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.Yet, he felt it.The tingling power of it, raising the hackles at his neck.He paused, thenstarted to say something.and a heartbeat later he froze, his body turned instantly to stone.His friends gaped as he toppled over, the force of the fall snapping offhis arm inside his armor, the arm bouncing once to lay nearby.They would notappreciate the beauty of it, of course.Flesh turned to stone resembleddelicately carved marble, pale veins of stone where living veins once were,each hair carved with delicate precision.No, they would hardly appreciate thebeauty of it, given that they would be next.Vesta and I turned our gaze to the second crossbow-armed soldier,concentrating, exerting our will.He was shouting to his friends, running tohis fallen companion.when suddenly he, too froze, his swiftly moving body tumbling to theground, bouncing, shattering and snapping into several armor-covered pieces.The others clapped their helmets back on their heads, and the machinearose again."The glass!" I hissed."The man inside the machine sees through it!""But it's all enchanted, chieftess, we cannot affect him through it!""We can if he meets our gaze with his eyes!" I replied, and rose to myfeet, glaring at the machine with all the will I could muster.The soldiers shouted, and the machine turned, it's bird-like legs steppingswiftly.The arms of the machine raised, and a sound of power building came tomy ears as it pointed it's arms at me.Then I felt it.That sudden snap, the feel of eye to eye across thedistance, the knowledge that the hidden pilot had met my gaze.Page 208 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlThe machine mis-stepped, then fell forward, it's arms rammed deep into theearth by it's weight as the humming sound of power grew louder, and louder."Chieftess, get down!" Vesta yelled, grabbing my arm and pulling me downbeside her.A heartbeat later, the machine burst asunder in a mighty blast of flameand thunder, scattered pieces of metal bouncing and rolling before coming to arest many paces away.The soldiers arose from where the explosion had knocked them down, thengripped their axe-staves again.Their armor had saved them - and at a shoutedorder, they charged us."Up!" I hissed, rising."Run! Come on!"Vesta nodded, rising swiftly to her feet, and we ran into the forest.Darting between the trees, running, we could hear the soldiers behind us.Their enchanted armor did not weigh them down, they ran as swiftly as thoughthey were as naked as Vesta and I."Keep running, we're nearly there!"Vesta nodded, panting, and soon we had dashed up into the clearing.Mymaster sat atop the same tree-stump I had left him on.He rose as we rantowards him."Ah, you have returned," he called calmly."I was concerned fromthe blast I heard that something untoward had happened.""No, master," I panted."They're right behind us, though.""Ah, good.Carry on, then - my reach in my animuary should only be fifteenpaces, but stay a good thirty or more away, just to be certain.I only hope itwill be safe in the hollow of this tree-stump.For some reason, it's actuallyquite disquieting to think of one's soul being so naked, and perhaps easilydestroyed.""Their machine is gone, master - it exploded.It will be safe.""Let's hope so, I - ah, there they are," he said, gazing to the edge ofthe clearing."Do run along, Haifa," he said, and began walking towards theapproaching soldiers.I nodded, grabbing Vesta's hand, and ran as fast as I could.My master wasskilled and deadly with his staff, he could likely hold them off for severalmoments before they smashed him to bits.He had eschewed sorcery, for fear ofthe delicate crystal vial that was his animuary.A tiny thing, smaller than mylittlest finger, the lead-sealed stopper held a tiny curl of hair within thevial - and, through sorcery, my master's soul.Page 209 ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlI heard the ringing crack of staff on staff for several moments as we ran,swiftly leaving the clearing and darting into the woods.Then, a dry crunch asthe Invaders finally surrounded him, and began swinging at him at odds of fourto one.He could not possibly parry that many.My heart skipped a beat as Iheard his feeble cry, and the sound of his bones being smashed to flinders bythe enemy's heavy axe-staves.I skidded to a stop, and turned to look.and there, a good sixty paces away, the soldiers were smashing what wasleft of my master, their shouts those of anger.A moment, then two.And suddenly one of them paused, trembling.He staggered, dropping hisaxe-staff and stepping back, a horrible wail coming from his throat as mymaster's spirit lashed out from his animuary, gripping his soul, crushing it,then scattering it to nothingness.Beneath his armor, his flesh flowed, thepower of the spell of hidden life manifest as my master reflexively shaped hisenemy's body into his own.Then the soldier stood steady, and held out his armored hand.My master'sstaff flashed to his hand, and he shouted a swift incantation, lashing outwith his free hand
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