~Keegan squinted with watery brown eyes at the tiny dark haired girl before him. She was bending over a corpse, silver scalpel flashing in the lamplight. How he envied her steady hands. Now days he was shaky, but that didn’t really matter. What she was doing was just to let her see how a body was made. A long time ago he remembered doing the same thing. Though he also remembered retching the first time, and the tiny girl in front of him followed his directions for cutting up the body without a qualm.

He was rather proud of her. Though he supposed that the way she had been raised had something to do with it. He chuckled softly to himself thinking of her favourite games. One of them was playing tag with his zombies, or “dead people” as she called them. He supposed one day he’d have to teach her the correct names of things, but she was just so cute with her made up ones....

He had raised her from a baby. He had wanted someone absolutely loyal to him, and this child was he knew. She would probably look much like her mother when she grew up. At the moment she was still a tiny little thing, about four and a half feet tall. Her brown eyes were large and soft and her thick brown hair gleamed softly under the light. It was really to bad her mother had not agreed with his methods or his harem. So of course he’d had to get rid of her after the little one was born. Pity women died so easily in childbirth. He gave an evil laugh. The girl turned to look at him, eyes questioning, her lips forming the word ‘master?’. Waving his hand at her he turned back to his thoughts.

He sighed and pulled at one of the stands in his scraggly white beard. He knew he was probably going to die soon. He had made a special vessel for his spirit so that he would not be gone though. Lani, the little one, had helped him greatly. He had put much of his power into it. He had captured an eagle one day, and through magic he had made it into something special, though no longer alive. That had been 13 years ago. The child’s mother had given her life force to his creation though he was sure no one would ever realize that.

Many other lives had gone into his creation though no one but himself knew. Many were now zombies or, like the corpse on the table, teaching tools for Lani. He supposed he had been negligent in some areas of education but it didn’t bother him. He had taught her everything he needed her to know.

His creation, Eagle, was finished now... well almost. It only awaited his death to become alive. It was made to hold his soul, and he felt it tugging at him if it was near. He kept it in a special box that nulled it’s magic so it would not take him before he was ready. It had been tuned to work only for Lani. She was the only one who could use it, because she was the one he would control from within the eagle.

One of it’s special properties was it could become almost any shape. An eagle, a weapon, or even a bracelet. He was the only one who’s soul could move into it since he was it’s creator. Just right now wasn’t quite the time for it he felt. Once he had though he would rule again through Lani, and then whoever she chose to pass the artefact on to. Because she could and only she. If he thought she was going to die he would instruct her to imprint the eagle upon another.

He felt a soft tap upon his shoulder. Lani stood there patiently holding the supper she had made for them after finishing her dissection or the corpse. She held the tray out to him and then her eyes widened as she looked somewhere past him. He turned his chair.... just in time to catch an arrow in the chest.

Knowing he was dying he gasped out ‘Lani Eagle’.... and she nodded. Nodded and promised to keep it safe. That not being what he wanted he tried to shake his head, cursing himself for keeping it locked away. Lani threw her arms around him hugging him, her tears wetting his thin robe.

He felt strangely touched by Lani, his daughters, concern and tried to speak, but found he could not, found he was leaving his body... and something was reaching for him. Something black and dark..... and he was gone.~

*****

~Lani choked back her tears, sensing somehow that her master was gone. She looked again to the window and saw IT climbing inside. Jumping to her feet she ran to the box where her master kept Eagle she tore it out, and wrapped it quickly in a cloth. Hugging it to her chest she stared at the thing that had killed him.

It walked quickly to where her master lay, checking to make sure he was dead and then turned to look at her. It cocked it’s head to the side, it’s feathered crest standing up. It’s clawed hands held a bow. She had seen bird things like it before. Her master kept them in cages. He said they were fun to play with, but he never let her near them. The bad thing made a shooing motion at her and she turned and ran from the room. Running down the stairs she tripped... and then scrambled back in horror. Johnny, the head of the guards, a man who been like her father, lay mutilated on the ground. She heard a scream and turned to see Lily, one of the masters pretty ladies staring at Johnny. The master had been going to give Lily to Johnny for his loyalty. Lani sighed, hugging her bundle and silently said goodbye to Johnny who she had cared for second only to her master. Lily touched her shoulder, crying, and told her she must take the masters eagle and flee. She stared at Lani for a moment and added the cryptic comment of "if they knew what... who you are they would never let you escape."

Lani ran. Slipping down through the walls of the castle in passages that not many knew of. Coming out into the forest she continued to run until she ached and felt she could not take another breath. Slowing to a walk she searched around, and with amazing luck found a cave. Dragging herself into it she fell asleep, curled around the bundle containing her only possession.

Upon waking she decided to explore the cave. Picking up the bundle with eagle inside she walked farther into the cave. It seemed to go forever, but then she stumbled upon the end of it. And there was a shimmering curtain. It sparkled and twisted entrancingly. Lani reached out to touch it and her hand passed through it. Hugging eagle to her chest she walked slowly through it. And found herself in another cave. But this time there was no shimmering curtain. She turned to go back and hit the wall of the cave. Rubbing her nose she backed away and hid eagle in a corner deciding to go exploring.~