Chapter 2

The houses and buildings that David could see were either half timbered affairs, or wattle and daub huts. But the fields seemed well tended and the walls and fences between the fields and lining the road were in good repair. The farms seemed to be getting closer together as they went.

David stepped up the pace to move up alongside Prissy.

"A town up ahead?" he asked.

Prissy nodded. Best we pass right on through. We are attracting enough attention that I don't

want to be here when the boss of this domain comes to see what's going on."

"Right."

David dropped back to walk beside "Lyssa. "How are you holding up?"

"Fine." 'Lyssa replied. "But I could use a rest before too long."

"Hold on until we are past the town ahead, then we will take a break." David told her.

It was not to be that easy though.

Prissy brought up short as they entered the town market square.

David unslung the Barret when he saw the line of soldiers drawn up across the square, blocking their path.

David felt 'Lyssa pressing her back against his, and he heard her work the bolt on the MP5K.

A glance back over his shoulder to him that they were neatly boxed in.

Prissy took a step back to stand next to David. He noticed that neither Prissy or 'Lyssa had changed from their human appearance. Then he looked down at his hands on the Barret. Scales, claws, and his mouth felt funny.

A touch of his tongue told David that his dentition would now make a shark proud.

He was going to HAVE to learn to control that reflex, he thought wryly to himself.

David closed his eyes and took a couple of breaths. He opened his eyes and checked his hands.

Yup, back to normal. And his teeth felt normal too.

An imposing figure stepped through the line of soldiers and approached them.

David heard Prissy whimper deep in her throat.

"You are trespassing in my domain." Announced the newcomer pompously. "Submit now, and I will let you die in a few weeks or so. Resist, and your punishment will last for years."

David looked the creature over. Humanoid, scales, fangs, and ears that stood up like a dogs. "And who do you think you are that you can threaten us and be allowed to live?" he asked.

Hell, David thought, nothing to lose by bluffing, and they could always fight if needed.

"I am Diret. Lord of this domain, and vassal to the Dread Lord himself. Who are you? So that I may inform my master of your impudence when I tell him of your hideous fate."

"I am David. And I am come to slay you." David said. Prissy looked up at him with her eyes wide.

"And what makes you think that you can slay ME?" laughed Diret contemptuously. "I alone control the magic here. And none can change form without my let."

David had had about enough of this blowhard. He let the shift occur. Talons, scales and teeth.

To say that Diret was astounded would be an understatement.

This should not be possible Diret babbled to himself as he stepped back in shock. No one could override his control of the magic here except one of the higher powers, not even another Domain Lord could... Diret never got to finish the thought.

"Fuck you Jack." Said David as he tilted the Barret forward. The muzzle was only a foot from Diret's chin when David pulled the trigger.

Diret's head vanished in a spray of green blood and yellow ichor.

Suddenly, the feel of 'Lyssa's back against his changed, and he knew that she had just assumed her battle form. Prissy likewise shifted into something that looked like a demons nightmare. As Diret's corpse burst into flames, the square was suddenly empty except for the three pissed off travelers.

After a long moment, Prissy shifted back to her redhead shape. 'Lyssa changed also. David kept his form for a bit longer, and then he relaxed.

A bit prematurely as it turned out.

A crossbow bolt zipped out of the space between two buildings and hit Prissy in the shoulder. David dropped his pack and the Barret and sprinted for the gap where the bolt had come from. He shifted shape as he ran, his fury at the treacherous attack driving him on.

Between the buildings David found a cluster of creatures huddling around one who was frantically trying to wind the cocking mechanism of its crossbow. It never got the chance to finish. David leaped upon the hapless creature and grabbed its head. David twisted and pulled, ripping the head clear off in a spray of gore. Then he turned on the others standing there in shock. They wore the half armor and uniforms of the late Diret's soldiers.

The half armor did them no good at all, it only told the berserk David which ones to rend and slay.

Finally there were only bits and pieces of the soldiers left.

Very SMALL pieces.

By the time David reached his friends, he was fully human in form again, even if he was covered

in blood and other fluids.

Prissy was in bad shape. The bolt had passed nearly through her shoulder, and 'Lyssa had pulled

it the rest of the way through. But Prissy was bleeding a lot. David was mildly surprised to

see that her blood was as red as his own.

David didn't know if it would work, but he had to try something, or Prissy would surely die.

David pressed his hands over the wounds on either side of her shoulder and closed his eyes.

David concentrated on sending healing life energy down his arms and through his hands into Prissy

as she lay there out cold. David pictured flesh knitting back together, Skin sealing over the wound, arteries and veins growing together again so the blood could flow. David could feel SOMETHING happening, but he didn't dare open his eyes to look. Finally, he sat back and relaxed his hold on Prissy's shoulder.

He opened his eyes reluctantly to peek at her wounds. There was an angry red blotch on the front

of her shoulder that faded as he watched. When he looked at the back of her shoulder where the

bolt had come out, the skin was smooth again, with only a fading blush of color to tell him

where it was.

Prissy was still out cold from the blood loss. David picked her up in his arms. 'Lyssa put the Barret and his pack over her shoulders with some difficulty, and followed David as he carried Prissy out of town along the road to the gateway. They stopped that evening at another of the fountain refuges. This one had a small cabin a few yards from the water. David settled Prissy inside and helped 'Lyssa unpack for the night.

David sat on a bench near the fountain, and 'Lyssa poured water over him by the bucket full to rinse off the remains of the soldiers he had destroyed in the alley.

When he was more or less clean, David sat 'Lyssa down and bathed her feet in the water from the fountain, Then he took water in to Prissy. Between them, they managed to get a couple of dippers of water into Prissy, and she slipped into a more natural sleep. There was a trough out back that was evidently for horses or the equivalent. David filled it with water and took a much-needed bath.

Then David had a bright idea. He took every pot and pan that they had, and used a kettle from the cabin as well, to heat water from the fountain and fill the trough. Thus 'Lyssa got to take a nice hot bath before supper.

David cooked while she was bathing.

After a quick meal, David and 'Lyssa refilled the trough with warm water and undressed Prissy for her bath. Prissy's body looked very human indeed as David carried her out to the makeshift bathtub. 'Lyssa washed Prissy with the same bar of soap that she and David had used, Undoubtedly the odor of the soap was what finally woke the goblin girl up.

David stood watch while the girls were busy. He didn't trust the conventions right then. And he needed to think.

The attack on the soldiers in the alley had been a blind berserker rage. Totally unlike him. David had been in combat many times, and he NEVER lost control. But this time, he had been a beast, rending and tearing and merciless. And if innocents had been there too, David didn't know if he would have been able to stop. Hell, he didn't even know if he'd have NOTICED.

The girls coming around the side of the cabin interrupted David's reverie.

Prissy looked much better. But she was still weak as a kitten.

"We'll stay here until Prissy is ready to travel." Announced David. "And since the fountain water seems to have a rejuvenating and healing effect, this is the best place to plan our next moves while we recuperate."

David handed a dipper of water to Prissy, who drank, and handed the dipper to 'Lyssa. She drank and passed the rest to David again. Somehow David felt that the ritual was critical right now. A solitary man came by that night. He shared water with each of them, but never spoke a word. From the neck down he was human, but the head was the head of a wolf. In the dawn, the stranger was gone, leaving behind a staff for each of them.

The staffs were about 6 feet long and as big around as one of the silver dollars from David's world. They were of wood as hard as iron, but as light as aluminum. Just right for Prissy to use in her depleted condition.

Prissy, gained her strength back over the next couple of days. And as she felt better, her sense of humor reasserted itself.

"Thanks for keeping me from being monster chow buddy. I wasn't expectin' that sneak attack so soon after the big boy hisself got whacked." Prissy said to David.

"How often to you visit my world?" David asked,

"I visit New York and LA about every 5 years or so,"

"And nobody notices a goblin gal running around town?"

"We're talkin' LA and the Big Apple remember? No one would notice you in your battle mode."

"Right. Forgot about that. I must have been having a blonde moment." David said. "How old are you Prissy?"

"I'm only 43. Us goblins age slowly, but we still only live 140 years or so. Succubi like 'Lyssa

here, they live for thousands of years, effectively immortal unless someone kills them off."

'Lyssa said, "I am not sure how you are going to be affected. You are true human stock, David.

But you are showing signs of abilities that no human has had since the days of Merlin and the

great bards of legend."

"That figures." David said.

"Get some rest ladies. We leave in the morning."

Dawn saw the party starting out on the road. The gate that they were trying for was only a couple dozen miles away, but there were no more fountain refuges before they got there.

A meal break about noon was the first rest of the day. They stopped a couple of times in the afternoon to visit the bushes, then continued on. They reached the gateway at dusk.

David was nervous, they had seen nobody at all on any of the farms they had passed. And other than the wolf head that had given them their walking staffs, they had seen nobody traveling the road since they had left the town.

The gate was a stone ring that sat apparently unsupported in midair, a foot above the ground. There was a stone pillar about 4 feet high with a green crystal ball set into the top of it about 6 feet from the gate.

"Just put your hand on the ball there, and think of where you want to go. The better you can see your destination, the more accurate the gate is. Most folks can get within a few miles o' where they want to go."

"Ever seen anyone make a mistake?" Asked David.

"Only once, a long time ago." Said 'Lyssa. "I saw an incubus get startled just before he fixed the destination. and He wound up in your world all right, but about 20 miles above ground. He made a big splat when he hit."

Prissy grinned at 'Lyssa's story.

"I made a transition when I was drunk." Prissy said. "That was about 10 years ago. I ended up in Russia. I got there buck nekkid and in the middle of winter. I had to grow a fur coat to make it to the gateway there, and that took a week."

David said. "Well, I am sober, and I know precisely where I need to go."

He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. He cleared his mind, picturing a blank slate in front of him. David thought hard about his living room. Adding details as minutely as possible down to the textures of the fabrics on the furniture, the feel of the carpet, and the smells of home. When he opened his eyes, he saw his living room through the circle of the gate. He reached out and took 'Lyssa's hand and stepped toward the gate.

Just before he stepped through, David felt Prissy's hand slide into his free hand. He looked down in surprise.

"I'm goin' with ya." Prissy said merrily.

Then they were through the gate.

David felt a subtle wrenching inside, and then they were all standing in his home, right in front of the couch.

"Interestin' things happen around you two. So I'm gonna tag along to see what happens. That

is, if ya don't mind my company." Said Prissy.

She plopped down on the couch and grinned up at David and 'Lyssa.

Prissy's breasts swelled to comical proportions.

David broke up laughing and shrugged off his pack.

'Lyssa rolled her eyes. "Oh grow up Prissy."

David carried the guns to the gun case over in the corner. Then carried the pack into the kitchen

to unpack and stow the contents. He would repack later.

Prissy, now back to her usual proportions, and 'Lyssa wandered around the house, exploring and snooping. David sat down in the kitchen and cleaned the guns, a minor chore that kept him occupied for an hour or so.

He heard the others chattering away upstairs, and he smiled.

It did sound good to have company at home again. It had been a long time.

David heard the shower start upstairs, and 'Lyssa came down to the kitchen. "I'm next in the shower up there." She said. "What's for supper? I'm hungry!"

"There's a shower down here if you want to use it. I'll throw something together to eat here as soon as I put all this stuff away."

'Lyssa went off to find the other shower while David reassembled the guns and reloaded them. Then he put them aside and cleaned off the table.

David washed his hands in the kitchen sink. Then dug into the freezer.

He took out a couple of frozen pizzas and turned on the oven. He popped them into the oven to

bake. They would make good appetizers as he finished cooking the main meal.

David thawed a roast in the microwave, then peeled the potatoes and carrots etc. The veggies he put in a pot on the stove. The roast he put in a pan in the oven under the shelf holding the pizzas.

Prissy came down wearing a towel in her hair and one of his robes, it dragged on the floor, being about 10 sizes too big for her. David sat her at the table and took the pizzas out of the oven. He sliced the pizzas and set them on the table for Prissy to help herself.

'Lyssa came back a few minutes later, wearing a towel on her head and wearing another towel wrapped around her body.

"That outfit looks good on ya," quipped Prissy to 'Lyssa.

'Lyssa stuck her tongue out at the smaller girl and sat down next to her at the table and reached for a slice of pizza. David left the ladies to their own devices for a bit.

He went upstairs and dug in his closet. He got out a pair of his spare robes, then took a shower himself, washing off the days grit and grime.

When David was toweling himself off, he happened to look in the mirror. He looked a good 10 years younger, and in much better shape than he had been in since his mercenary days. Shape shifting evidently agreed with him. Since not even the arduous trek he had just completed would account for all the new muscles, not to mention the younger face. Hell, even some of his old scars were faded almost away.

David shook his head. Standing and posing in front of a mirror like a teenager. He finished drying off and put on one of the robes.

When David got downstairs, he handed the spare robe to 'Lyssa, who promptly dropped the towel and put on the robe. "Showoff." laughed Prissy.

David checked the roast. Just right. He took the roast from the oven and the veggies from the stove and put them on the table.

Prissy and 'Lyssa were practically drooling at the scent of the food. David sliced the roast and had the girls help themselves. All three stuffed themselves. When all was done, David got on the phone to his friend from Deming.

"Hey bro." Said David. "I made it home... What? Oh yeah, 'Lyssa1s here with me... Yeah, she's OK... No. Yep, the guns were a literal lifesaver... Yeah, I'll call back if I need ya... Ok bro, be safe." And he hung up.

David turned to the others. "There are 4 bedrooms upstairs. Take your pick. I am going to go to sleep, stay up as long as you like. But don't answer the door for ANYBODY, and no one leaves here unless we all go."

He collected a hug from each girl, then went up to his bedroom and slid into bed.

An hour later, David was woken by whispering and giggling in the room with him. He opened his eyes as 'Lyssa and Prissy slid under the covers with him from either side. The girls snuggled up to him and he put his arms around them as they pillowed their heads on his shoulders. "We feel safer in here with you. And besides, we want cuddled and held." announced Prissy in a self-satisfied tone.

"That's right." 'Lyssa put in.

David rolled his eyes as he grinned. To tell the truth, he liked getting held himself. And the fact that all 3 were bare as frogs didn't hurt. He tightened his arms around them in a hug. Then he gave each a kiss and promptly went back to sleep.

David woke up alone in the bed in the morning. He yawned and stretched lazily. It felt good to be back in his own bed. No monsters, no weird magic. What bliss.

David dressed and went through his morning routine, when he came downstairs, he found 'Lyssa and Prissy trying to make breakfast in the kitchen. David looked in on them, saw that they were having fun, and went into the basement.

David dug around in the storage rooms downstairs, assembling backpacks and. frames for the ladies. Carrying the packs and other supplies upstairs, David loaded the packs with camping gear and MRE's, and ammunition for the various firearms. David was not about to be caught short again. From now on, he would go no place unarmed an unequipped.

David carried the loaded packs out to his garage and stowed them in his pickup. Then he went back in for the guns. David laid out a pair of Glock 9mm's, a pair of Colt .357 magnum revolvers, a pair of the H&K MP5K subguns, the big Barret .50, and his Para Ordnance P14 45's.

David added extra magazines, speed loaders and more ammunition to the load. Then he tossed in an assortment of knives of various sizes and types. Then he packed the whole bunch out to the truck.

The truck was David's pride and joy. A GMC 1 ton crew cab dually. All wheel drive and twin

40-gallon fuel tanks to feed the huge turbocharged diesel engine. It would get up to 20 MPG on the

road, and 12 off road. A couple of 20-gallon cans secured to each side of the cargo bed doubled

the range he could travel if no fuel was available.

Finally, David went inside and found the girls waiting breakfast on him.

The kitchen was a glorious mess, but the food looked and smelled appetizing.

"We are going to the mall to go shopping, you both need new clothes, and I need a few supplies.

With any luck, we can find a few things that will help us figure out this mess."

David looked at the girls to see what they had to say. But both girls had started chattering

at each other as soon as they had heard the word "shopping". David snorted with amusement.

Women were women no matter what species or dimension.

David pitched in to clean up the mess in the kitchen, and then they went shopping.

Before they hit the mall, David stopped at a gun store where the owner was his friend. He told

the girls to stay in the truck. Then he went on inside.

When he came out, David had a satchel full of goodies that the feds would have been interested

in knowing had been stored and sold there. Since almost all of it was illegal enough to warrant

a lengthy vacation at Leavenworth.

Tucking the package behind the rear seat of the truck, David got in and they finally headed for

the mall.

David walked with the girls through the mall to the nearest clothing store. There he endured

an hour or so of waiting while the girls tried on outfit after outfit. Finally they came over

with their selections and dragged him to the cashier to pay for them.

"Time for lunch." David said as they headed down toward the food court.

"You are right about that, SNACK FOOD!" Came a rasping voice from behind them.

David spun around.

There stood a creature right out of a bad 50's B movie. It looked like a cross between a bear and an overgrown cockroach. It had entirely too many legs and eyes, and a case of bad breath that was near toxic in itself.

David shoved the ladies over to the side as he set himself to fight the beast.

"What's the matter warm blood? No weapons and no powers?"

David took his hand out of his pocket. "Catch." David said as he tossed the grenade to the beast.

He spun in the same motion and dove on top of the girls and took them to the floor under him.

The bear/cockroach caught the grenade and held it close to its eyes to get a better look at what it was.

Whoever or whatever had sent the beast to David's world would have done batter to send something that was more conversant with modern weapons.

It knew all about swords and knives and axes. It even knew quite a bit about guns, having been shot one time by an unlucky trapper in Alaska.

However it had never seen or heard of a grenade. And it never got the chance to add to its store of knowledge.

David closed his eyes and hoped as the grenade went off, blowing ichor and pieces of hair and chitin all over the surrounding stores.

The headless corpse was still twitching on the floor when David hauled the girls to their feet and hustled them to the nearest exit.

'Lyssa had the presence of mind to snatch up their shopping bags as the got out of there. There was a series of pops behind them as they neared the truck. An unearthly howling sounded much too close at hand as they scrambled into the vehicle. The truck started on the first try, and David peeled out of the parking lot as half seen shapes leaped and bounded over and around the parked cars in pursuit.

Prissy and 'Lyssa were scrabbling in the back seat for the guns as David accelerated down the street headed for the interstate.

The 500 hp diesel roared as David powered down the street. He was doing 70 by the end of the block, and was doing nearly 100 when he had to brake to make the turn onto the interstate. Heading south, David floored the pedal. The pursuers, whatever they had been were long gone. But David had no intention of stopping anytime soon.

"SHIIIIIIT!" David yelled as the scenery changed again from the interstate to what appeared to be the same plane that they had been dropped on in the Caddy.

'Lyssa and Prissy felt the world change and turned around to sit down and buckle in.

There were no tracks to be seen on the hard packed ground. The pillars of fire and the distant mountains appeared to be the same though David had not seen enough to be sure. David throttled back to a saner (slightly) 60 MPH as he took stock of their situation.

Assets, two native guides, his truck with nearly full fuel tanks and more fuel in the back. Weapons and supplies for 3 people for a week.

Liabilities, They were freaking lost.

"Any suggestions would be welcome ladies." David said.

Only Prissy spoke up. "Head towards that mountain that looks like a woman's tits. There is a road there that will take us to a different domain."

'Lyssa just curled up on the seat and leaned against David until he put his arm around her. Prissy leaned against 'Lyssa, and David shifted his arm so it rested across her shoulders too.

David pointed the truck toward the mountain that Prissy had pointed out and hit the cruise control to conserve fuel. David still had 1 1⁄2 tank left out of 2, when he spotted trees on the horizon. David stopped the truck and woke the girls, who had slept for the last few hours.

The three of them transferred diesel from the cans to the tanks, then David checked the oil etc. He didn't know when he would get the chance again.

He also dug out the backpacks and weapons. The satchel of special ordinance, David lashed to his own pack. David strapped on his .45's, and gave 'Lyssa the Colt revolvers and the gun belt that went with them.

Prissy got the Clocks and one of the H&K's. David passed 'Lyssa the other H&K and propped the Barret up between them with the butt on the floorboard.

The light shone unchanging through the overcast, but David's watch was still ticking; it's windup action unaffected by the world shifts.

It showed that 7 hours had passed since they had fled from the mall.

Neither girl knew how to drive, so David took a couple of white cross speed tablets to stay alert. Then he headed for the trees. The road was easy to find, white against the charcoal gray of the ground and the skies.

The road was easily wide enough for the truck.

The land changed rapidly as they traveled. Soon they were driving through an area that could have been anywhere in the American Mid-West.

Well, except that instead of cattle, there was some kind of giant beetle. The people that they saw seemed to be the same mixture of human and others that they had seen in Diret's domain.

Those that they passed turned to stare at the apparition speeding by. David was wryly amused. The big GMC had to be the oddest thing that they had ever seen. All a matter of perspective he supposed.

Prissy got excited and bounced in her seat.

"There is a fountain up ahead!" she cried.

Welcome news to the weary travelers.

David turned the truck onto the grass next to the fountain and shut it down.

"All out for supper and sleep." he announced.

David first went over to the fountain and took a dipper of the water to share with the girls. David again had the feeling that the ritual was critical to their survival, although he could not for the life of him have said why.

'Lyssa and Prissy set up one of the dome tents between the truck and the fountain. David gathered some wood from a pile nearby to heat water for their meal. 'Lyssa was coming to like the MRE's, and said so to David. He figured that just pointed out how alien she really was. The trio ate quickly. All were tired,

Crawling into the blankets in the tent, they were too tired to do more than snuggle close and drop into a deep, but far from dreamless sleep.

There was a thick fog blanketing the area when they woke up. The truck was dimly visible only a few feet away. The fountain was completely obscured. David dug out a length of nylon rope.

"No one leaves the tent without this rope tied around the waist, I don't want anyone getting lost," He told the girls. "Prissy, you help me pack the tent and the gear. 'Lyssa, please take the water jugs and canteens and fill them from the fountain."

"Yes boss man." quipped Prissy.

'Lyssa just grinned and gathered the water jugs. David tied the cord around her waist and tied the other end around his waist before letting 'Lyssa out of his sight. The fog swallowed her up in just a few steps.

'Lyssa let out a yelp as she stumbled over the lip of the fountain with a mighty splash.

Prissy giggled as she helped David take down the tent and fold the blankets etc. then she dug out some towels and met 'Lyssa when she came following the line back to David with the full water jugs and canteens.

David stowed the water in the back of the truck and lashed down the rest of the camping gear

down so that it would not shift or bounce out if the going got rough.

Prissy was helping 'Lyssa dry off so she could change into dry clothes.

David checked the weapons and the oil and coolant levels in the truck.

Suddenly the fog began to thicken, and only the feel of his hand on the truck allowed David

to keep track of where he was.

"Prissy! Grab 'Lyssa's hand and DON'T let go no matter what!" David called urgently into the

fog. His words sounded strangely muffled even to his ears.

David set his back against the truck and hauled in the cord attaching him to 'Lyssa hand over hand. He felt the tug when her took up the last of the slack, and he carefully pulled the girls to him. When he had 'Lyssa by the hand, David worked his way back to the door of the truck and got it opened. He hustled the girls inside and climbed onto the drivers seat, coiling the cord so that he could close the door without catching the cord in it. Finally he was able to close the door and take the time to untie the cord from his waist.