[Galadria]

Kaltia, where on earth did you get the idea that he was the last authority on demons? But, you are mising the point, he is bound to the temple, and has no one to torment. Hmm, maybe Atttalus is right, and I need to put more in about that. Oh, well, I shall think about it. Suggestions accepted. The ending, though the epilogue is to come, perhaps later today.

Attalus, unmindful of his wife's death, struck Meel'shadrix a mighty blow with Corhydras, almost cutting through the thing's thigh. Odo, having circled behind it and climbed atop the altar, hammered it full on the back of its skull with Starshine. The demon whirled to attack him. The remaining mages continued to pelt it with magic, rendering it unable to cast another spell like that which had killed Galadria. The thing grabbed Odo, hoisted him high above its head, and threw him to the ground. It made a great crash, but the stocky man got up again and returned to the fight, swinging his mace.
Disobeying the fallen mage's orders, Sefa had crept close to the creaure, hiding behind the altar it was standing before. She had but one burning desire: to strike a blow, small though it might be, to avenge her fallen mistress, though she died of it. Her eyes stung as she thought of all the things they could have done together, all gone forever in one blast of demonic rage..
As she knelt there, biding her chance, the girl was astonished to hear a voice she had thought forever stilled chanting loudly. She peeked over the altar, wide-eyed with astonishment, she saw a sight she had thought impossible. Standing on the very spot where she had fallen, there stood Galadria, naked as if just birthed, shining intensely, gesturing,chanting. She flung her arms forward, releasing a powerful spell.
The demon, intent on Attalus and Odo and weeping ichor from many wounds, was startled by an immense roar. Turning to it, he saw the head of an enormous dragon floating bodiless before him. It opened its jaws and blasted him with boiling acid.
For the first time, Meel'shadrixx screamed. As the acid consumed him, he shrank into a small, scuttling thing, which attempted to flee its tormenters. However, it didn't see Sefa lurking there, and she defly stabbed it with Strike. It gave a final spasm, and died.
Proudly holding the fallen demon's withered corpse spitted on her knife, Sefa joined the relieved crowd around the reincarnated mage, now covered with Attalus' cloak As an ecstatic Noemi hugged her newly restored sister tightly, Attalus and Odo were looking bemused at the tale that an excited Cythera poured out. They had been too intent on their foe to notice the byplay, and were being updated.
"And then it seemed like she just exploded, and you could see what was left of her body. Noemi and I were fighting the thing, you two were pounding on it for all you were worth, and it just wouldn't go down. I think it was regenerating as it fought, healing wounds faster than we could make them. I was about to despair, when.." she paused dramatically, "there she stood! And she cast that dragon spell. I don't think we could have gotten it without that one." An idea occurred to her. "Gal," she addressed her friend," was that just an illusion? Were you just invisible?"
Galadria smiled grimly. "That spell would have gotten me, even if I had been invisible. No, I died."
Attalus came up to her, dislodging the clinging Noemi, and hugged her tightly. "Thank the gods, though, you came back. How did that happen?"
Noemi, unable to get at her or to contain herself, started hopping up and down with pure joy. "She's back, she's back," she chanted.
Galadria gave her husband a happy smile and kissed him. "Well, I'll tell you," she said finally, "It was that scroll of Sefa's." Everybody turned to look at Sefa, still holding the demon's remains, and she blushed. That old scroll, she thought, who could have known?
."I see you have what's left of Meel'shadrxx, dear," the mage went on, "Good. I still have some questions, and that may help me answer them. Give it to Noemi." The redhead immediately produced a magical bag, protected with spells to keep them safe until they could get home and house it properly. Sefa readily obeyed, dumping the corpse into the bag. Noemi promply sealed it with a spell, and Odo pronounced a holiness ward..
Galadria then continued. "That scroll was an ancient blessing, and it could give you one wish, if you read it aloud. So I wished that, if I died in this place, that I could come back to finish the job. And it worked."
Odo grinned. "You should have wished for the demon to die."
The dark mage shook her head seriously. "No," she said with certainty, "It was a blessing. You could only wish for good things."
Cythera retorted, "Well, you're back among us, and that is certainly a good thing!. So, Gal, that finishes Smaractus? For good? And we can get on with all our lives?"
Galadria nodded happily.
And at that very minute, on the other plane, Smaractus was interrupted in his gleeful casting about for another avatarchild, and died as his patron demon died, melting into a foul puddle. His story came to an end. Somewhere in that other world, a pretty girl with curly black hair felt her heart to be inexpressibly lightened, and she continued about her farm chores whistling gaily. But she never found out any more about it.
THE END