Thank you to everybody for the comments and e-mails. I am back from my business trip and won't have another until July.
I am looking for a new editor. McLovin6787 is out hurt and this will be the last part he helped work on. His contribution will be missed.
If anybody wants to be my editor then please e-mail me and I will get back to you shortly.
I welcome your feedback so please leave a comment.
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The Gathering
Escape
In Zilvra's room she was awoken from her reverie by the sound of Shynta talking to Mica about the strange dream they both had and what it meant. She looked around wondering how they got in to her room because she could feel the ward still active, as her eyes focused she didn't see anybody in her room.
She thought, 'Damn link they are talking to Henri and now I can hear them.'
Listening she heard or thought she heard Shynta saying, "How can we both have the same dream?"
Mica replied, "It was a message from Lloth telling us not to kill him and that three us of are chosen to protect him."
She also heard what sounded like Mica but like she was whispering saying, *Why would she want him protected? Does that mean I am to protect him from other Drowess'? What would make him that important? Who are his other protectors?* as the voice faded she started to see a vision of Henri standing with his back to a wall and three giant spiders with their backs to him in front of several Drowess' as one tries to walk past the spiders attack and kill the Drowess.
He vision ends as she hears Shynta ask, "Why would Lloth want him protected? Who will be his protectors?"
Like with Mica again she hears what sounded like Shynta whispering saying, *I am the eldest of this so house I must be one of those protectors and if it is this house then that means Zilvra must be one as well so who is the third, Belar is one choice she has been spending time with him and Zilvra, or would Mica be the other she is a priestess after all.*
Zilvra didn't like the thought of having to protect Henri let alone doing so with either of her sisters, but if she had a choice then she would want Belar, while Shynta was a powerful mage in her own right she couldn't relax around her no matter what.
The thought of Mica was even worse, Mica was very orthodox, and it was a certainty in Zilvra's mind that Mica and Henri would clash, so how could she protect him. For that fact Shynta wouldn't give up her power over him and he most certainly would continue to defy her and that would lead to fight, so she can't be his protector either. As far as she was concerned it would have to be her, Belar and another Drowess, the vision she saw had no males, so she could rule them out.
Zilvra's thoughts are interrupted when she hears Mica saying, "One thing is certain and that is Zilvra is without a doubt one of his protectors. We have both seen how she has a portion of his aura in her. Look at her door, we can feel the ward from here, her magic has never been that strong, we have both tried to break her ward and we can't.
If we had the same dream it might mean we are to protect him with her, but I don't think so, Lloth would have put us in front of him not looking at the huge spiders. However, that doesn't mean we can't help, clearly Lloth has a plan for him and as her servants it is our job to get him ready to serve her.
Let's ask Belar and Zilvra if they had the same vision as we did, if they did then Lloth has not chosen his protectors and if they have had different visions then we are not chosen for that role."
Zilvra's mind was racing, he had done something to her and now her aura was different, she knew she had changed physically but now it seemed part of him was changing her more, and why was she able to hear them so clearly when she can't cast scrying spells at all, so how can she hear them.
Zilvra dressed quickly and headed out hoping to catch her sisters as she let down her ward she heard, "She is coming out let's ask her about her vision."
She opened her door and walked out as she approached she heard Shynta whispering, *her aura is different, not a wild as it was before, what has changed.* Zilvra noticed she didn't see her lips move, yet she clearly heard her whispering, thinking nothing of it she went to walk past her sisters.
Mica asked her, "Zilvra did you have a dream last night about Henri?"
She looked at her sister trying to read her and asked, "Why would I have a dream about him?"
Mica looked at her and asked displeased, "Did you see him with anybody in your dreams?"
Zilvra heard Mica whispering, *She is playing stupid or she is afraid to tell us she is one of his protectors.* Zilvra looked at her sister and again she didn't see her lips move. She wondered if she was reading their minds or if this was Henri's doing and she was picking it up from their link.
Trying not to freak out from what was going on she said, "I saw him standing behind me as I killed Shynta with others watching, next I saw the surface and how noisy it is. Why?" She couldn't hide her smile as she added that to the mix just to fuck with her sister.
As she said that she heard Shynta whispering, *Does Lloth wish me dead? Is that why she gave her that vision, I will have to be on my guard. Why would Lloth want him on the surface?*
Shynta was visibly shaken when she asked, "Did you see any others with you?"
Zilvra could feel the anxiety from them wrapping around her like a blanket, she felt uncomfortable and said, "I was messing with you, Shynta I didn't see myself killing you relax, and I added that as my own dream."