change the dark, dreary weight of their cha m ber. Turning away from his errant thought before it could for m , he m et their harsh stares. U nlike other Enchanters, he felt no fear regarding the i m pressive p o wer th e y wielded. Rather, he pitied th e m . Ma n y had alrea d y begun to show in the age that clung to their bodies the penance of their greed.
The oldest, and considered m ost powerful, M adget, began s peaking first on behalf of the group. “Kerrigan, it has been hundreds of y e ars since a foreigner has been allowed to enter our w orld. The foreigner was y o u, but the decision w as m ade by us—the Counselors of Enchantment. Your father does not have such authori t y , and m ust be punished for his behavior. It is the law.”
“Nobody will be punishing my father.” He glared back at th e m .
The Counselors gasped in astonish m ent. Thalius spoke up. “Let him s peak. Kerrigan, how can y ou support this decision ? ”
Kerrigan held his towering presence and position. Regardless of their power, th e y would not wield it against him for fear of his retribution. “For h o w m a n y centuries has my father faithful l y protected the Gatewa y ? Each t i m e a being from U pper World has fallen, he has watched it perish. This is not s o m e mindless beast, but one like u s. Would y o u cond e m n one like u s to death? We are not killers, and allowing her to die would have been m ur d er.”
The Counselors were silent, but the looks on their faces varied from red with anger to wide-e y ed with fear. He knew th e y w ere co m mun i ca t ing telepat h ic a l l y It w a s a talent th e y s hared.
“Regardless of my father’s alleged breach of protocol, there is another outrage that I bring before y o u this d a y . All these y e ars, I have been led by y o u , the Counselors, to believe that the U pper World is devoid of special powers. N ot the case, is i t ? ” Kerrigan paused, his hands knotting into fists. “Apparent l y , it is not i m possible for foreigners to co m e to our world. Since all y o u have led us to believe is less than the truth, perchance y ou could explain to m e wh y .
“W h y ? H ow is it that I’m s o special? Where did my powers co m e fro m ? Perhaps if y ou want to punish so m eone for breaking y o u r laws, it should be m e, a foreigner.”
He stood perfect l y still, watching Madget tap her long, y e l low nails on the m arb l e table. All ten were obviously co m mu n ica t ing telep a thic a l l y . K errigan wondered how they would answer his questions.
Thalius s poke again. “ We will need m ore time to think about this situation. For now, Todd m ust keep the foreigners in his lodge. Y ou are to watch them and report what y o u learn of th e m back to u s in three da y s’ t i m e. Todd will not be happy having visitors in his ho u se for even three da y s. With regards to y o u r second question, we, the Council, have decided Todd and Pad d y m a y explain to y ou h o w y o u c a m e to Enchantment. Th e y have our per m ission to do so. Report to u s in three da y s’ time, and we will decide the fate of both the foreigners and y o u r father.”
* * * *
Kerrigan took a stea d y i ng breath, and with rough m ov e m e nts, pulled on his ar m or. A good s parring m atch would clear his head. Cu r sing fluent l y , he sla m med the door, stalking down the corridor to find St r y k er.
Like the garg o y l e warriors, Kerrigan had next to nothing on except a s m all piece of leather hanging j u st below his hips. Leather bands holding his knives were strapped to his m assive ar m s. H i s m us c les were taut and rea d y for the fight.
The gargo y l e s stepped back as he walked toward the centre of the field, each one casting its e y es down in hopes it w ould not be the one to spar with him tod a y .
He s pied Str y k e r at the end of the field.
“Did it go that ba d ? Your look alone has alrea d y scared all the others aw a y . ” Str y ker raised his s
The oldest, and considered m ost powerful, M adget, began s peaking first on behalf of the group. “Kerrigan, it has been hundreds of y e ars since a foreigner has been allowed to enter our w orld. The foreigner was y o u, but the decision w as m ade by us—the Counselors of Enchantment. Your father does not have such authori t y , and m ust be punished for his behavior. It is the law.”
“Nobody will be punishing my father.” He glared back at th e m .
The Counselors gasped in astonish m ent. Thalius spoke up. “Let him s peak. Kerrigan, how can y ou support this decision ? ”
Kerrigan held his towering presence and position. Regardless of their power, th e y would not wield it against him for fear of his retribution. “For h o w m a n y centuries has my father faithful l y protected the Gatewa y ? Each t i m e a being from U pper World has fallen, he has watched it perish. This is not s o m e mindless beast, but one like u s. Would y o u cond e m n one like u s to death? We are not killers, and allowing her to die would have been m ur d er.”
The Counselors were silent, but the looks on their faces varied from red with anger to wide-e y ed with fear. He knew th e y w ere co m mun i ca t ing telepat h ic a l l y It w a s a talent th e y s hared.
“Regardless of my father’s alleged breach of protocol, there is another outrage that I bring before y o u this d a y . All these y e ars, I have been led by y o u , the Counselors, to believe that the U pper World is devoid of special powers. N ot the case, is i t ? ” Kerrigan paused, his hands knotting into fists. “Apparent l y , it is not i m possible for foreigners to co m e to our world. Since all y o u have led us to believe is less than the truth, perchance y ou could explain to m e wh y .
“W h y ? H ow is it that I’m s o special? Where did my powers co m e fro m ? Perhaps if y ou want to punish so m eone for breaking y o u r laws, it should be m e, a foreigner.”
He stood perfect l y still, watching Madget tap her long, y e l low nails on the m arb l e table. All ten were obviously co m mu n ica t ing telep a thic a l l y . K errigan wondered how they would answer his questions.
Thalius s poke again. “ We will need m ore time to think about this situation. For now, Todd m ust keep the foreigners in his lodge. Y ou are to watch them and report what y o u learn of th e m back to u s in three da y s’ t i m e. Todd will not be happy having visitors in his ho u se for even three da y s. With regards to y o u r second question, we, the Council, have decided Todd and Pad d y m a y explain to y ou h o w y o u c a m e to Enchantment. Th e y have our per m ission to do so. Report to u s in three da y s’ time, and we will decide the fate of both the foreigners and y o u r father.”
* * * *
Kerrigan took a stea d y i ng breath, and with rough m ov e m e nts, pulled on his ar m or. A good s parring m atch would clear his head. Cu r sing fluent l y , he sla m med the door, stalking down the corridor to find St r y k er.
Like the garg o y l e warriors, Kerrigan had next to nothing on except a s m all piece of leather hanging j u st below his hips. Leather bands holding his knives were strapped to his m assive ar m s. H i s m us c les were taut and rea d y for the fight.
The gargo y l e s stepped back as he walked toward the centre of the field, each one casting its e y es down in hopes it w ould not be the one to spar with him tod a y .
He s pied Str y k e r at the end of the field.
“Did it go that ba d ? Your look alone has alrea d y scared all the others aw a y . ” Str y ker raised his s
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