Titans of Chaos

Vanity waved her broken spearshaft negligently toward Oenone. "I call these maenadskillers-of-trees, despoilers of the sacred forests where happy meliads and tree-nymphs dwell. Thevengeance I set in motion defends the nymphic race. Any nymph who hinders me admits shewishes no defense; I therefore step inside her ward. Speak, if you consent. Otherwise, your silenceis consent. I, Eidotheia, friend of homeless Menelaus, by virtue of the kind act by which I foundthe hero his home, here now complete my demonstration. Maenads! The true name of the father ofsalmons is Gwion."

The whole army of maenads simply toppled: They fell on their faces and began flopping andwrithing like fish out of water. With arched backs and hands held to their sides, the maenadsrolled and kicked and shuddered, mouths gaping. It would have been funny, had they not beenchoking to death in air.

The form of Vanity turned pale, her flesh becoming porcelain. Above her and behind her stood ashadow with the features of Quentin, which had become visible when he spoke his name.

Apparently it was a part of spell-weaving; the nymphs had been announcing their own names aswell.

All five nymphs now raised their willow wands and pointed them toward Vanity's body hanging inmidair. Leaves of many colors and flower petals swirled up from the ground and made dancingspirals around the nymphs, circling high and low.

Quentin now began to grow. Inky shadows, despite that it was day, were streaming in billows outof Vanity's chain mail, and the lengthening shadow swirled around her form without weight, likethe hem of a long cloak in a high wind.

The eyes of the nymphs were glittering with fear. The shadowy image of Quentin's face wassmiling introspec-tively: the smile of the Sphinx of Memphis. His eyes, black lids over ebony orbs,were partly closed.

At that same moment in time, the first two of the Amazon outriders came suddenly and swiftlyinto the glade, their steeds loping with silent speed across the grass.

Both riders, in one smooth motion, chambered a different type of round and shot.

I bent the world-path of the bullet aimed toward Quentin into the chest of Ethemea. Her magicfailed as the silver bullet struck her; there was a flash of azure light in her gaping chest wound,and her soul did not survive the scuttling of the vessel she was occupying.