His eyes vacant and glazed, Savrin sat slumped in his chair, his mind on other things, unmindful of the quiet approach of Ms. Valace, until a heavy book slammed down on the desk before him. Savrin shrieked and fell backwards, hitting the ground with a thump that sent titters of laughter through the other students.

"Master Savrin!" Celestine growled quietly, as she watched him scramble back into his chair. "How nice of you to rejoin us!"

"Ms Valace - I..." Stammered Savrin.

Retrieving her heavy book from his desk, she whirled way, her robes hissing against the stone floor as she returned to her lectern at the front of her class.

"If you find the study of magicks boring - " She spoke quietly, her voice cold and chilly. "Then I can not help but wonder how you would enjoy scrubbing down the hallway floor with a toothbrush?"

"Nice going Wolf-boy!" Abbalion jeered.

"Master Abbalion - you have wished to join him?" Celestine dropped her voice a touch, inflecting it with the power she held within her.

"Err - no miss!" Abbalion croaked, and he winced as Diane poked him in the ribs with an elbow.
 

With a sigh, Celestine shook her head and resumed her lecture.

"We were discussing the basic principles of magicks, and how they should not be used flippantly - or for practical jokes...” Celestine peered at Diane purposefully, making the young Diane blush and shrink back in her chair. "Magick is not to be used flippantly - as it carries a heavy responsibility, and also incredible danger to the ill-prepared, or easily swayed. With its power, you can do great things - or in the wrong hands - terrible things...."

"Ms Valace - is magick good or evil?" Abbalion spoke up.

Diane poked him in the ribs again, and even Savrin chuckled quietly, making the young coyote blush and withdraw himself in embarrassment.

"A very good question master Abbalion - something you *other* students would do well too listen too. In answer to your question, magick is neither good nor evil. It is the *intent* the magick is summoned and used for, that is the problem. If you are angry and hurting, and use magicks for evil, then it is not the fault of the magicks - they are impartial. It is the person weaving those magicks, that is acting out of evil intent."

As the wail of the bell went off, the students cheered and snapped their books closed and hurriedly stuffed them into their bags and roared like banshees for the door.

"Master Savrin - " Celestine breathed softly.

Savrin stopped dead, forced by the compulsion of his teacher’s magicks to turn towards her.

"Master Savrin - please - stay a moment." Celestine spoke.

"Now you've done it wolf-boy!" Abbalion laughed.

Diane punched her brother in the arm, and Savrin glared at Abbalion and whispered, then Abbalion squealed and clutched his tail, belting the burning tip against the doorframe.

"Master Savrin - cease and desist!" Celestine growled.

Savrin's face broke into a twisted grin, and Abbalion glared at him, then laughed good-naturedly.

"I'll get you boy - you just wait." Abbalion growled in mock anger.

"I look forward to it - " Savrin responded, his appearance menacing, but the look in his eyes betraying his friendship.

"Arrrgh - *men*!" Diane growled and stomped from the chamber.
 

Savrin and Abbalion exchanged glances, and the unsaid look spoke volumes. Abbalion chuckled and walked out of the chamber.

"Master Savrin - that was uncalled for - and you know it." Celestine spoke quietly. "Magicks - "

"Forgive me mistress - I...I just couldn't help myself.... I know I shouldn't use magic for such frivolous things, but there are times - “ Savrin replied, looking chastised.

"Forgiven - this time." Spoke the old feline, as she pushed her spectacles back up her narrow nose. "Now - what is wrong with you? You've been daydreaming more and more lately...is something troubling you?"

"It - yes mistress." Savrin sighed. "It is - "

Celestine sighed, and led the young firewolf hybrid to a chair and sat him down. Savrin sat in the chair, but he was shrunken - almost withered looking, burdened with the weight of the cosmos - or so it seemed.

"Tell me Savrin - " Celestine spoke, her magicks reaching out and soothing the tormented firewolf.

"It - its the Tai-far Queen - " Savrin growled, his paws suddenly gripping the chair arms in anger, then there was a sharp snap and Savrin yelped, looking at the broken armrests he held.

"Ahhh - " Nodded Celestine. "You're still troubled by nightmares of her?"

Sarvin's shoulders quivered and he nodded slowly.

"She can not hurt you now Savrin - she is a creature long turned to dust - in the distant past. I know only a little of her cruelty - and what she done to you - but you must put it behind you Savrin. She can not hurt you anymore...."

Savrin rose and he straightened himself, and Celestine involuntarily shuddered, feeling the cold flames of rage and hate that were building in Savrin.

"You do not understand!" Savrin suddenly screamed. "She is here - *now*! I draw breath and smell her stink - I see her black eyes gleaming from every shadow - I am telling you, she is here...now!"

Without another word, Savrin bolted from the chamber, leaving Celestine gasping, never having felt such anger in all her years.

*

In an ancient temple, deep below the city, hunched figures in their hundreds moaned and weaved, their hollow eerie voices raised in dark prayer. The temple itself was shadowy, lit only by flickering torches that flickered and guttered in the sconces amongst the black granite pillars that supported the ceiling. By no stretch of the imagination was this temple dedicated to any kind, loving god - as the frescoes painted on the walls and ceiling showed acts of violence, depravity and cruelty. Standing at the altar, a black robed creature stood, holding aloft a pure black wavy-bladed dagger, as the sobbing cries of a creature on the altar pealed forth.

Raising the dagger higher, the figure then plunged it down, and there was a sickening crunch - and a black robed figure held its paws aloft, the fur slick with blood, as it held up the young anthro's heart. Blood from the sacrifice dribbled down the altar, as it turned around and threw the heart into a blazing brazier, that stood just in front of the altar, as he intoned dark words of power, and reverently opened a ebony Canopic jar and sprinkled the dust within into the brazier, which began churning out a choking smoke, the flesh crisping and sizzling on the hot coals.

"Dark Mistress - across the worlds we call out to you! Come to us - come to us - come too...” He chanted.

Silence gripped the throng, as they waited and watched on.

"Across the worlds we call - come to us now - come too - urk..."

Gasping, the black-robed figure tore his hood back, exposing the mottled colours of a sewer-rat. His muzzle wrinkled as he began choking and convulsing, then he screamed in mortal agony as it felt as if something were tearing him apart internally. He dropped the sacrificial dagger that clanged off the floor, as he shrieked again and started clawing at his muzzle his claw-tips gouging great furrows in the soft fur.

"She comes...she comes...she comes...." chanted the crowd eerily.

"No.it...it can not be..." Shrieked the rodent, as he felt the sickening crushing feeling of magicks beyond his comprehension seize him in an iron like grasp.

His robes began bulging at the stomach, and he screamed helplessly, as they split and tore, revealing the fur of his stomach heaving and roiling, as it grew larger and larger - impossibly so.

"Noooo - " Screamed the rodent...it was the last he would ever utter.

His stomach tore open, his entrails spilling across the platform, as some black, sinuous figure tore itself free and collapsed, gasping and retching. It squealed and convulsed, as its form began to twist, the bones snapping and fur rippling, as it grew swiftly, the agonising screams nearly killing all within earshot, as the wails rang from the temple walls. Slowly, it rose on bloodied paws and stretched languidly, revealing the unmistakable form of a female weasel, her black eyes blazing with bloodlust and anger, as she smoothed down her blood lathered fur, then grinned and licked her paws clean, shivering in hunger.

"Hail Yuira - hail Yuira - hail Yuira - " Came the rising cacophony of voices, as they sank to their knees before their resurrected Queen.

Blinking and wiping blood from her eyes, Yuira looked around at her devoted worshippers - who treated her as a Goddess. She was unhappy with only a few hundred of her faithful - but it had been enough to bring her back to life...and now...nothing was going to stop her!

Tilting her head back, Yuira let forth a scream of pure, frenzied bloodlust and hate, that struck dead dozens of her faithful, as she stole their life essence to give herself the strength and power she craved. Satisfied, Yuira glared at her followers, and she looked at her bloodied paws, from which ebony lightning crackled ominously, as she stretched.

"I have returned my faithful - " Yuira growled quietly, her voice chilling all who heard it. "Now - I shall have my revenge..."

*

Coral'mi blinked her sea-green eyes, and looked up from within the seawater pool, in which she slept. Blurrily, she could see an anguished young creature looking down at her. Breaking the surface, Coral'mi blinked, and then wiped her webbed paws across her eyes, breathing in the scent of fear.

"Mother Coral'mi - come quick!" Diane wept. "Oh please - you must come!"

Coral'mi blinked again, then stepped from her pool and hurriedly pulled a robe around her, as she tightened the belt.

"Miss Mail'lar - " Coral'mi coughed softly. "It is 4am - what in the great sea's do you think you're doing?"

"I...Dorm-mother - I...I can't explain - oh - its terrible...please - you *must* come!" Diane wept, tugging on Coral’mi paw.

Wringing out her bluish tinged hair, Coral'mi flicked her ears and quickly followed the tearful Diane back to the student's dormitories, from which came a primal shrieking. Slamming open the door, she took the destroyed dormitory room in a single glance, and saw the crumpled figure of Abbalion - blood oozing from a deep slash across his chest...but what frightened her, was the irrational Savrin, who cowered in the corner, his bloodied sword gripped in his paws, the look of pure madness in his eyes.

"Kill - kill you...all...” Savrin babbled.

As he charged Coral'mi, she stood her ground and Diane screamed - but Coral'mi just stared at Savrin, then her paw shot out and she snapped a command, freezing the firewolf in his tracks like a statue.

"Master Savrin!" Coral'mi snarled. "What in the great sea has gotten into you!"

"Kill - she...kill you...tear your...” Savrin babbled again, then he giggled with madness.

Coral'mi blinked slowly, the approached and laid her webbed paws either side of Savrin's head, and closed her eyes...then with a shriek like his soul was torn from his body, Savrin bucked in Coral'mi's paws and the madness fled him. He looked at the fallen Abbalion and then into the compassionate eyes of Coral'mi.

"Mother - she...is...” Savrin wept.

"Calm young one - who is what?" Coral'mi whispered, keeping Savrin's eyes fixed with her own.

"It... Its Yuira - she's back...and coming for me!" Savrin wailed, as he enfolded the stunned Water horse in a crushing embrace.

Diane gasped, and even Coral'mi shuddered, as she probed the Firewolf’s mind, and then stretched out her senses to Abbilion. He was alive, but badly hurt.

"Shhh - " Coral'mi whispered soothing to Savrin. "Its just a nightmare Savrin - Yuira is dead - you know that."

"No!" Savrin screamed. "Yuira is alive...here...now! She is coming to get her vengeance on me for what I done!"

Coral'mi blinked and shivered, then stretched out with her senses and powers, then suddenly stiffened in pain, as she felt some massive dark energy seize her and crush her will. Barely, Coral'mi shook it off and fled back to her own body, sweat erupting over her body.

"Oh Great Sea-mother - " Coral'mi gasped.

*

Back in the temple, Yuira froze and her eyes went glazed, as she felt the power of the water-horse try to sneak up on her and spy on her. With a savage counter-strike, Yuira ensnared the Water horse’s spirit, and squeezed. Elusive as water, Coral'mi's essence slipped away and fled back to where it came.

"So - " Gasped Yuira. "That firewolf has friends now - mmmm...powerful friends indeed.... They are nothing compared to what I am - and yes Water horse - I know your taste now.... I know what you are - and I will make you wish your people had never been born...."

*

Coral'mi rocked with the power that lashed her psyche, and if it had not been for Savrin holding her as tightly as he was, she would have fallen.

"Oh Great Sea's - " Coral'mi gasped, her eyes wide, nostrils flaring and ears pasted flat. "Yuira’s back - "