A clocks' chime behind her resonated four times. The day nearly done, another day that has spilled out and turned to so much dust. Merryn made her arms relax.

A sharp rap on the door.

He gave her a stern look before going over to it, then snapped his fingers and the pile of furniture shimmered fading away.

She made a fist then flicked her thumb off her front teeth. "A plague on you and your family."

He startled. His face reddened, and he gave her a dirty look then wagged a finger at her. "Watch your manners or I may not be so kind as I am now."

He opened it and another man walked in, tall and lean with a taunt measure about him, his short blond hair slicked back. He also wore a red cape but much darker.

"It is done." The other man smiled.

"Go, and inform him that she is here, and has agreed to stay put."

First slow then gathering speed the water drained out the door.

The water still splashed against the wet boots.

He motioned with a hand to a hard stool next to the wall by the counter. "Go rest over there, I tire of you standing." He said a few more soundless words, these were quick and snapped through the air.

She strode over slumped forward and sat on it with her head hanging down. At least he didn't use that other spell. "Hachoo!" Keeping an eye on him she tried to wipe her dripping nose without him noticing.

Time became an almost tangible, but not quite, it was there though. A heavy weight settled into her heart. All emotions faded, but one. A burning from within bubbled to the surface like a poison.

The door closed, footsteps faded away.

Sloshes and splashes as he stepped. "I thought I'd enjoy this more, the necessity of this takes from that." He giggled a low sort that pricked her arms. "I jest, this has been very enjoyable."

She arched her neck. "You sick son of a basnar." She slammed the wall behind her, it crumbled and the wood broke over her fist.

"I love the face you make!" He slapped his thigh. A wolfish point brought up the corners of his eyes.

"You know, this day just gets better and better. I don't know what to do first, what with so many delicious ideas running through my head right now." His grin was unsettling.

This man had a death wish. The twitch in her ear zinged she rubbed it away. "Irritations; you create them."

"Yes." He chortled.

She settled on glaring at him. "When I get free, I―"

He lifted up one hand above his head, then slowly did a crushing gesture. "You'll do what? One wrong move, and they become a splatter on the ground."

On this she tilted her head and caught his gaze. "You have them captured?"

He shook his head. "No."

She choked back a scream, the skin on her her body rippled and her muscles twitched. Have to take it this shite, for their sake. She breathed in and out and ignored that smug smile. Her heart rate still beat too hard the thud overrode his voice. Her teeth ached from grinding them and clenching her jaw.

He went around her on the right then eased into a chair behind the counter and drummed his fingers, a flatness overtook his face.

Another knock on the door.

Every muscle tensed, she turned toward the door.

He jumped up, a smile twisted on his face as he went to the door, unlocking it.

Sunlight obscured the man's features, brightening him from behind and casting his face of shadow, he stepped over the landing. A crown of black curls swayed as Maxwell moved with quiet grace away from the door, one hand brushed the wispy strands from his eyes and in the other staff again in hand.

She gasped. Should have known better, he's always had a knack for escaping. Didn't Parcival have his staff? Not matter what he did—except for that one time—his whole demeter held a air of menace that trickled up her arms and back, her fingers chilled as her heartbeat faster. Did he kill them? The staff wasn't damaged or bloodstained.

His eyes narrowed. "You know what I want. Wouldn't it make you happy to know they will live the rest of their lives in peace, never to fear again? Would you take that kind of peace away form them?" His free hand smoothed back the edge of cloak hood, taking overly long to do so, before raising his head again.

"Hold your lying tongue!" I want this to end, them just go away.

The shopkeeper closed the door and went back to sit behind the counter.

Merryn flinched as Maxwell placed an unwanted long fingered hand on her shoulder, his strong grip burned through the leather. "Then the Elders did choose the right one to do their work. After all, it takes the right kind person to callously slog off people like that."

He took in a breath.

"If you don't care about them then the same can be said about this pointless mission. Help me, give up the god and I'll make sure you're free of it."

Her arm became sore—had been rubbing it without thinking. She placed her hands on her lap; relaxing them. He made many valid points—in his opinion. Still. Hurting Parcival and the others wasn't ideal. Her chest smarted and twisted a little. To have a normal life again...

She shook her head. Don't think like that. Normal? There is no normal! He could have done something to them already, far worse than holding them captive. Or they could be fine and he lies. The third way is he's already killed them. One way would end in blood. The other possibility is to escape and try getting to turn in time. The third is Maxwell's would die instead.

"Let me see them, and I'll go with you."

"There's no need to see them, my word that they're unharmed." Maxwell's rough hand grabbed her arm and dragged her up.

After leaving the building the shop jittered and rattled it shrank in stages until it disappeared with a pop.

Dust caught in a wind that blew from the length of the undubbed street, it built up strength gathering more particles and roared as it neared.

Maxwell cursed, pulled his hood over his head and wrapped his cape about himself.

She stumbled a step slipping on some oily stinking muddy patches, he was saying something, but the winds ripped the words away.

She covered her face and turned the other way, waving a had over her nose. Now isn't the time to lose my temper. Have to find a way out of mess.

The wind lowered to a calm murmur as it brushed over her hands.

A faint scent stretched off in the distance, brimstone and underneath this a somewhat refined spiciness.

Maxwell gently touched her arm, and a dark emotion flickered past, the usual demented aura smoothed, then the wall went up again.

She smacked the hand away.

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"Why so surprised? I did say earlier I'd act better now."

She held back a snort, her lips lips raised the flat smile turned onto a bearing of teeth.

"And holding my friends hostage is better, how?"

He pursed his lips.

He took on the face of someone who'd just eaten a particularly nasty bite of bitter bufle berries.

"I hate seeing that face turned at me! I'll make you believe me, and even give you a choice this time."

"Oh?" Doubt it. You'll stab not just my back again, but others as well.

"Travel by portal or horseback, with the second option we'll have to walk on foot until we find some of course. See? I can be benevolent with you." A somewhat stiff smile cracked on the edges of his lips.

"Maybe in your world, not mine." I know he's up to something.

"You'll see. Now choose." He paused. "Please."

This had to be a farce, am I to be expected to fall for this? Have to see how this plays out. Walking and riding the horses will give me time to figure a way out of this mess.

"Horseback. Let's get this over with."

"Right away, madam." He bowed stiffly with a flippant rolling hand wave. His expression hardened and the ends of his eyes became pinched.

She hissed through her teeth. How dare he!

They walked a ways, he took several turns and retraced his tracks before finally taking an empty street.

He turned towards her on rounding the corner. His upper lip twitched. "Hurry up."

She followed. Merryn dragged both feet on the ground like an iron plow. Need more time to think. Gah! She hugged herself tight with one arm and dug her fingers into the shirt sleeve wadding it into a ball. How to fix this mess?

Behind a soft click.

Soon followed by a thump, and a crash of an object breaking.

Maxwell didn't seem to notice, he kept walking.

Footsteps padded close behind, and soft controlled breathing.

Don't turn around, don't turn around, maybe just maybe... a guard or somebody is after him. Her fists clenched, and she fought to let them loosen and hang naturally as she walked.

Maxwell started to turn but rose onto the tips of his boots, he flailed his arms. He turned his head. "If you're somehow doing this, I'll make sure to keep my end of the bargain." he took a handkerchief from a pouch and it dropped to the ground.

"I can't do that." She held her palm up. "Because, I'm not doing this."

He huffed. "I never thought of you as a liar. That's a shame. It truly is." He hovered just above the street. "Last chance, undo this now!"

Again the footsteps from behind they hurried along. The ground vibrated some.

She scowled and twisted to the side, then broke into a grin. That's really impressive of her.

"I have too many questions to ask—but mainly I'm glad you're here."

Opial nodded curtly, then turned her attention to Maxwell. In two strides she stretched all if her 5'5 frame and stood on the pads of her feet, and still only reached up to his chin.

He tilted his head and looked down at her. "You, spiteful shew, mind your own business." He whispered a few words, and spun his hand. A small shimmering portal appeared, his staff came though horizontally the portal popped close behind it.

His fine control has become even better, not good. She lifted her arm and leveled her closed fingers near in his face. "Mind my own business you say? I was very well minding it until you tied up my Captain and the others and threw him in your holding cell! Our Jito was far to lenient with you!"

When Opial said Jito she also heard Magistrate, the bracelet seemed to be malfunctioning, I'll have to have it looked at.

Maxwell's gaze followed Opial and settled on her forehead, he stared without blinking, his tongue licked his bottom lip without a care as if nobody was watching. Maybie in his mind nobody was. His fingers locked around the staff; as of yet inactive.

Opial sidestepped almost right onto Merryn's hip, and bumped her. "What to do with him?"

Merryn created a little more space. "To do? I? Hum." If I tell her he has the others will Max harm them? Probably. What way, forward here? The spark of kindness was still there, reaching from below in his bottomless depths. That twinge returned, she clutched her chest above her heart. Everything's so very complicated, wish I could fix this somehow.

Maxwell angled his head, the light reflected off his flat unblinking eyes. He locked on to hers and so very slowly a eyebrow twitched upwards, giving a I'll-bury-you-and-everyone-you-know sickly sweet smile. "If you think I'm troublesome now, then you comprehend nothing!"

It took her throat burning to make her realize she'd held her breath without thinking. He'd never directed that look at me before. Always at everyone else, always at the enemy. It's odd being on the other side with someone you've known for years, or thought you knew. I don't care, taking my friends I won't allow this! She cupped one hand with the other and squeezed. Not yet, not now. All of this was off he'd never been captured. This is too easy.

He twisted the claw off his staff, sparks lept out from beneath it, a mix of thin and heavy vein like wires throbbed dangling off the claw. Glowing beneath its inside a pulsating energy source is some type, he yanked the wires disconnecting it and tossed the claw onto the muddy ground.

Out of the globe spayed a turrent of water, soaking the mud under her feet, the claw dove in twisting and jerking as it dug underground. Whirrs and clicks followed by the ground trembling as it spun into a sloppy, whirlpool.

She backed off to the side, yet the squelchy whirlpool followed, it enlarged into a twirling, murky oversized puddle, her feet sank into it and the putrid muck gushed over into her boots, she placed a foot in front of the other and held firm, already the calf muscles started to burn.

So too Opial, yanked a shoe out of it, but caught off balance she spun around with a foot in the air.

Merryn caught her elbow pulling her close, a foot loosened and the whirlpool too caught her and she spun with Opial. I'm going to be sick! "Stop this Maxwell!" Several rotations later she couldn't tell what object from person.

Maxwell chuckled. "Then release me, before I have the caw dig deeper and entomb you both. I tire of this this tuneless symphony we play and am apt to cut the strings soon."

A vice of a grip yanked on her boots, she sank to her knees. Opial shouted, the gunk level with her chest. She mumbled.

"What was that?" said Maxwell. He made a showing of cupping an ear. "You'll have to repeat that."

The muscles in her neck tensed and she clenched her teeth. She breathed in before speaking her words short and clipped. "I. release. You!"

Maxwell drifted to the ground, bent over holding a over turned hand. "Come back to me." A subdued smile eclipsed on his lips.

The spinning stopped, Two claws, surfaced followed by the rest. It crawled free back to Maxwell. Water welled, dropped and condensed spilling over the claw rinsing it, shiny clean a mirrored dominant thing. The drops streamed together; along the ground mixing with the dirt again, a mud ball grew without stoping.

She twisted a fraction on her heel, kicked and clawed at the ground. Her heart beat faster from the stress. The suction released exploding into a pop, she crawled away free breathing hard. Don't give him a moment not one second. Then scooted over closing the distance, kicked the claw off down the street, it knocked against some steps spinning on it's back.

"Enough! All of this is pointless. Get it though you head, I am not coming back. Leave them out of this, my friends have nothing to do with anything."

Striding over him she poked his chest. "Not a damn thing, you know this. You want me to listen? Quick acting like like a bugabear that's eaten bad meat."

His forhead lifted, scrunching his eyebrows into a mass of wrinkles. The intense stare from earlier replaced with a frosty hard shine.

Indicating to the street behind them, she help Opial climb out, then nudged her. "Time to go."

Opial coughed, and flicked her wrists, flinging some of the mud off, she cleaned her hands on the back of the robe.

She grabbed Opial by the elbow and pulled her, and took off running. "What way? Before he starts after me again, where are they?"

#####

Though the crowd they ran. Opial lead the way back to the holding cell.

"How'd you manage to not be trapped?" Merryn's stomach growled, and her mouth watered as she passed by several open air carts cooking assorted foods on enhanced heat stones, some fish so fatty and rich they sizzled on them. Looks like more people survived then I thought. Wonderful! But if I have to go near one more food cart I'm going to go mad.

A thin adorable child with sweet sparking eyes, much like Parcival's. Her long black silky hair loose down her back. Her very tidy but bland clothing was clean and well-kept. She shook out a rolled up mat and set it down, then ran back inside and brought out several grilled fish on platters and an assortment of unknown vegetables. She didn't even have to say a word people immediately group by and bought most of the food.

Opial stopped. "Her, mother was friends with everyone around here, she repaired their clothing, ran errands for the elderly and when several mages died in the last battle came back to help." She nodded her head over at the child. "You're hungry right? I could hear it. Go eat, I'll wait."

Merryn bought several grilled fish, and a bowl of some clear broth soup.

The child bowed and sat on the mat.

Back with Opial they both wandered over to a mini garden that graced the middle of the street. Several others were also there eating. They both sat under a small tree.

She turned her head. "Her mother didn't make it. A miss shot spell killed her." Shaking now she blinked away tears. "The people here take care of her, she'll need for nothing. It's the least we can do."

Merryn's throat pinched, and she set down the fish over the bowl. "How long have you been holding this in?"