” ‘Shut up, kid! Check his aura, kid!’ You’d think I was some kind of…. Hey!”
“What is it?”
“His aura! It’s a sort of a reddish yellow except there’s a blue patch on his chest.”
“I thought so!!” Aahz was across the clearing in a bound, crouching at the fallen man like a beast of prey. “Look at this!!”
On a thong around the man’s neck was a crude silver charm depicting a salamander with one eye in the center of its forehead.
“What is it?”
“I’m not sure, but I’ve got a hunch. Now play along with me on this. I want you to remove the shape warp spell.”
“What spell?”
“C’mon, kid, wake up! The spell that’s changing my face.”
“That’s what I mean. What spell?”
“Now look, kid! Don’t give me a lot of back talk. Just do it! He’ll be waking up soon.”
With a sigh I shut my eyes and set about the seemingly pointless task. It was easier this time, imagining Garkin’s face, then melting away the features until Aahz’s face was leering at me in my mind’s eye. I opened my eyes and looked at Aahz. He looked like Aahz. Terrific.
“Now what?”
As if in answer, the warrior groaned and sat up. He shook his head as if to clear it and opened his eyes. His gaze fell on Aahz, whereupon he blinked, looked again, and reached for his sword, only to find it missing. Also missing were his dagger and hand-axe. Apparently Aahz had not been idle while I was removing the spell.
Aahz spoke first.
“Relax, stranger. Things are not as they seem.”
The man sprang to his feet and struck a fighting stance, fists clenched.
“Beware, demon!” he intoned hollowly. “I am not without defenses.”