Quick eyes looked in every direction and he saw the tendrils of power growing like the limbs of a tree to connect all metal things that remained in the tomb: buckles, coins, swords, cauldrons. Siouxsie wasn’t going to zap the monster…she was trying to cook it! The gel was magical of course, but made of gel and liquid goo all the same. And as the pillars of power grew and expanded to connect and conduct outward, the goo-like substance making the fiend began to sizzle and boil. Sculch must have begun to feel the heat as the expression upon his large face started to twist and grimace.

  “What are you doing?” he yelled “Stop this at once!”

  “I think not, Sculch!” Siouxsie yelled over the sound of splitting air and energy. “You should have stayed hidden in the shadows and left us alone! But here it is! The reward you’ve waited all this time to receive! HERE IT COMES…..!!!!!!

  Morell began to feel weightless, his hands and feet and knees lifting from the ground like being suspended in an invisible pond. The heat grew and grew, sweat pouring from his pores and brow. The raucous power began to superheat everything it touched. The buckles and swords began to not only glow reds and oranges but whites as well! And all things not resistant to that power started to be consumed. The bones and skulls and funeral shrouds and rags began to disintegrate as though the spell were releasing the dead witches from their place in the physical world.

  “Stop!” cried Sculch “Stop ! you cannot!”

  “I am the whip crack in the sky! I am the unblinking eye! I’m the storm cloud’s final kiss! I am sky fire’s deadly bliss!

     “Thunder Asunder!”

  A light brighter than the highest summer sun filled the chamber. The hot beams stretching across the room increasing the air in the chamber to scorching temperatures. And as the power expanded, Sculch’s body no longer boiled but began to evaporate. The light consumed all. And at the last moment before the casting reached its conclusion, Siouxsie pitched her broom to the ground and threw herself over Morell, her cloak covering both of them like a tent. Sculch screamed his last.

  “Auuuggghhh! curse you wretched child! I curse youuuuuuu!”

  Unable to fight any longer, Sculch’s body gave up its physical form and exploded, spraying his deadly acid in every direction. And as fast as the light had taken everything, the darkness came slamming back to finish the spell. A shockwave rattled every part of Oldvale, shaking all with a great quake. The pillar of power retreated from the tomb, the shaft, the fountain, and launched itself back into the sky where it dispersed the raging clouds. And in the time it takes to breathe three times, the winds calmed and died to leave the companions bewildered and in awe of what they’d beheld.

  “It’s…it’s over now?” asked Loxo.

  “Siouxsie!” Robert yelled, fighting free of Atticus. He ran as fast as his winklepickers would carry him before throwing himself down the fountain drain.

  “Robert, get back here!” Ignatius called before charging after him. Once the witches were gone, the faun, pirate, prince and soldier climbed out of their makeshift shelter to look upon the destruction caused by the dangerous winds. Large trees over a hundred years old each had been uprooted and tossed like discarded toys to dot the landscape. The group was almost to the fountain when Hoxley noticed the fading traces of arcane sigils burnt into the stone where the lightning had struck it. Hundreds, thousands of tiny unfamiliar shapes glowing their last before fading into nothingness leaving tiny wisps of smoke.

  “In all my days….” Atticus marveled, still looking upon the sky as the last of the clouds vanished to show stars again. “I have never seen the like…”

  “Look at the stone!” exclaimed Prince Damron as he pointed around the well. “It’s been scorched and melted around the hole!” As they got closer, they could hear Morell bawling. Hoxley clopped over to the edge and looked down.

  “Ignatius?”” Hoxley yelled down the shaft. “Ignatius, what’s happening?”

  “The monster is gone!” He yelled. “I’m bringing Morell and Siouxsie out! Meet us at the southern stairs and bring water!” Hoxley turned to the pirate.

  “Loxo, fetch all the canteens and water skins!” she pointed. “Go! Now!”

  “At once!” he answered with a phony salute before running to collect them. Everyone else followed Hoxley to the south side of the ruins where she used her spear’s sharp blade to clear the undergrowth that had hidden the entrance before. No sooner than she had, Ignatius stepped up into the light cradling Siouxsie without her cloak or hat and Morell following. Robert followed close behind with an armload of brooms, a lute, a large book, and pouches full of trinkets. Once they were off the stairs and into the grass, Ignatius gently laid his sister upon the ground and put his ear to her mouth.

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  “She’s breathing!” he gushed with relief “Thank every shining star! Morell, sit down!” the boy continued crying. When Robert dumped the items and held the glowing gel up for some light, the others could see welled tears in his eyes and faint red patches on his face and arms.

  “Good gracious!” Atticus exclaimed “What’s happened to him? Is that a rash?”

  “A burn.” Ignatius answered. “An acid burn as a final farewell gift from that gelatinous fiend.” The pirate came sprinting back with plenty of water and followed the witch’s orders to begin pouring it over the red splotches. Morell gave pitiful tortured whimpers as he was doused but seemed accepting for the cooling effect of the water. “Wake up, sister.” Ignatius said, cradling the girl once more in his lap. “Wake up my little spellcaster. Please wake my little spark.”

  “Look at her hair.” Said Prince Damron pointed with some astonishment. Everyone looked to find what had amazed him so. A long patch of her hair starting just above her forehead had lost its black color and changed to become completely silver streak stretching all the way to the end of the long strands by her chest.

  “A new magic mark!” Robert said with shock. A few feet away, Morell’s sobs lessened and he found the breath to speak again.

  “She used a spell in her book and it made her lightning stronger.”

  “I’ll say it did.” Gasped Atticus. “I’ve seen a lot of things in my day but I’ve never the sun rise twice in one day.” Siouxsie’s body jerked a little and she began to rouse as though she’d been sleeping.

  “Siouxsie?” asked Ignatius as he shook her a little to wake her faster “Siouxsie are you hurt?”

  “N-no.” she croaked in a raspy whisper. “Is Morell here?” Hearing her speak his name, Morell perked up and scooted on his butt to close the distance between them before taking her hand. She didn’t look up but smiled and squeezed it before letting go and feeling herself on the arms legs and chest. “Where? Where is my cloak?” she felt her head. “Where is my hat?”

  “Your cloak and hat were eaten by acid.” Robert told her. “You’re lucky that’s all you lost. The cloak and had acted like a shield long enough to keep you from being devoured. Morell has a few small burns but they’re very mild. They shouldn’t scar him too much.”

  “What about my bats?” she asked. “Where are my bats?”

  “They should return if you call them.” said her larger brother. Siouxsie cough then licked her lips. *NOOK*NOOK*NOOK* she clicked with her mouth. Everyone stopped to look to the sky, and after a few moments a small flurry of black bats and one white one came flitting back to circle around overhead.

  “Now I have nowhere to keep them.” She said Robert responded by opening his cloak. *NOOK*NOOK*NOOK* he clicked with his tongue. The bats hovered over to him and circled three times before vanishing within the open garment. *cough*cough* “My throat burns.” Siouxsie croaked “I need water.” Loxo handed over a waterskin and she sucked at it greedily before choking, coughing, then spitting some up on herself. She coughed some more and when she was done, she looked up to realize that every eye of the companions was upon her.

  “That was a very brave thing you did to save Morell.” Hoxley said, with a stamp of the butt of her spear upon the ground. “Well done, indeed.”

  “I’m glad she’s on our side.” added the prince. Despite everyone’s relief to have the pair back from the clutches of the monster, Atticus still wore a mask of dread upon his face.

  “Why the face?” asked Loxo.

  “That mammoth lightning bolt and storm she conjured was nothing natural. I imagine it could have been seen from leagues away. All this time we’ve been trying to stay hidden and here it is we’ve just raised the biggest flag in the whole land. I can’t help but feel her magic will draw unwanted attention. I think we should move on.”

  “I think you’re right.” Said Hoxley. “But where shall we go?” she asked as she looked about the group. “Our destination before now was the western kingdom and now that option is longer one that serves us. I am open to suggestions, but it must be for the purpose of securing a better position than we have now. I can’t be the only one tired of running in circles.” Each of the members looked to the others before hanging their head a little. None of them knew what to do next.