by Saless
Chapter 39

Sarah exchanged confused glances with her friends before walking over towards the wizard. "Um, I was hoping you could remove a curse?" Sarah asked hesitantly.

"Hmm, let me take a look at you." He said, looking at each of them in turn. He started with Erica, and seemed frustrated as he moved on to Mike. Him he seemed to dismiss quickly. Jill he locked gazes with for several moments before nodding and moving on to Sarah. There he stopped in amazement. "My dear, you are a rare one!" he exclaimed.

He continued to gaze into Sarah's eyes for several minutes. Sarah began to sway as if she would pass out, and Jill suddenly cried out in pain and clutched her head in her hands. Mike was quick to react and grabbed the wizard's arm, putting himself between Sarah and the wizard. "Stop whatever you're doing!" he growled. Erica helped to steady Sarah, who seemed to be coming out of a trance.

All pretense at civility vanished from the wizard's countenance. "Gorvashnik, come!" he called out imperiously. A strange creature with bat-like wings flew towards them. "Unhand me, cretin!" he yelled at Mike. He chanted something under his breath and Mike suddenly transformed into a large wolf. The wizard seemed shocked at this and backed up several steps.

"Master?" the creature called as it approached. Jill had recovered from whatever had happened to her and looked at the wizard angrily.

"Gorvashnik, take care of the telepath!" he cried out painfully. Gorvashnik flew over to Jill but his gaze was locked into Jill's and they just stared at each other without movement except for the flapping of the creature's wings.

The wizard backed up further away from Mike, who had started growling at him once he'd recovered from the shock of his unexpected transformation. "Apprentice! Deal with this mongrel!" he yelled. His apprentice cast something at Mike and he stopped moving and stood still as a statue.

"There, now to deal with you." The wizard mumbled as he approached the still-dazed Sarah. He raised a hand towards her and began chanting, his hand glowing with dark blue energy.

"No you don't!" Erica yelled at him angrily, putting herself between him and Sarah.

"Get out of my way, wench!" he yelled back. He slammed the hand that was crackling with dark blue energy into Erica's chest. The energy vanished instantly. "What?! What did you do?!" he asked in confusion.

Erica rubbed her chest where he'd struck her. "That hurt, jerk!" she said, just before kicking him between the legs. The wizard grunted in pain and backed away hurriedly.

"Apprentice!" he gasped out, "Take care of these intruders!" He ran awkwardly towards the other end of the room while the apprentice strode forward purposefully, chanting and pointing a glowing finger at Mike.

"Vascor!" Sarah screamed, pointing at the apprentice. She'd completely forgotten that she didn't still have the wand, but the fireball formed anyway! The little bundle of sparks shot from her hand straight into the startled apprentice's chest. The resulting explosion threw everyone off their feet and filled the entire room with smoke. By the time the smoke cleared they were all back on their feet and Mike was back to normal. Jill found herself holding Gorvashnik in her arms like a kitten. He was unconscious.

"What…the hell…just happened!" Erica coughed out.

"I guess Sarah doesn't need that wand to cast fireballs anymore." Mike replied.

"Where'd the wizard go?" Sarah asked dazedly. She looked much like she had when the wizard had her entranced.

"Who cares? Let's get out of here!" Jill said.

"Wait! If we're going to find ourselves in other situations like this, I want to have some weapons of my own!" Erica said, rooting through the remains of the lab. Mike shrugged and joined her. Jill found herself steadying Sarah with one hand and holding the imp Gorvashnik with the other.

Erica and Mike searched the room as thoroughly as they could, considering its condition. The apprentice had been on the side of the room closest to the bookshelves, so most of the books were burning. The bottles had mostly been knocked off the shelves and shattered, and they had no way of knowing what was in the others. Erica did find a couple of swords and a dagger in a cabinet, along with scabbards and sword belts. One of the swords was a slim long sword. It was a simple blade with no ornamentation, but surprisingly light. The other sword was a jewel encrusted falchion with a large ruby on the pommel. It was much heavier than the long sword. The dagger looked like a match for the long sword and was incredibly lightweight.

Erica strapped on one of the sword belts and attached the scabbards for the long sword and dagger and slid them home. The falchion she handed to Mike. "This thing is way too heavy for the rest of us, but you look like you could handle it." She said. He nodded and put on the sword belt and slid the falchion home in its scabbard.

"You're right, this thing is heavy." He said.

"Are you guys done playing around, or can we get out of here now?" Jill asked anxiously. They nodded so Jill prodded Sarah. Dazedly, she opened the portal and Jill guided her through. Mike and Erica followed.

Sarah dropped onto the couch in tears the moment she got through the portal. Jill was about to go to her, but then Gorvashnik, whom she'd forgotten she was carrying, suddenly awoke and cried out in surprise. Before her eyes his scaly body sprouted pink fur, his claws shrank and blunted, and his wings grew pink feathers. What have you done to me! he wailed telepathically. Jill clutched her hands to her head, dropping him onto the floor.

"That hurt!" Jill complained to the now-furry little creature.

How do you think it feels to have fur sprouting from your body?! And why am I pink?! he replied angrily.

"How would I know?" Jill replied, mystified.

"How would you know what?" Mike asked, confused. Erica had gone straight to the couch to comfort Sarah while he was left to stare at Gorvashnik and wonder who Jill was talking to.

"How Vash became pink and fluffy." Jill said absentmindedly.

Vash? My name is Gorvashnik! the furry little creature complained.

"Vash is easier, and suits you better now that you look like a kid's stuffed animal." Jill replied.

Stuffed?! You wouldn't dare! Vash said.

"I didn't mean that kind of stuffed!" Jill replied with a laugh. She tried to picture a stuffed animal and project that image to Vash.

Oh. How strange. Are all stuffed animals cute and furry? he asked.

"I guess so. Why aren't you attacking us, anyway?" Jill asked curiously.

I…don't know. he replied in surprise.

"Would you mind clueing me in on this conversation?" Mike asked, annoyed.

"Sorry Mike. Vash somehow got changed when he came through the portal. And even before that he lost all interest in fighting with us. We were just wondering why that is." Jill replied.

Sarah? Vash said curiously, looking over at her. Seeing that Sarah was crying on Erica's shoulder Vash jumped up onto Sarah's lap and rubbed up against her, purring like the cat he resembled (albeit pink and winged). Sarah clutched him to her carefully and stroked his fur. He purred louder and leaned into the strokes and Sarah seemed to be calmed by him.

"Are you feeling better Sean?" Erica asked worriedly.

"Sean? You finally believe us?" Jill asked archly.

"How could I not, after all of that? It still seems unreal, but I can't argue with it either." Erica replied.

"Really?" Sarah asked hopefully.

"Really!" Erica assured her, pulling Sarah into a tight hug and dislodging an indignant Vash.

Hey, watch it! he whined.

"She can't hear you, you know." Jill pointed out.

Blasted humans! Why can't you people use your brains? he complained.

I am human! Jill snapped back at him.

Vash rocked back on his heels. Woah, sorree! Didn't know my new Mistress was so touchy! Vash said with laughter in his mental 'voice'.

Mistress? Jill asked curiously.

Yes. You humans killed my previous master, so I needed a new one anyway. And you're the only one who can hear me. Seems like a good arrangement to me! he replied happily.

We killed your master? I thought he escaped. Jill thought.

Nah, he's as dead as a door nail, as you people say. The only ones that got out of that tower alive are you guys, and me of course! Vash replied.

Mike was looking confusedly from the 'conversation' between Jill and Vash and the still embraced Sarah and Erica. "Will someone please tell me what's going on?" he whined.