| SORCEROUS SIGNALS |
| Written by Marva Dasef / Artwork by Marge Simon |
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| The Cursed Valley |
The guards brought Vendevor the Wizard into the castle's main
hall, converted to a temporary courtroom for the trial. Vendevor,
stripped of his bag of magic herbs, cowered under the glare of
Tain, the centaur Lord of the Valley. Tain wanted to show
mercy, but the wizard's crime was too horrible. The wizard had
poisoned the lake, killing three of the resident merfolk. It was
murder, plain and simple, and Tain had to pass judgment.
"What should I do with you, Wizard? What is the human's
punishment for murder?" Tain asked, frustrated he would likely
have to hand down a death sentence. Unused to crime and never
having seen a murder, the valley had been a safe place to
live. . .until now. A place of inherent magic, it was a natural
gathering place for the creatures who inhabited it.
"Why, Lord Tain, have your harpy witch make me forget and
send me from the valley. I regret the merpeople died. I assure
you, it was an inadvertent mistake." The old wizard groveled at
Tain's hooves.
However, Tain knew the facts showed the truth of the matter.
The wizard had come into their peaceful valley. He had seen the
merpeople playing in the shallows of the lake. He had cast the
spell that poisoned that part of the lake, then attempted to cut
the fins and tails from the bodies of the dead.
Witnessing the entire crime from a hilltop, a family of sphinxes
dashed to their rescue, but didn't reach the lakeside until the deed
was done. They only managed to stop the mutilation from going
too far. The Harpy Wizard testified the wizard could have used
the body parts in concoctions for his spells.
"Lord Tain, Lord Tain. Please hear us. This foul wizard has killed and he did it deliberately," a merman sang from the
shore of the cleansed lake.
"You see, though, I thought these merfolk to be only fish. My eyesight is poor," the wizard pleaded.
No, Tain thought. The wizard could not have mistaken the merfolk for fish. He was guilty and now Tain had to do find a
punishment to fit the crime. Unfortunately, the only punishment could be death.
Reluctant to pronounce the sentence, even though he knew what it must be, Tain addressed the court.
"Wizard, enough talk. I have heard from the sphinxes and the merpeople. You are lying, that much is clear. As Lord of the
Valley, I must sentence you to death. We will carry out the execution tomorrow at dawn."
"Guards, take him to the castle and create a cell to hold him."
The valley folk had never needed jails or cells, so they added a heavy door to a storage room facing on the castle's
courtyard. The guards tried to lead the wizard, but had to carry him as he refused to rise. Tain shuddered as the guards
dragged the screaming wizard away.
The valley folk dispersed to their homes, satisfied their Lord and Protector made the right decision. Having no stomach for
a public execution, they chose to return to their homes and not stay over for the morning's grim proceeding. They would
offer the wizard a poisoned cup of wine. If he would not drink voluntarily, then he would be forced. Enjoying such things,
the harpies volunteered for the duty of enforcing the sentence.
Once locked in the makeshift cell, the wizard asked for his knapsack. Looking at the contents, the potions missing and
seeing only harmless herbs, the naive guard handed the doomed prisoner the pack, feeling a bit sorry him-a decision he
would live to regret.
While the castle slept, the wizard, knowing escape was impossible without his potions, concocted a spell with the
remaining herbs. As dawn crept over the horizon, he cast the final words of magic. Nothing seemed to happen, but the
wizard appeared to be satisfied.
In the morning, forcing the wizard to drink the deadly potion, the harpies did their duty with glee. His life fading and
deadly sleep upon him, the wizard swore at them, damning them with his last breath. Laughing at his curses, the harpies
left him to die thinking his final efforts rather poor.
Life returned to normal for the valley folk, all thought of evil wizards gone from their minds. However, as the sun sank
and night was upon them, all was apparently not as it should be. Weird forms began to consume their bodies at they
morphed into unknown beasts.
Thinking he was hallucinating, Tain felt dizzy as he watched his arms shrinking and his four legs shorten-hooves became
claws, his human face lengthened into a canine muzzle. His teeth grew into two-inch fangs. As his form lowered to the
ground, he felt his mind fog and then he knew nothing more until the next morning.
He awoke in the forest with the remains of a sheep torn asunder near where he lay. When he saw the bloody bones and
remains of flesh, he vomited up the ghastly contents of his reeling stomach.
Knowing the horrors taking place at night could only be the result of some final wickedness from the wizard, the valley
folk were unprepared for the changing forms their bodies turned into each night. Tain became a werewolf. Others took on
other aspects, some deadly, some innocuous. But, all of those that lived in the valley spent each night in something other
than their natural form.
***
Tain's hooves pounded the dusty road, his breath coming in short gasps as he raced for safety. Shia kept pace beside him,
her tongue lolling from her mouth as she, too, exerted her last efforts. The sun was just touching the top of the hills and
they knew they had to reach the keep before nightfall.
The centaur and the wolf crossed the bridge, running neck and neck until they pulled up heaving for breath in the
courtyard. Tain bent his head down with his hands on his waist for a few moments trying to catch his breath. Shia
dropped to the ground panting. Looking up at Tain, she wagged her bushy tail.
"Almost didn't make it," she said between gasps. A barking laugh came up from her deep chest.
Tain stood upright again and smiled at her. Then, his form began to waver and melt in the dying light of the sun. His arms
grew shorter until they disappeared, the hair on his body became longer and rougher, and his body shrank into its
nighttime aspect: a werewolf.
He stood beside her prone form. Larger than she, with fangs nearly two inches long, the two were still strikingly similar.
He looked lovingly down at his mate, before his mind clouded again with werewolf passions.
Shia was a natural wolf. She did not change to a different form at night as Tain did. They had met one night while both
prowled the forests. It was hardly love at first sight. Tain attacked Shia, intent on killing her. Shia fought back with a
strength enhanced by fear. As the battle raged between the two wolves, the rim of the rising sun showed in the eastern
hills. Tain began to change back into a centaur again. Shia jumped back in wonder at the transformation, giving Tain time
to gather his wits.
When the curse washed across the valley over ten years before, Shia had been hunting for mountain goats above the tree
line. She had seemingly escaped the spell that changed every denizen of the valley thereafter.
The two talked through the day and found a growing affection, and later love, for each other. The fact they were different
species didn't bother them. Love was love, after all.
After the two met, Tain resolved not to lose himself to his dark side. He loved Shia, but his other form, the violent
werewolf, might kill even her. So, they returned to the keep each night where he was locked away until dawn when he
reverted to his natural form.
Tain loped to the cell where the guard opened the heavy door. Tain could barely force himself to enter as the werewolf
aspect overtook him. Snarling, he entered the cell. The guard swung the heavy door shut and locked it securely.
Shia watched as her beloved was locked away for the night. Sadly shaking her head, she walked slowly up the steps into
the main castle. She rested at night instead of hunting so she could spend the days with Tain.
***
Shia yawned and stretched herself the next morning. Glancing out the window, she saw it was midmorning and hoped
Tain would be awake. She looked across the courtyard to the cell door. It was open. She hurried to the main hall where
Tain would be having breakfast.
She joined him at the table where he stood eating a hearty breakfast of grain and bread. The servant anticipated Shia's
entrance, laying a large shank of meat at her place. Jumping up to her stool, she tore at the raw flesh.
Tain wrinkled his nose at her less-than-elegant table manners. However, she was, after all, a wolf and not expected to use
a knife and fork. Tain grew queasy at the sight of the raw meat. Only in his werewolf form would he think of eating flesh.
The guard came in and bowed his head to Tain.
"What is it?" Tain asked.
"Lord Tain, a human is approaching the gate. I thought you should know."
Tain was startled. A human? The last human who came here was the wizard who had afflicted the valley folk in the first
place. Tain turned away from the table.
"Let's see what he wants," Tain said to the guard.
Shia jumped from her perch to follow.
"No, my love," he continued, "humans are usually afraid of wolves. We don't want to startle him. Who knows how he
might react?"
"Very well," she answered, "I'll go upstairs and not show myself." She trotted up the stairs as Tain watched her leave.
Tain and the guard walked out to the gate to greet the mysterious visitor.
"Hello, the castle," the robe-draped man called out from across the bridge. Tain gestured to the servants, who lowered the
bridge and raised the portcullis.
The man approached and then gave a brief bow.
"Lord Tain, I presume."
"You presume correctly. I don't wish to appear inhospitable, but we've had nothing but trouble from your kind. Who are
you? What do you want?"
"I fully understand your feelings, Lord Tain. I'd heard about what had happened here and I felt I needed to do something.
The Wizard who cursed your valley was a. . .relative. I feel some familial responsibility."
The man continued, "I am Vedor, also a wizard, but not, shall we say, as excitable as my relative. I mean no harm. On the
contrary, I hope I can help."
"I am listening," Tain said slowly as he crossed his arms across his chest.
"I believe I know the spell used and I think I can reverse it."
"That's good news, but how do we know we can trust what you say?" Tain responded, suspicious of humans, especially
those bearing gifts.
"I can show you. I've studied this matter for several years. While I can't break the spell as it stands-only the original spell
caster can do that-I can form a counter spell that would have the same effect."
Tain considered a moment. "We'll go to the valley folk with your proposal. If they agree, then you can cast the spell. I'll
call a gathering for this afternoon. Meanwhile, you can stay here."
Vedor followed Tain into the keep. Tain called his servants and sent them across the valley to announce the meeting in the
village.
Tain and Vedor went into the hall. "Would you eat?" Tain asked. Now that the man was his guest, he must treat him as
such.
Vedor surveyed the remains of the breakfast still at the table. His eyes widened when he saw the bloody haunch, then
nodded his head as if confirming something to himself.
"No, thank you. I had a meal on the trail. If I could just have a place to rest for a while, that is all I'll need."
Tain gestured to a servant, who led Vedor up the stairs to the guest rooms. With a glance, Tain sent a guard to stand
outside the wizard's door. Shia watched for the man's passing, then rejoined Tain in the hall.
After he recounted what the man offered, Shia was as dubious as Tain. Still, it would thrill her to rid Tain of his nightly
agony of transformation. She loved Tain with all her heart and anything that helped him was fine with her.
That afternoon, Vedor came into the hall, stopping short when he saw Shia sitting on her haunches conversing with Tain.
"Ah, Vedor," Tain said as he spied the man, "this is Shia. She is no danger to you. Don't be afraid."
"A tame wolf is unusual," Vedor said, without fear in his voice.
"I assure you, I am quite civilized," Shia answered him. Vedor nodded slowly, accepting this was another aspect of the
spell.
"The time for the meeting approaches. Let's leave for the village," Tain said. Attending the meeting were all of the castle's
inhabitants, as they too suffered from the same affliction giving them the right to vote on the wizard's proposal.
Nearly every citizen of the valley gathered in the village square-centaurs, satyrs, sphinxes came, even the harpies sat in the
trees. They listened carefully to Vedor's offer, then a few argued either for or against the proposal. At the end, however,
the valley folk agreed that any chance of ending the curse would be best for all.
"All of you, go to your homes to wait for your change," Tain commanded.
"Tonight, just as the sun sets and you are changing to your night forms, I'll cast the spell that will return you to your
natural forms," Vedor announced.
Later, as the sun lowered behind the western hills, Tain began to feel the effect of the change.
"Do it quickly, Vedor. As a werewolf, I am very dangerous," Tain said in a rough voice lowering into a growl as he began
to change.
Vedor already set out his magical supplies and completed almost the entire spell; the finishing incantation to be said just as
the changes commenced.
"Causilius animalius," Vedor said sprinkling a bit of dust about him.
"Ananimalius causilius," he recited the next phrase.
"Reverto, reverto, reverto," he finished and dashed the last of the dust to the ground. A mist rose up around them.
Tain felt his body changing, but this time it was the familiar change from werewolf to centaur. As his arms grew and his
fangs shrank into teeth, he felt elated. The nightmare would soon be over.
The mists crept back and Tain stood in his full centaurian form. He laughed and felt his body to find he was normal again.
"Shia," he called, "my beloved, the spell worked!"
Shia crouched, snarling and backing into a corner. Her fangs were bared and eyes glinted with fear and hate. She leapt
past Tain and ran from the castle keep.
Tain looked with confusion at Vedor. "What happened?" he said, his voice shaking.
"All of the valley's folk were changed back to their true forms. The only reason your she-wolf could think and speak was
the influence of this valley's magic. In any other place, she'd simply be a wolf-wild, savage, and unthinking. The counter
spell simply returned her to her true wolf form."
Vedor shook his head sadly, then continued, "Of course, my father knew that would happen and I knew it from his
writings. It took me ten years to find the right way to avenge his death." Vedor then threw a handful of magical dust
which froze Tain in place.
He then spoke an incantation and drew runes upon the ground. He slowly disappeared, laughing at Tain's stricken
expression.
As the freezing spell dissipated, rage replaced Tain's grief. Once he was free, the hunt for the wizard would begin.
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