cottage. There was precious little time to save the worldly possessions not already ablaze, but she reasoned that she would only truly require a few.

         Among the baubles she rescued were a pair of small crystal balls, suffused with Amina-enchanted latticework. She brought one of the balls to the Catastrophine, who was now no larger than a fingernail. Vida whispered a short cant that was followed with a brief flash of light. With that, it was done.

         She brought the ball level with her eye. Trapped within, frozen at the moment of transfer, was the Catastrophine. Its earthen coating was gone, and it stood as a miniature version of its true form: flame in the shape of a woman, a single hand outstretched from a seated position...

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