wn when the Priest raised his arms again.
	Blessed be the One! the man shouted, and the crowd shouted the same phrase in reply, raising their hands to the sky.  Tarrin, Dolanna, nor any of the others bothered to do the same.  Then again, since they were at the very back edge of the congregation, nobody seemed to notice.
	Show us the witch! someone shouted from the crowd, and there came a chant of Witch!  Witch! from the mob that got louder and more demanding as the seconds passed.  The Priest let it go on for a moment or two, then beckoned for the other man standing beside him to do something.  The man took a few steps over to a kneeling person on the platform, did something that Tarrin couldnt see, then hauled him up.
	Not onto his feet, into the air.
	This witch was nothing but a child!
	The man was holding up a child that could not be more than eight years old, small and thin and dressed in filthy rags, the figures hands and feet bound with heavy chains.  Here is your witch, caught practicing his foul magic in your very town! the man screamed.  This I attest under vow to the One!
	Rather than be offended that their witch was only a child, the crowd immediately started screaming hysterically, calls for the child to be executed, beheaded, to have his entrailed ripped out with hooks, and even more vicious things.  The people had no care that the one they wanted destroyed was nothing but a child.
	Tarrin balled his hand into a fist.  He was not about to let these maniacs kill a child, but to intervene would reveal to the town that he too was a witch.  He struggled within himself for a long moment, knowing that he was going to put them all in danger if he stepped in, yet unwilling to allow what was about to happen come about.
	The vrock turned and looked directly at him.  Tarrin tried to get his emotions under control, ducking down just a bit to hide in the crowd since he was taller than most everyone else.  But the Demon continued to stare in his direction, and the reddish eyes of the monster began to glow visibly.
	Damn, Tarrin muttered.  Dolanna, go that way.  I think the Demon sees me.
	How would-oh, she said seriously, remembering when he told her that Demons could see him for what he really was, just as he could see them.  What do you want us to do?
	Get away from me, he answered.  If it comes at us, Ill make sure they dont even think about you.
	Very well.  If it is needful, we will meet you in the forest.  I am sure you can find us.
	Easily, he said as he ducked down and moved away from them.  Dolanna shooed the others in the other direction, putting distance between them.  The Demon kept staring in his direction, and it tightened its grip on its glaive.  Tarrin realized that the crowd had quieted down somewhat, and he raised his eyes to look and see what was going on.  The Priest was ranting about the evil of the Defiled, and how they were about to send the evil witch to eternal torment in the Haunted Lands, and then he spouted off about the glories of the One, but Tarrins eyes were locked on that Demon, and its eyes kept looking right in his direction.
	And now it is time to have the Defiled destroy their own! the Priest shouted as the crowd fell silent in dreadful anticipation.  The time has come to rid our world of the stain of evil and send this witchs soul to eternal torment in the Haunted Lands!  The Priest pointed at the Demon, but the Demon wasnt looking at him.  He gave a low call of command, and the Demon glanced at him in obvious irritation, then turned towards the child that the second man was still holding aloft.  Tarrin heard the other two scream, and his heart seized up when he recognized one of those voices.
	It was Zyrilin!
	Tarrin looked to the Demons immediate left and saw that it was Zyrilin, on her knees and her hands chained together, struggling against those chains now.  He realized that the chains were anchored to the platform to keep the prisoners from trying to escape, and both of the other children were now struggling agaisnt those chains desperately, almost hysterically, as the one held in the mans hands did not move.
	The Demon took one more step towards the child, then raised his glaive to spear the small form through the middle-
	And Tarrin lost all sense of self.  One moment he was standing there in disbelief, the next he was hurtling through the air towards the Demon, wings out, shapeshifted into his natural form, his black-bladed sword in his paws, and an infuriated, defiant shriek of outrage emanating form his lips, a sound that overwhelmed all other sound and stunned everyone into awed silence.  Trailing licks of fire from his wings, which had lost their usual smooth consistency in his fury, he lanced through the air right at the Demon, who had turned and raised its glaive to defend itself, both surprise and a kind of grim recognition in its eyes, as if it had suspected he was there but had not expected such a brash attack.  The blade of Tarrins sword seemed to erupt into flame, and fire burst from the fetlocks on his wrists and ankles, making Tarrin look like he was afire as he arced over the crowd and raised his sword to cleave the Demon right down the middle.
	It was not a clash of power or a meeting of weapons that heralded Tarrins arrival on the platform, but sudden deception.  The Demon simply vanished as Tarrin tried to cut him in half, his sword leaving a trail of fire behind it, and the enraged Were-cat barely had the presence of mind to remember some of the abilities of his foe.  He raised his weapon and spun just in time to parry aside the attempt from the Demon to spear him in the back, having teleported himself behind Tarrin as the Were-cat made his charge.  The Priest gave out a sudden cry, then immediately began chanting, but the other man cooly pulled out a dagger and moved to slit the throat of the child he held by one steady arm before him, who was not moving.  That look of cool reasoning evaporated into a shriek of terror, then agony, when Tarrin raised a paw and unleashed a concentrated blast of pure fire from his paw, which raced over the childs shoulder and immolated the mans head.  The man dropped the child and staggered back, and then, in a sickening display, his head literally exploded from the pressure of blood and fluid within the skull flash-boiled by the intense heat of Tarrins attack.  The headless body then fell backwards off the stage and landed on the ground below in a boneless heap, flame licking at the shoulders and arms of his red tabard.  The Priest started chanting in the language of magic, but Tarrin could do nothing about it as he turned to face the Demon.  Sword met glaive as the Were-cat parried a surprisingly subtle and deft series of shallow slashes and stabs from the weapon, then the vrock pressed the haft of his weapon against Tarrins sword, locking them in place as they pushed at one another.
	Forget magic, mortal fool, and grant me the power to summon! he heard the Demon command of the Priest telepathically.  Your magic wont do you any good against this enemy!
	The Priest nodded in understanding and pointed at the Demon with both hands.  Tarrin instantly moved to stop that, as he spread his wings and sent almost a dozen lances of living fire from their inner expanse, flying fast as arrows at the Priest.  They all impaled him at varying angles, making his body shudder horribly before Tarrin withdrew them and let the body fall, but he didnt do it fast enough.  The vrocks eyes glittered dangerously, and if it could smile with that beak, Tarrin knew it would have been doing so.  That close to the Demon, he felt its power reach beyond this dimension, towards that place where Demons existed, and call to its kin in a plea for help.
	This was the most dangerous aspect of Demonkind, he knew.  In Sennadar, they could not do this, but this was not Sennadar.  The Demon was summoning others of its kind, using its power to form a gateway between their worlds.  And each of those Demons could also summon other Demons.  Though only the original Demon could remain in this dimension, the others could only remain until the magic that granted them the power to come here waned and they were dragged back to their own dimension, they wouldnt need much more than a few moments.  He knew what would happen.  The vrock would summon other Demons and then back off and have them fight for it.  So long as it had the magical reserves, it could keep those other Demons here for as long as it could expend the magical power to hold them here.  If Tarrin could kill the vrock, the other Demons would be banished back to their own dimension.
	He was only vaguely away of the screaming of the humans in the crowd beyond the fence as he suddenly found himself surrounded by three glabrezu, who had appeared around him.  The dog-headed, four-armed menaces immediately attacked, using their huge pincered arms with their wicked points at the ends to impale Tarrin, but the Were-cat simply wove through them like a dancer, his burning sword flashing with arcs of fire as he retaliated in kind.  The pincered hand of one of them tumbled to the platform, twitching and clacking spasmodically, with a slash of Tarrins sword, but he was struck from behind by another, staggering him forward.  He made to cut one in half at the waist, but the huge Demon simply vanished as it teleported out of harms way.  A paw off his sword protected him from another stab, as he grabbed the pincer with his paw and pushed back, sliding his feet across the wooden platform.  He sensed another one coming from behind, so he slid aside as the one who had vanished tried to spear him in the back, right between the wings.  He lunged at the one whose hand he had severed, and it too vanished, but Tarrin had seen this trick once too often.  Spears of fire blasted out of the backs of his wings, flying outwards behind him, and they managed to reach the Demon just as it reappeared.  It howled in agony when the living fire pierced its flesh, and then fell off the platform and started dissolving into that hideous black ichor on the far side of the fence, just before the terrified crowd.  The attack so surprised one of the other glabrezu that it didnt move fast enough when Tarrin turned on it, and Tarrins burning sword sent its head flying into the crowd with a single powerful swipe.  Tarrin took two fast steps towards the last one, who looked suddenly nervous, and then he reared back and threw the sword, point first, right at its head.  It reflexively teleported itself out of harms way, but the glabrezu wasnt his intended target.  The vrock, who had had its line of sight blocked by the other Demon, did not see the sword until it was too late.  It looked as if it had tried to teleport out of the way, but the swords chisel tip caught it right over its heavy hooked beak.  Its head was slammed back by the force of the blow, and it crumpled to the platforms edge, slid a little, then tumbled off to fall to the churchs courtyard below.  The last Demons form wavered, and then it vanished as if it had been swallowed by dark smoke.
	There was dead silence from the crowd.  Without even a thought, he raised his paw, and his sword floated up from the ground below, its blade still bathed in fire.  His wings still pulsated irregularly with flame, illuminating the three children like it was a bonfire before them, two of them staring at him in terrified awe, frightened of him yet unable to look away.  He knelt quickly by the limp form of the third child, grabbing hold of the chain and snapping it with a flex of his paw.  The limp form of the child was so small, so very small, and it tore him up inside to see him, to think that they were about to murder him.  He put a finger thicker around than the childs wrist on his neck, and felt a very faint pulse.  He stood up and turned to regard the silenced, stunned crowd, and his wings suddenly flared into incadescent brilliance as his outrage spilled over into his wings.  You people are unbelievable! he raged at them.  Trying to murder a child!  How can you be so cruel?
	Get out of our town, you filthy creature! one brave person shouted at him.  All Defiled must die! another one shouted.  Its the will of the One God!
	One god? Tarrin shouted furiously.  Your all powerful god that sees all and can do anything?  Well where is he now? he raged.  He turned and pointed his sword at the ornate chapel behind him, and a blast of the hottest fire the world had ever seen lashed out from the tip.  It struck the building right in its stained glass window, and the entire impressive building simply detonated in a fiery explosion of smoke, fire, and debris.  The population of the town was blown off their feet, and smoking chunks of debris rained down on them.  Bring him out! Tarrin screamed at them, rising off the platform to hover over the square like Death Himself coming to take them all.  You follow a god that keeps you living in terror, and kills little children!  All Ive heard of your One God since coming here is purity and truth, while he has his Priests preach to you nothing but hate and fear.  Do you want truth?  I can give you truth! he raged.  Your One God is a liar and a bloody coward!  If hes as powerful as you think, then why isnt he here to kick my ass!  Does he fear a single mortal?  Am I too much for him?  Is a single Defiled so terrifying to him that he hides under his bed, afraid to come and face me?  Or does he not care about any of you enough to protect you now?
	He swept a scathing gaze across the populace, rage mixing with disgust, then turned back to the children.  He broke the chains of the other two, then turned and picked up the unconscious child, cradling him in his powerful arms.  The other two looked at him in awe, but the girl seemed to recognize him, putting her hands over her mouth and gaping in consternation.  Thats right, little bit, he told her gently, holding out his paw to her.  Do you want to fetch and carry for me again?
	She gave him a fearful smile.  A-Are you a witch? she asked in a bare whisper.
	Yes and no, he winked.  As you can see, Im not what I seem to be, but its not witchcraft.  Ill explain later.  Right now, I have to get you and your brothers somewhere safe.  He reached his paw out to her.  Here.  Come with me, little bit, and Ill protect you.  Youll always be safe with me.
	She reached out and put both her chained hands in his paw, and when she touched him, he felt the strangest feeling, a sense of peace, of security, of love.  There were also feelings of fear, of concern, of uncertainty, but under it all was also the strangest hint of power.  There was a power hidden within this thin, bedraggled young girl, a strange power that seemed familiar, yet at the same time was something he had never experienced before.  It was dormant, latent, lurking within her and simply waiting for it to be realized.  He didnt know what kind of power it was, but in a way, it seemed boundless.
	Are you going to blow them up, mister? the boy said in fearful excitement.
	Theyre not worth my time, he answered, standing up and glaring down at the terrified people of Dengal.  Now come here, both of you.  Stand with me.
	What are we going to do? the boy asked.
	Leave, he answered, snapping out his wings.  They grew larger, and larger, and even larger, until their span was nearly forty spans across.  He had never done this before, but he knew that it was more than possible, knew deep down inside himself.
	Fire was an element of change.
	The wings furled in upon them, covering him, the child in his arms, and the two at his feet, covering them, enveloping them, surrounding them in a warm sensation of utter protection.  The fire without expanded, grew, picked them up as it took form, as the fire expanded into an image, a form, of Tarrins own personal choice.  The fire grew and grew until a form of a dragon loomed over the square, a dragon made of living fire with Tarrin at its heart.  He closed his eyes and raised his consciousness up into the shell of his own creation, just as if he were pushing his consciousness into an image projected though the Weave.  Just as he became the illusion, he now became the dragon.
	That dragon, a dragon made of living golden fire, and safely holding within it Tarrin and the three children, opened eyes of glowing green and glared down at the terrified peoples of Dengal.  Then it spread its mighty wings and carried itself into the sky, a beacon of bright golden light illuminating the darkness, leaving the town and its burning chapel far behind, with only the sound of the young boy Telvens amazed, delighted laughter left behind for them to hear.

Chapter 3

	It took Tarrin a while to calm down, but the fact that he was flying managed to make that come about faster than, as well that the surprising condition in which he found himself.
	Simply put, he was the dragon.
	He was looking through its eyes, was hearing through its ears, he could even smell through its nose.  The form made of his living fire actually breathed, even though there was no internal organs within outside of the three people contained within it, but that breathing did supply air to those locked within the fiery expanse of its shape.  It feltstrange, to have his consciousness raised into his creation.  He was aware of his true body in a way that wasnt like how it was when he projected into the Weave, aware of it and able to see through his eyes, hear through his ears, and so forth, but that part of him seemed like an extension of his body, rather than the fireform dragon being the actual extension.  He could see and hear and smell through his real body, but he couldnt move. He found he could switch that distinction in his mind, shifting his consciousness between his true body and the fireform body, aware of both, capable of moving both, but forced to push his consciousness into one or the other, but not both simultaneously.  He found that his creation of his own living fire was faithful to the form, but lacked the powers of a dragon.  That was little loss, however, for he could still use his own powers while raised into his creation.  It had the proportioned size and shape, moved just like a dragon, but lacked its weight and lacked its magical powers.  The monstrous form, with a winspan of nearly sixty spans, weighed little more than the four mortal bodies contained within it.  Fire in and of itself was a nearly weightless substance.
	It was just so strange.  He looked down on the darkened expanse below him, aware that his brilliant body of living firecolored gold, probably because of his partiality to Fireflashwas visible for leagues in every direction.  He was a beacon of light in the moonless sky, and anyone awake and outside probably was looking at him right now.  In a way, he wanted that, for he wanted the others to see which way he was going and go that way, to follow the road to the northwest because that was what he was flying over.  It was something like pushing himself into a projected Illusion, but not entirely.  It felt more real, for he could feel with this fireform, and he could touch, where in an Illusion he could not.  He could feel the wind rushing past him as he flew northwest, could feel the surprisingly cool night air, even as he could feel the movements of the three children contained within the shape.  He had set it so they could see out of the fireform but could not be seen from the outside, looking out through windows to appreciate the fact that they were flying.
	But, as exhilerating as flying was, and as strange as this newfound ability seemed to be, he knew that he had to land and hide.  Once they got over the shock, they were going to send a force out after him.  Besides, he needed to check on the unconscious boy, and he wanted to do that on the ground.  That, and he felt they deserved a little explanation, and probably some reassurance.  He had little doubt that they rather unsettled at the moment.
	So, rather suddenly, he lowered his head and dove down towards the ground at a surprising rate of speed.  The girl, Zyrinin, gave a squeal of fright as the feeling of weightlessness gripped her, but the boy Telven just laughed delightedly.  He aimed for a very small clearing in the forest canopy, which had no signs of life in it outside of grass and a single fallen tree laying beside a very small brook that cut through the middle of it.  He landed by that tree, fiery feet touching the cool grass, and as soon as he was safely down, he withdrew from his fireform and reversed the process that created it.  The fire of its body wavered irregularly, then it compacted, compressed, swirled down smaller and smaller until it was again nothing more than his own wings furled around the four of them.  He then opened his wings, reducing them to their normal size and folding them behind his back.  The girl looked a little traumatized, but the boy just laughed and jumped up and down in place a couple of times.  That was so neat!  Lets do it again! he cried out.
	Tarrin didnt listen to him, however, as he set the small body in his arms down on the grass, leaning his head against the log, and inspected him.  He was thin as a stick, gaunt, and a bit pale.  There was dried blood on the back of his head, and an impressive knot underneath itthe reason he was unconscious, most likely.  Despite that injury, his breathing was strong, and his heartbeat was steady.
	Jal! the girl cried, kneeling beside him, putting her hand on his forehead and taking hold of his hand with her other.  Is he going to be alright, my Lord? she asked fearfully.
	Obviously, concern over her brother even overruled the dramatic manner in which they escaped from Dengal.  Looks like a bump on the head is all, he answered her gently.  With a little sleep, hell be just fine.
	Are you a Defiled, mister? the boy Telven asked him boldly.  Like Jal?
	Telven! Zyrinin said sharply.
	Thats no such thing as a Defiled, Tarrin snorted.  I know magic, yes, but magics not evil.  If magic was evil, wouldnt that mean that the Priests of the One, who use magic, are Defiled too?
	Telven looked at him.  Well, arent they the pure?
	Tarrin snorted again, more darkly, and stood up.  Umm, my Lord? Zyrinin said meekly.  What do we do now?
	We wait, he answered.  My friends are going to come this way, and when they get here, well get you three out of here and somewhere safe.  He gave her a level stare.  And dont call me Lord.  My name is Tarrin, as you recall.  Im rather fond of it.
	Yes, my
	Aaat! he cut her off, which made Telven giggle.
	T-Tarrin, she said, giving him a shy smile.
	Better, he said with a curt nod.
	How did you, uh, she started, but he looked back at her and chuckled.
	Ill explain it later, he said as he withdrew his wings, retracted them into his back, then willed his skin to grow over them.  Is Jal really what they think he is? he asked.
	Uh, yes, myTarrin, Zyrilin answered honestly.  He can do witchcraft.
	Magic, he corrected her.  Witchcraft is something else.
	What is witchcraft then? Telven asked.
	A made-up term to make magic sound like something evil, he answered bluntly.
	But there is witchcraft, Zyrilin said astutely.  Else you wouldnt know what it takes to do it.
	He gave her a glance, and she flushed for speaking up.  Tarrin was mildly surprised; this girl was very observant.  Yes, there is such a thing as witchcraft, but it has nothing to do with what the Priests of the One say it does.  Witchcraft is also called Necromancy, at least where I come from, and thats magic that deals with death and the dead  Theres absolutely no way a half-grown child could so much as read a book about Necromancy.  Witchcraft is evil, but what they call witchcraft here is little more than a loose term for any kind of magical force thats not the Priest magic of the One.  If anyone in this place is practicing evil magic, its the Priests.  Theyre summoning Demons, he said with a hiss.
	But thats just them calling the Defiled to destroy the Defiled, Telven protested.  So they dont become unpure.
	Boy, when a Priest summons a Demon, that means that the god he worships has an agreement with the Demons to allow it, Tarrin said in a flat, dangerous manner, staring at him in a way that made the boy shrink back from him.  No pure god allows his Priests to do such a thing.  Demons are the enemies of the gods.
	But doesnt the One have power over everything?  Even the Defiled?  Even his enemies?
	Telven! Zyrilin hissed, behave!
	Boy, if the One controlled everything, then why are there Defiled? he asked in a powerful voice.  If theyre evil and must be destroyed, why doesnt he just destroy them?  Well?  Im waiting for an answer.
	Telven obviously had no answer for this, the major hole in what hed seen of the teachings of the One so far, so he fell silent.
	So, if youre not a witch, then what are you, Master Tarrin? Zyrilin asked, repeating her question.
	Theres no real term for what I do here in this place, he answered her.  Lets just say I use magic and leave it at that.
	A ghostly voice seemed to whisper out of the air to his right.  Tarrin, where are you?  It was Miranda, probably using one of her Priest spells.
	Im along the road northwest from the town, he answered.  Where are you now?
	Were still trapped in the town.  They havent opened the city gates.
	Tarrin swore.  Want me to come back and knock them down?
	No, you dont have to do that, Miranda replied with a laugh.  Were waiting for everything to settle down, then well get out and come to you.  Right now, Im tracing Kimmies movements through town so we can get back on her trail after we pick you up.
	Where is that voice coming from? Zyrilin asked.
	Quiet, little bit, Tarrin told her.  Are they coming after me? he asked.
	Miranda laughed.  Theyre still in shock, she replied.  I have to say, Tarrin, you know how to make a point.  There are pieces of that chapel laying out in the fields surrounding the town.  Theyre also a bit disorganized because you killed their highest-ranking Priest.  Is that child alright?  I dont see any blood on him.
	Youre using the scrying pool spell? he asked.
	Of course.
	I didnt realize you could use it to communicate.
	This is a different version of it.  A bit more advanced, she said with a slight chuckle.  How did you do that dragon thing?
	Ill explain it when you pick us up, he replied.  Well be waiting.
	Alright.  Be careful out there, Tarrin.
	He turned and looked back at the three children.  They were gaunt and dirty, and they looked both hungry and exhausted.  He wasnt sure if should feed them or let them sleep, but looking at them, seeing how upset and surprised they were, sleep wouldnt be easy.  So hed better feed them.  He stood up and turned his nose into the wind, testing the many scents he found within it, and detected no less than five animals that smelled familiar to him, squirrel, rabbit, groundhog, snake, and deer.  There was also a hint of bear in the air, but it was distant and a bit stale.
	There was also something on the grass under him.  He dropped to all fours and tested it, and found a very faint trace of human scentand horses.  It was very old, days, maybe even a ride.  The grass and ground also showed very faint signs of human activity, he saw.  A small group of humans had used this clearing as a camp several days ago.  To his surprise, theyd been careful not to damage the site, for it barely showed any hints that they were here.
	He stood up and looked back at the three children.  Telven and Zyrilin were obviously afraid, but Telven seemed to excited for it to affect him too much, and Zyrilin was too concerned for her youngest brother.  She sat beside him, stroking his hair, watching him carefully.  Obviously, those two needed something to do.
	Well probably be here until well after dawn, he told them.  You need food, and you need rest, so were building a camp.  Telven, take that stick laying over there and use it to tear up the ground right there, he said, pointing with a large finger.  We need to make a fire.  After youre done turning the ground over, stomp it down so its flat.
	Why do we do that? he asked curiously.
	So we dont catch fire to the grass, he answered.  Zyrilin, look around for small twigs and branches in the clearing and gather them into a pile by the firepit.  Im going to go get us something to eat.  After we have a little food, well get some sleep.
	What are we waiting for? Telven asked.
	My friends, he answered.  Theyre still in Dengal.  They have to come get us.
	Are they witches too? Telven asked.
	Telven! Zyrilin hissed hotly.
	Tarrin ignored that.  Do as I told you to do, he said, turning and walking towards the woods.  I wont be gone long, and Ill be within earshot.  If you need me, just yell, and Ill be right there.
	Tarrin could tell that Telven was too conditioned in the teachings of the perverted religion of the One to easily give up on his preconceptions.  But for some reason, Zyrilin seemed able to accept what Tarrin had said.  He put that aside and dealt with the food problem, which didnt last for very long.  He happened across a bedded herd of deer not far into the woods, in a large thicket, and moments later he had dinner thrown over one shoulder as he cleared the trees and returned to the tiny meadow.  Telven was about halfway done with the firepit, though he wasnt doing a very good job, and Zyrilin was gathering up the dead branches of the fallen tree and stacking them near where Telven was working.  She kept looking to Jal, and every time he so much as sighed, she rushed back over to him to check on him and make sure he was alright.
	Feeling that his normal form was intimidating them a little bit, he shifted into his human form and approached.  They stopped and watched him as he dropped the young doe to the ground, then knelt by it as he drew the dagger from his belt.  Well? he asked as Telven continued to stare.  We dont eat until you get that firepit ready, boy.  Youre holding up my dinner.
	How do you do that? Telven asked excitedly.  Make yourself look different?
	Its part of what I am, he answered casually as he started cleaning his kill and getting it ready