Free Infinity by Charles E. Borjas, E. Michaels, Chester Johnson Page B

are exactly what she needs to restore
Caratrah to her youth. “May I take some of these as medicine for someone on our
vessel? She needs these desperately.”
    “Why, these are the youth
giving herbs and roots Trilia and Formuya,” chuckled Salocina. “They only good
for restoring the youth of someone very very old. How would you know about
their powers? Did a sorcerer or sorceress tell you?”
    “The Great Sorceress Caratrah Shadowfire was at the prison planet
working in the Xetronium Mines for many
solar cycles. I rescued her and brought her here,” replied Dvora.
    Salocina and her
maids looked terrified. “Why did you bring her here?”
    “To restore her
youth,” was the reply. “But we have to work fast.”
    Using the
weapons, Dvora, her daughters following her lead, all drew their blasters and
pointed them at Salocina and her maids. Salocina raised her hand and the
weapons were jerked out of their hands and up into the trees behind them.
    “W-what kind of
power do you have?” Dvora asked, dumbfounded.
    Salocina’s tone
of voice changed to a very stern one. “I am a shape-shifter. I am the Queen of
all imps, pixies, fairies, elves, will o’ the wisps, dwarfs, and sprites; and
also the creatures of darkness. Sorceress Caratrah Shadowfire
is a creature of darkness and has done much harm to creatures like us. If you
have her in your vessel, she should not be allowed to live.”
    This statement outraged Dvora. At once she
lunged for the bowl containing the herbs and roots she needed and darted away,
still master of her speed. Her daughters were stunned and when Salocina saw
this. She took advantage of the instant to bind their hands and feet with
living vines from the Dikol Tree. They tried to break the vines, but could not.
        Then the sisters witnessed
an awesome sight. Salocina shape-shifted into a large bird and flew after
Dvora. Just before Dvora was about to jump onto the Bird of Prey and administer
the herbs and roots to the dying Caratrah, Salocina, still in the form of a
bird, dropped right in front of her and then morphed into a wolf in all of its
fierceness and rage.
    Dvora backed up, still holding the bowl.
“No...no...do not do this.”
    Salocina changed again, this time into a
large strong warrior. She grabbed the bowl away from Dvora and ran fast as the
wind back to the trees where the seven sisters were still bound. Dvora returned
to the site and found her daughters bound by the living vines, but the table
and seats were gone. “More shape shifters I imagine.”
      The vines loosened their grasp and the
sisters were free. Dvora led them back to the vessel to see how Caratrah was.
Her old body was even more shrivelled now and she opened her mouth, struggling
to breathe, uttering words as she lay there grimacing.
      “ Why
must it end like this? I can't feel my legs or my arms. I can't feel anything
anymore. Weak, I feel so weak, I feel so weak. So now what? I can't move, I'm
too tired, too weak. Sleepy, I'm so sleepy. I just want to close my eyes
and rest. I'm so tired, my eyes are like rocks.” And with that...The Sorceress
Caratrah Shadowfire breathed her last. Dvora and her daughters watched as she
then withered and became smaller and smaller. Screams and shudders from the
sisters did not stop the process that turned Caratrah into a small pile of
black dust.
    Kyn gathered up
the dust using a small electronic sweeper. Dvora said they must keep it until
they could find another sorcerer or sorceress who can bring her back again.
    Outside the Bird
of Prey there was a rustling noise like that of the wind. Upon going out, Dvora
and the sisters saw that an army of all types of armed creatures surrounded the
Bird of Prey. Leading them was Salocina.
    “I must have the
remains of the sorceress,” she demanded. “There is only one way to destroy it
forever and ever, and I must have the remains.”
    “What happens if
we refuse?” replies Dvora.
    “We will destroy
your space vessel. You