Later, in the dark, pinned by massive stones, the holong sputtered a weak mewling. It lay, solid and broken, at the edge of of the fetid pool. Half in and half out of the water. It pawed at the stones beneath it, barely making a skritching sound. Its eyes whirled in pain and confusion and it looked up at the blazing stars through the long tunnel of the topless atrium.
A quiet popping sound slid through the air all around. Someone stepped out of nowhere and stood on broken paving stones. Unnatural light sprang from the top of a staff in the figure's hand. Another hand lifted back the hood of a green travelling cloak and revealed a slender silver face. A Malkin female; beautiful, yet cold and calculating. She looked around the rubble.
"Oh, what a terrible thing they've done to you." She stepped over to the holong and pulled the wraith grappler off its head. "There, there. You'll be all better soon." She knelt and purred along with it. "Very soon."
The holong opened its mouth to lick her gloved hand. "Yes, they were an awful bunch. And this didn't quite go as planned so my apologies. But what can you do with Voy Diurne anyhow." She ran a hand behind the holong's ears and scratched. It purred more deeply. "However, the smith proved himself to be exactly what I need so all this trouble is worth it. His brother could come in handy, too. Clever, that one."
She stood and looked up at the stars. "You can't destroy a world without lining up a few unwitting pawns."
-30-
