet her voice became muted within the thick waters. Any movement turned slow as fighting through quicksand. With great effort, she turned Parcival's way.

Sunlight streamed down and the wrath like calcines pulled from the ground and scattered inside the temple building, or ran off into the city avoiding the light.

Parcival's arms and legs went up and down in odd motions. It took a moment to realize that he was thrashing, just slowly. He pounded on the inside and shouted, or at least tried to, but on taking a gulp of the thick water, he clawed at his throat, his face reddened.

His eyes rolled back in his head, thick slow bubbles worked free from his mouth and he hunched over, floating in the liquid.

"No!" The intense scream held a muffled, syrupy quality that was barely audible. She pounded on the thick film of the sphere. It wobbled, but held. Her lips trembled. She pounded her fists against the sphere, slid down, flipped over in the water, and pounded at it again. This isn't supposed to happen!

Maxwell, staff in hand, leisurely walked over, a light smile on his lips. He tapped the globe with his staff, and the globe glowed pink for but a moment. He turned and walked away to the temple gate; the globe followed behind, pulling her with. Her stomach churned and heart thumped.

About, three more feet and they'd be through the gate.

She poked full force at the bubble, her hand shaking so much she had to steady it with the other. Come on, think, you got to...

Tilting to the side, she collapsed back against the sphere, turned to the side as Parcival's limp body grew smaller and smaller. He's drowned. It's too late.

Would be so easy to get free with the thief tools in my boots, the now wrecked boots. Her lips quavered more than before and her eyes burned along with that tightness of the chest. Do not fall apart. Think. Damn it.

She bit into her fist. The pain helped a little. She snapped on the webbing between her thumb and pointer finger until the shock of pain helped push everything away.

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Her mind in a flash worked out several possible scenarios, she picked the one with the best chance of him living.

The boots, the tools are in the boots. The boots are gone. Where are the tools? Put them somewhere else. Her foggy brain and thoughts stuck tight.

Maxwell jumped over the deep crack that cut through near the gate entrance. The crazy bastard hummed a little sailor ditty after he landed. The globe bobbed a bit, and she spun around inside, end over end and this moved her hair over her face. As she pushed it away, a shiny wire pick fell. She snatched at it and caught it before it landed. Thank you, Elaema.

A swift poke at the globe left a dent but didn't pop it, it shook some. Make it work. Try Harder.

With even more speed, she jabbed the spire darn near, pushing her fist through it, but it clung and bounced back into shape. She swallowed another scream. Can't lose it, again there's no more chances.

Rearranging the wire between three fingers, she pushed it over the bite of bloody webbing, before holding it out at the sphere again. "Assassin's Revenge." With a flick, she launched the wire at the sphere.

The wire hit.

At first nothing happened, but several beats later, the little coating of blood on it exploded. This too was slow, and it took several seconds before it speed up and burst through the bubble.

Maxwell stopped, spun, and waved his arms while shouting.

The sphere wobble and stretch-out, becoming thin at the top. It didn't bounce back; a small hole formed at the spot of contact.

She covered her eyes and curled up into a tight ball. The thick water steamed and bubbled, cooking her skin. So hot! Another moment, one more moment...

It burst into a cascade of thick glop and hela' lot of steam. The burst from the globe created an eco. She fell and rolled off to the side, mud, dirt, and grasses sticking to her.

She shot up, wobbled some, ignoring Maxwell, and streaked over to Parcival. This was going to hurt. The liquid had cushioned most of the spell, but wouldn't this time.

Maxwell chanted as he closed the distance, his staff raised to strike, and at that moment she plucked another pick from her hair, rolled it in the blood, shouted the words and tossed it at the sphere.

With no liquid this time to blunt it the spell bomb detonated in a quick flash of fire that turned everything around her to crackling flame and heat, the steam soaked her from ears to feet, the force of the detonation shot her several feet away, and she landed flat on her back. Her vision darkened and ears rang to a high-pitched whine. A horrible stench filled her nose and mouth.

Do not fail him. Move.

Her body refused to respond.

Move. Now.

A couple of thuds and a slight vibration.

Roll over. Do it.

She rocked from side to side, her skin stung and burned where blisters covered her arms, face, and neck. They popped and burst with each movement. Ignore it. Up.

Get up.

A final heave and she landed on her belly. Her head felt thick and her vision fogged in and out of focus, her heart rate far too fast.

When she made it in to a standing position, this wasn't clear, but she somehow dragged her feet over to Parcival.

Over to the side, Maxwell lay face down, his robes burnt and soaked. Small wisps of smoke and steam wafted off of him.

Her legs collapsed under her, and she landed on both knees beside him with a thud. She crawled over to him and pulled his cold head in her lap, his hair matted with mud and water.

She ran her shaking fingers down the side of his face, and pushed the hairs off his eyes. He can't be. He's just unconscious. The lids of his eyes and lips were tinged with blue. His chest still and heart silent. No.

"This can't be the way..."

She placed a hand on top of his head, her throat burned as she fought back the tide that threatened to overflow. Don't become a mess, not now. I can't let him...

"I'd trade your place if I could."

Maybe you can, in a way.

How so?

Relent. Join me.

I have a condition. Save him.

But of course. The cost is high; I don't do such things freely.

Understood.

You will bind to me, forever.

I understand.

Do you? You'll find out.

Smear your blood on the pendent, and say: "Soul Tear, sunder and conjoin." while drawing on my energy; my essence.

She squeezed the bite on her hand, dipped two fingers in the blood and smeared it on the pendent. And spoke the words, her voice was hollow and throat raw. This would be worse than being dammed at the beck and call to him for eternity. Her chest tightened again and spread onto her shoulder.

Crack.

She clasped both hands together and concentrated on Unnamed's energy. It grew and pooled in the palms of her hands. She opened them slowly. The gray-green ball swirled about changing colors, some iridescent, and some back speckled with white.

Push it into his chest.

She steadied her hands that were still cupped together, then whipped her right hand, caught the ball before it fell and slapped it into his chest, a blister in her palm burst. The ball sunk in and faded from view.

"I'm not losing you too."

His eyes snapped open as the color returned to his face. He pulled in a shuttering wheezing breath.

He blinked at her and tilted his adorable head. "What happened to you?" His hands came near her arm, then he startled and puled back. "How'd did you get so burned...?" He winced, then propped back on his elbows, before rolling on his side and standing with a slight sway.

She chuckled lightly. "Nothing, my friend. Can you stand?" Should tell him later, but not now. His mind is probably scrambled a bit. She brushed away a tear that threatened to give her away and flung it off the corner of an eye, schooling her expression to even. It all went back down, down, down into that mental lock box. Besides, what kind of life would there be with it in tow? No, a friend he stays, safer for him.

A movement off to the side. Maxwell's hand twitched. In, a few steps she reached him. There wasn't anything to tie him up with, and ignoring him could prove to be fatal.

She rubbed the side of her head. "What to do with him?"

Parcival shuffled over. "Let the guards take him, knowing the magistrate he'll have sent them out to check to be sure that the calcines are gone." Parcival pulled his long tunic over his head, twisted both ends and then knotted the middle.

He bent down and interlocked Maxwell's hands behind his back, pulled the cloth up over and under his armpits and double knotted it. "Help me lift him up."

She helped Parcival drag him over to the broken tree and they slipped the makeshift rope over a high branch. Pain lines creased Maxwell's flpin' stupid face as his shoulders supported his weight. He moaned.

Merryn spotted several upturned large stones in a small crack by the tree. She pulled them out and stacked them loosely under his feet.

"That should do it." She swore under her breath. It was hard to resist punching him in the sack.

"Have you seen Han?" Parcival stumbled and caught her arm before catching his balance.

"Worry about yourself first!" her voice snapped. After what he did, he can just sit there for a few hours. She growled.

She frowned. "We need to leave before Maxwell wakes up. She scanned the temple grounds, Han was passed out jammed into a half pulled tree root near the gate.

On nearing the gate, she went over and placed a hand on Han's chest. The stupid scorpo-rat, should drag him with and toss his furry hide into a bonfire. Still. "Oh, hells" She huffed. "We'll come get him later. He's alive at least. Let's go."

A tiny shard of the gem pendant fragmented and twirled down.

Are you doing this?

Not my doing. This wasn't made for this, who ever heard of a translation pendent housing energy? The fights might have damaged it.

If Maxwell hadn't turned he could've fixed this, being a Tinkerphile.

Free me, let me loose! None of them care for you, not really.

You truly think I'm so easily duped, unnamed?

I wish no no harm, you've grown on me. The power of the pact and spells cast also might be the cause along with any damage, you're the first to dare to bind with me, I do not 'dupe'.

Questionable. I've decided not to hand you over to the elders. So many things don't add up. She doubled over, a rush of heat burst from her lower back and raced up down her spinal column.

My control is. Slipping. That pendet helped. Don't succumb, you remin... Hurts! It Hurts! IT HURTS!

What could hurt a god? A gray and purple mist wafted through the cracks. She shivered as an icy breath blew up and down her arms and neck. Her breaths turned deeper, the lights brighter, and the soft sounds from miles away overwhelmed with the sudden rush. His pain came with the mist as it settled on her.

Through clenched teeth, "Go." An unearthly wail overloaded everything else, her throat turned to a sore raw thing. A sensation of being two enveloped her, self aware yet merged in endless loop. Where am? Is this real? What real? Who? My control! His gone? WE HURTS! The curse it...

"You must stop, screaming!" Parcival skidded to a stop, caught his balance again and held on to her by an arm, then jerked away his fingers covered with a light frost. He backed away his lips pressed together. A shadow from a tree above darked his face, turned into it, then back to norm.

"Say something, damn it!" A urge to claw at something, anything surfaced. She squeezed her hands into fits and made them stay that way. Hopefully. Don't move might. Who know? Us?

"Go away! Run!"

Quiet!

What?

Several more shards glinted and glowed as they shot off in several directions. A cold ice of frost burned across her skin, her muscles weakened and she fell down on one knee, stopping the fall with a fist. "What causing this?" The pain it felt real, the earth too. She raked her fingers into it. Earth, dirt, land. Hear right now. The pendent? Unnamed. So lost. Losing.

"Who are you talking to? Run?" said maybe Parcival.

Friend or foe? Foe or friend? She gripped her hands cracking the knuckles . Better not touch. No. No. She shivered, started to stand, and again fell to her knees. "Ask later." Her teeth clattered. Cold is good.

Parcival frowned, and he hobbled closer. He hesitated before slowly bending down and reaching out to her.

"Back away!"

Parcival froze.

The clink of Beeka's staff caught her attention.

She swiveled zeroed in on him. Another enemy or fear?

He and Opial came around the corner across the street by the temple gate. He waved, before stopping in his tracks, he held his staff in front of Opials path. She shouted something.