Chapter 21

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

New Council Members

Pikon
Corth
Groton
Tydeth
Docal
Clondal - female
Lyndeth - female
Creton

Morganna’s sobs were almost the only sound in the clearing beside Mordaf’s village. How could this be possible? Merlin was far more powerful than any other mage she’d ever seen. The only exception was Toman, and though higher than Merlin, she was sure that Merlin had an advantage in knowledge.

Gwendydd was staring at Morganna with compassion, then she quickly turned away, a small smile creeping on her lips. Damn it, she’d almost opened her mouth, and that wasn’t like her. She had always liked Morganna, and perhaps the bond between the two made her weak in this matter. Drenna had backed well away from the three. She was having an even harder time not revealing the plan.

Mordaf walked to Morganna, putting his arms around her. Morganna leaned into him as her body-racking sobs increased. Leading her to a small teepee, Mordaf laid Morganna on the soft bed, sitting beside her along with Gwendydd. Not long after, Morganna succumbed to exhaustion and grief, falling asleep.

Stepping well out of her hearing range, Mordaf spoke to the two females. “I just hope that she can learn the control that Toman did. I have to go. Remember, you can’t be gone long either, neither of you.”

Gwendydd nodded, a slight grimace on her face. Drenna also nodded, trying to remain quiet. “I don’t like the subterfuge, as I remember, neither did our brother.”

Sighing, Mordaf stopped and turned to his sister. “Look, I’m not that much a fan of it myself, though I do every day. I only do it to protect these people. They are the closest to true, honest humans that we knew when we were growing up. I will do all I can to protect them as long as possible.”

Gwendydd looked at her brother as if he’d lost his mind. “You know that if it is found out that you influenced the events here, they will come for you. I do not want an all-out war with the magic dimension and our family. You know the outcome of that.”

A horrified look passed over Mordaf’s face as he remembered the mage war when he was very young. A lot of good mages were destroyed. “I...” Mordaf started but was cut off by Gwendydd.

“Good, I’m glad you remember. We have to tread softly here, brother. Drenna, we follow Merlin’s plan. The only impromptu thing we have to the plan is Toman. By the great power, I hope that all brothers saw when he made this plan come to fruition.” Hugging, they nodded to each other and Drenna as Mordaf flashed out.

Gwendydd didn’t want to leave, though she knew she had to. No sense not leaving Morganna some help, she thought. For the next hour, she and Adrenna made many training things for Morganna. Going to the small teepee, Gwendydd gently touched Morganna’s head with a smile. “That should help her,” Gwendydd told Drenna, who only nodded.

Stepping out, they walked a little to an area concealed from the village. Looking around one last time, she nodded to Drenna, and then she, too, winked out.

Drenna had watched all this with trepidation. She didn’t have to go as soon as Mordaf or Gwendydd. Walking back to the small teepee, she was surprised to find Morganna awake.

“I thought that you would rest longer,” Drenna told her.

Shaking her head, Morganna sat up, stretching. “I feel as if I have been asleep for centuries. I have been a responsibility, one that I will take seriously.”

Adrenna smiled, “I’m glad. Morganna and I have set up a few things to help you gain more control.”

Morganna’s face showed surprise. Were they trusting her that much? “Before we go, I need to look into the young girl. If she is as important to Mordaf as he said, I must watch her.” Drenna nodded as she followed Morganna.

In another small teepee, A young brown-skinned, dark-haired woman was lying asleep. Morganna passed her hand over the woman and then nodded. “Whoever did the healing spell should be congratulated. She is healing very well.” Morganna was about to move away when a strange look came to her face. Passing her hand over the young woman again, she started to smile.

Looking over to Drenna, she smiled more. “What has you smiling so?” Drenna asked.

“No wonder she is so important to Mordaf!” Morganna said, slightly excited.

Confused, Drenna looked at the young woman, then Morganna. “What are you on about Morganna?”

“It should have been obvious to you. Mordaf wants her protected? From what? I felt she was a few months pregnant!” Drenna could only stare at the young woman and Morganna. Pregnant? Then a wry smile crossed her face, for once she knew something before her father or even the father did.

“Mordaf is going to be ecstatic!” Drenna said as she clapped her hands together. Morganna stared at Drenna with suspicion. The woman was far too pleased for just a friend of Mordaf. No, there was something else going on. She’d find out if it was the last thing she did.

Just then, the young woman moaned in her sleep, her green eyes briefly opening. She looked confused and saw the two strange females in the teepee. “Who ... who are you?” She whispered, awaiting an answer.

Drenna was about to answer when the young woman sighed and then was unconscious again. Morganna quickly scanned the young woman, and then looked back to Drenna. “The fact that she woke up is a good sign. I have to ask. Most of her injuries are magical. How did she receive them? They feel quite recent.”

Drenna swallowed hard. Crap. None of them had expected her to be able to feel that, at least not this soon.

I was panting from the effort, and the energy I had expended was slowly creeping higher. I could feel almost everything heading my way, barely a level below me. Good, I thought even if they destroyed me, I’d clear this dimension of a hell of a lot of evil.

It felt like I had only been here an hour, though I knew that time was irrelevant here. I could feel that I had grown at least another four levels. I was a few above Ukobach, though I needed to go higher. I needed an advantage. Ukobach, at the moment, held all the major cards, though I was gaining a few myself now.

I ripped off another titanic blast as I felt a great multitude closing in. Smiling, I grabbed the blast, spreading it out to a few miles. My smile grew more prominent as I added more and more power to it. Finally, it made contact, searing and burning through countless evil creatures before me. The screams of pain were music to my ears as a wider smile crossed my lips.

I suddenly stopped as I realized that I was enjoying all the killing and death that I was dealing with. Taking a deep breath, I found my center, seeing that this realm was starting to affect me. Damn, this wasn’t good. I had to stop before I was trapped like her with them AS one of them.

Calming more, I felt a potent energy heading my way. Crap, I thought I had awakened or come to the attention of the real boss of this realm. Flexing my hands, I steeled myself up. This was going to take a while. I was barely close to its level.

Grabbing the earlier blast, I powered it up even more, sending it barreling toward the considerable power. It felt like a long time before the power, and my blast met. I was trying to power the blast as high as possible. Smiling, I felt my power slip to another level. ‘Good, I might live through this,’ I thought.

Somewhere in the darkness, I heard a titanic collision. Then, the eerie screeching, growling, screaming, and groaning started. I had thought I had heard it all but was deathly wrong. As the sounds began to wash over me, I again tensed up.

I could still feel the enormous power trying to advance toward me, though it was most definitely slower. The power hadn’t dropped any, though I could feel it starting to strain a bit. Pushing out more and more power, I knew this was what I had been waiting for.

By the great power, I was tired. I had to keep going. I still wasn’t high enough; true, I was higher than Ukobach, though I didn’t feel I was high enough.

The vast power started to push forward again as I cursed. I had to hurt it, destroy it, or something close to that, or I was dead. Reaching inside, I felt calm, which I didn’t feel on the outside. Grasping it, I felt my reserve power kick in. Looking around when I opened my eyes, I saw what had to be millions upon millions of evil beings most of the way around me. What the hell? Why weren’t they attacking?

Looking closer, I saw that many were trying, unable to advance. Shaking my head, I turned toward the now advancing colossal power.

It was suddenly in front of me, a withering mass of dead, bloated, rotting concoctions of evil. What I guessed were eyes turned toward me.

[So Toman Wilbey, it wasn’t enough that you destroyed my brethren in your dimension. Also, in the sub-dimension that held Morganna Le Fay. No, you have to come to my dimension with that sickening goodness. Normally I would never let you leave, though in your case, I will make an exception!]The putrid mass said even as a sucking portal opened behind me.

[I refuse to leave!]My thoughts shouted as I braced myself against the increasing pressure pushing me back.

[You have no choice!]The thoughts of the mass shouted at me. Fighting with all I had, I was barely moving. The mass growled, and then I felt the pressure double, then triple. [Tell Ukobach that we await him when you destroy him. The dark realm will make him pay for the many that were lost.]

[NO!]My thoughts screamed out as I felt myself start to slide towards the portal opening. [NO!]I shouted again, putting all my power into staying stationary. Then I pushed higher, and I could feel the strain on my power as I barely moved.

The mass grunted as more than a thousand creatures rushed me, forcing me to the portal’s edge. Shit, I hadn’t expected this! That’s when I felt a slight tearing sensation. Oh hell! Not now, I was so close! With that, I was flung out of the dark dimension.