David Wise - Tales of Ravenloft

But once finished, I darted up out of reach of their blades. My movement prompted them to move in turn. One of them had recovered sufficiently from his surprise to take a swipe at me with his sword. I felt the wind of its passage ruffling my belly fur when I had to dive low in order to slip into the crevice that would take me deeper into the cave.

Thoroughly stirred up by this, some of them seemed determined to come after me, to challenge my unnatural threat. They'd have been better advised to retreat, to leave the cave altogether despite the wolves outside. But they angrily insisted on trying to follow me while the others paused to examine the gloriously beautiful ball of light I'd left behind on the floor.

Not for long. In order to prevent just such a retreat, I'd arranged for only the absolute minimum of time it would take for me to change and escape before the power within the globe finally burst forth. And burst it did, far exceeding my expectations. Confined as it was by the relatively close walls of the chamber, the blast was vastly more intense in its destructive force than it should have been — that, or my progress at spellcasting was more improved than I'd lately suspected. Of course, the very combustible bat guano lining the cave may have had something to do with it.

I flew as fast as I could, veering sharply to the side to avoid the fiery storm blowing through the crevice. Not fast enough. The wild, burning wind rushing in caught up with me, sending me tumbling helplessly end over end until I finally crashed hard into an utterly unforgiving surface.

Then I couldn't seem to move at all. Great billows of roaring flame rolled over my frail body, smashing me flat. I felt the fire eating away at the parchment-thin membrane of my wings, and screamed, adding my tiny voice to the shrieks of the men in the other chamber. A broken winged thing, I writhed, twitching and snarling as the heat seared us all together. But as bad as it was for me, they had it far, far worse.

The last wash of it passed, though, and I lay still and panting from the pain. Nearly deafened, I was still able to discern the low roar of fire and their last pitiful screechings as it consumed them. But I had no pity, not for these careless butchers. They'd despoiled that which was mine, and they were paying the price of it.

Damnation, but it seemed I also was paying a price. Even as I reveled in their deaths, I felt the nearness of that dark presence to me as well. It pressed close as a lover, caressing, seeping into my mind and heart, trying to persuade both to surrender to its embrace.

No, not this time. Not —

In one sickening wrench, my hold to a solid form was torn from me. For several panicked moments I feared I was dead. . truly dead, for I floated formless and free, drifting like a cloud.

Or a mist.

My addled thoughts sorted themselves, and I realized what had happened, that I'd abruptly changed form without consciously initiating it. I must have been very severely hurt indeed to bring about such a drastic alter- ation. Flowing over the singed floor, I sought out some cooler, more hospitable place in which to recover.

I found a spot deep within the cave that seemed safe enough and ventured to resume being myself again.Though my clothes were in less than respectable condition, my body was quite whole and healed. But I was still very shaken and had to sit on a convenient mound of rock or fall over. I needed rest, it seemed.

My inner sense of time informed me that the dawn was hardly more than an hour away. If I hurried, I could beat through the sky with the west wind adding to my speed and make Vallaki in time to reach my traveling box.

Oh, but it was hardly worth the effort. Tomorrow night would do just as well. Then would I return and take possession of my horses and coach and perhaps see how the girl was being treated. Then would I climb the devil's pass, as the Svalich Road is called on this side of Mount Ghakis, cross through the ancient Gates of Barovia, and finally wend my way to the peace and sanctuary of Castle Ravenloft.

As I grew calmer with these soothing plans, I noticed the thick stench of burned meat and fat oozing in on the disturbed air of the cavern. The bandits were all dead, of that I was sure. . if not by the fire, then by the wolves.

My work was finished. But at what price to me? I might have killed myself with this prank.

Careless, Strahd, careless. I thought, with dour chagrin. It's not the done thing to exterminate yourself along with the vermin, you know.

But they, at least, would trouble the land and people no more.

After all, Strahd von Zarovich looks after his own.