[b]Miriam
Chapter 32: Deliverance[/b]

The foundations of the terrace had given way, Miriam's grip on sanity, logical thought or general laws of physics had become nothing more than a memory gnawing annoyingly at the back of her mind. The young woman, garbed in her Midway clothing and surrounded by a white aura, carrying the gilded cage with a ruffled owl inside scrambled quickly. She cowered inside the entrance to one of the askew buildings and was about to turn to observe the duel outside when a sudden explosion flared outside in the streets. Dust, ash and the remaining bits of flesh from the creatures of the Maw was flung up and out, hitting the uneven walls of the houses on either side of the demonic ashen street. Miriam pushed the door open with her shoulder and stumbled inside speedily. Outside the street flared up with another bright light and loud cacophony of violent magics. Miriam quickly went inside the house, which was similarly askew and decrepit as the rest she'd been in so far. She sat the owl in its cage upon the ruined table and headed quickly for the window, opening its shutters with first a failed shove, and then a forceful kick. She cowered her head behind its edge and peeked out. 

She saw Walter first, the elderly man was dressed in his long brown coat, his feet skidding backward and his wrists moving in that spellcasting kind of way. Suddenly he flicked his right hand forward, causing a tremendous shock wave to materialize from his movement. It sent its pressure through the air, causing Miriam to fumble back. She was quick to her seat again and looked outside. She spotted Walter's combatant, the Dark cloaked, slithering creature with its black scythe and gleaming malice. The creature was easily thrice Walter's height when stretching its serpent's body but Miriam noticed that it was reeling, its black cloak that shrouded its human half had been damaged, torn and its fury was more prevalent than its dread now. It exchanged some movement and spread its invisible authority at and around the wizard it fought and even though Miriam could not see the details of their battle, its aftermath was evident. Wherever their power met, sometimes halfway, sometimes closer to either fighter, holes appeared. Black, lacking gaps in the very seams of this world's reality. Their darkness so complete and so pure that Miriam saw them shine like mirrors. She realized, even though she did not understand, that if any of these attacks exchanged between monster and man hit, it would mean certain death. Flames shot out, suddenly a firestorm surrounded the malevolent snake and Miriam snapped her eyes to Walter, whom with his hands raised to the sky and his arms spread controlled the vortex of fire. Miriam saw in it her past, and also a possible future. Walter shouted, while still containing his flaming vortex, its fires licking and scorching the already wasted buildings of the street.
	"Miriam! Get the bird! Speak these words! The grizzled man strained, the slithering creature throwing out its body in a show of strength, its scythe sweeping aside the flames as if they were a sheet of cloth. Walter managed to parry the following swing of the scythe, the very air around him becoming physical while still without form. A barrier of unsightly power. Walter continued to bellow.
	"Edra gi'es Moran!" Speak those words Miriam, and get the bird to the Queen of Valentus, none other! Do you hear me?!"
Miriam poked her head out of the window to shout back.
	"What?! What about you?!"
	"I'll meet you there!" Walter shouted back, not sparing her the look. "Edra gi'es Moran, Miriam! Go!"
She hadn't any option. Miriam turned away from the tug of power between wizard and monster and ran back toward the center of her house. When she reached the table where she'd put the fowl the wall suddenly gave way, following a distinct cutting sound. The wall exploded in dust and mortar, the scythe of the Black Snake having cut through it like paper. Miriam grabbed the cage with the owl, held it closely, shut her eyes and screamed the words. "Edra gess Moran!" Everything went dark.