Chapter 13

[b]Merlin’s family[/b]

Merlin Gwendydd - sister
Morgenau - brother
Morial - brother
Morien - brother
Mordaf - brother - Naci’s father

Lying down for the night, I was awake for a while, and several ideas floated through my mind. I was going to have to change my tactics. With all I did, I didn’t think any of the tricks I had pulled would fool them much longer.

I reached out and ensured all the security I had set was ready. There’s no sense in finally getting to this point and getting killed by getting sloppy. Especially now that I had Naci, who was much stronger than she was when this started.

Thinking back to when I had made her defense strands stronger, what was that reaction that she’d had? It had almost felt like pleasure. What in the hell was all that about? It wasn’t meant to bring joy, only to make her stronger so she could survive. Hell, forget asking her; she was as closed-lipped as Merlin was when you wanted to know something.

As I lay there and pondered longer, I heard Naci turn over, and then I felt her eyes on me.

“Is all alright, husband, Toman?” I heard her ask. “You seem to be having trouble sleeping.”

“I am at the moment, Naci; I am confused about many things. When the hunter showed up today after the others, he was almost completely healed. It would take a being of enormous power to do that. His father is the only one I can think of who could do that. Although, as you know, I also injured him.” I shook my head, and I had a bad feeling about this. “I believe we should go tomorrow. We aren’t safe here now if what I feel is true.”

Naci nodded, “Where you go, husband, so I go.”

I was nodding, not paying attention to what she’d said, though when I looked at her, I swear I saw a look of something familiar on her face. Shrugging, I let myself finally slip into the comfort of the darkness.

The next morning, I felt Naci as she got out of bed. Springing up, I reviewed everything I had talked to her about the previous day. Yes, I thought we should go, though not before I left a few surprises.

Naci watched as I started pulling several bags out of my pockets. Waving my hand over them, I smiled and then walked to the edge of our camp, carefully spreading what was inside at even paces. An hour later, I felt ready, and then I took several pieces of wood, shaping and remaking them.

Finally satisfied, I sat to eat, seeing that Naci had almost all of the camp repacked and ready to go. Nodding to her, I watched as she quickly finished, just as I had done with my meal. I had to time this right if I was going to catch the ass this time. This hunter was, as his father had said, the best. I, therefore, needed to be at my best if I was going to defeat him; looking at Naci, I decided for both of our sakes.

I had just opened the portal as Naci was moving toward it when I felt the hunter’s energy nearing. Diving, I knocked Naci to the ground, covering her body as a bolt of electricity flew over us. Nodding, I shouldered Naci, diving into the portal as another bolt struck where I had been lying with her.

Turning, I was collapsing the portal even as I saw another bolt heading for the opening. Shit, I thought this was going to be close as the outer edges started to fold in. I just hope I have been fast enough. A moment later, the portal slammed closed, and I was turning the both of us back the way we’d just been.

Naci looked at me with a gaping mouth. “Why are we heading back, Toman? Won’t he be able to find us far easier?”

Smiling, I shook my head, “This is one of many turns we will make, Naci. If I am to completely baffle him, I have to go in several directions and lose him at times.”

Naci also nodded as she started to see the logic of what I was doing. Almost an hour later, I let Naci begin erecting our camp while I opened a portal, sending a mage’s eyes through. Then I opened another, closing the first.

Finally, a few moments later, I saw it emerge in the last place we had been. Glancing, I noticed that the hunter hadn’t moved far from the spot. A wry smile came to my lips as I saw he was now quite stuck to the place he’d stepped in.

“Ah! I see that the little coward has sent his toy. As always, afraid to face me,” Rigal was screaming as I saw that he was finally starting to make headway with all that was holding him.

“Ha! You are one to talk of a straightforward fight. No, I’d say that it is you who are a true coward by hiding behind your toys and attacking females. I am sure that the other hunters, who are a few of the ones left, are so proud of you, and I am sure that your demon father is as well. Yes, I know. I know his name, and I’ll have all I need to rid the magic world of him very soon.” I said, trying to entice the Rigal into doing something far stupider.

“No one will listen to you! With Merlin dead, you have no one to fall back on. With the death of each member of the council, you only draw a tighter noose around your neck. “Rigal said, also trying to raise my ire. However, I knew it wouldn’t work as I held all the cards now.

“Dream on, Rigal, soon your pitiful excuse for a demon father will be dead, and I’ll be free. I expect your father to have a special punishment for you when you fail!” Laughing at him, I saw I had finally hit home with the comments. “Enjoy the toys, Rigal. These are a lot better than the first batch I made, a lot better.” Laughing, I heard Rigal scream as if it was a ripping of flesh sound, and then the mage’s eye went dark.

Turning with a smile, I saw that Naci was watching and listening. The slight look of horror on her face only made me sigh. “I’m sorry, Naci; I can’t have him trying to hurt you or the people of the village.

Nodding, I saw the understanding come to her eyes, “I know all this, Toman. It just takes a bit of time for me to accept all that we have to do; so much evil against your family, OUR family.”

“I just hope that one day there can be a family. With all this going on, I don’t know if we will ever have one. Though I must tell you, Naci, having you with me has helped me greatly.” I told Naci, eliciting an even wider smile on her face.

Suddenly, she came to me, holding me close to her. I could feel her heart beating faster than I had ever felt it. Shaking my head, I had to wonder if she was sick.

Stepping back, Naci nodded at me and then lowered her head. “When we BOTH are ready, the time will present itself. I know that you, like I, know nothing much of making a family or children. I am honored to experience both with you, though, as you said, ‘til we are well past all of this.”

With that, she moved off and rearranged the camp as she knew that I’d want things for the next few days. Strange, I thought there seemed to be more spring in her step as she moved. Then I looked closer at the sway of her hips; suddenly, I was feeling parts of my anatomy growing again as I tried to turn away. Shaking my head, I wondered what was going on in hell.

I saw Naci bend over to pick up a few things later. Looking back, she saw me watching her, especially her rear end. Then, the strangest thing, she shook her behind with a smile at me as she straightened up. Moving off, I saw the smile still plastered on her face. ‘Ok,’ I thought, ‘just what in the hell was going on? I had been around her for almost a year and a half now. This was the first time I had seen her react like this.’

Shaking my head, I concentrated on making a mage’s eyes appear. Looking through all I could, I had to start in on the council again. He had finally started to weaken Ukobach’s hold on the council. Though only slight, it was a beginning. At least now, there was no way that the bastard could get a unanimous agreement to destroy any other families.

Nodding, Toman could see that all the sub-mages were dead or gone. Smiling, he figured that much, as powerful as he was and getting more each day, they weren’t even distractions. No, he knew that Ukobach would have as many traps for him as he could. Sitting there, he nodded yes; it was finally time to start changing tactics to bring things more to a head. Besides, with any luck, that bastard hunter son was lying broken and bleeding in all the traps he’d left.

Going through all I could, I soon saw that Ukobach was railing because there were hardly any hunters left to try and find me and Naci.

Smiling, I nodded; if I had my way, the strongest would soon be gone. Calling Naci, I finally settled on the next of the weakest council members.

“You have, I hope, a better plan to go after this one? I don’t like seeing you bleeding and hurt like I have seen the last few times.” She told him sternly.

Holding my hands in a sign of surrender, I smiled, “I think so; we are about to change how we go after them. I know they are expecting us to keep after them as we have. They think I am still a child with no idea of strategy.” Laughing momentarily, I continued, “I think this will catch them unaware for a bit, although we will still have to watch for any guards.”

Naci nodded as I went into the plan, finally smiling when I finished. Waving my hand, I made a portal as we traveled to the magic realm. I just hoped that two less to agree with him put a real damper on Ukobach’s plans. At least, I was expecting so, there was no actual telling with this power-hungry ass.