Ice Phoenix

“Dear Dartkala, don’t let her come in. We need to get away!” Eliksha cried, staring at Terrana in terror.

“But there’s something different about her,” said Grandmaster Deitrux, his voice thick with doubt. “She’s not emitting any malice.”

“I have to agree,” added Lakara. “If she meant us any harm, she would have burnt a hole right through the ship already.”

Master Drummik didn’t say anything; instead, he ran up to the window to get a closer look at Terrana. His face would have touched hers if the glass hadn’t separated them. “Terrana,” he whispered, amazed by her appearance. It was the first time seeing her in a form other than her human self, and even more astounding, she was living and breathing in the In-Between! He had heard about her transformation from Grandmaster Deitrux, but the knowledge paled in comparison to seeing the real thing with his own eyes. “It really is you, well sort of. You look ... healthy,” he said, his voice suspiciously shaky.

Outside, Terrana couldn’t believe who she was seeing. Her eyes widened and the flames flickered wildly around her face. She spoke, even though the In-Between blanketed her voice. “Master Drummik? You didn’t die!” She started to shake as happiness and relief coursed through her. Master Drummik reached out to touch the glass and Terrana did the same, placing the palm of her hand against his. Tears spilled out her eyes and Terrana felt herself becoming more human. Her flames started to die out.

Through the glass, Master Drummik noticed a dark liquid spill from her tear ducts, only to evaporate into the In-Between. He watched in confusion as she flickered like the flames of a dying candle, losing her brightness. Her body was becoming solid and she looked more human. Terrana gasped and grabbed her throat, and to his horror, he realised that she was transforming into her human form.

"Dartkala! We have to get her inside the ship immediately!” he shouted. “She’s dying outside!” He spun around to race to the airlock but Lakara stopped him.

“The grandmaster has already gone to fetch her.”

The Dark Star chugged its way through Sector One, a dented tin can carrying battered passengers who wanted nothing more than to return home. For some of them, that home would or would not be waiting for them, and they looked out anxiously, hoping to catch any sign that Pa Gumpina still existed.

Oddly enough, they passed through several checkpoints without being flagged down — which wasn’t a good sign. No one responded to their transmissions, which they broadcasted constantly.

As they continued through the In-Between, they encountered stranger things; damaged ghost ships tumbled by, a mashing of evacuation vessels and fighter crafts. The Imeldors shook their heads in disbelief as they saw gigantic blocks of former ships cut down to nothing more than building blocks. The edges of these blocks where they had been blasted apart were smooth, lacking the jagged contours and burn marks that were often left behind from standard military weapons.

“What weapon could have caused them to come apart like that?” Drummik asked.

“I’m wondering the same thing myself,” muttered the grandmaster. “I would have inferred that UWIB has been keeping secrets of its own, developing secret weapons except …”

“Except those are mainly UWIB crafts destroyed out there and so it would be Pa Gumpina that has been developing secret weapons,” finished Lakara.

Grandmaster Deitrux tried to hide his scowl. He did not like the implication that Pa Gumpina had been developing destructive weapons behind UWIB’s back, but at the same time he was filled with hope that the planet had survived.

“The Dark Star hasn’t been able to detect any life signs,” said Eliksha, “and the evacuation ships look empty. Where’re the bodies? We should have seen at least a few bodies floating in the void.”

“You asked too soon,” said Lakara. Her voice was strangely detached.

They were coming up to a massive station, the first one since their exit from the Voron Cloud. Printed in large letters on its side was AlKalindrome 77. Terrana gasped; she remembered it as the evacuation station that she and the other students were headed for before they had been attacked by the wrails.

It was encased in some kind of amber material, trapping everything inside. Bodies bumped against the material, their faces completely lifeless, but in some strange way they looked happy, as if they had made a choice that satisfied them.

“They chose to die,” said Eliksha, gazing at the bodies in horror. “Judging from the open airlocks, they came out on their own rather than remain inside with the others.”

“I wouldn’t have called that a choice,” said Master Drummik, sounding angry. “It was either that or be eaten.”

“Or eat,” added Lakara. “That amber material is Sector Six standard containment issue. Saliaphane, if I’m correct.”

“Yes, developed by Gratch and galaported to Sector Six. Only the queen and her world hold exclusive rights to saliaphane,” said Grandmaster Deitrux.

“What does that mean?” asked Master Drummik.

“I don’t know yet,” replied the grandmaster.

They continued past AlKalindrome 77 in grim silence, wondering what else they would see or, even worse, not see. Their course was plotted directly for Pa Gumpina, a decision that not everyone was comfortable with. When Lakara had questioned the grandmaster’s wisdom, he had snapped angrily at her.

“I don’t care what the UWIB Council thinks! They can go to hell if they expect us to deliver a status report to them first. If they have a problem with it, they can come to us. I am going to Pa Gumpina!”

No one brought the subject up again.

“Lakara, how long before the void-drive is ready?” asked the grandmaster.

“Not too long. It’s nearly cooled down.” Lakara had come through for all of them, managing to repair the void-drive despite it being badly damaged. However, because they lacked certain components, she hadn’t been able to repair it completely, and therefore she was unable to prevent it from overheating. This forced them to pull out of void-drive frequently — now was one of those times.

“We should see the Nuclear Chain Matrix at the next point,” said Grandmaster Deitrux. “Then we’ll learn if our dear home still exists.”

It was the moment of truth for them. They had successfully completed their mission, but with bitter losses, and if they were to discover, in spite of their success, that Pa Gumpina no longer existed, then whatever they had done and sacrificed so far would have been for nothing.

Even though they had lost valuable people during the mission, that would be nothing compared to the billions of lives lost on Pa Gumpina. Their frustration and pain would increase a thousand fold if they had to bear the sadness of losing all those lives. But at least they would not feel responsible for the carnage. That burden rested on the shoulders of the young girl standing with them.

They knew she wasn’t to blame, but no one could deny that she had been the catalyst, the reason why the Valpuri had wreaked destruction, and no one understood that better than she did. Nashim had killed the Imeldors, L-Masters, and ordinary citizens to reach her. The Imeldors watched her nervously, wondering how she’d adjust to the situation.

“I’m still for altering her limbic system,” murmured Eliksha to Grandmaster Deitrux. “Eradicating her emotions would prevent her from acting rashly, and it would keep her stable. She can be guided to learn what is wrong and right.”

“No,” replied the grandmaster. “She’d be nothing more than a robot. She’s still a child, and who knows what altering her limbic system would do? She’s part human, part feiyed. I’d not risk it.”

“Grandmaster Deitrux, with all due respect Terrana is a mess! She’s seen far too much death for someone her age. What makes you think she’ll be able to cope when she sees an entire planet gone?” hissed Eliksha. “She’s a sensitive child, and I’m only thinking of her welfare.”

“You are underestimating her. The girl we took with us and the girl who’s returned — they are different.”

“Well, of course she is. She was human when we left and now she’s —” she glanced around nervously to check that no one could overhear them, “something more. We have no idea how she’ll react when and if we discover Pa Gumpina no longer exists.”

“You are listening too much to your head, Eliksha. Speak with Terrana, but don’t just speak. Listen to her. Listen to how her heart beats, for if you do, you’ll realise that she is okay. Something in her knows that her friends and Pa Gumpina still exist. You need to have a little faith.”

“Something in her knows? Up until you told her that Nashim killed her family, she believed that she had done it. I don’t think you can ask me to have a little faith!”

“I can. I also believe that Pa Gumpina survived.”

Terrana had wandered away from the rest of the group and she was now huddled in a large pod facing away from the window, staring mindlessly at the control panel in front of her. Earlier, she had guessed it was the ship’s translator unit although it hadn’t been used once since they had left Pa Gumpina. She wasn’t allowed to touch it, since her body would spark off an electric charge strong enough to disable any unit in the ship if she came into direct contact with it.

She was still reeling from the shock of hearing the grandmaster’s revelation about her family’s death, and she was overcome with relief that she had not killed them. Nashim did. He had started the fire. She hadn’t been able to stop crying afterwards and with each sob, her body became a little more human.

She glanced at her hands then. They were still glowing, but much less than before. Even before hearing the truth about her family, her human body had begun to regenerate, and it was fascinating to watch her veins pulse with blood as it flowed throughout her body.

As soon as Grandmaster Deitrux had brought her into the ship, he had wanted to place her in the medical bay, but she had refused. She hadn’t wanted to be left alone with all the other comatose patients, and in the end the grandmaster had agreed to let her stay on the bridge on the condition that she touched nothing. She was feeling weak, but she hoped to regain her strength once they landed on Pa Gumpina.

Pa Gumpina. Kazu. In her gut, Terrana knew Kazu was still alive. And if he was, then there was hope that the others had made it too. Lorn, Mikin, Prince Gil Ra Im, and the rest of them. She clenched her fists. She couldn’t wait to see them. She missed them. Master Drummik’s survival had only increased her hopes of seeing them alive. As she sat alone in her pod, she remembered the joy of seeing him when she was still plastered to the window, willing the Imeldors to let her in. She had never been happier to see him, and as soon as she was inside the ship, she had run over to him to make sure she wasn’t imagining things. She replayed their conversation in her head.

“I thought you were dead.”

“I nearly was. Nashim engulfed me with his smoke and I nearly burned alive.”

“So how did you get away?”

“Illusionary weaving. Remember your memory training classes?”

“Yeeeaaah.”

“Nashim’s memory wasn’t particularly sharp — I was able to weave certain exit points in the ship which he believed were walls or floors that led to nowhere. When his smoke engulfed me, I disappeared through the floor, leaving a clone of myself for Nashim. But he injured me enough and I passed out. I’m sorry I wasn’t there when you awakened.”

“That’s okay,” she told him generously. “I’m just glad you’re alive.”

“And I’m very glad that you are alive!” He did something unexpected then, pulling her towards him and hugging her. She found it awkward at first, but then she flung her arms around him, hugging him back.

“Master Drummik?”

“Yes, Terrana.”

“Have you got any food? I’m hungry.”

Master Drummik smiled and held her tighter.

She drifted off into a blank world again, unaware that sleep had overtaken her. Not knowing how many hours had passed, she was finally woken when the grandmaster’s voice rang out excitedly.

“Pa Gumpina! She’s there!”

Someone shook her and she looked up to see Master Drummik looking down at her. He was smiling, and she thought she had never seen him look happier. He gently took her hand and tugged her towards the window. “Come, Terrana,” he said. As she approached the window with him, a beautiful blue-purple planet came into sight. Tears misted her eyes. Master Drummik squeezed her hand.

“It’s still there. They’ll be okay,” he said.

“It’s a graveyard up here!” exclaimed Eliksha, looking around the void now that she knew Pa Gumpina had survived UWIB’s attack. “The pins around the planet are broken. The Nuclear Chain Matrix has been destroyed!”

The Nuclear Chain Matrix was the weapon that UWIB had intended to use to destroy Pa Gumpina. It was once a gigantic tower which spun slowly above the planet, but now it drifted in large pieces in an artificial gravitational belt, along with the odd fighter craft.

Master Drummik gave a low whistle. “It looks like it was destroyed by the same weapon that took out those fighter ships earlier on. Do you think Kuldor galaported the weapon from Gratch to Pa Gumpina? That’s the only explanation I can come up with. Pa Gumpina shouldn’t have anything this advanced. What a blow to the UWIB Military Council.”

“If it was Kuldor at all,” muttered Grandmaster Deitrux.

“This makes no sense!” said Lakara, irritably. “The matrix is coated in casophynite and its inner structure constructed from zelantem steel. Damage that penetrates through its body is just not possible! Not unless Pa Gumpina possesses a velassium weapon.”

Grandmaster Deitrux’s ears twitched. So did Master Drummik’s. Suddenly, they decided the gravitational belt with its broken mechanical parts needed a more thorough observation, so they each pressed their noses to the glass.

No, it couldn’t be ... could it, Grandmaster Deitrux?

I’m asking myself the same question, Drummik. There is only one person I know of who is arrogant enough to destroy UWIB property.

The same thought ran through their minds. That person is dead.

“We’ll make landing in the next half hour,” said Lakara, still frowning at the sight of the Nuclear Chain Matrix. “Everyone gear up, we don’t know what type of environment we’ll be walking into. All the communication satellites are down and no one is responding to our SOS. Our scanners also detect a few wrails still on the planet.”

It took them forty minutes before they finally landed. Their scouting pod plopped right in the middle of the city on what used to be the main square. It slid across the ground before coming to a complete stop, and seconds later the door opened. Everyone stepped out.

The first thing they noticed was the temperature. It was freezing. The second was when Terrana collapsed to the ground, quivering and shaking. Everyone rushed to her side but then they realised they should leave her to deal with it herself, so they stepped back.

“I’m okay,” Terrana gasped. “It’s just my body returning to normal.” She was right. Through her helmet, her skin darkened as the blood rushed to her face and the last of her feiyed qi drained from her body. The experience was nauseating, but after a few deep breaths, Terrana felt fine. She was back to herself — her physical form at least. She stood up and smiled. “I’m fine,” she said triumphantly. “We can continue.”

In response, Lakara nodded. “Minus sixty degrees,” she said, the visor of her helmet scanning the surroundings rapidly. “Be careful how you walk.”

Terrana and the others heeded her warning and walked on the icy ground slowly. As she crossed the square, Terrana could see that most of the buildings were structurally unsound, damaged beyond repair by bomb blasts, acid, and fire. There was no sign of life, and no corpses. “Where’s everyone?” she asked. “This entire area is frozen solid. How did it happen?”

“Good questions, Terrana,” muttered Drummik. “I don’t know.”

They walked down an alley without incident and turned onto a wide street. For the first time since they had left the scouting pod, they spotted signs of life.

About a hundred metres down the street, twelve soldiers were loading dozens of frozen bodies into refrigerated trucks. There were at least three weavers standing with them, keeping an eye out for danger. Needless to say, soldiers, trucks, and weavers were heavily armed.

Terrana felt strange then. “Those bodies ...” she said. “They’re people.” Even though she had stated the obvious, no one felt the need to point it out. She continued. “They’re still alive.”

This time they all looked at her. Lakara quickly scanned for vital signs and nodded. “She’s right. They’re alive.”

Grandmaster Deitrux gazed towards the soldiers again. “Kuldor must have found a way to contain the infected people. He bought everyone time. Now he can focus on finding the cure.”

“He may have already found it,” said Master Drummik. “We’ve been away nearly fifteen days. By Kuldor’s standards, that’s a long time.”

Grandmaster Deitrux nodded. “Yes, you are right, Drummik.”

Terrana suddenly stumbled and grabbed Master Drummik’s elbow for support.

“Terrana, what’s wrong?” he asked, sounding worried.

“Weak.” Terrana could barely get the words out.

“What’s wrong with her?” asked Eliksha nervously. “I thought the land was supposed to revive her, not weaken her.”

Grandmaster Deitrux glanced at the sky. “It’s not the land,” he said grimly. “Something large is coming, and it’s draining her qi. It’s draining everyone’s.”

They felt it then — it was like someone had put a giant straw through their heads to suck out their qi. It was so powerful that they all collapsed. Lakara was the only person left standing since her casophynite suit nullified whatever it was that was draining their qi. She stood watch over the others, her weapons drawn.

Minutes passed by, but nothing came for them. Instead, a freezing wind picked up around them, setting their sensors off. In response, their suits increased their thermal settings to combat the freezing cold. It wasn’t long after the wind vanished that they felt their qi returning. Staggering to their feet slowly, they looked around the area, confused and afraid.

“What was that?” Terrana asked groggily. “What happened?” She held onto Drummik’s hand, her eyes darting about. Something large and white swooped over them, and moments later it touched the ground. More of its kind landed behind it.

Terrana’s eyes widened — faars! There were so many of them! And then her eyes alighted on the one person she had never expected to see again. This person dismounted from the whitest faar and walked towards them. Terrana would have collapsed from shock had not Master Drummik held onto her. However, judging from the quiver in his hand, he could have done with some support as well.

A tall, beautiful woman with hair darker than the night stopped a few metres in front of them. Her electric blue eyes swept over them, and there was the slightest hint of a smile on her face. “Hello,” the queen said. “You certainly took your time getting here.”

“Julere.” Grandmaster Deitrux was so shocked at seeing the queen that he dropped her royal title. She leaned over, and in three quick snaps, she removed his helmet.

“You don’t need that,” she said. “It’s a little cold, but you’ll manage.”

“You, you ... how is it possible?” he stammered.

“Because it’s me,” the queen replied, a little smugly. “Deitrux, you haven’t said hello yet.” Her words jerked him from his flabbergasted state, and a cursory scowl cut across his forehead.

“I knew it was you!” he growled. “When I saw the matrix scattered in orbit, I knew there was only one person who’d happily go about destroying UWIB property. Most people would stop at disabling the matrix but you — you annihilated it!”

Queen Julere rolled her eyes and sighed. “What an inappropriate description. I merely disassembled it.”

There were more people behind her now and because she was still in shock, Terrana barely recognised Prince Gil Ra Im, Master Kuldor, and Headmistress Marl. There was also Lady Fless and Lady Anrath, standing tall and proud like the fierce warriors they were.

“Deitrux, welcome back old friend,” called out Master Kuldor. He stepped forwards and scooped up the little Imeldor with one hand, placing him on his shoulder. “Sorry about the communication problems, but we were forced to disable most of our satellites to prevent the UWIB forces from intercepting our messages. We also scrambled their navigation sensors — it affected their target and lock-on abilities.”

“Looks like it worked judging from all the space junk we saw up in orbit,” said Grandmaster Deitrux.

“Yes, the UWIB Council didn’t believe that we could cure the people and contain the wrails,” replied Master Kuldor. “Even though we had located the Valpuri’s ship and destroyed all the remaining eggs, it wasn’t enough. UWIB ordered its forces to attack all the evac-ships and stations, and we had no choice but to reciprocate.”

“Well done, Kuldor,” said Grandmaster Deitrux, smiling. “You and the others saved Pa Gumpina. There’s only one problem though — how are you going to explain the weapon you used to destroy the Nuclear Chain Matrix with, to the UWIB Council?”

Master Kuldor looked uncomfortable. “Well, that er —”

“Deitrux, how did you get on with the Dream Walker?” asked the queen, sparing Kuldor from answering.

“Sealed successfully, but not without great loss. And Nashim is dead.” His eyes narrowed suddenly. “Don’t think I don’t know what you did.”

Queen Julere raised an eyebrow. “What I did?”

“That you couldn’t resist stealing Baneyon’s blade, which incidentally went missing after we left Olden Kartath.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Deitrux,” the queen replied innocently.

“Oh? You do realise that the Nuclear Chain Matrix was constructed from casophynite and zelantem steel? It is impossible to make clean cuts through them — not unless one possessed a weapon made from velassium. And you know very well that UWIB has decreed that no weapon should ever incorporate the use of velassium because it is far too valuable a mineral to waste. If I were to search your faar right now, —”

“Oh okay, I did it, although I don’t see why you are making such a fuss about it,” the queen confessed, pouting slightly. “It’s not like you to care about what UWIB thinks.” Then, a gleeful look replaced her pout. “It was like slicing through whipped cream. The people of Olden Kartath made further modifications to it.”

She glanced slyly at Master Kuldor. “How much did Baneyon pay you? I’ll be quite happy to triple whatever you agreed with him as well as pay off his debt. Of course, the blade would be mine.”

Master Kuldor’s face was impressively stoic when he answered her. “I cannot be bought with credits, Your Highness.”

The queen smiled seductively. “I’ll throw in a planet.”

Master Kuldor couldn’t answer, he just stared at Grandmaster Deitrux for assistance, but none was forthcoming. They were distracted by Terrana, who suddenly lurched forwards. She grabbed the queen’s hand. It felt real, warm. Tears welled in her eyes.

“You’re not dead,” she said, although it came out more of a whimper. Her emotions got the better of her and she choked. Master Drummik stepped forwards protectively, but the queen waved him back.

“You struck me with the phoenix blade,” she said to Terrana.

“I know. I killed you. I didn’t mean to, I just, I didn’t know what I was doing. I really didn’t know.”

She was crying a waterfall then, she couldn’t see anything. Someone pulled her away gently, placing a handkerchief in her hand.

“Wipe your tears,” said a familiar voice.

Terrana nodded and removed her helmet. Then, still looking at the ground, she quickly dabbed her eyes before blowing loudly into the handkerchief. “I’ll return it to you later.”

“Keep it,” the prince said hurriedly.

She looked up at him, glad to see his blue eyes. He smiled at her and she smiled back.

The grandmaster spoke suddenly. “Tell us how, Your Highness. You were dead when we entered Olden Kartath. We tried everything to save you, but because it was the phoenix blade that struck you —”

“— everything you tried failed and my qi wouldn’t respond because velassium not only nullifies qi, it destroys the very cells that are sentient to it, which in my case, is my entire body. Let’s just say, the Ancients of Olden Kartath knew of a way to heal me.”

“And that was how?” pressed Grandmaster Deitrux.

“By administering the smallest drop of ice-phoenix blood. What the ice-phoenix kills, only the ice-phoenix can revive. The people of Olden Kartath had some of that blood.”

Everyone looked shocked. Even the grandmaster seemed astounded. “Unbelievable,” he muttered.

Terrana tried to quell the feeling of hope in her, looking in vain through her tears at the others. She couldn’t see him anywhere. She had to find out. Squeezing the queen’s hand, she asked in a tremulous voice, “Baneyon?”

The queen’s expression changed and Terrana could have sworn her eyes were wet. She shook her head sadly. “There was nothing the people of Olden Kartath could do for him. I’m very sorry, Terrana.”

Terrana fell to her knees, covering her head. Keep it together, she told herself. You knew it was too much to hope for. Baneyon didn’t die in vain — Pa Gumpina was saved. Nashim died. He would have been happy.

Someone approached her and Master Drummik pulled her towards him.

“It’s okay, Terrana,” he whispered, stroking her hair. Tears ran down his face. “You can cry. I know you loved him. He loved you too. Not a day went by at the school when he didn’t call about you. He wanted to know everything you did. You captured his heart; your strength and zest for life astounded him. He wanted to see you grow up, to always see that beautiful smile on your face. So cry your heart out, and when you are done, take the next step for him. Be that girl I first met in my office the day you appeared to me. The girl who smiled and brought the sunshine in — the girl from Fiji.”

“I don’t know if she can ever come back again,” Terrana sobbed into his chest.

“Yes she can. She’s always in you. She’s taking a long rest, that’s all.”

Terrana shuddered and pulled away from him, wiping her tears. When her palms couldn’t do a proper job, she used the prince’s handkerchief. Finally, she took a deep breath and stared at Master Drummik. She smiled. It was watery, but it was a smile nevertheless. A smile that said she was not going to give up. A smile that brought sunshine into everyone’s hearts and told them that tomorrow would be another day. A smile that made them realise why Baneyon had loved her so.

“Such is the impermanence of life and the endurance of a child’s spirit,” said Grandmaster Deitrux, his voice suspiciously shaky. “We could all learn from you, Terrana. The strength you possess is rare, and there are not many people who could stand again after having their hopes and dreams crushed. You have persisted, and the flower you’ll bloom into will be one that lasts through time.”

His gaze swept across everyone. “Pa Gumpina exists, the virus has been contained, the wrails are under control, and Queen Julere is back. I’d say this is a good day indeed.”

“The virus is not only contained, but being eradicated as we speak,” said Master Kuldor. “We discovered and were able to synthesize a cure a day after you left Pa Gumpina. We used a freeze-paralysis method to contain the infected, hence the frozen bodies you saw being loaded onto the truck earlier. There are still some infected people roaming about. The cure is currently being administered to everyone. It requires two shots to a person’s system; one to destroy the virus, which acts as neurohormones that manipulate the brain into believing the body is starving, and the other shot is to correct the imbalance in the hypothalamus. The process is a little long winded but we are close to completing a spray that will be released into the air. It will cure the infected people who will breathe it in. Unfortunately, the psychological damage suffered by the victims is a little more difficult to manage, and in many cases we had to delete sections of their memories. Very sad indeed.”

“I imagine that would be a long and slow process,” said Grandmaster Deitrux sadly. “Who’d want to remember eating their loved ones or seeing their loved ones eat each other? Did you learn which type of wrail was spreading the virus?”

“Yes, the little humanoid heads. Some students discovered it.”

“Students?”

Master Kuldor nodded at Terrana. “Her friends. Three boys and two girls. One of the girls was bitten by a humanoid wrail and she turned. Luckily the boy, Lorn, acted quickly and bound her in ice. That’s how we got the idea to apply the freeze-paralysis method to the rest of the infected population. The students stayed by her side until help arrived. We were able to cure her.”

“I see ...,” replied the grandmaster, looking deep in thought. “What about the wrails? Have they been completely eradicated?”

Master Kuldor’s face darkened. “Almost. We are having trouble containing one type — the soldiers refer to it as the inferno. It is no exaggeration when I say it is extremely difficult to kill. It absorbs qi from everything within a fifty-metre radius and breathes liquid flames. The upside is that there are only a few. The downside is that they’ve gone into hiding.”

“Were you able to kill any?”

“Three of them. Her Highness and I brought one down, Degra and a group of weavers managed another. In both situations we depended heavily on the faars’ help to defeat them. But ... we discovered a third that vanished off our radar close to where we found the students.”

“The same students that discovered the virus-carrying wrail?”

“Yes. They were extremely lucky to survive after encountering it, mainly due to a brudisaurius owned by one of them. It distracted the wrail, giving them enough time to escape.”

“Niku? What happened to Niku?” Terrana asked sharply.

“The brudisaurius? Probably in the stomachs of several wrails by now. We found blood traces of it all over the ground. His master is understandably upset — after all, his pet saved them.”

“So what killed the inferno then?” asked Grandmaster Deitrux.

“We have no idea. It definitely wasn’t the brudisaurius. We are retrieving data from the drones circling the city during that time, so it won’t be long before we learn what killed it.”

While Terrana listened, she felt a familiar sensation in her chest and she shot an anxious look towards the buildings. Her eyes came to rest on a building about twenty metres down to her left, and in particular, on an archway above a door. Crouching above it and peering at her tentatively was a little fat cat. Her eyes widened in disbelief. Kazu?

Terrana! Kazu’s been waiting a long time.

Kazu! She broke into a run. So did Kazu.