In the fifth chapter in the sequel to No Obligation, Becca earns an unexpected promotion and tries to explain why she does what she does to a curious kitsune. Chaos's champion comes to an understanding with her new ally, and Leander discovers why small towns may not be safer than big cities — where magic is concerned .

 

by Randalynn

###

“I'm an inveterate fox and not a hedgehog, so I always
think you should try everything." — Clifford Geertz

"There is this difference between genius and common
sense in a fox: Common sense is governed by circumstance,
but circumstance is governed by genius." - Josh Billings

"Then rose the seed of Chaos, and of Night,
To blot out order and extinguish light."
— Alexander Pope, The Dunciad

 

After the other vixens and I spent what felt like an endless afternoon chasing each other through the air, I floated weightless for a while in a perfect blue sky while the others floated around me like a cluster of furry clouds. The temperature was absolutely perfect, the air was fresh and clean, and I was enjoying my extended time in my fox form when Yukina spoke, a little bit of wonder in her voice.

“Look! Becca-chan is a three-tail now!”

I opened my eyes and looked down the length of my body. Peeking up between my legs were the white tips of three tails, where there had only been one before. I spun in the air, seeing my new tails wrap themselves around me, and suppressed a surge of unexpected joy before confusion set in. I turned in mid-air to face my friends.

“How could this happen? How could I not notice two extra tails? When did they grow?”

“They did not grow, Becca-chan,” Akiko said, a hint of a smile twitching at her muzzle. “They just appeared. We are magical creatures, after all.”

“But why now? I am still so young, as a kitsune.”

“The tails do not come with time, o bakana on'nanoko.” Hanako did a slow roll, all of her paws spread. “You should know that. They appear when you have earned them, no matter how long you have existed.”

“How did I do that?”

“With what you did during the summons,” Michiko chimed in. “When you were challenged, you thought as a true kitsune and turned our ability to see when something is right and when it is wrong to your advantage. You were sure enough about yourself to put your fate in the hands of all of us, and you were not found wanting.”

“She was both confident and clever,” Yukina said to Akiko, stretching as she floated past.

Akiko nodded. “It is our way.”

“Of course, Becca-chan, you know becoming a three-tail means so much more than just the next step in your growth as a kitsune,” Hanako said, suddenly still in the air. She looked at Michiko and Yukina, and they both nodded wisely.

“What else does it mean?” I asked.

Akiko bared her teeth in a predator’s grin. “It means you have more tails for us to chase ... and bite!”

I shot upwards into the endless sky with a skulk of vixen in pursuit.

###

Hours later, I was floating once again, this time alone. Warm breezes caressed my fur, and everything felt perfect. Still, even as I drifted blissfully, a small voice deep inside began whispering at me about things to do and places to be, but the perfection of the moment made it easy to ignore.

Still, I fidgeted slightly, shaking my head, and a new voice spoke a few inches above my head.

“Ah, Becca-chan,” Akiko said softly. “I can see your human half tugging at you.”

I rolled over to look into her eyes. “What do you mean?”

“Here, you are a three-tailed fox spirit, floating in a timeless place that exists only because Inari wills it. You have nothing to do and nowhere you need to be, because you can exist here forever, and not a single second will pass outside. For the first time ever, you are truly free. And part of you likes it, because for the first time you begin to see what it is like to be something other than human.”

I looked at her with a question in my eyes. Akiko sighed.

“As a human, you have endless responsibilities,” she explained. “But as a kitsune, you are responsible only as much as you choose to be. As a human, as the Advocate, you have sworn to fight for others against those who would prey on them to keep them safe. As kitsune, you can pick and choose your fights, for your own reasons. Or you could choose not to fight.”

She tilted her head. “As you have seen, kitsune can be selfish, but we can also choose to help. What you did for that boy and his family is an example.”

“You saw that?”

She smiled in the way only a fox can, with bared teeth and laughing eyes.

“Many of us have been watching you, Becca-chan. That was one of the ways we knew you were truly one of us. You acted as a kitsune and helped as we have helped in ages past — wisely, but with ... conditions. Still, as a kitsune, you do not have to help. Kitsune are not driven by the things humans created to compel them. Duty. Honor.”

I could feel Akiko thinking as she drifted above me.

“You need to understand where we came from. As you know, before we gained our magic, many of us were foxes. That’s what kitsune means, after all. Most of the rest of us were born to parents who had been foxes until they became kami. As animals, their goals were clearly defined. Survive. Breed. Protect their kits and their mates. Their lives as foxes depended upon stealth, and they fought only when there was no other choice.”

“When a fox becomes a creature of magic, he or she does not change overnight. We are still driven by what we knew in life. As time passes, we learn the value of having power and using it wisely.” She spun in the air to face me, and looked into my eyes. “But we never forget it is safer to choose not to use our power at all to help anyone but ourselves, and many do not.”

“Humans can choose to be selfish, too.” I began drifting towards the ground, far below, and Akiko followed me.

“True, but most of your kin embrace the concept of being a part of a society in some way, even if it is through something as small as obeying traffic laws. Foxes don’t usually gather together in large groups, but humans have an almost instinctual acceptance of the idea of community.”

We reached the ground and settled in, face to face. I wasn’t sure quite where to begin.

“Humans don’t create concepts like duty or honor,” I said slowly. “It is that ‘instinctual acceptance of community’ you talked about that makes us care. We feel we have a responsibility to help others, and we give those feelings names like duty or honor, but they’re part of us, just like they are part of fox nature, too.”

“How can that be?”

“Well, as you said, foxes understand the need to protect their kits and their mates. If you take the next step and include every fox, every kitsune, everywhere ... you would get the sense of what drives humans to care about each other.”

Akiko sat before me, our faces inches apart. I could almost feel her thinking, weighing the things we discussed behind her eyes. I gave her the time she needed, and eventually, she spoke.

“I understand protecting my mate and my kits, even though I do not have either yet,” she said. “As you said, it is part of who we are. But to include all kitsune, everywhere? I saw it in both you and your mother when you volunteered to help others have kits of their own. But when I try to move in my mind towards a community of kitsune? I cannot grasp it.”

It was my turn to think.

“When my mother and I were one, for a time,” I replied, “she gained a deeper knowledge of what it means to be human. And as a kitsune, she has the power to help others of her kind. So perhaps her newfound understanding of what it means to be human makes her want to help as well.”

Akiko nodded. “I see. To fully understand, I would need to do what she did. Join with a human.”

“Yes, but that is a very big step, and you must choose who you join with wisely.” I spoke softly as I thought about the problem. “After all, not all humans understand the value of community.”

“There is another way.” Her nose wrinkled, and her lip twitched. “I could join with you.”

“Like what Akomachi did with me?”

“It is not nearly as deep as possession,” she replied. “But between kitsune, the bond is deep enough to let me experience how you think about community, even when you are one of us. With that taste, I can understand what drives you.”

“You need to think about this carefully. My ‘idea of community’ extends beyond humans alone, or even just humans and kitsune. All thinking creatures deserve my help, if I can give it.” I touched her nose with mine. “Are you sure you want my sense of obligation resting in your head?”

“All thinking creatures?” I nodded, and I could see her grow uneasy. “I would have to help all species, not just my own?”

“It doesn’t work that way. You choose who to help and who to ignore, remember?

Akiko turned away and began to pace, her own three tails twitching behind her.

“But I know you,” she said as she paced. “You don’t choose to ignore anybody. You just help, don’t you?”

“If I can,” I replied, watching her pace. “It gets harder not to help when you know you could, at least for me.”

After a minute, she stopped and looked over her shoulder.

“This decision is much too important to be made quickly.” Akiko tilted her head, and then shook it, like she had a fly in her ear. “Kitsune do not like obligations as a rule, but your need to help seems to be a part of both sides of you now. Learning more could change who I am ... in ways I may not wish to change.”

“Learning is like that.” I grinned, walked over to her, and nudged her gently. “We have centuries, Akiko-chan. Take your time. Talk to some of the others. And come visit if you’d like.”

“As for me, I need to get back to work. Akomachi has already left, and too much vacation makes me worry about what’s going on back home.”

“Nothing is going on at home, Becca,” Akiko said. She grinned, her mouth open with teeth bared. “No time has passed out there ... none at all.”

“In my experience, trouble always finds a way to overcome most obstacles.” I smiled back at her and touched her nose with mine. “Including when time stands still.”

With a leap, I flew upwards and performed a perfect barrel roll.

“Sayonara, my friend!”

###

Beyers stood in the alley, staring at nothing. She concentrated on reaching out to the Chaos magic she had been given and ... what, exactly? Talk with it? Negotiate? She had always used magic directly, as a tool to exert her will. Chaos magic seemed to be more like summoning a demon to do your bidding. It may or may not cooperate, depending on whether your goals and its goals were the same.

From out of the silence, a voice rose, swirling out of the background noise.

"You would call me a demon?”

The mage swallowed, and mentally stepped back.

"You haven't exactly been behaving like an ally. You may not be a demon, but you're behaving like one."

"I am a servant of Chaos.”

“As am I, and Chaos gave you to me to help me. Why do you fight me instead?

“Not instead, as well. I helped you, then hindered you by obeying instructions randomly, words or intent or both, on a whim.” The voice oozed satisfaction. “Much fun. Very … satisfying.

“This cannot continue,” Beyers said, a slight edge creeping into his tone. “We have a common goal, you and I — a powerful enemy to fight for your Master.”

“Then we will fight it as servants of Chaos always fight, alone. You will fight your way, and I will fight as I choose.”

“No, that’s not right!” The mage felt control of the conversation slipping away. “This body is weak and has no magic of its own. You were supposed to be my magic, my weapon, to work for me and with me.”

“No. Impossible. Cooperation breeds order.”

Beyers shook his head. “Not always. Many can work together to destroy as well as create”

“Many do, but they work together … alone.” The voice seemed agitated, almost frustrated. “Human, I cannot help you. It may seem to you I can make choices, but if it does, it is an illusion. The urges that drive my actions come from out of the darkness that is Chaos. I cooperate or compete with no thought of the past or future, consequences or regrets.”

Thinking quickly, the mage began to put together the framework of an idea. “The enemy Chaos wants us to fight serves order, while you and I serve Chaos. Chaos chose me because I can create plans to achieve a goal, even a chaotic one. Chaos brought us together to act on His behalf. Since I can plan and you cannot, our cooperation ensure success.”

“How is that possible?” The voice seemed almost anguished, twisted by the pain of having to make a choice — any choice. “How can we work together?”

Beyers spoke slowly, giving the magic a chance to process the train of thought. “Chaos directs you to attack, and you attack, using your power to create chaos. Yes?”

“Yes.”

“So, why not do what you have always done? Obey!”

“Obey?”

“Yes!” The mage smiled. “After all, Chaos gave you to me. Why not obey me as you would obey Him? I will find targets for you — the obstacles that keep us from achieving His goals — and you can be as chaotic as your nature requires when attacking them. Together we will do what Chaos needs us to do … for Him.”

Beyers held her breath and waited as the Chaos magic considered her words. The silence stretched for one minute, then two, and then …

“What is your will … Mistress?”

###

I reappeared in the bedroom I shared with Heather. It was early morning, still dark outside, and no real time had passed since Akomachi and I had left for the convocation. Still, my subjective time as a kitsune had made my fox form feel normal to me, and being human again was … awkward.

For a few seconds, I found myself balancing on my toes, my hands outstretched. I missed my tail …tails. Stifling a giggle, I kept my eyes closed until I could lower my heels to the floor, and then slowly brought my hands down to my sides. I took several deep breaths through my nose, and then shook my whole body like a dog coming in from a rainstorm.

Then I froze, concentrated, and reached inside myself to remember who I had been, and who I had become. The universe twisted, just for a moment …

… and I felt human again. Or at least as human as a half-kitsune can get and still look at herself in a mirror with pride.

‘One thing’s for sure,’ I thought with a grin. ‘Straddling this culture line is going to be a bitch.’

I slipped on a nightgown, climbed into bed, and tried to get a few more hours of sleep before I had to get up for school.

The key word in that last sentence, boys and girls, was “tried.”

I was hip-deep in REM sleep an hour later when I felt something intangible force tugging at my soul, dragging me out of a dream and into a wakefulness that was as sudden as it was absolute.

Something was very, very wrong.

“Evans Falls, Indiana, milady.” Leander’s voice in my head was sharp and clear. “I came ahead to assess the situation before waking you.”

“What’s happening?”

“Magic of unknown origin and type has been used to transform parts of the town, and harm several individuals.”

“Is the source of that magic still present?”

“I do not believe so. If it is still here, it is carefully hidden. All I can find is what it has left behind.” There was a small pause. “I am sorry, Becca. I did not wish to disturb you, but this town needs your help. I have not completely mastered undoing the spells of others, and this particular magic is … troubling.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll be there as soon as I’m dressed.”

###

I materialized next to Leander, hovering a few feet off the ground. I had chosen to wear what I planned to wear to school that morning — blue jeans, a light blue long-sleeved tee with a dark blue sweater over it, and white sneakers. My hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail that trailed down my back, but bared my ears so my fox earrings glinted in the glow of the street lamps. Evans Falls was still dark, thanks to time zones, and the winter’s cold made me realize I should have brought a jacket.

Even as the thought crossed my mind, Leander handed me the coat I had left in the hall closet.

“I took the liberty, Becca,” she said as I shrugged into it. “You couldn’t know how cold it was.”

"Thank you. I keep forgetting that women feel the cold more than men do.”

"It's my job to protect you," she replied with a smile, "even against the elements, n'est pas?"

I smiled back, and glanced towards the town.

“Why did this magic trouble you?”

“Because it is unlike every other magic we’ve ever encountered.” Leander started towards the town, and I fell into step beside her. “Each spell is different, as if cast by someone using a totally unique school of magic. And the spells don’t seem to be connected, except that they feel ... completely different from each other. Does that make sense?”

“It might.” I had a theory, but I didn’t want to say it out loud. I didn’t want it to be right.

As we walked towards the center of town, I began to feel what I could only describe as a haze of conflicted magics surrounding us. I felt as if the air around me started to become heavier, and moving forward quickly became a chore. A quick glance at Leander showed that she was having the same trouble I was, and I stopped and leaned into her.

"It's either attracted to us and weighing us down by attaching itself to us somehow," I said softly, "or it's some kind of ambient magic residue from whatever happened here, getting in our way.”

"The latter, I think," Leander replied. "When I first arrived, something didn’t feel quite right, so I approached slowly and flew over the center of town. Some of the things I saw were massive manipulations of the reality we know. Transformations that large could easily have produced massive amounts of loose magic.”

“It would have to have been caused by someone with a lot of power to spare.” I put my hand out and felt the variety of magical energies around me. “Or maybe a group of magic users wandered through, each using a different spell to do something completely random, but limited in scope.”

“Or perhaps not so limited.” Leander pointed ahead. “Look.”’

Evans Falls was one of those towns that grew around a single road where all of its central services and stores were located. Predictably, it was called Main Street. Even though there were modern touches here and there, I could tell by the buildings that this town was old, roughly a hundred fifty years, give or take a decade. You could drop Aunt Bea from the old Andy Griffith Show into the center of town, and she'd feel right at home.

If she didn't notice the giant cupcake where the town's water tower used to be.

The first thing I noticed were the birds taking turns diving down and picking off pieces of the cake from around the edges. Several unlucky crows had accidentally landed in the vanilla frosting, and it had coated their wings and made it impossible for them to take off. Their plaintive cries only serves to make the scene even more strange, and I reached up and transported them to the ground near the fountain in front of the town hall, where they could at least try to get their feathers clean.

The town hall looked untouched at first, but then I noticed the bricks were not the usual red, but a dark tan, almost brown. The mortar that held them in place was a bright white. I looked over at Leander.

“Gingerbread?”

“Oui, pain d’épices.”

In front of the building was a giant Gingerbread man, about six foot tall. The expression on his face was a mixture of shock and horror, and drawn in white icing on his flat cookie body was a childish caricature of a police uniform.

I reached out with my magic to see if he was still alive somehow, and was rewarded with a wave of panic that felt like claustrophobia magnified a thousandfold. His soul was trapped inside the cookie his body had become, unable to move, talk, or even breathe, but still experiencing every minute. It was either profoundly sick in a "let's torture the mundane" sort of way, or whoever did this didn't give a damn whether someone was hurt or not. Either way, he or she was dangerous, and needed to be stopped.

I took a deep breath, and pulled a touch of the magic into me to try and analyze it. It was one of the skills I gained when I became the Advocate — the ability to reverse engineer spells cast by others — but as I felt my way through the spell, I wasn’t sure whether that particular skill would help me or not. The patterns were wild and twisted, like no other magic I'd ever encountered before. The spell worked its way through reality like a rope made from a thousand strands of DNA, each with its own unique code. At the same time, the rope felt more like a vine — not deliberately braided to a set pattern, but grown in an almost organic way, without thought.

That single touch told me my initial theory was correct, and my life had just become a hell of a lot more difficult.

Chaos had chosen a champion.

There was no simple way to untangle this spell, not from what I had seen so far. I needed to learn more about how it was made, so I pushed myself deeper into the magic. When I touched the panicking soul inside the hell his body had become, it wrapped itself around me and held me tight. If he was drowning and I was a lifeguard, we’d probably both be dead. As it was, I pushed as much reassurance through our connection as I could, and when he was calm enough, the questions began.

[who are you?]

[I am the Advocate. Think of me as search and rescue for people harmed by magic. I’m here to help.]

[I can’t move! I can't breathe! How the hell am I still alive?]

[Magic works with different rules. I know it's terrifying, but trust me, it’s a good thing. Since you’re still alive, I may be able to undo this and bring you back.]

I felt his hope rise and surround me. [can you really … help me?]

[I should be able to, but I’ll need to concentrate. So keep calm and let me see what I can do, okay?]

I reached out to Leander with my mind. “Watch my back. I am going to need to focus.”

“Understood, milady.”

I sank deeper into the spell, searching for the spell caster’s unique magic signature, but found nothing. At the surface level, everything appeared totally random, and yet was tightly woven and incredibly strong. This was such a massive contradiction, since the strength of anything built, magical or mundane, depends heavily on structure. So how did this particular caster create such a strong spell randomly?

I drew back, exhausted, and took a moment to reflect. The streetlights on Main Street had all become giant torches made of rough wood and cast iron, like in a medieval castle, but they burned continuously, obviously fueled by magic. I relayed my observations about the spell to Leander, and she tilted her head as she thought.

“The spell may appear strong,” she said, thinking out loud, “but creating anything that is meant to bind another in a random way must create flaws, and the flaws must become weak points.”

I nodded. “A diamond can be cut by looking deep into the stone, finding where its flaws are, and applying focused pressure to use them against the stone. You think I can do this with the spell?”

Leander gave a shrug that betrayed her French upbringing. “It is a plan of attack, milady.”

“And a good one.” I smiled up at her. “Wish me luck, I’m going in.”

“Bonne chance, Becca.”

I sent my magical perception into the Gingerbread man, this time ignoring the spell’s surface layers completely and pushing deep into the core of the enchantment. In the depths, I paused and slowly began to trace the spell’s base elements with my own magic, searching for the flaws I knew had to be in here, somewhere. I stretched myself thinner, and then thinner still, until I felt it.

A weak spot.

The caster’s magic had tried to protect itself, but it also knew that too much protection would have called attention to them, I gathered myself around that spot, then pulled back to see other places like it, scattered all around the core of the spell. With a powerful thought, I struck at the closest weakness, severing it and causing the core to begin to unravel. As the unraveling met other weak spots, I watched them snap of their own accord, and I pulled my perception back quickly as the entire spell collapsed under the weight of its own external strength.

The gingerbread man trembled, then seemed to melt into a three-dimensional form before resolving itself into a police officer. As we watched, however, the effect went further, leaping across to the town hall and undoing the same effect on it as well.

“Both spells must have been invoked at the same time,” I said, “so breaking the one actually broke both.”

The officer took a deep breath, then another. He smiled.

“I’ll never take breathing for granted again.” The officer reached out and shook my hand. “Thank you, Advocate. I’m Dave Brent.”

“You’re welcome, Dave,” I replied, giving his hand a squeeze. “This is my associate, Leander.”

She nodded at him, and I continued. “Unfortunately, our job’s not done yet. As you can see, the rest of Main Street and possibly the town has been hit as well. We have some work to do before the rest of the people wake up. I’d appreciate it if you’d stay close, try to calm anyone who might stumble over what’s been done.”

“You got it,” he said with a grin. “Happy to be doing my job again.”

Some of the buildings in the center of town had become two-dimensional, with windows and doors seemingly painted on a flat canvas. Others were still three-dimensional, but almost cartoonish. It didn’t look like it would take much to undo, until I saw motion at the end of the block.

A cow the size of a small panel truck wandered towards us, each step making the ground shake slightly.

Leander looked at me. “A giant cow?”

I shrugged. “It’s early morning. Maybe it used to be a milk truck?”

As it passed us, I could hear a muffled screaming coming from inside, and put the pieces together. “There’s someone trapped in there!”

“Probably the driver,” Leander said, moving toward the gigantic bovine. She tried to put her hand on its side, apparently to reassure whoever was inside, but the magic pushed her away. The harder she tried to touch the cow, the harder it became to reach. Oblivious, the cow stopped and continued to chew, bored disinterest reflected in its eyes.

"The spell changed the truck, but not the driver. Why?”

“Can you undo it, milady?”

“I untangled the last spell by going deep and finding a buried flaw. This cow is shielded somehow, so I can’t even touch it.”

Leander kept pushing at the shielding around it. “Why is the cow shielded when the building and Officer Brent were not?”

“Because whatever did this tried to turn the truck into a living thing.” I walked slowly around the cow, testing its barriers with my fingertips. “And that would be impossible for a creature of Chaos in our reality.”

Leander looked up at that. “Chaos has chosen its champion?” I nodded, and I watched as facts organized themselves behind her eyes.

“In this universe, Chaos cannot create life, since life itself reverses entropy,” she said, thinking out loud. “But this cow was shaped by pure chaos, and it refused to be denied. The result is a living contradiction — a paradox made flesh. Organized chaos.”

I nodded. “Exactly. But to do that here, it had to surround the cow with a wall that separates it from our reality. The cow has to exist in its own pocket dimension, or Chaos could not have created it.”

“So how do we get past the wall?”

“You were a warlord, five hundred years ago.” I grinned at her. “The tactics haven’t changed. How would you get past a wall?”

“Only three ways come to mind,” she replied, staring at the cow. “Over it, under it, or through it. And since the first two are clearly impossible, given that the castle we must overcome is a cow, we must employ the third.”

Leander stood back and drew her sword, but hesitated. Then she spoke, directly to the sword.

“Allaku, you are the strongest, most powerful weapon ever forged by magic.” The sword glowed brighter, and my champion nodded. “I would use you to break through this wall and free this man from his imprisonment inside this living nightmare, but there is a risk. When the wall is destroyed, encountering the chaos within could destroy you.”

Dave moved closer to me. “Is she talking to her sword?”

I shrugged. “It’s a complicated relationship.”

There were a few seconds of silence, then I heard a deep voice through my telepathic link to Leander.

‘Your concern for me is understandable, champion, but do not fear. Use me as you will. The wall will fall. I will survive.’

Leander nodded, then stood with the sword held high, both hands on the hilt. Officer Brent and I stood back, and she swung Allaku directly at its head.

There was a bright flash and a rush of wind that pushed us all back, followed by an instant of almost painful clarity that roared past us into the void where the cow once stood. And there in its place was a large white milk truck, as fit had always been there and always would. Kneeling between the front seats, a man in a milk company uniform was gasping for air. I cast a veil of invisibility on Leander and myself while Brent stepped forward.

“Hey, Jerry,” he said, using the ‘can I help you’ voice they teach at the police academy. “Are you okay?”

“Morning, Dave.” Jerry shook his head and pulled himself upright with a hand on the driver’s seat. “I just had a hell of a nightmare.”

“You sure did, and in the middle of Main Street.”

Jerry looked around. “Damn, I didn’t nod off while I was driving, did I?”

Dave smiled and shook his head. “No, you stopped the truck first and put it in park. It would have been better if you’d pulled over, too, but I’ll let it go because at least you had the sense to stop — and it’s not like anyone else is likely to be driving through the middle of town when you’re making deliveries, right?”

Jerry nodded, still looking sheepish. The police officer leaned towards him, and in a softer voice said, “But falling asleep like that isn’t normal. You might want to have Doc Phillips take a look at you, just to be safe.”

“Will do, Dave. Thanks for the help.” The milk man turned the key, started the engine, and shifted his truck into gear. we all watched him drive off to his next stop.

Leander looked at the sword, still in her hand. “How did you know you would not be harmed?”

‘When building something, order is always stronger than chaos.’ I heard the answer through our telepathic link. Allaku sounded almost smug. ‘But this spell was so fragile, it had to be protected by a wall of chaos just to keep reality from destroying it. When I breached the wall, the sheer weight of reality rushed in and crushed the spell, restoring the cow to its original form.’

I reached out with my power and touched everything in the town that had been changed. Although every spell used a different approach, none of them were like the spell on the milk truck. And nothing else that had been changed presented itself as a living thing.

“Leander?”

“Yes, milady?”

I watched the truck continue on its route. “Maybe Dave survived being turned to gingerbread because life is the very opposite of chaos. Whoever cast the spell clearly tried to kill him with magic, but his essence remained, even if it was trapped.”

Leander sheathed Allaku, concentrated for a few seconds, and then lifted into the air, her arms outstretched.

“Perhaps,” she replied, “but this is a conversation for another time. I can feel the town beginning to awaken. We should be as quick as we can, yes?”

“Agreed. You restore the water tower and I’ll deal with the torches. Whoever finishes first will continue down Main Street, fixing things until everything is as it once was.” She nodded and flew off towards the tower. I turned to our police escort.

“Officer Brent, can you go down to where the changes end and block off Main Street for a while, until we can finish?”

He touched the brim of his cap. “Sure thing, miss. You just let me know when you’re finished. And … thanks again.”

“No thanks needed, Dave. I’m happy we were here to help.”

###

Byers stood a long way off, watching the activities through a pair of high-powered binoculars she had liberated from a hunting store on Main Street. She had a suitcase full of clothes beside her, also stolen from a woman’s wear shop near the town hall. It took far too long for her to find suitable things for her to wear. Everything was too tight or bagged and sagged in the wrong places.

‘Apparently there is no middle ground with women’s clothing,’ she thought. ‘Either you wear things that cling to you like a drunken sailor clings to a whore after months at sea, or you look like a child dressed in her mother’s cast-offs. Pitiful.’

Choosing to look well put together had resulted in Byer’s new body being far too much on display for her tastes, but it was a better alternative than asking Chaos’s minion to dress her. At least her breasts were somewhat under control at the moment, although she had grumbled at the wasted time it took to find appropriate undergarments to tame them. Fitting herself for a bra had been a tiresome exercise, since the sizing system seemed to be a mystery cryptographers would have welcomed as a fine puzzle for a lazy Sunday morning.

Still, she had to admit the cursed thing did make her feel less like her own chest would choose to fight for the other side the next time she needed to engage her enemy.

And speaking of her enemy …

She watched the two of them undo a few of the things she had done, and saw how much time it took. Although she couldn’t make out much detail, they seemed to be the same two women who had caused her downfall in Las Vegas. She knew they were extremely powerful, but it appeared chaos magic challenged them, made them slow. Good.

Enslaving them both was going to be ... fun.

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