| Where has this girl suddenly appeared from? Tony wonders. And
how could such an apparently slight young woman lift him off his feet with
such ease?
Meanwhile, as Annafrid and Astra 9 - the "muscle" - deal with Tony,
Dragon Snyizn (in human form), Jarlath and Andrea - the mages - together
with Joan have gone after the fleeing Freddi. They are able to sense the
proximity of the curse - which has momentarily taken an interest in Astra
9, before it senses that she (as a Champion) is immune. A well-chosen spell
sends it off with its metaphorical tail between its legs before it can
turn its attention back to Freddi again.
The presence of the curse has told Dragon Synizn, Jarlath and Andrea
two things: first, that they are on the right track and second, that if
the curse was taking an interest in the fleeing girl then, highly improbable
coincidence though it might seem, she must be a transformed Fred or Astra.
Given time, they might be able to uncover her past, but time is the one
thing they are short of at present.
They could stop the girl's flight with magic, but that would only risk
frightening her even more. So they chase after her calling: "It's all right.
We're friends. You're safe now." Soon, Freddi turns to see who these people
are. They are strangely dressed, but what really startles her is that one
of them appears to be a humanoid fox - or maybe it would be more correct
to say a vulpine girl.
Meanwhile, Annafrid and Astra 9 are finding Tony a sterner foe than
they had expected. They had not arrived in time to hear his earlier remark,
the one that had revealed that he must be more than the local rather thuggish
young man that he seemed: "Behold the mighty Lord Fred - reduced to nothing
more than a common trollop!" They had initially taken him by surprise,
but though he didn't know who they were he wasn't prepared to surrender
just yet.
-
 He manages
to wriggle out of Annafrid's grasp and...
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