A Mutual Acquaintance

Vincent was about to respond with a magical assault when he and Xyllis both felt the energies in the room ripple as yet another person began to materialize. "Really!" Vincent exclaimed, quite put out. The defenses he had carefully erected should have blocked anyone else from entering without his permission. "I have been gone far too long," he muttered.

There was a brief hum, and suddenly, someone appeared in the corner of the room. It was a wizened old figure, bent but not bowed under the weight of years.

"There you are," she said. "I've had quite a difficult time finding you."

"Norla?!?" both Vincent and Xyllis exclaimed.

"You know her?" they asked each other.

"She - she was the one who trained me in sorcery many years ago!" Xyllis admitted, stunned.

"She was the crone I spoke of who helped restore these two to their proper identities," Vincent added.

No one else in the room uttered a word - for a moment, the only sounds were the gentle snores of Astra and Freda and a light skrtch as Bobo idly chased a flea through his fur. Then Norla said:

1. "Whatever happened to you, Vincent? When you and your guests left, you vanished from my tracking magic."
2. "Vincent, I've come to warn you - Pronklezilch is furious! He's declared war against you and I both!"
3. "Xyllis? My child, why are you here with Vincent?"
4. "Xyllis, I must warn you - there is an imposter in your midst!"
5. "I must talk to your companions, Fred and Astra - can you wake them, please?"
6. "I sense the changes you wrought in these two, Xyllis - I hope we can recover them before it is too late!"

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