ila, can't he hear me? Why won't he answer?” Drak was frantically trying to rouse his friend.

“He can hear only Seer's voice, Drak. Seeker belong to her now. Cannot hear Drak, only Rylinian.” She fluttered nervously about his face, coming to light on his shoulder.

“Well, can't ya do something?”

“What Drak want Sila do?”

“I dunno. Can't ya make it so he hears my voice too? Can't ya... Wait! Sila, ya can only magic me, right?”

“Sila Drak's faery. Work magic for Drak only, yes.”

“Well then, change my voice. Make me sound exactly like Rylinian. Ya can do that, can't you?”

“Oh Drak! You are so clever. Very clever thief. Yes, I make Drak sound just like Seer of Bazcal, then Seeker friend will hear. Seeker will obey.”

“Well do it then!” The Dreyman stopped as his voice came out low and rasping, sounding exactly like the sorceress.

“Do what?” Seeker lifted his head, staring around at the empty room. “That's very odd,” he said to himself. “I could have sworn...”

“Do you hear me, Seeker?” said Drak, hissing his friend's name.

“Yes. Yes I hear you. Where are you, mistress? What would you have of me?” The human looked around, trying to place the source of the voice.

“I am here, you just can't see me. You will obey me?” Drak held his breath as Seeker nodded his head, slowly.

“I will obey.”

“Good. Listen, there isn't much time. You must understand that I am not Rylinian. I am Drak, your friend. Do you understand that, Seeker?”

“I understand. You are my friend Drak. You are not Rylinian.”

“All right. So far so good. When I say the word, you will wake up from your trance, or whatever it is, and remember who you are and who I am. You will see your danger and want to be free. Oh yeah. You'll only take orders from my voice, not Rylinian's, until that potion she gave you wears off. Understand? You'll only take orders from me, Drak, in my own voice. Have you got all that?”

“Yes. I understand. I am in danger. I want to be free. I do not want the Seer to touch me. What is the word of command?” The human's head hung against the pillows, the effort of holding it up too great.

“The word of command? Uh, it's...” Drak wracked his brain for a word that wouldn't be too likely to come up in normal conversation. .”..uh, strawberryjam!” He wasn't sure just what that was, but Seeker had once mentioned he had a liking for it. Obviously, it was some delicacy from his home. “Okay, Sila, give me back my own voice.”

“Drak's voice is back to normal.”

“Thanks,” he said, in his own voice. He turned and placed a hand on Seekers head. “Strawberryjam,” he intoned.

“What? Who's there? Drak is that you? Is it really you or am I having auditory hallucinations?” Seeker looked around, not seeing his friend.

“Shh. I'm invisible is all. Listen, do ya have any idea how much trouble yer in right now? Well, do ya?”

“Yes, I see. This is a bit of a sticky wicket I've gotten into. Can you help me?”

“That's what I'm here for, you stupid giant. The Seer's sure to be back soon.” He stood on tiptoe, trying to unravel the ropes which bound the wizard to the bed. He couldn't budge them.

“I can't get you loose. Wait a minute. Let me try my knife.” The Dreyman pulled the short knife from his belt, but the strands refused to be cut. Instead, the knife blade was nicked. “Blast! Won't cut through.” He looked at the wizard, hanging helplessly. “Well, any ideas?”

“Oh Drak, if I only had my DTU, maybe that would cut through. But I don't. It's safely back on the matrans. By the way, Drak, how did you get here? I mean, you did get the source on board the matrans, didn't you?”

“Yeah an' all. Then yer stupid Contek, took off, an' left ya behind. She wouldn't even let me out to go an' help ya. Some friend!”

“No Drak, that was exactly what she was programmed to do. But that still doesn't explain how you managed to get out, and how you got here?”

“Yeah, well, I sorta have my own... Hey, I almost fergot! I brung yer other DTU! I got it here somewhere, grabbed it just before Sila, I mean just before I left the matrans. I also brung ya some clothes. Ya can't very well go running around all undressed like ya are.”

“What? Why Drak, that was brilliant! You are turning into quite a competent assistant, aren't you! Have you got it? Well, come on, come one, we haven't got all day, or is it night? I'm all mixed up again. I simply hate it not knowing whether I'm coming or going. Drak, I could almost kiss you!”

“Save yer burning kisses fer Taryzas! Here it is. All right, here goes!” A beam of blue light moved along the magicked rope, and the fibers began to fray.

Seeker watched. “Kiss Taryzas? Whatever for, I wonder,” he mused to himself, as the coils began to weaken, dropping him lower so that he almost touched the bed. Suddenly, the air was split by a shriek so piercing that Drak was forced to drop the wand and cover his ears. As the DTU fell from his hands, it became visible on the floor next to the bed.

The human's hands were not yet free. He squeezed his eyes closed tight as the shrieking built to a crescendo, then faded away. Echoes of the sound still reverberated in his skull as he urged the thief to get back to work on his bonds.

“Hurry, Drak, hurry. Unless I'm very wrong, which is unlikely, the Seer of Bazcal had just had some very bad news. I don't want to be here when she gets 'round to remembering me.”

“Yeah, I know what ya mean,” replied the Dreyman as he retrieved the DTU and went back to work on the ropes.

Suddenly, without warning, the door was flung back and Rylinian entered the room. Seeker went limp immediately, feigning unconsciousness.

Her hair was wild, drifting about her face like a storm. There wasn't even a hint of sanity in her dark eyes as she approached the bed; evil twisting her mouth into a leer. Drak scrambled to hide beneath the bed, covering his eyes to shut out the horrible vision of the Seer.

For a moment she stood staring silently down at the human before her, never noticing the frayed ends of the rope still supporting most of his weight.

“So, human, your friends have their victory,” she hissed. “But, I have made it costly! The Lady Nimue is no more and the favored wizard will soon follow.” She bent, reaching for his hair. “Wake!” she commanded. He opened his eyes.

“I find I am no longer interested in you as a man, wizard. Perhaps I would find it amusing to emasculate you.” She moved a hand to the laces of his trews, tugging gently.

“I'd really rather you didn't,” he said, staring deeply into her eyes. “I find your touch unpleasant in the extreme, Rylinian. Please, leave me alone and fly. You may still have time to save your own skin.”

“You! You have no will, only mine! I have bound you to me, Seeker. Speak not so to your mistress!”

“No Rylinian, you haven't. I told you it wouldn't work, didn't I? I am not like other humans. You cannot enslave me in that manner. I am stronger than you. You can see it in my eyes, sorceress. Look, can you see the power there? Look deeper, deeper, deeper...” Seeker brought every nuance to his voice, urging her to succumb to his will, but she was insane.

“I see ...nothing! Fool! Do you dare to try to ensorcel me?” She suddenly lowered her voice to a soft, rasping whisper. “If I don't have your will, I still hold possession of your body, human. You are right, however, I have not the time to destroy you properly! I will therefore send you to the Ferunda, naked and vulnerable. They will deal with you properly!” Drawing her knife from its sheath she sliced away the last remnant of his clothing, leaving him completely naked.

©2005 by Trish Reynolds