Here’s where things really start to heat up. Two new visitors to our dimension marks new danger.

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Issue V: Shadows of a Sorceress
Hither Comes a Refugee from Afar

A strange new land. It seemed awfully similar for a strange new land. It was not how she had envisioned a new dimension to be. This place had a sky. This place had trees and ground. And unfortunately enough, this place had rain.
Sylva had not come prepared for rain. All she had with her as her purse, a container for a bit of money and her ID, but nothing more. She wished she had brought an umbrella. It was cold and it was wet. Even her thick fur would not protect her from cold when wet. She would need to find shelter or else she would catch her death of cold.
Sylva looked around. She was in a forest clearing, alone. There was one path leading out of the clearing. That was odd. Why would there only be one path? It was as if this clearing was not part of a pathway, but a destination in itself. It was very odd. Nonetheless, the pathway was a beacon of hope and safety to her. This pathway would surely lead to civilization, would it not?
She was almost afraid to get to civilization, though. Surely, the creatures in this dimension ere not the same as the creatures in her home dimension. A skunk being would not fit in here, she felt. But on the brighter side, perhaps the people of this dimension would not be so frightened by the power she held. Her power was very much feared in her home dimension.
Sylva rushed down the pathway. She knew that walking was proven to make a person less wet than running, but she was so soaked at this point that it didn’t really matter. The sooner she would get into shelter, the sooner she would be able to get warm again.
Sylva emerged in another clearing. This one was very large and had many pathways leading out of it. How was she to know which way to go? She supposed that the best way to go was probably the pathway directly across from the one she had just taken. And so she traveled down the path, cold and wet, hoping that it would lead her to shelter.
Perhaps this was some sort of forest dimension, where trees and pathways would go on forever and she could search forever without finding a house or even a cave. She sure hoped this wasn’t the case. Forests were a great place to visit, but she wouldn’t want to live in one.
Fortunately, the path she took did lead to shelter. It was a small building of polished wood. It had no windows and one rather large doorway with no door. The building looked as if it had only one room, albeit a large one, and it seemed to have no light coming from inside.
Sylva hesitantly walked over to the building. What if nobody was home? Entering would be rude. Or worse, what if the person inside was unfriendly? She was afraid just to approach this strange building, but she had to brave it. She knocked next to the doorway. “Um… hello? Is there anyone in there?” Sylva asked.
“Zzz… Hm…? Oh, yes indeed. Are you here to give a prayer or for something else?” a very high-pitched voice asked from within the shadows.
“I… I need shelter from the rain,” Sylva said, nervously.
“Ah, very well. Do come in, do come in,” the voice said, ending the sentence with a yawn.
Sylva slowly walked inside the temple. It was dark inside, but not too dark to see once one got used to it. There was nothing at all inside except for a small creature in the corner of the room. The creature had its eyes closed and seemed to be relaxing, if not asleep. This made sense, since the voice she had heard earlier sounded very sleepy. But was this tiny creature really the source of the speech earlier? It had to be, for there was nobody else around.
The creature looked almost like a fox, but it was much smaller and its fur much thicker, not to mention of a strange color: dark blue.
Sylva sat down next to the strange creature. She was not familiar with this creature, but it was surely an intelligent type. Perhaps it would help her to acquaint herself with her new surroundings. She most certainly wasn’t going to be able to survive out here on her own. But now was not the time to worry about that. This creature as probably already asleep… and perhaps she should be, too. She wondered how this being would react to her once it wakes up. After all, she wasn’t even sure if half-skunks existed in this dimension.
Sylva decided to push the worry to the back of her mind for now and she quickly fell asleep.

“Cold and wet, cold and wet… I don’t like cold and wet,” Amy complained, gazing boredly out the window.
“I dunno. I kinda like rainy days. It gives off a nice atmosphere,” Patch commented.
“Yeah, but you’re more used to being indoors than we are,” Amy said.
Ankh smirked a bit. “Well, let us just be glad that this rain did not hit a day earlier, during Perry’s birthday party.” Ankh winced a bit after saying that, for she had not fully healed from her injuries yet.
“I almost wish it had. At least yesterday we had something to do indoors,” Amy said.
Perry looked at Ankh, concerned. “Maybe you should lie down for a bit, Ankh. You still don’t look very well.”
Ankh nodded. She jumped up onto the sofa, the same one Amy was standing on to get her view of the outdoors, and laid down on it. Thinking retrospectively, perhaps joining the party yesterday when she should have been lying down was not such a good idea. Still, she wouldn’t have missed that party for the world.
Perry wondered how Erva was doing. It was hard for him to imagine being hidden in a box for hours without any sensation, much less on a regular basis. He could definitely see Erva’s point of view. The only reason he wasn’t wearing it at the moment was that the window was open and the lights inside was brighter than the outdoors. It would be easy for someone to peek in and see. For the same reason, Kane was not in the living room, preferring to remain hidden in his bedroom.
“We might as well get used to the cold part. It’s November, after all,” Shadow said. Specifically, it was November 4th.
“Yeah. Maybe it’ll snow soon,” Amy said hopefully.
“I didn’t even know you knew what snow is,” Patch said.
“We’ve heard of it, but… I’ve never actually seen it. I’ve heard it’s cold, but fun and beautiful,” Amy said.
“I don’t know… the snow-time activities I’ve heard about sound a bit too giddy to me,” Shadow said.
“Snow’s pretty cool. You can make snowmen and snow angels and have snowball fights and all sorts of stuff,” Patch said.
“I rest my case,” Shadow said. He paused for a moment, arching a non-existent eyebrow. “Wait, how can you make snowballs? You’re a bird.”
“I’m a robotic bird. I can grab stuff with my wings,” Patch said.
“Ah…” Shadow said.
CRACK-KABOOM! The sky outside lit up for a small moment, then dissipated as quickly and abruptly as it came. But while the lightning lit up the sky, Amy could have sworn that she saw a figure in the shadows. It seemed to be looking at the building. But after the lightning went out, the figure seemed to disappear into the shadows once more.

One good thing about being a wielder of crystal fire was that radiant warmth that made the cold weather warm and the raindrops quickly evaporate. Of course, she wondered how one would behold her if they didn’t know what she was. A dog steaming from the rain might resemble a spirit to the superstitious.
She knew that the vivu would not be out and about in such weather. She would have to wait until morning. In the meantime, she decided to rest underneath the leafy cover of a tree.

Birds chirping; the sun shining brightly through the doors; the crisp, fresh morning air… It was time to wake up. It was time for Granimus to start the day’s activities. The life of a priest of Vivida was not a particularly difficult one, but it was still a position of great responsibility.
Granimus could hear breathing. It seemed like the breath of a large creature, much larger even than the cocker spaniel who had visited this temple months ago. He opened his eyes and found his suspicions to be true. There was indeed someone else there, someone large. It looked like a giant skunk, except more built like a human. He had never seen a creature of the like… nor did he ever want to. His memory shifted back to last night, when a visitor had come inside while he was barely asleep, with his eyes closed. When he thought about it, the voice had sounded nothing like that of a vivu at all. Though his heart was pounding now, his mind was eased by the fact that this creature was obviously not hostile; if she were going to hurt him, she would have done it by now. Besides, if an evil force were to step foot inside the temple of Vivida, he would sense it clearly.
“Excuse me. Are you there, Father Granimus?”
Granimus looked to the temple exit, where the voice was coming from. And there, in a simple pink collar with a golden tag, was Trixy. “Ah, yes. Do come in, do come in. Just do not be loud, though. We have a sleeping guest.”
“Oh?” Trixy peered inside, at the half-skunk. “Oh dear, her clothes and fur are wet. She will catch ill if she is not warmed.”
Granimus took another look at the skunk girl. “By the heavens, you’re right. I should have seen it earlier. I think I can dry her off, especially here in the temple.” With that, he started a chant, the volume of a murmur yet the spirit that one would expect from a priest. The half-skunk glowed faintly cyan as the water on her fur and clothes evaporated.
“I see that you have grown more powerful since my last visit,” Trixy commented.
“Only by a spot, but yes, I suppose I have,” Granimus said, blushing a bit under his fur.
“I guess it is the tides of time at work. I have also grown more powerful with my Crystal Fire.”
“Have you found a way to put it to use yet?”
“Yes, actually. My crystal fire helped in escaping from a hollow statue.”
“A hollow statue? My word, how did you end up in a statue?”
“I’m not sure myself, but I heard that the name of the cat responsible is ‘Catrina’.”
Sylva’s eyes opened a bit. She felt… dry somehow. Had someone really taken the time to dry her off without her waking up? She looked near the entrance and saw the creature from before speaking with a dog. It was comforting to see at least one manner of beast that she recognized.
“Good morning. Might I ask your name?” Trixy asked Sylva.
Sylva smiled a bit. “My name is Sylva Xynthea. I came here seeking refuge.”
Trixy tilted her head in confusion and concern. “Refuge, you say? Whatever from? I do hope that it was only the rain.”
Sylva looked to the floor of the temple, in thought. “Yeah. Just the rain,” she lied. She did not want these potential friends to know about her terrible past. She decided it would be best to change the subject. “What are your names?”
“I am Trixy,” Trixy answered.
Granimus was a bit shaky. Though he could tell that Sylva meant no harm, he was nonetheless frightened by such a large being in his presence. “I am Father Granimus, priest of Vivida,” he said shakily.
“Vivida?” Sylva asked.
Granimus nodded. “Vivida is the goddess of the vivu, the great protector.”
“The vivu? What is the vivu?” Sylva inquired.
“You have not heard of vivu?” Trixy asked, as if such a prospect were nearly unheard of (which, in this dimension, it was).
“No, I haven’t. What is it?” Sylva asked.
“Not ‘it’, ‘they’. Granimus is a vivu. It’s his specie,” Trixy explained. Granimus nodded.
“Oh, I see now,” Sylva said.

“Amy, do you have to do this every time we come to Pizzachi’s Pizza?” Shadow asked.
Amy gulped down the bite of pizza. “Yup.”
“Haven’t you any pride, Amy?”
Amy walked over to another table and got into her begging position. “Nope.”

Ankh looked out to the horizon, deep in thought once more. It was not about vampires this time, but merely contemplation of the recent events. So much had happened lately. They had forged new friendships and had even done away with a threat to the town, though Catrina would still most certainly be back. Catrina. It was certain that Catrina would strike again, but nobody quite knew what to expect or when it would happen. Since the attack, cat owners and dog owners alike had grown more worried about the fate of their pets when the day of Catrina’s revenge would finally come. Not to mention, people would sometimes act a bit tensely around Valerie, for though it was established that Valerie was not truly behind the attack, people were worried that she would be chosen as a target once more and perhaps could already be possessed by Catrina.
In the distance, the morning shadow of a tree danced like wildfire. How peculiar. What could possibly make this sort of thing happen? She could find no logical explanation for it. Perhaps it was some sort of magic? But if that was the case, who had caused it… and why?

They looked like Granimus, same size and same fur type, but their eyes and their fur were all colored so different. Together, they almost resembled a rainbow, but in cute, miniature fox-like form. Except for Granimus, the vivu kept their distance from Sylva, still trying to muster up the courage to approach her.
“Don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you,” Sylva said softly.
From the crowd of vivu, a cerulean vivu with forest green eyes slowly, hesitantly approached, his ears folded back in fear.
Sylva slowly extended her hand to the vivu. Though the vivu flinched and shut his eyes tight, he stood his ground as Sylva gently moved her hand from the top of his head to the base of his tail. The vivu opened his eyes once more. That wasn’t so bad. In fact, being petted like that felt rather nice. Though still intimidated by Sylva’s size, he looked up at her as she continued petting him.
The other vivu approached as well, little by little, and she tried her best to distribute petting as equally as she could, though she definitely did not have enough hands to pet every one of them at once. She was happy that they all seemed to take a liking to her.
“I… my name is Chester,” the cerulean vivu said, still nervous.
Sylva smiled warmly. “And I am Sylva. Sylva Xynthea.”

“All that worry… from a moving shadow?” Shadow asked.
“No shadow would normally move in such a way,” Ankh said.
“I think it’s just your imagination. Besides, what can a shadow do? Shade us to death?”
“Still, this merits investigation.”
Amy poked her head out from under a table. “Just in time, too. I couldn’t eat another bite.”
“Come again soon,” the manager said as the three wolves left the restaurant to investigate.

“Evil… terrible evil…” Granimus said, pointing a paw.
Sylva looked to where Granimus was pointing and her heart skipped a beat. It was the dancing shadow of a tree.
How foolish she had been. Did she really think that crossing into another dimension would deter Slevrani from trying to re-enslave her? No, it would take much more than that. This shadow was part of Slevrani’s terrible sorcery. Anyone who wandered into the shadows would be trapped under Slevrani’s control.
But it did not make sense. Did Slevrani really expect Sylva to fall for the same trick twice? Or was Sylva not her target this time around? Was Slevrani searching for another slave?
“Wh-what’s going on?” a purple vivu stammered.
“Everyone, run away! Far away! And do not go into the dancing shadow, whatever you do!”
The vivu in the clearing were more than happy to oblige. Even Granimus fled back inside the temple. But Trixy stayed by Sylva’s side.
“What is going on? What can we do about this monstrous shadow?” Trixy asked.
“I don’t know… Just wait it out, I guess,” Sylva said, her heart racing with panic. She really didn’t know at all what to do. Her mind was at a stop. She wanted to do as the vivu had, run as far away as she could. But in the end, there was nowhere to run and nowhere to hide that Slevrani could not find her and capture her.

“And I repeat: All that worry… from a moving shadow,” Shadow said.
“It looks pretty unnatural to me,” Amy said, tilting her head in confusion.
“We’re darn close to it and it hasn’t bit, kicked, or even given a sinister poke yet,” Shadow said.
“But what could be causing it?” Ankh asked.
“Beats me,” Amy said.
“I think this is a bad omen,” Ankh said.
Shadow sighed and approached the dancing shadow. “Listen. I can even step in the shadow and…” Suddenly, as soon as Shadow was entirely within the dancing shadow, he felt the breath stolen away from him. He felt himself choking for lack of air.
“Oh no! Shadow! He can’t breathe!” Amy exclaimed.
Shadow could hear Amy, but her voice was distant and blurred. But there was one voice that was clear in his mind. It was the voice of a woman, speaking in a language that he did not know. But even so, the meaning of the words seemed clear to him: it meant to enslave him, turn him into a force of evil. Shadow didn’t know much about the person who was speaking to him through his mind, but whoever it was would soon be dead if he had anything to say about it. Suddenly, Shadow felt something piercing his mind. It was an overwhelming force, trying to take control of him, to force him under its power. But he was determined. He was not going to be anybody’s slave!
Ankh took a couple of deep breaths and tried her best to focus. It was hard, because she was on the verge of panic, but she managed to form a square sheet of psionic energy behind Shadow. It moved closer to Shadow, then pushed against him and pushed him out of the dancing shadow. Shadow gave no resistance and was soon pushed entirely back into the warmth of the sun.
The dancing shadow returned to normal, nothing more than the midmorning shadow of an oaken tree. But when Shadow looked up at Ankh and Amy, it was clear that he was not normal at all. His normally green eyes had become blood red and his eyes shone with a solid hatred and purest evil. His mouth had curled into a smirk of malice.
“Shadow! Shadow, snap out of it!” Amy pleaded.
“You two will be easy prey,” Shadow said, readying himself to strike, “My mistress awaits your blood.”

“The shadow… it stopped,” Sylva thought aloud. This was either a sign of good fortune or a sign that Slevrani had finally found a slave. The latter seemed more likely.
“What had caused it?” Trixy asked, hoping that the danger had truly passed.
“It… it’s nothing. Just forget it ever happened,” Sylva said, worried that they might find out. These people were so kind to her. But they would not be so kind if they knew what she was.
“But Sylva, I cannot forget this. And I need to know what it is, in case it ever shows up again. Maybe I can even help,” Trixy said.
Sylva thought for a moment. There was no harm in just telling Trixy the basic story, after all. The necromancy would just be a detail she would leave out. “Those shadows were caused by an evil sorceress named Slevrani. She creates those shadows when she searches for a slave and they don’t stop dancing until she finds one. When someone steps into a dancing shadow, the shadow takes them over and enslaves their mind.”
“So, some poor soul out there has been taken as a slave by Slevrani?” Trixy said, “That is truly horrible. There must be some way we can help them.”
Sylva looked down at the ground, saddened. “Unless Slevrani temporarily loosens her grip by mistake, there is only one way to free one of her slaves.”
By the tone, Trixy could tell what Sylva meant and it was not a pleasant solution. She did not wish to have to kill someone in order to free them. “Is there truly no other way?”
Sylva shook her head sadly. “There is only one other way… and that is to destroy Slevrani.”
Trixy stood up straight almost immediately. “Then that is what we must do,” she said dutifully.
Sylva was alarmed at this. “You can’t! You mustn’t! She’s too powerful!” she exclaimed. She had seen firsthand the true power of Slevrani and it was not a person she enjoyed the prospect of trifling with.
“If she is powerful, then let us gather allies. Perhaps Granimus can join us… maybe even a recent friend of mine can join us in the fight,” Trixy said.
“But what if we lose?” Sylva asked.
“I…I’ll join you,” a voice said. The cerulean vivu from earlier came out from behind a bush. “I’ve been training my strength. I think I can fight if you need it.”
“Are you sure you are in fit mind to fight?” Trixy asked.
The vivu was quivering, clearly terrified of the adventure that lay before him. “I’ll make it through. I just need to be strong. I need to be brave.”
“Remember this: You won’t be alone. If something happens, we’ll be there with you to help you and protect you,” Trixy consoled.
The vivu nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. My name’s Chester, by the way. I’ve been training myself for such a moment… I just hope it’s enough.”
“Don’t worry. I can heal you, if you need it,” Sylva said.
“I didn’t know you could heal. Are you a priest?” Trixy asked.
Sylva paused. “…I’d rather not go into it.”
“What is wrong? Nothing that can heal can be bad, can it?” Trixy said.
Sylva wondered how to explain this and worried that they might not like her after she told them. “It’s not bad, really… But it’s really misunderstood because a lot of bad people use it.” Sylva hesitated for a moment. “I’m a necromancer.”
“N-necromancer!?” Chester exclaimed, fleeing behind Trixy and quivering as if by an earthquake.
“Do not worry, Chester. She is not evil like most necromancers are,” Trixy consoled. Chester stood silent, still hesitant to get out from behind Trixy.
“Please… don’t be scared of me. I’m not a bad person. Really,” Sylva said.
Chester seemed to calm down a bit. He took a few hesitant steps toward Sylva, just as he had done earlier when he had first met her. And just as she had done that time, Sylva reached out and began to softly pet Chester.

“No… Shadow, please no…” Ankh softly pleaded.
“Shut up! And prepare to die!” Shadow yelled. He dashed at Ankh at tremendous speed and tackled her to the ground. He placed his right paw on Ankh’s throat. “I want to watch you die slowly and painfully.”
Amy had no time to think, just to act. She rushed up to Shadow and tackled him off of Ankh. Shadow kicked her off him. “You just made a big mistake!” Shadow yelled. He rushed toward Amy, but Ankh summoned a psionic barrier between the two. Shadow barely stopped in time.
“Shadow, stop! We’re your friends!” Amy begged.
“I have no friend but my mistress!” Shadow yelled.
Amy arched a non-existent eyebrow. “So… you’re sleeping with her?”
“Not that kind of mistress, you foolish girl!” Shadow exclaimed. Suddenly, he lunged at Amy, tackling her to the ground and placing his claws at her throat, as he did with Ankh. However, Amy was stronger than Ankh, stronger than Shadow, and certainly strong enough to toss Shadow back off – and that’s exactly what she did. “Shadow, stop!” she yelled again.
“Nothing can stop me now. It is only a matter of time before my mistress arrives and we destroy you,” Shadow announced.
“What about Perry? What about us?” Ankh asked.
“Worthless,” Shadow answered.

“I am still hesitant to leave the temple behind, but… there are other priests to tend it,” Granimus said, “I don’t like the idea of taking on such a big, nasty woman, though.”
“Neither do I, but we have to,” Sylva said.
“You said you were a necromancer, I believe?” Granimus said.
“Yes. But I’m not evil, I swear,” Sylva said.
“I believe you. If you were evil, I would have known as soon as you stepped foot within the temple. But Sylva… I am not sure our types of magic will react well together. If my magic starts to make you feel ill, tell me immediately,” Granimus said.
Sylva nodded. “I will. Now, shall we go find Slevrani?”
“Aye-aye…” Chester said, hesitantly.
“I am ready,” Granimus said, also nervous.
“But how will we find her?” Trixy asked.
“I know a way to get to the site of the possession. If we’re lucky, we will find Slevrani there,” Sylva said.
The four of them, led by Sylva, walked over to the shadow which had once been dancing, but was now merely an ordinary shadow. Sylva stepped within. “Come into the shadow,” she said.

Amy lunged at Shadow, but was easily dodged. While Amy was still regaining her balance from the attack, Shadow dashed toward her to ram her to the ground, but instead crashed into a psionic square that Ankh created at the last moment.
“I know your mind cannot hold out forever, Ankh!” Shadow yelled.
“Neither can your body,” Ankh said.
“Ankh, Amy… Your time is up,” said a female voice from above.
“My mistress, Slevrani,” Shadow said, looking skyward. Amy and Ankh looked up and saw that floating above them was a woman dressed in a hooded blue cloak. The cloak was drawn and, at this angle, they could not see her face.
Amy growled at the woman, knowing with fair certainty that this woman as the ‘mistress’ Shadow was speaking of. “Hey, you bully! Give us back our friend!” Amy didn’t care who this woman thought she was. This was the woman responsible for taking Shadow away from her, she knew, and that was simply unforgivable.
The woman landed immediately and gazed coldly at Amy. Her eyes were red and devoid of positive emotion. Her hair was black and long, flowing don and disappearing into the back of her cloak’s hood. She pulled her cloak’s hood down, allowing her hair to flow in the light breeze. Her lips curled into a malicious smile. “Would you care to make me?”
Suddenly, within the shadow of the tree, there was a small, purple light, growing larger by the second. “I recognize this magic anywhere, because I was the one who gave it to her,” the woman said.
“What is this you speak of? Is it reinforcements?” Ankh asked. This was not good. As it stood now, the two sides were even. But any reinforcements would be enough to tip that balance.
The woman laughed. “No, no. She probably wishes to kill me now. I’m surprised by her nerve, but no matter. She knows firsthand my immense power.”
Ankh was momentarily relieved. So, it was reinforcements on the side of good. But still, this woman definitely had to be powerful to take over Shadow. And that might just be the beginning.
Amy was glad that the people coming in wanted to kill this woman as much as she herself did. Nobody would take over her brother without a fight!
The glowing stopped. As the light faded out, a group of people faded in.
One looked almost like a skunk, but very human-like in appearance, like Kane and Perry. One was a cocker spaniel. And two were vivu.
“Trixy!” Amy called out.
“Amy!” Trixy responded, “Who was possessed?”
The half-skunk pointed at Shadow. “I detect Slevrani’s influence in him.”
The woman, Slevrani, spoke. “So, Sylva, you gathered some friends, did you? I could destroy you all here – I should destroy you all here – but I might break a nail. Fighting fair is so droll. Besides, I may need you again amongst my ranks.”
“Never again will I fall under your power!” Sylva yelled.
“W-we’re right behind you, S-Sylva,” Granimus stuttered.
“One h-hundred and ten p-percent,” Chester said.
Sylva laughed again. “This is your force? These are the people of your army? This is truly amusing!”
Granimus and Chester did not speak. They merely quaked in fear. Trixy looked over at the two. “Have courage. You are not alone. We are here to help you in the fight.”
“R-right,” Chester said.
“Come, Shadow,” Slevrani said.
“Yes, mistress,” Shadow said, walking toward her.
Ankh summoned a force square between Shadow and Slevrani. Suddenly, Slevrani sent a ball of magical energy at Ankh. Amy jumped in front of Ankh to take the hit, then Ankh summoned a square of psionic energy in front of Amy to protect her from the blast. The ball of magic was weakened when it hit the shield, but it shattered the shield and hit Amy dead-on, knocking her on top of Ankh. Ankh, weakened by having her psionic shield shattered, easily toppled over when Amy fell on her. Ankh did not have enough energy to maintain the other psionic square she had up, so it disappeared.
Shadow walked up to Slevrani. “Shall we go?”
“No, you’re staying here!” Sylva demanded.
Slevrani gazed at Sylva, who felt a chill run up her spine at the sight of Slevrani’s chilling gaze. “Don’t worry, Sylva. I know you miss me so, but you won’t be lonely. I’ll call some friends to play with you.”
Trixy breathed flames at Slevrani, but before they hit their mark, Slevrani and Shadow simply disappeared. The flames licked the air when Slevrani once was, but then disappeared as flames in midair often do.
“She’s gone. Sylva, where might she have gone?” Granimus asked.
“I think she fled back to her castle in Exgal Swamp,” Sylva said, sadly.
“Yeah, she’d better run! When I get her, *sniffle* I… I…” Amy broke into tears. “I want Shadow back!”
Trixy walked over to Amy. “Oh, cheer up, dear. We will help you get him back. With everyone’s help, he will come home again. You will see.”
“Shadow…” Ankh muttered softly. She remembered her reaction when Amy had gone missing, back on that rainy day at Pizzachi’s Pizza. Now, it was Shadow who was missing and she felt just as horrible. Why did it have to be Shadow? Why did such terrible things keep happening to her siblings?
But she couldn’t allow this catastrophe to make her lose hope. Now, more than ever before, what they needed was to band together. “We must gather our forces,” she said, choking back tears, “Tonight, at eight, we shall meet back here. And then, we shall seek out this madwoman and stop her once and for all.”
Sylva nodded. “I can lead you there. We must find as many allies as we can. We haven’t much time.”
“I am not only a wielder of crystal fire; I am also a show dog. My owner and I can supply various provisions and devices for our travel,” Trixy said.
“Maybe Perry can build us a little something, too,” Amy said.
“I can supply nothing more than prayers. Let us hope it is enough. Vivida guide us,” Granimus said.
Ankh sniffled. “Alright then. Let’s get going.”