Why admit to such a thing, mother? It will surely fuel his desire to attack us again.

"Let him," she laughed. "He's harmless now. I want him to stew over it for the rest of his life. That's what he gets for killing one of your brothers. And if he is stupid enough to try, well, I'll have two new Were-cat vessels to drain whenever I'm hungry now, won't I?"

Her voice drifted away, and he heard the fluttering of wings. He was alone. Alone, with the terrible knowledge inside him. They were going to try to take Jula. And Shiika had the Book of Ages. Shiika, who had so easily defeated him before, had destroyed his treasured staff and robbed him of the only weapon he could use against her.

He was alone. And that terrified him, for some strange reason.

Groaning in pain, Tarrin managed to bring a paw up to his chest, grabbing his amulet. Every breath brought a new jagged wrack of pain, but he had to speak. He had to.

"A-Allia," he wheezed, willing to speak with his sister. "Allia!"

"Tarrin? Where are you? What is happening!" she demanded immediately.

"Not-Not much time," he said in a shallow whisper. "Get out of there! The Demoness-" he paused to cough uncontrollably, sending nearly overwhelming pain through him. "She's coming… after Jula! Protect Jula… hide her! Don't… don't let… her take her!"

"Tarrin! You're hurt! Where are you!"

"I… don't matter," he wheezed. "The Demoness has… the Book of Ages," he told her. "Must… get it." His vision began to dim; he could tell he was about to pass out. Speaking was too much. He mustered up one more burst of strength. "Go, sister! Save Jula, get out of there! And get the book!"

"Sarraya is coming, brother!" Allia's voice reached him, though his hearing was fading. "She knows where you are, and she's coming! Hold on til she gets there! We'll protect your child, just don't give up yet! Sarraya is coming!"

That was all he cared about. Letting go of the amulet, Tarrin collapsed to the dirt of the alley. He had done what he needed to do. His dimming thoughts were only on protecting his child, on furthering the mission. He closed his eyes, seeking out in his desperation the only thing there was left for him to cling to, his faith and trust in his Goddess, and her promise that she would always watch over him. Nobody else could help him now. And even if she couldn't, then that was alright. At least he would know that he wasn't alone.

He didn't want to be alone.

He looked within himself, and found his love for his Goddess. And it comforted him. He was not alone.

"Mother," he whispered deleriously. "Help… me."

And then he knew no more.

In a dark alley deep in Dala Yar Arak, laying among shattered fragments of masonry, a solitary figure lay on the cold, unforgiving ground. It was a inhuman body, unnaturally tall, with a tail and fur and cat's ears, and it was a broken one. The exposed bone of a rib had punched through his side, and blood bubbled from the figure's mouth with every exhalation.

Around the figure's neck was a curious amulet of black steel, a four-pointed star within a six-sided star within a circle. It was a strange symbol, symmetrical and abstract, not easily recognizable to any who did not study magic or theology.

In that dark alley, a soft, milky radiance began to illuminate the walls. It issued forth from the amulet itself, a gentle white light emanating from the black steel, making it look like silver in the soft glow. Two other small points of light also seemed to appear within that glow, one a gentle golden hue, like the sun, and the other the same color as the glow of the amulet itself, all but invisible within that radiance.

Half a world away, in a large courtyard in the center of a hedge maze, on the grounds of the Tower of Six Spires, a similar confrontation arose. One was a formless body masked in a golden aura, and the second was the statue standing at the center of a happily bubbling fountain, a statue glowing with a milky radiance.

This is forbidden, my daughter, a strange sort of communication issued forth from the golden glow.

He begged me for aid, Mother, the statue replied. I no longer must ignore his pleas. It came from his heart, spoken with true faith and love. He has given, and now I must be allowed to give in return. Or everything that we stand for will be meaningless.

But think of what we will be unleashing on the world, my daughter, the first answered her plea.

What is the world compared to his suffering? the second challenged. What is the world compared to his need? What will the world be without him? I promised I would always watch over him. He has given to me everything I could ever ask, everything and more, and never has he asked for anything in return! Do not deny me now, when he needs me. I beg you!

Your devotion becomes you, the first acceded. Let me not deny what is given in pure heart, and let me not deny what is deserved in return. But know that for good or ill, what befalls us all is now set at your feet, my daughter.

It is as it always has been, Mother, the statue said simply. It is as it must be.

In the alley in the center of Dala Yar Arak, the golden spot of light vanished. The milky radiance issuing forth from the amulet around the injured figure's neck suddenly flared to brilliant life, flowing over the broken body like water, a soft, gentle glow that healed with delicate, painless care wherever it touched.

The sound of Sarraya's wings awakened him.

Tarrin's eyes fluttered open. He… he was whole. Healed. He sat up as Sarraya buzzed angrily towards him, at the end of the alley and approaching fast, looking at his paw in confusion. Had he regenerated? He couldn't remember. Maybe he could regenerate from a fall. Maybe the dirt wasn't unworked, and that broke the condition that would cause the ground to do him true harm. It was the only thing he could think of. Sarraya hadn't reached him yet, and he didn't have a mark on him. Even the slash in his back was healed. Only his torn and bloody clothes left behind any evidence that he'd been hurt in the first place.

What had happened?

"Tarrin!" Sarraya shouted, landing on his knee and bending over, panting heavily. "Tarrin!" she wheezed. "Allia made it sound like you'd been torn in half!"

"I, I was pretty banged up," he replied uncertainly. "I have no idea what happened. I passed out, and when I woke up, I wasn't hurt anymore. It's eerie."

Sarraya gave a wheezing laugh. "Cub, around you, nothing ever ends up normal," she told him. "What happened?"

"Shiika," Tarrin said with sudden heat. "The Demoness pretending to be the Empress. She's going to try to abduct Jula, to use her in her little pack of Demon children in place of the one I killed. And she has the book, Sarraya! She told me flat out that she has it! She did it just to rub salt in my wounds!"

"You think she's lying?"

"No," he said after a moment. "She was telling the truth. I know she was."

"Then we'd better find the others, Tarrin," she replied. "Fast."

He nodded, putting his paw to the amulet again. "Allia," he called. "Allia, answer me."

There was no response.

A little fear showing in his look at Sarraya, Tarrin stood up quickly. "Allia! Answer me!"

"Allia's indisposed," the voice of Shiika came through the amulet. "I got here, and decided that I could use a Selani, and an Amazon, and even another couple of Sorcerers and a Wizard. And what do you know, there were some here. Isn't that nice?"

Absolute rage exploded from him in that moment, but it was a rage tightly focused by the situation. He could do nothing immediately to help his sister, his friends. But he would. Oh, would he. "You are dead, Demon," Tarrin hissed savagely. "I'm coming for you, do you hear? I'm coming for you!"

"And you'll be mine as well, Tarrin," she purred. And then he felt that the link between him and Allia was broken.