Chapter 6 Part 16

Armegon and Ultrecht watched the last of their friends disappear. Then they sat and watched the waters swirl until the first sun disappeared. When the Well was gone for another day, they wordlessly made their way back to the edge of the cavern, up the stairs and back out onto the island.

Armegon built a small fire and they cooked some of the smoked meat that Keeneye had trapped earlier. "This meat won't last long," Ultrecht said. "We will need to find another ranger or a woodsman to keep us fed until we can set up operations here."

Armegon agreed. "That shouldn't be too hard." He leaned back. "Just think, a whole new world to explore. In a way, I am glad this happened. I was beginning to get bored with our home. The challenge was gone."

"Why didn't you tell Keeneye the truth?"

Armegon sat up and threw a few twigs on the fire. "He would have stayed."

"We could have used him."

"I would rather he handle our affairs back home. That is the only bad part about building empires: letting them go."

"Do you think they will try to come back?"

Armegon shook his head. "I slipped a note into Keeneye's pack last night. It tells him that I am staying behind voluntarily and it also contains a set of instructions for him to follow on how to run my operations. He has a decent head for business."

Ultrecht blanched. "I wish I had thought of that."

"Don't worry," Armegon consoled. "I also stated in my letter that I suspected that you too were planning to stay behind. Keeneye will appropriate your assets somehow."

Ultrecht chuckled. "Yes, I imagine he will."

They slept well that night. Perhaps the decision to stay or maybe the completion of their mission allowed them to sleep better than they had in months.

The next morning they awoke and began the long journey to Allentown. Ultrecht wanted to visit the University and Archives there. He was bound and determined to understand the magic of the warlocks.

As for Armegon, he liked Allentown as well. He spent several weeks performing minor magic for hire and did some courier jobs for Seada's news service. Within a few weeks he had put enough money together to purchase a small cabin next to a stream near the base of the Orkon Mountains.

It had been over a month since they had left the Well when Ultrecht dropped by for a visit. When Ultrecht arrived at the cabin, Armegon was glad to see him. Ultrecht stated that he had discovered a whole new way to work magic and was in the process of combining the two systems. Armegon claimed that he had been performing odd jobs and studying the politics of the world. "Lord Serpent Blackheart is the guy who was after us all that time. He is apparently trying to make some powerplay to gain control of the whole planet I think."

Ultrecht grinned. "Wouldn't you just love to see the look on his face when he finds out we are still around?"

"That is a piece of information I would like him not to know," Armegon said.

"Perhaps you are right," Ultrecht agreed. "I have managed to learn enough of the local magic systems to disguise my own power so that it is not as easily traceable as it used to be. It is really quite amazing how easily it was for them to track us when we used magic."

"I am actually surprised that they never quite got the drop on us," Armegon said thoughtfully.

"Tyson?" Ultrecht's question was obvious.

"I think so," Armegon said. "I think Tyson was sitting on a fence. He really wanted us to get home, but he also was kissing up to the local power in case we did not make it."

"You can ask him when we catch up with him," Ultrecht growled. The treachery was still a thorn in his side.

"It is quite possible that Tyson may realize that we are still here, and he may come looking for us."

Armegon leaned back in his rocker and sipped a glass of wine. "We shall see."

Ultrecht was about to say something when a knock came at the door. Ultrecht was closest, so he got up to answer it. He unlatched the door and opened it to reveal a woodsman carrying a bundle in his arms. The bundle mewed softly and a tiny head peeked out from the blankets. It was obviously a baby, but Ultrecht was not certain of the baby's race as its eyes were definitely feline.

"Excuse me, good sir," the woodsman said. "I was given this child by a halfelf named Armageddon some time ago and instructed to care for it until this time. Then I was told to deliver it to him in this area. Do you by any chance know of such a person?"

Ultrecht was dumbstruck. Just what kind of game was Armegon playing now? "What is your name, sir?"

The woodsman bowed slightly. "My name is Faragen. Faragen Greenbow at your service."

Ultrecht stepped aside and invited the woodsman in. "Well Faragen, this is the place, and yonder sits the person you seek." And I am looking forward to this explanation greatly, he thought to himself. This is going to be some story.

End of Book 1

Chapter 6 Part 15

When the bright round spot appeared on the western side of the cavernous chamber indicating the suns' ascent into the morning sky, Ultrecht bade everyone to hasten back to the waterfall prior to the noon transit. The company, weary and tired, trekked the long walk to the pool.

This time, although there was no mist, feelings of fear still assaulted them as they closed in on their goal. But without the fog to blind them and sap their bodies of life, the fear was a toothless lion. Within two hours, they were standing next to the pool at the base of the falls.

The bright spot that was incoming sunshine had travelled down the side of the chamber walls quickly and was creeping towards the pool. Little was said as the noise of the crashing water hindered communication. What talking was done strained the speaker's voice and was kept short. The water itself was icy cold as Marlena discovered in an attempt to wash her face. But it was very pure and good for drinking.

All in all, it made for a good wait. As the edge of the first sun peeked down into the crater and the light touched the water, a gentle breeze began to stir. Tiny dust devils cleaned the floor of the night's accumulation of debris and moisture. From their vantage right beside the pool, everyone watched as the wind picked up and spread outwardly leaving them in the eye of a miniature hurricane.

When the first sun had fully emerged into the crater opening and the edge of the second sun had begun to show, the mist, which had proven such a nuisance the day before, sprang up from the churning waters of the pool. The mist spread superficially like the wind and joined with the wind to block from view anything outside the eye of the storm. Suddenly, the light from both suns fell on the waterfall and pool causing the chamber to brighten into scintillating colors almost blinding those who had spent over a day trying to navigate in near to total darkness. The waters frantically swirled into a gigantic whirlpool whose vortex dropped out of sight of the observers.

"I do believe this is it," Armegon yelled turning to the others, but his words were not needed. For he saw that the others had drawn that conclusion on their own.

Ultrecht drew forth a cylinder. The name on the side indicated that it was Scarlet's Codix. "For what it is worth," Ultrecht began but did not finish. Instead he tossed the object into the swirling waters.

Marlena and Samson stood next to the edge of the Well. In one hand, they each held their Codix, while their other hands held each other. Marlena faced her beloved. "Live or die, we shall step through into forever, together." Samson held his wife close, then together they tossed their destinies into the swirling waters. Everyone watched transfixed as the scrolls bobbed up and down as they circled closer and closer to the vortex. Finally, the scrolls descended into the core of the vortex with a burst of light and disappeared--as did their owners.

Keeneye, who had been carrying Seymore's body, lay the body on the ground and reared back to throw the dead man's Codex into the Well when Ultrecht stopped him. "I must remove the suspension from him first to allow the magic to work on him. And you must go with him to get him to a healer before the curse of the undead can claim him."

"Without the suspension spell he will have weight," Keeneye complained. "I can't carry that lug all the way to a town before nightfall as heavy as he is."

"I will go with you," Norwind said.

"Wait a minute," Keeneye stopped.

"What about you two?" Armegon looked at Keeneye.

"Ultrecht and I will go last. That way we can use our magic to snatch you back should something go wrong."

Keeneye's eyes narrowed momentarily. Then he reached out and shook the mage's hand. "Good luck," he said but no one could hear. Keeneye joined Norwind next to the body of Seymore that Ultrecht had just freed from the suspended state. The wounds on the man were still fresh.

Norwind threw his and Seymore's Codices into the Well at the same time as did Keeneye. Keeneye turned and watched Armegon and Ultrecht until they faded from view and all was dark. The last thing Keeneye felt was a sense of falling.

Chapter 6 Part 14

Serpent Blackheart sat brooding on his throne. He was angry.

Everything had gone wrong. He had put forth a lot of effort to get the strangers here. And, in spite of the best efforts of his people and himself, they had eluded him time and time again. Now they were lost near Gly-ou-vogue.

His brother had strained his powers to the point of personal injury to help them escape that trap that Tyson had called a siege spell. Tyson himself had not wasted any time in helping to cover Morteous' absence. In fact, Serpent had a chance to get to know Tyson and he found that he really liked the mage. Yes, Serpent had plans for Tyson.

"Still brooding I see," Miguel said. Serpent had canceled all his appointments for the last few days. Only Miguel had the gumption to intrude.

"We have failed," Serpent grumbled.

"Nonsense," Miguel replied. "Our campaign in the west has started and King Rigel has mobilized his forces in High Branch to oppose us."

"But we did not reap the power we set out to."

"I think we have all that is necessary. Are you not the most powerful man in the world? You can do the task ahead."

Serpent laughed. "Your faith in me is most reassuring," he said.

"Faith can move mountains," Miguel said. "But it can not slay gods." Miguel gestured at the black sword. "Reaper can."

"My other ministers fear the appearance of Liberator." "If Liberator surfaces again, it could become a factor, but the wielder was killed and the blade undoubtedly was lost again," Miguel reassured his father. "It is not a sword that just anyone can pick up."

"You mentioned our campaign in the west."

Miguel smiled. "As per our agreement with the Ice Kingdom, Her Majesty's Ice Fleet has set out in force and gained control of the northern passage thus cutting off the western lands from the eastern lands. There is still the overland routes, but it takes over a year to travel that way. We have them divided."

"And the king?"

"King Rigel has sent a royal decree ordering you to cease your martial endeavors on threat of economic blockade and military siege. He also sent a private letter to you." Miguel held out the scroll. Serpent took the message and verified the royal seal had not been broken. He opened the seal and quickly scanned the contents.

Serpents face grew dark as he read the message. "It seems the king does indeed have a backbone," Serpent said. "He regrets to inform me that I am in violation of the Pact and therefore have forfeited my title and holdings. He claims that House Blackheart is stripped of its power and status as ruler of Aspberg." Serpent wadded the paper and flung it to the floor. "Does he really think that will stop us?"

Miguel retrieved the paper. "We have reports of the Royal Army garrisoned in High Branch mobilizing. The Dukes of Hell are preparing to meet them in the plains of Eborn north of Seron. Freonian pirates have set sail to blockade Kesron and our own troops are rallying to set siege to Kesron by land."

Serpent stood and smiled. "By the gods we will set the world ablaze with the fires of war," he declared. "Our plan will succeed!"

Chapter 6 Part 13

Keeneye saw the flash out of the corner of his eye as he navigated the narrow trail winding up the mountain side, but having been forewarned by Ultrecht, he did not look at it until he had counted to ten. When he finally turned around, all he saw was a gigantic glowing cloud drifting upwards. The cloud took on a peculiar mushroom shape. Keeneye watched as the cloud drifted up through the stratosphere.

"Well I'll be," Ultrecht murmured. "It works!"

"Almost too well," Armegon said from Keeneye's side. "There wasn't much of a time delay."

"We'll work on that later," Ultrecht assured him. "So tell us. What happened?"

"I had a run in with your friend, Quickdraw. You are right about his spell speed. It is phenomenal." Armegon glanced back at the cloud. "I wish we could have studied that a little more."

"Is he dead?" Armegon shrugged. "Tyson was there and warned them of the siege spell. Tyson escaped. I saw him disappear. The other mage and that Blackheart fellow may or may not have gotten out in time."

"Let us hope they didn't," Marlena said as she cuddled closer to Samson. "I am terribly sorry about that spell, Marlena," Armegon apologized. "I think I clipped a few square kilometers of forest with it."

"The price is worth the purchase if you got enough of them to counter the loss." "Oh, I got at least two regiments of troops." Everyone stood in silence for a moment longer contemplating the now dispersing cloud. Finally Keeneye turned and continued the climb up the side of the mountain.

Near the summit, two days later, they discovered a cavern entrance with a fresh breeze blowing through it. The rock was smooth, and sloped gently downward. "This must be the place," Keeneye said as he entered the mountain side. The others followed, their way lighted by the ever useful glow crystals.

No one mentioned the last trek through the darkness they had experienced. This trip, however, was uneventful and short. The way was straight and easy. And within a few hours they emerged on the other side. Together they all gazed down into the hidden valley Armegon's map had described.

The valley was lush with vegetation. Its most dominant feature was a large lake in the center of a ring of mountains. Near the center of the lake was an island. "Wow," Ultrecht exclaimed, "this must have been a huge volcano at one time. This whole mountain range is simply one gigantic caldera."

"We are getting close," Marlena breathed quietly.

"That we are," Samson said in return.

The trip down was a lot easier than the one up. By mid-afternoon, they were into the subtropical environment. And, before the suns had vanished behind the rim of the crater, they were standing on the shore of the lake.

Norwind tested the water with a bare toe. "Not!" He shivered. "Much too cold for my blood."

"Well it is certainly too far to levitate," Ultrecht said. "And I won't have you cutting any trees to make a raft," Marlena insisted.

"We may have to swim," Samson teased Norwind.

"I wouldn't advise it," Keeneye said as he felt the water. "You would probably go hypothermic within ten minutes. That and the thin air at this altitude would probably drown us all."

"Death is just as much a part of nature as is life," Marlena said. "Go find some driftwood or better yet some dead trees to tie together." A two hour search turned up enough unrotted deadwood to construct a raft large enough to carry them all and by nightfall, they were ready to make the crossing. Keeneye, however, advised against a night crossing and in his new position as trail boss, decided to camp for the night.

The camp was alive with anticipation. They had come a long way and were finally about to go home. They were sure that their enemy was either dead or had given up on trying to kill them and was going to leave them alone. Ultrecht, Armegon and Marlena held the night watches letting those doomed to row and steer get some sleep.

When morning broke into a deep twilight as the sunlight illuminated the sky over the crater rim, camp was broken and the raft was loaded. When all passengers were aboard, Samson pushed the raft out onto the lake. Norwind and he push-poled out into deep water. Next, they used some makeshift oars which Keeneye had constructed by stretching cloth across some dead tree branches. Keeneye steered by way of an improvised tiller.

When the sun broke over the rim and shone down into the icy water, the bottom could be seen, but even the longest pole fell far short of reaching it. The pureness of the place had Marlena in a dreamy state of mind, and the attitude was similarly affecting the others. By mid-afternoon, the island shore was close enough to see features.

As the suns began to dip behind the ridge rim, they made a landing on the beach. All in all, Keeneye estimated that they had about six hours of direct sunlight and were due another three hours of twilight.

The beach was of a dark gritty sand from long ceased volcanic processes. Camp was set up, while Norwind and Keeneye proceeded to scout the immediate vicinity as long as daylight permitted. At the same time, Ultrecht and Armegon inspected some rock outcroppings, and Marlena and Samson sat closely near the campfire talking.

Just as the long twilight came to an end, Keeneye and Norwind returned with some exciting news. Just a few kilometers east of their position was a river inlet river with a strong inflow current.

" This could be what we are looking for," Armegon said, "I have heard of islands with rivers emerging from them, but I have never seen an island where a river flowed from the sea to the center.

"Imagine that," Ultrecht reflected. "A land form with a positive gradient, but a negative divergence."

Norwind rolled his eyes. "What?"

"The water flows uphill," Armegon translated.

"Yeah, right."

"Well, there is one thing about it," Keeneye said. "Anything that weird has to be connected to the Well."

"Your logic is infallible," Armegon laughed. It was decided to investigate this unusual phenomenon first thing in the morning as it held greatest probability of leading them to the Well of Time. Until then they made camp and enjoyed an uneventful and long needed rest in the pseudo paradise of the crater.

The next morning they awoke to the long twilight between sunrise and the suns' appearance over the mountain crest. The sounds of wildlife rose from the island promising a day of pleasant travel. They broke camp cheerfully--each sensing the closeness of their home.

Before the suns came into view they had reached the inward flowing river. The island was large, but not excessively so. By midday, the river came to a stop at a waterfall in the very center of the island. Armegon and Ultrecht agreed that it probably dropped into an evacuated magma chamber.

A quick survey of the waterfall failed to produce a passage downward, but at the expense of a whole afternoon of searching, Keeneye and Norwind discovered what Ultrecht suspected was a lava tube. Even though the suns were already disappearing for the day, it was decided to keep moving onward. So they descended into the long dead volcano's bowels.

The lava tube was full of jagged rock, igneous in nature. Outcroppings of obsidian tore at bare flesh and loose clothing like swords, leaving none of the travellers unscathed. This and the absence of light, save the glow of Ultrecht's light stone, kept their progress at a slow pace.

Keeneye guessed that they had barely gone two kilometers when the tube came to an abrupt stop. It was suggested that this was a dead end where the lava had cooled and plugged the tube. The thought of backtracking and looking for another entrance was not too appealing, but the lack of alternatives left little choice. By the time they emerged it was far into the night. Camp was quickly made and soon they were settled for the night.

Another uneventful night passed and everyone woke refreshed. Over the next four days, an extensive exploration of the interior of the island revealed three more lava tubes. The largest of which heralded a distant rumble that almost certainly was the sound of falling water. Reassured, they again descended into the volcano's interior.

This time the way was not so difficult. The passage was wider and appeared worn. However, it too came to a dead end about one kilometer in. This plug, however, was obviously not natural. A wall of solid obsidian formed a smooth barrier to their path. In the center of the obsidian was a tetrahedral outcropping resembling a miniature pyramid.

"Well I have to admit, I was not expecting this." Ultrecht's surprise echoed what everyone else was thinking.

"A door," Armegon suggested.

"Possibly," Ultrecht agreed. "If so, how do we open it?"

"Knock?" Norwind laughed. Armegon looked at Ultrecht who shrugged in answer. They both looked at Norwind. Seeing this he put up both hands and backed away.

"Hey, I was just kidding."

"It was your idea," Marlena said.

Norwind submitted. He approached the door and inspected it carefully. This close to home, he was not about to fall prey to some trapped door. Through the door, the muffled roar of the waterfall could be heard. The door itself showed no signs of danger, so Norwind reached out and gently touched the polished surface. It was warm and very smooth.

Norwind moved his hand and touched the protrusion. It was cool and hard but still nothing happened. Bracing himself for any possible result, he grabbed the protrusion with both hands and shoved. The door swung open to reveal a bright light silhouetting Norwind from the others. As their eyes adjusted, they saw Norwind and the large chamber beyond.

The chamber was immense. One could not see the far side in spite of the sunlight shining down from the top of the waterfall. The suns were almost at the zenith and the entire cavern was alight; however, it did not appear as a cavern. The roof was so distant and there was so much water in the air that clouds formed and a haze obscured the ceiling. They were standing on a ledge which descended via a set of steps to the base several hundred meters below. The floor was made of packed sand. The walls receded in both directions away at a gentle, almost indiscernible curve.

"Is it just me or is this thing bigger on the inside than it was on the outside?" Keeneye asked as they descended.

"It is definitely larger than the island," Ultrecht assured him. "Perhaps as large as the whole mountain, but I doubt it is much larger."

It took them longer to descend to the chamber floor than they would have expected. The steps were slippery from lack of use in a highly humid environment. A thin layer of mildew made the footing chancy.

Standing on the floor, the sight of the waterfall was awesome. When the suns shone directly above the opening, it appeared like a miniature sun itself. From that sun hung a wavering ribbon of silver that dangled down and disappeared in a cloud of mist near the center of the chamber.

It took almost two hours to walk the distance to the wall of mist that surrounded the center of the chamber. They penetrated the mist slowly. The sound of the water was now deafening and the noise could be felt as well as heard. Eddies of mist swirled around changing their visibility from five meters at best to a complete white out. In less than a few steps everyone was damp from head to toe. A few minutes later, water began to drip from noses and hair.

The noise and dreary wetness chilled and rattled their bones making everyone miserable. The lack of visibility, coupled with the numbing of the mist blowing around and the deafening of the noise, blanketed the senses and gave rise to the question as to whether they were making any progress at all.

Fear began to grow as the absence of the three major senses of sight, hearing, and touch forced them to rely on their other senses. But the mist had no smell and the taste of water in their mouths yielded no flavor. The blandness relieved everyone of the remaining two senses.

Their fear grew. Fear born of the lack of input from the environment mounted to a point that even an occasional touch of another body could not dispel the surging anxiety. The roaring of the water was nearing the point where independent thinking was not coherent and a strong wind was blowing now crosswise to their forward travel.

Armegon took charge. He tied them together with rope and made sign language to each one to let him lead. The thickness of the mist was so severe that at the head of the rope all he could see was the rope disappearing into the fog behind him. He knew that Keeneye was less than two meters away, but the poor visibility hid that fact. Armegon, deprived of the his five senses, relied on his sixth sense. He felt magic ahead.

He felt the magic at a potential greater than anything he had felt before, but it was waning. It was like listening to a musical note. The pitch determined the power of the magic and the volume determined its strength. Armegon stumbled along leading the blind for about half a kilometer. Many of them felt the same fear and anxiety he had felt only theirs was worse. His sixth sense gave him some input from the environment.

Suddenly, like walking into a lighted room, the mist and wind ended. As if passing through a curtain, each of his companions emerged from the fog and Armegon saw that each of them were soaked and pale from the experience, but otherwise unharmed. They stood at the core of the chamber. From the sky, the waterfall fell into a rapidly swirling pool of silvery water. Through the opening, the two suns could be seen. One of the distant fireballs was almost out of view as it moved behind the rim. His sixth sense ebbed and he knew the magic he had felt earlier, which had guided him was now gone.

As if in agreement, the swirling of the pool ceased and the wind died leaving the mist to dissipate until it resembled a simple light fog. The waterfall continued unhindered, but it was obvious that the magic was gone.

"We missed it," Marlena said in a hollow voice barely discernible above the roar of the water. "It is too late; the gate has closed."

"Impossible," Ultrecht protested. "We should have at least a week left. We were very careful about that calculation."

Armegon thought for a moment. "Ultrecht," he said, "can you take a dimensional reading?"

Ultrecht made a few gestures and drew a triangle in the air in front of him. He spoke some gibberish and then drew an inverted triangle. After a moment, he turned to face his spectators. "The connection between worlds is still present, though that connection is fading rapidly. I suspect about three days until the gate closes."

"Then where is the gate now?" Samson's question spoke for everyone.

"It would appear that the Well of Time is here, but not now."

"Ah," Armegon grasped, "This is the Well but not the Time."

"I don't get it," Keeneye complained.

"The Well of Time," Ultrecht explained, "only appears at certain times. Probably when certain conditions are met. Otherwise, it is just a well."

"What conditions?"

"Right off hand," Armegon said, "I would think that the Well of Time appears during the interval between the transits of the two suns."

Ultrecht agreed. "That is a good theory."

"So we can't go home until tomorrow noon," Marlena asked.

"That is about the size of it," Armegon confirmed.

"Until then?"

"We wait."

That is exactly what they did. They returned to the edge of the chamber as far away from the noise as possible and made camp. There were no combustibles in the chamber so they wrapped up in blankets and ate rations. When the light was completely gone, only Ultrecht's light stones kept them from the total darkness and thunder that reminded one and all of the trip through the mist.

If the cold meal and damp blankets weren't bad enough, the noise inhibited sleep and made for a long uncomfortable night. On more than one occasion, Keeneye caught himself on the verge of bolting for the doorway to leave the place altogether. He knew the others were having similar thoughts.

After an eternity of noise and night, the greyness that signaled the coming day appeared at the crater top making it look like a hole in the darkness. The light revealed six weary faces. Apparently, no one had gotten any sleep.

Chapter 6 Part 12

Serpent Blackheart was furious. He had chased a damned illusion for too many precious minutes. So that when the second party of riders happened upon him, he did not immediately attack. In his mind, he suspected another illusion to throw them off the track and almost ignored the riders. Almost, that is, until one of them loosed a bolt of lightning that vaporized twelve of his men.

Drawing Reaper and giving a war cry that rocked the halls of Hell, Serpent Blackheart charged the fray. But the enemy was not going to fight. Instead, they turned due north and rode hard and fast. They outpaced his own rider's horses, except for the spell caster who seemed to be falling behind.

His own mount was not even breathing hard and could easily overtake the whole entourage, but he would be alone and these people had been underestimated too many times already. Still, he had to slow these fast mounts, so Serpent urged his mount to it's top speed. He steered around the fleeing enemy and cut in front of them just as the woods ended at the border of the wasteland. The horses and their riders drew to a halt.

"I, Serpent Blackheart, challenge the one named Okmar to a duel of swords." It was mostly a ruse. Okmar was the only true warrior of the bunch from Tyson's description. If Okmar accepted the challenge, then he would kill Okmar and stall them long enough for help to arrive.

"Sorry, Blackpuss," the halfelf mage replied. "Samson doesn't oblige just any old pampered novice who can enunciate a challenging sentence." And with a wave of the mage's hand, Serpent Blackheart, battle cat and all was lifted off the ground and flung into the trees.

No words could describe the rage Serpent felt. He started to remount but found his mount unconscious from where it's head had hit a stone. Looking out, he saw his quarry braving the mysterious wasteland. Normally, he would not venture into Gly-ou-vogue, but the insult ran too deep.

When his troops arrived with Morteous and Tyson, Serpent commandeered a mount and galloped off into the wasteland at full speed with Tyson on his heels. Morteous paused only for a moment before following.

Armegon glanced back over his shoulder. Serpent's sword had a powerful magic resistance which had been very hard to overcome. But the result was what he had hoped for. The insult had been the bait. The trappers were about to get trapped. The other horses, being in reality riderless, passed him by and he let them go. He no longer needed them.

A shadow to his left alerted Armegon of Morteous' attack. The claws of the nightmare barely missed the mage's unprotected back. Armegon halted his horse and dismounted. Slapping her rump, he sent her on her way. "Okay, Quickdraw," he said quietly to Morteous. "You survived Ultrecht, let's see how you do against me."

Morteous landed. He dismounted as well. It would be a few minutes before his brother and Tyson arrived. By that time, he would avenge his injured pride. In a blur and with a mere flick of his wrist, Morteous leveled a blast of lightning at Armegon. The target dived to the right, avoiding the brunt of the bolt's charge, but still getting a good jolt.

Armegon rolled to his feet. "Slick move," he muttered. "Now try this." He whispered the spell phrase and swung a fist. Morteous took the invisible battering ram full on. It lifted him completely from the ground and knocked him dozens of meters back. He was sure he had suffered a broken rib.

Morteous got back to his feet quickly. He employed some advice Tyson had given him. Morteous began blasting away with spells. Small quick easy spells that may not do much damage, but more importantly did not give his opponent time to cast any of his own.

Morteous knew that his advantage was spell speed. Warlocks did not cast their spells, they thought them. As long as Armegon was kept on the defensive, Morteous could hold him back until Tyson and Serpent arrived.

Armegon was in trouble. He had had three spells misfire in a row because of Morteous' attacks. It was like trying to juggle while standing in a swarm of angry bees. He needed a break to get up some defenses. Reaching into an inner pocket of his tunic, Armegon withdrew a small cube. He whispered a command and the cube responded with a spell shield.

Morteous watched a small flame burst bounce off an invisible wall. Hoping to overpower the shield, he followed with a heavy duty fireball. The sphere of flame shot across the distance and enveloped the target.

The shield wavered slightly then disappeared. But it was already too late. Armegon stood with feet firmly planted on the ground. His eyes blazed and from his right hand an incredibly bright light shone forth.

Tyson pulled up next to Morteous as did Serpent a moment later. "Let him go," Tyson advised.

"Whose side are you on, Tyson?" Morteous asked.

"I am on yours, that is why I am begging you to back off."

"You don't think I can take him?"

"Not now you can't."

"Your lack of faith in my brother is quite disturbing," Serpent said.

"Armegon is a temperamental sorcerer. It is similar to a berserker warrior. Right now, he will grow more and more powerful until one of you is dead. The only way to defeat him is to do so in the first moment of the conflict. You are too late."

"Perhaps if we all three attack him?" Serpent asked.

"Possibly," Tyson admitted, but if we fail he will be powerful enough within minutes to wipe out that mountain range."

"Then waste no more time," Morteous said through clenched teeth. "Get him now!" Simultaneously, Morteous and Tyson attacked with force spells as Serpent used his sword's power to augment his allies' magic. Power enough to level a small city shattered against the lone mage.

When the smoke cleared, Armegon still stood. Morteous was flabbergasted. "I am completely drained," he stated. "He has won."

"Not yet," Tyson said panting. "His wards are down and his powers have temporarily dropped."

"Then he is mine," Serpent said as he stepped forward. "I know you have a sword, Armegon," he called. "Let us see if you can use it as well as you use magic."

Armegon reeled from that last attack. Damn it, Tyson would be the death of them all. Behind his opponents, he could see the enemy's army riding up. Armegon heard Serpent's challenge. "Come on, Blackpuss," he goaded as he withdrew the cylinder Ultrecht had given him. "I have what you want right here."

Tyson was not caught unaware. He recognized the cylinder immediately. He turned to Morteous. "Teleport out with your brother NOW!!" Then he vanished.

Armegon saw Tyson disappear even as he broke the seal on the cylinder and started his own teleportation. As his vision faded, he saw Morteous reach out to grab Serpent. Then all was light.

Chapter 6 Part 11

The first signs of the attack came as noises in the distance. Norwind heard them first and warned the others. Marlena dropped a few seeds and the group urged their mounts to a quicker pace. As Norwind passed the fallen seeds, he glanced down to see them sprouting and taking root.

"Those are strangleweed vines," she explained. "They will entangle anything passing through them. Actually, they are carnivorous, but we won't be anywhere near them when they mature, which should be in a few minutes thanks to a fast-grow spell."

They rode as quietly and as quickly as possible. Everyone was alert. Each rider listened for sounds of pursuit. Each rider looked for signs of ambush.

"We are almost there," Samson whispered to Marlena, who rode next to him. "I will not allow them to stop us now. Now that you are back, I will not lose you again."

Marlena reached out and touched his arm. "Don't do anything foolish, Sam," she said. "Let's just get home so that we can get back to our lives."

"How much further do we have to go?" Ultrecht asked.

"I don't know," Keeneye said. "Armegon didn't copy this region onto his map. Can't blame him, he didn't expect us to have to..." Keeneye paused, his attention in front of him. "Hey there is an opening ahead of us."

"Damn," Armegon exclaimed as he exited the forest at the border of Gly-ou-vogue. "Just how big is this thing?"

"Well, however big it is," Norwind pointed to the east, "It has to end there where the mountains are."

"It looks like a gentle grade there too," Keeneye said. "Perhaps that is where we can start our ascension."

"Okay," Ultrecht said, "then let's go that way."

"Wait," Samson asked for a moment. "I suggest we reenter the forest." He waved his arm dramatically out over the desert. "I don't want to get caught out there without any cover."

"Good point," Norwind agreed. "The forest will be safer."

"I'm not so sure about that." All eyes turned to Marlena. She had dismounted and was kneeling beside a tree. "There is another druid in the forest working against me."

"Can you take the other druid?" Samson put his hand on his wife's shoulder.

"That is difficult to tell. So far the other has not opposed me directly. I was checking on my strangle weed and found it hibernating. Only a druid could do that."

"Or a very good ranger," Keeneye suggested.

"Any ranger that good would have avoided the trap altogether." Marlena frowned. "That is what puzzles me most," she said. "How this druid fell for the trap at all. It is almost as if the druid has power without experience."

"We can philosophize it later," Armegon put in, "when we get home. Now let's go." They all remounted and turned slightly south of their previous plan, heading into the forest again.

In less than an hour, they heard the horses approaching them. Samson drew his sword and Keeneye gave his bow a testing pull. Armegon glanced back to see Norwind with his staff balanced across his knees rolling up his sleeves to get them out of the way for quick action. Even Marlena was preparing quietly for battle as she spoke gently to the horses in their own language, undoubtedly trying to keep them calm.

The first action announced itself as Keeneye suddenly whirled in his saddle and fired an arrow among the trees. A gurgle and a thump followed. Then, the party urged their mounts into a soft gallop. Three arrows whizzed out of the gloom straight towards Samson's mailed back. Like a flash, a quarterstaff intercepted all three. Norwind plucked the arrows from his staff and passed them forward where they eventually found their way to Keeneye's quiver.

A flash of metal behind him urged Norwind to pass the warning. "Run for it. They're here."

The company sent their horses into a full gallop. Dodging in and out of the trees, Keeneye tried to vary their direction as best he could to keep them from getting outflanked. Eventually, however, the sight he had worked so hard to avoid made itself visible: troops in front of them.

Keeneye shouted a warning and fired his bow. With his knees, he directed his horse south in an attempt to prevent from being trapped on the desert. Within a few minutes, the situation got worse as the signs of enemy troops to the south became evident. "We are surrounded!" He didn't really need to say it. It was plain to all.

Keeneye turned northwest. That was the direction they had come and the only way left open to them. The horses were beginning to lather and Keeneye knew that they would not be able to run much further. "Marlena," he called, "cut them off!"

Marlena flung seeds into the air. "This won't last long," she warned.

"Just buy us some time." Keeneye was looking for something else now. He had a plan. If he could find a large enough growth of brush, they might pull it off. Finally he found what he was looking for in a clump of overgrown vines and trees. Everyone pulled in and remained quiet as hand signals were used whenever possible.

Keeneye pulled up next to Ultrecht. "What do you have in mind?" the mage whispered.

"Can you do that illusion thing again, except for all of us?"

"Not the same way," Ultrecht said. Those illusions were stationary and on objects. If you want an illusion of seven riders, that will require concentration. I can't ride and concentrate on an illusion at the same time."

"Then do the illusion well and you won't have to ride."

Ultrecht began his trade.

"Keeneye," Armegon said quietly. "He can only run an illusion for so long then they will be on to us again."

Keeneye watched the illusion form off into the distance. At first, it was a little blurry, like bad vision, but then it cleared and rode off to the south. "It may draw them off enough for us to make a break in their ranks and escape," Keeneye replied. "I hope the animals can stand one more sprint."

"Mine can't. She took a quarrel in the rump and Marlena has used up almost all her power hiding us and keeping the enemy off us to heal her," Armegon replied.

"Damn," Keeneye exclaimed. "This is getting worse by the minute."

"I have an alternate plan, but you are going to have to trust me," Armegon whispered hesitantly.

"Let's hear it."

"Give me all the horses and put new illusions on them to make it look like they have riders. I will take them on a wild goose chase and you can all flee to the mountains."

"How are you going to catch up?"

Armegon reached into a pouch. He withdrew a small piece of jewelry. "If you take this ring, I can teleport to it like a beacon."

"After we have pulled the illusion gag on them twice, won't they be wary of it a third time?"

Armegon smiled. "I'll convince them that I'm real."

"They're on to the illusion," Marlena said from nearby. Ultrecht's eyes snapped open. "Damn that Tyson, he is helping them."

"Okay," Keeneye said, "everyone dismount, we are going to try something else." He turned to Armegon. "Good luck boss."

"Ultrecht, we need low powered illusions on these mounts. I need six riders to accompany Armegon." Ultrecht complied and Keeneye outlined the plan to the others. Marlena hugged Armegon and Samson simply shook the halfelf's hand. Norwind took Seymore's suspended body, then clapped Armegon's shoulder. "Good luck," the monk said.

Ultrecht finished the spell and turned to his fellow mage. "Is there anything more I can do?"

Armegon smiled. "Yes, as a matter of fact you can. Let me have that lead cylinder you are carrying." Ultrecht's right eyebrow lifted in surprise, but he said nothing and produced the requested item.

When all was ready, Armegon mounted his horse. Marlena deadened the horse's pain, it was the most she could do without revealing their presence to the other druid. "I'll ride southwest until I make contact then I'll turn north." He kicked his horse into motion. "Get away as fast as you can," he called over his shoulder as he and the six phantoms galloped off into the woods.

It took about ten minutes before the first sounds of combat told them that Armegon had been spotted. The crackle of lightning and the whoosh of flame indicated that he definitely had their attention. Soon, the way east was clear and Ultrecht urged them hysterically to move out as fast as they possibly could.

Chapter 6 Part 10

Serpent Blackheart sat astride his mount, a magnificent and also a terrible beast of war. He had spent considerable resources having it developed. It was a giant black cat about twice the size of a lion with the lines of a cheetah. It combined the speed and strength of those animals as well as the stealthiness of a panther. The cat was named 'Poge' after Miguel's favorite childhood bedtime story. Word among the common folk was that the creature was possessed by an enslaved demon that gave it fantastic powers, but that was rumor only.

Tyson sat astride a light riding horse at his master's left. On the right, the warlock sat upon his nightmare. "You have done well," Serpent addressed Tyson. "Your comrades are trapped. We are driving them north towards Gly-ou-vogue. Soon, they will have to fight." He drew his dark weapon. "I have had enough failures in this venture. I will direct this operation personally."

"With the death or disappearance of the ranger, Liberator is out of the picture," Morteous pointed out. "And with Tyson's advice on how to counter the elemental control of the mage, Ultrecht, I am looking forward to a rematch."

"How will you do this?" Serpent asked his brother.

"Ultrecht is a master of all eight of the elements," Tyson explained. "We will defend with prismatic shielding spells. These spells are light based and can only be canceled by shadow based spells. With very few exceptions, shadow spells are those requiring personal touch. So for Ultrecht to breach our defenses, he will have to come within touching range of us where a sword can easily deal with him."

"Does this plan make us immune to his power?" Serpent asked Tyson.

"No, my lord, but it will reduce the effects immensely."

"Ah," Morteous cut in. "Our own spies return." Two small imps materialized before the trio and bowed low.

"Report," the tyrant demanded.

"Those who thou seekest have fled into the wooded lands and north," one said. "They are but a moments flight from here."

"Their numbers?" Tyson asked. The imp ignored Tyson so Serpent repeated the question.

"Two elves, two men, one woman, one halfelf and a corpse. They are all mounted."

Serpent dispatched the imps and turned to his new leader of the royal guards. "Send two companies north in the open. Have them make as much noise as possible. Have the rest of that regiment filter up through the woods and drive these people to the border of Gly-ou-vogue. Send the other regiment up the western side to cut off any attempt to flee westward."

"Lord Blackheart," Tyson advised. "They entered the forest to take advantage of Marlena's druidic powers. We have already seen how she watches us through the eyes of the animals."

"I have no fear of the druid," Blackheart said. "My own powers are becoming more pronounced every day and I can feel the living energies of nature. Though she does not yield willingly to me, nature will do my bidding."

"But will you have the power to wrestle control of the forces of nature from Marlena. Seymore was a powerful druid in his own right, but he was not that strong."

"As soon as Reaper tastes blood, my power will be augmented." With that, Serpent kicked his beast in the flank and disappeared into the forest.

Chapter 6 Part 9

As the horses disappeared in the distance, two of the nearby trees shimmered and vanished to reveal the missing mage and druid. "Your illusion worked quite well, Armegon," Marlena said.

"And your forest friends played their parts equally well," Armegon returned.

"We've bought some time," Marlena admitted. "Nothing more."

"That may be all we need," Armegon hoped eyeing the nearby cliffs. They were close enough to see individual trees and crevasses. "If we can get up into those rocks, we may be able to escape. Their horses will do them no good there. At the very least, we will be able to maintain our distance and a periodic rock slide here and there will slow them even more."

"I wouldn't dream of stopping you. You heard the conversation as well as I. Tyson has betrayed us just like the Oracle said." Marlena cursed.

"He'll get his," Armegon promised.

Armegon and Marlena ran on. They dodged around several growths pausing only long enough for Marlena to cover their tracks with new growth or for her to convince some wildlife to cut a false trail. They slowed only when they could run no more and then they continued to walk.

They moved on throughout the day. Several times, they heard the sounds of hooves galloping nearby. A quick hide and absolute silence usually served to elude the hunters. On one occasion, a catlike creature was being used to track by scent. But Marlena solved the problem by fast growing some catnip plants on their trail and later on convincing a skunk to cover their passage.

By late afternoon, they had not heard any signs of pursuit for over an hour when the terrain began to climb gently. Armegon and Marlena paused one last time before finishing their marathon. As they sat in silence trying to catch their breath, a neigh and the sounds of hooves walking nearby sent them scampering towards the cliffs.

Because the woods were thicker there the branches slapped painfully at them, still they ran blindly onward. Hand in hand, they stumbled forward until they broke out into the open at the base of the cliff. Armegon let go Marlena's hand and put Seymore's body on the ground. He stared up at the vertical rise.

"There is no way we can scale that without equipment," Armegon announced with a sense of defeat.

"Can't you teleport us up there?" Marlena asked while glancing nervously back into the woods from where the sounds grew louder.

"Yes, but the spell that preserves Seymore impedes magic. Do you want to leave him behind?"

Marlena gave no answer. One was not required. Neither of them were about to abandon Seymore; they had lost too many friends already. "Well what do we do?"

Armegon turned his back to the cliff and faced the forest. He set his feet firmly and pulled his sword from the scabbard strapped across his back. The keen blade was a saber that glittered as it glowed a soft white. Armegon stabbed the blade into the ground with the hilt about waist high near his left hand. Then he unslung the bag where he kept all his spell components. He opened the flap and rested his right hand inside. "I guess this is it," he said. "I am going to make them pay a high price for my head."

Marlena nodded in acceptance. Then she took up a position at his right. "Let's get 'em!"

"Marlena," Armegon said as he watched the trees, "If you see a chance to escape, take Seymore and run for it." Marlena did not want to abandon her last living friend, but for Seymore's sake she agreed.

"Come now boys," Armegon yelled out into the woods to the unseen enemy. "If you want my head you will pay handsomely for it!"

"Your head and the word 'handsome' should never be used in the same breath," returned a familiar voice. "Because your head is not worth that much."

Suddenly, Marlena was running with renewed strength towards the thicket as Samson emerged flanked by Norwind and Keeneye. Ultrecht brought up the rear. Marlena flung herself into the arms of Samson who had dismounted and ran out to greet her with equal enthusiasm.

"Oh, how I've missed you," she told him. Samson wrapped her in his arms.

"And you will never know how I really missed you."

Marlena smiled. "Oh, Sam," she purred. "Take me back to our little cabin in the woods." Samson heart staggered in shock. 'Sam' was the name she had called him as his wife and the 'little cabin in the woods' was a small shack in a glade less than five miles from his mansion where they had retreated to for romantic interludes on numerous occasions.

Marlena looked deeply into Samson's eyes. "Yes, Sam, I remember now." She took his hand. "I'll never forget again."

Samson hugged her closely. His joy was apparent to everyone and no one made any attempt to interrupt.

"Now I guess I will have to find another reason to be nasty to Avery," he laughed. Marlena's smile vanished. Samson instantly understood. "No," he said in denial. "Not him too."

"How did that happen?" Keeneye asked in horror.

As Marlena clung protectively in Samson's arms, Armegon filled the others in on their adventures including Avery's disappearance in the storm, the assassination attempt and Tyson's betrayal.

"Someone has a lot to answer for," Norwind observed. There was no humor in his voice.

"Agreed," Armegon said. "And I hate to break up a party, but we have been chased for the last week and are still not safe."

"I recommend we travel north," Keeneye said as he readjusted the luggage on the two pack horses to make room for riders. "We just came up from the south and there is some kind of manhunt going on there for a couple in a wagon. We thought nothing of it, but with Avery gone and Tyson against us, you two fit the description quite well."

"Fine, then, we go north," Ultrecht agreed urging his mount into motion.

"So tell us of your adventures, Sam," Marlena asked. "Tyson told us that you were all dead."

"Oh he did, did he?" Samson grinned. "Well after you, Avery, Armegon and Tyson were trapped in that side tunnel..."

"We thought Tyson was with you," Marlena interjected.

"Apparently, he has been involved in this treachery for some time," Keeneye observed.

"I think I shall have a long talk with Mr. Tyson just before I turn him inside out," Armegon mumbled as he adjusted the straps holding Seymore in place.

"After the cave-in..." Samson continued. He outlined their journey through the mine highlighting his battle where he single handedly slew seventy-two morhulks. Also the battle with the troglodytes where Norwind was given appropriate credit. The tale of their comfortable trip across the desert and Norwind's bedtime adventure increased spirits dramatically.

"She was really that ugly?" Marlena asked Norwind.

"No," Keeneye interrupted. "He was really that ugly."

"He?!" Norwind had not mentioned that part to anyone.

"You had better come clean," advised Samson. "Or you had better not sleep tonight."

Keeneye related the story of how he had wakened Norwind's lover and then hired a street bum to put on a wig and take the girl's place in Norwind's bed. Norwind responded with a sigh of relief, followed by a treat of vengeance and finally a barely concealed bout of laughter of his own.

Armegon had to remind everyone to hold it down as they were still being followed and that one of their enemy knew their ways very well. Samson continued his narration of their arrival at the southern border of the desert. At that point, Norwind stole a chance to pester Armegon about his name. Armegon accepted the jest in good nature and Samson continued.

"So there we are riding along next to a rock outcropping with someone waiting for us ahead." Samson's recount of the ambush was told in storybook fashion. "When the attack finally came, we were ready for them. Master Ultrecht, here," Samson gestured melodramatically, "challenged their magic user to a contest of spells while the rest of us took on the whole regiment."

"There are some forms of magic I would like to study here," Ultrecht noted to Armegon. "This magic user that they had was pulling some pretty quick spells in a streamlined fashion. I think he had a more direct power tap than we use."

"How did you beat him," Armegon asked. "Well, even with a direct power tap, he did not have an elemental focus or a sorcerer’s direction. Either one of us could have taken him out. Although, I am not sure if Tyson could have and I know Avery would have lost."

"Meanwhile," Keeneye interrupted. "We were fighting it out on foot against cavalry. We were outnumbered quite well and it was all we could do to stay alive. Finally, we began to retreat back towards where Ultrecht had gone. When all of a sudden, I tripped over a body. I got back up and looked at the corpse. You can imagine my surprise when the corpse had my face on it." Keeneye laughed. "Come to find out, Master Ultrecht, here zapped their three most powerful warriors with illusions making them look like us. I also noticed that I had become invisible. So we escaped and they took the three disguised bodies back with them. That bought us enough time to elude the enemy."

“There was another tricky moment there,” Ultrecht interjected. “I had to hit Samson with a magic dispelation charge. I can tell you that Libra didn’t like that at all and gave me a feedback jolt that I would rather not experience again. It didn’t break the sword’s power, but it did snap Samson back to sanity. Then I was able to hide him as well.”

Keeneye finished his tale as they rode. While he spoke Marlena called down a lark from a nearby tree and sent it on a spying mission. A while later, it fluttered to her arm with a partially lame wing. After a brief conversation with the creature, Marlena explained to her companions that Tyson was leading a band of assassins less than an hour behind them and that the bird had been shot as Tyson knew it was a spy.

A quick conference as to what they should do yielded a decision to move back into the forest where Marlena's druidic abilities could be brought to bear. Marlena healed the lark with a wave of her hand and acknowledged that she felt strong enough to raise the forces of nature in their defense. With that decision, Keeneye notched an arrow and led them into the woods.

Chapter 6 Part 8

Earlrich was the master of assassins for House Blackheart. He enjoyed his work. To hunt a mark and kill it was one of the greatest joys in life. Every huntsman enjoys the sport. But to hunt something intelligent only increases the challenge and thrill.

Earlrich had seen many operations go off without a hitch. But every now and then a botched job or just plain dumb luck throws even the best assassin for a curve. Such was the case a week ago.

He had lost two good operatives due to rotten timing and bad luck. The first operative would easily have taken the woman out had that damned mage not stumbled onto the scene. The backup man should have prevented the interference, but something had held him back. Probably greed. If the primary operative fails then the backup man gets both commissions. Whatever, the backup almost took out the mage and got away. But who could have known that the female was skilled with throwing daggers. The second operative never got his commission and the woman's powers had returned enough for her to save the mage's life.

Now, being without two operatives, Blackheart had commanded him to personally take charge of this operation. For, it seems that the head of the royal guard also had made a major blunder and was now a sergeant in charge of Aspberg's sewer patrol. So, Earlrich had been directed to hunt the refugees down at all costs and destroy them utterly.

The traitor Tyson had been quite handy in that part. He had rejoined his former allies, while keeping Earlrich informed of their movements and plans. They had followed at a safe distance for days until they had their prey trapped. With the mountains on one side and Gly-ou-vogue to their backs, Earlrich's forces completed the box and would soon accomplish their mission. The ultimate fate of his prey was their deaths, but he might be able to extract some information from them first.

Tyson rode a light war-horse to the right of Earlrich. He had left the camp not long after relieving Armegon from watch. Then, he had led Earlrich and his agents to the campsite only to find it abandoned. It did not take a sage to see that the prey had fled on foot as only the bare necessities were missing. Their tracks were easily followed as their prey was unskilled in stealth.

Following at a good pace, the hunters were certain that they would catch up with the fleeing mage and druid within the next hour when the trail ended in a herd of wild pigs. "We've been tricked!" Earlrich's anger could be heard with every syllable.

"We are in Marlena's element," Tyson informed him. "There is very little that you can do that she will not be aware of."

Earlrich turned his mount. "Back to the camp," he ordered. "There must be a trail that we can pick up there." The troop turned and galloped back towards the camp leaving the pigs, who were oblivious to the whole conversation, to their own devices.

Chapter 6 Part 7

It appeared as if the ploy had worked. After travelling west for two days, there was no sign of pursuit. Even Marlena's spying with the animals of the forest turned up nothing. It was on the third day when Armegon decided to turn south. He consulted the charts he had made in Allentown and was convinced that they were no more than a week's journey from the mountains where the well of time was hidden.

"I recall reading in the map texts," he told them, "that the northern regions and the southern regions were well populated, but the equatorial and tropical regions were mostly wild. For the most part the southern tropics are swampland. The equatorial lands are plains and prairie with the sole exception of the mountains where we are going."

"There is also a place called Gly-ou-vogue. The charts stated that it was a wasteland, and that it was the sight of a terrible battle."

Marlena sat up from where she had been lying in the back of the wagon. "What kind of battle?"

Armegon shrugged. "I am not sure," he admitted. "Since it was not important to our getting home, I only skimmed the information. But I do recall running across a prophecy that another battle would be fought there in the future."

"Battle, schmattle," Tyson sneered. "Like you said, 'It is not important to our getting home'."

"Gee, Tyson," Marlena said, "don't get your trousers in a wad. I was just curious."

"Sorry," Tyson apologized. "I am just anxious to get out of here and back home."

"We all are," Armegon said. "The shortest distance between two points is a straight line, so, south by southeast driver."

"Yes monster, er, uh, I mean master," Tyson murmured.

Four days later they were viewing the tall mountains in the distance. "Still no sign of pursuit," Marlena reported as a hummingbird zipped skyward from her shoulder. "Only the occasional hunter or forester."

By the fifth day the tall mountains were rising above the trees like majestic sentinels guarding some treasure untold. Ironically that is exactly how Armegon compared it as the treasure being guarded was their previous lives. "Somewhere among those peaks is a cave which descends into the depths of the mountains. There we will find the Well of Time."

It was in the mid afternoon of the fifth day without pursuit when the forest came to an abrupt stop and the ground before them became a fine ash. The boundary was so well defined that it appeared as if a carpet stretching to the horizon and beyond lay before them. There were no features. No rocks. No trees. No rolling lands. Nothing but that gray carpet of ash. "Gly-ou-vogue, I presume," Armegon said with awe.

Such a desolate wasteland instilled a sense of horror and sadness in everyone. Marlena was especially devastated. She bundled up in a blanket and whimpered. "So much death," she murmured. "Please, let's not stay here any longer."

Her plea did not go unheeded. Neither of the others had any real desire to stay near that dreadful place. "We can move back into the forest about ten minutes ride, then parallel this thing until we reach the mountains," Armegon surmised.

"I think we will make the base of the slopes by morning if we ride all night," Tyson observed.

"Perhaps," Marlena agreed now comfortably out of sight of the wasteland. "But we are very close now and I would rather try to scale a mountain side after a good night's rest."

"Agreed," Armegon concurred. "Let's stop here for the night and get a good long rest. We can travel to the mountain tomorrow morning and camp on a cliff tomorrow night."

"I will summon up a guard for us," Marlena said as she dismounted the wagon.

"Don't bother your forest friends," Tyson said. As long as we are going to be here, we can all take turns keeping watch and still get plenty of sleep. Besides we could all use a little private time to think and study."

Marlena glanced at Armegon who was busy rummaging through a pack and was oblivious to the whole conversation. "Well," she started to disagree but then changed her mind, "fine. We do it your way. But I get first watch."

"And I'll take final watch," Tyson said. "We'll make Armegon do the interrupted sleep gig," he laughed.

A meal was prepared and warm smoked meat and wild roasted nuts made full stomachs. Not much later and some sleepy yawns were heard followed by Armegon's announcement that he was going to sleep. Tyson stayed awake a little longer until the soft snoring of Armegon made him too give in to exhaustion.

"Remember to wake Armegon in four hours," he reminded the druid who was content to carry on a conversation with a tree. Marlena waved to him indicating that she had heard, and went back to her conversation.

Armegon woke from his sleep when the sunlight drifted through the trees overhead and warmed his face to an uncomfortable temperature. He sat up cursing. Tyson had let them oversleep. He had specifically told Tyson to wake them at sunrise when he had waken Tyson for his turn at watch. Looking around he saw the wagon and Marlena, but there were no horses and no Tyson.

Armegon rose sleepily and kicked at the blanket he had become entangled with during the night. Oh, but Tyson was going to get it for this goof up. Armegon gently woke Marlena.

She stirred and opened her eyes. "Did we oversleep?"

"It would seem so. And worse, Tyson has wandered off with the horses." "Maybe they got away and he is out chasing them."

"Probably," Armegon did not sound as if he believed that. "Marlena, do me a favor and ask one of your friends to look for Tyson." Marlena whistled a loud shrill sound and waited for a moment. Then an answering cry from above drifted down through the trees. Marlena scooped up a dead tree limb from the ground and held it out. A moment later a large hawk swooped down and landed on the branch. Its talons dug deeply in the dead wood. Marlena spoke to the bird for a moment and then watched as the bird leapt upwards. It ascended faster and faster with every beat of its wings. "This won't take long," she promised.

About fifteen minutes later, the bird bolted through the trees and landed on the wagon edge next to where Marlena was sitting. Armegon watched as the fowl and druid spoke. He grew worried as he saw Marlena's face grow dark. She cursed and the bird jumped andtook wing. "Damn!" Marlena's curse caught Armegon by surprise.

"What's up?"

"We are surrounded again."

"You're kidding," Armegon could hardly believe his ears.

"It seems our comrade in arms is on friendly terms with those who are chasing us."

Armegon's eyes narrowed. "That is a very strong accusation."

Marlena turned away. "I have a bird's eye view of him giving the enemy directions to our camp."

Armegon turned to her. "Let's go Marlena," he said. There was something final in his voice, something resolved.

Armegon ran swiftly dodging the trees and hurdling over the underbrush. Marlena followed closely behind. Neither spoke much as they needed to conserve their breath as much as possible. In her mind's eye, she saw the unforgettable scene of Tyson riding with the enemy as the hawk had seen it.

There had to be an explanation, she told herself, but the vision only brought to light other facts that had been overlooked. Tyson had been alone with Seymore when he had fallen prey to the wights in the mine. Tyson had also disappeared just before the ambush that had almost cost them Avery and Seymore the first time. Was it more than coincidence that Tyson alone survived where Ultrecht, Samson and the two elves could not?

It was becoming all too clear. Tyson had apparently been using them to further his own goals. Now only she and Armegon were left. Cursing his name, she hoped he had collected well by selling his friends out. Anything less than a throne of his own would be an insult to them all.

Armegon's thoughts were different. He had been driven by the need to get himself and his friends home. Now his spirit burned with a different flame. Armegon would see Seymore and Marlena safely home, but he would stay behind. Tyson would pay for his betrayal. Oh yes, Tyson would pay dearly.

Armegon realized that he was still not as powerful as he had once been, but his power was growing and given time he would hunt the traitor down. On that day there would be a reckoning.

For almost an hour they ran. Long ago, they had left behind anything that was not absolutely vital to survival. Gone were the packs. Gone were the rations. Gone was the bedding, tents and heavy cloths. Even though it was not very warm, they could not afford to weigh themselves down. Fortunately, Seymore's body could be made weightless easily and was being carried without effort.

Finally after an hour, Marlena pulled up and began walking. Armegon did likewise. It would do no good to push themselves until they collapsed. "We can't keep up this pace," Marlena said between heaves.

"Unless you can produce us a mount," Armegon started.

"I could call one if there were any nearby, but there aren't."

"Then what choice do we have?"

"I have an idea," Marlena said. "If it works, they won't know where we are for a while and we can gain some time."

"And if it doesn't?"

"We get caught."

Armegon looked at the forest behind them. The open forest allowed horses to run easily through the widely spaced trees. Marlena's breathing had slowed, but was still labored. Armegon shook his head. "We will get run down and caught anyhow," he said at last. "I won't go down without a fight, but if there is a chance to elude them, let's hear it."

Marlena briefly outlined her idea. Armegon smiled. "It is definitely worth a shot," he commended.

Chapter 6 Part 6

When Avery finally awoke, he found himself washed and in a bed with linen that smelled of wildflowers. The lodging was an earthen home with walls that seemed to be constructed of vines and carefully directed tree growth. There was packed earth for a floor witha soft layer of moss and what appeared to be layers of tree bark providing insulation against the elements. One wall was solid stone--apparently the cabin was built up against a large rock. From that stone, however there bubbled a small, but constant fountain of clear water. There was an air of comfort and homeyness that had a calming effect on the mind and body.

Avery propped himself up to get a better look around and immediately wished he hadn't. The stiffness and soreness of his body told him that all of the major injuries were healed, but he was still not up to speed. Contemplating the dull ache in his newly healed back, he laid back down and returned to sleep.

When next he awoke, he heard the soft downpour of rain outside and the crackling of a fire in the fireplace. He opened his eyes and was captivated by a pair of bright blue eyes staring back at him. The eyes were surrounded by a round face supporting a small slightly upturned nose speckled ever so slightly by light freckles. A smiling mouth with perfectly straight pearl-like teeth completed the picture. The whole vision was of feminine loveliness and was accented by a halo of long hair the color of the sunset of his homeworld spilling across the shoulders.

"You slept long enough," she said in a voice as melodious as the soft ringing of wind chimes. "You were in bad shape, but you seem to have come through the worst part."

"Where am I?" As soon as he voiced the question he realized how weak he really was. His voice barely managed a whisper. The woman snickered and placed a damp cloth over his brow.

"That should be a lesson to you." She gently wiped his face with the damp cloth. "Save your strength. I will care for you until you regain your strength."

Avery listened. He could detect no ill intent in her voice, but he had to ask, "Why?"

"Am I helping you?" She finished the question for him. She sighed. "I almost didn't. I happened across you when I came to the rescue of an animal in distress." She smiled at the look on his face. "Yes I am a druid. I spoke to the injured coyodiak that you saved. He told me of your help. So I brought you here."

"You were quite lucky actually", she added. "When I happened upon you I thought you had fought the coyodiak and I was about to finish you off myself. But after speaking with the animal, I wanted to find out why you helped."

Avery tried to sit up but she easily pushed him back down. "I deduced that you were a ranger quickly. That explained most things, but the healing you needed plus what you shared with the coyodiak was more than a ranger can do. You are obviously familiar with druidic ways, but you are not a druid yourself. So you must also be a priest. But you carry no evidence of your obedience to a deity."

She leaned back and eyed him critically. "You present a puzzle and I haven't had any guests for several years. From the look of your eyes I suspect that you are not of any race I am familiar with."

She pushed a lock of hair back behind one ear and the unmistakable trait of eleven ancestry showed itself. The woman caught his gaze. "Both my parents were halfelven like yourself. I am a full blooded elf, but by law I can only be acknowledged as a halfelf. You, too are a halfelf, but your eyes..."

She rose from the bedside chair. She stood slightly less than five feet tall. She gathered her cloth and bowl. "Go back to sleep," she ordered. "We can talk later." She turned to leave when Avery weakly grasped her forearm.

"Please," he whispered weakly, "your name?"

The woman smiled and removed his hand. "My name is Nikki."

The next few weeks saw much improvement in Avery's condition. Soon he was strong enough to move about with the aid of a cane and he tried to help out by doing some of the lighter chores around the cabin. He had made friends quite easily with the coyodiak which Nikki informed him was quite young and would get to be the size of a large bear at its largest. She also informed him that coyodiaks were highly intelligent and could bond to a companion. She told him that she suspected that the coyodiak had adopted Avery and would quite possibly be with the ranger for the rest of the coyodiaks life. She mentioned that they lived as long as one hundred years in some cases.

Avery eased Nikki's anxiety about his eyes. He assured her that the solid amber orbs were the result of a curse from long ago that he had learned to live with.

Twice during the following weeks, Nikki disappeared for several days returning to find her guest washing clothes or repairing some part of the cabin that had been neglected. Avery's strength returned rapidly afterwards and soon he was thinking of his friends. He told the whole story to Nikki one night as they ate. She listened taking great interest in Marlena's part.

"Conception during bonding is very rare," she said, "but not unheard of. Many druids are women, but our cycles are synchronized to avoid the problem. The fact that your druid was suddenly dropped down into a strange land with a different bonding cycle than her body's is interesting. I wonder how the offspring turned out?"

"Perhaps I can send word when I find out." Avery said quietly.

Nikki stopped eating. "What is wrong?"

Avery bowed his head to avoid eye contact. "It is so peaceful here. I have no desire to go. But my friends..."

"Have probably already given you up for lost." Nikki smiled. She reached out and took the ranger's hand. She stared into the pupilless bright yellow eyes. "It has been four weeks since I found you, and you had been unconscious for days before that. Any normal person would have been killed by that storm. Accept the fact that they went on without you. Let the memory go and live for yourself and," she paused, "and stay with me."

Avery sat back stunned. The implication had evaded him completely until she had said it. Nikki was a petite yet well proportioned woman. He had never considered her beauty before, but now with her desires spelled out in front of him he was forced to address them.

Nikki saw the shock in his face and she turned her head away; bracing herself for rejection. She had tried very hard to hide her feelings from him, hoping they would fade and go away, but in the end she had acted contrary to her plan.

Avery took in the sight of the small woman. She was everything he had ever wanted and more. The memory of his friends, Armegon and the others, grew very, very distant and Avery understood what Scarlet had meant when he had said that Avery would not return home.

Avery realized that he did not want to return home. He was a ranger, a wanderer with no physical ties to his homeworld. His only possession had been friendship. Yet in the little cabin he had found another friend, and an elven maiden that he realized could be more than just a friend. The time had come for him to make the break he had been dreading. He silently wished his friends well. "I will stay."

Nikki threw herself into his arms and suddenly nothing else in the world mattered anymore. Later that night as they lay in each others arms, their bodies exhausted from spent love, Avery's thoughts drifted as he considered his place in this new world. He had made some new friends. The faces of the dwarven boat captain on the ice, the female ship master and her halforc first mate all danced in his mind. His new friend the coyodiak or wolfbear he called Mirfak and now a woman he would gladly leave his friends for were a good start to a new beginning.

There was one more variable to this new life, and it hung on the wall next to his bow. The enchanted sword that had spoken to him only briefly indicated that there was more in the future for him than he could foresee. That he would deal with when the time came. For the moment he intended to be happy.