Mikumbi shuddered. The hairs on his body stuck up like static electricity going through his body. He felt the presence of magic partially tearing and warping reality. The source of the disturbance came from the living room and whatever or whoever was giving off the energy was powerful. Strong enough to break through the one-kilometre diameter magic barrier that Mikumbi erected to ward against supernatural threats. Yet, despite the warning, he could sense a couple of things about this presence.

  It was familiar. And it was tainted with something foul.

  He ran to the hub of the house to confront it, with his trusty, six foot long, ornately decorated, broad-leafed, steel-tipped, sorcerer's spear in hand. While running, the tree house began to shake. Was the magic powerful enough to shake the house?

  As he made it to his living room, Mikumbi found the cause of the shaking.

  In the corner of the room, jumping and growling on the spot was a large cross-bred mountain and eastern lowland silverback gorilla. Four hundred and fifty pounds of muscle, hair and primate. The cause's name was Heshima.

  “Yes, Heshima, I can feel it too,” said the sorcerer. “Stop getting excited and shaking the house.”

  The room shone as bright yellowy-orange energy particles gathered in the middle of the room.

  The wizard warrior's eyes, hands and spear tip flashed neon yellowy-green as he stood ready in his fighting stance, legs bent, spear hand low and pointing at the gathering energy particles and his empty hand open and close to his face. Heshima stood ready, baring his large teeth and fangs. Within a bright yellowy-orange flash of light that filled the room, two figures emerged: a large leopard and a beautiful yet injured Tamazghan woman.

  “Dihya,” said Mikumbi with a mix of elation and shock. He became a little embarrassed that he didn't recognise his friend's signature energy.

  “Mik... um... bi,” Dihya replied with heavy panted breaths. She could barely stand and was propping herself up with her spear.

  Something hit Mikumbi. It was like a pungent smell and a giant boa constrictor wrapping around him, slowly crushing him physically, mentally and spiritually. An assault on his very being. There was only one thing that made him feel that way. It was the distinct foul presence that he sensed along with Dihya's energy.

  “KHONVOUM, YOU REEK OF 'JUYANWANSI',” the sorcerer roared.

  He ran to help her but was stopped by Zinedine as he jumped between them, growling and baring his powerful fangs. Heshima responded in kind, standing upright, growling and beating his chest. The two familiars looked at each other with protective intent. However, there was a far deeper and primal tension between the two. Heshima doesn't like leopards. In the wilds of the rainforest, leopards prey on gorillas. Even silverbacks aren't safe from these deadly predators. Yet even Zinedine knew that the large silverback would be a match for him in an upfront one-on-one fight.

  “Zin... edine..., it's... OK. Mik... umbi... will... help... me,” Dihya told her familiar. “Stand... down.”

  “You too, Heshima. Get back in the corner,” Mikumbi pointed.

  Heshima made his way to the corner while Zinedine stood aside. Both familiars never took their eyes off each other.

  He examined Dihya with a sorcerer's eyes. Around her midsection was the source of the 'Juyanwansi' – 'Twisted Magic'. A spiralling, jet-black aura a eating away, burning, corrupting her body, mind and life force. Time was of the essence. If he didn't purify her quickly, she'd suffer a fate worse than death. Her body would shrivel. Her mind would become corrupted and controlled by the Juyanwansi. Her soul/lifeforce would belong to the Juyanwansi. Not to mention that the twisted magic would grow and attract more dark twisted magic.

  Mikumbi guided her to his sofa, making sure not to touch her so that the corrupt magic didn't spread to him. Dihya groaned in pain as she lay on the sofa, her body slick with sweat.

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  “I'm going to purify the twisted magic now. This will hurt. A lot,” he warned.

  “Just... do... it,” Dihya said, each word causing a lance of pain.

  Mikumbi took in a deep breath through his nose, chanting strange whisperings in an unknown language then began to focus. His eyes and hands started to glow with his signature energy.

  “Draw away Juyanwansi,” boomed the wizard while making hand strange hand gestures.

  The dark, twisted aura started to snake away from Dihya and make its way to Mikumbi's chest. Dihya let loose an eardrum-bursting scream that could be heard from the surrounding forest. Never had she felt such intense pain. Even the near torturous training she endured alongside Mikumbi to become sorcerers couldn't compare or prepare her for what she was enduring. Like her mind, body and soul were being ripped apart. It partially was.

  “I hate to put you through this, Dihya,” Mikumbi thought. “Be strong, we'll get through this.”

  The sorcerer concentrated on gathering the Juyanwansi into a ball of dark energy floating between his hands and chest, making sure that energy didn't touch him, lest he gets infected. He could feel the twisted magical energy fighting to be contained in its own sphere. It wanted to be free. To infect. To burn. To drain. To consume.

  “So much Juyanwansi. The fact you managed to fight it for so long is truly amazing.”

  With the last of twisted magic cleared from Dihya's being and gathered, Mikumbi could now focus on getting rid of it.

  “Opening to limbo,” the wizard commanded.

  His spear flashed with his signature energy then began to spin by itself in mid-air. Sparks of mystic energy shot from the rapidly spinning spear, cutting and tearing into the fabric of reality itself. An elliptical portal flashed a couple of metres from the spear.

  “Time for you to be purified,” he said to the ball of darkness.

  The limbo portal started siphoning the twisted energy, vacuuming it into that realm where it would be purified. Slowly, the twisted ball became smaller and smaller till there was nothing left.

  “Close portal,” he said in a calm tone then clapped his hands. His spear stopped spinning and with that, the portal closed and disappeared.

  He examined his friend once again with a sorcerer's eye and felt her with a sorcerer's hand now that she was safe to touch. Her breathing was still heavy, every part of her body was in agony and she was barely conscious. However, with the worst of it over, she'd recover. Mikumbi walked over to his potion cabinet, looking for a healing potion. Once found, he returned to Dihya's side, gently propping up her head and upper body, being careful not to cause more pain. He opened the vial, gently opened her mouth then tipped the contents of the vial into her mouth. Once she swallowed it all, he lay her down.

  “Numb,” said the warrior in a soft yet assertive tone as he rested his yellowy-green aura hand on her forehead. The energy of his hand seeped into her forehead, washing away most of her aches and pains.

  “I've done what I can. The rest is up to you now, Dihya.”

  He turned on his feet and walked to his room. As he was about to enter, he stopped then headed to Zinedine.

  “Get out. You can't stay inside. I won't risk you and Heshima fighting inside the house,” ordered the wizard, pointing his finger outside.

  The leopard let loose a defiant roar and bared its fangs at the wizard. Heshima ran to once again protect his companion but was halted.

  Mikumbi's eyes and hands blazed with his signature aura as he focused mystical energy into his voice box. He let loose a booming roar that sounded like a mix of every big cat directed at the overprotective leopard. The tree house shook and rumbled from the energy of the roar.

  “I'm not telling you again, kitten,” Mikumbi said.

  The leopard held its head down. Zinedine realised that there was only one apex predator in the area and it had best do what the apex predator says.

  As the leopard slinked away, Mikumbi clicked his fingers to magically open his front door.

  “If you get hungry, there's plenty of prey around in the surrounding woods.”

  Mikumbi was about to go to his room when he noticed concern in Heshima's eyes.

  “Oh, right.”

  The wizard quickly ran out the front door onto the massive wooden balcony. He just about caught sight of Zinedine about to enter the jungle.

  “No preying on humans,” shouted the wizard. “... Or gorillas.”