Intermezzo XI - Picking Up the Pieces

Please note: Intermezzo XI is a continuation of Intermezzo X. If you have not read Intermezzo X, do so now.

Chapter IX - Bad Guys: 1000s Good Guys: 1

'The winter here is cold, and bitter,

And it’s chilled us to the bone,

Haven’t seen the sun for weeks,

Too long, too far from home.'

~Sarah McLachlan, 'Full of Grace'



‘Death’ was thrown from Ariea’s body, and reverted to Shandor’s – the one he had used most. He was cast into some sort of gap between dimensions, nothing made sense there, he couldn’t feel, but he felt everything, he was blind and saw all, deaf and heard all. He had to return to somewhere safe. Trying to regain his senses was like swimming after a fish in a stormy ocean. Eventually he hurled himself out. He crashed to the floor, landing on a rug. He was back in his fortress, his army was outside, he was safe.

‘How’d the date with Destiny go?’ Esal asked, striking ‘Death’ around the face with the end of his staff.



‘Lets go.’ Shandor stated. “Ariea” twirled on her heel and stepped away from the door to the cell, allowing Shandor out. Shandor followed quickly, but just before he slammed the door shut, he dropped the original wedding ring. The door swung shut, but hit the ring and didn’t close fully.

The moment Shandor and “Ariea” disappeared around the corner, Esal opened his eyes, his Possibly Destinies had gotten that one right. With that slightest of gaps, the magic inhibiting field failed. Esal could do whatever he wanted. He was going to wait and wait, as they had agreed, until he felt the power of the spell Shandor was going to use. Then he would get out of the cell and wait for ‘Death’ to show up. Esal reckoned ‘Death’ would return to the place he knew best. And he was right.



‘Death’ quickly got up from the floor. Esal grinned, ‘I told you I’d get you for that.’ He then swung his staff across and down, catching ‘Death’ at the base of his neck, to his left. ‘Death’ only had time to gargle as Esal changed directions with the staff and caught ‘Death’ in the jaw from beneath. Esal swung the staff around and struck ‘Death’ on the back of the head before spinning around and landing the end of the staff in ‘Death’’s stomach. ‘Death’ doubled over, Esal spun the staff around, hitting ‘Death’ directly on the nose. ‘Little psychic birdie came and told me you were coming, I wanted to make the house all nice and tidy, but I’m afraid I didn’t get the chance.’

‘Death’ grunted as the staff struck him at the base of his spine.

‘You see, I couldn’t make the house as I was very busy plotting and planning. And I came up with this,’ he indicates the tip of his staff that hasn’t struck ‘Death’ yet, ‘This will strip you of all your powers and hurl you into the same dimension as your little flapping friend. That stupid Child that you and the over-grown lizards worship – the one you tried to kill as I rightly recall. Anyway, this staff is rather ingenious, if I do say so myself, it combines two very difficult, very different enchantments together. I think you should be honoured to be struck by this.’

Esal spun the staff about, aimed it like a lance and charged at ‘Death’. ‘Death’ leapt up, grabbed the middle of the staff and snapped it in two, the other hand grabbing Esal by the throat, ‘Did the little psychic birdie tell you this was going to happen?’

Esal smiled, ‘Oddly enough, yes.’ With that, he let the dagger slide down his sleeve, he caught it with his free hand and plunged it into ‘Death’’s chest.

‘Death’ went wide-eyed and fell backwards on the ground, gasping.

‘Goodbye, old friend.’ Esal stated as ‘Death’ stopped moving, turned perfectly grey, then collapsed into dust.



Shandor awoke slowly and looked about, the camp had been pretty much destroyed by the force of the spell, and the trees looked ruffled, no wildlife was coming within a ten metre radius of the camp now. Shival had had enough and had taken off. Ariea, his Ariea, his lovely, his one, had coerced the fire to life and was cooking breakfast. Shandor was at the base of the tree, after the spell was finished, as Ariea later explained, he was sent hurtling backwards against a tree, and she was thrown into the mists. He had only slept for half an hour or so, as the sun was still low in the sky. Shandor got to his feet unsteadily at first, Ariea saw this and stood up. The two looked at each other for ten seconds or more, a few metres between them, silent, still. Then, in a flurry of movement, they were locked in an embrace. Time seemed to become meaningless as they stood there, together, but as one body, wrapped around each other, neither wanting to let go.

However, they were forced to when Shandor resumed being unsteady and tipped over, taking Ariea with him, saying simply, 'Falling now.'

After breakfast, the two walked hand-in-hand away from the forest, the trees began to thin on a slope, and the two reached the top of the slope as the sun shone brightly at them, lighting up hills and fields and meadows. ‘Ready?’ Ariea asked.

Shandor looked back down at the forest that was still plunged in darkness, he turned to Ariea and kissed her sweetly, ‘Ready.’

Together, the two left the forest and began walking in the sunlight.