Commander Braghaman Larethian

“What were you girls doing there?” Sister Anetta asked, leaning forward in her seat.

“I don’t know,” Sabina answered meekly.

“I don’t know,” Krista replied as well, her inflection mirroring the other student.

“You must know something,” the priestess continued. “You lit a fire. You had a dead kobold there with you. You were doing something.”

“I don’t know,” the two girls answered in unison, their heads still lowered so that few could see their faces.

“Enough of this,” Marshal McBride bellowed. “You,” he said, pointing at Krista. “They said you were chanting and dancing or some such. What were you hoping to accomplish?”

“I don’t know,” Krista responded with a ragged voice. She raised her head and tears were forming at the corner of her eyes. “I don’t know! I don’t even remember how I..” Then she stopped. She blinked several times and then a cruel smirk turned the corners of her lips. “It doesn’t matter! There’s nothing you can do now!” she yelled as she jumped to her feet. Several of the men that had been watching reached for the hilts of their weapons but hesitated on drawing them.

“What do you mean?” Sister Anetta asked, her eyes closing slightly as she studied the student.

“None of you get it! You can’t do anything now!”

“Listen here, child,” Marshal McBride said as he stood up and leaned against the table. “You’re in enough trouble. Stop playing games and explain yourself! Now!”

The Marshal started to say more, but stopped. Looking down, he saw Sister Anetta’s hand on his arm.

“Its not her,” the priestess said calmly.

“What?” McBride asked. He looked back up at the young lady who was standing in front of him and was now starting to sway slightly. Tearing his gaze away, he looked to the other student who had remained seated. That’s when he noticed what the priestess had seen. Sabina was staring at the back of Krista, a cruel look in her eyes.

Sensing that people were looking at her, Sabina looked from her classmate to the table to see the priestess and the marshal both looking at her. Sabina sneered and then sat straighter in her chair. Then she let out a snort and almost instantly Krista crumpled to the floor. Sabina looked up to the ceiling of the library and closed her eyes, then let out a piercing scream. Everyone the room brought their hands to their ears and tried to block out the noise, but it seemed to drill right into their brains. They closed their eyes and doubled over as they tried to block out the sound.

Finally, the scream seemed to dissipate. People lowered their hands from their heads and started to look around. In the center of the library was Krista, laying still on the floor. Sabina was gone.

“Find her!” the marshal roared. Several of the paladins ran from the room on his order.

Sister Anetta rushed to Krista and knelt down next to her. She reached for the student’s wrist and checked for a pulse. After a moment, the priestess let out a breath that she didn’t realize she was holding.

“Quickly. Get her to the infirmary.” 

“What happened?” the marshal asked as two priests picked up the unconscious girl and carried her from the room.

“I don’t know. But I intend to find out.”