Chapter 30

Speaking for myself, I worked like I would never be coming back from that next trip to Earth. It wasn't hard to do, since I knew the odds favored just that. I spent as much time as possible with the children, too. If the worst happened, I at least wanted them to remember me.

Dad, mom, and Melanie would be going, too. That decision was made final when something unheard of was discovered. Paul, Paula, and little Bernie were not only immune to magic, as all the royal family was, they had magic of their own. It didn't seem to be possible, but there was no disputing it. Paul was air, Paula was Earth, and Bernie was spirit. Not to be outdone, Little Frank tested as fire. No matter what happened, the kingdom would not lose the protection of magic.

The testing happened two weeks after the birthdays of Paula and little Bernie. It would have been on their birthdays, but we were a little busy. The large version of Bernie got her wish for a big wedding, though I'm sure it was a lot larger than she imagined. Our union was legal here, and we took advantage of it. I used my last two rings, also. Those went to Geri and Delia. The ceremony seemed endless, at least to me. I liked the celebration, though that was pretty lengthy. The Queen declared a holiday, and it went on for a week.

We stayed in Orlinth for three years. With the exception of the war wizard's information, everything magical was left with the Queen. My own things would be sealed in the workroom, waiting either for my return, or my successor. I genuinely hoped that my own journal wouldn't be needed by another, at least anytime soon.

Eleven people returned through the portal. The eight of us, dad (Steven), mom (Karen), and Melanie. With great sadness, I put the most powerful wards I could manage on the Earth side, along with a shield that took the combined energy of eight wizards to create. If anyone other than myself attempted to enter, they would die. I suppose it was overkill, since no one could pass through without me there to allow it, but why take chances?

We began to prepare at once. No attempt would be made to defend the house. Anything like that would only assure its destruction. Instead, the valley approach was selected as the battleground. Our traps were set, and the scouts sent out. Then, all we could do was wait.

At dawn on the fifth day after our return, the suspense ended with a warning from Denise's hawk. I guess Harold didn't have our teleport spell, and that was what had taken them so long to arrive.

I was surprised it didn't take them longer. They must have had one hell of a travel agent, because there were hundreds of them (three hundred and twelve, to be exact). As they spread out, a voice boomed "Surrender, and your lives will be spared! Resist, and my minions will destroy you!"

I used my own amplification spell to reply "In the immortal words of Brigadier General McAuliffe, at the siege of Bastogne, NUTS!"

with that, the battle began. I immediately knew we were even more overmatched than I had believed. For starters, the shield dust only elicited a laugh of scorn. There didn't seem to be any effect at all, and that was our major weapon. Things went downhill from there. We struck back as hard as we could, and they were suffering casualties. Not enough though. Not nearly enough. Our shields were much stronger than theirs, but nothing could last forever under that onslaught.

I heard Cheryl cry out first, and as I turned to look, a spell got through Ann's. She screamed, and also went down. I lost it then. I was like one of the Berserkers from legend, after that. I only knew I had to reach that cowardly bastard hiding behind his puppets, and kill him. I was only half way there, when I saw two people appear in front of him. That was the last thing I remembered.

"Time for us to go, sister", Delia told Geri. The other simply nodded, and they faded into the rocks. When they were safely away, she answered. "You learned this from the warrior Claude? It is really quite ingenious, but I fear it will take much too long to accomplish."

"Be that as it may", she received as a reply, "we use the tools we are given, and the skills we have learned. In this way, we may prove of use yet. Let us go, and be stealthy!"

They crept through the scrub, and the grass. Much of the journey was spent crawling, and some of that on bare ground. If not for their tough leather clothing it would have been worse. Dodging the wizards was annoying, but they had more important things to do.

It took them the better part of an hour, but the battle was still raging. They still had hope, when they rose in front of the hated one.

Harold was amazed! Where had these two come from? He detected no magical ability from them, and that made him smile. They were very attractive, and would provide amusement for a time. Perhaps he would even share them, he thought as he reached out for their minds, and found... NOTHING! How could this be, and why did they smile at him. They have swords? How comical! No sword can pierce my...

When Harold's head left his body, his control over his forces was abruptly ended. The confusion that followed would have been amusing, if anyone had been prone to feel that way at the moment.

When the enemy stopped fighting, Bernie screamed "FIND HIM!", and threw herself towards her fallen sister-wives. The wounds were very bad, and she thanked whatever creator was responsible for their proximity to the nexus of lines. She drew all she could hold of the power, and went into a trance. She stayed frozen in that position for sixteen hours, as she strained to pull Cheryl, and even more so, Ann, from the brink of death.

It was Melanie that found Paul. At first, she believed he was dead. There was so much blood! As she knelt, she could see the shallow rise and fall of his chest, and knew there was hope, even if it was slim.

Karen, though wounded herself, was the next to arrive, followed by Steven. They tried their hardest, but they just didn't have the aptitude to do the job. They knew they were fighting a losing battle, but refused to admit it.

When they heard the strange and gruff voice ask "Move aside, please", they were slow to respond. They were quicker when it said "I said move aside, damn you! Do you want the boy to die? I would help him!"

They didn't recognize the man, and he at least explained as he worked. "My name is Nicholas, and I was of Russia. The man you defeat capture me. I make mistake and trust him. He is wizard, like me, no? Soon I have no control. He control, you see? We who live, owe this man. I owe this man. Both my freedom, and my life, I owe. Now is delicate part. I must concentrate. Be silent!"