ã€ŠThe Second Dragdani Prophecy - The Dragdani Propheciesã€‹


 Chapter 1 - The Fifth Wizard-Elf

    The Second Dragdani Prophecy

    Part 1 of the Dragdani prophecies

    Written By

    RoyalSpartan125

    For my mum

    and dad, who

    gave me life, love and an

    understanding of the

    world, and for believing.

    And to my Eldest niece who helped me

    edit and prepare this book.

    Thank you all.

    Prologue

    The days of Lord Salith, Dark Wizard and master of Dempmage and the dark lands therein, are long over.

    Said to be the most powerful Wizard ever to walk the lands of the long forgotten world of Dorminya (pronounced Dormanya). The Dark Lord¡¯s downfall came at the hands of the Wizard-Elf, King Dragdani (son of the first-born Wizard-Elf Thoucil), of the lands of Opredanas.

    Salith¡¯s ruin came just in time to save Dorminya from falling into eternal darkness, though he has an heir, a daughter who is herself a Wizard-Elf but only because her father made her so. He wanted her to have what he himself had searched most of his life for, immortality.

    When the Dark Lord¡¯s end finally came, it was believed by all that she would take his place; however, she had secretly longed to be free and had no intention of taking over the regime that her father had spent so long building and securing. Her refusal only brought around a chance for Salith¡¯s apprentice to take his place. Also a Wizard-Elf, Lord Ulicoth took the throne of Dempmage all too willingly, and sought to destroy the Order of Lanisic once and for all. He succeeded in destroying King Dragdani, though failed in ending the Order itself. It survived and thrived, if only for the reason that Ulicoth fell prey to the last spell that Dragdani cast before his untimely death. The curse was designed especially for the Dark Lord, and as soon as it hit him, he was severely weakened and stripped of most of his powers.

    Since, his powers have slowly returned, so he is now as powerful as an ordinary Wizard, but he has and will continue to look for a way to bring himself back to full strength. In addition, he has been patiently waiting for the day of the Second Prophecy, which was written by none other than Dragdani. It is said that on that day, Lord Ulicoth will face his own destruction. Still Ulicoth would do anything ¨C anything ¨C to stop this day of his ruin from coming to pass.

    Chapter One

    The Fifth Wizard-Elf

    It was the first of July and a normal morning on Weston Road, which was the cleanest and newest street in the neighbourhood, with its patches of beautiful green grass between the footpaths and the road. These patches of grass had small flowerbeds planted right in the middle of them. Some had small thin trees; with round black metal fences guarding the tree trunks. The entire street was extremely tidy and very well-kept.

    The sun had risen and was shining brightly; it was the start of a warm day in the street.

    At the middle of Weston Road, on the right side, there was a big cream-colored house that was two floors high, and one could say, spacious.

    It was 10:00 am on a Tuesday morning, and at this time; the radio alarm on the bedside cabinet in the master bedroom of number eight Weston Road sounded. The man that lay on the left side of the King-sized bed let out a short groan of discomfort as he hit the clock several times trying to hit the off button. When he finally accomplished this, he rolled back over and instantly fell back to sleep. His wife, on the other hand, jumped out of bed and stood there in her red silk pyjamas and had a long stretch. ¡°It¡¯s time to get up, sleepy head,¡± she said as a yawn caught her.

    ¡°Just another hour or two.¡± said her drowsy husband¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so lazy,¡± she said cheerily.

    But the man did not answer; he had fallen back into a deep sleep.

    The woman walked to the bottom of the bed, took hold of the bedclothes and pulled them clean off. Then she crawled onto her side of the bed. She could still feel a little warmth were she once lay and felt a small desire to lie down again and join her husband. However, she leant over and put her hands on her husband¡¯s side then pushed with all her might and rolled him off the bed and onto the floor. He landed with a dull thud and before jumping up.

    John Stark exclaimed, ¡°What the heck was that for?¡±

    ¡°For being so lazy,¡± said Helen Stark as she started to laugh.

    ¡°Is that right?¡± John did not sound the slightest bit amused. This only made his wife laugh more. He got up, went into the bathroom and locked the door.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Helen asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m about to take a shower,¡± answered John.

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    ¡°You know I like to use the bathroom first in the morning, because every time you go in it stinks afterwards.¡±

    ¡°Go use one of the other bathrooms.¡± he said crankily.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the way you want it fine, I¡¯ll use one of the other bathrooms,¡± she said as she laughed quietly to herself.

    A short while later John came down the stairs, headed for the kitchen and started to make breakfast. It seemed that he was now in a better mood, which was probably a good thing, as not long after that Helen, wearing a red hoodie and black tracksuit bottoms, came down the stairs. She could smell the eggs and bacon that John had made and as she got closer, she could hear the sizzling of the frying pan as he put it in the sink and turned on the hot tap to cool it a little so it wouldn¡¯t spit at him when he switched to the cold.

    She went into the kitchen, which comprised of a cooker near the far corner and benches running round the wall, with a sink in front of the wide window facing Helen. There were also cupboards overhead on the walls running the distance of the breakfast bar. There were cupboards running opposite closer to the floor, and between them and the breakfast bar there were also drawers. A tall cupboard sat at the end, which housed their dinner and lunch plates, glasses and cups. After seeing all those familiar things, Helen also saw that John was not there, so she turned her gaze to the dining table, and there he was waiting for her to join him. She sat down and looked at him. He was wearing a grey T-shirt, blue jeans, and his hair as always in the morning was messy. She found herself trying to determine if he was still angry.

    ¡°I take it that you¡¯re not cross with me anymore John?¡± she said.

    ¡°Cross with you?¡± John asked blankly. ¡°Why would I be cross? I was just being lazy.¡±

    Helen grew suspicious. He must have found a way to get back at me, she thought. She looked about trying to see anything that he might have done, but there was nothing. ¡°You¡¯re up to something,¡± she told him.

    ¡°I¡¯m not up to anything,¡± said John. ¡°I¡¯m not as immature as you.¡±

    Well, he was being a little lazy, she thought. Maybe he¡¯s seeing things from my point of view. Remembering what she did brought a smile to her face again. Then she picked up a piece of the toast from the plate in front of her. She was about to put it to her lips when she just happen to look down at it, and when she did she saw a small spider humbly standing on it looking right back at her. She froze on her seat. This immobility changed as the eight-legged creature suddenly grew to at least three times its original size. Helen screamed and threw the toast onto the table. To her surprise, the spider vanished in an instant.

    Helen is terrified of spiders, and John knew it. She looked over at him. He had one hand over his mouth, obviously trying to stop himself from laughing. In his other hand was a wand.

    ¡°Not as immature as me?¡± asked Helen.

    John laughed aloud. ¡°Now we¡¯re even.¡±

    ¡°Fine. Just so you know mine was better. I didn¡¯t cheat.¡±

    ¡°Using magic isn¡¯t cheating where I come from. Besides, you wouldn¡¯t say that if you had seen your face.¡± John laughed again.

    Helen said nothing. She just stared at the clock on the wall that sat to the left of the window, which said that it was now 10:38 am.

    As always they were acting like children but soon calmed down and sat comfortably at their dining table. They sat facing one another. John was reading the newspaper with his back to the dining room window, and Helen was staring out of it, watching the white puffy clouds as they calmly blew past.

    Suddenly, smoke began to rise up from the floor, but it did not spread around the room. It twirled and twisted into a thick, man-sized column. Helen sat staring over John¡¯s right shoulder.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Helen?¡± inquired her curious husband. She didn¡¯t answer. She just kept staring.

    Then there was a whooshing sound and John knew it, although he had not heard it in seven years.

    A tall shadow began to form in the smoke.

    John had just begun to turn his head to look and see if he was right in his assumption, when he heard the voice of a man, and that, too, sounded very familiar.

    ¡°What very strange dwellings these Normals have,¡± said the man as the smoke cleared.

    John was less than happy to see an old Wizard standing there.

    The Wizard stood tall with a rough build and a white beard that was at least six inches long. His face was very thin, and he had sharp cheekbones. His nose looked a little too long, for his face was quite thin, with the left nostril being smaller than the right, as though his nose had been broken and had not been set properly. On it, a thin scar ran from the top right side to the bottom left side. His mouth was wide and his lips were thin. He had large hands and long fingers, and he was wearing turquoise robes and an indigo belt. And over the robes, he wore a dark blue cloak with a hood. The hood covered the top part of his face. John and Helen could only see his nose, mouth and beard, but John knew who it was.

    ¡°Delsani!¡± said John, unmoved with the appearance of his old friend and mentor.

    ¡°Indeed,¡± answered the Wizard, and he removed his hood from his head. His beard made him look old and worn. He looked kind but worried, and his eyes were dark, just dark.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± asked John crossly.

    ¡°Are you feeling so hurt that you can¡¯t welcome an old friend into your home?¡± asked the old Wizard.

    ¡°Friend¡± John sounded very hurt. ¡°Ha, that¡¯s funny. I thought a friend would visit before the end of seven years.¡±

    ¡°To you seven years and for the rest of us it has been fourteen. I am sorry about that, John, but those of us who still consider you a friend thought it was better that you didn¡¯t see or hear from us, in case it would stir up bad memories or make you home sick,¡± said Delsani.

    ¡°Not having any of you visit when the dust settled made it worse.¡±

    ¡°I think I know what you mean.¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think you do,¡± said John coldly. ¡°So how are they?¡± he asked, not being able to hide his interest in those he had known for most of his life.

    Delsani, knowing exactly what his old friend meant, said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say that we¡¯ve lost two, but the others are fine, and they have missed you terribly, Jastark, as I have.¡±

    ¡°Who did we lose?¡± asked John, now sounding deeply concerned.

    ¡°All will be explained later, I promise you that, my friend,¡± Delsani replied.

    John nodded as old memories flashed into his mind. He found himself wondering who the two were, but tried to think no more of it at that time.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to introduce us, John?¡± asked Helen assertively.

    ¡°Yes, of course. Delsani, this is my wife, Helen, the woman who was kind enough to take me in out of the cold.¡¯ John¡¯s sense of humour was starting to resurface.

    Delsani nodded at Helen.

    Then John turned his head to look at her and said, ¡°Helen, this is Delsani, one of my oldest and most trusted friends.¡±

    Helen moved forward and shook the old Wizard¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s good to finally meet you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, too,¡± the Wizard replied. He turned to John again. ¡°I regret to tell you that I didn¡¯t come for a friendly visit. I¡¯m here on Council business. I¡¯ve come to tell you something very important,¡± said Delsani cheerlessly.

    ¡°What is it?¡± asked John, his humour fading again at the mention of the Council.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if we can talk about it here. If he has the slightest idea of what we are trying to do, his spies may be close, and that means we can¡¯t stay for very long,¡± replied Delsani. ¡°You must come back with me.¡±

    ¡°Go back? I can¡¯t. I won¡¯t! Especially not for those who call me friend and forget that I even exist,¡¯ John sulked. ¡°Just tell me what¡¯s wrong.¡±

    ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard a word I¡®ve said?¡± Delsani replied harshly.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard every word, but you must understand that I have a life here, and I¡¯m not just going to leave it until you give me a darn good reason. Now tell me what¡¯s wrong.¡±

    ¡°Very well, you leave me no choice. What I have to say is about the Dragdani Prophecies, so please listen carefully. This has been kept secret for over six hundred years and for a very good reason. I will only tell you if you¡¯re sure that you¡¯re willing to hear it. Once you do. There is no turning back.¡±

    ¡°Tell me. I¡¯m willing, whatever it is.¡±

    The old Wizard nodded slowly and said, ¡°John, you are the only living descendent of King Dragdani, who wrote the two prophecies.¡±

    John opened his mouth as if to speak but no sound passed his lips. He felt as if his heart had suddenly jumped into his throat. In fact, this news surprised him so much that it took him a few seconds to come around again.

    For it is believed by most (but certainly not all) Wizards and Witches that Dragdani was one of the wisest and most powerful Kings in all of history.

 Chapter 2 - Destiny Calling

    After a few more seconds, Helen broke the silence by asking, ¡°What does that mean?¡±

    The old Wizard turned his gentle gaze upon her. ¡°Please forgive me, for I¡¯d forgotten that you are a Normal. I will explain it so you may understand.¡±

    There was another short pause then he continued, ¡°Six hundred and forty seven years ago there was a Wizard-Elf by the name of Dragdani.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s a Wizard-Elf?¡± Helen interrupted. ¡°Sorry.¡± she added.

    The Wizard smiled. ¡°Wizard-Elves are very rare and very powerful people. History scrolls say that there were only ever four. John is the Fifth Wizard-Elf and the only one that I have ever seen.¡±

    Delsani went on to explain about John¡¯s family history, and everything else they needed to know. When he had finished, he said, ¡®Now I will explain the prophecies to both of you, if you¡¯d like.¡±

    ¡°Yes, please¡± said Helen, who sounded absolutely enthralled with what she was hearing. She and John were both now listening very carefully to every word that passed the old Wizard¡¯s lips.

    ¡°The First Prophecy warned that the Dark Shadow, which Lord Salith formed, would return by the fault of another evil, and this evil would assemble an enormous and very destructive force. From it, the races of Dorminya would suffer terrible losses of life, and this would plunge our world into darkness. The hatred among some races would grow, and some of the old alliances would die. It was the evil Wizard¡¯s plan to leave our world defenceless against his influence.

    ¡°Understanding this, the Wizard Council kept the First Prophecy secret. They believed that if everyone knew of it, there would be panic, and any little trust that Wizards held would be gone in an instant. For men and Dwarves didn¡¯t and still don¡¯t trust Wizards. Fear is their main reason. They fear us because we are so different.

    ¡°It was fear and mistrust that caused the Council to lock the Prophecy in the vault in the Towers of Telian, in the land of Opredanas, and there they kept it. They only removed it when they were studying it. They thought that the answer to stopping this terrible event from taking place might be found in the Prophecy itself.

    ¡°They asked Dragdani if there was anything in the Prophecy that might stop it, but even he didn¡¯t know. He studied it constantly but could find nothing else. The Council was losing hope when Dragdani told them of another vision he had, only the night before. As he related it, it was written down; for they knew at that time it was all that could be done. This vision has become known as the Second Prophecy.

    ¡°The Second Prophecy foretold that after the shadow of Salith gripped of our world again. The death mist, which Salith also created, would also return. Nevertheless, Dragdani also saw that from the Normal World there would come a very special Wizard-Elf. He would be the only one able to rebuild the alliances and lead all of the races against the shadow and mist of Salith.

    ¡°However, if this Wizard-Elf could not be found then evil would reign in Dorminya forever,¡± finished Delsani.

    ¡°What is so different about this Wizard-Elf?¡± asked John.

    ¡°Dragdani foretold that he would be the most powerful yet, and he would be descended from Dragdani¡¯s own family line. And as you, John are his last descendent, you must be the one of which he spoke.¡±

    John now looked astonished. ¡°If you knew that I¡¯m the one in the Second Prophecy, why didn¡¯t you say something sooner?¡±

    ¡°Because we didn¡¯t find out until today.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± John asked with even more interest than ever.

    ¡°There was a blank piece of parchment rolled up with the prophecies, and as Dragdani left instructions not to discard anything in the scroll, it was kept as well.

    ¡°We¡¯ve been studying the Second Prophecy for any clues too who it might be referring to. Then early this morning the blank parchment was no longer blank. It had a name on it, your name. And even stranger than that, it wasn¡¯t your Wizard name, but your Normal name,¡± said Delsani informatively. ¡°That¡¯s why you must come with me now.¡±

    A long silence filled the room.

    ¡°John I want to talk to you in private,¡± said Helen anxiously, as if she thought they were about to disappear in the blink of an eye.

    ¡°Then I shall wait here, but please do hurry,¡± said the old Wizard.

    John and Helen went into the living room and shut the door behind them, while Delsani remained beside the dining table.

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    As soon as they sat down, Helen not only sounded worried, now she looked it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to go. It¡¯s too dangerous, and you said that you never wanted to go back to Dorminya.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I did, because ¨C¡± John paused.

    ¡°Because...¡± prompted Helen.

    ¡°I was exiled, but this changes everything. If Delsani is right and I don¡¯t go back. Then my world will be destroyed.¡±

    ¡°Those people threw you out of your home and destroyed your life. They haven¡¯t shown the slightest interest in you for seven years. Now that they need you, they have the cheek to come here and ask for your help. They¡¯re just using you. Don¡¯t let them.¡± Helen¡¯s anger was starting to show.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. The Council did throw me out, but not everyone thought what they did was right. They¡¯re the ones I¡¯m thinking of. How can I let those people pay for the Council¡¯s arrogance? And besides, I¡¯m glad they threw me out. If they hadn¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t have met you,¡± added John carefully. The last thing he wanted was to make his wife angry. She was no tyrant, but she did have an awful temper. John knew that if it flared he would most certainly lose the argument. Not that it would stop him from doing what he thought he must.

    After John spoke, Helen thought that it did not matter what her view in this was. John felt too strongly about it. Besides, she also knew he was right. Why let the innocent pay for the stupid decision those idiots made? Furthermore, John was right about them not meeting if it hadn¡¯t have happened. She frowned and said, ¡°I understand, and I¡¯m going too, and you can¡¯t talk me out of it.¡±

    ¡°What makes you think that I would want to talk you out of it?¡± asked John who looked quite happy with Helen¡¯s decision.

    They got up together. John opened the door, and there was Delsani standing in the same spot.

    ¡°Well, what do you say? Are you coming?¡± he asked eagerly.

    ¡°Yes,¡± John answered. ¡°We¡¯re both going.¡±

    ¡°I think that would be for the best. It may not be safe for Helen to stay on her own,¡± admitted Delsani, ¡°in case one of Ulicoth¡¯s spies were to find out that you are married. He could try to use it against you. She should be safe in the towers.¡±

    ¡°Ulicoth,¡± spat John; his face suddenly losing its colour. All Wizards knew that name. Ulicoth once sat at the right hand of Lord Salith.

    ¡°Yes, the Dark Wizard-Elf. He was the one who brought back the shadow of Salith. He is the one that we must stop before he brings the red mist back as well,¡± said Delsani hastily. ¡°There is one other thing that you must know about Ulicoth. We still don¡¯t know who he really is or even where he came from. All we know is that Salith taught him over six hundred years ago.¡±

    ¡°Do you think he could really have so much power?¡± asked John.

    ¡°Yes, I am afraid he has become as evil, ruthless and almost as powerful as his master, and he will do whatever it takes to finish Salith¡¯s work.¡±

    John said nothing at first. Then he asked, ¡°What does the red mist do?¡±

    John had already heard about it, as he had heard of almost everything that the Wizard had said up to this point, but he wanted to be sure. It had been a long time since he had heard the stories, and he wanted to be absolutely sure of what he was walking into.

    ¡°You must have heard the stories, but the truth of the matter is, we¡¯re not entirely sure,¡± said Delsani, ¡°for it only ever claimed two victims, and it affected them both differently. The first was Alavil; she was the Elvin maiden that Salith forced to bare him a child, a Wizard-Elf. When Salith exposed her to the mist, it killed her, which is why some call it the death mist. The second victim was Queen Thoucil Dragdani¡¯s mother. It turned her mad,¡± said the old Wizard. ¡°You should gather whatever you need; we must leave as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°Not until I call Joan and Harry,¡± said Helen. ¡°We can¡¯t leave without telling them. Besides they¡¯ll cover for us while were gone.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry about that. We will send some of our people to take your places while we¡¯re away.¡±

    ¡°But how will that help? Our friends do know what we look like,¡± said Helen.

    ¡°I am offended by your lack of faith, young lady,¡± Delsani joked. ¡°You forget who you¡¯re dealing with here. Our agents will not only assume your identities. They shall also take your appearances as well.¡±

    ¡°But still, we should tell Joan and Harry.¡±

    ¡°Quickly,¡± urged John.

    ¡°How long will we be away?¡± Helen swiftly asked.

    ¡°In truth, I can¡¯t really say, though I would guess at least five years in Dorminya. Then you could return to see to your lives here, if that is what you want,¡± replied Delsani. ¡°That would be two years and six months in this world.¡±

    ¡°Right, okay two years and six months,¡± Helen repeated while rushing into the living room to call their friends. She had always had a terrible memory when it came to anything that was not connected to her books.

    ¡°Who are Joan and Harry?¡± asked Delsani when Helen was gone.

    ¡°They¡¯re two of our closest friends. And the only other Normals who know what I really am,¡± replied John.

    Helen came back into the room and stood between Delsani and John.

    ¡°So are you both ready?¡± asked Delsani.

    ¡°Yes,¡± they answered together.

    ¡°Now are you sure that there¡¯s nothing you wish to take with you?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps some clothes,¡± said Helen.

    ¡°No,¡± said John. ¡°We better leave now. We can get what we want sent to us later.¡±

    Helen nodded in agreement.

    Delsani reached into the inside pocket of his robes and took out his wand. The wand would have looked like an old ridged, dried up twig if not for the handle, which was metal and had strange letters engraved on it. The letters were of the Wizard language. For when Wizards graduate, their wands are given names. Usually one of the trainers, those Wizards who teach and train the young ones in the ways of magic would name their pupils¡¯ wands. In the rare instance when a wand rejects the name it is first given, it may be renamed by whoever the owner of the wand may chose. After they are named, their names appear engraved into the handle. The name of Delsani¡¯s wand was Ruvkel; the name of John¡¯s wand was Fasruol.

    As the three stood on the tiled Kitchen floor ready to leave, Delsani and John thought of the place they were going. And both held onto Helen. Then with Ruvkel in his hand, Delsani said, ¡°Plias thi Dorminya.¡± He pointed the wand at the floor, and a continuous stream of smoke darted from its tip. The smoke rose from the floor very quickly, surrounding them, and all that could be seen were shadows. The next instant, they were gone.

 Chapter 3 - Dragdaniéˆ¥æªš Dragon

    As the smoke cleared, the three travellers found they were in a stone grey room. It looked and felt cold and was very dimly lit. Helen could smell strong unavoidable odours which she could not even remotely identify. Most were nice, but others, well, perhaps one can guess.

    There was a wide wooden door to the right of them, which was the front entrance and exit. The door was like oak, only stronger. It was eight foot high and four inches thick. It had three hinges that were made of what looked like steel. Both sides of the hinges were square, and they were attached to the door and stone frame by thick steel rivets. These were at least five inches in length. The door was barred with a long thick strip of very sturdy looking wood. The very same wood from which the door itself was made.

    Helen couldn¡¯t help thinking it looked like a door that a fortress would have.

    There were also double doors to the left. It was those doors they walked to. They were a dark navy blue and had Wizard runes spread across them, some of which were as big as Helen¡¯s hands. The symbols suddenly moved and changed into plain English letters that said, WELCOME.

    Delsani opened the right-hand door by pulling it outward and walked on through. John stopped for Helen and held the door open as she walked past. As she went through the doorway, she saw that it led out into the middle of the main hall of the Towers of Telian. She knew this, as she was an author and had written of it in a few of her books after John described it to her. The hall was lengthy and tall, and along the walls on both sides hung torches with tall and very bright silver flames. The flames were so bright that the only shadows that could be seen were theirs. Not even any of the artefacts lining the walls or filling the main hall had a shadow between them.

    The display of old relics was so large that it went from one end of the hall to the other on both sides. They were separated like in a museum, with a different arrangement for each time or race. The artefacts ranged from suits of armour and helmets to swords, bows, arrows and crossbows with bolts. There were other weapons, small and large. There were clothes too, and pieces of old parchment with all sorts of writing on them. Most of the ink was faded, and some were so old that the writing on them could hardly be seen at all. Those mostly belonged to the likes of famous Men, Elves, and Dwarves.

    There were also old wands, staffs, parchment with spells on them, cauldrons, broomsticks, and hats that belonged to famous Wizards and Witches. Each artefact had a small plaque to explain what it was, who owned it, and in what time. And there were wooden doors here and there along the walls which gave access to the main building, which sat between the three towers.

    The floor of the hall was dark and finely polished; it was so glossy that the reflections of the hall could plainly be seen in it, as though it was a sort of giant black mirror. But it was not a mirror, and those were not reflections in it. The floor was a dimensional window, and so it was called, for it gave a view of other dimensions. In it, Helen saw a woman sitting upside down only a few feet away. She had her head in her hands and looked as though she were crying. She lifted her head, and Helen saw that the woman was a double of herself. The double saw her too and quickly got up and started to walk her way. She stopped short of Helen and looked at John. Tears filled her eyes again. She looked unsteady, as though she would fall. Then she looked at Helen and began to talk to her, but Helen could not hear her words. The floor gave only sight and no sound. Helen believed she could read the woman¡¯s lips, though. ¡°No trust, John is dead.¡±

    At first Helen thought that she had it wrong, but in some way it made sense. That would explain the anguish Helen had seen in her double. The view of the woman and hall faded, and the floor turned grey.

    Delsani had seen what Helen had seen. ¡°Keep in mind that she lives in an alternate universe. Things can be different there? These differences may be big or small. And sometimes there are none,¡± he said.

    Delsani¡¯s words caught John¡¯s attention. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong, John,¡± Helen lied.

    John looked at Delsani. ¡°I know something is wrong. What is it?¡±

    Helen stood there silent and then said weakly, ¡°I saw myself in the floor, and I told myself not to trust any Wizard, and that you¡¯re dead.¡±

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    John paused for a moment, and then reflected, ¡°I know what that¡¯s like. One time I saw a double that said, ¡®Mum will die.¡¯ The only thing was both my parents had died when I was very young.¡±

    ¡°Er ...right,¡± said Helen, still feeling uneasy.

    ¡°Just because I¡¯m dead in that dimension, doesn¡¯t necessarily mean that I¡¯m going to keel over any time soon,¡± said John sarcastically.

    ¡°Is that supposed to cheer me up?¡± Helen asked, not at all amused.

    ¡°No, it means Delsani is right; there¡¯s probably nothing to worry about.¡±

    ¡°Probably,¡± the young woman repeated, sounding quite concerned.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about, Helen, believe me,¡± replied her husband reassuringly.

    Helen continued to feel anxious about the whole thing.

    Then as quickly as the dimensional reflection had faded, it came back. All three were now looking, but Helen¡¯s double was not there, because the floor looked into different dimensions. Now they could see a man. He was tall and neat except for his short messy hair, which would have been completely blond if not for streaks here and there of dark brown. He looked young, at most in his early twenties, and was wearing a beige shirt, black trousers, and a belt that was black with a silver clip-in buckle with an engraved Dragon¡¯s claw holding an orb. He was wearing light brown shoes, and in his right hand he held a sword. In his other hand he held a piece of cloth, which he used to wipe down the blade of his sword.

    On the blade were Elvin runes, which seemed to shine with a small echoing light; a light that made the silver blade look exquisite and flawless. He stopped wiping the blade then put the sword gently and carefully into its sheath, which was blue with the same letters. They also had a shine to them, but unlike the light on the blade, it was not an echoing light, but more like a sparkle, as if diamonds or some other valuable stones were set in.

    The guard of the sword looked like two long fangs running up beside the blade. They were four inches in length, and both the guard and the butt of the hilt were the same colour of blue as the sheath. The handle¡¯s grip was royal blue with a thin blue chain winding round it.

    The man turned slightly, and it was then that John saw something silver glimmer in the torchlight. It was the centrepiece of a necklace that was held around his neck by a thin black rope. It looked tiny from where they stood and hard to see because of the light shining on it.

    John was trying to see what the silver piece was when he saw his eyes unexpectedly change in his refection in one of the glass cases, from hazel brown to green. Not only did they change in colour. They changed in appearance as well. The pupils had stretched from top to bottom; they now looked like little Dragon eyes.

    Like his eyes, his view was now also green. He could see light green ripples moving from his pupils to the edges of his irises. His sight was better, the detail of everything around him grown clearer than ever. The ripples seemed to have their own function. For every time they passed, he could see the dust particles moving in the air. When he looked at the doors at the far end of the room, he could see a draft coming through a gap at the bottom of one of them.

    Then at the side of his right eye, John could see two thin wafts of air that were getting bigger and diminishing as they floated away. When he turned round, he saw that it was the very breath of Helen and Delsani. It seemed that he could also see any movement no matter how small it was. This is like some kind of radar, he thought.

    ¡°We are privileged to be able to see the great Wizard-Elf Dragdani,¡± said Delsani, ¡°It¡¯s not every day you see a living legend.¡±

    ¡°Dragdani,¡± said John. He knew he had seen the man before, but he had been away from Dorminya for so long that he could not even recognize one of the most famous people to ever walk that world. He turned his gaze back to Dragdani, looked at the sheath of his sword and to the Elvin symbols, and then to his eyes alone they changed and appeared now as English letters. They spelt Yeluilat, the name of one of the most radiant stars in the Elvin night sky. It was also the name given to the Sword of Light, which was forged by the Wizards and Witches of Cayer-Huld and the Elves of Haludon then given to Dragdani as a gift when he assumed the throne. It was called the Sword of Light because when its name was spoken aloud, it would emit a blinding light that would drive back any darkness and reveal anything that might be hiding within it. But the sword would only allow its true bearer to perform this act. Anyone else foolish enough to try it would be swallowed by the light and destroyed within its radiance.

    John turned his attention back to the necklace around Dragdani¡¯s neck. His eyes, to his own surprise, zoomed in on the silver piece, and he saw that it was in the shape of a Dragon. It was looking to Dragdani¡¯s right, its wings half open, its front claws holding a multicoloured orb, and suspended on the rope at either side of the Dragon¡¯s head were two silver metal beads. As every Wizard knows, the silver Dragon was the personal seal of King Dragdani. Wizard¡¯s and Witches young and old call it Dragdani¡¯s Dragon, for the silver Dragon was modelled on the Dragon Lanisic. He and Dragdani were the best of friends, and some of the Wizards even called Lanisic Dragdani¡¯s Dragon.

    Lanisic was the leader of the Jemonac Dragon Colony. Salith destroyed the colony for siding with the King. He also destroyed the Wizard Order of Thyeron, named for the largest of Dorminya¡¯s moons, and the old Coven Wiannta, which took the name of the first Witch to recruit for the coven. After the Order, the Coven and Colony lay in ruins. They were slowly restored and renamed, though it took many long years to rebuild what Salith had taken.

 Chapter 4 - Magical Experience

    The Wizards and Witches that remained needed a new sovereign. Thoucil was next in line, but she refused and took the position of Grand Wizard instead. Dragdani, as her son and heir, accepted the throne and his coronation happened almost immediately.

    When the Wizards had rebuilt their order, Dragdani then helped the withes do the same, and in their turn, also helped the Dragons find a new home. It is said that he went to the cleft of Lavoul and raised an island from the very sea itself, that he moved it away from the coast and further out to sea to make sure that the Dragons would be left to live in peace.

    ¡°I see that it¡¯s happened already,¡± said Delsani.

    ¡°What¡¯s happened?¡± asked Helen.

    John turned around to look at her. ¡°My eyes have changed.¡±

    ¡°Not just your eyes John,¡± she said, aghast. ¡°Your ears have changed too.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± said Delsani. ¡°All Wizard-Elves go through this.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us that before?¡± asked John with a note of distress, now that the novelty of his new eyes had worn off.

    ¡°It must¡¯ve slipped my mind,¡± said Delsani.

    John walked over to a display case. He could see his reflection again and looked at his ears repeatedly from one to the other. They were exactly the same height and width. They were pointed, and both had one small notch near the top of the lobe. John had not seen this before when he noticed the change in his eyes, though now he could see all of it easily. Then his eyes returned to normal, though his ears did not.

    ¡°Why haven¡¯t my ears turned back?¡± he asked distraughtly.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s because they¡¯re permanent,¡± replied Delsani.

    ¡°Permanent!,¡± repeated John loudly; he was even more distressed with this. ¡°You said Wizard-Elves can do things ordinary Wizard¡¯s and Witches can¡¯t,¡± he said almost desperately. ¡°So does that mean that I could find a way to change my ears back?¡± he asked optimistically.

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± said Delsani.

    ¡°Why do Wizard-Elves have those strange eyes?¡± asked Helen, making her self-known once more.

    ¡°I¡¯ll explain on the way up to the Council Chambers. The Council will be waiting for us,¡± replied Delsani.

    They began to walk toward the far doors at the end of the hall to their left. But just before they had reached it, John saw the display case that held Dragdani¡¯s wand. The one the King had used before he got his Wizard-Elf abilities. It also held a set of his robes from the days when he attended the old Wizard College, Jaldgiler, along with his flying broomstick that he used to win the B.A.R (Broomstick Amateur Races) twice in a row.

    The once-great broom was a little worse for wear. Not too far from the top of the broomstick shaft was a grip, a long thick piece of material which was tightly wrapped around that part of the shaft. It was torn. Half way down. The shaft was badly cracked, which was the result of the unfortunate accident that almost had taken the life of the young Wizard. The accident happened at the race during Dragdani¡¯s fourth year at college. It was the second year he had raced, as young Wizards and Witches were only allowed to enter the broomstick races in their third year.

    All broomsticks were fitted with safety bars. These were metal strips strengthened with magic to ensure the safety of the rider. In the event of a crash, the safety bar would detect it and a large bubble would surround the rider and give them a softer landing. However, the safety bar could not protect the rider if they were to fall off. The bars ran down the shafts of the brooms then split into finer pieces which were mixed amongst the twig bristles.

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    Those were not Dragdani¡¯s only possessions on display. There were many of his things, even the necklace piece which they had seen his double wearing only minutes before. His spell book was probably the most famous of all of his possessions, for written somewhere in its pages was the spell that defeated the Dark Wizard, Salith, though none knew what it was. The Wizard-Elf had put protection spells on the book to prevent it ever being opened by anyone but him.

    They walked on, and when they got to the end of the hall there were three doors. They took the one to the left. The runes on it moved and changed into two separate words that both said WELCOME. The top one was the Wizard language, and the bottom one was in English:

    Hiwol

    Welcome

    Then the door opened by itself.

    They walked through the doorway. At first the room was black, though suddenly there was a bright light. There were no torches or candles or anything that would usually emit such a strong illumination. And although the light was strong, Helen could still see no walls, which intrigued her more than anything else. At first, all that could be seen were wooden doors. The doors were numbered and floating around the room on small pieces of what looked like thick mist or cloud. Most of the doors were brown, but not all, for there were red, grey, blue, and even green doors as well. To their right there were two bright stone staircases. They were twisting and coiling around each other, going up as far as the eye could see. Well, as far as Delsani and Helen¡¯s could see. Up the steps went, around and around like two giant snakes. At the bottom of both staircases, on either side, were posts bearing the image of Dragdani¡¯s Dragon carved into white stone.

    ¡°What is this place?¡± asked Helen.

    ¡°This is one of the three vault rooms,¡± replied Delsani. ¡°The vault door moves about each of the rooms, floating around with the dimensional doors, and the only ones who know which vault room it is in are the Grand Wizard and the other members of the Council.¡±

    ¡°And what are dimensional doors?¡± asked Helen, now totally baffled.

    ¡°Remember when I said that dimensional windows show us worlds that are very like our own? Well. These are dimensional doors that allow access to other worlds that in almost every case are so alien that it can take years to learn how to talk to the people who live there. But be careful not to open a door that leads to a demon dimension.¡±

    ¡°How do you know the difference between them?¡± asked Helen.

    ¡°Usually you can hear screaming coming from the demon doors,¡± replied John mordantly.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about this John?¡± asked Helen, who sounded excited with the idea but also disappointed that she had not known about it before.

    ¡°If you remember, you didn¡¯t want to know too much about Dorminya. You wanted to use your imagination for your books or I would have told you everything,¡± replied John defensively.

    ¡°Well, now I want to know everything,¡± said Helen, very intrigued by all she was learning.

    When they got to the foot of the staircase facing them, they stopped. Helen looked up. It was so high that she grew dizzy. ¡°That looks like a long climb,¡± she said.

    ¡°What climb?,¡± asked John. He stepped forward onto the staircase and stood there for less than a second with both of his feet on the first step, and then suddenly vanished.

    ¡°What happened?¡± cried Helen. John had not told her of the staircases either.

    ¡°The staircases are just for show,¡± said Delsani. ¡°When you step onto the first tread on either one, you¡¯ll instantly be teleported to whatever floor you wish. You should go next, fifth floor, by the way.¡¯

    Helen said nothing. If her facial expression was anything to go by, she was not at all excited about this. Her morbid fear battled with her fascination, and with this weighing on her mind, she stepped forward onto the step, shut her eyes tight. Then, like John, she too disappeared.

    When she reappeared, John was there waiting. ¡°Congratulations,¡± he said.

    ¡°For what?¡± Helen asked as she opened her eyes again.

    ¡°For your second magical experience,¡± replied John. ¡°I forgot to congratulate you the first time round.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± said Helen, putting up her right index finger and waving it slowly from side to side. ¡°That was my fourth magical experience. First I came here,¡± and she started counting with her fingers, ¡°Then the dimensional window, and then there were the floating doors. Then the teleporting staircases.¡± She finished, sounding clever and looking quite pleased with herself.

    ¡°You think you¡¯re so smart, don¡¯t you?¡± John asked.

    Helen laughed. ¡°Smarter then you, anyway,¡± she said.

    ¡°You know, now that I¡¯m a King, you shouldn¡¯t talk to me like that,¡± said the Wizard-Elf, ¡°or I might end up taking a leaf out of Henry the Eighth¡¯s book, and you know what happened to his wives.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it,¡± said his wife with a smile.

    ¡°If the two of you don¡¯t mind, I would like to get to the Council before they send out a search party to look for us, or before I die of old age whichever comes first,¡± said Delsani, appearing just behind Helen.

    ¡°Somehow I think the latter might come before the former,¡± joked the King.

    This made his wife snigger.

    Delsani on the other hand said nothing; he merely smiled.

 Chapter 5 - To the Council Chamber

    From there, they walked on along a grey corridor that displayed a number of openings to either side of them.

    ¡°Delsani, you said that you would tell us why Wizard-Elves have those strange eyes,¡± said Helen.

    ¡°It¡¯s because of the Dragon blood that flows though their veins¡¯ said Delsani. ¡°Thoucil¡¯s great grandfather, King Basan, fought at one of the greatest battles between Salith and the alliance of the six races and was critically injured. He lost a lot of blood, and it was the silver scaled Dragon, Lanisic, that gave the King some of his blood in order to save him, not knowing of course the consequences of his act, for Basan healed very quickly and found that he was stronger and faster than ever. Although when Thoucil was born, her mixture of Dragon, Wizard, and Elf blood that made her blood the most magical of all. This gave her an energy and unique abilities. And the eyes, like the ears and marks on the wrist, are all aberrations caused by the mixture of three of the most magical races in Dorminya.¡±

    They had reached the end of the hall where there were more steps. Helen counted them. There were exactly ten. At the top of the steps was a slender bridge, wide enough for at least four people. Running down the walls at either side of the walkway were two thin waterfalls that led to nothing but a deep dark drop below.

    Helen stayed in the middle of the bridge; Delsani was now on her left and John on her right. She found herself looking at the waterfalls, wondering where the water was coming from, for they were five floors up. When they were almost halfway over the bridge, Helen took the lead and was almost across when she turned to see were the others were. She saw that John¡¯s wand was about to fall out of his right trouser pocket. It was hanging by only a thread.

    ¡°JOHN YOUR WAND!¡± she shouted.

    The Wizard-Elf reached down, but just before he could grasp it, it fell. He leaned over and stretched out to catch it but lost his balance and fell off the bridge. Helen saw it all as though in slow motion. However, to her complete and utter surprise, John did not fall too far. In fact, it looked to Helen that he had hit ground. He stood up and picked up his wand and continued as if nothing had occurred.

    Helen was standing there with her hands over her mouth, and although she was naturally pale, she was now as white as a sheet with her hands and very arms quivering.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked John.

    ¡°I thought you were going to fall down there,¡± said Helen with a twinge of distress still in her voice.

    ¡°You can¡¯t fall down there. It¡¯s just an illusion,¡± said John tapping his foot on the invisible ground. When he said that, her colour started to return though her hands continued to rattle.

    They proceeded to walk across the rest of the bridge.

    ¡°Why is the illusion there?¡± she asked.

    ¡°There¡¯s no real reason for it, but it looks better than an ordinary dark dank room, don¡¯t you think?¡± said a strange voice.

    ¡°I think so,¡± said John.

    Helen spun round to see who else was there, but she saw no one.

    ¡°What is it?¡± asked John.

    ¡°Who were you agreeing with?¡±

    ¡°Me,¡± said a man¡¯s grainy voice.

    ¡°I, too, agree completely. You should have seen it before they put the illusion there,¡¯ said a younger, smoother man¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Oh terrible, terrible,¡± said a young woman¡¯s voice.

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    ¡°Yes terrible,¡± said another woman.

    ¡°Who¡¯s saying that?¡± asked Helen.

    ¡°Turn around, Normal; we¡¯re right here,¡± said the first voice.

    Helen turned to face the wall closest to her, and there on a shelf carved into the stone were four head statuettes, two male, two female, two young, and two old.

    ¡°Be careful what you say. Need I remind you that this is the new King and his Queen?¡± said Delsani sternly.

    ¡°So you are King Jastark. Ha! Ha! I knew it! Didn¡¯t I always say that there was something special about that boy?¡± asked the older male statue with the grainy voice.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true, and I would like to think so, too, after all the times we helped with his homework,¡± said the younger male.

    ¡°Who...what are you?¡± asked Helen inquisitively.

    They all looked at the young woman intensely.

    ¡°Well, have you ever! After all the times we helped him, he¡¯s never even mentioned us. There¡¯s gratitude for you,¡± said the older female¡¯

    ¡°We are representations of the first of four Wizards and Witches to liberate these towers from the Dark Lord who once lived here,¡± said the elder male, not paying attention to his compatriot, ¡°As for who we are, or should I say were. The name¡¯s Anret, nice to meet you.¡±

    ¡°My name is Gerov,¡± said the elder female statue.

    ¡°Salonuith,¡± said the young male.

    ¡°Cajui is the name,¡± said the younger female, bowing her head a little, which almost tipped her over in the process, but she quickly caught her balance again.

    ¡°Well, you know ours,¡± said Anret, ¡°so I ask you, fair Queen, what is your name?¡±

    ¡°Helen.¡±

    ¡°What a beautiful Normal name,¡± Salonuith said sarcastically.

    The younger female statue sniggered.

    ¡°Hail Queen Helen of the Normals,¡± said Salonuith.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough out of you!¡± said Delsani furiously.

    The statue threw the Wizard a disgusted look, as though he had just tried to eat a jar of raw pickles.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure he didn¡¯t mean anything by it, Delsani,¡± said Helen.

    ¡°Helen¡¯s right. Besides, the statue of Salonuith was made when he was a young Ves-Guard, before he turned dark,¡± John assured Delsani. ¡°He helped me out more times than I can count when I was alone in this place, and I never would¡¯ve made it through history class without them all.¡±

    ¡°Fine, but I will never trust it, never as long as I live,¡± said the old Wizard.

    ¡°For your information,¡± said Salonuith, sounding clearly upset, ¡°I am not, nor have I ever been. The one of which you speak, so I would appreciate it if you never address me as he ever again.¡±

    ¡°We should move on,¡± said Delsani, ignoring the last remark made by that statuette. And on they went. The passageway curved off to the left, and then they came to yet three more doors. Delsani and John walked toward the middle door, closely followed by Helen. Delsani opened door and waited until John and Helen were through. Then they began to walk down yet another long dark corridor. Helen noticed that there was only one torch, which was floating just in front of them. It seemed dimmer than the others she had seen. They could only see about five paces ahead. But with every pace they took. The light moved forward as the torch led them all the way. This did not seem to bother Delsani or John, so Helen said nothing of it.

    The corridor bent round to the right. Then they passed on through a door again on the right. The torch did not follow them through the door, as that place was well lit. They walked straight then turned left and did not go far before they came to another set of double doors. These doors were very large and were also made of stone, but instead of being grey. They were blue. On the left door, there was an eight-point star, which was one of the most common signs of the Elves. On the right door was also an illustration of a full moon, a common sign of the Wizards.

    Sometimes these signs were placed together as a symbol of their friendship. There was also a thick stone arch above the doors and on it; it had letters, which were in the Wizard and Elvin languages that read:

    Speak the name of the council member you know. And the doors will tell if you are friend or foe.

    Delsani took out his wand, stepped toward the doors and tapped the wand on the moon door. ¡°Jaucal,¡± he said in a foreboding voice, naming the Grand Wizard, the head of the Wizard Councils. Nothing happened at first, though when he pointed at the doors with his right index finger. They began to open slowly.

    Helen could have sworn that she felt the floor beneath her feet shake, though she could not tell for sure.

    ¡°Helen, you¡¯ll have to stay out here,¡± said John.

    ¡°Why?¡± the woman asked, disappointed.

    ¡°The only ones allowed in the Council Chamber during a meeting have to have a special invitation,¡± said John.

    ¡°And as you decided to come at the last moment, the doors will not admit you,¡± said Delsani. ¡°I am sorry¡±

    John took his wand out of his back trouser pocket. He pointed it at one of the many chairs in the Council Chamber.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± asked Delsani.

    ¡°I¡¯m getting Helen a chair,¡± answered John.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need your wand for that John,¡± said Delsani, suddenly snatching it from him. ¡°You¡¯re a Wizard-Elf, which means you can use your mind if you concentrate hard enough.¡±

    ¡°Try it,¡± said Helen enthusiastically.

 Chapter 6 - Waiting for Lunch

    John looked at the chair, held out his right hand toward it and in his mind he pictured the chair moving from where it was to the wall beside him. But nothing happened.

    ¡°You¡¯re not concentrating hard enough,¡± said Delsani.

    John concentrated harder, and this time with more than just the picture in his mind. Seopten, he thought, which is the word for chair or seat in the Wizard language. The chair vanished from the table it once inhabited and reappeared in front of the wall as he had commanded.

    They could hear raised voices coming from within the chamber beyond; it was two of the leaders of the other races. ¡°The chair disappeared,¡± said one.

    ¡°Yes, it was there, but now it¡¯s gone,¡± said another.

    They both sounded very agitated.

    Suddenly John felt a burning pain on his right wrist. When he inspected it, he saw two red marks. The mark on the right looked like a four-point star, which most likely came from the Elvin side of him. The second mark was diagonally down to the left and looked like a half moon.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Helen.

    ¡°My wrist,¡± replied John.

    ¡°A four point star and a half moon,¡± said Delsani.

    ¡°Yes,¡± said John, ¡®I¡¯ve got a feeling there¡¯s something else you forgot to tell me old friend.¡±

    ¡°This I did not forget,¡± said Delsani. ¡°For Wizard-Elves bear those two signs. Other than the eyes and ears, that is probably the only way of telling Wizard-Elves from ordinary Wizards, as you¡¯ve probably heard me say before.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I think you did say something about it. But why didn¡¯t you tell me more?¡± asked John.

    ¡°At the time I thought it best to tell you later, which I shall do now. Thoucil and Dragdani asked the Wizard Council to keep it secret. I don¡¯t know why, but they both wore a leather armband to cover their right wrists,¡± said the old Wizard.

    There was a short silence.

    ¡°We should go now, John; the council is waiting,¡± said Delsani.

    ¡°I can get someone to show you to our room if you don¡¯t want to wait,¡± John said to his wife.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine,¡± replied Helen quickly.

    ¡°This could be a long wait Helen,¡± said the Wizard-Elf.

    ¡°Or it could be a short wait,¡± said the woman.

    ¡°It¡¯s not too late to change your mind,¡± said John.

    ¡°Yes, it is,¡± said Helen. ¡°You¡¯d better go.¡±

    John leaned forward and kissed his beautiful wife. Then he turned on his heel and he and Delsani walked into the Council Chamber. As soon as they were past the doors, they quickly and abruptly slammed shut.

    It was at least two hours before the Council and their guests finished their meeting.

    By this time Helen had fallen asleep. John gently woke her. ¡°It¡¯s time for lunch,¡± he said.

    ¡°What time is it?¡± she asked sleepily.

    ¡°Ten past one,¡± said John. ¡°We better hurry; they¡¯re all waiting.¡±

    ¡°I must¡¯ve fallen asleep,¡± said Helen.

    ¡°Yeah, you did, and you were snoring.¡±

    Helen turned scarlet with this information.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t my fault. The chair was far too comfortable. It made me doze off,¡± said Helen, not at all amused, ¡°Where are we having lunch?¡± she asked, trying to change the subject. She succeeded.

    ¡°They eat lunch in the Council Chamber, of course.¡±

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    ¡°Wait a minute,¡± said Helen. ¡°I thought you said that I¡¯m not allowed in there because I¡¯m not invited?¡±

    ¡°That was only because there was a meeting being held,¡± said John. ¡°Now the Grand Wizard has invited us to lunch.¡±

    ¡°Well, excuse me,¡± said Helen in a mock voice as she stuck her nose in the air. John gave out a small laugh. Then he and his wife walked arm in arm through the doors and into the room. Within, the ceiling was quite high. There were six tables but only four were occupied. The tables were long and curved. All together they made a circle and were each spaced a meter apart.

    The two tables in front of the doors were empty. The other four were all half full, with each holding eight people.

    To the right of John and Helen were the Wizards, and among them was the ambassador of the Council of Witchcraft, the Warlock Lenfad. The Council of Witchcraft sent him so he could report everything that was discussed in the meeting and allow a decision to be made by the Supreme Witch in concern to the subject of that very meeting. The reason that the Warlock was seated among the Wizards was because Witches and Wizards are of the same race; the only difference is that some of their beliefs differ in certain areas of magic.

    John and Helen walked over to the Wizard table to sit between Delsani and the Grand Wizard, Jaucal. To the right of the Wizards were the Elves; next to them were the Dwarves, and then the Men of the Morden.

    Behind the Men appeared another door, which was not as big as the others they had just entered. Then the smaller door opened and some Wizards came out of the next room, which appeared to be a kitchen. They were carrying platters of food. The men were served food first, since they were the closest; the Dwarves were served second, then the Elves, and then the Wizard.

    Halfway through his meal, Delsani got up from his chair went to the Grand Wizard Jaucal and proceeded to whisper in his ear. Jaucal looked up at him and then over at John. It seemed that whatever Delsani said had caught his complete attention. Jaucal then whispered back to Delsani, who nodded. The Grand Wizard called to one of the Wizards serving the wine. He talked with him and the Wizard put the pitcher of wine he held down in front of Jaucal and quickly walked out of the room.

    After lunch, the guests were taken four floors up to a narrow corridor. The walls were blue (as was most of that tower), and there were pictures, some small, some large, and mostly of people, but there were pictures of many other things associated with both Dorminya and the Normal world. As they walked, they also saw doors that were only a meter apart. They were the doors of the guestrooms.

    The guests were shown to the doors of the rooms they had been assigned to, and then shown the rooms themselves. John and Helen were taken to John¡¯s old room, which had been specially cleansed for their arrival. Helen saw little letters in the Wizard language on their room door. ¡°What does it say John?¡± she asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s my name,¡± replied John. ¡°My real name.¡± He put his hand in his pocket and pulled a small brass key. There was no keyhole to be seen; John put his hand on the letters on the door. Light covered the letters and travelled down the door. When it stopped, the light dispersed and a keyhole appeared. John put the key in the lock and turned it. There was a click, and the whole door, like the name, was covered in light and then vanished.

    Helen could see lights and distorted colors in the room ahead.

    John walked straight into the room without hesitation. ¡°Come on in, Helen,¡± he said. Helen thought his voice sounded muffled. She slowly started toward the doorway as if unsure of what might happen, for too many strange things had happened and were still happening, all too quickly for her liking.

    When she walked through the doorway, the blurry light began to come into focus and things were beginning to take shape. She saw that the room she was in was very large. ¡°How can the room be so big? Wait let me guess it¡¯s all an illusion,¡± she said trying to sound unimpressed by the place.

    ¡°No,¡± said John, ¡°The room¡¯s real. The corridor¡¯s the illusion.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll never get used to this¡± said Helen.

    ¡°Probably not,¡± said John with a smile. He thought the situation was great; he knew all of the tricks and secrets of the tower and the rest of the Wizard and Witch world.

    ¡°Why are there so many illusions?¡± asked Helen.

    ¡°Well, you see Wizards hate the thought of living Normal lives, or even to think that they might have Normal lives,¡± said John, ¡°so they create up illusions to make their lives as abnormal as they like.¡±

    I guess that makes sense, thought Helen.

    John was standing at the left side of the bed, which was twice the size of their King-sized bed back home. At the head of the bed, at either side, were two long windows that looked out in the direction of Cayer-Huld. John stood peering out of the one on his side and he found himself wondering if the city he had loved and missed for so long had changed.

    While the Wizard-Elf continued to stare blankly out across the land, Helen was taking a look around. The walls of the room were a light red color, and on them were V-shaped torches that were evenly spaced throughout the room, with blue flames dancing on the both stems of the V¡¯s. The floor was made of stone and looked like ash, and there were two fireplaces, one to the left of the door, and the other at the opposite end of the room. And in them the fires were full and high with Normal yellow, red, and orange flames, which surprised Helen greatly. She half expected the flames to be blue, or purple, or some other colour, maybe even multicoloured.

    Helen realized that though there were two fireplaces, the room was not hot. In fact the temperature of the room was nice. Helen wandered about it. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t it be warmer in here? I mean, with two raging fires.¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah, it should be warmer with two Normal raging fires, but those fires aren¡¯t Normal. They don¡¯t give off any heat,¡± replied John. ¡°It¡¯s the floor that does that.¡±

    ¡°The floor? But I can¡¯t feel any heat off of the floor,¡± said his wife as she looked down at her track shoes.

    ¡°It¡¯s not roasting hot. There¡¯s just a little bit of heat. If you take off your shoes, you should be able to feel it.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure that the ground won¡¯t swallow me whole, or teleport me to an alternate dimension?¡± asked Helen jokily.

    John laughed. ¡°No,¡± he said, ¡°Just a little heat that¡¯s all. Trust me.¡±

    ¡°If only I could,¡± said Helen.

    John had a sly grin on his face.

 Chapter 7 - Heirlooms of the King

    Helen took off her right track shoe and hesitated. Then slowly she set her bare foot on to the floor, and true enough, she could feel a smidgen of heat coming from the floor. She took her left shoe off and decided to walk around the room barefoot, for it felt very soothing. ¡°Is there a bathroom nearby?¡± she asked.

    John was standing with his hands over his mouth and was breathing hard into them as if they were a gas mask. ¡°Can¡¯t you just put those monsters away so I can breathe again?¡± asked John funnily.

    ¡°Very funny, smart arse. You know sometimes I wonder why I ever married you,¡± Helen teased, clearly not at all amused.

    ¡°I thought it was for my fantastic good looks, brilliant personality, and great wit,¡± said John, holding his head back and chin up amusingly.

    ¡°Whatever. Now tell me is there a bathroom? I need to pee,¡± said his wife.

    ¡°Yes, over there,¡± replied John. He was pointing to the wall opposite him, but there was no doorway.

    ¡°Where is it?¡±

    John walked over to the wall and put his arm through it.

    ¡°Here. The reason you can¡¯t see it is because I put a spell on it.¡±

    ¡°You put a spell on your bathroom?¡±

    ¡°Just on the door, to hide it,¡± said John.

    ¡°But why would you?¡±

    ¡°I did it because once when I was out on a date, my friends, knowing we would be coming back here, thought that it would be funny to hide an Orslat in the bathroom and let it stink out the place.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s an Orslat?¡± asked Helen.

    ¡°It¡¯s a very smelly creature,¡± said John. ¡°It¡¯s something like a skunk, although it doesn¡¯t spray. The smell comes from its skin, and it¡¯s about a hundred times worse. So after their little stunt, I moved the bathroom from that end of the room to this end and put a spell on the door.¡±

    At this point, Helen was laughing to herself.

    ¡°Yeah, they thought it was funny too,¡± said John.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that. It¡¯s the part where you said your friends used that Orslat thing to stink out your bathroom,¡± replied Helen.

    ¡°Yeah, and?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just that you don¡¯t normally need any help in that department.¡± She could no longer control her laughter as tears ran down her face.

    John grabbed one of the pillows off the bed and threw it at her. She caught it and threw it straight back. She then ran to where John put his arm through the wall.

    ¡°Where is it again?¡± she asked crossing her legs. Just then her hand went through the wall. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ve found it.¡± Helen put each of her hands at either side of the doorway.

    ¡°Say ¡®lock¡¯ if you want the door to lock, and say ¡®open¡¯ when you what to come out again,¡± said John just before she stepped through. She was not in the toilet long when John saw her reappear.

    ¡°What do we do now?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Well, now that you¡¯ve most likely stunk out the toilet, we wait until Delsani comes to take me to start my training,¡± said John.

    ¡°Ha ha, you¡¯re so funny,¡± said Helen, and then stuck out her tongue at him.

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    John, who was sitting on the bed merely said, ¡°Revenge.¡±

    They waited at least three and a half hours before Delsani came. He gently knocked on the door. ¡°It¡¯s time John.¡±

    John and Helen got up together and followed the old Wizard. He did not lead them to the training room; instead they went back the way they came when they arrived, back to the entrance hall. When they got there, they saw that the Wizard Council and the Council of Witchcraft were there. All of the Witches and Wizards that worked in the towers were also there, as well as young Wizards and Witches from the Wizard Colleges, and the Witch Schools of both Cites, who had all come to see their new King and Queen.

    ¡°Why are all these people here?¡± asked John.

    Delsani smiled ¡°They¡¯re here because the Grand Wizard wishes to present you with a couple of things that are yours through birthright.¡±

    Jaucal stepped forward, and to John¡¯s surprise, around the fingers of the Wizard¡¯s right hand was Dragdani¡¯s Dragon. Once again it was hanging from a thin black rope.

    In Jaucal¡¯s left hand was the Sword of Light, Yeluilat. The Elves had brought it with them so it could be given to the last living heir of Dragdani.

    John stepped toward the Grand Wizard.

    ¡°Lord Jastark. The Wizards Council and the Council of Witchcraft have decided that as you are the rightful King, you shall be the new bearer of Dragdani¡¯s Dragon and the sword Yeluilat, which once belonged to your ancestor, King Dragdani,¡± said Jaucal. ¡°So with no further delay, in front of all of these witnesses I present you with the symbol of Dragdani himself.¡± John bowed his head to receive it, and Jaucal put the necklace around his neck. ¡°May your life and rein be long, my friend,¡± said the old Wizard.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± said John.

    ¡°Now if you would all like to make your way to the dining hall for something to eat,¡± said Delsani, motioning his hand in the direction of the dining room.

    A feast was held in the dining hall, which was one of the largest rooms that Helen had ever seen. The walls were grey. Long rectangle tables ran along the left wall, around the wall at the far end of the hall, and back down the right wall again. Other smaller tables were placed in the heart of the massive room, and it seemed every chair at every table had an occupant. As Helen continued to look about, she saw that halfway up the four walls that made the room ran a border of gold. The border had depictions on it, but she couldn¡¯t see what they were from where she sat.

    She continued to scan the room, and again her eyes fell on the large silver statues she had seen as she entered the room. There were ten in all that were sitting on ledges set just below the golden border. Four of the statues were on one side of the room, four opposite them, and the last two also facing each other, one above the entrance and the other at the far end of the room. These were the largest of all the ten, one a Witch and the other a Wizard. Helen found herself staring at the one of the old Wizard. He was dressed in long robes, and in his left hand he held what looked like a page of parchment. In his right was an old pointed hat.

    Just as Helen went to look back at her plate, the statue winked at her and then smiled. She looked at the others all around the room, and like the first, some winked, others smiled, a few waved and mouthed hello, and last but certainly not least. The male Witch above the entrance, after seeing the dazed look on the young woman¡¯s face, let out a loud robust laugh that filled the hall and made some of the other people in room jump, so much so that it sent more than a few forks, food and all, flying through the air. Most of them landed on other tables and even other plates.

    Delsani, John, and Helen left early. They were not really that hungry after the big lunch they eaten only hours before. Besides, Delsani wanted to start John¡¯s training as soon as possible.

    There were only mats on the floor of the training room; there were no special devices or anything else that one might expect to find in such a room.

    ¡°How are you going to train me?¡± John asked. ¡°You said I¡¯m the first Wizard- Elf you¡¯ve ever seen.¡±

    ¡°I will use this to train you,¡± said Delsani as he held up a folder. It was brown with a clip in the shape of Dragdani¡¯s Dragon locking it down tight.

    ¡°What is it?¡± asked Helen.

    ¡°In this folder are the instructions that Thoiucil gave to Dragdani when she was training him. Dragdani¡¯s father wrote it all down.¡±

    John nodded, clapped loudly, rubbed his hands together and said. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s get started.¡±

    Helen sat down at the end of one of the mats while Delsani and John got ready to start.

    By the end of the day, John had done very well and learned how to use a few of his abilities, even if it did mean redecorating most of the room and replacing some of the weapons that lined the walls, not to mention one of the four wooden chandlers that formerly hung from the ceiling.

    John and Helen said goodnight to the old Wizard before heading back to their room. John felt confident that he could remember the way. It was quite late; there was not a soul to be seen in any of the corridors. They could hear a rough wind bellowing outside as they walked, but nothing else was to be heard except their own footsteps on the stone floor. When they got to their room, they went straight to bed, as they had an early start the next morning.

 Chapter 8 - The Second Meeting

    Two years went flying by, and John being a very fast learner, had finished his training, or at least finished what was in the folder. Whatever else he would learn must come from experience, which he knew well enough.

    During his free time, the Wizard-Elf had talked to most of his old friends, but only most, because not all of the old gang survived the fourteen years of waiting. Two had lived their dreams of being Ves-guards and had great adventures, which they loved to tell all who would be willing to hear. Unfortunately, in the end they paid a heavy price for those dreams and adventures, as they died within just two days of each other.

    The first was Veris, the very talented Wicca. She was killed while trying to hold the bridge of the fifth waters, which is on the very boarders of their own country Opredanas. The second, Jebut, died only a day before John and Helen arrived in Dorminya. He was killed from behind while trying to defend one of the many colonies close to the boarders.

    John was devastated to hear the terrible news, and although he hadn¡¯t seen them in seven years, he mourned for them greatly, his old dear friends.

    When he wasn¡¯t reminiscing with old friends, he was showing Helen the Wizard and Witch World. He had taken her to Cayer-Huld, their largest City where most of the Wizards, Wicca¡¯s, and Warlocks live and work. He also took her to Rengeral Training College for Apprentice Wizards, and even to Hadfold¡¯s School of Witchcraft, where the young Wicca¡¯s and Warlocks go to hone their powers. Helen was not surprised to see that there wasn¡¯t much of a difference between the two.

    She loved living there and had no problem expressing it. She told everyone, and she certainly had no intentions in ever leaving again. Though she liked being Queen, she knew that one-day the true reason why they left their Normal lives behind would catch them up. It worried her beyond all reason day and night, even after all of the reassurances from their friends old and new. She still couldn¡¯t forget all she had been told. She remembered John¡¯s words to her after she saw there were only four representatives of the six main races of Dorminya at the council meeting the first day they arrived. She had wandered why. When asked by his wife, John simply said, ¡°It¡¯ll only worry you as it does me.¡±

    Not satisfied with his reply, she pressed and pressed at him until he finally gave in and told all.

    ¡°The reason there were only representatives from four of the main kingdoms of Dorminya (which were Dwarves, Elves, Wizards and Witches, and the Men of the Morden) was because the Eagle-Men of Kealhal were secretly attacked, overthrown and wiped out by Ulicoth¡¯s army and by Kilamen,¡± he told her.

    It was John that had found out what had happened, for he had befriended the immortal Wolf Demala, although he did not fully trust the talking Wolf, as he had heard of the terrible crimes he had committed while in his human form. Although mistrustful, the King could not very well ignore this terrible information. So he had the claims of his new friend investigated and had found the terrible tragedy to be true.

    The mistrust John had felt toward the once-dark Wolf lifted a little, though he still knew to be wary of him, for it was well known that the Wolf had once worked under Salith himself for the promise of release from the curse that bounds him to that eternal body. The truth of the matter is that Demala had not always been a Wolf. He was once a man and nephew to the King of the once-powerful land of Phadkew.

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    By the time the Wolf had told John the news of the Eagle-Men, it was too late. Only a handful of the giant eagles survived, but unfortunately they moved to the unmapped lands and have not been seen since.

    When all was finally realized, letters were sent to those the Wizards and Witches considered potential allies, and all agreed to meet. All, of course, but the Men of the Tarlonal in the land of Frepwen, who had all vowed to never be involved in anything that the Morden were involved in. For they have been mortal enemies for many a year and would kill their cousins before lifting a single finger to help them?

    At the Towers of Telian, the council of the four races held yet another meeting, and this time Helen was invited. She had taken an active role in all council meetings and enjoyed doing so. At the end of this meeting the council had decided that the time had come to bring their forces together.

    ¡°Finally, we will attack the fortress of Wulfed and rid the world of the evil of Ulicoth and Kilamen,¡± said the Dwarf lord, Eiaten.

    It took only sixteen days for everyone to arrive. For the armies of the four races had been on standby for two whole years.

    The Elves were the first to arrive, closely followed by the Dwarves, and together they waited with the Wizards and Witches for the men to arrive. They did not have to wait very long, as the men were not far behind the Dwarves, who themselves had run all the way from the great city of Eiaten, which is located under the Twin Mountains of Duilsan. The Dwarf city was named after the Lord of those mountains and was the largest of their empire.

    Taden, Eiaten¡¯s cousin, was stationed on the second balcony of the right tower. He was not the only one there, as there were two Wizards and an Elf as well.

    One could be forgiven for thinking that all were there purely out of friendship, but as always. There was an alternative reason. The Wizards came simply because the building belonged to them. The Elf was there out of helpfulness. As his sight was better than the others, it seemed right for him to be there. Last of all the Dwarf was there, funnily enough, simply because the others were there.

    Eiaten, seeing that the Elf was allowed to stand and look, thought that it was only fair and that one of his own be allowed there too. Everyone wondered why Taden was there, for all knew that a Dwarf¡¯s sight is very limited, and he couldn¡¯t possibly see what he needed to, but John saw no harm in Eiaten¡¯s little game and let the Dwarf stay where he was, simply because he knew that Eiaten would love to have an excuse to start something on that day in particular. So there the four stood looking for any sign of the men.

    There was moistness in the air that day, and a light fog rolled along sluggishly. The grassy land was saturated after the downpour the night before, though the sky was clear, apart from little puffs of white cloud gently floating past. And although the sun was high in the sky, the trees of the forest behind the Towers made it impossible to see if there was anyone moving their way until they would clear the tree line.

    ¡°What do you see cousin?¡± shouted Eiaten.

    ¡°Nothing yet,¡± replied Taden.

    The Elf, Avelan, who was the brother of Feudel, the master of the great Elvin City of Haludon, had caught sight of something with his keen eyes. There were five figures moving closer to their position.

    ¡°THERE ARE FIVE OBJECTS COMING OUR WAY!¡± he shouted to those below.

    ¡°Where are they? I don¡¯t see anything,¡± said Taden as he looked to the edge of the forest.

    ¡°Not there, Taden. There,¡± said Avelan. He pointed to five dots in the sky moving ever closer to them.

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Taden, ¡°now I see them.¡± But to him they were faint fuzzy blurs.

    John rushed to the balcony he jumped straight on to it from the ground. ¡°Where are they, Avelan?¡± he asked.

    ¡°There,¡± said the Elf as he pointed to them again.

    ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± said Delsani, who was standing below them. ¡°They¡¯re Wicca¡¯s and Warlocks whom the Council of Witchcraft sent to us. They decided they don¡¯t want to be left in the dark, so they¡¯re sending some of their most talented people to join us.¡±

    Helen wanted to see what everyone up there found so fascinating. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± she asked as she came up behind the old Wizard.

    ¡°They can see the Witches who were sent by the Council of Witchcraft, that¡¯s all.¡±

 Chapter 9 - Old Friends Revealed

    John was looking straight ahead. He saw something reflecting sunlight in the distance. He realized it was the Morden just about to enter the opposite end of the forest. His eyes seemed to be as keen as Avelan¡¯s, as the edge of the forest was two miles away. ¡°The men are coming,¡± he shouted. ¡°I can see them.¡±

    Avelan looked, and he too could see them.

    By this time, everyone could see the Witches as they came closer. They could also see that they were riding broomsticks. This offended some of the older members of the Wizard¡¯s Council, for they had banned Wizards from using broomsticks, which they deemed too dangerous. But the younger Wizards found it fascinating, for the law was passed just before their time, so it was to them a rare treat.

    As the Witches came into plain view, they sped up and now were coming in to land. When they had landed, the Council of the Four Races greeted them. There were two Wicca¡¯s and three Warlocks.

    The Warlock ambassador, Lenwer, then spoke to the Witches in their own language, which greatly pleased them.

    ¡°Thank you for that greeting¡± said one of the Wicca¡¯s, who seemed to be the leader of the five. But she spoke in the common tongue for all to hear.

    John (who had climbed down from the balcony) and Helen recognized the Wicca and the Warlock standing next to her as their friends Joan and Harry. ¡°I am Saren,¡± said the Wicca. ¡°And this is my husband, Henkot. Our other companions are Kerfuz, Senom, and my niece, Molnet,¡± she said as she pointed them out. They all nodded at each other one after the other.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think your niece a little young to go?¡± said Lenwer looking to the girl before him.

    ¡°Trust me when I say that she¡¯s one of the most talented Wicca¡¯s I have ever known,¡± said Saren, who then saw Helen and John staring blankly at both her and her husband. ¡°Hello,¡± she said to them.

    John couldn''t believe his eyes. He looked at his wife and by the look on her face, she must have felt the same way he did.

    The Wizard King turned his gaze back to the two people he had thought were their friends, ¡°All this time you pretended to be our friends, and what you were really doing was spying on us," said John to Saren. He shot a stern look at the witch and then her husband in turn.

    ¡°We sent them with no intention of spying, John,¡± said the Grand Wizard. ¡°Delsani and I did, however, ask the Council of Witchcraft to lend us two of their people stationed in the Normal World to befriend you and help you. We knew that you would be alone. We only wanted you to have friends to turn to, in case you fell on hard times, that¡¯s all. We had no intentions to spy.¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t want to lie to you,¡± said Henkot. ¡°We had no choice. We couldn¡¯t disobey the Council of Witchcraft out of fear that they might have taken our licenses, which would mean that we could not go back to the Normal World.

    ¡°We didn¡¯t know you back then. To us you were just a mission, but through the years that changed, and now the both of you are our closest and most trusted friends.¡±

    We hope that you¡¯ll forgive us,¡± said Saren. ¡°We never spied on either of you. The only time we told them anything about you was when Delsani told us who you really were.¡±

    John was calmer now, but still angry. He glanced at Helen as if to look for support, but she just stood there silent. The truth was she didn¡¯t care that they had lied; she was just happy that they were there.

    ¡°We should have been informed of this,¡± said Galfad angrily. Galfad was the Council member who persuaded the other members to sign a petition to expel John from the order, to feed the personal hatred that he felt toward him.

    ¡°But we didn¡¯t want you to know,¡± said Delsani with a certain amount of satisfaction in his voice. ¡°That was why we asked for two Witches rather than two Wizards.¡±

    Galfad looked furiously at Delsani, but said nothing.

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    For things had changed in the Wizard world. The power that the Council once held had been handed back to the Grand Wizard, which was as it used to be in the old days. The reason for the change was because the Wizards lost confidence in the Council after a few bad decisions, the worst, of course, being that they all signed the petition that got rid of their future King, though they didn¡¯t know that at that time.

    Numerous complaints from members of the Wizards Council still loyal to deputy Grand Wizard, Galfad (to give him his full title) followed, but were soon shot down by Jaucal and his own loyalists. After the short debate, the Witches were asked to trade in their broomsticks for horses, and they were more than pleased to do so.

    An hour after the Dwarves had marched in, the Men made their extraordinary appearance in the thousands. First came the drummers, then the flag bearers, the archers, the foot soldiers, and lastly the cavalry, all wearing neatly polished suits of armour. There armour was silver, as were their helmets, and it was like the knights of the old stories. At the top of their helms were short, red-feathered blooms that curved a little near the tip. And just above the slits for their eyes was the emblem of yellow flames surrounding a green sun, which was also on their breastplates, only larger. On their gauntlets were spikes at the knuckles. Their elbows also had one large spike each. Their shoulders each had a plate with a red line running along their edge, and sitting on top were three small spikes. Their knees held one spike each, as did the tips of their shoes. They were truly a magnificent sight to be seen, even without their King, for he had sent his youngest son to lead his troops. The youngster, to be truthful, had only ever fought small skirmishes rather than any large battles, though to be fair he had won every one he had ever taken part in.

    One might wonder why the Wizards and Witches didn¡¯t just Phaze them all to their destination. The main reason was that Phazes can be detected, and although there is a fair chance that they would be successful. The Grand Wizard deemed it too risky. Not mention the Men and Dwarves, who were none too pleased with that idea and were not afraid to voice their opinions. So for secrecy and to keep the peace, they were going the old-fashioned way.

    Before John got on to his horse he gave Helen a letter.

    ¡°Hold on to this,¡± he said. ¡°Only read it if I don¡¯t make it back.¡±

    Helen could not believe what her ears were hearing. Never before had she heard him speak of his possible death.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need it,¡± she said, ¡°because you¡¯re coming back.¡±

    John threw his arms around her, and she embraced him in return with a peck on the lips and then the cheek.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be back,¡± said John.

    Helen nodded but said nothing. John¡¯s words had unnerved her wholly.

    They set off as soon as all were ready. Those on horses walked them, to keep in line with the infantry and all of the Dwarves on foot. They went on for the remaining hours of the day, which were long and sometimes seemed never-ending. They only stopped a few times here and there too let their foot soldiers and horses rest for very brief periods of time.

    They went on into the early hours of the following day and had reached the border of the lands of Opredanas. They would soon be entering the land of Humrock, were the old tunes can be heard far and wide within the borders of that land, hummed by those chosen humming rocks of century¡¯s past.

    ¡°Can¡¯t we go around Humrock, Delsani?¡± asked Eiaten hastily.

    ¡°No,¡± replied Delsani flatly. ¡°To do so would double the time of our journey, and time is something that we cannot afford to waste.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Eiaten,¡± said one of the Elves. ¡°If you like we shall sing you a song.¡±

    ¡°That is something that I for one could do without,¡± Eiaten grumbled.

    John and most of the Elves laughed, for their keen hearing had heard his words.

    They had just past the thin border between the two lands and they could already hear the rocks humming ahead. They were at least halfway through and set up a small temporary camp to rest for what was left of the twilight hours.

    The Elves, Wizards, Witches, Men, and even Dwarves were all enjoying the tunes. The Elves were singing as the Elf, Tuberel, said they would. Some of the Wizards were singing lightly, so they could not be heard over the Elves, for the Elf voices were loud and fair, especially compared to the voices of most of their companions.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Eiaten?¡± shouted Tuberel. ¡°Can you not sing and be merry?¡±

    ¡°I can indeed,¡± replied the Dwarf lord. ¡°However, I have put my mind to other more important things. Besides, if we put down our guard, you could put a spell on us and we would not even know it.¡±

    Suddenly the singing stopped, for word of the insult spread like wildfire.

    ¡°I see,¡± said the Elf, ¡°We¡¯re not good enough to sing with but good enough to fight and perhaps even die with.¡± Tuberel said this without the look or sound of offence in anyway. In fact, he was still laughing. ¡°If I were you, my dear Dwarf, I would sleep with one eye open. For I am sure you have offended at least a few of these good people, and they may decide to bewitch you to share your voice with the rest of us. So for all our sakes, please be careful.¡±

    Suddenly all of the Elves, Wizards, Witches, and Men burst into fits of pure laughter when Tuberel had finished.

    Eiaten, on the other hand, was furious with the Elf. The rest of the Dwarves looked worried, as they thought that the Elf spoke true. And the last thing that they wanted was for Eiaten to be under any sort of wicked spell.

 Chapter 10 - The Light of Yeluilat

    They retired to their tents for some rest. All accept some of the Elves that had stayed up for most of the night.

    They did not get to the land of Kealhal until the fourth day. The sky was clear but the land was shady. They all knew that it was the shadow of Salith, for only it was strong enough to dull the beautiful rays of the sun itself, which had just begun to set in front of them. What little light had broken through was fading fast. It was then that they had got their first view of the Macshelc Mountains, but because of the sun, it looked more like a shadow itself.

    Delsani took a long look at the land before them and remembered the last time he was there. There were fond memories of that once beautiful land, which then was rich with all sorts of life. The grass and wild trees and rare plants were the finest and brightest of any land that he had ever seen, but no more, for now there was nothing but darkness. And all of the things that Delsani had seen were now dry, shrivelled, and dead. He could swear that the stench of death was all around them in that dead place. They rode on for a little longer and then set up camp behind Veuguil forest at least two miles away from any enemy patrol.

    ¡°We should get whatever we need for the assault on the fortress ready.¡± said John.

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to make our plan of attack,¡± said Delsani.

    He turned to the young Wizard that was standing next to John.

    ¡°Euol, please inform the leaders of the other races that we will be holding a meeting.¡± Suddenly he stopped. ¡°Where will we hold the meeting, John?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Begging your pardon, sir, but what about the tent the men are setting up?¡± said Euol.

    ¡°Tent,¡± said Delsani, surprised. He turned round and there it was a large white tent almost ready to be raised.

    ¡°Those fools! What in the name of hell do they think they¡¯re doing?¡± said the old Wizard angrily. They ran over to the area of the not quite finished tent.

    ¡°Where is Prince Bacnil?¡± asked Delsani of one of the men holding a rope, as they started to raise the tent.

    ¡°The Prince left orders that he was not to be disturbed,¡± said the man fearfully. ¡°Is there anything I can do for you?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Delsani, ¡®there¡¯s something you can do. You can tell me where to find the Prince. Or I could always make you tell me. It¡¯s your choice.¡±

    The man hesitated, but then Delsani reached into his pocket and swiftly took out his wand.

    ¡°He¡¯s round the back seeing to the work being done there,¡± said the man, his voice shaking. The Wizards could hear the pure fear as the poor man spoke.

    John was surprised at his old friend; it was unlike the Wizard to threaten anyone in that way.

    They went around the side of the tent. There were many men, but Delsani recognized Prince Bacnil. The seventeen-year-old boy was the third and youngest son of Leroih, the King of the men of the eastern plains, commonly known as the Morden.

    The young prince stood watching the progress; he had a baby face, wavy long black hair, and was as thin as a rake. John actually thought he looked anorexic. And in the opinion of most of the Wizards, Elves, and Dwarves, he looked much too young and green to be leading anyone into battle. Yet the men seemed to have faith in him and his abilities, or perhaps they had no choice. After all he was their Prince.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure that putting up this tent is a good idea,¡± said Delsani to the young man, ¡°as it may be seen.¡±

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    ¡°I think we¡¯re a safe distance away from any danger,¡± said the Prince in his childlike voice.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± said the Wizard. Delsani then walked forward until he was at the edge of the forest. ¡°Well. Then, I would ask you to draw your attention to the cleft yonder.¡± the Wizard was now pointing far across the extensive field before him. When Bacnil followed the Wizard¡¯s steps and looked, he could see a dark cliff standing tall and proud.

    ¡°Well, can you see it?¡± asked Delsani.

    ¡°Yes, I can see it,¡± replied Bacnil.

    ¡°And would you say that if the tent was up and you were standing on that cliff, you might be able to see the very top of it?¡±

    For a few seconds the Prince stood there staring at the cliff. He turned and looked at the tent, which was almost fully up. ¡°Take the tent down,¡± he said to the closest man to him.

    It was at this time John noticed that the clear sky had gone and a black cloud was hovering overhead. His eyes turned green again, and he walked until he was clear of the trees and then looked toward the fortress. He zoomed in on it and could see that one of the doors high up on the left tower was open, but only because he could see a very dim light coming from inside. He zoomed in further on the door and could see a balcony, and on it he could see two dark figures standing there. He could see that they, too, had Dragon eyes. He could also see the colour of their eyes, which shone like four beacons in the darkness of that forsaken land. The eyes of the figure to John¡¯s right were purple, and the other set of eyes of the figure to his left were yellow. John knew that the purple eyes belonged to Ulicoth, and that the yellow eyes belonged to Kilamen, for this he had read in the scrolls of Thoucil, which she had written after her first encounter with them.

    John became aware of a very faint pounding noise. He thought that it sounded like marching, as though whatever it was coming his way. He also noticed that he could feel a slight tremble in the ground. He zoomed out, but he could see nothing in front of him.

    Delsani then came over to him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Jastark?¡± he asked.

    ¡°They know we¡¯re here,¡± replied the King, ¡°and there¡¯s something else, I can hear what sounds like an army marching this way, but there¡¯s nothing there.¡±

    ¡°This land has been claimed by Ulicoth and is completely covered by the shadow of Salith,¡± said Delsani. ¡°Use the Light of Yeluilat.¡±

    ¡°What about it?¡± John asked.

    ¡°It will penetrate the shadow and show us what is hiding behind it.¡±

    The marching drew ever closer. The tremble in the ground was now heavier, louder, and worse, nearer.

    John took the sword from its sheath he held it out in front of him and shouted, ¡°YELUILAT!¡± A blinding light burst from its blade. John was the only one that was not affected by its light. No one else could see a thing, for the light was so strong.

    The King could see the marcher now. ¡°BETWEENS (former Men turned by the Dark Lord Salith), LORES, AND GOBLINS!¡± he shouted. And they were very close to them and getting closer with every passing second.

    The blade slowly dimmed, and the others got their first look at Ulicoth¡¯s army. To them it looked as though his army was the same or perhaps a little smaller than their own, and that filled their hearts with hope.

    Prince Bacnil threw on his helmet. ¡°To arms,¡± he shouted as he jumped onto his horse. If not for the seriousness of the situation it would have looked and sounded ridiculous, a skinny, fresh-faced, inexperienced young man with the voice of a fourteen year old expecting an army to trust him with their very lives. Most, but not all of the men stayed with their prince. The rest of the army ran to John and Delsani.

    ¡°Archers, take your places and ready your bows,¡± shouted Delsani. The Morden archers formed two lines. The front line got down onto their right knee. Both lines of archers fixed their arrows to their bow strings, which they drew back ready to go at the first command. The Elven archers who stood only ten feet from the men did the same.

    Suddenly, a long bright yellow light appeared. When it faded, they saw Kilamen standing not far ahead of Ulicoth¡¯s army. They knew that it was her, as they could see her bright yellow Dragon eyes glaring at them.

    ¡°Go now, Jastark,¡± said Delsani. ¡°We will fight this battle. You have your own battle to fight. Go now before they draw to near.¡±

    ¡°I should stay and help,¡± said John.

    ¡°No,¡± said Delsani, ¡°Ulicoth has seen you, and now knows that there are other Wizard-Elves. He has most likely guessed that you have come to kill him. And in his weakened state, he is probably no match for you. That¡¯s why he has sent Kilamen to find you before you can get close enough to harm him. Run into the forest and then Phaze up to the fortress and bring the Second Prophecy to light.¡±

    John nodded. ¡®Okay,¡± he said. ¡°Be careful my friend.¡±

    ¡°And you watch your head. Be extra careful,¡± said Delsani. ¡°Good luck, your majesty.¡±

    John smiled when he heard his true title.

    ¡°Now go before it¡¯s too late,¡± said Delsani. ¡°We¡¯ll try and keep Kilamen busy as long as we can.¡±

 Chapter 11 - Betrayed

    As John ran toward the forest, he could see the tree line, which was now not too far ahead of him. He picked up speed and was running faster than he had ever run in his entire life. If he were to blink he would have missed his entrance into the forest. Before he knew it, he was in the middle of the woodland when he abruptly stopped, his feet skidding on the ground, which was riddled with old twigs, leaves, fallen acorns, chestnuts, and pine cones.

    The forest was dark, darker than it had looked from the outside. John looked up, but he could not see the clouds above, though he could clearly hear the clashing of metal and the shouts and yells of those barking orders, not to mention the unnerving screams of the first wounded of the battle that was being waged just beyond the borders of the trees. Then there was the sound of a twig breaking and a sweet soft voice calling to him through the woodland. There was nothing else in his mind now, not the sound of the battle being fought behind him, not even the sound of the wind gently blowing between the trees. He looked in every direction, but there was nothing there. He gripped his hand around the handle of Yeluilat in case the shadow was hiding something else. He was about to draw the sword from its sheath when he saw someone standing in front of him.

    From the size and frame of this person, John was confident that was, in fact, a woman, and she was only a few trees away from him. She was wearing a pearl white dress, and she had a hood over her head that was attached to a white veil that guarded her face. She wore no socks or shoes of any kind. Her voice seemed louder and stronger in the few seconds that passed. John began to walk toward her, entranced by her beautiful voice. She threw back her hood and veil and John was amazed with the beauty before him. He had taken only a few steps when a loud howl rang out throughout the forest.

    The voice stopped, for the howl had startled the woman. She took a few steps back toward the trees behind her.

    She was not as beautiful as John thought. Her eyes were cold and grey, her skin was frost white, wrinkled, dry and cracked. Her long nails were chipped and ragged, and her hair was tattered and as white as her very skin. But John could not see her for what she really was, for he was still entranced by her voice and stood there still as stone. The leaves began to rustle close by. Someone or something was coming their way. The woman began to retreat into the trees until the darkness surrounded her and she could no longer be seen.

    The thing that scared the woman away came closer and closer until it emerged from behind the trees to John¡¯s right. It was the Wolf Demala. The Wolf ran to his friend¡¯s side. He stood there surveying the Wizard-Elf with his bright red eyes.

    The creature¡¯s fur was white on his lower body, legs, paws, and both sides of his face, and chest, with the slightest rings around his eyes; however, his tail was blood red running up his back, over his head, ears, and leading down to his light brown nose. He was a beautiful creature. Helen thought he was cute, which made John laugh.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t let him hear you say that,¡± he warned.

    Now Demala still stood beside the entranced Wizard King.

    ¡°WAKE UP JOHN!¡± the Wolf howled at his friend. But John did not move. Demala shouted again and still nothing. He then trotted over to the King¡¯s side and sank his teeth into his leg. John yelled part in pain and part in shock. For Demala¡¯s bite had woken him from the woman¡¯s spell.

    ¡°Were did she go?¡± asked John sounding puzzled.

    ¡°Trust me when I say, you don¡¯t want to know the answer to that question,¡± replied Demala.

    ¡°Try me.¡±

    ¡°Fine, she¡¯s a Valcota a drinker of blood.¡±

    ¡°A vampire,¡± said John, now sounding a little distant.

    ¡°You should not have come here so soon John. You¡¯re not ready yet. You¡¯re not experienced enough to face even one Wizard-Elf, never mind two at once,¡± said Demala, concerned.

    ¡°I don¡¯t intend to face both of them at once. One at a time is the plan,¡± replied John confidently.

    ¡°Don¡¯t go in there thinking that this¡¯ll all go your way.

    Ulicoth may be still recovering from the blow that Dragdani dealt him all of those years ago, but he¡¯s no fool. I believe he¡¯s been expecting an attack. Why else would he sit still with an enormous army that he has spent so many years building unless he has been waiting for the right time to release his wraith upon this world?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? Ulicoth¡¯s army is no bigger than our own,¡± said the King, the arrogance flowing from his words.

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    ¡°Don¡¯t be so sure,¡± said the Wolf. ¡°Think, John. He has had nearly six hundred years to make his army and you¡¯ve had just two. His is forces are ten times the size. Do the math.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. Six hundred years is a long time, but remember Ulicoth was near death for most of it. He¡¯s only started to recover these past five years, and it would take him that long to breed half of the creatures I saw and to persuade the other half, which were most likely hiding in the mountains in distant lands, to fight for him.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be sure. Ulicoth is stronger than you think. Don¡¯t underestimate him, my friend, for all our sakes.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got to go. They won¡¯t be able to keep Kilamen busy for long,¡± said John.

    ¡°Very well,¡± said Demala, ¡°but I still think that you¡¯ve come too soon. After all, there were two prophecies.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know. Why do you think we¡¯ve come now? We¡¯re trying to prevent the first one from coming true. If we attack now instead of waiting for him to attack, we can stop him before it¡¯s too late.¡±

    ¡°Okay, just be careful; don¡¯t be over confident, and never think about putting down your guard even for a moment.¡±

    ¡°Fine, but I¡¯ve really got to go,¡± said John.

    ¡°Then the only thing left for me to say is good luck. And I really mean that, John,¡± said Demala.

    ¡°Thank you, my friend,¡± replied John warmly. A green light came around the King, and when it had faded, all that was left was a green vapour slowly spreading and dispersing in the air. He had Phazed, just as Kilamen had done, from the fortress to the once hidden army of Ulicoth. John found that he could not Phaze directly into the fortress, for it was protected by magic. Instead he Phazed himself to underneath the balcony that he had seen Ulicoth and Kilamen standing on only minutes before. John switched back to his Dragon eyes, and with them he was able to measure the distance from where he stood to the balcony, which was quite high up. He bent his knees and jumped up, straight up, higher and higher. In those few seconds he could see the balcony getting closer until he was beneath it. He stretched out his arm and caught the bottom of it, and with minimum effort, he pulled himself up over the rail of the balcony and landed on his feet.

    Meanwhile, on the battlefield, most of the alliance lead by Prince Bacnil and the Dwarf Lord Eiaten were successfully pushing their enemies back toward the main mountain. Delsani had commandeered as many soldiers as he could call to him: Men, Dwarves, and Elves. He didn¡¯t care as long as it would help him to delay Kilamen¡¯s departure. She was walking calmly through the field trying to find the one that had come to kill her master and killing any that would dare to cross her path.

    The old Wizard knew he would soon cross paths with her. He knew that he had to try and buy the Wizard King enough time. Even if it resulted in his demise, it was the only way. He could see her walking closer to him, but again she stopped drew her hand up slightly. Delsani could see yellow energy building up in her hand. The energy then took shape and became round and hovered only a few centimetres above the palm of her hand. He could clearly see the ball of energy swirling round. She threw the energy ball at an Elven warrior who had run at her, hitting him straight in the heart, killing him instantly. She laughed at him, just as she had done so many times before, as he fell to the muddy ground.

    One of the men then came running toward her with his sword held high, but before he could get near her, she put out her hand again. There was flash of yellow light, and the man¡¯s sword disappeared from his hand and appeared in hers. She swiped low and cut straight through the man¡¯s stomach. She spun the sword round between her fingers. Now the blade was pointing behind her. She shoved it into the throat of Eiaten¡¯s youngest son, Paril. Then hit him in the face with her right elbow, pulled the sword back out and threw it up.

    The sword flipped round. She caught it with the blade the right way up. She did not keep the sword for long, though, for she threw it at another man who was charging at her. It went right through his chest. She stood there in front of her latest victim looking around, wondering whether so many would be so foolish to attack her if they knew who she was. And then it came to her. They were all decoys.

    Delsani could see the expression on her face. Now, he thought, now it¡¯s time. His sword was already in his right hand. He reached into his pocket with his left and took out his wand then calmly walked toward the Wicked Wizard-Elf.

    John went from the balcony into a great dark room. Ulicoth must¡¯ve decorated this place, thought the King. The floor was grey marble. The ceiling was red, and the walls were purple. On the walls were shields, swords and other different and strange weapons.

    He was deep into the room and could see a number of flags of all different shapes and sizes. There were a few that he recognized, but he had only seen them in books and scrolls. They were the flags of the other Wizard orders that exist in their world. The flags were forming a square around a symbol that had captured John¡¯s complete and undivided attention. It was the flag of the Dark Lord Salith. That flag was considered to be the ultimate sign of evil throughout the lands of Dorminya. It was scarlet, and in the middle was the Symbol of Salith, which was oval-shaped. The edge of it was silver, and in the middle was a silver skull with only the top set of teeth. Its eyes were dark and glittery blue in the area that surrounded the skull.

    John could see a bed in the distance, and on it was Ulicoth resting silently. He walked towards him and drew his hand up. An energy ball began to build form in it. John then did the same with his other hand getting ready for the onslaught.

    But before he got any closer, Ulicoth awoke.

    ¡°I have been waiting for you John,¡± he said.

    John was not surprised to hear that his enemy knew his Normal name. He knew Ulicoth had spies everywhere. He was, however, surprised by Ulicoth¡¯s voice, as it sounded ordinary and refined, even friendly. He had expected it to be wicked and cold.

    ¡°And how did you know that I would be here?¡± asked John.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just say a little traitor told me,¡± replied Ulicoth with an impious grin on his face.

    Little traitor, John thought. Who could it be? The first name that sprang to mind was Demala. ¡°The Wolf had told John that Ulicoth was expecting him. But then why warn me of it. It doesn¡¯t make any since.

 Chapter 12 - The Wicked Wizard-Elf

    Ulicoth sat up and slowly got off the bed. He stood up. John noticed he was hunched over slightly, and his hood covered the top of his face just as Delsani¡¯s had done when he appeared at the Stark residence. Ulicoth was wearing cherry red robes. On his chest holding his robes together was a broach. It was the Symbol of Salith and was exactly the same in shape and colour as on the scarlet flag. He was also wearing a ring on his left index finger. It was silver and looked like the skull of a Lore warrior. The old Wizard-Elf¡¯s face and hands had bulging purple veins and were wrinkled and bony, and his skin was chalky white.

    Ulicoth was now looking at the energy in John¡¯s hands.

    ¡°You will not need those,¡± he told the Wizard King.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll hold onto them for now,¡± replied John firmly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be rude, John. After all, you are my guest.¡±

    ¡°Guest,¡± John snorted.

    ¡°Do you really think that you would¡¯ve got this far without my help?¡± asked Ulicoth. His voice had suddenly changed; now it was cold and menacing. ¡°After all, it was I who told Kilamen to go down to join my army and kill as many of the attacking force as she liked. She loves the smell of the fear that comes from a battle, though she likes killing even more. And it was I who saved you from the Valcota in the forest. It was I that took away the protection spell on the balcony, or you would have been blown to tiny little pieces as soon as you touched it. And I am the one allowing most of your friends to live. One word from me is all it would take for the rest of my army to show themselves and destroy them all and end this foolish, pitiful, and predictable attack.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean the rest of your army?¡± asked John.

    ¡°I have spent over six hundred long years building the largest, strongest force that this world or any other has known. And you and your idiotic Wizard¡¯s Council thought that you could build an army to match it in just two.¡±

    ¡°So why wait?¡± asked John.

    ¡°Because of you,¡± said Ulicoth. ¡°You are the one that I need to help me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll never help you.¡±

    ¡°Come now, John. You are being rude again. I only have your best interests at heart,¡± said Ulicoth. The Dark Wizard-Elf had again changed his voice. Once more it sounded kind.

    ¡°That¡¯s strange. In all of the things I¡¯ve read of you, in none have I ever read of you having a heart,¡± said John. If the King could spit poison, each word surely would have had enough to kill instantly.

    ¡°There is heart of body and heart of mind, and I do have both, despite what history says, or rather doesn¡¯t say, though it is also true that I usually use the former and never the latter. But we, John, we are kin. There are only a few of our kind left. We need to work together to protect ourselves from those who would sooner see us all dead than let us have even a fraction of power in this world. Why not disperse the energy and sit down?¡± implied Ulicoth.

    The light from the energy in John¡¯s hand began to dim until finally it disappeared.

    ¡°Good,¡± said Ulicoth. ¡°Now sit down.¡±

    ¡°STOP IT!¡± shouted John.

    ¡°Stop what?¡± asked Ulicoth, with a large smile on his face.

    ¡°Stop trying to control me.¡±

    ¡°I see that your will is stronger than I thought. That¡¯s very good.¡±

    ¡°Not for you,¡± said the King.

    ¡°You have but one chance to join us,¡± said Ulicoth. He now held out his hand.

    ¡°No! I won¡¯t, and do you want to know why?¡± asked the Wizard King forcefully. ¡°Trust, trust is needed, and how could I ever trust you? After all, you¡¯re the reason there are only a few of our kind left, or did you forget that little fact?¡±

    ¡°I warn you, this will be the only chance you¡¯ll have, so do not be a fool, John. Take my hand and let the last three Wizard-Elves claim this world, for who could stand against us? Join us, Jastark. Join your family.¡±

    John usually liked to hear his Wizard name, but this time he was repulsed with the way it seemed to slide off the Dark Lord¡¯s slimy tongue. For the first time in his life, he hated the way it sounded. John could see that Ulicoth was now slumping over a little. His right hand was still outstretched, and his other hand was pressed against his chest. And if the King listened hard enough, he could hear a slight wheezing coming from the form that was his enemy.

    ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°I already said I wouldn¡¯t help you.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Ulicoth, ¡°You did say that, but what about your brother or sister, John. Doesn¡¯t it matter what he or she thinks or wants?¡±

    ¡°What brother or sister? I don¡¯t have a brother or a sister!¡±

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    ¡°Oh, but you do. You see, when a Wizard-Elf is born. There is not just one; there are two. Two minds, two souls, in one body. I once had a sibling, and Kilamen has a sister. One gets control of the body, and the other gets to spend most of, or maybe even all of their lives trapped inside their own mind. So I ask you, does that sound fair to you, that your sibling should stay trapped while you get to make all the decisions? Decisions like whether to live or die,¡± said Ulicoth. ¡°Why not ask what he or she wants, for a change. All you have to do is close your eyes and empty your mind of all thought, and you¡®ll finally be able to hear for yourself.¡±

    John felt light-headed and had begun to close his eyes.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it. That¡¯s all you have to do.¡±

    But John¡¯s eyes shot back open again.

    ¡°NO!¡± he shouted. ¡°I¡¯M NOT GOING TO PLAY YOUR STUPID GAMES ANYMORE!¡¯

    ¡°Are you not even the slightest bit curious?¡± asked Ulicoth tactfully.

    ¡°I was at first, but I¡¯m willing to bet that whoever your sibling was and Kilamen¡¯s sister is. They were the first ones in control of your bodies. And since you are both evil, that means my brother or sister, if I even have one, is as sick and twisted as both of you,¡± said John.

    ¡°I¡¯m stunned, for I think that¡¯s the first time since you have returned to this world that you¡¯ve used your brain. But I must confess I¡¯m also delighted, as now I know that you and your sick and twisted sibling have potential,¡± said Ulicoth.

    ¡°My answer is no, I won¡¯t join you Ulicoth,¡± said the King.

    ¡°I am sorry to hear that, John,¡± said the Dark Lord. He was still holding his hand out, however, a purple energy ball formed in his palm. He threw it past the King and out the open balcony window. It streaked across the dark sky like a shooting star.

    Ulicoth lounged at John. They both fell to the floor. John kicked the Dark Wizard-Elf in the stomach, and he slid across the floor and hit the wall opposite. John got back onto his feet, as did Ulicoth. John made to kick him again; however, Ulicoth caught his foot and threw him against the wall. The Wizard King got up. The Dark Wizard-Elf made to hit him again, but John dodged his fist, spun on his heel and struck Ulicoth square in the face with his left elbow.

    Ulicoth stumbled, fell and lay stunned for a few moments. John taking this chance lounged at his enemy, but the Dark Wizard-Elf jumped up ready with a kick. However, the Wizard King was again too quick and threw out his leg in retaliation. The soles of their shoes connected flat on, and the two pushed away at the same time. They flipped over and landed with their feet on the ground, both forming energy balls in their hands at the same time. They stood there staring at one another both wondering when the other would move.

    But Ulicoth was really trying to stall the fight long enough for Kilamen to join in. In his weakened condition, the Dark Lord was no match for John, and he knew it.

    On the battlefield, Kilamen was trying to get only two seconds, for that was all it would take to Phaze back to help her master. But Delsani had told as many as he could that she must not be allowed to do so. Therefore she was now constantly being attacked from all sides.

    Delsani himself was wounded after he attacked her. She deflected his curse back at him, and he dispersed it and they fought. He really did better than anyone could have thought, but in the end she was to powerful for him and hit with a gruesome curse that knocked him off his feet and threw him back ten meters. He was seriously wounded; the whole right side of his body was burnt and it was spreading.

    As the onsite Curer (doctor), Henkot, was tending to him, a few of the Ves-Guards were there to prevent him from being attacked, though there was little chance of that happening, for Kilamen was being kept busy, and the rest of Ulicoth¡¯s forces had all been pushed back toward the bottom of the mountains. It seemed that the alliance was doing a lot better than they had originally hoped, for now their forces had almost beaten those distasteful creatures back all the way. It seemed that apart from Kilamen, everything was going their way.

    Kilamen had almost beaten all of those who had foolishly challenged her. Demala, who was watching from the tree line of the forest saw that if there was ever a time to redeem himself for his past crimes, this was it. He started at a run toward the Wizard-Elf as fast as he could, which was incredibly fast.

    Kilamen had now finished with her attackers and had begun to Phaze.

    Demala leapt into the air landed on her back and pushed her to the ground before the energy had covered her completely. She rolled along the ground, throwing the Wolf off. Demala quickly came to his senses ran and jumped at her again, not giving her time to react. He put his sharp jaws around her neck and bit down as hard as they would allow and shook her like an old cloth. The large Wolf was obviously stronger than any ordinary Wolf. His strength was only one of the side-effects of the curse; as his speed, jaw strength, and healing abilities were also remarkably better than an average Wolf.

    Kilamen punched the Wolf in the stomach. She hit him so hard that he was sent flying through the air, but he landed on his paws. Kilamen jumped back onto her feet and wheeled round and saw him starting to circle her. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± she asked furiously. She was completely and utterly taken aback. Neither she nor Ulicoth had expected Demala to involve himself in this way.

    ¡°I¡¯m doing what I should have done a long time ago,¡± replied Demala.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be an idiot. Do you think that you can make a difference now?¡± said Kilamen. ¡°You had your chance to change and you chose to help us.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what you say. Anyone can change at any given time if they really want too, so don¡¯t talk crap to me.¡±

    The Wolf and the Wizard-Elf circled each other while Delsani lay being treated for his injury. However, he was not the only one being tended to, for most of those that had attacked Kilamen were wounded, and the rest were dead or dying. The other Witches were tending to the rest as best they could.

    The old Wizard was trying to listen to the conversion as best he could over the cries of the wounded and dying. He was secretly an Anilang and could hear the words of dogs, and as dogs and wolfs are related, so were their languages, so he could understand most of what was being said.

    ¡°I wonder what could¡¯ve brought about your new lease on life. Ah, yes. The newly-crowned and soon-to-be-dead Wizard King, Jastark,¡± Kilamen, spat at the Wolf. ¡°Did you really think you had helped him? Did you think this would somehow make up for your crimes?¡± she asked smugly.

    ¡°I AM JUST DOING WHAT I THINK IS RIGHT!¡± exclaimed the Wolf.

    ¡°If you really care about the outcome of the battle, you must feel very guilty,¡± said Kilamen.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± asked Demala.

    ¡°It¡¯s just that it was you who gave your friend the very information that will lead to his death,¡± laughed the Dark Lady. ¡°Then again, you probably thought you were just lucky. You were in so much of a foolish rush to redeem yourself. You didn¡¯t think the only reason you knew that information was because we needed someone that we could trust to deliver it to him. Thank you, old friend. You did the job just as well as I told Ulicoth you would. He didn¡¯t think that you would come through, but I had no doubt in my mind.¡±

 Chapter 13 - Desperate Fight

    Demala became angry at her words. He leapt at her again, but this time she was ready for it. She grabbed him by the throat, jumped into the air and threw him onto the ground with the full strength of her arm. Demala lay on the ground and gave no movement of any kind.

    Kilamen laughed aloud. ¡°Is this it?¡± she asked. ¡°Is this the alliance that thought it could come here and destroy us and everything that we¡¯ve built?¡±

    After those words, Kilamen slowly turned round on the spot. ¡°How pathetic you all really are.¡±

    But she did not notice that the young Wicca, Molnet, had used her Talisman to perform a confusion spell. All Witches have Talismans, for they are as important to Witches as wands are to Wizards.

    Molnet¡¯s hands and Talisman were now glowing purple and blue. After seeing that her spell had worked, she proceeded to try and sneak up behind the Wizard-Elf. She came up behind her and carefully stretched out her arms towards the sides of Kilamen¡¯s head. The girl¡¯s plan was to introduce and mix two foreign samples of energy into Kilamen¡¯s mind. She had the idea because a Wizard-Elf¡¯s true power came from their individual magical energy. If she could disrupt Kilamen¡¯s energy, it might weaken her enough for them to gain the advantage.

    But before Molnet could succeed, Kilamen whipped round and caught her by the wrists. ¡°What a clever little Wicca you are,¡± she said, ¡°but I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re a little too clever for your own good.¡±

    The energy on Molnet¡¯s hands started to move down past her wrists and spread all over her body. She found that she could no longer move or speak.

    ¡°Wait until you see what I have in store for you, little girl. It will be the price for daring to think that you could have even the slightest chance of defeating someone who is clearly your better,¡± said Kilamen.

    A wide, vindictive smile came across her face as she thought of her plan. She tightened her grip on the young Wicca¡¯s wrists and threw her into the air. When she was satisfied with the height that the Wicca had reached, the Dark Wizard-Elf quickly put up her right hand, and Molnet stopped and did not move from there unless Kilamen moved her hand in any direction. At first, no one had seen what had happened, but it was Delsani who brought it too their attention.

    Those who could see were all looking up and pointing to the young Wicca.

    ¡°PLEASE I BEG YOU LET HER GO!¡± shouted Saren. ¡°SHE¡¯S ONLY A TEENAGER!¡± the Wicca¡¯s words pleased Kilamen, for now she knew that there was an emotional attachment between the two, and she only had to distract her enemies for a second.

    ¡°I will let the girl go on one condition.¡±

    ¡°And what would that be?¡± asked Delsani, as if he did not already know. He had gathered up his strength and was standing again. Some of the other wounded soldiers were now on their feet as well, feeling renewed strength at the sight of the helpless girl. They were ready and oh so willing to use their weapons if they needed to.

    ¡°All I want is to Phaze back to the fortress in peace,¡± replied Kilamen.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t allow that to happen,¡± said Delsani, who was trying to stall the Dark Wizard-Elf for as long as he could. For the Wolf Demala had fully healed and had taken a position behind her as not to alert her to his presence. He stood there patiently waiting to pounce at the first sign that she would let the girl fall.

    ¡°I grow tiresome of this,¡± said Kilamen. She had begun to think of what else she could do to distract her enemies. Then it came to her. Why not just give them some new things to fight? And using only her imagination, she created Lores, Goblins, mountain and Cave Trolls, Imps, and Dark Wizards.

    Everyone had fallen for her deception, all except for Delsani, who was trying to use magic to stop the imaginary creatures, for he knew it was nothing more than a fancy trick. He lost sight of the Wizard-Elf and was no longer trying to stop the fighting. Now he was trying to stop Kilamen. His only hope was that Demala was holding her back.

    The imaginary creatures vanished, and Delsani could now see Demala lying with a dagger in his chest. Beside him was the body of the young Wicca, Molnet, both on the blood-soaked ground of that once beautiful and peaceful land.

    Kilamen however, was nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°We¡¯ve failed,¡± said Avelan.

    ¡°Perhaps not,¡± said Delsani. ¡°We may have stalled her long enough for John to do his part.¡±

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    ¡°I hope that¡¯s the case,¡± said the Elf.

    Delsani turned to Demala who was still on the ground. He bent down and as gently as he could, he took the dagger from the Wolf¡¯s chest. Delsani had heard most of what he and Kilamen were talking about and he knew that Demala had done all that he could to stop the Wizard-Elf from escaping.

    Saren was with Molnet. She was sitting on the ground with her niece¡¯s head in her arms rocking to and fro. Henkot was at her side with his hand on her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, child,¡± said Saren. ¡°I should be the one lying here and you should be at home with all of your friends playing games and having fun like someone your age should.¡± She broke into tears, and Henkot put his arms around her. ¡°I tried to help,¡± she said, ¡°but every spell I tried bounced off her.¡±

    ¡°A deflection spell,¡± said Delsani.

    ¡°She was gone by that time. And I didn¡¯t see or hear her use any spell,¡± said Saren.

    ¡°That is because she changed Molnet¡¯s spell and used it against her,¡± said Delsani.

    ¡°When she pushed the spell into Molnet, she changed it into a deflection spell,¡± said Henkot.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Delsani said.

    ¡°We can¡¯t leave her here alone,¡± said Saren.

    ¡°We won¡¯t leave her here,¡± said Henkot. ¡°You should go on and join the others. The four of us will stay and look after the most seriously wounded,¡± the Warlock said to the old Wizard.

    Delsani nodded. ¡°Yes I think that would be for the best.¡± He called for those who were able to fight to follow him.

    ¡°Be careful, for the curse is still in your body making you weak. I merely stopped it from spreading. It will take years to recover fully,¡± Henkot said to Delsani.

    ¡°I WILL BE CAREFUL, THANK YOU!¡± Delsani shouted back as they headed towards their companions to fight what was left of the battle of Kealhal.

    Kilamen had not Phazed into the room occupied by John and Ulicoth, but the hall next to it.

    She walked to the room door, which was open, just a crack. She could see John standing with an energy ball in his right hand. She touched the door with the tip of her right index finger and a slight glow came over it. The flow began to move along the wood of the door and went straight into the hinges. She then opened the door a little more. Her spell had worked; the door hinges did not creak, and she could now see Ulicoth lying motionless face down on the floor. John was still standing beside the Dark Wizard-Elf and now looked ready to throw the energy ball to finally destroy the evil tyrant who had threatened their world for so long.

    Kilamen however, had now entered the room; she had begun to sneak up on her enemy. As she walked, she was ready to throw an energy ball at just the right moment.

    John raised his hand a little higher.

    Now, thought Kilamen, and she threw her yellow energy ball. It hit the back of John¡¯s wrist, and his energy ball flew out of his palm and hit one of the flags on the wall. The flag immediately caught fire. The fire was not orange, red and yellow; instead it was green like the energy that started it. The fire did not spread. Its remains merely fell to the ground and became a smouldering pile of ash.

    John grabbed his wrist as soon as the energy ball hit him. He made another energy ball and turned sharply, but Kilamen had jumped toward him, kicked him in the chest. As he flew back, he threw the energy ball.

    Kilamen tried to use her powers to stop it, but she had made the same mistake as Ulicoth. For the energy ball exploded into smaller pieces. Some hit her, and the others struck the wall. The paintings that hung there and whatever else lay in their wake. She let out a squeal, for the energy had burnt deep holes in her beautiful skin. Then her arms, legs, face and head all felt as though they were on fire, a fire that she could not hope to dowse. She fell and slid a few paces from where she once stood.

    John, however, had hit one of the double doors that lead to the balcony. The door shattered when he hit it, and pieces of it were sent soaring across the room. One of them hit Ulicoth on the back, and slowly he regained consciousness. The Dark Lord was still very groggy. He looked left and right and saw both Kilamen and John lying in heaps on the floor. Obviously, John was stronger than Ulicoth had thought. He found that he was now weaker than before the Wizard King had arrived, and he could no longer move from the waist down. The Dark Wizard-Elf¡¯s last hope was that he still had at least one of his abilities.

    He stretched out his left arm toward a small chest on the floor, of which he was seeing three. That didn¡¯t make what he had to do any simpler, but he knew he had to try and focus. With his arm outstretched, he imagined the chest opening, but nothing happened.

    He turned his head to make sure that John was still unconscious. He then turned to Kilamen who was also still out for the count. Ulicoth looked again to the chest and stretched out his arm, concentrating hard. His life certainly depended on his own abilities. The Dark Lord knew if John awoke before Kilamen. The Second Prophecy would indeed come to pass.

    It was working. Ulicoth¡¯s hand was glowing with a shimmering purple light. The latch on the front of the chest began to move upward, and when it was all the way up the lid was thrown back.

    Ulicoth heard what sounded like a disorientated groan that seemed to be coming from John¡¯s direction. He tried not to be distracted by the fact that his enemy was regaining consciousness. His hand was now shaking as he tried to control the contents of the chest. The sound of chains rattling could be heard coming from the box, and out of it came a pair of black shackles and a wide arm band. Each of the cuffs had a pink gem in them, as did the armband. Ulicoth moved his hand, and the armband came to him. The Dark Wizard-Elf moved his hand in John¡¯s direction, and the shackles went immediately over and each locked around each of John¡¯s wrists.

    Kilamen was now fully awake and that she was standing over him.

    ¡°What took you so long?¡± he snarled, and as he met her gaze, she saw that the whole left side of Ulicoth¡¯s face was burnt beyond recognition. ¡°He was nearly the end of me.¡±

    ¡°I met a lot of resistance on trying to return. It was nothing that I couldn¡¯t handle,¡± replied Kilamen.

    ¡°Good,¡± said Ulicoth. ¡°Now help me to my feet so I can finish with our guest.¡±

    That wretched woman took her master by the arm and hoisted him up onto his feet.

 Chapter 14 - The Death of a King

    John awoke and found that he was chained to a brick wall which was not there before. He tried to break the chain of the shackles that were binding him but was surprised to find that he could not, and his heart sank. For it seemed that the harder he tried. The weaker he became. It felt to him as if his very soul was being drained from him.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see that you¡¯re okay, John. I would hate to think you were damaged before I had the chance to take what I need from you,¡± said Ulicoth triumphantly.

    ¡°What the hell are you doing to me?¡± asked John weakly.

    ¡®He¡¯s got spirit,¡¯ Kilamen said to Ulicoth.

    ¡°Yes, he has, hasn¡¯t he? It¡¯ll be a shame to kill him, but who really cares?¡± replied Ulicoth.

    ¡°YOU¡¯RE GOING TO BURN IN HELL!¡± John scolded, gathering all that was left of his strength.

    Kilamen punched him in the face. ¡°Let me kill this weakling¡± she said.

    ¡°Soon enough,¡± said Ulicoth, whose face was almost completely healed. ¡°To answer your question, John, I¡¯m draining you of every last drop of strength and power,¡± said Ulicoth firmly. ¡°The shackles you¡¯re wearing are linked to this bracelet that I am wearing, by the small stones of the birth crystals of the twin Dragons, Lanasic and Cellock. The crystals on the shackles shall drain you of your life and give it to me, so I may destroy the simpletons of the Order of Lanasic and any foolish enough to follow them to their destruction.¡±

    ¡°They will fight,¡± said John his voice now weaker.

    ¡°I have no doubt in my mind that they will. However, how could they possibly hope to fight without their champion to fulfil the Second Prophecy?¡± said Ulicoth, his voice getting stronger.

    Ulicoth was standing upright. His breathing was stronger, his hands now looked young and the bulging veins were gone.

    ¡°How did you stop the Prophecy?¡± John asked, finding it harder to breathe. His skin was wrinkled, and purple veins were now visible bulging out throughout his entire body.

    He had other questions, but found he could no longer utter even the simplest word; he could not even move his fingers or toes.

    ¡°How, you ask?¡± said Ulicoth. ¡°Simple. I fed our old friend some misinformation. Kilamen and I put on shows for Demala, and we let him listen in on what he thought were disagreements between us. We knew he would take it all to you, his new friend. After all, how could he pass up an opportunity to gain your trust so you may one-day reward him by lifting the curse that he hates so much? And as I knew that getting rid of his curse is and always has been the only thing that he really cares about, I used him, and he brought you straight to me. You are the only person other than Kilamen that could restore me to full health. Thank you truly from the bottom of what is left of my heart.¡±

    ¡°Time is dragging on; his friends have almost won the first battle. So shall I kill him now?¡± said Kilamen with optimism in her voice.

    ¡°Oh, very well, though personally I would¡¯ve liked to have tortured him first. But if you must,¡± said Ulicoth coldly. The wound on his lip was fully healed, though there was a small scar near the centre of his top lip, just on the left side, that he would carry for the rest of his life.

    Kilamen took a sword from the wall.

    ¡°Wait.¡± Ulicoth reached forward and took Dragdani¡¯s Dragon in his hand. ¡°I almost forgot about this piece of crap that is so valued by the twits of your order,¡± he said. As he pulled it from John¡¯s neck the rope snapped. The Dark Lord stepped back and nodded at his waiting friend without any more thought.

    Kilamen cut John¡¯s head clean off.

    ¡°Pick it up and add it to my collection, and use this. I don¡¯t want blood all over the place.¡± Ulicoth threw Kilamen a black head sack. Kilamen lifted John¡¯s head by the hair and threw it into the sack and strode out of the room.

    Ulicoth walked out onto the balcony, and with his purple eyes, stared down at the almost finished battle and laughed to himself. Then turning and lifting his left hand, he said, ¡°Stand and come to me.¡±

    John¡¯s body jumped up and walked out onto the balcony and stopped beside Ulicoth. Again, Ulicoth looked down and saw the battle was now over. There were shouts and cries coming from the side of the mountain. Three Lores and two Goblins were scampering up trying to reach the fortress and in doing so. They unwitting were revealing the two paths that lead the way up.

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    Elvin archers shot down both Goblins and two of the Lores. The last Lore was squealing as it ran. But before any of the archers on the ground were able to let loose any more arrows, Ulicoth threw an energy ball down which instantly blew the Lore to pieces.

    ¡°Now that I have caught your attention,¡± he said, ¡°I would like to give you the opportunity to surrender,¡± said Ulicoth loudly.

    Laughter could clearly be heard. But Delsani put up his hand for it to stop, for he knew that there was something amiss if Ulicoth was alive and well.

    ¡°HOW DARE YOU LAUGH AT ME! I SHALL SOON WIPE THOSE ARROGANT SMILES FROM YOUR FACES!¡± shrieked Ulicoth furiously.

    ¡°The Prophecy says otherwise,¡± said Delsani.

    ¡°Ah, yes, your Prophecy. It is complete rubbish. How foolish can you be old man? It was fake,¡± Ulicoth taunted, gleefully smiling.

    ¡°You would say anything to distort the truth. We do not believe your lies,¡± replied the old Wizard.

    ¡°In that case you may ask your King Jastark, for when he heard the truth he was so shocked he lost his head,¡± said Ulicoth, with a loud menacing laugh that filled the very air itself. The Wizard-Elf could hear raised voices coming from below.

    Delsani, on the other hand, did not need to wonder, for he knew exactly what Ulicoth had meant by that rant. He knew that the only way of insuring the death of a Wizard-Elf was to cut off their head. His heart sank at the thought of his dear friend meeting that horrible fate.

    ¡°Here he is, and here is the truth. I do hope that it¡¯s not too hard for your simple minds to understand,¡± said Ulicoth sarcastically, he looked at John¡¯s body and said, ¡°Jump.¡±

    The body jumped off of the balcony, hit the gravel slope and was sliding down when dust rose up and made it so they could not see what was coming closer to them.

    The King¡¯s carcass had reached the bottom of the mountain, and Delsani had run over to it to see that he was right; the Wizard King was dead. The Wizard¡¯s heart split and sank somewhere near his ankles. He bent down and took the sword Yeluilat, so he could return it to its rightful place in the main hall of the Towers of Telian. And with tears beginning to fill his eyes, he took out his wand from his pocket pointed it at John¡¯s body and quietly said, ¡°Infero.¡± An orange spark shot from the tip of the wand and John¡¯s body was engulfed in flames. Moments later, it had turned to ashes. Delsani bent low over John¡¯s ashes, took out two small vials and filled both. Then he took his place back among the army of the alliance.

    ¡°We still greatly outnumber the two of you,¡± shouted Bacnil.

    Again Ulicoth laughed. ¡°You do remember what happened when you challenged Kilamen do you not? Let me remind you. She ripped through your pathetic attempt to defeat her, and she wasn¡¯t even trying. So just imagine what two of us could do if we really wanted to. Besides, we still have a few friends that you haven¡¯t met yet. Shall I introduce you? The first is someone of which I am sure almost all of you know by reputation. Come forward and make your presence known, my old friend.¡±

    Suddenly there came a blood-curdling roar that gripped all of the alliance with fear like they had never felt.

    ¡°Dragon!¡± shouted Avelan fearfully.

    ¡°Fall-back!¡± shouted Bacnil, ¡°as far and as fast as your legs may carry you!¡± Nearly all ran scattering over the fields like frightened helpless children, which is exactly how most of them felt.

    Except Delsani, he stood firm.

    Bacnil and Avelan had seen this and ran back to the Wizard. ¡°What do you think you are doing?¡± said Bacnil. ¡°We should go before ¨C¡±

    He was too late. A gigantic black Dragon had already come from behind the mountains and was almost on them.

    ¡°It¡¯s Cellock,¡± said Delsani.

    ¡°How can it be? He perished while fighting Lanisic at the last battle of Salith¡¯s reign? It was said that the brothers died together,¡± said Avelan, trying not to believe his own eyes.

    ¡°That I believed as well, but clearly he survived,¡± said the Wizard confidently. ¡°He¡¯s been hiding for over six hundred years, waiting for Ulicoth¡¯s call to arms.¡±

    The Dragon was getting ever closer to them, and Avelan had his bow in his hand and an arrow set on the string.

    ¡°Go and join the others, both of you. I will stay here, for there is something I know I can do,¡± said Delsani assertively. He saw that the archers who had run had stopped short and had already shot a wave of arrows at the great beast. But Cellock was too quick; he dodged all.

    The Prince and Elf did as the Wizard said and ran to the archers.

    A second volley was fired shortly after, but again the Dragon dodged all but one, which was Avelan¡¯s. It caught him under his left wing. The beast opened his massive jaws as wide as they would go, and fire flew from his mouth and nostrils like magma from an erupting volcano. The red merciless flames engulfed most of the archer¡¯s Men and Elves.

    It was then that Delsani took his wand, aimed it at the wound just below the Dragon¡¯s left wing and shouted, ¡°AEROSTAY!¡± A thin red beam of light shot from the tip of his wand and hit the Dragon right where the Wizard aimed it.

    Cellock was now flying round and round in circles, for he could not get away. Delsani had roped him, and only the Wizard could break the beam.

    Cellock turned, opened his mouth and again spat out fire, but this time at Delsani. The Wizards that had rejoined Bacnil and Avelan deflected it away from him.

    When Delsani saw his chance, he shouted ¡°CRIPPLIZE!¡± And a white pulse was travelling up the red beam, which was turning white the further the pulse went up. The pulse hit the Dragon right under his left wing. Cellock gave another loud roar only this time it was a roar of pain and distress, for the spell had crippled him completely and sent him crashing on to the cleft that Delsani had pointed out to Prince Bacnil earlier that evening.

    A loud, furious cry came from the fortress. It echoed far and wide, and all on the ground heard it. Delsani calmly glanced up at Ulicoth, who had hit the stone rail of the balcony with his fist so hard that part of it cracked then crumbled.

    ¡°You will have to have more reliable servants than that, oh great and most powerful Wizard-Elf,¡± shouted Bacnil sarcastically. The men were laughing and shouting.

    ¡°You dare mock me!¡± shouted Ulicoth angrily. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be so cocky if I were you, little Prince. For I have yet to deal my full hand. Let me introduce you to my reserve troops, who are at this moment waiting for me and my order to wipe you out like the vermin you are.¡±

 Chapter 15 - New Life, New Hope

    Ulicoth raised his hands and suddenly two extremely large caverns appeared in the mountains at either side of him. In them were thousands upon thousands of Lores, Goblins, Cave and Mountain Trolls, Imps, and Wroulwert Trolls, which were like Mountain Trolls, only of normal size.

    The alliance members were once again running back to where Henkot and a handful of volunteers were doing their best to heal the wounded. And this time Delsani was with them. The sight of Ulicoth¡¯s true army had them all running scared.

    ¡°RUN LIKE THE LITTLE ANTS YOU ARE!¡± shouted Ulicoth triumphantly, for to him that was what they looked like, frightened little ants scurrying away. Ulicoth did not give his troops the order to move. He thought it pleasurable to watch them for the moment anyway, knowing that it was he and he alone that held the power to decide whether to let them live or to destroy them in a few last minutes.

    ¡°Having fun?¡± asked Kilamen, who had just come through the door.

    ¡°You know me. I like to watch them squirm,¡± said Ulicoth. ¡°Where have you been?¡±

    ¡°Putting Cellock back and seeing to his injury,¡± replied Kilamen lengthily.

    ¡°And?¡± asked Ulicoth.

    ¡°He was dealt a harmful blow,¡± replied Kilamen. ¡°I thought that the only way to hurt or kill a Dragon was to hit it in the chest, stomach, or eyes. For their wings are as tough as their scales.¡±

    Ulicoth said nothing.

    ¡°So when do we move on them?¡± asked Kilamen briskly.

    ¡°Let¡¯s let them stew for a little longer,¡± replied Ulicoth calmly.

    At that time, the allies had no idea how they would defeat such a force.

    ¡°What do we do now, Delsani?¡± asked Avelan and Bacnil together.

    ¡°Why is it always up to the Wizards?¡± asked Eiaten angrily. ¡°After all, their great Prophecy was false. And here you both still ask them for advice.¡±

    The Wizards were furious that the Dwarf had called the Prophecy false, even though most of them had thought the same thing, though they never would have said it out loud. The Wizards were staring at Delsani, wondering what words he would have for the Dwarf lord.

    However, the Wizard said nothing. He walked over to Henkot, who was comforting Saren. He soon moved away from his distraught wife and struck up a conversation with the old Wizard. Then when they had finished, each went to their own people. Some looked shocked at whatever they had to say. Most of the Witches and Wizards were shaking their heads, and others shouted in disbelief. Others just stood with their mouths ajar in shock.

    Delsani merely ignored them and walked back and stood with Bacnil, Avelan and Eiaten, unmoved by what was going on around him. For he was now deep in thought and casting his mind back to the last time he saw the Prophecies, trying to see if there was anything that he had missed. After a few more minutes, he slowly raised his head and said, ¡°The second Prophecy is not false. It just hasn¡¯t happened yet.¡±

    ¡°Nor shall it, or are you forgetting that the one that you said would be the one to fulfil the Prophecy is dead?¡± said Eiaten anxiously.

    ¡°No,¡± said Delsani, staring down at the Dwarf, ¡°I haven¡¯t, nor will I ever forget the Wizard-Elf Jastark, for he was like a second son to me. Nor will I forget that it was I who persuaded him that he was the one in the Second Prophecy or that he alone faced the evil Ulicoth and Kilamen combined and paid with his life.¡±

    Eiaten now felt sorry for the Wizard and said no more of it.

    ¡°I would like to remind all of you that there are two Prophecies, and we tried to bring around the second because we didn¡¯t want to sit and wait to be attacked,¡± said Delsani loudly so all could hear. ¡°And may I also remind you that in the first Prophecy it states, and I quote, ¡®the dark shadow of Salith would return by the fault of another evil, and this evil would assemble an enormous and destructive force. And the races of Dorminya would suffer terrible losses of life, and this would plunge our world into darkness.¡¯ And if I do say so myself, it doesn¡¯t get any darker than this.¡±

    ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is that by coming here, we have brought around the First Prophecy instead of the second?¡± said Avelan.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± said Delsani.

    ¡°There is still the matter of the death of Jastark, and you said that he was the last in the line of Thoucil and Dragdani. If that is true then, who is left to fulfil the Second Prophecy?¡± asked Bacnil curiously.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°Think,¡± whispered Delsani, so that only Avelan, Bacnil, and Eiaten could hear him. ¡°Jastark is dead. Therefore he obviously cannot be the one. But he was married. And only someone with his blood could be the one.¡±

    ¡°A child,¡± whispered Avelan, looking as though he had just won first place in a quiz.

    ¡°I hope so,¡± said the old Wizard. ¡°I think that Ulicoth somehow knows, and if so. Then Helen and the child could be great in danger. I will need to leave you all,¡± said Delsani, just as a letter landed beside him and was now running on its bottom corners as if they were feet. It was jumping up near Delsani when the Wizard grabbed it and ripped it open.

    Delsani I regret to inform you that Queen Helen Stark has been attacked by one of our people who had been somehow controlled by Ulicoth.

    However, she has been treated for the wounds she sustained, and is responding well to her treatment. She and her unborn child should fully recover, without any further trouble.

    Your friend,

    The Grand Wizard,

    Jaucal

    <ol>

    <li> S.</li>

    </ol>

    I have enclosed something you may find useful.

    Good luck, old friend.

    As soon as Delsani had read the letter, it turned into a small plant.

    ¡°There is a child,¡± said Delsani brightly. ¡°And Ulicoth knows it.¡± And before anyone could say anything, the Wizard ran to the Witches who were gathered around a small dented old copper cauldron.

    ¡°We won¡¯t need the substitute ingredients. The Grand Wizard has sent us some Huerpul.¡± Delsani said to Saren.

    ¡°How did he know what we¡¯re planning?¡± asked Henkot, who was standing right next to his wife.

    ¡°It is not well known, but Jaucal has spies all over.¡±

    He handed the plant to Henkot and asked, ¡°How long until its ready?¡±

    ¡°That depends on whether we put the right amount in the potion,¡± Saren answered.

    Delsani pulled Henkot to one side. ¡°Are you sure that Saren is all right to make the potion?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I do know that Saren is the best potion maker I¡¯ve ever known. Besides I think she needs to do this.¡±

    Delsani nodded. ¡°Fine.¡± He walked back to the other Ves-guard generals, and again it looked as though he was trying to convince them of something that seemed to upset them. Nevertheless, they all walked over to the Witches.

    Delsani went and stood with Prince Bacnil, Avelan, and Eiaten again.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± asked Bacnil loudly.

    ¡°I may be an old Wizard, Bacnil, but I am not deaf,¡± said Delsani.

    ¡°You said that there is a child, and that Ulicoth knows about it,¡± said Avelan. ¡°My question is why then, did he not attack the mother and child? And why all of this?¡±

    ¡°First, he did attack Helen Stark and her unborn child. The attempt failed, and both mother and child are fine. That was what the letter was about,¡± said Delsani in a low voice.

    ¡°And second, the reason for all of this is simple. He needed to steal the power of a Wizard-Elf to make himself strong again. And as the person in question would most likely never fully recover, he could not use Kilamen. So when his spy had told him of John, Ulicoth saw his chance and took it.

    ¡°The third reason is also simple. Ulicoth wanted us to leave Helen and her unborn child almost defenceless by luring most of the Wizards and Witches that work in the towers here. Thus he could order his spy to kill the real target and threat. And then there is the fact that Ulicoth is so vain that he wanted us to see this great knew force that he alone commands. But his vanity shall spell the beginning of the end for him.

    ¡°For as they say, New Life, New Hope¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? How can we possibly defeat such an enemy even if he were to let us go? We still would not be able to raise a force to even half of his,¡± said Eiaten grimly, ¡°or have you forgotten that the other cities of men didn¡¯t want to join us in this?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯ve not forgotten, and if you had let me finish, I would have told you that there is a way to stop Ulicoth¡¯s army before he can release them upon our world,¡± said Delsani. ¡°Remember the letter that turned into a plant?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it looked like Huerpul,¡± said Avelan.

    ¡°Huerpul,¡± repeated Eiaten fearfully; ¡°is forbidden for Wizards or Witches to even possess, by the treaty that my father and the leaders of the other races signed in the towers of Telian,¡± stated the Dwarf angrily.

    ¡°I know. You sound frightened and a little angry, but you must understand that if there were any other options, I would gladly hear them. However, there is not, and we do not have the time to think of one, for Ulicoth will grow weary of us and will most certainly destroy us, and then all of our worlds, one after the other. This will be our only opportunity to hold Ulicoth back, to give the child of John and Helen Stark time to grow and fulfil the Second Prophecy,¡± said Delsani.

    ¡°If you are proposing that we make death mist. Then I¡¯m with Eiaten. I do not want to be partly responsible for introducing that horror back into our world,¡± said Bacnil.

    ¡°This version of the death mist that we are creating will be temporary. We couldn¡¯t produce the real thing even if we wanted to. For we do not, nor would we want to know too much about the dark arts of Salith,¡± said Delsani. ¡°But we do know how to defend against the dark arts.¡±

    ¡°But are you sure that you can defend against the death mist?¡± asked Avelan. ¡°Although I agree with the other two, I see that there is no other option. Not that I¡¯m questioning your abilities or the abilities of the others.¡±

    ¡°As I said, it will not be the real thing. Therefore it will easily be dispersed,¡± said Delsani slowly, as though it might help them understand.

    ¡°Will Ulicoth not be able to disperse it as easily?¡± asked Bacnil.

    ¡°No. Before we release it, each Witch and Wizard will put protection spells on the potion, which will mean that only we can defend against it. And without knowing what spells were used, it would take days, perhaps even weeks to break through them all, and by then we¡¯ll be long gone,¡± said Delsani.

    Before any of them could say anything else, Henkot shouted, ¡°IT IS ALMOST READY. ALL WE NEED IS YOUR PROTECTION SPELL!¡±

    Delsani turned and waved. Then he looked back to the other leaders. ¡°I will not do this without your approval. It¡¯s now or never.¡±

 Chapter 16 - The Son

    There plan had worked. The green temporary mist that they created had destroyed most of Ulicoth¡¯s massive army. But it failed to reach inside the mountains and fortress of Ulicoth, for he sealed them off. The Dark Lord had other troops inside the mountains, and fortress and in other lands, but the alliance could match their numbers, which meant that they were left in stalemate.

    The alliance members were now making their way back to the Magical World, as the Wizards and Witches like to call their land.

    Delsani and Prince Bacnil, however, were not with them, for Bacnil had been wounded in the battle and kept it hidden from the others. He did not want to miss out on anything and held until the mist had killed most of Ulicoth¡¯s creatures, but then collapsed. He needed to be tended at the Towers of Telian, as Delsani wished to get back as soon as possible, and as Bacnil had not given permission that he could be Phazed back. Delsani took the young Prince on Avelan¡¯s horse, as she was the swiftest and most steadfast.

    The Wolf Demala went with them and kept up to the horse¡¯s speed with ease. Delsani knew that Demala could out run the horse easily but he was holding back to stay with them.

    With the speed of Edel, it only took them hours and not days to reach the Magical World. And then they were at the towers in a matter of minutes. There were Ves-guards there to meet them as they rode up the path, and they carefully took Prince Bacnil, with Demala following the young Prince.

    Delsani ran as fast as he could to see how Helen was. He did not know what he was going to say to her. That thought hadn¡¯t even crossed his mind until that moment.

    However, as he was about to stretch out his hand to open the vault room door that he, John and Helen had taken before, it opened, and the Grand Wizard, Jaucal, came through.

    ¡°I see you¡¯ve returned,¡± said Jaucal.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I took so long, but Prince Bacnil was wounded, and as I had commandeered the fastest horse, I had to bring him with me. Besides, I thought it best not to Phaze. I thought it would be better to let Ulicoth think that his plan had succeeded.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that would be for the best for sure, though unfortunately I can say that Ulicoth now knows all, but it was good of you to play it safe.¡±

    ¡°Have you told Helen? Have you told her of Jastark¡¯s death?¡± said Delsani slowly.

    ¡°No, she hasn¡¯t been informed. I wanted to leave it as long as possible. For at that time I thought the poor woman had been through enough.¡±

    ¡°We can only keep it from her as long as it takes the others to return,¡± said Delsani. ¡°And keeping it from her may make matters far worse than they already are. I think the time has come to tell all.¡±

    Jaucal nodded slightly. ¡°You are right, my friend. The time has come to tell all.¡±

    Delsani looked at him with wonder. ¡°Did you know John would die?¡± he asked doubtfully. In truth he was not sure whether he wanted the answer to his question.

    ¡°No,¡± replied Jaucal truthfully. ¡°If I knew then what I know now. The battle of Kealhal wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡±

    ¡°Then how did you know, and what do you know?¡± asked Delsani curiously.

    ¡°I knew that John had died, because when it happened, I felt it,¡± said Jaucal.

    And with that reply, Delsani had noticed that Jaucal now looked worn and older than he remembered. ¡°His pain was so strong. And when I felt it drift away, I knew. I knew that he was lost to us,¡± said Jaucal grievously. ¡°And as for what I know now, well when I first sensed Jastark¡¯s pain, I accidentally dropped one of the books that I was setting back onto the bookcase in my office. Some pieces of parchment fell out of it, and when I bent down to pick them up, I saw that the two sheets of the parchment were the measurements of the parchment of the Prophecies and the piece of parchment that had John¡¯s name on it. One sheet had been written by Dragdani shortly after writing the prophecies purely for reference; the other was written shortly after John¡¯s name was found for the same reason. And when I put the two sheets together, I saw that the two measurements taken for the parchment that had John¡¯s name were different. So I went down to the vault and checked the parchment. I used the Histatia spell to see if it had been tampered with. It took a great deal of tampering, but I found that it had been. Someone had taken away one of the simple protection spells and hadn¡¯t stopped there, for there I also saw that the culprit had tried to take away the other protection spells as well. However, he was unsuccessful, for only the spell concealing the name had been lifted.

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    ¡°I then used the same spell on the vault itself, which was not easy, as you can imagine. I was lucky for the culprit had covered their tracks sloppily. Delsani, it was Noesod.¡± Delsani was shocked to hear this name. For Noesod was the last person that he thought would have betrayed them, and especially the last person who would betray Jastark or try to hurt Helen. ¡°I know how you must feel, for I was as stunned at what I saw. And as you know those spells do not lie,¡± said Jaucal.

    ¡°What else did you see?¡± asked Delsani hastily.

    ¡°I saw that he tore off part of the parchment and put it in his pocket. Then I knew John was dead, for I could no longer sense his pain, and it was then that I realized that Jastark was not the one. There had to be another heir to Dragdani, and then I knew that Helen was with child, and if Noesod saw the name, she and the unborn child were in danger. I sent for the guards and sent some to find Noesod. The other guards I took to John and Helen¡¯s room, and there to my dismay we found Noesod standing over Helen, who was lying unconscious on the floor. Noesod just stood there with his wand pointing down at her. His hands were shaking wildly. Then he turned his head and begged me to stop him.

    I acted immediately, sending him across the room into the wall. I ordered the guards to take Helen to the infirmary and not to leave her unguarded. And then I went over to Noesod who was lying on the ground. His eyes were wide open, and a smile had come across his face, one that I¡¯ll never forget. Then he laughed and said, ¡°Soon. I¡¯ll find him soon.¡¯ the voice was not Noesod¡¯s; it was dark and foul. Then a purple vapour began to drift from his mouth and his breathing stopped. I tried to revive him but it was no use. I found the missing piece of parchment. And I joined it back on to the page,¡± said Jaucal. He took the page out of his pocket and handed it to Delsani.

    When Delsani opened it, it read:

    Peter John Stark

    ¡°Now if you¡®re satisfied with my answers, we should really go and tell Helen what his happened and all that we know,¡± said Jaucal.

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Delsani anxiously, dreading the thought of having to remember and tell everything that had happened. But he knew that she had to be told, and there was no one else who could explain it all. He took a step forward, but was stopped by Jaucal who said, ¡°Why go the long way?¡± He put out his right hand and a long sceptre appeared. The sceptre was auburn except for the very bottom tip, which was silver. The top was also silver and it was in the form of the design on Dragdani¡¯s belt buckle, a Dragons claw holding a coloured orb. It began to glow with a blue light, and the tighter he held, it the brighter it became. Delsani took hold of Jaucal¡¯s arm and they both appeared at the foot of Helen¡¯s bed in the infirmary.

    A week had past in Dorminya since Helen had been told of John¡¯s fate, and in all that time she refused to receive any visitors or even interact with anyone at all. She stayed in her room in the tower lying on the bed sobbing into her pillows. However, today she knew that she would have to go and say her final goodbyes to John, for today they were holding a service for the Wizards and Witches who died at the battle of Kealhal. The service was also being held for most of the royal family of Rulouvge, meaning that one survived the massacre. Bacnil¡¯s ten-year-old cousin, Hadnim, was now his only living relative. The service was also for the Dwarves of the Werferd Mountains who were also killed be Kilamen as pay back for what happened at Kealhal.

    The Dwarf Lord Eiaten broke off all contact and communication with the other races after that. He had lost half of his family in the destruction of his father¡¯s mines and was trying to prepare himself for an attack.

    The Wizards and Witches were also making ready, for they also feared retaliation. But Ulicoth had no intention of attacking them, for he had made his point. Those that were closest to them would suffer for any further defiance. And he had the bonus that the Wizards would be blamed for all of the deaths and the mistrust of the Men and Dwarves. And he was right, for the Men, like the Dwarves, did not want anything more to do with the Wizards or Witches. However Bacnil trusted them, and kept the alliance with the Wizards, Witches and Elves, for like his new friends, he knew that at that moment Ulicoth was starting to rebuild everything that he had lost. And Bacnil believed that when he was ready. The unborn child of John and Helen Stark would one day lead them to destroy Ulicoth, and most importantly to him, Kilamen. For the thought of avenging his family was the only thing that was keeping him going, but it would not consume him, for he would be patient and wait for his day to come. But for now, like others, he was getting ready for the service.

 Chapter 17 - Grief

    Helen was getting ready with the help of Saren, who was the only person Helen would see, only because she had lost her niece and they could comfort each other. When she was ready, they went down to the main hall to wait for Henkot and Delsani.

    It was not long before they came, and they all walked to the front doors together. When they stepped outside there were what looked like giant teardrops with wings. The teardrops were on solid, stubby legs that looked as though they were made of glass. The wings were like wings of an insect and were folded back.

    Helen had seen these things in Cayer-Huld the Wizard City. They were transport for people going long distances. She was trying to remember what John said they were.

    ¡°Are you okay, Helen?¡± asked Saren.

    ¡°I was trying to think of what John called those things,¡± said Helen pointing to the tears.

    ¡°They¡¯re tear-flies,¡± said Saren.

    Helen nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re all right, Helen?¡± asked Henkot, concerned.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± replied the woman. ¡°Now can we go?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Helen¡¯s right. It¡¯s time to go,¡± said Delsani.

    Saren and Henkot had already agreed Saren would go with Helen, but to their surprise, Helen sat in the same tear-fly as Delsani. When everyone was ready, the openings they had went through closed up in front of them, and the wings of the tear-flies unfolded and started to flap rapidly. They took off from the ground and were on their way to the Wizard City.

    Helen cast her mind back to when she first went in a tear-fly. It was also the first time that she had been to the city, and she did not like the idea of going for a flying lesson in a giant tear. John assured her that it was the safest way to travel and that when it took off, her fear would pass and she would feel and be safe. She remembered that John was right for, as soon as the opening closed, she felt the safest she had ever felt in her life, just as she did in the tear-fly she was in at that moment.

    Helen knew that Delsani blamed himself for what had happened at Kealhal and especially for what happened to John, for he was one that told and assured John that they could not fail, and John trusted him with his life.

    ¡°I don¡¯t blame you,¡± said Helen lightly. ¡°I blame him.¡±

    ¡°Him?¡± repeated Delsani.

    ¡°Ulicoth,¡± said Helen. ¡°He was the one that set us all up. He¡¯s the one that killed John,¡± she sobbed.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Helen. The truth is that we were too willing to jump in and bring John back. We didn¡¯t check everything as we should have. We were so arrogant we didn¡¯t even see the simple things that would have shown us the truth. Therefore, I blame myself, because I, at least, should have kept a clear head,¡± said Delsani truthfully.

    ¡°He has to pay for what he did,¡± Helen continued as though Delsani had said nothing.

    ¡°There is only one person who can bring him to justice,¡± said Delsani.

    Helen put her hand gently on her tummy and nodded. ¡°I know, but I don¡¯t want him to get hurt. He¡¯s all I have left of John,¡± the woman said. ¡°Is that selfish?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. It¡®s good that you care for him so much to think of his well-being even before his birth. It¡¯s only natural,¡± said Delsani.

    They had now reached the city¡¯s tall grey wooden Gates. To Helen, the gates looked different than before, for when she was last there. The gates were bright and welcoming, but now they looked cold and consumed with death itself.

    The service was long, and Helen did not stay any longer than she had to, and that was fine with Jaucal and Delsani. For they thought it was best that Helen should not stay out in the open, for they feared that there could be another attempt on her life.

    Bacnil feared this also, and it was he that told Helen that no one would be offended if she left. Saren and Henkot had decided to stay behind and said that they would see their Queen as soon as they got back. And at that, Helen and Delsani went back to the Towers of Telian.

    After the service most of the Men, and Elves went back to their own cities. And for the remaining few, a party was held, for as the grieving service ended, it was customary to throw a grieving party to celebrate the lives of their fallen friends and kin. However, most of the men wanted to grieve in their own way, and off they went, though King Bacnil and a few of his friends stayed, including his cousin Hadnim, against all advice, for he was still badly wounded at that time. The only reason he stayed was so that he could properly thank the Wizard who saved him from Kilamen¡¯s attack.

    Back at the towers, Helen and Delsani were in the main hall. Some of John¡¯s belongings were now there. Helen was staring straight at the display case deep in memories of their time in that place together. ¡°I want him to grow up here,¡± she said.

    Delsani was not surprised by those words. ¡°I¡¯ve already talked the Grand Wizard and he agrees with me that it would be best for the both of you to return to the Normal World and raise him there. It¡¯s completely your choice.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Helen.

    ¡°He¡¯s your son, so it is really up to you though, I would urge you to consider what I have just said. Remember that Ulicoth knows that your son exists. He won¡¯t stop until he kills you and the child.¡±

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    Helen stood mesmerized, staring at the display case again.

    Then she looked up and said, ¡°If he grows up in the Normal World, will you train him there?¡±

    ¡°No, I think it would be best not to tell him about this world or who he really is.¡±

    Helen looked confused by the Wizard¡¯s words. ¡°Why? I mean, if he won¡¯t know who he really is. Then how will we prepare him to fight?¡±

    ¡°When he turns sixteen, I¡¯ll explain everything to him as I did to you and John, and the four year gap should be enough for him to learn enough magic at the college. But you mustn¡¯t tell him the truth no matter what happens, you understand?¡±

    ¡°Not really, but I won¡¯t tell him. When should I go?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯re not going to throw you out. You are still our Queen. You can leave as soon as you feel ready. But I would feel better knowing that you were safely hidden away.¡±

    Helen merely nodded.

    ¡°I know his name -¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Helen interrupted, ¡°I don¡¯t want to know. I want to feel like there¡¯s at least one thing that I can do.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± said Delsani.

    Then Helen remembered the letter John gave her before he left. ¡°Delsani, John gave me a letter to open only if he didn¡¯t survive. I¡¯ve only just remembered. I put it in the chest at the end of the bed in my room.¡±

    Helen stared at the Wizard with an uncertain look on her face. She opened her mouth to say something but before the words could pass her lips Delsani said, ¡°¡®I know that it¡¯s hard to think that the last thing that you will see of John will be only words on a page. But he wouldn¡¯t have given it to you if he thought that you couldn¡¯t be strong enough to read it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already read the letter, it was just after you p ¨C¡± Helen broke off, looking tearful and feeling stupid. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯m not usually like this,¡± she said sorrowful.

    ¡°You¡¯ve nothing to be sorry for, Helen. You¡¯ve lost your husband. And you must face the fact that you will have to raise your child without him,¡± said Delsani.

    Helen said nothing at first. Then, ¡°The letter just told me that he loved me and that he would always be with me. There were other things too, things that the Grand Wizard should see. It¡¯s just information on where curtain things are. Nothing really important¡±

    ¡°I see. I¡¯ll let Jaucal know. Would you like to go to the main dining room to have something to eat?¡± asked Delsani, changing the subject. He felt that what John had written was probably for her alone, and if there was anything that she needed to tell him, she would do it in her own time.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think I could sit in there. I hate it when people stare at me. It makes me feel like a freak. But I could go for something to eat in my room.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± said Delsani, glad that she was willing to eat, though little did he know she had done nothing but eat since Saren first visited her. Though he would soon find that out when they got to the room. Helen sat down on the one of the armchairs next to the window and sank down as far as it would allow.

    Delsani took the notebook that was sitting on the bedside table and sat on the bed, and when he moved his feet under the bed, he heard the clatter of the plates, cups, goblets, glasses and bowls that Helen had horded under the bed. Delsani slid off of the bed on to his knees, looked under as if to confirm with his eyes what he had heard with his ears. He laughed after seeing the mess she had left, which was the last thing that Helen had expected. He looked at her with a smile on his thin lips and said. ¡°If I had known that you were looking for something to collect as a hobby, I would have suggested something that didn¡¯t smell as bad.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s just that I couldn¡¯t bring myself to leave the room until today, and I didn¡¯t want to bother you with something as stupid as dirty plates. I mean, with everything that you¡¯ve had to think about and do. I didn¡¯t think ¨C¡± She stopped, not knowing what else to say.

    Delsani¡¯s smile widened and he took out his wand, pointed it at the bed and said, ¡°Clennos,¡± A light came from under the bed, and the smell disappeared. Then the Wizard waved the wand, and there was another light, and then there seemed to be movement coming from under the bed. To Helen it sounded like the dishes moving around and, true enough, one of the plates pushed its way out from behind the overhanging bed clothes. And to Helen¡¯s surprise, it had legs and was now so clean that it sparkled as it walked to the door. Then the other dishes began to find their way out from under the bed. They, too, were sparkling clean and were walking to the door.

    ¡°Are you all right Helen? You look as though you have never seen a plate with feet before,¡± said Delsani sarcastically.

    ¡°Oh, very funny,¡± laughed Helen.

    Delsani laughed. ¡°It¡¯s good to see a smile back on your face.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s good to feel a smile back on my face,¡± said Helen wearily.

    Delsani sat back on the bed with the note pad still in his hand. He held his wand over the small page of parchment on the pad and the wand turned into a white quill as Helen sank back down onto the armchair. ¡°What would you like to eat?¡± he asked.

    After Helen looked up from her third plate of Norkgilop steak, she was still feeling hungry. ¡°Are you going to eat that?¡± she asked Delsani, who had not even touched the steak that was on the plate he had resting on his lap.

    ¡°No,¡± said Delsani, as he handed the plate over. ¡°I prefer not to eat those poor creatures.¡±

    ¡°Then why order it?¡±

    ¡°I ordered it in case you still felt hungry, and I was just waiting to see if I had to send it back.¡±

    But Helen had hardly heard his reply; for she was too busy enjoying the steak, which she was already halfway through. ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with me. I can¡¯t stop eating.¡±

    ¡°Helen, I think that I would be more concerned if you weren¡¯t eating,¡± said the Wizard looking, surprised at the speed she had engulfed her food. For in no time at all the Queen had finished the steak. She put her plate on top of the others on the floor and gulped down the last of her Gusjat juice. She looked over the rim of her mug while nervously rubbing its handle with her thumb and said in a humble voice, ¡°I don¡¯t think that I can go back to my normal life just yet. I mean all the questions and rumours that will surface about John¡¯s death. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ready to face that yet. Maybe in another little while, I might be ready, if that¡¯s all right?¡±

    This did not surprise Delsani. He had thought Helen might have wanted to stay a little longer. ¡°As I said before, it is up to you to decide when you want to go. But is that the real reason? If so, you don¡¯t need to worry, for I can make it so that they will believe whatever story you wish to tell them, with the permission of the Grand Wizard and Council of course.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, that¡¯s not the real reason,¡± said Helen. ¡°The truth is that I don¡¯t want to believe John is ...¡±

    ¡°Dead,¡± Delsani said.

    Helen nodded. ¡°I know it must seem silly that I can¡¯t even say it. But I can¡¯t help thinking that maybe you were wrong, no offence intended.¡± Helen stared at the Wizard for a second to see his reaction. When he did not seem to be offended she continued. ¡°I mean I can¡¯t help feeling that John could still be alive.¡±

    ¡°I know how you feel; I felt the same way when my wife died. And I know that you probably don¡¯t want to talk about it, but you¡¯ll feel better for it in the end. Only with me it was the Council that I didn¡¯t want to leave, for I thought that staying would make easier to live with, but Helen, I was wrong. What I needed was to except the truth and get on with my life. I know this will sound, cold but you need to do the same,¡± said Delsani.

    Helen noticed there were tears welling in the Wizard¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear about your wife,¡± said Helen, ¡°and I¡¯m sure that it¡¯s hard. I mean, I know how close you were to John. Like father and son. I think you said.¡±

    ¡°Yes, he was like a son, but the truth is that my real son came back just before I left to find John. And he died not long after I was told of his arrival. That is why I requested to go to John. I needed to see him again. It seems that John¡¯s death has brought back old memories. They were a lot alike.¡±

 Chapter 18 - Delsaniéˆ¥æªš Tale

    Helen had so many questions to ask the Wizard, for he and John had never mentioned that Delsani had a wife and son. But she thought perhaps the subject was too delicate, so instead she said, ¡°What was his name, if you don¡¯t mind me asking?¡±

    ¡°His name was Rukril,¡± said Delsani. ¡°You are probably wondering why I have never talked about my family.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Helen, ¡°and I wouldn¡¯t mind knowing, but it¡¯s really none of my business. Then again, I¡¯ve always been nosy.¡±

    Delsani laughed. ¡°Where should I start? Hilana was a very pretty girl that I had a crush on in college when we were young, and to cut a long story short, I asked her out and she said no. In our older years at college, we both put in applications for work experience here in the Towers of Telian, and we both got a position. We were randomly placed together as partners, and of course for her it was a nightmare to be placed with someone who was not as equally popular. However, for me it was like utter heaven, and to our surprise we worked well together and soon became close friends. That, I thought, was really the best thing, but I was wrong. For soon after I realized that was as far as we were going with our relationship, I gave up on asking her out. I didn¡¯t know that she liked me and she was just too shy to say yes. And to my surprise, four months later she asked me, and I jumped at the chance to be with her. Not long after we left college, we were married and on our way to starting our own family. News of Hilana¡¯s pregnancy came to me when I had just received word that the Wizard Council was offering us two positions in the Ves-Guard office.¡±

    ¡°What is a Ves-guard? I know they are like an elite police force, but what does the name mean?¡± asked Helen.

    ¡°Ves-guard means Vesbenel Guard, which in the common tongue means Peace-guard. As you know, they¡¯re the ones who enforce the laws of the city. Though they¡¯re also the ones who are called in by the Grand Wizard and the Wizard Council to expel and capture Dark Wizards,¡± replied Delsani at length. ¡°And if their careers go well. They could be offered a place on the council.¡±

    The Wizard was silent for a few seconds before speaking again. ¡°We were offered the jobs, and at first I thought Hilana would decline the offer, but I should have known better, for she, like I, had dreamed of being in the Ves-guards since we were young, and we knew that all Ves-guards start their careers in the office department, so we were both happy to except. The nine months dragged by, as you can probably imagine. The Ves-Guard office was, and probably still is. The most boring thing in creation, though in the end we both agreed that it was worth it.

    ¡°The time finally came and Hilana give birth to our son, Rukril, and by the time he was ten, he wanted to be a Ves-guard like us. But that soon changed with Hilana¡¯s death, and then he wanted nothing to do with it or me. For he blamed me for what happened to her.¡±

    ¡°I know I shouldn¡¯t really ask...¡± Once again Helen broke off.

    ¡°What happened to her?¡± said Delsani. ¡°Well, just before Rukril¡¯s eleventh birthday, Hilana had taken a seat on the council and was very happy with her new job. But I knew that she still wanted to be a Ves-guard. The pure thrill of facing some of the most notorious Dark Wizards that this world had to offer, there was nothing like it. Once you¡¯ve been there, it always stays with you. Then, only three days before Rukril¡¯s birthday, the Council sent for all of the Ves-Guards who worked in the field for a very important meeting at city hall. They didn¡¯t say what the meeting was about. And Hilana didn¡¯t know. I just assumed it was another scumbag that needed catching, so we got a close friend to mind our son while we attended the meeting. When we got there, most of the others were already there. When everyone else had arrived, the meeting started, and to my horror I found out that I was wrong. It wasn¡¯t just any Dark Wizard; it was Varack, one of Ulicoth¡¯s favourites and most deadly cronies. The council had Intel that he knew the location of Ulicoth himself, which instantly made the highest of top priorities.¡±

    Delsani stopped suddenly. He noticed that Helen was staring dreamily out of one of the windows. ¡°I do hope I¡¯m not boring you,¡± said the Wizard lightly.

    ¡°What? Oh, no not at all. I was listening the whole time. I just got a little lost for a second. I mean, I was thinking about John. And I was wondering was it quick?¡±

    ¡°Was what quick?¡±

    ¡°John¡¯s death. I just need to know.¡±

    ¡°I wish that I could set your mind at ease, but I didn¡¯t witness his death.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I ruined your story.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all right. Don¡¯t worry. I was going on and on anyway.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± said Helen hastily; ¡°I want to hear the rest of the story, if that¡¯s okay.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± said the Wizard happily. ¡°Now, where was I?¡±

    ¡°You were saying that Varack was the highest of top priorities because the council thought he knew where Ulicoth was hiding. But wait a minute. Wasn¡¯t Ulicoth too powerful for ordinary Wizards and Witches to handle?¡±

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    ¡°No. You must remember that he was severely weakened after his last confrontation with Dragdani. The council had decided that it would be best to send Hilana out again, as she knew more about Varack than the rest of us. We set off that very day for Varack¡¯s mansion,¡± he said, sounding to Helen sad and very regretful. ¡°I do not wish to describe the way in which she died. But I will say she shouldn¡¯t have died that night. It should have been me,¡± said the Wizard now wiping his eyes with a handkerchief. ¡°It is one of the worst last moments that you can have with the one you thought you would grow old with.¡±

    ¡°I hope you won¡¯t mind me asking what you meant?¡± asked Helen shyly.

    ¡°Helen, you don¡¯t need to be nervous about asking me questions. You won¡¯t offend me in any way. In fact I should¡¯ve talked about this a long time ago, if you really don¡¯t mind me going on and on about my past.¡±

    Helen shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m glad that you trust me enough to tell me this.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Delsani stopped and waited a few seconds again and then said, ¡°Let¡¯s just say that the curse that killed her was for me. You see, she threw herself in front of Ulicoth¡¯s curse to save me. And when I returned, I quit the job that I loved so much. I knew that I loved Rukril more, and he would need me in the coming days. However, after Hilana¡¯s death, Rukril never forgave me. He blamed me for her death. I denied it, although I knew that he was right. It wouldn¡¯t have happened if I had been paying attention.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to interrupt you again, but did you say Ulicoth¡¯s curse killed Hillana?¡± asked Helen, who looked more than a little shocked by the revelation.

    ¡°Sorry, I seemed to have gone passed that,¡± Delsani said. ¡°Ulicoth was in Varack¡¯s hideout at the time we attacked. As a result we were taken a little off guard, and when Hillana and I were fighting the Wizard-Elf, I thought I saw someone moving behind me. I blocked a curse and quickly turned to deal with whoever was there, but in a split second I saw there was no one. When I spun round to face Ulicoth again, Hillana had been knocked to the floor, and Ulicoth shot a curse at me. It was in that moment that Hillana jumped in front of it and I lost her.

    ¡°Ulicoth was still there, and I fought him as though I were possessed with a demon. The rage I felt had no boundaries, though he got the better of me.¡±

    ¡°How?¡± interjected Helen, who was on the edge of her seat and looked completely enthralled in the story.

    ¡°He was losing. We both knew it, but he was sly and shot the floor, which threw me off balance, and that was when he hit me and gave me this.¡± Delsani pointed to the long scar on his nose.

    ¡°I always wondered how that happened. I asked John, but he said that you would have to tell me.¡±

    Delsani smiled. ¡°Yes, he knew how to keep a secret.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, trying to get gossip out of him was like trying to wrestle an elephant,¡± Helen laughed.

    Delsani laughed aloud.

    ¡°Could you please continue,¡± Helen asked.

    ¡°Of course. Rukril grew up quite fast after that, and his childhood dream of becoming a Ves-guard was long gone. To deal with the pain of her death, he worked so hard in college that he had the top grades in his class. He was offered a position in the college, so he became a trainer. But he didn¡¯t stay there long, for he wanted to leave behind not just me, but the order itself. And so he travelled north to the Wizard settlements beyond the great mountains and joined the order of Terlejurl. The last thing I had heard of him was that he had worked very hard and was granted a position on their council. Do you know what the worst thing was when I found out how well he had done?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± said Helen sympathetically.

    ¡°The worst thing was that I never got a chance to tell him how proud I was of what he had done with his life, for the night that he had returned, he was found outside the gates to the city. He was so badly wounded that he died before I got to the hospital. But they told me that he had asked them to tell me that he was sorry.¡±

    Helen could see that the old Wizard was fighting back tears, but she said nothing.

    ¡°They also said that on his way to the hospital he had given them a letter explaining what had happened with Ulicoth and why the other Wizard orders had joined with him.¡±

    Helen suddenly jumped up from her chair walked to the wall to her right. She put her hand on the wall and said, ¡°Wardrobe and drawers please.¡± And a wardrobe and a chest of drawers appeared. She opened the wardrobe and took out the suitcases that sat neatly inside and began to take out all of the clothes that were hanging and floating in the wardrobe.

    ¡°What are you doing Helen?¡± asked Delsani in wonder.

    ¡°I¡¯m packing to leave,¡± she replied firmly, as though she thought he might try to stop her. But he did not. He sat and stared at her and said with a chuckle, ¡®I didn¡¯t think my story was that bad.¡±

    Helen laughed and said, ¡®It isn¡¯t. It¡¯s just, here I am feeling sorry for myself and forgetting that I wasn¡¯t the only person to have lost someone in all this.¡± She was now struggling to get the floating clothes out of the closet. It seemed that they did not want to leave.

    ¡°Would you like a hand with those?¡± asked Delsani, who already had his wand ready.

    ¡°If you wouldn¡¯t mind,¡± replied Helen gladly.

    ¡°Of course I wouldn¡¯t mind helping the Wife and the Son of the King.¡±

    After the cases were all packed and ready to go, Delsani asked most of those who knew John and Helen to join them in the main hall to say goodbye. It turned out that everyone who worked in the towers turned up to see their Queen off. Even King Bacnil was there with his cousin.

    ¡°I came to say goodbye and tell you that when you¡¯re gone from our world, not to worry about anything but your Normal life. And if anything was to go wrong, you will be alerted without delay and will be more than safe. I will send as many well-armed warriors of Men as I can. Including me and my cousin of course,¡± said Bacnil. ¡°Hide them well, my friends, with as many of your magic tricks as you can,¡± he said to Delsani and Jaucal.

    Hadnim (Bacnil¡¯s Cousin) was not too happy to hear that, for he did not like the thought of having to protect a Wizard-Elf. He now despised them all, good or evil.

    To Helen¡¯s surprise, Jaucal wanted to return with her and Delsani. He said that it would be better to have two Wizards to do the dislocation spells, so they would split the chances of anyone breaking the spells. And if one were captured, it could not be removed without the other, which would make it extremely difficult for Ulicoth or anyone else to find Helen or the child. Helen agreed, so back to the Normal World they went as soon as Helen had thanked everyone for seeing her off.

 Chapter 19 - The Mother and Son

    Not long after they arrived back at Weston Road. The Wizards cast all different kinds of dislocation spells and protection spells.

    ¡°I should tell you that the spells won¡¯t hold back Ulicoth and Kilamen forever,¡± said Delsani. ¡°I must also say the only way to ensure that the spells will stay intact would be to return every year and renew them. Just in case Ulicoth may find a way to break the spells, I will give you this Gmulena stone. All you have to do is smash it. It will light up its sister stone, which I possess.¡±

    He also gave Helen two identical necklaces with fragments of the two stones, one each, so that no matter where she or the child may go. They could be found by him.

    ¡°Thank you both for all of this. I¡¯m so glad that you¡¯re taking this so seriously. I mean, not that I thought you wouldn¡¯t,¡± said Helen. ¡°I¡¯m sure with the both of you waiting to help me and Peter, we¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    Delsani and Jaucal looked at each other and then turned to Helen. ¡°Peter,¡± repeated Delsani.

    ¡°Yes, Peter John Stark. That¡¯s what I¡¯ve decided to call him, because that was what John and I agreed on. If we had a kid, we would name a boy Peter John Stark, and if it were a girl, we would name her Sophie Helen Stark. That¡¯s what John wanted,¡± said Helen, sounding pleased that she finally told someone. But she thought they both looked quite surprised, even shocked.

    ¡°It¡¯s not wrong, is it? I mean, did the Prophecy say it would be different?¡± said Helen concerned.

    ¡°No. The Prophecy said that would be his name. It¡¯s just that we had not expected you to come out with it so soon,¡± said Jaucal happily. He took from his pocket what looked like a small watch, and when he looked it he said, ¡°I am afraid that I must take my leave of you, for I still have a lot to do before the hour grows late. Good luck. I¡¯m sure that you¡¯ll raise a fine boy, and I hope that I will be welcome to come back and see the both of you.¡±

    ¡°Of course you¡¯re welcome any time, and you too Delsani,¡± said Helen.

    Delsani nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± And the look on Helen¡¯s face made him ask. ¡°Is there something else you wish to say?¡±

    ¡°Well. The thing is, Delsani, I was wondering, it¡¯s just that you¡¯ve lost your son, and you told me that John was like a son to you, and you lost him too. Well I was thinking that Peter will probably be like a son to you too. So I was hoping that maybe to make it a little more official, you could be his godfather, which means if anything happens to me after he¡¯s born, you¡¯ll be his legal guardian. I think I would sleep easier knowing that he would have someone to look after him,¡± said Helen looking hopeful.

    Delsani¡¯s face lit up with delight. ¡°It¡¯ll be a pleasure and an honour to have such a roll in both of your lives.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great news,¡± said Jaucal, also looking equally delighted with what had just happened. ¡°And I really do wish you all the luck in all the worlds. But really, I must be on my way. Are you coming back with me or are you staying?¡± he asked Delsani.

    ¡°Oh by the way, who will be coming here every year to redo the spells?¡± asked Helen.

    ¡°Since Delsani and I were the ones to cast the original spells, it will have to be us,¡± said the Grand Wizard.

    Helen nodded as Delsani stood beside Jaucal.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to go do you?¡± Helen asked Delsani.

    ¡°No, I can stay if you like,¡± said the Wizard.

    Helen said nothing; she just nodded again.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll talk to you later, Delsani. And remember, we do have some things to discuss,¡± said Jaucal.

    ¡°Yes, of course. I¡¯ll see you later then.¡± said Delsani.

    Delsani stayed there for five hours. He told her of the things John and his friends did when they were younger. And in return, he asked Helen about their years together. She was more than happy to tell all, until Saren and Henkot arrived in the room. It was then that Delsani said goodbye to Helen and told her not to worry, for she would see him soon enough. Helen sat andwaited until he was gone before talking to Saren and Henkot.

    The days were passing slowly for Helen. She had been visited every day by Saren and Henkot, who insisted on being called by their Normal names while they were in the Normal World. That was fine with Helen, for she preferred calling them Joan and Harry. It made her feel Normal. For after she returned to Weston Road, her pregnancy, to her, felt very abnormal. She was craving layers of red onion dipped in strawberry sauce and covered with chocolate sprinkles, and the cravings just got worse from there, but she knew, of course, that strange cravings ¨C even ones as strange as hers ¨C were quite ordinary, although that did not help how she felt.

    Saren and Henkot were not the only ones to visit her. Delsani and Jaucal visited every two months and never on the same day date or time. They had to be careful, and they were. Every time they were set to visit. They would cast dislocation spells on each other to make it harder for anyone that may have wanted to follow them.

    They visited right up to the time Helen gave birth to Peter, which was a home birth; Helen thought that it would be better that way. Peter John Stark (or Drago Varthker Elvhaff) was born at 12:37 exactly. It was a beautifully sunny Tuesday. Helen was more delighted than she ever thought she could be, for although she had never told anyone, she had always wanted a baby with hair, and hair he had. A mop of dark brown hair was sticking out of the right side of his head.

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    A short time past and Peter¡¯s streak of hair had grown so long that was tickling the top of his right ear lobe. Helen could not stand to see him trying to scratch his head so she cut it. To her dismay, the hair fell out not long after, and the boy King was left with a small bald spot where it had once been.

    Then began the yearly visits Helen had been waiting for. Now more than ever, they wanted to ensure Helen and Peter¡¯s safety, although Saren and Henkot still visited regularly.

    The visits went on. Delsani had seen all of the pictures that Helen had taken of Peter, and the old Wizard did not know whether to be shocked or delighted. For Peter looked exactly like a younger version of the Wizard-Elf, Dragdani. His hair was mostly blond with dark brown streaks, and his eyes were green. He was thin and very strong for the age of six. But the one thing that really made the Wizard worry was the news that Helen gave him.

    ¡°There¡¯s something wrong,¡± she told him. ¡°He¡¯s doing things¡±

    ¡°What kind of things?¡± Delsani asked curiously.

    ¡°Yesterday, we went to the mall to get clothes for him and a pair of shoes for myself. I¡¯d seen the pair I wanted, but when I looked there were none in my size, so as I put them back onto the shelf. I looked at them one last time hoping desperately that the woman at the till would find a pair in my size at the last second. Then I thought I saw the shoes shrink a little. At first I thought it was my imagination, but I tried them on again to be sure, and they fitted perfectly,¡± said Helen.

    Delsani looked mesmerized by what he had just heard. ¡°Are you absolutely sure that Peter did this? Did you try them on before you put them back?¡± asked Delsani.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Helen replied. ¡°I always try shoes on in case the labels are wrong,¡¯ said Helen. ¡°And that¡¯s not all. Whenever I wish for something out loud when Peter¡¯s around, I turn around it¡¯s there waiting for me. And sometimes when I lose something, I talk out loud as if it¡¯s going to hear me and come running. Well. They do. Well not running, but they would turn up in places that I had already looked, and sometimes I would turn round and find them behind me on a piece of furniture that I had walked past ten times. I didn¡¯t see how they got there, but I know they weren¡¯t there before. Either that, or I¡¯m losing my marbles.¡±

    ¡°Helen, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re losing your marbles,¡± Delsani laughed. ¡°For we were afraid that something like this might happen,¡± he said mildly.

    ¡°Who¡¯s we?¡± asked Helen.

    ¡°Jaucal and I,¡± the Wizard replied.

    ¡°And why didn¡¯t you mention it to me? I¡¯ve been going out of my mind.¡±

    ¡°I am sorry about that. I think it is high time I told you the truth, Helen,¡± said Delsani, as though confessing to a crime. ¡°You must understand that what I¡¯m about to tell you is a secret. There are only a handful of people that know it. And I haven¡¯t been authorized to tell you, but as you are Peter¡¯s mother and our Queen, I think you deserve to know the truth. But I must ask you not to tell anyone of what I¡¯m about to say.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t tell a soul.¡±

    ¡°Good. Well, you see when the first Wizard-Elf, Thoucil, was born, she also had her powers, and that didn¡¯t sit well with those in power. For they already had expressed their concerns about one person having so much power, and the fact that it was a female Wizard only made matters worse. So the only thing that they could think of was to suppress her powers until she was old enough to understand and control them, and that¡¯s exactly what they did.

    ¡°When Dragdani was born. The spell they had cast on Thoucil also passed to him, and then on to his children and their children and so on and so on. Even John had it, and now we find that the spell hasn¡¯t passed onto Peter.¡±

    ¡°You said you¡¯d thought that this might happen?¡± said Helen.

    ¡°Yes, you see, Helen. The spell was cast for a Wizard-Elf. And I think ¨C no, I¡¯m sure ¨C that Peter is something different, for if he were like the others, then we would not be having this conversation,¡± said Delsani, sounding more than a little excited.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re happy about this. But what the heck is he, and what does it mean? Is there something wrong with him?¡± said Helen fretfully.

    ¡°No. There¡¯s nothing wrong with him. Trust me when I say that. As for what he is, well I don¡¯t know,¡± said Delsani the happiness starting to drain out of him.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t know what he is, how do you know there¡¯s nothing wrong with him?¡± asked Helen looking even more worried.

    ¡°It¡¯s obvious. The only way that the spell could be broken is if his power and will of mind are stronger, maybe even different than that of an ordinary Wizard-Elf, which would make him just different enough for the spell to be broken¡± said Delsani. ¡°Helen, I am sorry I will have to cut my visit short, though I will be back.¡±

    ¡°Why are you leaving?¡±

    ¡°I must report this to the Council and ask their advice. But don¡¯t worry, Peter¡¯s fine; just try not to let anyone see him using his powers.¡±

    ¡°What do you think the Council will do? I mean, will they try to suppress his powers too?¡± asked Helen, again sounding very worried.

    ¡°Yes, I think that¡¯ll probably be the case, but as for Jaucal, I¡¯m not sure. If I know him as well as I think I do then, he might think of the same thing I am right now,¡± said Delsani, ¡°for this may be the very thing that we need.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? What thing?¡± Helen asked.

    ¡°If we train him now while he¡¯s young and then suppress his powers and also suppress any memory of the training and of any other time he has used his powers. Then that would give us a head start,¡± said Delsani.

    Helen looked horrified by what she was hearing. ¡°I WON¡¯T LET YOU!¡± she shouted furiously, ¡°I WON¡¯T LET YOU MESS AROUND WITH HIM LIKE THAT! GODFATHERS ARE SUPPOSED TO LOOK AFTER THEIR GODSONS, NOT FIDDLE ABOUT WITH THEIR MEMORIES. YOU¡¯RE SOPPOSED TO DO WHAT¡¯S RIGHT FOR HIM!¡±

    ¡°Helen please, calm yourself. You¡¯ve obviously misunderstood me. What I meant was the memory spell would not wipe the memories from his mind completely, for what would be the point of training him if he could never remember it? What I meant was the spell would hide the memories from him until he is old enough to control his powers,¡± the old Wizard said hastily, in case Helen¡¯s temper would flare again. For John had warned Delsani of Helen¡¯s temper. As long as John had known her, she had always been quick to anger, especially when it came to family matters.

    ¡°Oh I¡¯m sorry,¡± said Helen suddenly feeling silly. ¡°I didn¡¯t think. It¡¯s just all this worry about Peter. I know he looks nothing like Dragdani, but somehow he reminds me of John.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I have also thought that. And as for worrying, there is no need. He¡¯s fine. Helen, I really must go. Call Saren and Henkot and ask them to come over. Tell them what you have told me. They will keep you company until I talk to Jaucal, for he may be able to persuade the Council to vote in our favour. Now as I have, said there is no time to lose.¡± the Wizard went to the middle of the room and pointed his wand to the floor, but before he said the spell, he looked at Helen. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to call Saren and Henkot.¡±

    Helen nodded. ¡°Yes, I know. Wait! Peter¡¯s powers, can they be traced or anything like that?¡±

    Delsani smiled. ¡°I knew that there was something else on your mind. The answer to your question is, I don¡¯t really know. That¡¯s why I have to be quick. Jaucal and I will come by to check that all your protection is still in place. We¡¯ll try not to be too long.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± said Helen.

    Delsani laughed as Helen finished.

    ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± she asked.

    ¡°You¡¯re telling me not to worry for a change,¡± he replied.

 Chapter 20 - The Counciléˆ¥æªš Decision

    Helen laughed a little, and before she had time to say goodbye. The old Wizard was gone in a cloud of smoke. Helen ran straight to the phone called her friends and told them some of what Delsani had said. The rest she told them when they arrived at the house with their daughter Dorana. Helen liked that name; she never knew why, she just did. She even liked her normal name, which was Donna. Peter liked Saren, Henkot, and Dorana, for they always treated him and Helen like family. He called them Auntie Joan, Uncle Harry, and Cousin Donna. And to him, other than Helen, they were the only family that he knew.

    They put Peter and Dorana in the playroom and then they went into the next room, and Helen told them the rest of the story while the three of them watched the children through the glass door. Saren and Henkot were shocked to hear that Peter¡¯s powers were active.

    ¡°Did he say when he would be back?¡± asked Saren.

    ¡°No,¡± said Helen bleakly.

    ¡°He¡¯ll probably be a while. The Wizard¡¯s Council won¡¯t give up without a fight,¡± said Henkot.

    ¡°Only if they don¡¯t agree to the proposal,¡± said Saren.

    ¡°Come on, Saren, this is the Wizard Council we¡¯re talking about. Galfad would disagree with anything Delsani would bring to the Council. You know that,¡± said Henkot.

    ¡°But Delsani said that he would talk to Jaucal before going in front of the Council,¡± said Helen. ¡°And he said that if he agreed. Then Jaucal would present it to the Council himself.¡±

    ¡°In that case, who knows how long it will take?¡± said Saren.

    ¡°Probably not long if Jaucal is involved,¡± said Henkot. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, Helen. We¡¯ll stay with you until then,¡± he said.

    Saren nodded, immediately agreeing with him. Just then Saren had stopped nodding. Two single beds appeared out of nowhere.

    ¡°You see what I mean?¡± said Helen wearily.

    ¡°You sound run down,¡± said Saren, again sounding concerned for her friend.

    ¡°You know you can take a rest if you like.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± said Helen. ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave him. I mean, he¡¯s way more than a handful at the moment. And since I told Delsani about Peter¡¯s powers, it¡¯s been getting worse. Bike floating round the house, followed by toy trucks, planes, helicopters, trains, and the tropical fish in little water bubbles. Oh, and just before you came, we had five dogs, twelve cats and two talking parrots. I can¡¯t go to sleep before him. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll wake up and the house will be gone.¡±

    Saren and Henkot looked shocked by Helen¡¯s confession.

    ¡°Er¡­ Well I¡¯m sure we can handle it. It might not be as hard for us if we use magic to help,¡± said Saren happily.

    ¡°So you¡¯ll watch him for just a little while?¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course we will,¡± said the Witches together, ¡°and you¡¯re going to rest for a while,¡± said Saren firmly. Before Helen could answer, there was a great flash of blue light coming from the playroom. Then a squeal and a child laughing.

    Helen, Saren, and Henkot all jumped out of their seats at the exact same time and rushed into the playroom, and there was Peter on his back laughing. Crying could be heard coming from the corner opposite. And sitting there was what was thought to be Dorana. It was wearing her clothes. But it looked like a giant red bird. It had feathers, wings, a beak, stringy blue legs, and long skinny blue feet, which each had three fat stubby toes with little claws poking out.

    ¡°Dorana, what happened?¡± asked Saren with nothing but pure shock, worry, and disbelief in her voice.

    Dorana said nothing. All she could do was cry. Saren and Henkot ran to their daughter, throwing their arms around her.

    Helen, on the other hand, was determined to find out exactly what had happened. She grabbed Peter by the arms hoisted him up. ¡°WHAT DID YOU DO!?¡± she screamed at him. ¡°Well, answer me,¡± she said more calmly.

    Peter stood and stared at her. She had never shouted at him before, and it scared him.

    Helen turned Peter round to face their friends, who were still huddled in the corner.

    Helen was relieved to see that Dorana was back to Normal, or whatever was Normal for a Witch. Helen gave Peter a stern look and said, ¡°Tell me why you did it. Don¡¯t you like Dorana anymore?¡±

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Peter quickly nodded his head.

    ¡°Did you fall out with her?¡± asked Helen.

    Now Peter quickly shook his head.

    ¡°Then why?¡±

    Peter, frightened and staring at the floor and shuffling his feet, said in a low shaky voice, ¡°She wants to be a bird.¡±

    ¡°A bird?¡± repeated Helen.

    ¡°I think I know what he means,¡± said Henkot. ¡°Remember when Dorana told us that in school the trainers asked the kids what animals they would like to be if we weren¡¯t Witches?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Saren. ¡°Dorana said she wanted to be a bird.¡±

    ¡°What is this about a bird?¡± asked Delsani, who had just appeared in a younger form of himself, with short black hair combed over to one side, smooth slightly tanned skin and what looked to be an expensive grey suit. He looked so different that the only reason Helen hadn¡¯t asked who he was, was the fact that she had recognized the thin scar on his nose.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing important,¡± said Henkot looking at Peter with a slight smile.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about this,¡± said Helen. ¡°Peter, apologize to Dorana now.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± said Saren. ¡°It wasn¡¯t his fault. He probably thought he was helping her, because she said she wanted to be a bird.¡±

    Henkot sniggered a little at the thought of it all.

    Delsani stood looking from one to the other, thinking that he had missed out on something big. Then he turned his gaze on Peter, who was hiding behind Helen, trying to avoid the old Wizard¡¯s stare. ¡°Hello, Peter,¡± said Delsani, grinning at him.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I forgot that you two haven¡¯t seen each other since Peter was just a baby,¡± said Helen. She knelt down beside Peter and said, ¡°Peter, this is¡­ ah Daniel. Yes, that¡¯s it. He was one of your father¡¯s closest friends, and he¡¯s your godfather.¡±

    Peter took a quick look out from behind Helen and just as quickly vanished behind her again.

    ¡°I like that name,¡± Delsani exclaimed and repeated it as though he were trying it on.

    ¡°I thought that it would go well with your new look,¡± Helen explained.

    ¡°Yes it makes sense. Thank you,¡± said Delsani before he turned to Peter. ¡°I understand if you¡¯re a little scared, Peter, for I¡¯ve been told ¨C¡± the Wizard was cut short.

    ¡°I¡¯m not scared,¡± squeaked Peter.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to offend you. I just meant that it¡¯s okay to be strange around people you don¡¯t know,¡± said the Wizard.

    Peter stared at the Wizard at length, looking unsure of how to take him, or what he had just said.

    ¡°So what happened with the Council?¡± asked Henkot.

    ¡°The one thing that I thought that you might possess is patience,¡± said Delsani firmly, ¡°not to mention respect for other people¡¯s privacy.¡±

    Henkot now looked like a frightened child. In fact, he had the same expression on his face as Peter when he first saw the Wizard.

    The old Wizard laughed. ¡°I am sorry Henkot. It¡¯s just, being stuck in a closed room with the Council of Wizards and Witchcraft really does drain the happiness out of you. I needed a laugh to get me back into the right mood, and you, I¡¯m afraid, walked right into it.

    ¡°The answer to your question is that the Council was not opposed to the idea of training Peter to use his powers.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s good isn¡¯t it?¡± said Helen, unsure if what she said was right or not.

    ¡°Yes, that is very good, but they did insist on one thing,¡± said Delsani.

    ¡°Here it comes,¡± said Henkot, rolling his eyes.

    ¡°Here what comes?¡± asked Helen.

    ¡°There¡¯s always something they insist on,¡± said Saren.

    ¡°And most of the time it¡¯s something that¡¯ll mess things up,¡± added Henkot.

    ¡°This time the Joint Council have asked that as soon as the boy has learned the basics, his memories and powers should be suppressed, and the sooner the better,¡± said Delsani.

    ¡°What? How is that going to help? The basics? That¡¯s ridiculous! How will that prepare him to fight Ulicoth?¡± said Henkot angrily.

    ¡°Delsani, you said that the Wizard and Witch Councils have joined?¡± said Saren curiously.

    ¡°Yes. The Councils have decided to join together into one,¡± said Delsani, ¡°so there will be twice the boredom and twice as many stupid ideas.¡±

    ¡°So when are you going to start the training?¡± asked Helen.

    ¡°As soon as you let me,¡± replied Delsani. ¡°However, by the look on your face, I think you have a few questions for me.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I do,¡± said Helen. She paused for a moment. ¡°What did Jaucal, I mean. The Grand Wizard, say about Peter? Does he know what Peter is?? Helen asked nervously, as though the answer would be something terrible.

    ¡°Yes, he said that he thinks that Peter is a new breed of

    Wizard-Elf,¡± said Delsani. ¡°An entirely new breed with no name as of yet, though I think they¡¯ll come up with something soon enough¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a new breed, but what is that? Is he really that different than the others?¡± asked Helen. ¡°If so, how did it happen?¡±

    ¡°A new breed, in this case, is like a new and improved model, which means in some ways he is a little different; therefore, he is not an ordinary Wizard-Elf in the sense of the name,¡± replied Delsani. ¡°As for the reason that he is what he is, well that is because of you. The only explanation that we could come up with is that it had to be natural.¡±

    ¡°In other words, evolution,¡± said Helen, relieved that her questions were finally being answered, and that her mind could now partly be set at ease.

    ¡°Yes that is exactly what it is,¡± said Delsani. ¡°You see, Helen, a Wizard-Elf and a Normal have never had a child, and we think that is the reason Peter is a new breed. The new blood, your blood.¡±

    ¡°So what should we do now?¡± asked Helen.

    ¡°Now I really do think that I should start his training, as the day is winding on.¡±

    ¡°Are you really going to only teach him the basics?¡± asked Henkot.

    ¡°That is what the Council wanted. But the Council has no idea how long it would take to train him the basics,¡± said Delsani. He winked and looked down at Peter, who was getting a little braver and was standing out, no longer hiding behind his mother.

    ¡°I think the Council was right about one thing¡± said Helen. ¡°The sooner you start his training the better.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I also think that would be for the best,¡± said Delsani.

    ¡°Could you do me one favour?¡± Helen asked. ¡°Could you suppress only his advanced training and let him remember the basics?¡±

    ¡°If you are ordering me to do it as my Queen, then I¡¯ll have no choice,¡± Delsani added.

    ¡°Yes, I order you,¡± said Helen, smiling.

    ¡°Then I shall obey, your majesty,¡± the old Wizard added with a slight bow, which made Helen laugh.

 Chapter 21 - Uninvited Guests

    They all went into the living room, and Delsani took out a folder that he had under his arm. Helen recognized it immediately, for it was the same folder that she had seen Delsani with the night that he had started John¡¯s training.

    Peter seemed to be like his father, quick in picking up on his powers. On the first day he had learned a good few things.

    Delsani requested that Saren and Henkot assist him in the training, as it could help speed things up so the Council would not get suspicious and figure out what they were trying to do.

    Peter trained a few hours every day for two weeks. He enjoyed it, and to everyone¡¯s surprise, he had already mastered half of the contents of the folder. ¡°It won¡¯t be long before we¡¯re finished here,¡± said Delsani.

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait,¡± said Helen.

    She saw Delsani looking at her. ¡°It¡¯s just that right now he¡¯s out of control. ¡°He does obey me when I shout, but I don¡¯t like shouting at him. It¡¯s the only way to stop him from doing something stupid, like setting lions lose or something.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that would be bad,¡± laughed Delsani.

    Smoke began to twirl up from the floor. Something was Phazing into the room. It was a very small Phaze, and when the smoke cleared. They saw it was a small note. Delsani picked it up and unfolded it.

    The Council has decided that the new Breed of Wizard-Elf shall be named Draga-Wizard-Elf.

    Wadora,

    Deputy Supreme Witch

    of the Joint Magical Council of Witches and Wizards

    Galfad,

    Deputy Grand Wizard

    of the Joint Magical Council of Wizards and Witches

    ¡°It seems the Council is still arguing but have ground their ideas down to two choices for the name for the new joint council, though they have the name for the new breed of

    Wizard-Elf,¡± said Delsani.

    ¡°So what is it?¡± asked Henkot hastily before the others could say anything.

    Delsani was about to throw the note in the bin and burn it when more words began to form on the page.

    Jaucal,

    Grand Wizard,

    Odaelhes,

    Supreme Witch

    of the Joint Magical Council of Wiz-Wit

    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Delsani laughed as he remembered the Grand Wizard telling him how all of the arguing was driving him mad.

    ¡°The Joint magical Council of Wiz-Wit and Draga-Wizard-Elf,¡± replied Delsani.

    ¡°Wiz-Wit? Now I know they¡¯ve completely lost their minds,¡± said Henkot as he stuffed a biscuit into his mouth.

    ¡°I will be sure to tell the Grand Wizard and Supreme Witch the next time I see them,¡± said Delsani sarcastically.

    Saren laughed at the look on Henkot¡¯s face. He almost choked on his biscuit when he heard those words.

    Peter and Dorana laughed to, as he was looking straight at them at the time.

    ¡°Well, I think it¡¯s nice,¡± said Helen. ¡°Short and sweet.¡±

    ¡°I agree,¡± said Saren, looking at Henkot, who stuck out his tongue.

    Peter laughed again. Henkot¡¯s tongue grew larger and larger, which made everyone laugh except for Dorana, who ran behind her mother.

    ¡°You know, I don¡¯t think that Peter having his powers is so bad after all,¡± laughed Saren.

    ¡°Wery frunny,¡± said Henkot.

    ¡°Peter, please change it back,¡± said Helen gently.

    ¡°There¡¯s no rush,¡± said Saren mockingly.

    The boy did as his mother asked.

    Four more weeks passed, and Peter was finally finished everything in the folder. He had also learned some spells; nothing dangerous, just small spells to help him when he was ready to learn more.

    ¡°The last night is over and done with,¡± said Helen happily.

    Peter was standing with Delsani, who was looking for the right spells to suppress the boy¡¯s Draga-Wizard-Elf powers, when once again smoke began to rise from the floor. Only this time there were at least six tall pillars of smoke. And when it cleared, there were Jaucal, Galfead, and Berlanin, who Helen knew as one of John¡¯s old crowd of friends from college. And those three were wearing their red robes, which were trimmed with the brightest gold. The other three Helen had never seen before and was quite curious as to who they were.

    But just then, Jaucal stepped forward. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to just barge in on you like this, especially at this time, but I wanted to be here for this. As you can see, I was not the only one,¡± said Jaucal.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I don¡¯t mind people I know dropping in with a few friends,¡± said Helen politely as she looked at the three people standing beside Galfead, and Berlanin.

    ¡°Ah, I seem to have forgotten my manners,¡± said the Grand Wizard, ¡°Queen Helen, I would like to introduce you to Oruealth the Supreme Witch.¡±

    Helen stared at the woman. She was wearing a bright blue dress with a purple cloak. She looked in her early forties. Most of her hair was black, though grey hairs could clearly be seen, and there did not seem to be any sign that she had tried to cover it up. The grey made her look distinguished, and Helen thought the Witch was pretty for her age, or what she thought was her age.

    ¡°And these two Witches are Aouren and Kerkeze, who are also members of the Council of Wiz-Wit and have also come to see young Drago, if you don¡¯t mind,¡± said Jaucal.

    ¡°No, of course not, I don¡¯t mind. It¡¯s just that Peter can be strange around people he doesn¡¯t know. But you¡¯re all welcome to stay and see him if you want,¡± said Helen, ¡°So Oruealth isn¡¯t it.¡±

    The Wicca nodded and smiled.

    ¡°You¡¯ve both got the same job. I mean, you¡¯re both the heads of the Joint Council,¡± said Helen not knowing what else to say and not wanting to seem rude by saying nothing at all.

    ¡°Yes, our roles our more or less the same,¡± said Oruealth.

    ¡°So who is in charge of the Council?¡± asked Helen curiously.

    ¡°Technically, you are,¡± replied Jaucal, ¡°As our queen.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯VE FOUND IT AT LAST!¡± shouted Delsani, unaware that the members of the Council were even there. He turned and saw them all. ¡°Oh, sorry, I was looking for the spell to suppress the King¡¯s abilities. I should also tell you that Queen Helen has ordered me to leave with the abilities of an ordinary Wizard.¡±

    ¡°NO!¡± shouted Peter, ¡°I DON¡¯T WANT IT!¡±

    Just as Peter finished the sentence, Delsani was thrown across the room by some invisible force. He hit the bookcase with a bang and fell to the wooden floor.

    Saren and Henkot jumped from their seats, but before they knew what was going on. Their talismans were in Peter¡¯s hand. He crushed them with no effort whatsoever and threw out his other hand, which pushed the Witches across the room in the opposite direction. All three were knocked unconscious.

    Dorana hid in a corner, and the Council members reached for their wands and talismans, all except the Grand Wizard.

    ¡°No,¡± he said to his companions. ¡°What would you do? You¡¯ve already seen him face a Wizard and two Witches. Put those away unless you wish to join them on the floor.¡±

    Then the Grand Wizard turned to Peter, ¡°Please, King Drago, no more. We have seen enough, and we dare not try to force anything upon you.¡±

    Peter stood and faced the Wizard. The irises of his eyes had changed from emerald green to light blue and stretched the full length of his eyes.

    This, to the Wizards and Witches, was strange, for this had never been reported to happen to any other Wizard-Elf. Though it was not just Peter¡¯s eyes, for four of his canine teeth had grown into fangs. The top two were at least two inches long; the bottom two were each an inch. There were also small black claws sticking out of the tips of his fingers and thumbs. The claws were each an inch in length.

 Chapter 22 - Possession

    This, to the Wizards and Witches, was strange, for this had never been reported to happen to any other Wizard-Elf. Though it was not just Peter¡¯s eyes, for four of his canine teeth had grown into fangs. The top two were at least two inches long; the bottom two were each an inch. There were also small black claws sticking out of the tips of his fingers and thumbs. The claws were each an inch in length.

    Peter was still standing in the exact same spot, unmoved.

    ¡°Why do this?¡± asked Jaucal. ¡°Surely you know Delsani, Saren, and Henkot all have your best interests at heart and would never try to hurt you even if they could. So why?¡±

    Peter said nothing. He was confused by everything that had happened. He now looked very scared. He was afraid that he would get into trouble again and perhaps even get shouted at. He looked over at Helen, but she did not look angry. Instead, she, too, looked confused and maybe even a little scared.

    Very slowly, Jaucal reached into his pocket for his wand, but Peter had seen it at the side of his eye and swiftly turned his gaze back to the Wizard.

    ¡°Wait!¡± said Jaucal. Peter had moved his hand slightly, and the Wizard did not want to take a chance. Jaucal then took out his wand by the tip between his finger and thumb and dropped it onto the floor. It hit the wooden floor with a clatter. Peter did not remove his stare, and still he stood unmoved. Then his eyes returned to normal, and his fangs retracted to leave what looked like normal teeth, and his claws also retracted back under his skin. However, the Wizard could see faint little slits where the claws once were and could be again if needed.

    ¡°You see, he is dangerous just as I said,¡± said Galfead loudly. ¡°Something should be done to show these things their place. For if we¡¯re not careful in years to come, we may have yet another Dark Lord to fight on top of the two that are threatening our world at the moment.¡±

    ¡°And are you going to be the one to do something?¡± asked Jaucal. ¡°And if so, what exactly would you do to this child?¡±

    For a moment, Galfead looked both surprised and baffled.

    ¡°And you are also forgetting the Second Prophecy,¡± added Jaucal, ¡°and that to even threaten the King is treason.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t accept this thing as my King. I¡¯ll show you what should be done,¡± said Galfead, ¡°Oh, great Grand Wizard,¡± he said sarcastically.

    ¡°You speak of Wizard-Elves not knowing their places, and yet you yourself are forgetting your own,¡± said Jaucal calmly.

    ¡°I am forgetting nothing, for I¡¯m doing my duty to protect our world from freaks like that,¡± said Galfead, pointing at Peter.

    Peter looked at Helen, for he did not know what else to do.

    Helen¡¯s face was red with rage, and to Peter it looked as though she was about to explode. He knew that look, only now it looked as though it were multiplied by a hundred times more. He covered his ears, bracing himself. ¡°He knew that Helen¡¯s lungs were about to be tested to their limits. But before she could open her mouth, Jaucal said, ¡°Helen, now that Peter has calmed, would you please see if Delsani, Saren and Henkot are all right and look in on Dorana, if you wouldn¡¯t mind?¡±

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    Helen did exactly that. She thought if she did not do something to take her mind off the insult, she would explode.

    ¡°Please think about what you are saying, Galfead,¡± said Jaucal. ¡°Do you have any idea what you sound like?¡±

    ¡°I do,¡± Galfead replied, ¡°and I would¡¯ve said something sooner. However, I knew that you would have demanded some proof. Well. The boy has provided the proof I needed to show you that he is a danger to everyone around him, and he should be ¨C¡± the Wizard broke off as though he had not thought of what would happen to Peter if he won the argument.

    ¡°He should be what?¡± asked Berlanin angrily joining the debate.

    Galfead now looked furious, for he believed that Jaucal should have listened to him with a keen ear. He was, after all, the deputy Grand Wizard.

    ¡°I ask you again, Galfead, what would you do to this child?¡± asked Jaucal.

    ¡°DO YOU REALLY WANT TO KNOW?¡± shouted Galfead, enraged that things were not going the way that he thought they should. ¡°Very well.¡± And the Wizard saw that Peter¡¯s back was turned, for he was helping his mother.

    Galfead suddenly and swiftly took his wand in his hand pointed it at Peter and shouted, ¡°THREPOREEN!¡± Out of his wand shot different streams of blue light.

    Helen had seen this, and she grabbed Peter and held him as close as she could as the blue light got close to them. To Galfead¡¯s own surprise and dismay Delsani, was awake. Delsani¡¯s wand was pointing directly at the blue light, and he shouted, ¡°DEFECTA!¡± Yellow light flew and collided with the blue. The yellow light disappeared, and the blue flew back and hit Galfead in the stomach. He was thrown against the back wall, and like Delsani, he hit the floor with a thump. He lay there clutching his stomach in pain, for no one was in any hurry to see how he was. They were all too concerned with Peter and Helen.

    However, Jaucal had seen the look Galfead¡¯s face before; it was the same look that Noesod had on the night that he attacked Helen.

    Jaucal went to pick up his wand from the floor when suddenly it jumped into his hand. The old Wizard looked round and saw that it was Peter. He smiled at him. ¡°Thank you,¡± said the Wizard. ¡°I¡¯m not as young as I use to be.¡± the Wizard went over to Galfead, and he saw that he was correct, for as he turned him over, he saw that a little stream of purple vapour had began to rise from out of Galfead¡¯s mouth and nose, just as it did with Noesod.

    ¡°I must take Galfead back to the infirmary,¡± Jaucal said to Delsani. ¡°It seems that he has fallen for the same Wizardry as poor Noesod.¡±

    ¡°Then go,¡± said Delsani. ¡°We shall finish here.¡±

    With that, Jaucal Phazed back to Dorminya with Galfead, and the rest all stayed to help Delsani perform the spells to suppress Peter¡¯s powers. After they did those spells, he also did two more. The first was to change the colour of Peter¡¯s hair, and the other to change the color of his eyes, for the Council had a spy in the service of Ulicoth¡¯s lower ranks. She had gathered information that Ulicoth had hired the services of a Pilasier-knight created from the cleanest salts of Gecholter, a land well known for the making of perfect assassins. That was why the Council members had shown up at the last minute, to be sure that they could make it so if this assassin were to find its way to Weston Road, he would not be able to see the likeness between Peter and Dragdani, and perhaps that could help keep the child alive.

    After they had finished, the Wizards and Witches left for home, all except Saren, Henkot, and Dorana, who was well warned that if she said anything about Peter¡¯s true identity, they would confiscate her talisman while she stayed in the Normal World.

    It was decide that if Peter was to lead an ordinary Wizard life in the Normal World, it was best that he have no knowledge of Dorminya and no contact with Wizards and Witches who were not wearing Normal clothing.

    ¡°All the spells worked,¡± said Henkot.

    ¡°Of course the spells worked,¡± said Delsani defensively.

    ¡°So I guess this means he¡¯s not the one anymore. Now he¡¯s the Normal One,¡± said Henkot.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope so,¡± said Delsani, ¡°for now anyway.¡±

    Helen then came through the kitchen door. ¡°So that¡¯s it? I mean, he won¡¯t be able to use Wizard-Elf magic until he¡¯s the right age?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Delsani.

 Chapter 23 - Godfather, Daniel

    Helen then came through the kitchen door. ¡°So that¡¯s it? I mean, he won¡¯t be able to use Wizard-Elf magic until he¡¯s the right age?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Delsani.

    Only a day had past, and Helen had just got back from a meeting at the school she wanted Peter to attend. As she walked toward the living room, she couldn¡¯t help thinking how the house felt so empty compared to the previous day. Peter was sitting on the floor glued to the television watching cartoons. She thanked Saren for babysitting him while she was gone.

    ¡°It¡¯s no problem,¡± said the Wicca. ¡°I told you before, I like spending time with him.¡±

    ¡°Have time for a cuppa?¡± asked Helen.

    ¡°No, I¡¯ve got to go. I have to pick up Donna from Hadfold¡¯s. Henkot¡¯s working late again at the hospital,¡± replied Saren. ¡°Good bye, Peter,¡± she said as they walked through into the kitchen, but there was no answer; the boy was still glued to the T.V.

    ¡°We could stop by tomorrow if you want,¡± said the Wicca, just as the Kitchen door gently closed.

    ¡°That would be great,¡± said Helen happily, for now she had something to look forward to. She noticed that Saren looked a little run down. ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asked as the Witch took her talisman out of her pocket.

    ¡°I¡¯m just a little tired. I¡¯ve been running around a bit more lately and haven¡¯t had that much sleep since getting the position on the Council,¡± replied the Witch, a smile now stretching across her face.

    ¡°You¡¯re on the Council?¡± said Helen excitedly.

    ¡°Yeah, I got the news at the start of the week,¡± said Saren equally excited.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say something sooner?¡±

    ¡°You know me. I don¡¯t like to brag.¡±

    ¡°Who are you trying to kid? You love to brag!¡± said Helen.

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right, but I thought that if I looked tired, you might say something about it. Then it wouldn¡¯t sound like bragging,¡± laughed Saren. ¡°But don¡¯t say anything to Henkot. He¡¯s been working so much I haven¡¯t had a chance to tell him yet. It would hurt his feelings if he found out that I told you first. You know what they¡¯re like; they like to know everything before everybody else.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my lips are sealed,¡± said Helen, putting her finger and thumb to her lips and gesturing as though she were turning a key. ¡°So when are you planning on telling him? Just so I know when it¡¯s safe to talk about it.¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow, just before we come round, so act surprised when he tells you,¡± said Saren with a wink.

    Helen laughed. ¡°So it¡¯ll be a double celebration. It sounds like a champagne event,¡± said Helen. ¡°I¡¯ll have to see what I have in my wine cellar,¡± she said in a sarcastic posh voice.

    ¡°Oh, no I didn¡¯t want to make a big thing out of it. I hope you don¡¯t think that I was hinting for you to use your money,¡± said Saren lowly.

    ¡°Well, what else is there for me to do? Henkot has a new job in the Wiz-Wit hospital. You have a seat on the Council of Wiz-Wit. Of course I¡¯m going to splash out and celebrate with you. That¡¯s what family is for,¡± said Helen happily.

    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re absolutely sure,¡± said Saren.

    ¡°Are you kidding? I insist! I¡¯ll see you tomorrow then.¡±

    ¡°See you tomorrow,¡± said Saren. ¡°And I wasn¡¯t hinting at you.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± said Helen. ¡°You¡¯d better go or soon it will be tomorrow.¡±

    Now that her friend was gone, Helen felt alone, for apart from Peter, she had no one to talk to. And Peter was hardly going to strike up a conversion; he was too busy watching cartoons. Helen sat down on the floor beside him for a while and watched with him. But to her surprise, the time flew, and she renewed her love for cartoons.

    She got up and went into the kitchen. ¡°Time for dinner,¡± she thought.

    She was halfway though making dinner when there came a knock on the back door that made her jump. She went and opened it to find Delsani in his younger look.

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    ¡°Don¡¯t do that! You nearly gave me a heart attack,¡± she said.

    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to scare you,¡± said the Wizard.

    ¡°What are you doing out there?¡± Helen asked him.

    ¡°The council has decided not to allow anyone to Phaze in or out of your house, as a safety precaution. So I Phazed in behind a shop down the road.¡±

    ¡°Oh, well aren¡¯t you a little early for your yearly visit?¡± Helen joked.

    ¡°Yes I suppose I am,¡± said the Wizard.

    ¡°There¡¯s something wrong, is that it? Something wrong with the protection you put on Peter?¡± asked Helen fretfully.

    ¡°No, no. There¡¯s nothing wrong with the spells. I just thought that you might want to know what was going on with Galfead,¡± said Delsani cautiously.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care about him after what did and said.¡±

    The Wizard waited for a moment. ¡°Helen, what Galfead did and said was not his fault. If you would sit down I¡¯ll explain everything to you.¡±

    Just then, there was a small creak. It was the kitchen door. It seemed that Peter had heard Delsani¡¯s voice and had decided to investigate. When he appeared, he looked at Helen.

    Helen did not know what to say, as she knew that the Council had said it would be best if Peter was to have no contact with any Witch or Wizard who wasn¡¯t wearing normal clothing. She turned to Delsani to ask what to do and gasped, for standing there was a younger man who was tall, with no beard, short black hair and a clean pressed suit, just as he had looked the first time he was introduced to Peter only the day before.

    ¡°Hi,¡± the Wizard said to Peter. He took a step forward and held out his hand, ¡°Surely you remember me.¡±

    The boy simply nodded and put his hand in Delsani¡¯s and they shook lightly.

    Helen could not help thinking that Peter¡¯s hands looked tiny next to Delsani¡¯s large hands.

    ¡°Are you my daddy?¡± asked Peter.

    Delsani was taken aback by this question, for the thought that Helen had never told the boy about John had never crossed his mind.

    ¡°Peter dear, I told you that your daddy is with the angels,¡± said Helen trying to fight back tears that had crept up on her.

    ¡°I¡¯m not your father, but I am your Godfather, Daniel,¡± said Delsani.

    Peter looked at his mother confused by this.

    ¡°That means that Daniel can be like a father to you if you like, don¡¯t you remember?¡± said Helen. But Peter had forgotten and now seemed more confused than ever. ¡°Peter, how about you and Daniel watch cartoons while I cook something for the tea. Would you like that?¡±

    ¡°Cartoons?¡± said Delsani with a lost expression on his face.

    ¡°Yes cartoons. Peter will show you.¡±

    Peter was pulling Delsani¡¯s arm. ¡°Come on,¡± he said, ¡°hurry up.¡± Peter did not care who he watched cartoons with, just as long as he had company. He did not talk. He would just sit and watch, but he would know if you made the slightest movement. Then the twenty questions would start. Most of the time he only did it so whoever was there would just get sick of all the questions and sit down again.

    Not long after the boy and the old Wizard sat down in front of the television, Helen poked her head out from behind the kitchen door. ¡°Could I drag you away from the T.V. for a few minutes to help me?¡± she said to the Wizard.

    ¡°Of course,¡± said Delsani.

    ¡°Why?¡± Peter asked, disappointed at the idea of watching the cartoons alone.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be back soon,¡± said Delsani. ¡°Tell me what happens to the roadrunner when I get back.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The runner always gets away,¡± said Peter, patting Delsani¡¯s leg as if to reassure him of this fact.

    Helen had to put her hand up to her mouth to stop herself from laughing.

    Delsani also laughed silently. Then he and Helen disappeared into the kitchen and left Peter alone.

    ¡°Right, what were you saying before?¡± asked Helen. ¡°And you better hurry before your new best friend comes looking for you.¡±

    The Wizard said nothing to this; he stood thinking trying to recall what he had already said.

    ¡°Galfead had confessed to smuggling an un-cleansed letter out of the P.O.N.G. office in the City Hall. Then taking it into the streets of the city, endangering the magical community and the population of the whole Wiz-Wit world, as it is now called.¡±

    ¡°Pong?¡± laughed Helen, ¡°What¡¯s P.O.N.G.?¡±

    ¡°Postage of the office of the Neutralizing Governors,¡± replied the Wizard. ¡°The neutralizing governors sort out the post going out and into the city in case they¡¯re cursed, or hexed, in any way.¡±

    ¡°Ah, now I get it,¡± said Helen still smiling.

    ¡°Oh, and you should know Saren was not the only one to get a new position on the newly formed Council of Wiz-Wit,¡± said Delsani. ¡°Berlanin is now the deputy Grand Wizard, as Galfead was demoted for his part in what had occurred. The Council had ordered it purely because Galfead¡¯s crime is seen as very serious. Though he was only suspended for two months from the Order, for he insisted and still insists that he had no choice. He told us that the letter called to him. And I quote: ¡®Not in the sense of a voice calling, it was more like a feeling telling me that I had to have the letter, as though it were the most important thing in the world. And at that time that¡¯s how it felt to me. I felt as though the letter was sent by a friend or loved one, and I had to have it, and nothing else mattered.¡¯ That was the way he explained it. And although I hate to admit it I think that he¡¯s telling the truth, for how else could Ulicoth have gotten to Noesod, one of John¡¯s best friends?¡± said Delsani.

    ¡°So you think that the same thing happened to Noesod?¡± said Helen.

    ¡°Like I said how else,¡± said Delsani.

    The kitchen door creaked again, and Peter stood holding the door. ¡°You¡¯re missing it,¡± he said.

    ¡°I¡¯m coming now,¡± said Delsani. ¡°If you don¡¯t need anything else of course?¡± he said to Helen.

    ¡°No. The dinner¡¯s nearly ready. All that¡¯s left to do is set the table. And I can handle that. Oh god, where are my manners?¡± said Helen. ¡°Would you like to stay for something to eat?¡±

    ¡°YES!¡± Peter shouted.

    ¡°It seems it¡¯s been decided for me,¡± laughed Delsani.

    Peter started to jump up and down. ¡°HE¡¯S STAYING! HE¡¯S STAYING! HE¡¯S STAYING!¡± he shouted with excitement.

 Chapter 24 - Trainee Council Member

    Peter started to jump up and down. ¡°HE¡¯S STAYING! HE¡¯S STAYING! HE¡¯S STAYING!¡± he shouted with excitement.

    Helen was surprised and at the same time delighted to see that Peter had taken to Delsani so quickly. Usually, it would take longer for him to even build up the courage to say a single sentence to a stranger, never mind wanting them to stay for dinner.

    ¡°You two go into the living room and watch some more cartoons for a couple of minutes, and I¡¯ll set the table,¡± said Helen.

    ¡°Can I help?¡± asked Peter.

    ¡°I thought you wanted to watch cartoons with Daniel,¡± said Helen hopefully, as every time Peter took hold of anything breakable, he would drop it ¨C unintentionally, of course. Helen did not mind when Peter had his powers, for one look from her and he would fix the plate in a second.

    ¡°No,¡± said Peter, ¡°I want to help you,¡± he said, his lip curling as he spoke.

    ¡°We can both help,¡± said Delsani. ¡°And don¡¯t worry about any accidents.¡± the Wizard winked at Helen, as she had told him about Peter¡¯s butter fingers.

    ¡°Fine, you can help,¡± said Helen sounding relieved.

    In the end, Helen thought it would be better, not to mention, safer to put Peter in charge of the place mats. She put out the cutlery, and Delsani set out the plates. When all was done and the food was out, they sat down to eat, and Delsani had only begun to swallow a piece of one of his juicy roast potatoes when he saw smoke rise from the floor and twirl up almost into a thin pillar. The Wizard started to choke.

    ¡°Are you all right?¡± asked Helen.

    Delsani took a drink and quickly said. ¡°Helen I think that you should take Peter into the living room.¡±

    ¡°Why? What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked, concerned.

    ¡°There¡¯s smoke.¡±

    ¡°Smoke?¡± repeated Helen. Then she realized what he meant. She grabbed Peter by the arm. ¡°Come on, Peter, into the living room quickly.¡±

    ¡°I HAVEN¡¯T FINISHED!¡± the boy squealed as his mother dragged him out of the room.

    The smoke cleared, and standing there was a young Wizard.

    He was shorter than most and was wearing orange and red robes, which Delsani knew were the colors of a trainee council member.

    ¡°Hello,¡± said the young Wizard. ¡°My name is Olperad, trainee of the Council of Wiz-Wit and I¡¯m looking for an old Wizard by the name of Delsani. You wouldn¡¯t happen to know where he is.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what the heck you think you¡¯re doing. But you better have a very good excuse for this,¡± said Delsani angrily, though low enough so Helen and Peter could not hear.

    ¡°Excuse me, but I doubt that I have to explain myself to you. For as I told you I¡¯m a member of the Council of Wiz-Wit,¡± said Olperad.

    ¡°I am the old Wizard,¡± said Delsani, as though offended by the way this boy described him, ¡°and if you wouldn¡¯t call me old Wizard from this moment on, it would be much appreciated.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry sir, you must excuse me. I didn¡¯t realize that it was you,¡± said Olperad apologetically.

    ¡°Very well,¡± said Delsani, ¡°and as for your excuse for just barging into this house, you almost exposed the Wiz-Wit world to the boy that I have worked so hard to keep in the dark. Then there¡¯s the fact that you could have also exposed our world to a Normal, who in turn could have had no prior knowledge of Wizard and Witch kind, in which case you were lucky that it were I.¡±

    ¡°The Grand Wizard sent me,¡± said the young Wizard.

    ¡°I find that very doubtful, for he would not jeopardize all that we have done so foolishly,¡± said Delsani.

    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± said Olperad.

    Delsani threw the lad a stern look.

    ¡°No, I mean, not that the Grand Wizard is foolish, but he did send me here to find you. The enemy has attacked the Elven Sanctuary of Faluice.¡±

    Delsani stood staring at the young Wizard as though hoping that this was some kind of sick joke.

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    Olperad said nothing.

    ¡°How many were wounded, and how many are dead?¡± Delsani asked quickly.

    ¡°There were no survivors,¡± said Olperad mournfully.

    Delsani¡¯s face turned a light green, as though he was about to be sick.

    ¡°And the Grand Wizard told me to tell you that you are needed. He also told me to tell you that Feudel, the master of Haludon, was in the sanctuary at the time of the attack.¡±

    Delsani now stood staring at the young Wizard as though there had been some mistake. ¡°Give me a few seconds. I would rather not leave without a word to the queen,¡± said the old Wizard.

    ¡°Yes, of course. However, the Grand Wizard said to be hasty. I, for one, do not want to keep him waiting.¡±

    ¡°Then you may go and tell the Grand Wizard that I won¡¯t be long, to insure that he knows that I got his message,¡± said Delsani.

    ¡°But, sir, he said not to return without you,¡± said Olperad.

    ¡°Then you may wait for me,¡± said Delsani loudly. ¡°Take a seat if you like. And whatever you do, don¡¯t leave this room.¡±

    Olperad nodded and sat on the dinning chair closest to him. Delsani was just about to open the kitchen door when, ¡°Wait!¡± Olperad called out. ¡°I almost forgot to tell you. I was told that Ulicoth has sent an assassin to find the King. Some of our agents were sent to track the assassin. He is now believed to be in City New York. Is that right? I¡¯m not very good with all these strange names the Normals keep coming up with. And the Grand Wizard has also suspended almost all Phazing windows except the ones you and I will use.¡±

    ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll be back soon,¡± Delsani went into the living room. Helen was sitting on the couch, and Peter as before was sitting on the floor. Helen had not realized that Delsani was in the room.

    ¡°Don¡¯t sit so close to the T.V. Peter; you¡¯ll get square eyes,¡± she said.

    Peter put his hands on the floor and pushed himself back a little. His eyes never left the television as he did this.

    ¡°Don¡¯t slide back on your bum like that or you¡¯ll ruin your trousers,¡± said Helen.

    Still Peter did not take his eyes off of the television.

    While watching him, Delsani could not help thinking that he might be addicted to this Normal devise. Then the Wizard remembered why he was there and gave a light cough to make his presence known. Helen looked up at the Wizard. Before she had a chance to open her mouth, Delsani said, ¡°Can I talk with you Helen?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± She got up and they went to the other side of the room where they stood whispering to each other in case Peter might hear.

    ¡°So who was it? And what does he or she want?¡± asked Helen.

    ¡°He is a trainee Council member. And he has news of an attack that took place in Dorminya. I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t say any more, for I don¡¯t have the time, though I would like to ask one thing.¡±

    ¡°Sure, anything.¡±

    ¡°City New York,¡± he said hesitantly, as though unsure of the name. ¡°It is on the other side of this America, is that right?¡±

    ¡°Yes it is. And it¡¯s New York City. But why?¡± said Helen with a blank expression on her face. ¡°Has it something to do with the attack?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said the Wizard. ¡°Personally, I believe you should be coming with us. You are the Queen.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s something going on Delsani. Tell me,¡± said Helen. ¡°Unless you want me to make it an order, as you just said I¡¯m the Queen.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. There is something, but don¡¯t worry; I¡¯ll see to it,¡± said Delsani confidently. ¡°And now there really is no time. I must go.¡±

    The Wizard went back into the kitchen.

    Helen followed close behind. ¡°I don¡¯t like being kept in the dark, especially if what is left of my family is in danger,¡± said Helen hotly.

    At those words, guilt went prickling through the old Wizard, for although Helen had told him that she did not blame him for John¡¯s death, it still weighed heavily on his heart. The thought of his own son¡¯s death had now come to his mind, and he knew how it felt, as he himself did not know of the danger his son had faced.

    ¡°Very well,¡± he said.

    ¡°But we can¡¯t stay. The Grand Wizard bid you to come with me as soon as you heard his message¡¯ said Olperad loudly. ¡°This, this Normal will just have to wait,¡± he said stiffly.

    ¡°If you¡¯re not careful, this Normal, who just happens to be your Queen, will hang you upside down by your pants,¡± said Helen harshly.

    Delsani laughed lightly, ¡°Go on without me,¡± he said, ¡°and tell Jaucal that I¡¯ll be there as soon as I¡¯m finished. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll understand.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why the Grand Wizard holds you in such high regard,¡± said Olperad.

    ¡°Well, I suggest that while you wait for me, you do a little research. Now go.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a trainee Council member. You have no right to talk to me like that. I have three Comtant awards and five Frue grades. For all you know, I could be a future Grand Wizard. So if I were you, I¡¯d be careful,¡± said Olperad confidently.

    ¡°Very well, would you please go?¡± said Delsani and waved his hand dismissively, knowing that would anger the boy even more.

    ¡°Fine, but I¡¯m telling the Grand Wizard about the way you¡¯ve treated me,¡± said Olperad.

    ¡°You do that. Now bug off,¡± said Helen. ¡®And just for reference, that was an order.¡±

    Olperad scowled at the old Wizard as he Phazed back to Dorminya, and after they made sure that Peter was all right on his own, Delsani and Helen sat down, and the Wizard told her all that Olperad had told him.

    ¡°A Druid¡¯s Assassin?¡± said Helen. ¡°But why doesn¡¯t he send his own people?¡±

    ¡°His people would get nowhere, for they would rip through this world until we would destroy them. But this Druid¡¯s Assassin, as you called it, would be trained and taught to blend into this world so it would be harder to find,¡± explained Delsani. The Wizard saw the concerned expression on Helen¡¯s face. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, our people are tracking it as we speak, and that¡¯s exactly why I have to go.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± said Helen, ¡°but you¡¯ll tell me what happens won¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course I will,¡± said Delsani. ¡°Now Helen, listen carefully, I don¡¯t want you or Peter to leave the house at all, okay?¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± said Helen.

    ¡°And ask Saren to come round and then tell her everything that I¡¯ve just told you,¡± said Delsani.

    ¡°Wait. Saren said that she was going to pick Dorana up from school,¡± said Helen.

    ¡°She will still be in this world,¡± said Delsani, ¡°for Olperad told me that Jaucal had sent letters to all Wizards and Witches in this world that explicitly told them not to Phaze back to Dorminya or anywhere else. She will still be here.¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± said Helen again.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯ll take care of Dorana? Saren said that Henkot would be working late.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I¡¯ll send word for her to be picked up,¡± said Delsani.

 Chapter 25 - Living in Ulicothéˆ¥æªš Shadow

    A small column of smoke appeared on the table behind Delsani. Helen had not seen it as she was looking at and listening to the old Wizard.

    Just like the letter that went to Delsani at the Battle of Kealhal, this one was standing on its bottom corners, and it began to jump up and down for attention. Still Helen did not see it. The letter then proceeded to stamp its supposed left foot on the table.

    Delsani turned when he heard the faint taping. The letter had begun jumping, and the Wizard caught it in midair. As he unfolded the parchment and read what it said, his face went pale.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Helen.

    ¡°There¡¯s been another attack.¡± Delsani¡¯s voice sounded hollow.

    ¡°Another attack,¡± repeated Helen weakly.

    ¡°So it says here. It was a small Witch town that was built only three miles from the borders of Opredanas. I knew it and its inhabitants well, as did Saren and Henkot,¡± said Delsani mournfully.

    ¡°What was it called?¡± asked Helen. ¡°The town, I mean.¡±

    ¡°The name of the town was Kuople,¡± said Delsani.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure that I¡¯ve heard that name before,¡± said Helen.

    ¡°That was where Saren¡¯s sister lived,¡± said Delsani.

    ¡°Oh my god,¡± said Helen at length. ¡°Were there any survivors?¡±

    The Wizard shook his head. They stood there in silence for a few moments, and then Delsani spoke. ¡°Helen I must go before the situation gets even more desperate. Don¡¯t forget to call Saren. Now she definitely has to know what¡¯s happened. I hate to leave you with such a task but I must go.¡±

    ¡°Is that safe? I mean, you said that the assassin was tracking Phazes,¡± said Helen.

    ¡°Yes I¡¯m sure that Jaucal has left a small and safe window open for me. For he would not risk exposing Peter¡¯s whereabouts to the assassin,¡± said Delsani reassuringly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget to send someone for Dorana,¡± Helen said.

    The Wizard nodded as he Phazed back to Dorminya, and Helen went straight for the phone in the living room. However, as she was about to pick up the receiver, she saw that it was off the hook. She knew it had been Peter, for the phone had always fascinated him, and he was always picking up the receiver and talking into it. She reached for the receiver, though as she picked it up the front door bell rang.

    Helen put the phone down just as Peter got up and ran to the door.

    ¡°NO PETER WAIT!¡± Helen shouted to the boy. She was afraid; she knew that it could be anyone or thing. The assassin perhaps.

    Peter pulled back the small curtain and took a peek out of one of the thin windows at the side of the door just as Helen came up behind hot on his heels.

    ¡°IT¡¯S AUNTIE JOAN!,¡± shouted Peter gleefully.

    ¡°All right there¡¯s no need to shout. I¡¯m not deaf,¡± said Helen.

    Peter was jumping up and down wildly.

    ¡°Calm down,¡± said Helen as she opened the door.

    ¡°Hi,¡± said Saren, ¡°I tried to phone, but your phone was engaged.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I just found that out and was about to call you,¡± said Helen, ¡°Come on in.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± said Saren, ¡°what¡¯s wrong, Helen?¡±

    ¡°Something serious has happened. Actually, a couple of serious things have happened.¡±

    ¡°Well, I kind of figured that when I found this,¡± said the Witch as she held up an opened letter. But before they could say anything else, Peter started pulling Saren by the arm. ¡°Come on Joan,¡± he said.

    Helen was glad that Peter had come to her rescue, for she had no idea how to tell her best friend that her sister was dead.

    However, Helen knew that she only had a few minutes before Saren would want to know everything.

    ¡°Let me guess, cartoons are on,¡± laughed Saren. And when Helen failed to give even a faint smile, her friend knew that whatever had happened was not just serious but disastrous. Only ten minutes after sitting down with Peter, Saren made an excuse about helping Helen clean up the kitchen.

    Poor Peter, thought Helen. Every time he thinks he has someone to watch cartoons with him, he¡¯s always left sitting on his own.

    They went into the kitchen and Helen told Saren all that Delsani had told her before the letter showed up. Then it was time for the part of the conversation that Helen had been dreading. She broke the news as gently as she could.

    ¡°Is that the letter?¡± asked Saren as she pointed at the piece of parchment on the table.

    Before Helen could confirm or deny it. The letter was in Saren¡¯s hand and she was reading it. She cried aloud when she got to the end. Helen ran forward and wrapped her arms around her friend.

    After Saren had calmed a little, an explosion sounded in the living room. Helen and Saren ran in and saw the room was almost completely dark. The only source of light was the television. Then they saw a tall and very thin man standing in front of the T.V. where the boy had last sat. The man changed in front of their eyes. From someone with a deep tan, he changed to pure white. His nose shortened, his mouth widened to show thin sharp teeth, his ears vanished into the sides of his head, his fingers grew longer and were now like thick twigs, and his fingernails grew to six-inch razors.

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    It was no longer a man. It was some deformed, rank creature that stood staring at the women with its black, cold eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s him isn¡¯t it?¡± said Helen. ¡°It¡¯s the Druid¡¯s Assassin.

    ¡°Where is the one?¡± it grated in a harsh voice.

    Helen and Saren said nothing, and they both felt a sense of relief shoot through them, for now they knew that the creature had not found Peter.

    ¡°Where is the one?¡± it repeated.

    Again Helen and Saren said nothing. It was then they heard a loud snarling growl. It sounded as though it came from the ceiling. The three of them looked up at the same time. They saw two wide blue Dragon eyes staring straight at the creature. It was Peter, observing the monster, watching it¡¯s every move. The boy¡¯s fangs and claws could be seen glimmering against the faint flickering light of the television. He leapt from the ceiling onto the creature and began hitting and pounding it with his fists. He jumped to the ground and landed on his feet, grabbed the creature by one of its thin white arms and flung it into the coffee table that sat beside the couch.

    In the seconds that followed. The room grew dark. They could not see Peter or the creature. For a second, they thought they saw a dim, blue light, but as quickly as it came it was gone.

    In a moment of desperation and fear for Peter¡¯s life, Helen began feeling for the light switch. She thought that if she could not see Peter. Then he also could not see her. And Peter¡¯s fear of the dark might give the assassin the advantage over him.

    However, Peter could see through darkness with his Dragon eyes and was acting on pure instinct alone. He did not even know that Helen and Saren were in the room. He was concentrating purely on the assassin.

    When Helen hit the switch, the light seemed dull to the women¡¯s eyes. But they could see Peter standing in the middle of the floor. The light may have been dim, but it was enough to distract Peter. He stood blinking at the two women by the kitchen door.

    As the boy stood there for only a second, Helen and Saren saw a dark shape rise behind him. They knew it was the assassin, who appeared to be missing his left arm. Saren guessed that the blue light they had seen was Peter throwing an energy ball.

    Helen and Saren shouted to Peter. He turned, but the assassin slashed his face with its long sharp fingernails. Peter fell down onto his left knee, and the creature kicked him in the face and sent him flying past the two spectators. Helen squealed and ran to him.

    Saren fumbled in her pocket for her talisman. She quickly found it and fixed it to her hand, held it up and shouted, ¡°LETH-DEROY!¡± Light burst from the talisman and there came a sharp squeal as the darkness was driven back.

    The assassin was on its knees swaying to and fro. Its strength seemed to dwindle without the shadow around it.

    The Witch had realized that the shadow consuming the room was Ulicoth getting closer to their location. She knew that if the shadow was allowed to cover the room completely. The Dark Lord would send thousands of his creatures to ensure Peter¡¯s demise, and then all would be lost for the alliance. She stood her ground, but the darkness was again growing stronger.

    Just then, Helen and Peter (who was fine and completely healed) saw smoke rising and twirling round. When it cleared, a male Wizard and a Warlock stood in front of them. They were Ves-guards, both wearing light blue capes with the right side over their shoulder and held by a silver brooch with a blue stone. Their helmets were red, as were their shin guards. Their breastplates and mail shirts were ash grey. Pressed into their breastplates were images of Dragdani¡¯s Dragon with a wand beside his right wing. At its other wing was a talisman to mark the new Joint Council.

    The Ves-guards pointed a wand and talisman at the creature. Helen did not see the rest, for she looked away and pulled Peter closer to her and turned his view away as well.

    She heard shouting and saw flashes of light.

    Then suddenly there was nothing.

    ¡°It¡¯s all right,¡± said the Wizard. ¡°That thing¡¯s gone.¡±

    Helen looked and there the Wizard was staring down at them. She looked across the room and saw a pile of salt were the assassin once stood.

    Saren still stood with her talisman on her hand trying to fight back the shadow. The Warlock Ves-guard was standing with her and was ready to help. Although there were now two fighting it, the darkness still slowly pushed forward.

    The Wizard Ves-guard joined them, and the shadow slowed a little but still came.

    ¡°LET PETER GO, HELEN!¡± shouted Saren. ¡°He might be able to drive it back!¡±

    However Helen was not holding onto him; he held onto her.

    It seemed that now the creature had been destroyed, Peter¡¯s powers were again being suppressed, for his hair was turning dark brown again, and when Helen looked into his eyes. The green was beginning to fade back to hazel brown. He passed out shortly after that.

    Saren saw this and began to despair. The shadow seemed to get stronger in that instant. A sound rose up, a sound of laughter it seemed. It came from the darkness itself. For it had felt the drop in power when the suppression spell went to work on the small boy again, and it knew that now there were none left there that could thwart its mission. However, a booming, stern and commanding voice rose up over the laughter like an explosion of words.

    ¡°Still you try to fight even after your puppet is gone,¡± said the voice.

    The shadow gave a shriek as though the voice had caused it great pain. All in the room felt joy run through them; they knew that voice, as it belonged to Jaucal. The darkness started to shift, swirling in parts and fading in others. Then out of it stepped Jaucal and Delsani, closely followed by the rest of the Council and five other Ves-guards.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Don¡¯t tell me the Dark Lord Ulicoth is afraid of an old Wizard,¡± said Jaucal. ¡°Come now, don¡¯t be shy. I know this trick of yours. Talk if you will, or have your days of weakness not left you yet?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure that you are not just an old Wizard, for you are Jaucal, the great and powerful Grand Wizard of the Order of Lanisic, also known as the old fool. Only a fool would dare to challenge the Lord of Dempmage and think that they would live to jest,¡± said Ulicoth¡¯s refined, cold voice through the shadow. ¡°Why not just give me the boy? There¡¯s no point in trying to hide him. If I found him once, I will find him again.¡±

    ¡°The Grand Wizard I am, and though I have made mistakes, I am no fool,¡± said Jaucal clearly. ¡°I would not hand over the foulest smelling Orslat in our world¡¯s history to you. I know your mind, and it is not to kill Drago son of Jastark, but to raise and teach him as your own student.¡±

    Ulicoth said nothing for a moment.

    ¡°Perhaps I was wrong about you. Maybe you are not as simple as I had originally thought,¡± said Ulicoth, recovered from the blow. ¡°However; your lucky guess will not change your fate -¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re admitting that you were wrong, Ulicoth. If you ask me, some things have already changed,¡± laughed Jaucal, who felt Ulicoth was losing their battle of words already.

    ¡°IF YOU WILL NOT HAND THE BOY OVER, I WILL HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO ORDER HIS DESTRUCTION! AND THAT SHALL BE ON YOUR HEAD, AND YOURS ALONE, OLD ONE!¡± shouted Ulicoth angrily.

    ¡°As you yourself pointed out, I am Jaucal Grand Wizard of the Order of Lanisic and the Council of Wiz-Wit. I am holder of the Sceptre of Sevlter, and I will not be told what to do by Salith¡¯s underling,¡± said Jaucal proudly and loudly. ¡°You have made the mistake of thinking you have power here, as you can frighten all others, but I and Delsani, son of Furolt, see through you,¡± said Jaucal.

    ¡°Delsani, son of Furolt,¡± said Ulicoth, ¡°so you are also here?¡± he said, addressing Delsani directly.

 Chapter 26 - The Aftermath

    ¡°Delsani, son of Furolt,¡± said Ulicoth, ¡°so you are also here?¡± he said, addressing Delsani directly.

    Delsani said nothing.

    ¡°I heard that you were the one who persuaded our old friend John to join us at Kealhal. It truly is unfortunate that he couldn¡¯t handle the pressure and lost his head,¡± laughed Ulicoth. ¡°You know, I was disappointed that I was unable to add your head to my extensive collection. However, there is plenty of time for that, and I will get you. I will never forget the night at Kealhal, when you cost me most of my armies, not to mention my great victory. And don¡¯t worry, my old friend, I will put your head with your wife¡¯s. After all, you have spent too much time apart.¡± Again he laughed. ¡°Oh, by the way, John left something behind I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve noticed, something that looks like a silver Dragon.¡±

    Then to the surprise and even shock of the others, Delsani laughed also. Even Ulicoth was taken aback by the Wizard¡¯s reaction to his harsh words; the laugh was loud and extensive.

    ¡°You really are pitiful, aren¡¯t you, oh great and powerful Dark One of Dempmage,¡± said Delsani mockingly. ¡°Like a child afraid of a weary stranger on a dark night. And perhaps the reason for this is the simple fact that you know your time will soon be up. For your attempt to abduct the boy has failed, and I¡¯m glad to say there is something else of yours that has recently failed. The news of it is riding back to you as I speak. I do hope you like it, for I and many of my comrades went to a lot of trouble, and we think that it was some of the best work that we¡¯ve done as of late.¡± the Wizard laughed again.

    There was nothing but silence in the air, for no answer came, and most there thought perhaps Ulicoth was stumped by Delsani¡¯s words and had left to see if what he said was indeed true. Suddenly, his dark voice rose out from behind the shadow yet again, ¡°What you say means nothing to me, for if it were something worth worrying about, I surely would¡¯ve known of it without your futile words. My power can stretch far beyond the limits of my world, as all of you are seeing today.¡±

    ¡°Your power may stretch to this world; however I assure you that it does not hold sway with me in its stretched and weakened state,¡± said Jaucal, whose voice rang out loud and clear. ¡°Now be gone and crawl back into the hole in which Salith found you. You are not welcome here,¡± he said and raised his arms, tightly griped the Sceptre of Sevlter in the palm of his left hand. The large jewel in the top of the short staff burst with the brightest and most radiant coloured light to ever grace the faces of those around the Grand Wizard.

    ¡°Be gone, I say! For there is nothing and no one here whom you can see or touch,¡± said Jaucal. ¡°Now go back and never set your foul air around the walls of this dwelling again.¡± He turned his left wrist slightly, and the sceptre tipped forward. The light from it grew stronger still.

    They heard Ulicoth yell, and the shadow squealed as its master faltered. Everyone in the room flinched except Jaucal, who stood firm. It began to retreat slowly, as though it was trying to fight back and failing miserably. The Grand Wizard tipped the sceptre again. ¡°GO BACK NOW!¡± he shouted. ¡°NEVER RETURN!¡±

    The darkness squealed again. This time it was so loud that most thought their eardrums were going to burst. Some even found tiny amounts of blood running out of their ears. But it only lasted a few seconds, for the shadow made a swift getaway.

    Jaucal held the sceptre out, and it grew longer and looked like a longer staff. Leaning on it, he went to see Helen and Peter, whom everyone had forgotten in all the excitement.

    Helen was still sitting with Peter in her arms. She was holding the top of this head to her chin, and tears rolled down her cheeks as she silently wept.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Saren asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. But I don¡¯t know about Peter. He passed out when that thing was destroyed,¡± said Helen as she wiped her eyes with the end of her sleeve.

    Jaucal put all of his weight on his staff and knelt down to take hold of Peter¡¯s right hand. ¡°He¡¯s fine. The spell has put him into a deep sleep.¡±

    ¡°What went wrong?¡± asked Helen. ¡°I mean, you said that the spells you cast would stop him from finding us.¡±

    ¡°One of our people made a very small mistake,¡± said Jaucal, ¡°which allowed the assassin to find you.¡±

    ¡°And what¡¯ll stop that from happening again?¡± asked Helen fretfully.

    ¡°Ulicoth won¡¯t send another assassin,¡± said Delsani. ¡°There are no assassins left for him to send. We destroyed all of them and the Druids are all dead.¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡± asked Saren.

    ¡°We went to their place of worship. They saw us, and most of them fought us as we entered their temple. We had no choice but to fight back,¡± said Delsani. ¡°We pushed them back, and when they could go no further with the fight, they gave up their lives willingly until there was only one. The chieftain of their clan, before he took his own life, said, ¡°The Prophecy will be undone.¡±

    The room went silent, and no one knew where to look.

    ¡°Helen, do you want me to take Peter to the couch? It would be more comfortable, and I¡¯m sure getting off the floor wouldn¡¯t do you any harm either,¡± said Berlanin, who sounded more than a little concerned.

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    ¡°Yes, of course,¡± said Helen. ¡°Thanks.¡±

    Berlanin lifted Peter. Helen followed, and when he set the boy down, Helen knelt beside him and stroked his head as he slept.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s time for us to go,¡± said Jaucal as he looked around. ¡°There is much to be done in the aftermath of Ulicoth¡¯s show of power.¡± He put his hand on Saren¡¯s shoulder, and it was then that the letter came back to her mind.

    ¡°I wish I could stay with the Queen, after all that¡¯s happened, but I have to go back,¡± said Saren.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about us,¡± said Helen, still gently stroking Peter¡¯s head. ¡°You have your own family to go to.¡±

    Delsani and Berlanin both saw the concerned look on Helen¡¯s face at the prospect of being alone after all that had just gone on.

    ¡°If you like, majesty, I¡¯ll stay and help you with Peter,¡± said Delsani.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind staying, either,¡± Berlanin said.

    ¡°Yes, I think that would be for the best,¡± said Jaucal. ¡°I think we could manage without the two of you for a day or so.¡±

    Helen looked grateful and thanked them both for volunteering.¡±

    ¡°You know, I was thinking that it might also be a good idea for you to get more involved in the politics of the kingdom until Peter is old enough to rule. It would mean that you would have to travel back and forth, but I wouldn¡¯t have suggested it if I didn¡¯t think it was necessary.¡±

    ¡°That sounds like a good idea. I¡¯d be happy to help, but I don¡¯t want to leave Peter here alone.¡±

    ¡°To be honest, it is your duty as Queen. I didn¡¯t mention it sooner, as the council thought it best to let Drago grow a little.¡±

    ¡°In that case, I guess I have no choice,¡± Helen said, not knowing to be happy or not. Part of her was thrilled to be going back, but the rest of her was fearful of what might happen when she was not around to watch over her son.

    ¡°Good,¡± said the Grand Wizard.

    After the others had left, she asked how the assassin found them, not to mention ¡°The big guy,¡± by which she meant Ulicoth, of course.

    ¡°The young trainee Wizard who thinks he may one day be Grand Wizard,¡± said Delsani.

    ¡°I remember him,¡± said Helen.

    ¡°Well, he Phazed into the house and was detected by the assassin. And as Ulicoth was no doubt watching his creature from a very safe distance, he came as well,¡± said Delsani.

    ¡°Is it safe to stay here?¡± asked Helen, concerned.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Berlanin said. ¡°The Grand Wizard has stopped Ulicoth from finding the whereabouts of your house. And he can¡¯t send any more assassins, because there are none. This place is safe.¡±

    Helen then turned to Peter who was still unconscious. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± she asked. ¡°Why isn¡¯t he awake yet?¡±

    ¡°We forgot to change,¡± said Berlanin.

    Helen looked at them again and Berlanin¡¯s red and gold Council robes were gone, he was now wearing Normal clothes, which were: track shoes, blue jeans, and a grey T-shirt.

    Delsani had again changed not only his clothes, but his whole appearance again, looking young and fresh in a trim business suit.

    ¡°Mommy,¡± said Peter with a frightened expression on his face.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Peter. It was just a bad dream,¡± said Helen gently.

    ¡°No,¡± said Peter, ¡°are cartoons still on?¡± he asked hastily.

    Delsani laughed. For a moment he had been worried that Peter might remember what had happened. However, it turned out just as before, he did not remember anything about who and what he really was.

    ¡°What are cartoons?¡± asked Berlanin out of the blue.

    Peter shot a look his way and suddenly became aware of the new man in the room.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be scared,¡± said Helen. ¡°This is er...¡±

    ¡°Ben,¡± said Berlanin.

    ¡°He¡¯s another one of your dad¡¯s closest friends who¡¯s come to see you,¡± said Helen.

    Berlanin gave a little wave, but still Peter just stared at him and did not know how to react.

    ¡°He might watch cartoons with you, if you ask him,¡± said Delsani.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Peter excitedly as he jumped off the couch and parked himself in the same spot as before. Then he turned his head and said, ¡°Hurry up Ben, silly.¡±

    Delsani and Berlanin laughed, and Helen gave only a vague smile as Berlanin sat beside the boy, which was an honour for him. How many Wizards or Witches could say that they had even met Peter (Drago) Stark, never mind sat with him in his own house?

    ¡°Are you okay Helen?¡± asked Delsani sincerely.

    Helen put her hand to her mouth and started to weep. ¡°No,¡± she said, ¡°I¡¯m not okay.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go into the kitchen,¡± said Delsani sympathetically.

    As soon as the kitchen door closed, Delsani said. ¡°Tell me what¡¯s wrong.¡±

    Helen laughed and said hysterically. ¡°That, that thing was in my house trying to kill my son. Not to mention Ulicoth himself, the man that murdered my husband and you¡¯re asking me what¡¯s wrong,¡± she added hotly.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that you and Peter had to go through that. But now there¡¯s no need to worry. Ulicoth has no idea where we are, and as this world is so big, he will never find you. He is running scared, for he knows that when Peter grows, he will take his place on the thrown.¡±

    Helen nodded.

    ¡°One more thing,¡± she said, ¡°remember when we were in the main hall at the Towers of Telian and I saw my double?¡±

    ¡°Yes I remember. And we also saw Dragdani,¡± said Delsani, recalling what he thought was a great moment. ¡°Helen, as I said before, with different realities, it is best to forget what you see. Sometimes things can be the same and other times completely different. Although I know you were right, and I¡¯m sorry that I didn¡¯t listen. Regrettably, we still could not trust the information,¡± he said mournfully.

    ¡°No,¡± said Helen, ¡°I wasn¡¯t gloating or anything. It¡¯s just that I haven¡¯t been able to get it out of my head. I didn¡¯t want to say anything, but it¡¯s been driving me nuts with guilt. I was wondering if you could do a swish and a whoosh and get rid of the memory for me,¡± she said anxiously. She had never had a spell used directly on her mind before.

    ¡°If you¡¯re sure.¡±

    ¡°Well, if it means not having to see her sobbing face in my mind, then yes,¡± said Helen. ¡°Not to sound cruel, I know how she feels; it¡¯s just every time I look in the mirror, that¡¯s what I see. That¡¯s why I try not to look at myself after what happened.¡±

    ¡°I understand. Of course I¡¯ll do it for you. But you¡¯ll have to settle for an ordinary spell. No swishes or whooshes I¡¯m afraid.¡±

    ¡°I think I could live with that.¡±

    ¡°If you remember, that is,¡± said Delsani.

    Helen¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°I better remember.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m entirely sure of the spell to use. I hope it¡¯s not too powerful. There¡¯s really nothing to worry about. If I do get it wrong, you won¡¯t remember anyway.¡±

    ¡°Forget it, I¡¯ll live with the memory, thanks all the same,¡± said Helen as quickly as she could get the words out of her mouth.

    Delsani laughed aloud. ¡°Now there¡¯s only one between us.¡±

    ¡°Very funny,¡± said Helen smiling.

    Not long after Saren returned to Dorminya with Jaucal and without Berlanin and Delsani, they informed the Witch of some good news which, apart from the destruction of the Druids, was probably the only good news they had. It had turned out that they had rushed the letter she had read in the kitchen at Weston Road, and in their haste to get the letter away, they forgot to mention there was one survivor. This survivor was Saren¡¯s younger niece, who in fear fled the village not long after her mother was killed.

 Chapter 27 - The Kids Are Alright

    It had turned out that they had rushed the letter she had read in the kitchen at Weston Road, and in their haste to get the letter away, they forgot to mention there was one survivor. This survivor was Saren¡¯s younger niece, who in fear fled the village not long after her mother was killed.

    After being taken to the city, the girl was tended by none other than Henkot, and he worked all through the night and well into the morning to save her. To his dismay, he could not cure her of the disease. However, he had managed to stop it from spreading though her completely, and now she was half Wicca and half Valcota, which was never even thought possible before this tragedy. She was now only a shadow of what she was, for she was once a beautiful child with the softest skin, the brightest eyes, and beautiful red hair with rosy cheeks and a gorgeous smile. Now her skin was pale, cracked, crusty, and flaky. Her eyes were as black as coal, as was her hair.

    A potion was made to quench her lust for blood and help her live her life as best she could. Saren and Henkot took guardianship of her, as they and Dorana were her only living relatives.

    A week after the attacks, life in Dorminya was trying to get back to ordinary, but the fear of further attacks had swelled out of control. Every village and outpost of Wizards and Witches were deserted, and the inhabitants were seeking sanctuary in the cities. For to the refugees, they were now the only safe places there were, mostly because of Jaucal and Oruealth, as they were the most powerful Wizard and Witch of their day. Although they weren¡¯t Wizard-Elves, they were the next best thing.

    At Weston Road, most of the Stark and Henderson (which was the Normal surname that Saren and Henkot had chosen) families sat round the dinner table waiting for the dinner that Helen and Saren had discussed. Both ladies were still in the kitchen getting the last of the food ready. The others had offered to help, but Helen and Saren wanted to use this time to gossip and told the men to get lost.

    ¡°You know, you didn¡¯t have to come for dinner. I know that you have more important things to be doing,¡± said Helen.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, there are other things. But I need to get away from it all, as does Henkot. He¡¯s been working nonstop trying to find out how each victim died. The Council wants to know if the Dark Wizards are using any new spells and curses so we might have an idea of what we¡¯ll be up against if we have to face any more of them,¡± said Saren. ¡°And then there¡¯s Keruen, my niece. You know the one who survived the attack on Kuople.¡±

    ¡°Can she eat food? I mean, isn¡¯t she a vampire?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s only half Valcota. She takes a tonic to feed that side of her, though she needs to eat food to feed the Witch side, as well. Don¡¯t worry, Helen, she¡¯s harmless. She wouldn¡¯t hurt a fly.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I trust you,¡± said Helen. ¡°Oh, I almost forgot. What should I call Keruen while she¡¯s here?¡±

    ¡°Her Normal name is Karen.¡±

    ¡°Just so I know what to call her around Peter. And you don¡¯t mind that I invited Delsani and Berlanin?¡± Helen added.

    ¡°Okay, I know why Delsani¡¯s here; he¡¯s Peter¡¯s Godfather, but Berlanin?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s John¡¯s old friend, and I want him to get to know Peter.¡±

    ¡°Oh right,¡± laughed Saren.

    ¡°And what does that mean?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s just that he is single and good looking.¡±

    ¡°The truth is I do like him, though I feel I¡¯m betraying John¡¯s memory,¡± said Helen.

    ¡°Rubbish, he would want you to be happy. And he would want Peter to have someone to look up to, or even for him to have a dad.¡±

    ¡°I know, but it just feels wrong. I think I should wait.¡±

    ¡°Well, if that¡¯s what you want, then that¡¯s what¡¯s best for you. But just keep in mind, you¡¯re not getting any younger, you know,¡± laughed Saren.

    Helen chuckled lightly. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±

    ¡°And thanks for talking to me. I think that¡¯s something else I needed,¡± Saren added.

    ¡°No problem. You were there for me first, you know.¡± They smiled at the same time and lifted the full dishes in front of them then made for the kitchen door to lay the food out.

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    That night as they sat around the table, the three adults were talking about things that were happening in Dorminya. Helen wanted to know what else was going on, as she was heading back for the first time in six years.

    They had to try and find the right way to put it, for Peter¡¯s sake. But just then Peter reached up and tugged on his mother¡¯s jumper.

    ¡°Finished,¡± he said.

    Helen noticed he had hardly touched his dinner. But then, he rarely did. He would eat just enough to keep him going, and then would want to go and play with his toys.

    ¡°Go on then,¡± said Helen.

    Dorana sat looking from Saren to Henkot.

    ¡°Go on,¡± said Henkot, ¡°you can get something later if you want.¡±

    ¡°Would you like to play, too?¡± Helen asked Keruen. For the first time that night, Helen got a good long look at the girl. She was wondering whether they had used magic to change her appearance. For the girl looked nothing like Saren had described. She looked more like Saren had described before the attack.

    There came no answer from the girl. She just stared at the middle of the table.

    ¡°Keruen wouldn¡¯t you like to play with Dorana and Peter?¡± asked Saren gently.

    ¡°Ok,¡± said the girl shyly. She jumped down from her chair and ran after the other two.

    Helen opened her mouth to ask the question she had been dying to ask all night.

    ¡°We didn¡¯t use magic on her,¡± said Henkot, as though he had read her mind, ¡°She did it herself. After we stopped her from fully turning into a Valcota, we soon saw that she had not only their look but their abilities as well. Her thirst for blood you know about; she also has their ability to create the illusion of beauty. We don¡¯t know if there¡¯s anything else she can do. In fact, we don¡¯t know if Valcota¡¯s can do anything else. We¡¯ve never been so close to one, and anybody who has, well, they¡¯re not able to tell because they themselves were either turned or they¡¯re dead. Personally, I¡¯d rather be dead.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I wouldn¡¯t fancy it myself,¡± said Helen.

    ¡°How¡¯s Peter now? Does he remember anything?¡± said Saren, trying change the subject.

    ¡°No, nothing,¡± said Helen. ¡°You know, I can¡¯t shake the feeling that there¡¯s something I can¡¯t remember, too. It¡¯s on the tip of my tongue.¡±

    Saren nudged Henkot, who gave a sight chuckle and was fighting the urge to laugh out loud. Delsani told them that Helen had asked him to rid her of the memory of seeing her double. He had to, in case they would mention something about it.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll come to you,¡± said Saren. ¡°The trick is not to think about it. That¡¯s what I do; it usually comes back within a day or so.¡±

    Delsani was staring at them. Saren looked down at the table, and Henkot¡¯s grin vanished.

    Berlanin and Helen were eyeing each other from opposite ends of the table, and Berlanin opened his mouth to say something to her. Suddenly, a scream came from the playroom. The five of them jumped simultaneously. They were almost on the door when it exploded open as Keruen burst through it. She slid a little on the wooden floor and then came to a violent stop as she hit the wall opposite. Saren and Henkot ran to her, and Helen stood waiting for Peter to emerge. And he did, even more quickly than they could have thought. His blue Dragon eyes were blazing his fangs and claws were also showing.

    Saren attached her Talisman to her right hand. She had no intention of hurting him, of course. Though before she could do anything Peter thrust out his right hand. A blue surge of light hit the Wicca in the chest she stumbled and fell, unable to move, for Peter had used the Cripplize spell.

    Berlanin stepped toward the Draga-Wizard-Elf. ¡°Peter,¡± he said calmly, even though he had no idea what he could do to stop the boy.

    Peter whipped round to meet his gaze.

    The Wizard suddenly had an idea. He calmly turned on the T.V. and DVD player, put one of Peter¡¯s DVD¡¯s in and pressed the play button. He sat down in front of the television and laughed at the antics of the cartoon characters.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Peter, don¡¯t you want to watch cartoons with me today?¡±

    Peter stared at him momentarily, then his eyes turned to normal and his fangs and claws retracted back into their hiding places again, as did the silver Dragon-scaled tail that had shown itself. The boy was as Normal as any other six year old. He ran over to the Wizard and plunked himself down beside him and, as usual, sat spellbound.

    Delsani left, as he had to meet with the Grand Wizard. An hour or two of cartoons passed before Delsani turned up at the house again.

    ¡°What took you so long,¡± Helen asked frantically.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but sometimes it takes a little while to get a window from the C.O.W.S. They can be very touchy especially of you go to them to many times in a week.¡±

    ¡°Cows held you back?¡± said Helen. ¡°I had no idea there were cows in your world,¡± she added with a smile.

    ¡°Consortium of Other Worldly Status, or C.O.W.S. for short,¡± said the Wizard.

    ¡°Oh right, that¡¯s the special department that helps you with Phazing,¡± said Helen.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. How is Saren?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s awake, and she can shake her head a little. I think she¡¯s okay. You better have a look at her to be sure.¡±

    ¡°And Peter?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s still in the living room with Berlanin.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s always been good with children,¡± said the Wizard.

    ¡°What would cause him to attack that girl like that? Is there something wrong?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it was Peter¡¯s fault,¡± said Henkot. But it seems every time he loses his temper, his powers break free.¡±

    ¡°Helen, as I said before, the spells that hold Peter¡¯s powers weaken when his life is in danger, and only when his life is in danger, to prevent him from being hurt. It¡¯s just a precaution, really,¡± said Delsani.

    Henkot looked at the Queen and said, ¡°The truth is, we were enjoying ourselves so much that time flew, and we hadn¡¯t realized that Keruen needed her blood substitute.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± said Helen not knowing what else to say.

    ¡°I think that her need for blood became so strong that she couldn¡¯t suppress it, and her instincts took over, like what happened to Peter.¡±

    Helen jumped when something touched her shoulder. ¡°How¡¯s Saren?¡± asked Berlanin.

    ¡°What are you trying to do, give me a heart attack?¡± she said.

    ¡°We were just about to go and see to Saren,¡± said Delsani. ¡°How is the girl?¡± he said to Henkot.

    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine,¡± said Henkot. ¡°She¡¯s resting at the moment. I still can¡¯t believe we forgot to give her her tonic.¡±

 Chapter 28 - Anilang City

    The cursed Wolf Demala was hunting for his supper, a plump rabbit, when he saw a number of robed figures passing through the Karnen lands, and to his surprise, with them was a number of Lore¡¯s and Goblins. They were obviously some of Ulicoth¡¯s people, so he decided to follow the Dark Lord¡¯s chosen to their destination at a distance, as not to be seen. Ulicoth had put a high price on his head for the help he gave to the alliance at the battle of Kealhal. In addition, many, although afraid, would certainly chance a limb to get their reward.

    However, that was not what made him so cautious, for he knew that Ulicoth would be keeping a part of his mind on them, and any deviation from their planned course would alert him, so he kept his distance. When he saw their target was the Witch village of Kuople, he was ready to leave to alert the Wizards or Wizard, meaning Delsani. The old Wizard had asked him to keep his eyes open for anything out of the ordinary. He was sure that a small army running close to the borders of their land was very strange in deed. But as he headed for the Wiz-Wit city, he saw a girl running from the town¡¯s outer walls and into Burtairel forest.

    Knowing that she would not have a hope of survival on her own, he went in after her. He knew that even with his speed, help would not arrive in time to save the villagers.

    ¡°At least I could save one,¡± he told himself.

    When he ran through the tree line, he saw that like most of the forests in that land, it was dark, though there were patches of light where the radiance from the sun had managed to break through the thickness of branches and leaves of the trees and shine down on the ground, where fallen leafs and tree roots bulged out from the muck and sat in a sullen stillness. Demala looked in every direction and found what he was looking for; he could see the outline of the child running in pure fear through the trees. In truth, he could hear the girl better than he could see her, so he followed as best he could.

    Not long after, he heard a scream coming for the direction in which he thought the girl had taken. True enough, he found the girl in the arms of a Valcota. The Wolf made his presence known and chased the creature into the woodland. It fled with a squeal, for even the darkest creatures feared the Wolf, as he could not die by any action of theirs, and they knew it. They also knew he had other abilities they could not match on their own.

    As the creature fled to alert its fellow leeches, Demala checked the girl for any injures other then the wound to her neck.

    The bite had already begun to turn her into one of those beasts. He was surprised to see she was conscious, and was even further surprised to hear her already talking in their tongue. Then, as her eyes fell upon him, the words began to change. He could understand most what she was saying. In addition, as the words became clearer she said. ¡°Help me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± said Demala. ¡°But you¡¯ll have to climb on my back. I am a Wolf and can¡¯t carry you any other way.

    The girl reached up and took a hand full of his fur. Demala noticed her grip was very loose. He did not know if it was loss of blood, or perhaps she was afraid of him or afraid of hurting him in case he might turn on her, as to her mind he was probably just a wild animal.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid of hurting me. If you can take a stronger hold, do so,¡± said the Wolf. He felt her grip tighten. He knelt down closer to the ground to help her. She had almost climbed all the way on when Demala heard many ear-piercing squeals coming from all about them. He counted twenty, though there was a very good chance there were more.

    The girl had just put her leg over his back and held on as tightly as she could when the very trees above shook with the weight of the creatures. More squeals came from above them, and for a split second Demala found himself wondering how many there were. Nevertheless, he had no intention of finding out. So with the girl holding on for dear life, he took off like the wind, shooting past trees, wild flowers, and large bushes.

    When they cleared the last of the trees, they could hear the Valcota¡¯s squealing, shrieking, and screeching after them, or perhaps at themselves for their own failure.

    As Demala ran through that land, he could smell the burning of wood and flesh, among other smells he recognized with ease. He knew the difference between them well, for he had smelled them many times throughout his long life. And now he could feel the guilt of leaving those people to the host of Dempmage. Yet he knew there was nothing he could have done to save the village.

    ¡°But at least I can save one,¡± he repeated to himself.

    As they crossed the border into Opredanas, Demala did not head for the Towers of Telian. Delsani had told him that he would be spending time in the city helping the Grand Wizard. So the abnormally large Wolf made a beeline for Cayer-Huld, holding out hope that he might make it in time to warn the Wizards and Witches, so they might be able to save what might be left of the village. Although he thought he knew the outcome, he still pressed himself to get there in time.

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    As Demala practically flew across that land, he couldn¡¯t help but notice that the red grass and soil under his paws was very mild, as though they had been doused with a light sheet of rain only a few hours before.

    It was one hour before he saw the city gates, and this made his heart sing with joy, though he did not know how they were going to get past the gates, as he had never before been allowed in the city. However, when they were only two feet away from them, he was pleasantly surprised to see them open.

    ¡°How?¡± he said aloud.

    Just then, he felt the girl¡¯s grip tighten again.

    ¡°It¡¯s you,¡± said the Wolf. ¡°It¡¯s opened for you. And just when I was beginning to feel special.¡±

    He walked in, and immediately Wizards and Witches gasped as they went by. They did not go far before a Ves-guard saw Demala. He drew his wand and ran to him and said. ¡°How did you -?¡± but before he finished his question, he saw the girl on the back of the Wolf.

    He was not as shocked as Demala, for the Wolf understood the Wizard¡¯s words clearly.

    ¡°What happened to her?¡± the Ves-guard said aloud, while also wondering to himself if the Wolf was who he thought it was.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you, but first, please tell me if there is anywhere she can get help,¡± said Demala desperately.

    The Wizard, finally realizing that he was right in his assumption, pointed his wand up into the air, and three round red lights shot from its tip. The orbs stopped in midair and started to write in the sky.

    <hr>

    Ves-guard needs assistants, wounded girl at the city gates.

    <hr>

    Suddenly, lights of different colors flew up in answer. And within a few seconds, Ves-guards appeared from every street.

    ¡°Quickly, take the girl to the hospital,¡± said the first Ves-guard.

    The closest took hold of the girl, stood her up and Phazed her to the hospital as instructed.

    ¡°Now tell me what happened,¡± said the Ves-guard who first found Demala.

    ¡°You¡¯ll hear all I have to say, but only in City Hall with the Wizard Delsani,¡± said Demala. ¡°And no stalling; many lives are on the line.¡±

    The Wizard raised his wand to the air again, and again a flare shot up, only this flare was green, and it seemed to go higher into the purple sky than the others. It went through the imitation clouds that floated just above the city that were contained by the dome that surrounded and protected that magnificent place.

    At first Demala wondered why the Wizard shot the flare. ¡®Perhaps he¡¯s signaling someone that I¡¯m here?¡¯ the Wolf thought.

    However, as the thought ran through, his mind he saw an object glinting in the sunlight. The Wizard saw him staring up at it. ¡°It¡¯s what we call a Tear-Fly,¡± he said contentedly.

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Demala, ¡°I¡¯ve heard of them, but I¡¯ve never seen one.¡± He stared in awe at the giant winged water drop, and when it had landed, the Ves-guard ran to it. ¡°Two please,¡± he said. The Tear-Fly grew to double its original size to accommodate the Wizard and the Wolf.

    They were on their way to the City Hall, and would soon sit in the presence of the Council of Wiz-Wit.

    They lifted higher and higher with every moment. Although their ascent ended only a minute into their flight, they could see most of the city. Demala was again in awe at the sights he saw, for the city was one of the most beautiful sights any could see. Streets upon streets of houses, shops, restaurants, and pubs. The Wolf saw people scurrying around, getting along with their abnormal lives.

    The Wizard pointed out some of the sights as they flew on by.

    ¡°My name is Jert, and I guess that you are the Wolf Demala.¡±

    The Wolf nodded.

    ¡°And this is your first time within the city walls, is it not?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Demala.

    ¡°Well, if you look there¡¯s the Wiz-Wit Hospital (You Curse, We Nurse), the Sweet Shop (Tricky, Leety¡¯s, Sweety¡¯s), the Colweup River that runs through the city on its way to the ocean, the Pet Shop (Nothing Normal Pets), and the Mortuary (You croak, we stoke),¡± said the Ves-guard with a small snort of laughter. When the Wolf didn¡¯t do the same, the Ves-guard said, ¡°You know: You croak, we stoke, because we Wizards cremate our dead. It means, like, stoking the fire.¡±

    ¡°Yes I know. But don¡¯t you think that name is a little inappropriate?¡± asked Demala, turning critic.

    ¡°Well, at first some thought so, but when the owner couldn¡¯t change the sign, he made it so if there is a death in the city, or if the dead are brought here, the letters on the sign vanish for a week to show respect for the dead and their families,¡± said the Wizard.

    ¡°Tell me, are you an Anilang?¡± asked the Wolf curiously.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not, but the city is.¡±

    ¡°What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°It means what I said,¡± said the Ves-guard, grinning. ¡°You know this city as Cayer-Huld, though by some it is also called Anilang City. You see, when the city was built, the two founders, the first Wizard Cayer Varthker and his best friend (the Warlock) Huldcend Sayer, were Anilangs who could talk to Dragons. They had a fairly good relationship with the Dragons of the Ouertal Colony. This made them believe that it would benefit Wizards and Witches alike to have them as allies. So they made it possible for everyone within the city to understand the Dragons when they spoke, and vice versa, so they did exactly that.¡±

    ¡°The last time I checked, I¡¯m pretty sure that I wasn¡¯t a Dragon,¡± said Demala mordantly.

    ¡°Oh of course not,¡± said the Wizard hastily. ¡°Every now and then a new animal language is added to the city, and the Wizard Delsani has fought for your right to come here, since you helped at the Battle of Kealhal. With the help of the Grand Wizard who persuaded the Supreme Witch, the Council of Wiz-Wit soon fell into line and went along with the move.

 Chapter 29 - Intruders

    As their flight was nearing its end, Demala could see what looked like a great fortress far off in the distance. It was on its own aisle not far off the coast, or at least that is how it looked to him. ¡°What is that place, there?¡± he asked as he nodded in the direction of the fortress.

    ¡°That¡¯s the old palace. It has not been used for over Six hundred years, since King Dragdani last sat on the throne.¡±

    ¡°And why has it not been used since?¡±

    ¡°The last King didn¡¯t use it, and no one else can enter without the King¡¯s permission.¡±

    ¡°When I was a boy, there was a tale told to all youngsters who loved hearing the old tales, even to this day some are told. But this particular tale told that King Dragdani would return in our hour of need,¡± said the Wizard meaningfully, as if remembering the tale had awakened the memories from his childhood. ¡°It was also said that when the palace once again joined with the coast of the city, he would live there again and our entire world would finally be at peace.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that something like the Second Prophecy?¡±

    The Wizard suddenly looked offended. ¡°No how could it be. The Prophecy tells of his heir coming, not him,¡± he snapped.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean any offence. And I¡¯m sorry if you took it as though I did,¡± said Demala apologetically, as the Tear-Fly touched down.

    ¡°That¡¯s all right. I didn¡¯t mean to snap at you,¡± said the Ves-guard shamefully. ¡°It¡¯s just that I¡¯m one of the few that believe in the story. I mean, for us to have peace, I think it has to be true.¡±

    They quickly climbed out of the Tear-Fly and walked up the steps to the city Hall entrance and were seen by most of the members of the Council of Wiz-Wit, as they had just adjourned from their meeting.

    ¡°That¡¯s the Grand Wizard and the Supreme Witch standing together,¡± said the Ves-guard pointing to them. And before he could say or do anything, Demala ran forward to them.

    ¡°You must hurry,¡± he said urgently, ¡°before it is too late. The town of Kuople is under attack.¡±

    ¡°A second attack?¡± asked Berlanin.

    ¡°Shall we summon the Ves-guards?¡± asked Galfead.

    ¡°Quickly,¡± said Oruealth fretfully

    Ves-guards from all over the city assembled outside the City Hall, and against the protests of the Council Jaucal, and Oruealth went as well.

    ¡°Neither of you should go,¡± protested Berlanin.

    ¡°This is your time to get a little experience at running the city, my friend,¡± said Jaucal. ¡°I would say that it would not be wise to pass up the opportunity. Anyway, are you going to try and stop us?¡±

    Oruealth grinned, for she knew as all others did what the answer to the question was.

    ¡°Of course not, Grand Wizard,¡± said Berlanin.

    They Phazed their way to the Witch town only a few seconds later, however, when they arrived, they found the inhabitants of the town dead.

    ¡°At least they put up a fight,¡± said one.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°Yeah, but they still shouldn¡¯t have had to fight alone,¡± said his friend beside him. And the first one nodded in agreement.

    As they came to the Town Hall, they heard cheering and laughing. And there were the invaders. They were cheering and laughing because they had just killed two of the villagers, a Wicca and a young Warlock.

    Consumed by anger, the Grand Wizard stepped out into the sunlight, his white beard glistening.

    One of the Dark Wizards turned and met his gaze. He choked on the wine he had just downed.

    ¡°Who the heck are you?¡± asked the Dark Wizard as he wiped the last remainder of the spilt wine from his mouth and chin.

    ¡°One you missed,¡± said the old Wizard loudly and firmly, as to be heard by all.

    The others stirred as the Supreme Witch and Ves-guards appeared.

    ¡°You dare to ask who I am,¡± said Jaucal furiously, ¡°when you are the intruder. If you don¡¯t know, then I will be clad to show you.¡± He raised his sceptre high and said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You were so brave in attacking the people of this town,¡± mocked Jaucal. ¡°Or was that because you took them by surprise? Maybe your backbones aren¡¯t as strong as you thought.¡±

    The invaders advanced further, drawing out their wands. Their dark robes flowed in the wind that had suddenly come of the Grand Wizard¡¯s will.

    ¡°You three take that side,¡± said the wine-soaked one.

    The Grand Wizard put up his hand to those behind. ¡°These are mine,¡± he said.

    ¡°So you have overcome the yellow streaks after all, and you think you can best me,¡± the old Wizard said, loudly addressing has enemies.

    This fuelled the anger of his attackers, and bright lights of green, blue, red, and yellow flew toward the old Wizard. With his sceptre, the Grand Wizard swatted their spells away like puny flies.

    As they got a closer look at the Sceptre, the Dark Wizards realized that this was not just any old Wizard Ves-guard, but the Grand Wizard himself.

    The invaders ran back toward the building behind them. Some cried out while the others merely ran in pure fear.

    ¡°You should always finish what you start,¡± said Jaucal as he laughed at the sight of them. He took out his own wand waved it, and with shimmer of grey light, chains appeared in midair. They flew around the Dark Wizards who fell in a heap on the ground.

    Then Oruealth stepped forward, her talisman placed on her hand. She waved her hand to the left, and the chained Wizards were thrown into the wall of the building next to them.

    Shouting was heard from inside the Town Hall. More Wizards and some Lores and Goblins came running out.

    ¡°You don¡¯t mind if we do our jobs, do you sir, madam?¡± said one of the Ves guards.

    Jaucal and Oruealth laughed and the Supreme Witch said, ¡°Round up the rest quickly.¡±

    The Ves-guard nodded. ¡°YOU HEARD!¡± he shouted. And with that, the light Wizards and Witches confronted their opposites.

    The Lores and Goblins drew their weapons, although they would only attack as a last resort.

    However, it was not long before some had fled and the rest were dead, dying, or in custody. Three of the Ves-guards lay dead, and five were wounded in the fight. One of the less wounded was the young Wizard, Jert, who flew to the City Hall with Demala. His arm was broken by a rather nasty curse, but he was lucky that it hit his arm and not a more vital area.

    Those who were able searched the town from top to bottom and found that not one of the inhabitants still drew breath.

    Jaucal stood leaning on his sceptre, looking and feeling fresher than he had in weeks. It seemed the excitement of facing those young Wizards had reminded him of his old Ves-guard days. Though he knew that then they would not have run away like children from a tempered parent. He also knew that he should take no pleasure in it, for he would rather not have felt the fresh feeling nor had the good memories at all if it meant that the innocents of this town young and old were alive and well.

    Then a shadow came in front of him, and his daydream passed. Jert now stood in his line of sight.

    ¡°Sir, the town is now secure and has been checked. I¡¯m sorry to say there are no survivors,¡± said the young Ves-guard.

    ¡°How is your arm?¡± asked the Grand Wizard looking at the sling the young Wizard was sporting.

    ¡°Still broken, I¡¯m afraid.¡±

    Jaucal grinned. ¡°In that case I relieve you of your duty. Go back to Cayer-Huld and get yourself seen to.¡±

    ¡°But sir, there is still a lot to do here, and I don¡¯t want to just go home while the rest have so much work to do.¡±

    ¡°But, my young friend, I have a job for you. I want you to take all of the wounded to the hospital and when healed and well, I want you to go to the City Hall and tell the deputy Grand Wizard all that has happened here. Please ask him to send a letter to the Wizard Delsani explaining it all, as well. I think that is certainly far more important and less depressing than what we will be doing here.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Grand Wizard.¡±

    ¡°Please call me Jaucal. All these ¡®sirs¡¯ and ¡®Grand Wizards¡¯ are making me feel so old,¡± laughed the old Wizard. ¡°So do you except your new assignment?¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course, Grand - I mean¡­Jaucal,¡±

    ¡°Good, you may go as soon as you are ready.¡±

 Chapter 30 Days Gone By

    Ten years passed since the Wizard Delsani cast the spells to suppress King Drago¡¯s powers.

    Ten years since Ulicoth tried to get to the boy through the former deputy Grand Wizard and the salt assassin.

    Ten years for the one to grow up. Within those years, the Queen Mother, Helen Stark, married the deputy Grand Wizard, Berlanin. The three still live in Weston Road as a happy family.

    Delsani had warned Helen that if Peter¡¯s mind became too powerful, the spells he cast could break under the pressure. Nevertheless, they seemed to be going strong, for Helen had not seen any sign that the spells had broken down. In addition, she gave Delsani that very information every time he came to visit.

    ¡°You know, Helen, today is the day that we have to tell him that he is not just an ordinary Wizard and take him to Dorminya,¡± said Delsani.

    ¡°Yes, I know, and everything is ready for later. I¡¯ve sent all my assets to the M.E.A.L. (Money Exchange, Accounts and Loans) account I opened just before leaving Dorminya, and I put both Peter and Berlanin down as the beneficiaries just in case something happens to me,¡± she said. ¡°I want them to have something to fall back on financially. I¡¯m not sure how he¡¯s going to react. He thinks he¡¯s an ordinary Wizard, but he¡¯ll find out that there is another world and he¡¯s the true heir to the throne of Opredanas and that he¡¯s far more special than that.¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course you¡¯re right, though it will be hard for him to hear. He must hear it all the same,¡± said the Wizard. ¡°So when do you think we should tell him?¡±

    ¡°It can at least wait until he¡¯s had his party,¡± said Helen hopefully.

    ¡°Yes, of course,¡± said Delsani. ¡°And when will that be?¡±

    ¡°Half past five. He wanted to give his friends time to get home and change after school,¡± replied Helen. ¡°I¡¯ll keep back some of the cake if you want to take some home with you.¡±

    ¡°We would need at least ten cakes,¡± said Delsani. ¡°However, that won¡¯t take long.¡±

    ¡°Let me guess. There¡¯s a spell to make it grow to ten times its original size,¡± said Helen.

    Delsani laughed and said, ¡°No, but that is a good idea, though a duplication spell should do the trick,¡± he said.

    ¡°Could you make a little room next to the cake?¡± asked the Wizard.

    Helen did as he asked and Delsani took out his wand, pointed it at the cake and said, ¡°Duplacant.¡± And suddenly there appeared an identical cake right in the space that Helen had just cleared.

    ¡°Just think, only another nine to go,¡± said Helen sarcastically.

    ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t wait,¡± said Delsani in response.

    Helen laughed. ¡°But still it saves time.¡± And just as she finished, she heard the alarm clock in Peter¡¯s room go off.

    There was suddenly silence. ¡°He¡¯s up,¡± she said. But there was no answer, and when she turned round, she saw that the Wizard was already gone.

    <hr>

    Indeed Peter was up. He put on his stereo and cranked up the volume so he could hear nothing else. It was the same thing every morning. He would get up turn on the tunes and then head for the bathroom to get ready for school. And like always, it took at least five minutes for him to reach the bathroom, for he was too busy jumping up and down and nodding his head franticly to watch where he was going.

    When he finally found his way to the bathroom, it was into the shower and then on to styling his hair. Peter was lucky, or so his friends said, as he, unlike the rest of the world, did not need to use hair gel, wax, or mousse, or any other hair product. His hair was so thick and wiry that all he needed was water. He would style his hair while it was still a little wet from the shower, and it only took a few minutes, which again his friends thought was lucky, for it sometimes took them at least twenty to get their hair just the way they wanted it.

    It was not long before he was in the kitchen eating his mixed cereals; he liked mixing different cereals instead of eating the one boring bowl of the same thing.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°So what are you doing today?¡± asked Helen in an attempt to strike up a conversation.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± said Peter sleepily.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be doing nothing all day? Wow, school has really changed since I left,¡± said Helen sarcastically.

    ¡°Very funny, I¡¯ll do school work. That¡¯s what people usually do in school.¡±

    ¡°All right, I was only trying to have I conversation with you, Mr. grumpy.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t get much sleep last night. I was adding a few things to my manuscript and I didn¡¯t realize the time,¡± said Peter.

    ¡°I know what you mean, it happens to me all the time. Well, are you ready to face the school world today?¡±

    ¡°If I say no, can I stay off?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± laughed Helen. ¡°I was just being polite. Besides, how would your friends feel if you robbed them of the chance to get you on your birthday?¡±

    ¡°What kind of mother are you? You¡¯re supposed to be concerned when something like that comes up,¡± said Peter, hoping that this would change her mind, although he really knew it would not.

    ¡°I am concerned. I¡¯m afraid of missing it,¡± she laughed again.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be laughing on the other side of your face when I phone child services and tell them of that kind of abuse I¡¯ve been getting from you all these years,¡± said Peter jokily. He now laughed at the look on Helen¡¯s face.

    ¡°Oh, yes, all that abuse, like me getting you nearly everything that you moaned for most of your life. Somehow I think it¡¯s me that needs someone to call to tell them of the abuse I¡¯ve suffered with you all these years,¡± she said smiling mockingly. ¡°So ready to go?¡± she said at the last minute.

    ¡°Not yet. I haven¡¯t finished my breakfast.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re stalling.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m hoping that by being late, all my friends will already be in class and will unfortunately miss their chance to get me.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s always after school.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already thought of that. I¡¯ll get detention and again they¡¯ll miss me,¡± said Peter confidently.

    ¡°For that, they¡¯ll get you for sure, cause I¡¯ll help them.¡± Helen laughed at the look of annoyance on his face as he was trying to think of a way out of it.

    ¡°Wait until everyone¡¯s gone, then I¡¯ll skip detention.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll bring them back and they can hide in the garden and wait for you to come home.¡±

    ¡°Again I ask what kind of a mother are you?¡±

    Again Helen laughed. ¡°The nightmare kind, you should know that by now. Right, come on, you¡¯ve had long enough. The sooner you go, the sooner you come back.¡±

    ¡°No. The longer I stay the sooner I get back.¡±

    ¡°Very good, smarty pants, but now it¡¯s time to go. I haven¡¯t got all day, you know.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a writer; you¡¯ve always got all day.¡±

    Helen said nothing. She just gave him a stern look. Peter knew this look. He knew it well, and it meant she was losing her patience.

    ¡°Fine,¡± he groaned and wolfed down the rest of his mixed cereal.

    When they got to the door, Peter grabbed one of the many skateboards that sat on the wall rack on the left side of the front hall. Peter liked skating ever since he got his first skateboard from Delsani for his seventh birthday.

    ¡°You sure you¡¯ve got everything you need?¡± asked Helen as she opened the front door.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Peter yawned.

    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want me to pick you up after school today?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± he repeated with yet another yawn.

    ¡°It¡¯s your own fault for not going to bed early enough.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± he droned.

    <hr>

    The car pulled up beside the curb facing Main Vale Senior High School, and Peter swiftly jumped out. His friends waved when they saw him, and Peter waved back as he walked to the first set of steps to head up to the double doors at the entrance.

    A sinister smile came across Helen¡¯s face, and she hastily pushed the button to roll down the electric window. ¡°Peter,¡± she shouted. The boy turned. ¡°Don¡¯t I get a kiss today?¡± she said. ¡°I usually get one before we leave the house. You must have forgotten today.¡±

    Peter¡¯s mouth fell open. He couldn¡¯t believe she had done it. Just wait, he thought to himself. Just you wait.

    ¡°You are too bad, Helen,¡± she said to herself as she drove off.

    As he cleared the last step and came upon his friends, Peter could see they were trying not to laugh, though he knew they really wanted too, and he appreciated their attempt to hide it.

    ¡°So that was a little embarrassing,¡± said Cartman. They gave him that nickname because every time anyone mentioned him being overweight, he would dismiss it by saying, ¡°I¡¯m just big boned,¡± which always brought a ring of laughter. His real name was Keith Connor. His forehead looked too tall for his round face and rosy cheeks. He wore a navy hoodie with a white skull; black short pants, and grey and black track shoes.

    Then there are the rest of Peter¡¯s friends: Karen Ken was nicknamed Wheezy because she had Asthma and almost always had her inhaler in her mouth. She wore a black cardigan, plain black T-shirt, long maroon skirt, and black witch-style silver-buckled shoes. Her dirty blonde hair was tied up onto her head. Her grey eyes, long eyelashes, short cute nose and thin lips suited her sweat peach face perfectly. She was certainly the smartest in the group, and there was no doubt about it.

    Jerry Walters, nickname Wile E. Coyote, but they mostly called him Wile E., because of all of his over the top plans and harebrained schemes, though all in all he was probably the second smartest of the group, but certainly not the wisest.

    He was wearing a dark red T-shirt and a black long sleeved shirt underneath. He also wore long-legged shorts, which was one of the more popular fashions with most teenagers at that time. With short, dark hair spiked strait up, and his tanned skin told that he liked the sun. He was good-looking to a certain degree, but didn¡¯t have a girlfriend.

    The last one of Peter¡¯s friends was Danielle Ewing, nickname DesDan, which was short for Desperate Dan. She was called that because she was always attracted to people who, let¡¯s just say, were not very desirable, which made her look a little desperate to the more superficial people in the school. Nevertheless, she didn¡¯t care about the way people looked.

 Chapter 31 Mister Weavger

    Most of the people in their school believed that they were losers. Even Peter had been called a loser a few times, for only his friends and his girlfriend, Charity, knew that Helen was rich, and they all promised not to tell a soul unless instructed by him personally. And the young King definitely had a hard time trying to keep it quiet. In fact, that was the reason he went out with Charity in the first place. She threatened to tell everyone if he didn¡¯t. She had always wanted a rich boyfriend and was delighted when he agreed to her terms.

    Peter¡¯s friends didn¡¯t like her even before she blackmailed Peter, for she was one for the more popular crowd. And naturally, she wanted Peter to change the way he dressed and acted and ditch those loser friends of his, so he could join her group of friends. Which the losers fittingly named the Barbie Doll Club, because that¡¯s what they reminded them of, Ken¡¯s and Barbie¡¯s, all brainless dolls walking around without a clue.

    As far as changing who and how he was, Peter put his foot down and said, ¡°If you can¡¯t have me for who I am, I¡¯ll tell everyone the truth and you can go jump off a cliff.¡±

    It would be an understatement to say that she was upset. However, she was so afraid of losing her new rich boyfriend that she said she was sorry, and it didn¡¯t matter. He¡¯ll come round to my way of thinking, she unwittingly told herself. He never did.

    Truth be told, the reason that Peter agreed to go out with her was not because of his secret, for he would have gladly told everyone the truth rather than be blackmailed by some Barbie doll who wanted to sell herself to the richest boy in school. No, the truth was that he wanted to go out with her. He always had. He just never thought he had a chance. So he was making her think that she had won when in fact he was the one that was winning, as he was getting to go out with the girl he had always wanted and she was getting Peter Stark, sk8erboy or D.L. to his small circle of friends, which is short for Dragon lover. His friends caught onto it from Helen. They thought that it suited him, as when he was six he saw a poster of a Dragon and was completely fascinated by it, and he had to have it for his room.

    Through the years, he had collected Dragon posters, clothing, ornaments, and many, many more objects. Helen swore that if he didn¡¯t get rid of some of it, one day she would have to buy a separate house for junk alone, but he never listened. He liked his Dragon collection, and as far as he was concerned, he would keep collecting as long as he could.

    ¡°I think we¡¯d better hurry before we¡¯re late for class,¡± said Wheezy, and she stuck her inhaler in her mouth and took a short blast of the cool vapor as she felt her chest tighten. Then quickly put it back in her pocket.

    ¡°Wait, this isn¡¯t right, you guys,¡± said Cartman. ¡°We should tell him,¡± he said, nodding toward Peter. ¡°I mean, we¡¯ve been friends since the first day of school. I can¡¯t let it happen like that.¡±

    ¡°Tell me what?¡± asked Peter obviously intrigued.

    ¡°You just couldn¡¯t keep your big mouth shut,¡± said Wile E. paying no heed to Peter¡¯s question. ¡°It¡¯s nothing to do with us. She¡¯ll tell him at first break. She said she would.¡±

    ¡°Tell me what?¡± repeated Peter, only louder this time, He hated it when people ignored him.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s about Charity,¡± said Wheezy.

    ¡°You know what? I think I¡¯ll ask her,¡± interrupted Peter as he saw Charity¡¯s mum¡¯s flashy car pull up to the curb. ¡°Maybe then I¡¯ll get some real answers.¡± He ran down to meet her as she stepped out of the car.

    ¡°Well, that was rude,¡± said Wheezy, who sniffed loudly and turned on her heel and headed to the entrance of the school to get ahead of the group and hide the tears that were welling up in her eyes. She liked Peter a little more than he knew, and to be brushed aside like that hurt her.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!

    ¡°Come on,¡± said Wile E., ¡°I¡¯m sure he didn¡¯t mean it like it sounded. He probably just wanted to hear it from her.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t defend him Wile E. He¡¯s been running to her for a while now,¡± said DesDan hotly.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s all going to change soon enough,¡± commented Cartman.

    ¡°Who will he run to then?¡± added DesDan.

    ¡°Us, because we¡¯re his friends, and just because he wants to spend some time with his girlfriend, it doesn¡¯t make him a criminal, does it?¡± said Wheezy defensively.

    ¡°No,¡± said DesDan.

    ¡°We should be here for him when Charity dumps him. Think how you would have felt if he wasn¡¯t there for you when you counted on him, which up until now has never happened. He¡¯s always been there for us,¡± said Wheezy.

    ¡°All right, Wheeze, I know you¡¯re right,¡± DesDan said and threw her arms around her wheezy friend.

    <hr>

    Peter quizzed Charity about what his friends said. She didn¡¯t seem too pleased with them. ¡°They said they¡¯d give me until half past ten,¡± she said, momentarily forgetting that Peter was there.

    ¡°For what?¡± asked Peter, his patients now wearing a little thin?

    ¡°I can¡¯t afford to be late again this week or I¡¯ll get detention. It is important, and I should have told you sooner, but now I¡¯ll have to tell you at first break okay?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really have a choice, do I?¡± grumbled Peter.

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    They walked up the steps together but then split, for Peter needed to get some books from his locker.

    As he ran to history class, he ran into Wheezy. He actually ran into her. They picked themselves up and their books just as the bell rang.

    ¡°I¡¯m late,¡± Wheezy gasped. ¡°I¡¯m never late.¡±

    ¡°Calm down,¡± said Peter. ¡°What happened? Why aren¡¯t you with Cartman?¡±

    ¡°I forgot my books.¡± She took off like a flash down the hall.

    Peter swiftly followed, but she got there first. He wondered how she had run so far and so fast without needing her inhaler.

    ¡°Sorry I¡¯m late, Mr. Haster,¡± she said as she went to her seat.

    ¡°What?¡± said the teacher as he turned away from the blackboard to put a face to the apology? ¡°Oh, yes, late. Well I¡¯m sorry, Miss Ken, but I¡¯ll have to give you a warning for that.¡±

    ¡°I know, sorry,¡± she said again.

    As Wheezy went through the classroom door, Peter was only two seconds behind her. But he was stopped before he could get in.

    ¡°You¡¯re late Stark,¡± said Mr. Weavger with pleasure clearly in his voice. Weavger was thin and lanky, with blonde hair, which was very thin on top, his long face stretching because of wide smile that intruded his usually grim and serious features. ¡°I¡¯ve warned you about this before, but you just don¡¯t listen.¡±

    I don¡¯t need this today, Peter thought. ¡°I forgot the time, and I had to get my books from my locker,¡± he said to the teacher.

    ¡°I¡¯m sick of your excuses, Stark. Just one more thing, just one more and it¡¯s the principal¡¯s office for you. Well what are you waiting for? Get to class!¡±

    ¡°Umm¡­ in case you haven¡¯t noticed I was about to go in to class before you stopped me. See, I¡¯m at my class; I just have to go in.¡± Peter gestured to the classroom door with his hand.

    ¡°You think you¡¯re so smart, don¡¯t you Stark? Well you know something?¡±

    There was a pause, and Peter didn¡¯t know if Weavger was waiting for an answer. However, as Peter was about to ask if it was a valid question, he got his answer.

    ¡°I¡¯M SMARTER THAN YOU COULD EVER HOPE TO BE! NOW GET IN THERE BEFORE I THROW YOU IN!¡± When Mr. Weavger¡¯s voice rose up, it seemed not just to disturb the silence in the hallway. It was more like it shattered it all together. And if that was what he set out to do, then he certainly achieved his goal.

    In the classroom, Wheezy had just taken her seat only to start to stand after Weavger¡¯s voice broke the peaceful silence of the classroom. She was not the only one to get up. Other students did the same, including Cartman, who was just a row in front of her.

    ¡°Back to your seats,¡± said Mr. Haster. He was a stumpy, pot-bellied man with bug eyes, plump red cheeks, a constant double chin, and thick black bushy curly hair. The sound of moving chairs filled the room as they all took their seats again.

    Mr. Haster took a step forward as the door opened and Peter walked in, closely followed by Mr. Weavger.

    ¡°Collin I found this one out of class,¡± said Weavger conceitedly.

    ¡°I was just a little late. I was about come in when he stopped me,¡± said Peter, mad at Weavger for making it sound as though he was trying to skip class altogether.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any harm in him being a little late, Alistair, as long as he is here. Although I will have to give you a warning,¡± said Mr. Haster unconcerned.

    ¡°I think he should at least apologize for his tardiness. Well, Stark, apologize to Mr. Haster and the class for this distraction in their learning process you¡¯ve caused,¡± said Mr. Weavger.

    ¡°There wouldn¡¯t have been a distraction if you hadn¡¯t stopped me in the hall,¡± said Peter angrily.

    ¡°I said apologize. Or go to the head¡¯s office.¡±

 Chapter 32 Charityéˆ¥æªš Confession

    ¡°I said apologize. Or go to the head¡¯s office.¡±

    Peter said nothing. He was thinking of what to do next. In truth he had a strong urge to hit Weavger and tell him where to go. However, he knew that was just stupid. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for being late, Mr. Haster,¡± he said, ¡°and for disturbing the class.¡±

    Many of the students could not believe that Peter had given in so easily, for in his earlier years, he would have told Weavger where to stick his order. But Peter was already on thin ice with the school, and Weavger knew that he couldn¡¯t get into any more trouble or he would run the risk of being suspended or even expelled, depending on how serious his next troublesome antic would be. That¡¯s why he bit his lip and did as he was told.

    ¡°Thank you for that apology; it is appreciated. And I¡¯m sure that the class feels the same too,¡± said Mr. Haster softly.

    At that, two of the girls in the back started to giggle, and Wheezy shot at look at them so cold its chill could be felt throughout classroom. The girls stopped as soon as they saw it, but were sure to resume as soon as Peter took his seat.

    I¡¯m never going to live this down, thought Peter. He knew that as soon as class was out, half the school would hear of what had transpired, and the rest of the school would certainly know after first break which, to his delight, came quickly. As he walked the halls to the place where he and Charity usually met, he could hear the whispers of the people standing next to their lockers, telling their friends what had happened. He felt their eyes watching him as he walked. He could not tell if this was just has imagination or not, but he thought he could feel every new set of eyes of everyone who had just heard the news all turning to watch him as he went. It was then that he remembered that Charity had something important to tell him, and he found himself wondering whether it was good news or bad news. Well, if it¡¯s bad news, it couldn¡¯t possibly be as bad as what has already happened today, he told himself. Nope my day can¡¯t possibly get any worse.

    He was wrong.

    Peter came to the double doors leading outside. He headed for the place where he usually met Charity between classes, which was the place where Charity had given her proposal to him and where he had accepted.

    As he walked past his fellow students, he noticed that even more were staring at him. Some were even giggling and sniggering at the thought of him having to obey Weavger. For most, but certainly not all, of the students thought Mr. Weavger was funny and obviously thought this was yet another one of his comical antics, even though they had all certainly heard him shouting at the unfortunate children who tempered him, which wasn¡¯t hard to do. But he still went out of his way to try and be humorous. The students who brought out his terrible temper with even the slightest misdemeanor were harassed and humiliated, and even sometimes physically assaulted. They were not in any way seriously hurt. For mostly it would be a sharp poke in the chest with a finger, or a slight shake, and even sometimes a couple of taps on the head with one of their own rolled up jotters. Besides the unfortunate youngsters who Weavger blatantly picked on, there were others who didn¡¯t like the teacher, like siblings of those who caught the sting of his temper, and most likely their friends.Stolen novel; please report.

    Charity liked Weavger, for he was always nice to her and her friends. He often asked her what she saw in the waster she was going out with, and sometimes he said it right in front of the boy. Or if Peter were walking nearby, he would say it loud enough for him to hear it. He only did it to rattle Peter¡¯s cage, and the young King knew it all too well.

    He was thinking about this as he walked past the people sitting under the thick trees hiding from the bright sun and others lying stretched out on the green grass, letting the sun cover them with its bright warm rays. Others sat on benches or plastic chairs they had brought out so they wouldn¡¯t have to stand or get grass stains on their clothes.

    As Peter came to the bench that he and Charity often used to meet up, he saw her sitting where the sun¡¯s yellow light shone on her. And he knew he was happy with her, happier than he had been with any of the other girls that came before. He didn¡¯t know why, though. He just liked her. Or did he love her? Again he was not sure but would be more than happy to think it was love.

    ¡°Hi,¡± she said, noticing that he was staring at her. She seemed brighter in spirit as well as in skin than she had before, as though she were ready to finally tell him her big secret.

    ¡°Hi,¡± he said back, just as brightly. ¡°So what is this big secret of yours?¡±

    ¡°Sit down. Then I¡¯ll tell.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡±

    He sat next to her, as close as he could get.

    ¡°Any closer and you¡¯ll be on my lap,¡± she joked.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound too bad.¡±

    ¡°And what would my boyfriend say?¡± She slapped her right hand to her mouth in horror at what she had let slip, and she looked surprised at her own incompetence.

    ¡°Uh ...what the heck was that?¡± Peter inquired not able to hide the grin that was so determined to sit on his face. ¡°I¡¯m your boyfriend. Have I been imagining it all this time?¡± The grin was getting wider, which was more out of nerves now than anything else. For the silence that followed made him a little apprehensive, and a feeling of dread seeped through him. A thought had come to his mind that perhaps this was the end of what they had built. You¡¯re being paranoid, he told himself. He stared at the girl yet again and then said calmly, ¡°Charity, say whatever you want to say. Come on; get it off your chest. It couldn¡¯t be that bad.¡±

    ¡°Well, the thing is, Daddy introduced me to the son of one of his old friends who has just started at this school, and well -¡±

    ¡°You like him, and you don¡¯t want to see me any more,¡± Peter guessed.

    Charity sat there stunned. Peter himself was just as equally stunned; he had no idea where that came from, though he tried his best not to show it. And what was worse, when she didn¡¯t answer he knew that he had guessed correctly.

    ¡°How long have you been seeing him?¡±

    ¡°Peter, I wanted to tell you but I wasn¡¯t sure if -¡±

    ¡°How long have you been seeing him?¡± the young Wizard repeated.

    Charity hung her head, her eyes fixed on the white paving stones that formed the path that their bench was bolted to.

    ¡°Two weeks,¡± she finally said.

 Chapter 33 The Truth of things

    Charity hung her head, her eyes fixed on the white paving stones that formed the path that their bench was bolted to.

    ¡°Two weeks,¡± she finally said.

    Peter nodded, though he was not sure why he didn¡¯t speak up. ¡°Who is he?¡± he asked, getting the words past his dry lips while jealousy and anger started to show in his words and on his face.

    This did not surprise Charity; she surely knew what the outcome would be.

    ¡°His name is Steven Olbert.¡±

    ¡°The billionaire?¡± said Peter, realizing the true reason for Charity¡¯s affection toward this new boy.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s his father you¡¯re thinking of,¡± Charity chuckled, not realizing what she had given away.

    ¡°Right, he¡¯d be too old for you if it were him. Or would he?¡± Peter¡¯s jealousy was now flaring even more.

    ¡°What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°What I said. I mean, it¡¯s about money isn¡¯t it. That¡¯s what it¡¯s about with us?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that the reason you wanted to go out with me was because you liked me?¡±

    ¡°Yes it -¡±

    ¡°Then why did you ask me ¨C or should I say blackmail me? ¨C when you found out my mum was rich.¡±

    Charity¡¯s face went blank. ¡°I wanted to go out with you for years, but I thought that you thought I was just a Barbie doll. That¡¯s what you Losers call me and my friends, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°No, I never and would never call you that, even after this,¡± said Peter suddenly, thinking that maybe he was wrong. But why? he thought. Why throw it away if not for money? It doesn¡¯t make any sense. I tried to be there for her, just as she wanted.

    ¡°So if it¡¯s not for money, then why?¡± he asked

    ¡°It¡¯s just that I want to move on,¡± lied Charity. ¡°Can we still be friends?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Peter lied. He knew that Charity was lying; he could always tell when she was lying.

    ¡°Break will be over soon,¡± said Charity, looking to get away.

    ¡°Yeah, probably,¡± Peter¡¯s voice was flat.

    ¡°Well, I better go.¡± The girl got up and within seconds was gone.

    Peter sat there for three or four minutes. ¡°Happy Birthday Pete,¡± he said to himself. Then he slowly stood and headed for his next class, English, which he was reasonably good at. He wanted to leave early so not to give Weavger the pleasure of finding him late for his very own class. As he walked, he felt empty, as though someone cut him open and gutted him like a fish right there and then as he walked.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    He found himself going over his conversion with Charity in his head, trying to get why she would lie about the money thing. It¡¯s not as if I didn¡¯t know that she has a weakness for boys with money or boys who have parents who have money. Why? He was suddenly feeling angry, but his anger was not directed at Charity or this new rich boy who came and gave her a reason to stray. For Peter suddenly realized that he didn¡¯t really care that he and Charity were no longer an item. This anger was directed at himself, and wherever it came from, it seemed to make him whole again, as if he had gained something within those seconds.

    Why didn¡¯t you tell her to bug off when she told you the truth? Why didn¡¯t you walk away? Or even tell her you didn¡¯t care? And worst of all, why didn¡¯t you dump her before she had a chance to tell you?

    He stood still as this last question flooded his mind fuelling his anger. ¡°GOD, YOU¡¯RE AN IDIOT!¡± he shouted at the top of his lungs. His last sentence travelled far and wide through the corridors of the school before fading away into nothing. However, Peter hadn¡¯t noticed for a split second after those words leapt from his lips that he balled up his right fist and swung for the nearest locker to his left.

    To say that he was surprised by what happened next would be an understatement. His fist was not stopped by the door of the metal locker; it went straight through. As if that was not shocking enough, when Peter removed his bleeding hand from the hole, he saw the thin scraped wounds on his hand healed in a mere second. He stood there, his pale face whiter than ever. He turned his hand to look at its palm and then turned it back as if he expected it to be a figment of his overactive imagination, but there was nothing to say that the incident had ever happened, not one mark.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± said Mr. Weavger as he opened the door of his classroom just as the bell sounded. Peter slowly closed his eyes, for he knew that Weavger had him right where he wanted him and that he was in big trouble.

    ¡°It looks like you¡¯re late again Stark,¡± said Weavger. ¡°Oh dear, I guess your appointment with the principle is going to be sooner than I¡¯d hoped. What¡¯s that?¡± Weavger had seen the hole in the locker.

    ¡°What?¡± said Peter as he stepped to his left to try and hide it.

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid?¡±

    ¡°Trust me when I say you really don¡¯t want me to answer that.¡±

    By now Weavger was only two steps away from him. The English teacher waved his hand to his left, gesturing for Peter to step aside, however, when Peter did not, the man said, ¡°Move.¡± And Peter did this time. ¡°So where is it?¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s what?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand your position, Mr. Stark.¡± Weavger was reveling in the thought of finally getting rid of Peter. In fact, that¡¯s all he could think about. ¡°You see, you are in a lot of trouble. First of all, you were late for your first class of the day. Then you were late for my own class, which was to be your third class of the day. I know that doesn¡¯t sound too damaging, but then there¡¯s this.¡± Weavger held his hand up gesturing to the hole that Peter¡¯s fist had made. ¡°Destruction of school property is a serious thing. Under normal circumstances, I¡¯m sure that you would be fine. Though considering your past, I can¡¯t see you worming your way out of this one. So all that¡¯s left for me to do is to take you to the principal, and if you don¡¯t confess, I¡¯ll have to do my job.¡±

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s a first time for everything,¡± Peter said under his breath.

    Peter¡¯s witty comments directed at Alistair Weavger did not mean he wasn¡¯t scared of what might happen at the principal¡¯s office, for he was. Furthermore, what really scared him senseless was the fact that he couldn¡¯t remember Weavger ever sounding or looking so happy.

    The thought came to him that this could really be the end of his days at the school that to him was more like a prison, and Alistair Weavger, who hounded him in and out of the classroom, was the toughest, most unforgiving prison guard to ever walk the halls. The thought lingered in his mind for a mere moment, and this brought a slight grin to the boy¡¯s face, though the thought dwindled and quickly vanished as a new thought burrowed its way into his mind. This one was of his mum and dad and what they would say when he brought them this news. He stared at Weavger as uneasiness rolled over him.

 Chapter 34 Daydreamer

    He stared at Weavger as uneasiness rolled over him.

    Peter had always had an overactive imagination for as long as he could remember, and although other people say that they daydream, it seemed clear to Helen and the school faculty that with him it was more of a problem, and it needed to be dealt with as soon as possible. So the school principal set an appointment for Peter to see the councilor, Alice Tweak, whom Peter liked, and for years she worked with him to help him with his problem.

    At first Helen did not like it, for she herself knew what it was like to have an overactive imagination and also knew what it was like for other children to know. She had found out firsthand, and that was the last thing that she wanted Peter to experience, as children could be very cruel. Seeing Peter at seven years of age, she realized that he was very like her, for now he was as pale, thin, and angelic in looks as her.

    Every one of the Wizards and Witches privileged enough to get permission to visit the Queen and the young King said that he looked a little like his dad, too. Helen didn¡¯t see it; however, every time someone who knew John supposedly saw this likeness, it almost always led to the odd story being told of John¡¯s adventures with his group of friends. Most of these stories were told by Berlanin, who knew all of them, as he was present for almost all of the adventures. Any he did miss were told to him in the form of a play illustrated by those in the group who were there, as was done when any of them had missed out.

    However, all of the stories had to be altered in some way so as not to alert Peter (who loved to hear them) of the existence of the world Dorminya.

    Helen loved to hear them, too, though she thought he was too young and it could give him ideas. Nevertheless, she let him hear them, for she knew it wasn¡¯t right to keep them from him and make him leave the room so the grownups could hear the memories of their old friend and loved one.

    For Berlanin, though, it was mostly guilt that made him tell Peter, as all of the old group ¨C Jastark, Neusod, Berlanin, Veris, Jebut, and Shilta ¨C all held a secret they had all sworn never to reveal. It had to do with the real reason John was caught Phazing out of the Normal World and back into Dorminya. It was actually John who made them vow not to tell friend or family and hold the secret until the day they died. John knew that his life in that world was over, and he knew that if the secret got out, his friends would also pay the consequences. So he took the fall and also made his friends promise they would not waste their lives but do their best to rise as far as they could to make his sacrifice mean something and to make him proud.

    Berlanin alone felt the guilt of what happened, and he needed someone to confess the secret too. He didn¡¯t care about keeping it from Peter. Now there were only two of the group still living, himself and the Wicca Shilta. Besides, things had changed. The Council was not as powerful as it had once been, and he was now the deputy Grand Wizard. So he had decided to tell Peter the truth in Dorminya after he had been told everything else.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    <hr>

    Helen had told her friends about the principal wanting Peter to see the school councilor and had voiced her fears to them also. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do. I¡¯m afraid that this woman might mess with his head and something might bring back his memories,¡± said Helen.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry about that. Only other spells can break down the ones I¡¯ve used. She won¡¯t be able to do anything to disrupt them,¡± said Delsani.

    ¡°I still don¡¯t want him to go,¡± said Helen. ¡°I don¡¯t want him to think he¡¯s different than other kids.¡±

    ¡°I hate to be the one to break it to you, but I don¡¯t think you could find a child as different as Peter if you tried,¡± said Henkot sarcastically and truthfully.

    ¡°I think you should go back to this principal and ask him if there¡¯s another way of dealing with this. I really think that would be the best way to confront this,¡± said Berlanin.

    However, when Helen went to the principal, he said. ¡°That is the best way of dealing with it, Mrs. Lince.

    ¡°Please call me Helen.¡±

    ¡°Helen,¡± repeated the principal. ¡°There is only one other way. And this is what Miss Tweak has told me. If Peter¡¯s daydreaming problem was not dealt with, he would have to be moved to a different school, a special school that would better suit his needs. For the truth is, the teachers have so many students to teach that they don¡¯t have the time to concentrate on a single student with Peter¡¯s problem. And even if you did decide that you wanted to place him in such a school, Councilor Tweak would still need to see him at least once to be sure it would the right move before going ahead with it.¡±

    After that Helen agreed for the meeting to go ahead, but only on the condition that she also attend.

    <hr>

    For a while Peter was making a lot of progress but still had a long way to go. He had just started and was happy with his teachers, at least at first, for after only a week at senior school, it started, Weavger was losing patience at Peter¡¯s inability to finish all of his work in time, even sometimes not having any work at all to hand in due to his daydreaming. And for this Helen had been called in god knows how many times, however, not because of Peter¡¯s daydreaming, but because of Weavger. For Councilor Tweak had personally told all of the teachers of Peter¡¯s lack of concentration and had been asked by her and told by the new principal, Warren Holmes, to have a bit of patience and help him as much as possible if he was lagging behind, and give him a little more time and space also, if possible.

    All the times that Helen had visited the school about the bullying teacher, she went to the principal knowing that he would want to resolve this as soon as possible and thinking that Weavger might finally be put in his place. However, she was wrong. Nothing, as far as she could see, had been done to stop the bullying, and in fact, it had triggered more bullying from students, for they had seen the way Mr. Weavger treated Peter and thought that it would be funny to do so as well. This gang was led by none other than Jerry Walters, who would be in later times Wile E. Coyote, Peter¡¯s best and most trusted friend.

 Chapter 35 The Biggest Bully

    This gang was led by none other than Jerry Walters, who would be in later times Wile E. Coyote, Peter¡¯s best and most trusted friend. However, Peter was already a friend of Cartman and DesDan at that time.

    The bullying was short-lived, for Wile E.¡¯s own little brother was being bullied by someone bigger and beefier, and when Wile E. confronted him in front of most of the school, he was nearly beaten senseless. It was then that Peter stepped in to help, to the surprise of everyone, even Mental Chris, as the beefy bully was known. Although nobody really knew why he was called that, for as far as they had seen, he was never really that mental.

    The two former adversaries lay on the ground, both with bleeding noses and black eyes, Peter¡¯s left and Wile E.¡¯s right. At first as they lay there, the pain was not that bad; it was only as they made their way to the nurse¡¯s office that the pain began to set in, as though their wounds knew exactly where they were headed. When they reached the office of Nurse Paula Heeler, Peter knocked lightly three times, and when no answer came, he lifted his fist again, ready to knock a little harder.

    ¡°Come in,¡± said the nurse loudly, as to be sure they heard her. They did as she said and were greeted by Nurse Heeler, who did her best to muster the biggest smile on her pretty rounded face as she could as they trampled their muddy shoes over her clean floor. As her eyes fell on them, the big smile faltered. ¡°Goodness what happened? Look at the pair of you. You¡¯ve been fighting again, then?¡± she said sternly.

    ¡°No,¡± they said at the same time, making it sound like one voice.

    ¡°Then who?¡± said Nurse Heeler

    ¡°We can¡¯t say,¡± said Peter, who hated telling on anyone.

    ¡°And why not?¡± asked the nurse.

    ¡°Because -¡± Peter could not think of anything to tell her to make her stop with the stupid questions.

    ¡°Because,¡± said Wile E. out of the blue, ¡°the one that did it said that he would come after us again if we told anyone.¡±

    ¡°Oh he did, did he? Well, I¡¯ll have to inform the principal of what has happened,¡± she said as she started to wipe the blood from Peter¡¯s face. ¡°And he will most likely call your parents to inform them.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± exclaimed Wile E. ¡°My mum will go mad if you call her at work.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry but there¡¯s no other way. Your mum doesn¡¯t get out of work until after school, and by that time it would be way too late, and it is the principal¡¯s duty to inform the parent of any trouble,¡± said the nurse.

    ¡°Call my mum, she¡¯ll call Mrs. Walters, she¡¯ll call her as soon as she gets home,¡± said Peter.

    They did call Helen, and she and Berlanin (who had just started a three day holiday to do a little work on the house) went to see ¡°what the heck are those teachers playing at,¡± which, of course, were Helen¡¯s words. As they headed for the principal¡¯s office, they accidentally ran into Mr. Weavger, who was on his way to class.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Good evening, Helen, Ben,¡± said the teacher.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you have the bloody balls to call us by our first names after what you¡¯ve done to our son. It¡¯s Mr. and Mrs. Lince to you,¡± said Helen who had changed her last name after remarrying, and the guilt she felt for that alone was pretty bad. She thought that she was betraying John¡¯s memory in some way.

    However, it was Peter who helped her. He kept his birth name, but not out of spite at his mother marrying someone else. In truth, Berlanin was the only real father that Peter had ever known, and he was happy and happy for them. Peter never really knew why he kept the name Stark; all he knew was that for some reason, he felt connected to it in a way that he was never able to explain.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± lied Weavger.

    Berlanin was pleasantly surprised at her restraint. He was sure she would have lifted something and lobbed it at him by know. He took Helen by the arm and took a few steps away from Weavger and said, ¡°Helen, why don¡¯t you go on, and I¡¯ll join you in a little while.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I have to get to class,¡± said the teacher.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you can spare a few moments,¡± said the Wizard. ¡°Please go on and see the principal. I think the last thing we need is for you to be guilty of manslaughter,¡± he whispered to Helen.

    Helen threw him a look as though to say very funny, though she did as she was asked, but not before giving Weavger the dirtiest look in the history of the human race.

    Berlanin and Mr. Weavger had only talked for about five or six minutes when the vice principal, Herbert Leer, joined them. He had heard their raised voices and decided to investigate.

    ¡°So what makes you think you can treat our son the way you do?¡± asked Berlanin, who was so sorry that he had left his wand at home.

    Mr. Leer put up his hand in protest. ¡°Please Mr. Lince -¡±

    ¡°Was I talking to you? I don¡¯t think so. So why don¡¯t you shut up and mind your own business!¡± said Berlanin loudly. ¡°Weren¡¯t you told about my son needing a little more help in class than others?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Weavger, ¡°I was informed about it. But I personally think that Peter (Weavger only called Peter by his first name when talking to adults. Any other time as you probably have seen he calls him by his surname) is either looking for attention or he¡¯s too lazy to do the work. Because, he doesn¡¯t seem slow to me at all. In fact, he¡¯s smart, and I admire that quality in anyone. And there are times when he uses those smarts, although very rarely. That¡¯s the reason I push him a little harder than the other teachers. Not out of dislike, but to help him realize his true potential.¡±

    Berlanin was almost convinced by the complements that Weavger was throwing, but there was one thing that stuck in his mind. It was something that he said in the sentence before the last. ¡°I push him a little harder,¡± Berlanin felt like laughing out loud, for the two teachers had not caught on to it. For Mr. Weavger had denied that he had been too hard on Peter in the past, but now he had openly admitted it, not just to the Wizard, but also to the vice principal.

    ¡°So now you¡¯re saying you do push Peter harder than you do the other students,¡± said the deputy Grand Wizard, a wry smile slowly showing itself as both teachers finally caught on to his meaning.

    Weavger¡¯s face went blank as he remembered his own damning words.

    ¡°Do you or do you not shout at my son for things you let other children get away with?¡±

    ¡°Yes I do shout at him.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll say this just once. Don¡¯t ever shout at my son unless you have a damn good reason for it. I¡¯m warning you, don¡¯t even think about causing him grief, or I¡¯ll be up here so fast I¡¯ll go through you for a short cut.¡± Because of Mr. Weavger¡¯s arrogance, Berlanin¡¯s anger was oozing out of every word.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know where you think you are or who you think you are, but this is a school, and we don¡¯t take kindly to threats, Mr. Lince,¡± said vice principal Leer.

    Berlanin paid no attention. He turned on his heel and made his way to the principal¡¯s office.

    <hr>

    Those were just some of the events leading up to Peter¡¯s situation.

    Now Weavger had just knocked on the principal¡¯s door.

    ¡°Come in,¡± said a voice from the room beyond.

 Chapter 36 Lies and Circumstance

    Now Weavger had just knocked on the principal¡¯s door.

    ¡°Come in,¡± said a voice from the room beyond.

    Weavger, in his enthusiasm to get Peter out of his hair once and for all, threw the door open so quickly it hit the wall.

    ¡°Go on. What are you waiting for?¡± he said.

    Peter by this time could see the joy in the teacher¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Well, what¡¯s this, Alistair?¡± asked Principal Holmes.

    ¡°It seems that Mr. Stark his no respect for his classes or school property,¡± said Weavger gleefully.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± said the principal. ¡°What exactly did he do?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s a lie,¡± exclaimed Peter.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind I was talking to the principal,¡± said Weavger as the sly smile he had continued to deepen.

    ¡°Please, Peter, let Mr. Weavger finish and then you can give your account on the matter,¡± said the principal. ¡°Please go on Alistair.¡±

    ¡°He was deliberately late for his first class, which was Mr. Haster¡¯s, and then he was also deliberately late for his second class, which was my own. And when I found him in the hallway, he had used something to put a hole the size of a fist in one of the lockers,¡± said Weavger hastily, the excitement clearly becoming too much for him.

    ¡°And what was used to cause this damage?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know; he wouldn¡¯t tell me.¡±

    The principal then turned his attention to Peter. ¡°Well, Peter, it¡¯s your turn to tell your side of the story,¡± said Principal Holmes, whose facial expression and voice had both suddenly turned serious.

    Peter knew that it didn¡¯t matter what he said, for it was his word against the teacher¡¯s, and he doubted the principal would even listen.

    ¡°Well?¡± said Principal Holmes.

    ¡°Does it matter?¡± asked Peter.

    ¡°Well, you are the only one who knows what was used to damage the locker, so please do tell,¡± said the principal. ¡°And remember that it will go better for you if you tell the truth and tell where you put your chosen tool.¡±

    ¡°I knew it. You don¡¯t even care if I¡¯m innocent. You believe what he has to say, no matter what it is,¡± said Peter, clearly hurt by the principal¡¯s lack of faith in him, even though he really had damaged the locker. ¡°And let¡¯s get one thing straight. The reason I was late for Mr. Haster¡¯s class was because I was talking to someone on the way in and forgot to get my books from my locker. So obviously I had to go back to get them, right? I mean, what¡¯s the use of showing up to class with no books?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but when I caught you late for the second time, you didn¡¯t have any books,¡± said Weavger.

    ¡°Please, Alistair. You¡¯ve had your say,¡± said Principal Holmes, obviously annoyed by the interruption. ¡°Now let him finish. There¡¯s plenty of time to go over everything afterwards.¡±

    ¡°Where was I?¡± said Peter, trying to sound distressed and look upset by what was happening, and he was pulling it off nicely. ¡°Oh, yeah. The reason that I was late the second time was because I got some shocking news, and as I went to class, I realized that again I¡¯d forgotten my books and went to go back. That¡¯s when I saw the locker, which was already damaged, and that¡¯s my side of it.¡±Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°And what was the shouting for?¡± Weavger said sudden. His face lit up again after he saw the dazed look on Peter¡¯s face.

    There was a short pause.

    ¡°¡¯God, you¡¯re an idiot,¡¯¡± said Mr. Weavger calmly. ¡°That¡¯s what you shouted.¡±

    ¡°Are you protecting someone?¡± asked the principal earnestly. ¡°If so it would be better to say so. It¡¯s nice that you would stand up for your friends like this, but it would be foolish for you to take the blame if this friend isn¡¯t going to have the decency to turn himself in to help you.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± said Peter, ¡°I was talking to myself. That¡¯s when I realized I forgot my books.¡±

    ¡°Alistair, what happened to your arm?¡± asked the principal.

    The sleeves of Mr. Weavger¡¯s white shirt were purposely rolled up to reveal his forearms. His right arm was bruised at the wrist, a little just above the elbow.

    ¡°When I tried to bring him here, he attacked me,¡± said Weavger, rubbing his arm to provoke as much sympathy as possible.

    ¡°THAT¡¯S A LIE! YOU ATTACKED ME!¡± shouted the young man. ¡°YOU GRABBED ME BY THE ARM AND SQUEEZED TIGHTLY THEN YOU TRIED TO PULL ME DOWN THE HALL! AND THAT¡¯S WHEN I GRABBED YOUR WRIST IN SELF DEFENCE. YOU STUMMBLED AND FELL AGAINST THE WALL!¡±

    ¡°DON¡¯T TELL YOUR LIES HERE, BOY! TELL THE TRUTH FOR ONCE!¡± shouted Weavger in retaliation.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough both of you,¡± said Principal Holmes, not as loudly but just loud enough to get their attention. ¡°It seems that we have a difference of opinion. The question is, what to do now?¡±

    ¡°Personally, I think the solution is clear enough,¡± said Weavger. ¡°Given Mr. Stark¡¯s record, I think expulsion is the only way to deal with this problem. Plus, it would set an example for the other students.¡±

    ¡°I take that sort of thing under very serious consideration, Alistair, as you well know. And I won¡¯t just expel a student without a witness to back up what you have told me,¡± the principal insisted.

    ¡°Are you implying that I would lie about something like this?¡± seethed Weavger. ¡°Just look at his record. Go on, that¡¯ll tell you all you need to know.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure that you would never lie about this sort of thing.

    But you must understand that I can¡¯t just go by what you say. It wouldn¡¯t be fair. I know what this young man¡¯s record consists of. I¡¯ve already read it a number of times,¡± said the headmaster. ¡°I know you¡¯re right; he has done some things I could have taken him out of the school for. However, I would like to speak to his parents before taking such action. I will suspend you until I come to a decision on the matter,¡± he said to Peter. He picked up his pen and wrote something on a small piece of paper. ¡°Please give this to your mother or father.¡±

    Peter leaned forward reached out and took it.

    Weavger stormed out of the office.

    ¡°Now go on home, son. Your suspension starts as soon as you leave this office. Oh, and tell your mother and father that they can come to see me as soon as they like,¡± Holmes said to Peter. ¡°And don¡¯t worry. There will be a full investigation into the matter. You will get a fair chance.¡±

    A full investigation? Peter didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said as earnestly as he could. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what I said before; I didn¡¯t mean to say that you would -¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s okay, Peter. You were obviously distraught. Now remember what I said about your parents coming to see me whenever they want.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I think they¡¯ll be here as soon as possible,¡± retorted Peter.

    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±

    Peter left the office and the school as fast as he could. He jumped onto his skateboard and was on his way home.

    His meeting with the principal had taken longer than he thought, and it was noon by the time he reached Weston Road. He stopped at the gate, pushed down the back of his skateboard with his foot and caught the top as it jumped up to meet his hand. As he went to push in the code to open the gate, his hand turned transparent and went straight through the number panel. He jumped back and cried out in astonishment and shock. ¡°What kind of magic is that?¡± he asked himself.

    ¡°WHY ARE YOU BACK? WHAT¡¯S WRONG?¡± the shout came from Helen, who had run to the door as soon as she heard him.

    Berlanin was not far behind.

    ¡°WHAT ARE YOU DOING BACK SO EARLY?¡± he asked as the gate opened and Peter started off at a run toward the house.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see that?¡± asked Peter, the look disbelief still set on his face.

    ¡°Don¡¯t change the subject,¡± said Helen. ¡°Why are you back from school so early?¡±

    ¡°I got suspended, and if that isn¡¯t bad enough I¡¯m under review and might even get expelled,¡± answered the young man speedily.

    ¡°Suspended!¡± said Berlanin.

    ¡°Expelled!¡± said Helen. They looked at each other then looked back at Peter and said at the same time, ¡°What did you do?¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t believe me.¡±

    ¡°Try us,¡± said Berlanin.

    ¡°Can¡¯t I come in?¡±

    ¡°It depends,¡± answered Helen.

    ¡°Depends on what,¡± asked the boy.

    ¡°It depends how bad it really is,¡± said Helen. ¡°If it¡¯s too bad, you can just stay out there.¡±

    Berlanin sniggered at the look on his stepson¡¯s face. ¡°Hurry up! I¡¯ll hold her back as long as I can,¡± said the Wizard.

    ¡°Very funny,¡± said Helen, clearly not amused as she stepped aside to allow him past.

    Peter wanted to run to the stairs, but Helen¡¯s hands gently landed on his shoulders and directed him toward the kitchen door.

 Chapter 37 Aftermath

    Peter wanted to run to the stairs, but Helen¡¯s hands gently landed on his shoulders and directed him toward the kitchen door.

    Berlanin chuckled. ¡°You didn¡¯t really think you would make it, did you?¡± he said as Peter¡¯s hands touched the kitchen door.

    ¡°He would never try to escape,¡± said Helen. ¡°He knows he wouldn¡¯t get far, don¡¯t you?¡± She tightened her grip and set him in the first chair they came to.

    ¡°Well, what the heck¡¯s going on?¡± said Helen as she and Berlanin sat opposite him.

    Peter explained all that had happened to him after he entered the school, right up to when he put his hand through the numbered buttons.

    ¡°So, what you¡¯re saying is that you put your fist through a locker,¡± said Berlanin, ¡°then you put your hand through the number panel. So we need a new code panel?¡±

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t damage the code panel. My hand turned a little transparent,¡± said Peter.

    ¡°A little transparent?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, just a little,¡± said Peter, frustrated, for he felt as if he were being grilled. ¡°I mean, it still had colour, but I could just about see through it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care about that stupid number panel or that bloody locker. What I want to know is what the heck does that principal think he¡¯s doing? He can¡¯t punish you for the damaged locker without proof that you did it,¡± fumed Helen. ¡°It¡¯s that Weavger again! How does he get away with it? This time he won¡¯t!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll go see if the principal will reverse his suspension or at least stop him from getting expelled,¡± said Berlanin.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m going, and I¡¯m going to end this once and for all,¡± said Helen angrily.

    ¡°And what does that mean?¡± asked the Wizard.

    ¡°What do you think it means? I¡¯m going to tell that smarmy git, that if he ever touches my son again, I¡¯ll kill him. Then I¡¯ll go to the principal and ask why he¡¯s accusing my son of doing something without any proof.¡±

    ¡°But Helen, he did do it. He admitted it to us. So we¡¯d do better drawing as little attention as possible to the locker incident.¡±

    Helen¡¯s temper finally broke.

    ¡°SO WHAT THE HECK DO YOU WANT ME TO DO, BEN, JUST LET THEM GET AWAY WITH IT?¡±

    ¡°NO, I¡¯M JUST SAYING THAT IT WOULD BE BETTER TO USE DISCRETION! IT¡¯S NOT AS IF ANY OF THIS IS GOING TO MATTER IN THE LONG RUN. AFTER ALL, WE¡¯LL BE OUT OF HERE SOON, ANYWAY!¡± shouted Berlanin, also losing his temper. For he, like Helen, would never stand for anybody trying to push him around. Though in his bout of anger he slipped up and Peter had noticed.

    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± said Peter. ¡°Where are we going?¡±

    ¡°Ah ¡­ We were planning on telling you later,¡± said Helen.

    Berlanin threw a worried look her way, as though he was trying to say ¡®no, not yet.¡¯

    ¡°You see, as part of your birthday present, we¡¯re taking you on holiday,¡± she lied.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯ll spoil the surprise,¡± said Berlanin quickly.

    It seemed that they both momentarily forgot about Peter¡¯s trouble in trying clean-up the slip up. And this was proven when Helen put her thumbs up behind Peter as he was distracted by Berlanin¡¯s quick recovery.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    Berlanin saw this, and a slight smirk appeared on his face.

    Peter, thinking that Helen was doing something funny behind his back, whipped round, though by that time she had already stopped with the thumbs.

    ¡°Well, a holiday sounds good. So we¡¯ll forget about the school for now and start packing,¡± said Peter, excited by this great news and by the thought of no more school for a while.

    Helen¡¯s eyes lit up as the thought of Weavger angered her once more.

    ¡°Come on,¡± she said as she grabbed Peter¡¯s arm and headed for the door.

    ¡°Can I grab my wand before we go?¡± Peter asked, as he pulled in the direction of the door. ¡°If things don¡¯t go our way, I can try the new transformation spell Delsani taught me and turn Weavger into a real toad.¡±

    ¡°Nice idea,¡± Helen remarked, ¡°but no time.¡±

    ¡°Good luck,¡± said Berlanin. The Wizard knew there was no point in arguing with her any longer and just decided to let her get on with it. Not that he would be able to stop her without using magic, which was not an option with Peter there.

    As Helen opened the front door, she saw and heard Saren and Henkot walking across the gravel driveway.

    ¡°Hey,¡± said Saren as Helen looked up and caught sight of them, ¡°we¡¯ve come to help with pa¡­ party-decorations,¡± said Saren. She said the last two words of the sentence so quickly it sounded like one. It was because she was surprised to see Peter, who was still fighting to free his wrist.

    ¡°What is Peter doing home so early?¡± asked Henkot curiously.

    ¡°It seems there¡¯s a little something I have to do at his school before I can help,¡± said Helen.

    ¡°Trouble?¡± said the Wicca.

    ¡°You could say that,¡± said Helen. She quickly ran over everything that Peter had said. And as she was explaining, she let go of Peter, who was not wasting any time and had already started up the steps to the front door.

    ¡°In the car,¡± said Helen, as if she had eyes on the back of her head.

    ¡°I¡¯m just going to er¡­ get a board off the wall in case -¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t need it.¡±

    ¡°But I always bring a board whenever we go out -¡±

    ¡°In the car,¡± she repeated as she pinched her left jeans pocket to press the button to unlock the car doors. She got it. The indicators flashed, and the doors clicked open as Peter walked as though to his execution.

    Helen asked Saren and Henkot to go on in and Berlanin would explain the rest of the story.

    Helen asked Saren and Henkot to go on in and Berlanin would explain the rest of the story.

    It was not long before she joined Peter in the car and they were on their way.

    As Helen drove to the school, Peter thought that it might be a good idea to try and calm her down or even try to make it sound as though it was not as bad as he had originally made it out to be.

    ¡°You know, mum, you don¡¯t have to do this. The principal also said that if I apologized to Weavger, it would just be suspension. I know I wouldn¡¯t like having to apologize to him, but if it keeps me in school,¡± he said thinking more about his reputation more than school. For what would it look like if people saw his mum fighting his battles for him? Peter usually didn¡¯t care what people thought, but this was different. This battle between Mr. Weavger and him had been going on for years, and if it looked as though Peter needed Helen to help him, well, it wouldn¡¯t look good for him.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that before?¡± said Helen her temper getting hotter as she thought of it. ¡°HOW DARE HE ASK YOU TO APOLOGIZE TO THAT GIT!¡± she shouted frantically.

    They turned the last corner and could see the grey school, its blue doors, white frame and matching window frames straight head.

    Helen pulled into the closest parking space she could find, just in case they needed to get out in a hurry.

    ¡°Come on. The sooner we get in, the sooner this¡¯ll all be sorted out,¡± said Helen. The anger could still be heard clearly in her voice as she stood waiting. ¡°Come on, Peter.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t I just stay in the car?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± she said firmly. ¡°Either you get out of the car now, or I¡¯ll grab you by the neck and knickers and drag you up to the principal¡¯s office. It¡¯s completely your choice.¡±

    ¡°The principal¡¯s office? So you¡¯ve changed your mind about seeing Weavger?¡± said Peter hopefully as he stepped out of the car.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m still going to see him about the way he treats you, but you¡¯re going to wait outside the principal¡¯s office.¡±

    Peter¡¯s hopes were suddenly shattered by her words.

    They went in right away, and just as she said, Helen left Peter outside the principal¡¯s office and made her way to Mr. Weavger¡¯s English Class. She opened the door gently and without knocking.

    Weavger looked up when the door opened.

    ¡°Helen,¡± he said as though they were old friends who had not seen each other in years.

    ¡°I want to talk to. Now,¡± said Helen firmly.

    ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll go into the empty classroom across the hall,¡± said Weavger kindly, as though he had not the faintest idea why she was there. ¡°Right, boys and girls, keep copying the writing on the board into your books, and I¡¯ll be back soon. Do not, under any circumstances, move from your seats unless absolutely necessary. Have you got that?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Mr. Weavger,¡± said the class all at once.

    Helen moved aside for Weavger to get past and followed him to the empty classroom.

    As soon as the door of the empty room shut, the whole class got up, ran to the class door, and strained their ears to listen. But they soon found that they did not need to, for the shouting started shortly afterward.

 Chapter 38 The Teacheréˆ¥æªš Telling Off

    But they soon found that they did not need to, for the shouting started shortly afterward.

    The students could hear all being said.

    However, Peter could only hear muffled shouts.

    It was Helen who started it, and Weavger retaliated almost immediately after the shock wore off.

    Weavger¡¯s voice was loud and his temper hot, but it seemed he had found more then his match in Helen, whose voice was louder and temper most certainly hotter.

    As Peter continued to sit, the boy seated only a few chairs away from him was trying to listen just hard as Peter. ¡°Who is that?¡± he asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s my mum,¡± replied Peter.

    ¡°I wish my mum would come and do that,¡± said the boy.

    It was at this point that Peter no longer cared what anyone else thought, for now he felt pure unadulterated pride for what his mother was doing for him, and as the shouting carried on, Peter found that he almost felt sorry for Weavger. Almost.

    ¡°She¡¯s my mum,¡± said Peter again only more proudly.

    The shouting suddenly became louder and easier to hear as Helen opened the door to leave, feeling that she had accomplished what all that she could with the teacher¡¯s telling off.

    Then suddenly, ¡°DON¡¯T YOU WALK AWAY FROM ME WHEN I¡¯M TALKING TO YOU! WHO THE HECK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE TO COME HERE AND START ALL THIS AND THEN THINK THAT YOU CAN JUST WALK AWAY AS IF NOTHING¡¯s HAPPENED! I¡¯VE BEEN TEACHING HERE FOR OVER TEN YEARS -¡±

    ¡°TEACHING!¡± screamed Helen straight back at him. ¡°PERSONALLY, I DON¡¯T KNOW HOW YOU WERE ALLOWED TO BE A TEACHER! YOU¡¯RE NOT FIT TO TEACH A DOG TRICKS, NEVER MIND CHILDREN¡¯S LESSONS!¡±

    ¡°WHAT DID YOU SAY?¡± the disgruntled teacher shouted.

    ¡°YOU HEARD ME! YOU¡¯RE NOT FIT TO TEACH ANY CHILDREN!¡±

    Helen walked away straight after this. It was not long before she appeared round the corner and stood beside Peter, her face flaming red.

    ¡°Right, come on,¡± she said to him. ¡°We¡¯re going in to see the principal and then we¡¯re going home.¡±

    Great, thought Peter as his mother put her hand on the door handle of the office, I¡¯m getting the rest of the day off. Maybe this isn¡¯t the worst day of my life after all.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but Principal Holmes is taking an important call at the moment and can¡¯t be disturbed,¡± said the secretary seated behind a small office desk.

    ¡°If you would like to leave your name and take a seat, I¡¯ll tell him you¡¯re here as soon as his call has ended.¡±

    Peter thought that Helen would not like to be kept waiting with her temper being what it was and all. However, she calmly told the woman her name and pushed Peter back toward the chairs.

    Only four minutes had past then the secretary called, ¡°Mrs. Lince, Principal Holmes will see you now.¡±

    ¡°Hurry up, Peter. You first,¡± said Helen.

    Peter went in first as Helen said.

    ¡°Peter, Helen, please take a seat,¡± said the Headmaster.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°What, just one?¡± Peter said with a snigger.

    Helen leaned into his left ear and whispered, ¡°Stop being a smartarse and sit down. You¡¯re in enough trouble as it is.¡±

    ¡°Yes, well, I don¡¯t think that is prudent at this time, Peter, with all that has happened today,¡± said the principal.

    ¡°Well, I think humour can dull the pain a little,¡± Helen said hastily.

    ¡°Yes, well, I was hoping you would heed my letter and show up quickly.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I read your letter, and I¡¯m curious,¡± said Helen, ¡°as to why, without any witnesses or any prove that my son had anything to do with what happened to this damaged locker.¡±

    ¡°Well, from what Mr. Weavger told me -¡±

    ¡°Mr. Weavger is an arse,¡± said Helen, ¡°and I personally wouldn¡¯t believe him if he told me the sky is blue.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t talk about my staff like that,¡± said Holmes. ¡°Mr. Weavger told me that Peter was the only one there when he got there. And the fact that there were only a few seconds between the noises of the locker being vandalized, Peter shouting, and Mr. Weavger finding him, means that if anyone ran past the English classroom, Peter would have seen them. And there¡¯s also the fact that if there was someone else, Mr. Weavger would have seen them before they could have gotten to the exit at the other end of the hall.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± said Helen. ¡°As soon as you show me the tool that was used to damage the locker, I¡¯ll accept your decision to suspend my son. But then there¡¯s the physical strength needed to damage the locker that badly.¡±

    ¡°Well, I -¡±

    ¡°Peter¡¯s just a teenager, and I doubt that he would have the strength to do that kind of damage,¡± said Helen confidently. ¡°Let¡¯s be real. Would you even have the strength for it?¡±

    ¡°Maybe,¡± said Principal Holmes.

    ¡°Maybe. So not only do you have no witnesses or proof but you also don¡¯t have whatever was used to damage the locker. Is that right?¡± said Helen.

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Principal Holmes flatly.

    Just then, Mr. Weavger burst in through the door. He was pure white, whiter than white, and his hands were trembling. He seemed to turn paler when Helen was the first thing that he saw.

    ¡°I need to talk to you after,¡± he said to the principal as even his voice trembled.

    He slammed the door and was gone as promptly as he appeared.

    ¡°Oh, yes. There¡¯s something I wanted to say to you,¡± said Helen. ¡°When that man attacked Peter, you tried to make him apologize for defending himself. What kind of a Headmaster are you?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think -¡±

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s a shock,¡± said Helen scornfully.

    The principal looked furious, and Peter tried his hardest to suppress a smile, as did Helen herself.

    ¡°I¡¯m willing to forget it all if you apologize to him right now.¡±

    There was utter silence.

    ¡°I will stand by Mr. Weavger, and I will not apologize for anything that he may or may not have done,¡± said the principal loyally.

    ¡°Let me put this in a way you might understand. Peter is a minor. A grown man manhandled him and physically hurt him. I¡¯m sure that you don¡¯t want the authorities involved. And I¡¯ll tell you something else. That man doesn¡¯t have the best reputation with most of the students or their parents, which means we¡¯ll have lots of people willing to help us.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know that anyone will want to be involved in anything that you would decide to do.¡±

    ¡°This school will be put under investigation, as will you and the rest of your staff. But to stop that from happening, all you have to do is apologize to Peter for your part in this.¡±

    ¡°And has Alistair Weavger himself apologized?¡± asked Principal Holmes, knowing full well that the teacher would not have done so.

    ¡°No, simply because I don¡¯t want an apology from him, because it would only be a lie from a bitter man and would mean absolutely nothing,¡± replied Helen.

    Holmes said nothing to this. Helen reached into her handbag and took out her mobile phone. As she pressed the first digit and its droning tone sounded, the principal threw up his hands. ¡°Please wait,¡± he said pleadingly.

    ¡°Admit that you were too quick on the decision to suspend my son, and I¡¯ll forget any of this ever happened,¡± said Helen calmly.

    ¡°I think that you¡¯re right. It was unfair to suspend Peter without any real proof, and I apologize, but you must understand that if a member of my staff tells me that there was no one else at the scene of the incident, I must ask the only person who was there if they saw anyone else. I¡¯m sure if you ask Peter, he will tell you that I did just that. I asked him if he saw anyone or if he was protecting someone and if so, to tell, but he said that there was no one. So you understand what I¡¯m saying.¡±

    ¡°What you¡¯re saying is that because my son saw no one there you, blamed him whether he was guilty or not,¡± said Helen.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant.¡±

    ¡°But that¡¯s what happened,¡± said Helen loudly and angrily.

    ¡°And I¡¯m sorry for that,¡± said Holmes.

    ¡°Then I think that¡¯s it,¡± said Helen.

    ¡°Well, you won¡¯t need to worry about Mr. Weavger. I¡¯ll talk to him, and I think it best that Peter take the rest of the week off. Then when he comes back on Monday, it¡¯ll be as though this never happened,¡± said the headmaster more confidently.

    ¡°No,¡± said Helen firmly. ¡°Peter will never be back to this excuse for a school again.¡±

    ¡°But he has to go to school; it¡¯s the law.¡±

    ¡°He will not here. Come on, Peter let¡¯s go.¡±

 Chapter 39 Forever Young (1)

    Peter emptied his school locker then both he and Helen walked to the front doors. As they came closer, they saw Weavger and two other teachers standing in front of the entrance.

    ¡°There¡¯s a back door if you want to go that way,¡± said Peter to his mother.

    ¡°No,¡± said Helen, ¡°we¡¯re not going the long way because of that gimp.¡± They walked up to the teachers and as they passed them, Weavger, who had not seen them, or perhaps did not want to, stood talking to one of his colleagues. ¡°Do you have a match?¡± he asked him kindly as he put the butt of a cigarette between his dry lips.

    ¡°My ass to your face,¡± Peter replied quickly and most happily.

    Helen instantly started into a fit of the giggles while they walked on.

    ¡°HOW DARE YOU TALK TO ME LIKE THAT, YOU LITTLE RUNT,¡± yelled a fuming Weavger. ¡°What kind of a mother could raise a brat like that?¡± he said to his colleagues, though loudly enough so Helen and Peter could hear it. They heard it loud and clear, and Helen halted, turned on her heel made rude gestures with her middle fingers. ¡°I would tell you to kiss my arse,¡± she replied, ¡°but I¡¯d be afraid of catching something.¡±

    The mother and son walked on giggling and laughing as they went. When they got to the car Helen pinched her pocket again. The doors of the car unlocked, and Peter dumped everything from his locker in the boot while Helen phoned home to tell Berlanin, Saren and Henkot they were on their way back. In doing so, she found that Delsani had turned up at the house. He told her to get back as quickly as possible.

    She decided it was probably wise to do just that, for the old Wizard sounded deadly serious, so they set off as soon as she got off the phone.

    ¡°What happened with Weavger?¡± Peter asked his mother who looked very anxious, but he just thought that it was because of all that had happened in the school.

    Helen laughed as the memories flooded back into her mind. However, even her laugh was a nervous one, and Peter could tell that there was something wrong.

    Helen saw that Peter was about to say something else, so she got there first and told him what happened at the school and what was said on both sides.

    What neither of them realized was that a black sports car had followed them out of the school car park.

    When they reached the first set of traffic lights, the lights had just turned red. Helen continued with her story, and still they did not know they were being followed, not until it was too late.

    The black car raced up the road to meet them. It was only then that Helen saw it. To her, it was like waking from a dream into a nightmare. It felt as though a shroud was suddenly lifted, and she could see fully again. She saw the car speeding toward them and quickly shoved the gear stick into first and slammed her foot down on the accelerator. The car shot forward. The junction was empty, though it did them no good, as their attacker was already on them and smashed into the back of their car and sent them flying across the junction. The only thing that stopped them from slamming into a wall was Peter, who threw out has hands, which caused a net of blue energy to stop them instantly.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    Peter felt his head, which was the only part of him that hurt. Other than that he was fine. There was not a mark on him.

    Helen, on the other hand, had a bruise on her left cheek, and her nose was bleeding.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Peter asked her.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. You?¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡± Peter said, still rubbing his brow; he looked across to where they had been. Sitting at the lights was the black car behind the white line. It did not have a scratch on it, as though the accident never happened. On the bonnet of the car, there sat a boy no more than sixteen or seventeen. When he saw Peter staring at him, he pushed himself away from the car and stood waiting for something.

    ¡°COME OUT HERE AND FACE ME, DRAGO KING!¡± the boy shouted to Peter.

    ¡°This guy¡¯s some kind of head case or something,¡± Peter said.

    As Peter moved to open has door, Helen saw their attacker¡¯s eyes turn purple?

    ¡°NO!¡± she screamed at Peter. ¡°YOU¡¯RE NOT GOING OUT THERE! JUST WAIT HERE WITH ME!¡± she emptied the contents of her bag onto her lap as she panicked to find her phone. Within a spit second, she spied it and used the redial function. Saren¡¯s mobile number came onto the display. As the phone rang, she kept staring over to make sure that the boy hadn¡¯t come any closer. To her surprise, he was still waiting at the lights.

    The ringing ended. ¡°Hello,¡± said Saren.

    ¡°Saren, please listen. We¡¯ve been attacked!¡± said Helen.

    ¡°Oh my god! Where are you?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t think. My head, it hurts.¡±

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Yes, apart from this headache, I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°And Peter?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s -¡± Helen was cut short by the pure horror that shot through her, like ice in her blood, when she turned her head and saw that Peter was gone. He had snuck out as Helen and Saren were halfway through their conversation.

    ¡°So you¡¯re not as much of a coward as I first thought,¡± said the boy with the black car.

    ¡°Who the hell are you?¡± asked Peter.

    The stranger laughed. ¡°So what I heard is true. They have lied to you.¡±

    ¡°Listen, I don¡¯t know who you are, and I don¡¯t really care, either. But if I were you, I¡¯d get out of here before the cops get here,¡± said Peter shakily. He was clearly still in shock after the crash.

    ¡°Please, boy. The rules of this world do not apply to me,¡± said Ulicoth arrogantly.

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand.¡±

    ¡°Try me,¡± said the boy King.

    ¡°Very well. The truth is, I¡¯m not really standing in front of you, for this isn¡¯t my true body. This is merely a shell, constructed so that I wouldn¡¯t have to expose myself to you.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s good, cause I don¡¯t really want you exposing yourself to me either,¡± said Peter with a smile, as he was trying to conceal his fear in case this was really some nut job, as all the evidence was beginning to point in that direction

    ¡°You mock me,¡± said Ulicoth, a hint of anger starting in his cold voice. ¡°It¡¯s a pity that you will never know who I really am.¡±

    ¡°And what makes you think that I¡¯ll never know? I¡¯ll just wait around for the men in white coats to come and ask them,¡± this time Peter couldn¡¯t help but laugh.

    At first Ulicoth wondered what Peter had meant by that last remark and thought perhaps he knew all and was just pretending not to? Why else would he be standing in front of me mocking me? He must know the truth, thought the Dark Wizard-Elf.

    ¡°The reason for you not knowing is simple; soon you¡¯ll be but ash in the wind.¡±

    As Helen looked out of the passenger side window, she could see Peter standing about halfway between her car and Ulicoth.

    ¡°He¡¯s out there with that monster! I have to help him.¡±

    Delsani snatched the phone from Saren¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Helen, listen to me. Do you still have the crystal the Grand Wizard gave you?¡± he asked hopefully.

    ¡°Yes it¡¯s here,¡± said Helen. ¡°It¡¯s on my lap.¡±

    ¡°Smash it.¡±

    Helen grabbed it and smashed it against the steering wheel.

 Chapter 40 Forever Young (2)

    Helen grabbed it and smashed it against the steering wheel. The white light that sparkled within it surrounded Helen and Phazed her away. However, it seemed that when Helen was whisked away, the sparkling light then headed straight for Peter. Unfortunately Ulicoth had seen it, and he threw out the hands of his disposable body and the light was thrown back and vanished. The assassin¡¯s eyes changed yet again and were glowing purple.

    Peter recognized them, though from where he could not say at first. Then it came to him; it was in a shadow that he had seen them before, the darkest shadow that he had ever seen. It was the very thing that had haunted his nightmares for as long as he could remember. He was now remembering other things, bits and pieces; however, two stood out from the others, two with long grey beards. The one who held a staff tightly in his hands drew the most attention. It seemed that he was fighting the shadow. Then in his memories, he heard the one with the staff shout a name. He saw the eyes again and knew that this was no dream. It was real.

    ¡°I remember you,¡± Peter said to the assassin. ¡°I know your name,¡± he said.

    ¡°Pray tell.¡±

    ¡°Ulicoth. Ulicoth is your name.¡±

    Ulicoth clapped his fake hands as hard as possible. ¡°Very good memory you have, my young friend. I¡¯m impressed.¡±

    Peter wasted no time; he attacked first, sending two spells and four energy balls rocketing at his enemy. But Ulicoth¡¯s new body had been built for this in mind, and he jumped, dodged, and weaved his way past them, and a hand-to-hand fight was soon in full swing.

    Ulicoth¡¯s reason for not showing in person was because he did not know how powerful Peter had become, so he thought that this test might prove fruitful. For if he got his way and Peter was to die, great. If Peter were to win, he would still have the advantage of knowing his strength, speed, agility and most importantly, how powerful this supposed savior really was.

    Like the first assassin that attacked Peter, the appearance of this one changed. Its hair shortened until it had all retracted into its scalp. Its legs became longer and thinner, as did its arms, body, and hands. Its fingers and thumbs also grew longer, but only by sharp bone, which sickeningly cut though the thin skin.

    As Peter watched the creature¡¯s transformation, he hadn¡¯t noticed that he too had changed. Now it was Ulicoth who was completely surprised by Peter¡¯s new appearance. Peter¡¯s hair was again mostly blonde with small streaks of it dark brown. His brown eyes changed to green and then to blue, which stretched out and covered the very whites of his eyes. The pupils of his eyes were black vertical slits, and he had claws sticking out of the tops of his fingers and thumbs and fangs in his mouth. His ears had grown pointed again, though now with three notches out of his earlobes. There were now also two long golden horns curved out at either side of his forehead. Yet the most shocking thing was the appearance of a silver and black scaled tail that was swishing to-and-fro. Then there was the pure power that he unleashed that almost knocked his enemy clean off his feet.

    Ulicoth was still avoiding spell after trying to get close enough to release his own strike. While part of Ulicoth¡¯s soul inhibited that body, he could not use magic powerful enough to be a match for the young Draga-Wizard-Elf. That body was not intended to be used for that purpose. It could only fight as the assassin that came before. However, as before, this assassin could not be destroyed except by a curtain spell that only the creator of the body would know. That would not stop Peter from trying to kill the thing.

    Ulicoth finally got what he wanted. He worked his way past

    the energy balls and spells. Then he attacked with his long sharp fingers, but he was to slow. Peter dodged the swipe and jumped up to kick him in the face with his right foot. Ulicoth, who had seen him, anticipated this and was ready for it and caught the boy¡¯s leg with ease. Before the monster could do anything, Peter¡¯s tail whipped round and sliced deep into the right side of the assassin¡¯s face. A second later, it was in its chest.Stolen novel; please report.

    Peter was released immediately. Just before he landed on his feet, he spun round and threw an energy ball, which hit the creature on the left side of the head. The blow blew that whole side of its head away, and the assassin flopped onto the road like a boneless fish.

    Peter also fell, for the blast of the energy ball threw him off his feet. He was lying at the back of the black sports car, and he did not care where he was as long as the thing was dead. It was then he noticed something dripping from the back of the car. It took a second or two to sink in before Peter realized that it was blood. He got to his feet and hoped he was wrong, even thought that he should leave it until the police arrived. However, he heard no sirens and saw no flashing lights. He looked to see where Helen was, but there was no sign of her.

    Peter stood wondering whether to open the boot of the car and see for himself. After a short time, his curiosity got the better of him. After all, if there is someone in there they might be hurt or worse, he told himself. So he opened the door of the back compartment as slowly as he could, still hoping that it was not what he thought it was.

    At first glance, Peter had no idea what it was, but he soon realized it had once been human, and that without a doubt it was certainly dead. It was a body for sure, or at least it would have been before Mr. Slice and Dice had gotten to it. He stepped backward, but his heel dragged and he stumbled and fell again, only this time he felt physically sick from the sight of mangled, blood drenched corpse. He rolled over and heaved most of the contents of his stomach on the road three times in a row. And as he picked himself up he saw the assassin standing, its head quickly healing.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong child? Can¡¯t you stand a little art?¡± laughed Ulicoth.

    ¡°That was a person you mutilated, whoever it was, and you call it art? I thought you were mad before, now I know you¡¯re nuts,¡± said Peter.

    The fight was resumed with Ulicoth moving fast as lightening and grabbing Peter and slamming his head into a lamppost and throwing him further down the road. The young future King jumped to his feet and made his way back. He did not have to go far, as Ulicoth, not wanting to waste any time, ran toward him. As Peter ran, the horrors that he had seen in the back of the black car flashed through his mind once more. No matter what else he thought of in those seconds, he couldn¡¯t shake those terrible images.

    ¡°What the heck is that thing?¡± he asked himself. ¡°What the hell am I?¡±

    In truth, Peter did not know who he was more afraid of, this thing that attacked him and his mother or the thing that he himself had become. One thing was clear to him, these questions would have to wait, for he would have to get rid of whatever that thing was, or he might end up like that poor person in the boot of its car.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to kill it. But how?¡± he asked himself. But it was too late to answer this new question; Ulicoth was upon him.

    They met halfway; Peter jumped onto the assassin, pushed his feet against its chest and quickly curled his left hand around its throat. It crashed to the ground and him with it. As he sat on top of the creature in the middle of the road, Peter held on as tightly as possible. When the creature¡¯s head hit the ground it split open. Blue blood gushed from it, and Peter balled up his free hand into a fist and started to pummel its face over and over again.

    ¡°DIE! DIE!¡± the boy yelled as the awful mental pictures of the mutilated body leaped back into his head.

    The assassin¡¯s face, not to mention Peter¡¯s fist, were completely covered in the thick, blue blood.

    Ulicoth did the only thing he could do and slashed his long sharp fingers across Peter¡¯s stomach. The boy jumped back high into the air, did a flip and landed on his feet with such a force that the ground cracked with his landing. He saw the mess that was the assassin trying to crawl away, and already it had begun to heal, but he was not going to give it the chance.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s ready for another ass-kicking,¡± he thought as he moved to catch it. However, the sparkling white light that had whisked Helen away had come back and brought five other people with it. Four of them wore the uniforms of the Ves-guards, and the fifth was none other than the Grand Wizard, Jaucal. Jaucal stepped to Peter and gently touched the boy¡¯s shoulder from behind in a bid to stop him. In pure reflex, Peter, who had no idea who or what had grabbed, took hold of the Grand Wizard¡¯s hand and twisted his wrist.

    ¡°Please, you wouldn¡¯t hurt an old man would you?¡±

    ¡°That depends. Are you an old man, or are you and your friend¡¯s reinforcements for that thing over there?¡±

    The Ves-guards, who clearly were not ready for Peter¡¯s retraction, lifted their wands in retaliation and complete confusion.

    Peter tightened his grip. The Grand Wizard flinched.

    ¡°Do not point your wands at King Drago, unless you wish to be lying on the ground next to that creature. Put them away quickly,¡± said the old Wizard.