<”It'll be fine,”> she replied to the man with the cane. <“I'll get Veridian to stay with them, and through him they'll understand.”>

Focusing, she connected to her fox-formed companion who was busy showing himself through the gap in the quarantine fence to the cat folk. They were rather beautiful, from what she could see through his eyes, with enhanced features and kindly looks. The scars on their upper forearms were poisons where they should be innocent and unharmed.

They seemed stunned by his presence, although also frightened at the mad smokes rising around them. Some had already taken initiative and had torn down a segment in the wall, whispering to each other to grab what they could. Veridian was trying desperately to tell them, through the civet earth-spirit, that he could get them to safety before this all went to chaos. Before the sailors came and took them back on board to be their slaves once more.

“Please,” he tried to say to the crowd that both listened to him and panicked at the same time, “Please, listen to me, we can get you off this island, away from here. Me and my-”

Suddenly - flames rose with angry menace and licked over the side of the wall, near where Veridian was. Bright white, red and gold danced, sending heat and smoke over them, so that the smallest cats began to cough. Shrieks ran through their forms, and despite what the earth-spirits - both of them - pleaded, they began to run for the gap they had made.

<“Damn it - Philomel!”> He yelled out, so the others could hear also.

She got his connection and nodded. <“It's alright,”> she replied. <“Just get them to go to the southern shore, keep all dangers away from them. I'll send Delath with you.”>

As she spoke she felt the movement of the mightiest beast on this island move through the ground under. So far he had been travelling under rock and sea, sliding between magma and sand to get to where his mistress was. Large like a basilisk, fierce like a pack of wild hounds, the earth dragon Delath who she had helped to create came to her call. He roared low and deep, munching and twisting his way upwards through the soil to climb to her. So far he had been but redundant in this voyage, this adventure, gliding his way beneath the vast bedrock of the ocean, but now he was here. Now he came to her call.

Twisting around she fixed Cain with a stare. <“I'll take care of the fire, making sure it does not spread. Veridian is getting the cat folk to the shore and my dragon will guard them through the jungle. If you have any ability right now, I suggest you use it to make our passage safer.”>

He seemed to look at her a while, and then turned. There was a hazy shimmer in the atmosphere before he leapt through space likely to where the cats were running for cover. Taking in a long breath Philomel found herself with her last two remaining sailors. They were looking at her with raised eyebrows. She paused and pointed. “Go straight to the south shore. Get the ship ready. Prepare them for the intake of passengers.”

They looked to each other.

“Ehhh…”

“Just do it,” she ordered, “No matter how many there are, this is our only chance. Now run before this fire gets to you!”

Still a pause. Still hesitation.

“My La-”

“GO!” She yelled, “That is an order!”

At that, they scampered. Leaving Philomel in the camp alone. Without any others, the merchants having all gone. Of course she could still feel the others around her, the various beings that had come with her to this place, but it still felt lonely now. As the flames burst high and significant above her she took a long, low breath, and turned.

Then she ran. Fast and furious, across to the edge of the quarantine wall, using her superior speed to gather herself. Gathering in all she had she welcomed into her the spirit of Drys, her beloved goddess. Earth power surged into her, just as Delath began his climb to the earth's crust and Veridian began the run to corral the cat folk towards the south. She let it overcome her, building her up rapidly from faun, then to half-beast … then to a raging goat roaring through the trees.

Dusky brown, and many feet to the shoulder she thundered the earth with her hooves, bellowing out an animalistic bleat. Yes, she might scare the cat folk, but it could only serve to make their run faster. To make their escape faster. As the smoke licked around her.

She got to the point where she knew they had passed and suddenly froze to lift her mighty forehooves into the air. Horns raised above her, earth shifted and rose beautifully, like a fluttering cape. Just before she plummeted her form, slamming hooves into the ground. Under them the ground shook, the world trembled and a large gaping crack began to appear. As she rose up and did it again an earthquake began to rumble, made by her and her goddess, that quickly and surely made way for the crevice to widen. And deepen. And spread from east to west so the border between life and certain flaming death was cut off.

The flames rolled into the crack, pouring down into nothingness and they stopped their oncoming. As the devilish goat slammed hooves in again and again the path got safer, the flames stopped their profession, and the Feisty Fox moved more into position. People moved, dragons bit through trees and heroes sang of their good deeds as the victory began.