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PART TEN
It was decided eventually, after much bickering and debate, that Aura would lead a small group to Amarna to see the council and another group, accompanied by Poppy, would attempt to track Mallos down. Penguin would stay behind in Set-Merut with Pedro's replacement so that the people there would not be left without at least one divine being with control of their powers. This way, no matter which party Gwythr attempted to interfere with, there would be at least one divine being available to provide some protection. It was agreed that he was most likely to leave Selene in control of Per-a'a Nakht and follow the group headed for the council so, despite her desire to find Mallos, Aura was put with that party. Patrick, following Aura's instructions, then fetched the animal which would replace her as the magical protector of Set-Merut. Every person in the room felt a twinge of misgivings as he placed the little creature on the table before them.
"A puppy with a stick?" Adonis queried flatly, "really?"
"Lauma was only loyal to Set-Merut because of her nature as a pack animal. Squirrels don't form attachments to others in the same way as lions - but dogs do," Aura replied. "A young enough dog will grow to be the most loyal of companions. Besides, it will be more likely to accept tutelage from Penguin if they are the same species."
They all looked doubtfully at the puppy, which yipped excitedly and wagged its tail. It was a monochromatic sprocker spaniel - a cross between a cocker and a springer - and was literally quivering with excess energy, but its bright eyes had none of the slyness Pedro's had possessed. Aura slipped the ring off her finger and rubbed it gainst the puppy's back; it dissolved into a grey sort of smoke and vanished inside the young animal.
"What's your name?" Aura asked it gently.
The puppy cocked its head to one side. "Blue."
That was all they could get out of him after that. Blue was so excited to discover that he could 'speak people', as he termed it, that he couldn't even construct a coherent sentence. Penguin, who had returned by this point, eventually led him out of the room. The last thing they all heard were his growls accompanying Blue's exhilarated barking.
"There's one other thing I should mention," Aura added. "There is a third mission. Someone will have to retrieve Mallos' Pendant of the Divine from Gwythr." Catching their blank looks, she explains. "Most of the originals change their appearance constantly. The Pendants of the Divine were created so that we could recognise each other; we all carry them on us at all times, and each one has a unique shape." She reaches to her neck and pulls out a silver chain necklace with a little pendant attached. It's more or less shaped like a cross, but where the top half of the vertical shaft should be there's a loop; the Ancient Egyptian symbol of ankh, the symbol of life, is one of the most famous and recognisable. "They're vital, because without them you can't sit at or approach the council. Gwythr only managed to fool people into thinking he was Mallos because he had Mallos' pendant - they see or sense its presence and don't bother to look beyond it, since before now no fairy has ever managed to obtain another's pendant. For Mallos to be able to approach the council and prove Gwythr's treachery, he will need his pendant back... whoever remains behind must organise some sort of mission to retrieve it, but be warned; Gwythr will be guarding it with his life."
She'd left soon after. It's crucial that the rip be made somewhere away from Set-Merut, in case it goes horribly wrong. Now, as she soars winglessly across Shaman, Aura wonders if she isn't making a mistake. If Gwythr tries to follow them to Earth, then Per-a'a Nakht will be without a divine being and Set-Merut will be able to overrun them, which constitutes a victory for her. If, on the other hand, Gwythr remains in Shaman and tries to use her absence to his advantage, then she will be able to locate Mallos, warn the council and bring more divine supporters back with her to help secure a Set-Merut victory. It's a win-win situation... or is it? So far, Gwythr has had her running around in circles... what if this is just another one of his little ploys? What if he intends her to go to Earth, and she's helping along his grand scheme of things by creating this rip?
The Old Ruins are looming up below. No time to think now. Aura does a quick 360 in the air to ensure that there are no people around before landing softly near the cliff edge, away from the ruins themselves. Creating a rip in the fabric of time and space to enable a connection between worlds is an extremely complicated and difficult business, even for someone with perfect control of their divinity and millions of years of experience. Aura has created a rip only twice before in her life - once to see if she could, and the second time in creating Shaman. It takes every ounce of concentration and every drop of magic she possesses.
Blocking out the world entirely, Aura spreads her feet apart, closes her eyes and summons her magic.
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