9. Confrontations.

"So, it looks like Ruwayda was right. Nu’man is spreading the rumours, just to get at the Eye." said Maria.

"Looks like it. Who do think is the target?" asked Theodore.

"I think it may be Ameera, she sporting a neck wound no one could make it through and she’s been covering it up ever since. She has access to and knowledge of earth magics and I think she may be the reason for Saleem and the others." she told him.

"Why do that? I can understand trying to live but those abominations?" she could here him shiver.

"She needs all the help she can get to save her Eye as well as the whole city. Commanders have done some pretty bad things to ensure their side won." she told him, thinking of the history lessons her aunt had taught her. "Plus Earth Magicians have the best access to the magic needed to create those creature and they are fighting on this side."

"It is still sick. I say we stop her even if she isn’t the one we are looking for. What do we do next?" he asked.

"I need more information on the day she got that wound, and then maybe confront her. I’ll play it by ear." she told him.

Ameera had been talking to her the whole time about her city and how she and the others where defending it and that it was hard but they would persevere.

"Yes, I believe you will." Maria said. "I hear that the Gods seem to be smiling upon you. So many soldiers have been living through the most serious of wounds."

Ameera’s face twitched but did not change much. If she had not been looking intently, Maria would have missed it.

"Oh, yes." she finally said after a pause. "We have been fortunate in that respect, though our loses are still quite sad."

"I am sure." said Maria. "It is not like they are cheating Death if the Gods decree it. To do that you would need great power and knowledge, something most common people don’t have."

Ameera was having trouble keeping her face calm. She cleared her throat. "Why would that thought cross your mind dear?" she asked trying to sound uninterested.

"Oh I have just been hearing rumours lately in my travels that there is someone who is looking for those who live beyond their time and stopping them." she answered.

"There are?" asked Theodore.

"Shut up."

"And," she continued, "The reason is that those who live beyond their time need to steal time from others who live around them. Interesting story is it not?"

"Fascinating." replied Ameera. "Please, let me get you a drink. I will be back Taamir do take care of our guest." and then she wandered out.

"Follow her." she told Theodore. She then turned to Taamir.

"Quickly, I need to know about the battle of the day she began to wear the scarf."

"But why?" he asked.

"I don’t have time to explain. You just have to trust me, please. Where there any unusual happenings that day? Was Ameera the same as usual? Quickly."

"Well it had started out the same, but then Ameera did look more nervous then usual, but we put that down to not sleeping much and we had been fighting a while. Then she sent of her escorts which was odd but she assured us she had seen it in a vision and the Gods would protect her. They did, since she is still here."

"No one saw her in battle?"

"Some did, here and there. Then she seemed to dissapear, but then her guards found her." He looked a little puzzled.

"What?" maria seized on the thought, "there was something unusual, no. Tell me please, it is important."

"They said that she was already wearing the scarf, though they didn’t know she had brought it, and that it looked like she was performing magic. She was saying some words and doing gestures, but there was no enemy around and he only did magic on the battlefield in combat. She was tired enough already, it seemed a waste, but she assured them everything was all right."

"She’s coming back."

"Where did she go."

Ameera walked in.

"Just who are you?" she asked pointedly.

"Just a traveller." she answered.

"Not from what I can tell. I looked at you through my mirror to see if you were a disguised enemy, The Auras around each person is unique and hard to hide, if you were a spy I could tell by looking at yours."

"And can you tell whether I am an enemy."

"No. because your Aura is black. Something I have never seen before."

Taamir let out a surprised sound.

Inwardly Maria chuckled. Fitting, for one of her family.

"So I ask again. Who are you really?"

"I am here to right a wrong that has happened. And I think you are it." she suddenly reached out and pulled the scarf of Ameera’s neck.

Taamir cried out when he saw the slash that blossomed on her neck.

"There Taamir. Do you really think someone could survive that? I don’t. I think someone here does not want to accept that her time here is over."

Ameera unsheathed her sword, and Maria did the same. This time around new runes were glowing on it. Maria had not seen them before but they looked to be made of gold.

Ameera look wide eyed at the sword. "Definetly not a regular traveller. But whoever you are I am not letting you take me. These people need me and I can’t go now."

"And the others you turned into puppets, like Saleem."

"What?" cried Taamir.

"They were necessary. We were suffering losses we had to keep the numbers up. They cannot be allowed to take this city."

"You mean Nu’man cannot be allowed to have the Eye."

"How did you know of that?"

Theodore leapt onto Maria shoulder. "I have friends in low places."

"That wasn’t funny. And as for saving your city or your precious Eye, there is no justification for the abomination of what you did to those fallen comrades." he said.

Taamir looked like he wanted to wake up from this nightmare. Maria and Ameera stared each other down.

"So if you are here to take me, then I promise you it will not be easy." said Ameera.

"It never is." said Maria. "But it is necessary."

Ameera lunged at Maria, who stepped aside and blocked the sword. They clanged together and she pushed her away.

"Even if it means that you will leave a city defenceless when many of the citizens suddenly stop existing? What of the families? what happens to them when someone they love and thought was alive suddenly is not. Are you going to explain it to them?" she asked.

Maria slashed at Ameera’s stomach. She stepped up and blocked the sword at her side. They stood face to face.

"If I have to. But they are already dead to the world and they do not cause the type of damage you do."

They broke apart.

"What’s a few people’s lives compared to a whole city’s worth."

Ameera faked a chop to Maria’s head then swung at her legs. Maria dodge over the sword and aimed a jab at Ameera’s chest. With the speed of the experienced, Ameera brought up her sword and deflected it up and just passed her face.

"If you asked them to sacrifice part of themselves to save others, that would be different." Maria told her. "But you did not ask. That is why I am here."

They moved away from each other.

Swords clashed.

Neither of them had moved.

"Where did that come from?" asked Theodore.

As if in answer to his question, the front door burst open and into the room ran Ablaa and some others.

"They’ve attacked tonight. They’ve broken into the city and he is heading here and... what is going on here?!"

The two woman holding swords pointed at each other, stared at her, unsure what to say. Finally Theodore spoke up.

"It must be Nu’man. he must be getting desperate, if he was able to convince Faaris to attack at this time."

"He does talk!" said Ablaa.

Then through the door ran Ruwayda and Kamal.

"What are you doing here?" asked Taamir, who upon seeing his wife and son seemed to break out of his stupor.

"We had to come." she said, "When I returned home the enemy was already there. I just picked up Kamal and came here because I knew you would be here." she ran up to him and the three of them hugged.

"This is not helping matters." said Maria, still in her stance against Ameera.

"This not the time for our conflict." said Ameera. "We have to help my people."

Maria was not sure what she should do, she had never been in this type of situation before.

"Oh please, don’t let me interrupt this lovely meeting." said a strange voice.

They all turned to face the doorway. Standing there was a man with the coloured uniform of the enemy. A big man about Ameera’s age and wearing a symbol on his chest of a horse and knight. And behind him was a tall skinny man with robes but no armour.

The tall man looked at Maria and smiled.