Chapter 7: Mad Tom's Cabin

Prissy was surprised when she popped out not in the great hall, but in front of Mad Tom's cabin.

The door opened and the familiar figure of the old hermit appeared, beckoning. "Come in my dear, I have been expecting you." As if in a trance, Prissy found herself walking forward toward the open doorway.

Inside, Mad Tom ushered her to a seat and offered her some spicy smelling herbal tea. "Relax," said the old hermit. "We have a while to wait, and much to talk about, you and I."

Ambushed Again

David popped into the Great Hall alone. He glanced at where Prissy should have been holding his hand. Nothing. "Oh shit!"

David's feet had barely hit the floor when a gate opened horizontally beneath his boots.

David was not quick enough with the levitation to avoid plunging through the portal.

The doorway snapped shut with a blue spark like an electric arc.

Siege

Marad turned to Lord Canis and Lord SSSS. "My brother is already leading our combined forces to besiege Porters mansion. We have over 30,000 troops between us. This should not take long."

Jenny came down from the shielded observation tower to report.

"The enemy army is composed of Trolls, Various types of the Undead, Wyverns, swamp creatures, lizard men, and giant and normal sized snakes of al kinds, and of course humans, mostly infantry, supported by cavalry and archers. There is also a large force of humans who appear to be from David's home realm. They have guns and what appear to be very big guns. And a machine that seems to crawl along the round with a big gun in front."

Bitsy fed more power into the house shields. She had read about artillery and tanks in the library. She only hoped the magical shields would hold against them.

Tuck arrived through the permanent gateway with a few dozen men and women equally as massive as he was. And all armed to the teeth.

Lady Shadow sent word through the doorway into Tuck's realm. The message would be passed back into this realm, and to her domain as fast as possible.

Some reinforcements would come through the other realm; others would hit the besieging armies from the rear. But all this would take time.

'Lyssa kept shifting back and forth between her battle form and her human form nervously. She had never fought a siege before.

Fortunately, with the gate to Tuck's world permanently open, as well as the Library pocket dimension to retreat to, they could not be starved out.

But neither were their resources infinite. And constant pressure would eventually erode the

defensive shields.

A brawny redheaded giantess came forward carrying a massive crossbow. "I can make them a little cautious, you bet. Just get me up someplace high."

The first artillery round from the offworlders exploded against the house shields, shaking everyone inside and frightening some of the staff.

"Jenny, show this lady where the observation tower is please." Said 'Lyssa.

Another giant came up to 'Lyssa. He also carried a great crossbow. "Where is me sister Rose going?" He asked. "Up to the observation tower to see what she can do from there." replied 'Lyssa.

Another artillery shell hit the shields and exploded harmlessly. Rose's brother hefted his crossbow. "So the lass is doing a bit o' sniping is she?"

CRASH! Another artillery shell, from above this time, accompanied by sulphurous cursing and swearing "I'll follow her up and see if we canna teach the louts that we dinna appreciate the noise they be making."

CRASH!

The giant followed his sister at a trot that shook the mansion only a tad less than the cannon fire.

A short while later, the artillery fire abruptly stopped. Voices could be heard screaming down from the observation tower in gleeful taunts. "Got ye that time ye bugger! I'll be ye'll nae be tryin' that trick again soon!"

Jenny came trotting back down with mischief in her eyes.

"Rose shot two of the men operating that big gun of theirs. Then her brother managed to hit one of the big brass things that they were loading into the gun. When the smoke cleared away, the gun is wrecked, and there are dead men all over. And the survivors are fighting the trolls and the undead to keep them from eating the casualties and the wounded!"

'Lyssa sighed with relief. Without the pounding of that damn cannon, the shields would be that much harder to breach.

Marad was swearing at his brother. "You fool!" He raged. "The trolls need food if they are going to stay here and fight. The undead need the corpses to swell their ranks, we have too few of them as is."

Maran yelled back at his brother, "Had you allowed me to bring over more of the modern soldiers, those damn shields would be pounded down now, and the mansion ours. But now, the surviving troops are rebelling because your bloodthirsty creatures can't control themselves!"

"Bah! We waste time in petty bickering." Snarled Lord Canis. "Porter is out of the way. We need to assault their shields now before he escapes the trap we laid for him."

"Agreed." Said Marad and Maran at the same time.

Marad sent his troops ranging far and wide, bringing back human and near human prisoners. When a couple hundred had been gathered, the 5 lords of the rebellion tortured and killed the poor captives one by one, draining their life energies in their various manners. Then they gathered on a hill over looking the mansion. They pooled their magic and all of the stolen life forces into a beam that would slice through the mansions shields like a knife through butter.

Maran offered to serve as the focus of the beam. It would be painful, but if he survived, he would be far more powerful than any of the others.

He began the chant to form the lens to direct the beam.

In the bushes below, a lone surviving mercenary from Porter's realm sighted carefully on the man who had brought them to this hellhole and then betrayed them to the monsters.

The crosshairs of his sniper scope settled on Marta's forehead. "Rot in hell motherfucker." he said softly as he squeezed the trigger.

Maran had absorbed all of the pooled energies and was starting to release them into the beam when the 180 grain 7.62 MM rifle bullet struck him in the forehead, scattering his brains in a wide fan out the back of his head.

The magical energy had no place to go and no mind to keep it contained.

There was a blinding flash, brighter than a thousand suns.

For the first time, a mushroom cloud appeared in the skies of 'Lyssa's realm.

Where the hill once stood, there was a crater 1/4 mile across and 200 feet deep. There was no sign of the rebel lords.

Chaos ruled the assembled armies, who began to fight each other in the absence of their commanders. Those who chose not to fight fled. Trying to get back home, or just away and into hiding. The undead assembled dissolved into dust when Lord Canis died.

The siege of the mansion was largely broken. There were a few scattered remnants of the armies that had attacked 'Lyssa's home still trying to escape. But these ran into the reinforcements of mountain folk summoned by Lady Shadow. Very few survived the encounters with the enraged mountain fighters.

Lady Shadow sent words through Tuck's realm for her other people to return home and await further developments.

Tuck took Rose and her brother back to their realm through the permanent gate in the mansion, along with the other giant fighters who had gathered in the hope of a good fight.

Mostly they left disappointed.

A few stayed on to act as household guards.

Bitsy was upstairs, sound asleep from exhaustion. The effort of maintaining the shields against the artillery barrage had drained her utterly.

Changes

Jenny was with Bitsy, and 'Lyssa was prowling the halls of her home like a caged tiger. Lady Shadow walked with her. "I thank you for your sanctuary." Said Lady Shadow. "Stuff your thanks lady-cat," snarled 'Lyssa. "David's good will is what guarantees your continued safety."

Taken somewhat aback, Lady Shadow replied. "I did not mean to give offense. If it is your wish that I leave, Then I shall certainly do so."

"The door's that way." said 'Lyssa as she pointed down the hallway. "Don't let the door slam on your tail."

Lady Shadow watched as 'Lyssa stomped off down her hallway. Then she turned and slipped out of the mansion unseen by anyone.

'Lyssa made her way upstairs to the room where Jenny and Bitsy were resting. She flung open the door and screamed. "Get up and get out. I've had enough hangers on and useless mouths around here."

Jenny sat up rubbing her eyes. "What does David have to say about all this?" She asked in a reasonable tone of voice.

"Screw David. He isn't here, I am." Bitsy finally woke up enough to sit up. "Why are you yelling mommy?"

"I am NOT 'mommy' to an overgrown lizard with bad breath. And I want you out of here and out of my life."

Bitsy shifted to her dragon body. She sniffed once, and then slammed Jenny aside with her tail.

Opening her jaws wide, Staffet unleashed a narrow, concentrated blast of flame. 'Lyssa shrieked just once, then was reduced to little more than a skeleton and ashes. The fire had been so brief and intense, that there was little scorch damage to the surroundings, except for a patch of floor where 'Lyssa had been standing.

"What did you do?" Jenny gasped in horror.

"That wasn't mommy." Bitsy stated. The sound of running footsteps reached them.

"Stay back." Jenny said.

One of the household staff came to a skidding halt in the doorway, staring at the smoking remains of the imposter.

"Please, come quickly. Something erupted from the ground in the garden and snatched Mistress 'Lyssa down its hole. We cannot follow as the hole has been filled in behind the creature."

"Told you it wasn't mommy." Bitsy said to Jenny as she shifted to human form again and dressed.

"Send someone for Lady Shadow. She may be the next target." Jenny said. A maid sped off on the errand. The butler showed Jenny and Bitsy out to the garden. They could see where the ground was disturbed.

Without warning, the butler clubbed Jenny on the back of the head with a piece of wood. Out cold before she could react, Jenny fell next to Bitsy. The butler advanced on the seeming little girl. "Come on, I'll try to make this quick and painless."

"My ass." said Bitsy. She tried to shift into dragon form, but something happened as the butler reached for her. The amulet she wore as a bracelet flashed once. Bitsy materialized in the middle of the library apartment. Since Jenny was lying partially on Bitsy's foot, she was brought along as well.

Bitsy tried to put her unconscious mommy up on the bed, but she just didn't have the strength. Too upset to think about using levitation, Bitsy shifted to her dragon body and picked Jenny up gently in her mouth and placed her on the bed.

Jenny was breathing regularly and there was little blood. But she just wouldn't wake up.

Finally Bitsy remembered that she was in a library filled with books. Including books on how to treat wounds and general medicine. She sped out the door in search of the proper section.

Bitsy came back after an hour with an armload of books. When she re-entered the apartment, she found Jenny had been bandaged and there was a small vial of liquid nearby on a small table.

The note with the bottle read:

Hold the bottle to her hips and let the fluid trickle into her mouth. She will swallow by reflex and she will be all right in the morning.

Bitsy had no idea who had left the medicine, but figured that if they had meant harm to Jenny, they would hardly have bandaged her in the first place.

Bitsy floated the books to the dining table, (She had remembered the levitation spell while she was out) and sat on the bed, Holding Jenny's head in her lap. She pried open Jenny's mouth and carefully poured the thick, oily liquid from the bottle onto Jenny's tongue.

When the vial was empty, Bitsy dropped it on the bedspread and held Jenny's mouth closed. Jenny didn't swallow right away, so Bitsy held Jenny's nose until she swallowed convulsively and gasped for air.

Then she lay Jenny back down on the bed and lay down beside her, cuddled up to her unconscious mommy for comfort and re-assurance.

Meantime the 'butler' was having problems of his own.

Namely a highly pissed off 'Lyssa.

"Lyssa had not in fact been kidnapped. But she had been shoved into a closet and locked inside.

Only a return to her battle form had enabled her to free herself. And it was this fearsome battle form that was now holding the 'butler' off the ground by his throat. "Where are they and who is behind this." She demanded in a deceptively reasonable voice. "Either you can talk, or I will send you to a dimension where you will spend the next dozen eons in excruciating torment."

The 'butler' said nothing. He hung there in her grip looking defiant.

There was a hiss and a thunk. The 'butler' convulsed once, and then went limp.

There was a 2-foot long crossbow bolt through his brain. She would get nothing more from him.

'Lyssa dropped the body in disgust. It smoked, and then flowed into a new shape. A lizard like humanoid.

'Lyssa recognized it immediately. "A bog mimic." she spat.

'Lyssa shifted back to human form. "Where there is one of these damn things, there are dozens. We need to eradicate all of them from the house." She told her maid. This one she was sure of.

The scent was right. The bog mimics were excellent at copying the form and sounds of a person, but they could never quite hide the musky scent that they naturally produced.

A maid approached 'Lyssa with a report. "Milady, There is no sign of Lady Shadow, nor of David, Mistress Prissy, Mistress Jenny, or Mistress Staffet."

'Lyssa cursed. "Send word to Lady Shadow's armies that there are bog mimics among us."

The maid nodded her head. She brought her hands together in front of her chest. 4 wings, like those of a dragonfly, only larger, sprouted from her back. Tilting her head back, the maid flew off on rapidly beating wings.

'Lyssa blinked. She had not known that girl had such an ability. She would watch that one for future promotion.

The Shadow Domain Army

Lady Shadow had just encountered her approaching army. She scared the crap out of her general by slipping into his tent so quietly that his sentries never knew she was there until they heard the general's startle oath.

"There is something odd going on at the mansion. We shall hold here until we find out more." She informed her frazzled general.

There was a buzzing noise in the air above the tent, followed by the shouts of the sentries. Lady Shadow and her general rushed outside in time to see ' Lyssa's maid lightly touch down a spear's length from the sentries. "What do you want?" asked Lady Shadow.

"I bring a message from my Mistress." Said the young woman as her wings disappeared back into her body. "She bade me tell you that bog mimics have infiltrated the mansion, and that she requests your aid in ferreting them out."

Lady Shadow spat on the ground. "Bog mimics!" she exclaimed in disgust. "I should have known that something was amiss for Mistress 'Lyssa to act so far out of character."

Lady Shadow was well and truly pissed that she had not recognized the distinctive musky scent of the bog mimic that had spoken so rudely to her.

Lady Shadow whirled to face her general. "I want this entire force on the march within the hour." She commanded. "I shall return to the mansion ahead of you. This messenger will remain with you as a guide and a scout." With that, Lady shadow swept her cloak around her and slipped off into the gathering mist like a wraith.

The general turned to do the bidding of his liege. He gave no thought to her safety; none would spot Lady Shadow unless she wished them to. "Sentry, send runners to the sergeants, we march at once."

He turned to 'Lyssa's maid, "What shall I call you then?"

"I am called Shana by your kind." She replied.

"My kind?" Queried the general.

"Humans." was the answer.

The general shrugged. "Can you show me the fasted way to your Mistress' mansion on the map?"

Shana nodded and accompanied the general into his tent where his maps were.

In less than an hour, the camp had been struck, and the army was gone on the march. Only a few men were left behind, tasked with removing signs of the bivouac. Within another hour, the last men were hurrying to catch up to their comrades. Behind them there was no trace that almost a thousand men had been camped there for several days.