In the flash of flame Anna had recognized Onna as the wicked fae she had seen in her just completed vision quest. What Anna had failed to realize then was that Onna's immediate intent was not focused on her and Calum but rather on capturing George. Anna sat on the ground, broken, barely able to move, deep in thoughts of defeat. What had just happened was unfathomable. In perhaps less than 10 seconds Onna had landed with a might crash, thrown out a ball of flame to break Millicent's strike, reeled George in with a tractor spell and then blown off a huge energy shield to protect herself. Anna was fairly stunned at the magical powers of her adversary. She had never fought such a foe before. For the first time in her life she doubted the strength of her own being. Anna was in trouble and she knew it. Lost in thought Anna dropped her guard. What else could possibly go wrong now? She was about to find out! For taking advantage of the confusion caused by Onna's full frontal assault, her partner Shaw had crept in behind Anna's group. With her back turned to him he slid from behind a pillar and prepared to take off Anna's head with a single blow. It was all so easy. Questions of battlefield honor held no play with Shaw, an enemy taken from behind with no warning was simply an easy win. It was all going to plan, just as Onna had said it would! He was so clever to have made an alliance with her. His thoughts wandered to fantasy's of bedding the delicious dark fae and making her his. Yes, his time had finally come. The worlds of both elves and men would soon tremble at the name of Mighty Shaw and his soon to be consort Onna! So Anna was not the only one to let her guard down. Impatient with excitement Shaw neglected to look carefully around him before he slinked from behind the safety of the pillar. Shaw was focused only on taking out Anna, not on any of her dumb animals that might be lurking around. That was a mistake. For Anna's familiars were ever vigilant and not easily distracted by weak emotions of loss and greed. There would be time for mourning later. Although they had lost George, they still had Anna to protect. And they were mighty mad about what had just gone down. They wanted blood and Shaw's would do just fine for a start! Revenge was an emotion these two could relate to. Millicent spotted Shaw the instant he slithered from behind his hiding spot. With a hideous hiss she instinctively crouched and prepared to leap across the open rotunda- she would have her blood for missing Onna. There would be no walls of fire from this insolent bastard! Not to be outdone by her furred friend, Ingrid swooped down to attack the unsuspecting brute from behind. Fair was fair, and this was gonna be a fight to the finish. Size mattered nothing to Ingrid, every being she had ever fought was bigger than her. But just to help the avian assault, Ingrid brought along a few of her sisters that she had met while soaring over the valley that fell away from the temple. Nothing like a mad cacophony of mobbing corvids to add some fun and confusion to a fight! As far as the familiars were concerned the real battle for George started now! Previous Delphinium

"Gotcha!"