(Sketches by Terry Volkirch)

Kayla and Alice continue to provide more healings after supper has ended. Andrew, Alexandra and Rachel provide energy to assist permitting many more of the minor healings to be completed quickly with all touched by either Kayla or Alice. Now inquiries are made as to unmentioned injuries which may be examined tomorrow and possibly healed or, at least, reduced in severity.

“Any injury which has been a problem even those which may not have been treated in the past.”

A few are determined and will be seen tomorrow morning. The Felines had the greatest number of injuries which had never been treated. It is still a source of amazement to them that this new employer and his family wish to help them. With the healings performed on the battlefield and those performed now at the new home, the truth of the words that the most grievously injured will be healed first regardless of race is beginning to sink in.

The human warriors found here are also interesting. They are content to work with the Felines to improve their battle tactics and in return are learning combat techniques from the Felines which are seldom taught to any other race. Many of the Felines who are off duty seek out the humans to engage in games of chance or talks, a sharing of tobac and camaraderie.

Andrew goes to check the cistern again and Alexandra and the girls begin to explore the house accompanied by four of the guard and one Feline protector of the girls. Kitty has secured permission to go off into the forest with the other two I-Cats to engage in a game of stalking whatever prey they may find. This is to improve skills as all have had their fill of meat at supper.

Exploration begins at the dining hall and moves on to the grand room where large parties and event may occur. The need for many candle holders here has been eliminated with the addition of a very small “sun” which may be controlled verbally in as much as brilliance may be affected. Position of the source of light may not be changed except by Andrew or Alexandra. Some shadowing occurs, however, from this single source of light and Alexandra seizes upon this opportunity to move it over closer to one end of the grand room, diminishing the amount of light produced by a slight amount and then creating another for the other end. That should serve well to diminish the shadows.

The home has several levels with most of the lowest floor used for meals and entertaining. The next level contains many guest rooms and is also accessible, from each end, to the outdoors. The uppermost floor is family and ranking guest rooms. The top of the building contains the cistern. Spillways have been arranged such that should the cistern leak that water will not enter the house but will spill onto the outside ground thus preserving the house from flooding in such an event. Noticeable creaking is occurring as the cistern is filling.

Alexandra links to Andrew, “Andrew we are receiving a lot of structural noise down here from the increased weight of the cistern. Are you certain the builder has strengthened the building sufficiently?”

“He says he has. I’ll cut it off at two thirds full and we may watch it for a day. Let me know if the creaking continues.”

“I would rather he strengthens it further, Andrew. I don’t like this noise, it seems much too loud.”

“We are almost at two thirds, perhaps five more minutes. I’ll keep an eye on it. Worst case we may have additional supports added.”

“If you’re certain then. We are continuing our exploration.”

More creaking may be heard as she closes the link.

Still concerned, Alexandra guides the tour until they reach the room where the builder has all the construction plans. They begin searching the plans for those which include the cistern. It is a little more difficult since each level of the home is on separate plans and matching the location of the cistern to its corresponding location on lower floors takes some time. After nearly an hour of search there are three portions of plans open to inspection showing the changes made to accommodate the additional weight of the cistern. Changes have been made to the structure of the home in an effort to support the cistern when it is filled with water. The assistant to the builder has stayed behind to help with the search and to explain the changes.

“We filled the room with empty barrels until it could hold no more. With the barrel count we simply multiplied by the weight of one barrel when it was filled with water, then we placed additional supports beneath the cistern to allow for twice that weight. There should be plenty of strength.”

“What of the air space between the barrels?”

“”The air has no weight so there is no additional structure needed to support air.”

“You don’t understand, there is water there now. There is no air.”

“How could there be water there? The barrels are round, there will always be air since the barrels don’t fit against each other tightly and a walkway must be present in order to allow the barrels to be removed for use.”

“There are no barrels. The entire room is filled with water. It is the barrel.”

The assistant looks at her like she is crazy.

“How long have you been the builders assistant?”

Proudly, “Twelve months.”

“Have you ever built a cistern before?”

“Oh, certainly. Quite a few... and storage rooms, too.”

“Perhaps you don’t understand exactly what a cistern happens to be. A cistern is NOT a storage room.”

“Well, no. Because all that is stored in it is water. Storage rooms may hold many different things.”

“Just a moment.” Alexandra links urgently to Andrew. “Andrew stop filling the cistern, it does not have sufficient support. We are looking at the plans now.”

Another large creak may be heard through the house.

“The builder said there was plenty of support.”

“He had incorrect information. His assistant did the calculations and the assistant does not understand cisterns, he thinks it is just a large storage room for barrels of water. He filled the room with barrels to see how many fit, but he left pathways and gaps between the barrels so they could be retrieved easily. His calculations are too low by a factor of nearly three times.”

“Are you certain?”

“Andrew. Don’t gamble with our daughters lives. Stop filling the cistern and reduce the level of the water until we may correct this.”

“Well, I’ll check into it.”

“Andrew, if you don’t stop filling that cistern NOW. The girls and I are leaving.”

“Okay Alexandra. Relax, I’ll stop it for now. It’s three quarters full and that should be plenty for a while.” Another large creak occurs but goes on for nearly five seconds.

“Andrew, it is about to collapse. Why are you so hard headed? You promised to stop filling at two thirds.”

“It was holding the water okay, so I filled it a little more.”

“Fine. We are leaving and you go sleep under the cistern. If you haven’t drowned by tomorrow morning we’ll come back for breakfast.”

“Are you certain the builder is wrong?”

“YES. His assistant did the calculations and he just told me how he did it. YES, HE IS WRONG. The builder didn’t know because the assistant told him it had been cared for. The assistant doesn’t understand a cistern is not a storage room. It is an enormous vat full of water. The assistant thought a cistern was a place where many barrels of water are stored.”

“How did he ever become an assistant?”

“Only Heaven knows but his mistake is about to cost the house and possibly lives if we don’t stop filling the cistern and remove a lot of the water.”

“I stopped filling. I will prevent any filling until we check this. I want to see the plans.”

“Then come to me, we are in the room with the plans right now but I don’t intend to stay here because this room is two floors down directly under all the weight of the cistern.”

Andrew steps through a gateway into the room from his vantage point above at the cistern just as another looonnnggg creak occurs.

“What on Tranquility was that?”

“That is one of the creaks I told you about due to the weight of the water. Haven’t you been listening?”

“They don’t sound like that up at the cistern. They just sound like little creaks and pops, nothing to worry about.” He is clearly concerned now that he has experienced one first hand.

“How many barrels of water do you have in the cistern?” the assistant inquires.

“Right now? Probably about five or six hundred.”

“Five hundred? You can’t get that many barrels in the room.”

“We aren’t putting barrels into the cistern. It isn’t a room, it is a large tank for holding water, not barrels.”

The assistant still looks confused, “A tank? A cistern isn’t a storage room for water?”

“Yes, it is a storage room for water. But the water is not in barrels. The cistern is the barrel. A very large barrel filled with water.”

Another very loud creak occurs followed by a pop and another louder creak, a crash and the sound of rapidly moving water.

Alexandra opens a link to Percoin and she and the children rush through along with the guard detail, “Andrew, get out.”

Andrew opens his own gateway even as Alexandra is closing hers in an effort to avoid the flood. Andrew grabs the plans and yanks the assistant through his gateway, slamming it shut just as water is beginning to rush in through the doorway and as the ceiling starts to collapse sending several hundred gallons of water through the gateway before it closes.

“Well, builder’s assistant... I’d say you just made a VERY expensive mistake. If you have built cisterns before, I think the only reason you haven’t had a problem is because they were sitting on the ground.”

Two days later the rubble has been cleared and the assistant fired. The entire complex abandoned since there are insufficient support facilities such as water and meals available for the guard who are temporarily living elsewhere in rented quarters during the rebuilding.

This time, however, extra support for the weight of the water is to be placed into every floor of the home. This causes the lowest floor to be altered heavily since the calculations made by the assistant were all based upon faulty initial assumptions.

The builder has had a terrible impact to his otherwise spotless reputation because he failed to catch the error made by his young assistant, and the young man has begun training in another line of work perhaps more suited to him, at least he now knows what a cistern may be.

Much of the main building which received no physical collapse, must be removed due to residual water damage. Most of the kitchen and other support facilities must also be reconstructed. The buildings which house the guard were spared but for the moment are without water. The home is, once again, delayed with perhaps another three months before it will again be capable of occupancy. The furnishings and clothing left at the house are mostly a loss as well. A very expensive lesson for a young man who was in a position of trust for which he had not been completely prepared.

The I-cats, who had gone off earlier to teach stalking techniques to Kitty returned to find devastation. They are caught up in the move of the guard to temporary quarters until Alexandra manages to link to Kitty to allow her to return to Percoin. Kitty’s necklaces are now somewhere in the residual of the flood. The necklace Andrew made is recovered quickly using a link and a call for the necklace to return. Those which were purchased must await discovery.

The few days following the disaster produce a number of discoveries, one of which is the continued flow of water into and out of the cistern. This is corrected when Andrew returns and removes the spell which had been filling the cistern. As no water is contained within the cistern, the spell believed the cistern was empty and diverted water to try to fill it. Unsuccessfully, however, since there is a gaping hole at the bottom and all the water simply runs back out to continue flooding the area.

“Andrew, I don’t care about the plans. I will not again have the cistern built upon the roof of the house. It may be elsewhere on the property. Somewhere nearby, but I will not have that potential calamity over my head again. With the cistern elsewhere, the house will not need to be reinforced and that will save money. Something which I’m certain you will appreciate at the moment. And while he is at it, tell him not to raise the family table above the others found in the meal hall.”

Andrew gives up and goes to tell the builder of the changes in the plans.
Things, once again, are beginning to settle down into a daily routine as everyone awaits the continued construction of the house.

Classes are progressing, with the children gaining strength at their spells and several of the boys becoming quite adept at multi-spell casts. Alexandra has not given them permission to begin studying fireworks with Healer Gordon. In fact, she has pointedly informed them that anyone creating fireworks displays prior to her approval to go for such study, will have their magic permanently blocked and will be thrown out of the school. The incident with the cistern still has her in a very angry mood.

The young lady who attempted to create a blue rose bush has tried twice more to modify her spells and twice more failed but at least she has improved greatly in all else. The last effort produced only one rose, it weighed over 100 kilograms and was nearly two and a half meters on a side. The bush collapsed under it. The rose was a bright blue and the vine was pink with little yellow polka-dots. It was amusing to watch as the bush sprouted and grew quickly to a near normal size and then this bud appeared and began to grow... and grow... and grow before opening into the rose. By then the bud was beginning to crush the plant and when the rose opened and grew to its size, the bush itself could not be found unless the rose was lifted away. This third failure has the young woman in tears.

Alexandra does her best to console the young lady, pointing out all the extraordinary efforts she has accomplished in other areas and agreeing that the efforts she has made toward the blue rose have been amazing.

“Perhaps after another month or two of classes, you may find a way of accomplishing it.”

“That will be too late, the festival is next month.”

“Oh, you wish to enter it in the festival.”

“Yes. There are prizes and auctions and if I win a prize and the rose sells well at the auction then I will have money to give to my family to help them through to the time I begin to earn money with my talents.”

“I see now. Have you told anyone of these plans?”

“No. Just you.”

“Maybe we may work together outside of class and see if we may find a solution which will work. If we are fortunate then you will have the opportunity to enter your rose bush in the festival. When must you notify them and what is the entry fee?”

“I must apply for entry by the sixth of next month and pay the fee. I have the three gold saved, it’s all in silver but I have the full amount. I just need the bush.”

“All right, let’s start this evening after supper. I’ll meet you here in the garden and we will begin by examining your spells and their combination to see what we may do to make it work.”

“Yes, please. I do so appreciate it. I’ll be here.”

“All right. Please don’t begin until I’m here, and then we will examine the spells together before we do any casting. Something may turn up. It’s worth the effort.”

The young woman’s tears have ceased and she wipes her eyes clear. A smile once again upon her face as she contemplates the assistance of someone so powerful as Alexandra helping her to solve the dilemma of her blue rose.

The morning session has gone well with the exception of the rose, the adults who are training have reached various levels of expertise mostly within their own specialties with the addition of links and gateways now available to most and the children in the afternoon class are advancing rapidly as did those before them.

Andrew is off every afternoon with the Sorcerers who are examining the prospect of the spelled wagon and the various ideas to bring it to reality. Thus far only three wagons have been destroyed in the attempt but now a method of slowing the wagon has been developed as has the means to slowly bring it up to speed or slow it without causing damage to whatever is being hauled within it. Use of the wagon near any which are being pulled by horses is still a problem but it is possible for this wagon to drive through a gateway, which horses avoid at all costs. It does not help to place blinders on them as they seem to sense the gateway by some other means than sight although they are quite able to recognize a gateway if they see one and once seeing it they avoid it by any means possible.

Alexandra has spent her late afternoons still pursuing the possibility of viewing or traveling to a location where one has never been, nor to which there is any object or person which may be used as the anchor for a link. After supper, she goes to help the young woman with her blue rose spells.

Their daughters, meanwhile, are finding plenty to keep them busy with Rachel rapidly advancing and Alice becoming more proficient at healing. Many minor injuries, such as a broken arm, require little energy and time to make right. This is because Alice has learned to correct the major portion of the problem and then to allow the body to complete the task over several days to a week. This has reduced the energy needed to heal as well as served as a reminder to the person to be more careful in the future. Sudden and complete healings do not teach caution to a child. Several days to a week’s pain following a healing reinforces the need to be cautious when doing certain things. This allows the person to heal as well as learn from the experience.

A few weeks after the disaster at the house, the family goes for another visit and finds the building is beginning to take shape once again. The new cistern is on a hill above the house, but removed far enough to allow any leakage to simply go down the hill without damaging the buildings. The hill has been hollowed out to allow for the cistern and pipes lead from this location to all of the previous points of use. The cistern is still within the walled area but there will be spells and levies to prevent the water from flooding the buildings. Indeed it was partially the original wall which caused the flood waters to remain on the hill and turn the ground into a soggy mess before it could be fully drained at the time of the ‘mishap’. It is estimated that the buildings to be used by the guard will be ready in just two weeks. That is the amount of time necessary to complete the cistern and the plumbing for source water to those buildings. Everyone is looking forward to re-occupying the home.

The evening just prior to the date for entry into the Festival’s competition, the first successful cast for a blue rose is accomplished. The plant grows to full size in about half an hour and has buds within another. The buds open to normally sized flowers, but they are blue. Much darker than Robin’s eggs, but decidedly blue. The flowers still have the smell so particular to a rose and the fine texture and detail but they have a propensity toward longevity.

A picked blue rose has lasted nearly two weeks before fading. On the plant they are still in bloom when the date arrives for the Festival itself to begin. The young lady has her bush entered in the competitions. A cutting from the bush has survived and is beginning to grow normally. There are high hopes on the part of the Sisters and of Alexandra that the cutting will survive to produce a bush and that the Roses will continue to be blue.

Judging of the grower’s competition takes place the second day of the Festival. In the world of flowers, this blue rose takes second place. Not as rewarding as First but still in the money. The young woman receives twenty five gold as her prize. Not as great as the hoped for one hundred gold, but still welcome. Now the plants are offered for auction by those who are willing to part with their efforts.

The auction finds greater encouragement for her efforts as the bush receives a high bid of over one hundred gold. Much more than she expected. Things are a bit upside down but the total still comes close to that which she had hoped to achieve for her family. The purchaser of the bush is a Feline who intends to plant it and to begin to produce more such bushes over time from cuttings.

Alexandra, since the success with the rose bush, has had more time to continue her efforts at vision links to unknown places, also finding a success of sorts. The link may be to a place that is visible to the eye, even if at a distance, and then that area may be explored to give better detail to the vision. A second location may be viewed from that spot and the link moved to the second location. Exploration again assisting in producing sufficient detail that a gateway could be opened if one wished to do so. This may be done eight to ten times until the location being viewed is hundreds of kilometers away and has never been visited by the individual viewing.

During the course of these explorations, a number of small villages have been discovered, some known, some not, some empty and abandoned long past. Deep within the jungles of the Survivor, remnants of an ancient city are found. A city which apparently has been abandoned to rubble due to the War of the century past. Strange things may be seen here and there. One location has portions of very strange looking enclosed wagons without wheels sitting upon a vast expanse of concrete rubble which has been claimed by vines and small shrubbery.

No one viewing has any recollection of such things. Possibly some of the history books may offer clues.

Healer Gordon has during the past month been quite busy researching the request placed before him for a means to magically identify specific people. His efforts have enlisted the aid of a number of others and examination of countless books in many libraries. A small number of books have alluded to the existence of various methods of identification such as “fingerprints”, “retinal scans”, and DNA.

Everyone who is a historian has heard of DNA, for the Antagonist used this somehow to create the Feline and I-Cat races as well as others. They used DNA for many things but what it is and exactly how it was used has been lost to the Survivor and the Shambles.

Fingerprints? This seems to be a strange way of identifying someone. Everyone has fingerprints but to believe that one person’s finger could be different from another is a strange concept. They all are used to hold things, they all bend the same way. True some are longer than others, or wider, but how would you measure this and make use of it to identify someone? It almost sounds like “magic”. Too ridiculous to believe.

Much research reveals the meaning behind “retinal scan” but how to accomplish it remains a mystery. Magic has no need of any of these things. If you want to heal someone, you reach out your talent and look for the aura which shows you where they are hurting. It, sometimes with a little difficulty, leads you to the spot which needs healing and, if you and the patient are fortunate, you may determine a means by which they may be healed, or at least helped.

Just how magic could look by itself at any of these is an unbelievable concept. One might as well be trying to store an image of each individual onto vellum. True, many years past and before the War such things were done. There is proof in the small museums in the form of “photographs” which show people and places from the past. Images found in the old books carefully stored. But just how to create such an image and save it, that has been lost and there has been no pressing need to find it again as it is not pertinent to survival.

“I’ll just tell Alexandra that many very good researchers have tried to find the information and a means to accomplish that which they desire but it just isn’t possible, if it ever was.”

The news that an easy solution to the identification problem for public gateway security would not be rapidly forthcoming was not happily received. Experiments with the automated gateways were also yielding frustration of sort. Powering a gateway with a spell ingot wasn’t too difficult to achieve with only a weeks worth of experimentation off and on to produce a working gateway which anyone could use.

Efficiency in use of the ingot energy also was quickly addressed and the discovery that one of the larger ingots could power the gateway for many hundreds of uses. The problems were found in linking that set of spells to those which selected a destination for the non magical traveler. A second set of problems lay in the method of identification of a traveler’s right to use the gateway.

The ticket idea worked, but not well. The small automated booth which accepted coin and spelled a ticket was unable to give change and would spell the ticket with the full amount deposited prorating the ticket’s value if more was spent so the purchaser received more value for their money when they spent more originally. A discount for bulk, if you will.

Andrew spent many sleepless nights attempting to determine a means to allow poorer travelers to have more for their money but was unable to discover the answer. The poor do not want their plight broadcast to the world and so they do not advertise the fact they are on the edge of poverty or starvation. Then too, no spell could be decided upon which could allow proof of their predicament without an attendant present to ask invasive questions. A further indignity Andrew did not wish to place upon those unfortunates. Without a definitive answer, he was forced to abandon his efforts on the behalf of the poor, vowing to come back and attempt to address the issue. There are many poor.

Meanwhile the gateways between Scearnvale and Percoin are up and running, with the hub for the two gateways located in a broad field near but out of sight of the house on his Northern property. It wouldn’t do to have people become too curious about the home they might see from the hub location. The plans for the building to house the gateways is completed and construction will soon begin on this site rather than the original field below the house. A smaller ‘hidden’ gateway to the house is placed near the two major ones leading to the cities. Travel from the hub is free, travel to the hub requires a ticket which must be purchased from the vending center located centrally to the gateways at each city.

It would be nice to say money is rolling in but that is not the case. Few know about the gateways and fewer still use them. There are not many who need to travel to or from Scearnvale and Percoin to the other. Travel by boat is still widely used as little of either continent is served by the gateways although more are planned to be added with two or three new city hubs to be prepared each month. In the Shambles, seven of its forty ‘cities’ are intended to be added with the country hub for the Shambles to be located at New DesMonde. Departure from this hub is also free and return to be paid through deduction of “funds” from the tickets.

Loss of a ticket is unfortunate, especially for the poor, but another means of proof of right to travel the gateways is not immediately forthcoming. Tickets, within a continent, are hoped to become an important commodity but are likely to become targets for theft. Another problem which hurts the poor far more than the wealthy.

Part of Andrew’s solution to this dilemma for the poor is to place a very low price upon any travel from a village to a city and return trips from a city to a village will be free once those gateways are initiated. This does not address the problem of poor in the city but most of them do not travel the gateways anyway. Slowly the gateway network will begin growing beyond major cities. There are now five of the original group of adults who trained with Andrew and Alexandra going around to set up and place the magical gateways. Large spell ingots are becoming a sought after commodity and Andrew’s ‘factory’ is turning out many hundreds every week.

Meanwhile Alexandra’s ‘explorations’ are finding small villages which have had little or no outside contact for many years. The appearance of strangers in their midst brings varied reactions from flight to preparation for combat. First contact with such a village is now done in force as a show of overwhelming combat superiority. This does absolutely nothing to calm the frightened villagers, but the placement of supplies such as food, candles (unspelled), some medicines and with great flourish and showmanship... a note, with the hopes that someone may be able to read, then the departure of that large combat force with the hope that the note will begin to assuage those fears.

No return is made to the village for one week, as explained in the note, In most cases the second arrival of more supplies is greeted by a mild curiosity and acceptance of the strangers. Healers are brought during the second trip so aid may be given to everyone. Gateways are explained and a small one spelled into existence to allow travel to the nearest city and return.

These isolated villages have little money as the War caused them to fall into a barter system in order to survive. To find such a village with more than a hundred inhabitants seldom is encountered. When fewer than twenty are present it is more beneficial to them to move the low number of individuals to another larger village and to integrate them into that village. In only one case were two villages close enough, one to the other, to allow the inhabitants to remain at their own village with the introduction of a gateway to allow them the ability to travel to the village nearby in order to trade and begin the process of integrating themselves back into the mainstream of humanity.

“I think it strange that no one from either village discovered the other.”

“As do I. One would think that eventually someone foraging would stumble across the other village, they are less than ten kilometers from each other. These days that is like walking across the street.”

“What did you think of Alexandra’s discovery of that mine last week?”

“I have no opinion at the moment. It is too dangerous to enter with all the support rusting away. There is talk of possibly shoring it with timbers to see what it was all about but then that might be an expense which could prove fruitless if the mine is played out. Other than curiosity, I don’t see that it would be of great value, Andrew.”

“Alexandra is planning a visual link search and possibly a gateway to extract a small chunk so we might discover what was being mined at the location. Most mines before the war were open-faced so a shaft well precludes that period of time. There were many precious gems mined in the past as well as metals such as copper. A few metals appeared here in abundance while on Earth they were much more difficult to extract. Just about anything could be in those shafts.”

“Or nothing...”

“Or nothing. If we don’t look, we’ll never know, Father. Who knows, Alexandra may have found herself a diamond mine. That wouldn’t bother me at all. She deserves it. She is hoping for something worthwhile as she wants to be able to help the poor and a few diamonds would go a long way toward providing food and other supplies for many.”

“Very altruistic. You two are an excellent match. Speaking of match...
Have the two of you finally agreed upon a new date? The house is nearly completed and this time is sufficiently sturdy. The cistern is located away from the house and in a position to prevent future floods. Your guard has been back at that location for well over a month and things are coming along nicely with your gateway endeavor. More and more people are using them everyday. Rapid public transportation is bringing some small prosperity to both the cities and the villages which have gateways. More are being added each week and Healers are happily traveling all over the place. Or at least everywhere a gateway exists. Some healers are going further as they may open gateways temporarily themselves.”

“Yes. It is good that healers have more access to people. As for our wedding date, we have set it for six weeks from now. This time we intend to go through with it regardless of anything else happening. We have been postponing for nearly six months.”

“About time. We were all becoming tired of waiting.”

Andrew takes his leave of his Father and goes to spend a little time with his mother, who asks some of the same questions and receives the same answers. Half an hour later Andrew kisses her and makes his way to the greeting hall where he departs for Scearnvale and his room. Sleep quickly claims him as it has Alexandra at the Conclave in Percoin.
With the trials of teaching two classes, plus the sometimes added load of aiding the adults who are receiving advanced training in their efforts, then the thousands of other “little” things which must be tended to for each of them they are putting in long days.

“Alexandra, Alexandra, come quick.”

“Please come quick, Alexandra. There’s a bad man. We need help.”

Alexandra recognizes the voices of Rachel and Grace calling at the door of her room while banging on it with their fists. Missii also hears the commotion and comes out into the hallway from her room.

“Hurry Alexandra, the bad man hurt Sister Lewella. She’s in the garden, hurry.”

“Wait children. How did he hurt the Sister?”

“I don’t know.” Both panicked they are each trying to talk over the other.

“He used magic and she fell down.”

“They’re in the garden. We saw him arrive and the Sister went to talk with him. He did something, then she fell down.”

“Is he still in the garden?”

“Yes. We froze him and he can’t move.”

Alexandra immediately calls Andrew as she does not relish the idea of entering the garden where an unknown assailant may be waiting, frozen(?) or not.

Ring, Ring, Ring, “ANDREW. Wake up. Andrew!”

“Yes. Who... What... Alexandra? What time is it?”

“That doesn’t matter. We have at least one intruder here, in the garden. Would you come right away?”

“Be there as quickly as I can waken Kayla, I’ll chime just before linking into the garden. If you are ready then ring back and we may both enter together. Tell Missii to bring weapons.”

“Hurry, the children need our help.”

“Children?”

“No time to explain. Hurry!”

Chime, ring.

As they begin walking to the garden, “Now children tell me what were you doing in the garden this late at night?”

“We were going to go to see my Mother. She hurt her hand and can’t work. We were going to give Alice energy so she could help my Mother. We went to the garden to link. Four of us were there and Sister Lewella said we could go if she came along. We were ready to link when the bad man came into the garden.”

“Where did he come from?”

“We don’t know. One moment he wasn’t there and the next he was in the garden. He was reaching for one of the candles when the Sister saw him and asked him what he was doing there.”

“That’s when he hurt her. She fell down and we can’t get her to get up.”

“Where are the other children who were with you?”

“They’re watching the bad man,” Grace smiles, “I showed Alice how to change the cooling spell into a freezing spell so she is going to freeze him again if he moves, and Laurie is going to help by giving energy to Alice.”

“Who taught you a ‘freezing’ spell?”

Shyly, “I... I taught me. Remember Andrew showed us how to spell the milk to keep it cool? I just made the spell colder and used that spell. I couldn’t think of anything else so fast so that’s what I did. Please don’t be angry, I didn’t practice much. I just needed a way to keep my glass of milk cold so I thought how to do it and it worked. The first time it turned the milk to ice so I warmed it again but after that I did much better. I... it... I think, maybe, I accidentally froze some of the garden when I spelled the bad man. I was excited and he was moving so instead of a little spell I used a big one and the other girls were giving me energy and it just got bigger than I expected. There is ice everywhere.”

Alexandra smiles and hugs the two girls.

“You both did very well. Let’s go see this frozen bad man and see if we might help the garden.”

By this time Missii has changed , collected her weapons and caught up to them as they are all nearing the garden. When they are just outside it, Alexandra rings Andrew, who chimes twice before he casts a second globe of light suddenly over the garden illuminating it bright as day. Andrew and Kayla come into it through the Scearnvale garden gateway and Alexandra enters with Missii leading the way, the two of them ready for battle as Grace and Rachel follow them in.

Two young girls who remained in the garden are next to the fallen Sister. A man, standing upright but coated with frost, is nearby. They see Laurie touching Alice at the shoulder and Alice pointing at the man with an angry grimace on her face as if daring him to make a move.

“He started to move once, so I spelled him again, twice just to be sure,” Alice proudly states. “Then another man came in and saw me spell this one. He started to run at us, but I spelled him too.”

“She didn’t need much energy from me except for the second man. Then I gave her a lot all at once,” Laurie tells them equally as proudly.

“You both did very well,” praises Alexandra, “Let Andrew and I control them now.”

Alexandra places a stasis spell on the two men. Now they are going nowhere and doing nothing until they are released, indeed, even the frost will not change or at least very, very slowly.

The Felines scour the garden for signs of anyone else but decide these two are alone. All attention turns to the fallen Sister. Alexandra begins to examine her but finds nothing apparent.

She checks for wounds and finding none then checks to see what other problem could be present. Alice sadly asks, “Alexandra, my magic won’t help the sister wake up. Could you help her?”

Alexandra checks the Sister and shaking her head, “Andrew, she isn’t breathing. Her heart isn’t beating. She isn’t spelled. I don’t know what did this.”

Missii comes over and checks the Sister, “She is dead.”

The girls immediately go to Alexandra for comfort. One of the sisters is dead and the bad man could have hurt them too, if Grace hadn’t spelled him using the energy they were providing her.

Grace and Alice turn toward the first man both raising their hands to point at him, scowls of determination upon their faces.

“STOP!” Andrew shouts at them. “We need him alive to learn what he is doing here and how he arrived. The second one also. There may be more about to come so we need information.”

The girls pause for a moment, then all four of them group so Grace and Alice may cast spells and the other two provide them additional energy. They begin watching the garden even as Missii and Kayla rush to opposite ends to be ready. Andrew and Alexandra begin their investigation of the men. A few minutes into that investigation a sudden ripple occurs and two more appear in the garden.

Almost instantly they are hit by freezing bolts and they topple to the ground not far from the second man. Grace hits her target once again followed a moment later by a second bolt from Alice toward her target. Alexandra also places these new arrivals into a state of preservation which prevents their awakening or movement pending the completion of the investigation of the first men and their subsequent release from the spell.

“There is nothing here. All we know is they are Sorcerers of unknown power who know a death spell of some kind. They are obviously part of a group as they are all dressed alike. They are not in Sorcerer’s robes but in some kind of uniform. The emblem above the left breast is the same on all four. I am going to contact my Father to see if he may identify them.”

Quickly creating a link to his family home, Andrew loudly chimes the house to awaken a number of people. Allowing his voice to be heard throughout the house, “Father, it’s Andrew. I have a link in the great room and some prisoners who need to be examined as well as a dead Sister. I need Warriors and Sorcerers. These prisoners may cast killing magic. Hurry!”

Now Andrew repeats his message to the guard at the new home, asking for half of the guard. The remainder are to temporarily be on alert to protect the home should this be some sort of diversion involving Himself and Alexandra.

In a few moments his father rushes into his greeting room dressed in a night robe while carrying a sword. Moments later there are others following with weapons draws and shortly thereafter several Sorcerers also enter the room.

They see the garden where Andrew, a young woman, four children and two Felines are standing ready for battle. Just then another ripple occurs in the garden and four more intruders are present. Again before they may react, two young girls cast spells at them so powerful that the men are knocked off their feet and crash to the ground not rising. The Sorcerers from his father’s home look at one another and again at the ‘children’ who have cast such powerful spells.

“Father don’t just stand there, come here. I need you to look at these men. See if you may identify the insignia on their uniforms.

Insignia? His father crosses immediately. A moment later he is followed by four of his Warriors who cross into the garden they see before them. More Warriors and now some Sorcerers also have entered the greeting hall seeing the others in the garden but pausing until Andrew notices them so they will not be caught should the gateway suddenly close. As soon as Andrew beckons them to cross, one of the Sorcerers tells the Warriors, “You four go over with that Feline and you four go over with the other. If these men come at us in numbers we need you to buy us the time to stop them with magic.”

The two Sorcerers look at the group of four young girls with some wonder upon their faces for these are indeed children and not dwarves or pixies. But to cast powerful magic which may stop four fully grown men in their tracks and knock them to the ground? Their attention turns to the men who are being examined even as the young girls again blast the second set of four men laying not far away.

“One of them moved,” is offered to them as an excuse. The remnants of the use of powerful magic still echoing through the air as frost is drifting down in the form of snowflakes along the path taken by the magic. A younger Sorcerer walks over to the men touching one only to find him to be as cold as winter air.

“What manner of spell is this?”

One of the girls proudly tells him, “It’s the freezing spell I use to keep my milk cool. Just with a lot more energy in it.”

“Why are the other girls touching both of you like that?”

“We may transfer energy to the two doing the spells faster when we are touching than we might otherwise. None of us is tired so if more come we could probably freeze them too. That bad man Andrew is looking at killed Sister Lewella. Andrew wouldn’t let us kill him.”

“Oh? And how would you have killed him?”

“I was going to wrap him in tangle-briar and let it work its way with him.”

“I was going to call a Mantiserra to take him away and eat him.”

The Sorcerer starts at the calm replies offered by the two girls who have been casting the spells and gives Grace a smile as do several others who have heard her answer.

“Now a Mantiserra is a fairy tale and doesn’t really exist except to keep young children from being naughty.”

“They do too,” Grace retorts.

“I’m sure your mother told you that in good faith, but monsters which look like the body of a lion, human face, blue ears, a fatal sting and which eat little naughty little children aren’t real.”

“Yes they are. My mother told me so.”

“Well, I’m certain if your mother told you they are real then there is some truth to it. I’ve never seen one so if you happen to see one sometime please let me know.”

Grace is appeased with his comment and calms again.

“Who taught you such powerful magic? How long have you been studying?”

“We each have been studying for a year but we were not very good at it. Then the Sisters had us start learning the new magic with Andrew and Alexandra. We have been studying with them several months now.”

The Sorcerer is looking at four children who are able to cast spells at energy levels approaching those of a level ten or twelve Sorcerer and who have only been studying this ‘new magic’ for several months?

Many questions are placing themselves into his head. Just then he sees two more bolts of frost leave the girls hands and strike the remaining three men next to him. He feels the power of the magic ripple past with the cold they have unleashed barely touching him as it seeks the targets at which it has been aimed. Even so, it is as though he has been standing out in the winter air for several hours. Quickly he places more distance between himself and the pile of unconscious men on the ground, unwilling to experience the brush with that magic again should the need to use it arise.

“Alexandra?” from one of the girls, “Could we have some honey cakes? I’m starting to get tired.”

Alexandra turns to her, “Yes, there are Sisters coming now, I will ask them to bring you honey cakes and milk.”

Again the conversations are displaced by the crackle of freezing energy which occurs immediately upon the appearance of three new ripples arriving in the garden. The six men, who were on the receiving end of the blast unleashed by the girls, crumple to the ground. Four more in that group fall from Alexandra’s thunderous discharge of lightening.

Eight others, who have arrived in flanking positions, find each group of four to be face to face with an angry Feline and four massive Warriors. The battle is very short with eight suddenly dead or dying. Kayla and Missii quickly dispatch the dying and their weapons leave each use as clean as if never used. The Felines then go into a form of meditation offering the deaths to their God, and naming the swords which up until now had not claimed enemy blood.

The children are talking among themselves.

“Andrew, may we use different spells? These are not lasting so long because we are getting tired.”

“Young ladies, if any more of these men come here you may do anything you want to them. If any of those ten over there start to move you may do the same to them. Soon we will have more help and you may rest and eat some food.”

The children offer weak smiles in return.

By now there are also a number of Felines and Sorcerers are standing in his Father’s family home near the garden link but uncertain if it is safe to cross. The guard from Andrew and Alexandra’s new home are allowed to cross through a gateway opened by Missii. Andrew’s Father sees his reinforcements and beckons them to enter the garden. Just as they start into the garden another three ripples appear and twin lances of incendiary blue fire coupled with another discharge of lightening cross the garden to meet the one group of ten which just arrived in confusion’s midst.

The two other groups are also met with a variety of spells from those Sorcerers who have been waiting for such a possibility. The spells are followed immediately by attacks from the SaVannah sisters and the two dozen Felines and ten human warriors now entering the garden from the two deToraline properties. The battle is short. Andrew asks Alexandra to take the children out of the garden, to allow them to clean up, eat, drink and sleep.

Of the ten nearly frozen men, two are beginning to stir. Again, two bolts of blue fire strike out felling those two men before they may stand. Alice faints at the effort and Grace shows extreme exhaustion. Alexandra begins to pick up Alice but a Warrior presses her gently aside lifting the young girl with reverence as though she weighs nothing. He motions for Alexandra to lead the way. She, the Warrior with Alice and the three remaining girls leave the garden to meet the sisters who are just arriving in force. The garden is now heavily occupied and beginning to look more like a battle zone than a garden. With armed Felines and Warriors, Sorcerers and The Primary, himself, standing there.

Giving the care of the girls over to two of the Sisters, Alexandra asks them to give the girls food and drink and then to allow them to go to bed and rest, “They are young heroines. Without them we would not have stopped this invasion. I am returning to the garden for now.”

The Sisters hand honey cakes to the three children who are still conscious and guide them all to sleeping quarters where they may be kept together until morning, arrangements for more food and drink to be quickly brought to them at those quarters.

At the garden, Andrew’s father has several others check the four men who remain under spell to see if identification may be made. Finally there is one who recognizes the emblem as that of the Alliance prior to the War. This news brings grave confirmation to Andrew and his Father.

A few of those who had been frozen and not yet reawakened are just beginning to stir. The deToraline warriors have stripped their weapons from them and are standing over them with swords ready. Several Sorcerers are also prepared to deal with them on an instant’s notice. Four attempt to fight and are rapidly subdued, a fifth jumps up and begins to run finding he has no where to go with Felines and Warriors surrounding them all. The last one does not attempt to rise but instead abruptly vanishes presumably to return to that location from which he had departed prior to arriving in this garden.

The Sorcerers attempt to track his path but have no luck. Andrew also attempts to follow in his mind the path taken by the magic used but cannot detect it so the man has escaped completely.

“One never has a ten year old child around to cast fire when one is needed,” Andrew jokes, “You know Father, there is no pleasure like a romp in the garden in the middle of the night. What time is it? These intruders have no sense of propriety, interrupting a man’s sleep.”

Everyone begins laughing both at the jokes and at the relief of such a one-sided victory. Cleanup of the garden and the removal of the few prisoners commences. Eventually the garden is emptied with everyone back at their own homes or places of lodging. The deToraline Sorcerers place an alarm spell on the garden which will ring, alerting everyone should more men come through into the garden from wherever they are originating.

Early the following morning Alexandra is up and preparing to teach once again. This time she has an agenda which must be addressed. Defensive spells. Stasis might prove to be too difficult for many if not all of the children. However the immobilizing “freezing” spell is something they could all handle.

“Andrew, I know you have things to be doing this morning but before you go I wish you would ask Sorcerer Gabriel if I might conduct the class at the Scearnvale garden. It is much larger than ours and I want to merge the morning and afternoon classes for this one time. If necessary, again tomorrow as well.”

“I understand, that would allow the entire day for all the children and give them a better opportunity to practice the defense. Please don’t allow them to freeze any of the plants or trees. I’ll make the arrangements with Gabriel and for lunch here. Both classes combined will be over 40 children so they will need a heads up for lunch. I should be finished with Father and that new village by noon or so. If I don’t see you at lunch I should be along shortly thereafter.”

“Thank you, Andrew. Were you planning on visiting the house today? I should like to go also if you could wait until after the classes.”

“I don’t know. I thought about it, but hadn’t really made a decision. If nothing else crops up to cause a problem then yes we could go and check the latest additions, the builder thinks it will all be finished in less than two weeks. The Survivor’s Gateway building will be started then. The Gateway building in The Shambles is already under construction and there are five major Gateways established as well as nearly a dozen minor ones radiating out from several of the connected cities. The system is actually making enough money to pay for the building housing the major hub gateways. Perhaps in a year or two the system there may be able to pay back all its startup costs while supporting itself. Now, that would be a blessing.”

“I understand. Thank you Andrew. I’m sorry that mine was ‘played out’ I was really hoping for diamonds so I could help defray some of your expenses as well as feed and house more poor. Magic can only do so much, it can’t create out of thin air. It’s interesting that all of the magic in use is manipulating physical things. The air, water, various things we have around us, but it isn’t capable of creating something out of nothing, at least not yet. Did you ever learn what it was that was being extracted from out of that big pit we found in the jungle? That one which had so much water in the bottom?”

“Not yet. We intend to try pumping it out as soon as we have a dozen or two of the large spell ingots. The water will need to be raised nearly 50 meters and expelled into the surrounding jungle far enough away so it wont just trickle back down into the pit. That takes a lot of energy, probably at least a dozen ingots. I’m spoiled, diverting water from the falls into our cistern at home is much easier than raising it from a pit. I hope we find something worth both the effort and the expense it will take. We use vision spells to look into the bottom but the water is filled with some kind of silt and it is nearly impossible to see much. Some things are very frustrating.” with a frown on his face and a shake of his head.

“Well, you know what they say, Andrew. Nothing worthwhile is easy.”

“Yes. I just wish it was a little easier.”

Alexandra reaches out to hold his hand and leans over so they may steal a quick kiss before Andrew runs off to secure the garden and lunch for everyone, and to notify the Scearvale children who attend the afternoon class that they should arrive at 8:00 for a special all day class session.
Meanwhile Alexandra goes to notify the Sisters of the change of schedule so the afternoon children may also be told to come to the garden with the morning class.

Shortly before 8:00 Alexandra opens a gateway between the Percoin garden the one in Scearnvale all the morning children are present at both locations and many of those who usually attend the afternoon class are trickling in at both locations. She tells them all that the class will be held in the larger garden today and the children begin to group in Scearnvale with more still arriving.

“Is there anyone yet missing from either class? Do those of you here know of anyone you don’t see who should be here?”

Two more boys come rushing in from Percoin. The final tally shows three missing, all from the afternoon class. One young lady hurries into the Scearnvale garden so that drops the missing to only two. Alexandra allows the gateway to remain open for a short time as she begins to organize the children into some semblance of order and is about to close the gateway as the final two children come rushing in followed by Missii. With everyone present, the gateway is closed and the children are given new instruction.

“Last night we had intruders in the garden and a small battle occurred. I think it is time each of you learns a means of protecting yourself against the spells of another as well as some means of temporarily halting the actions of someone who is attempting to harm you. These spells are NOT to be used in a game or for any purpose other than to protect yourself against some adult who is trying to harm you. Any use other than that will be dealt with severely. Do you all understand?”

The children look around at each other with very serious facial expressions, “Yes, Alexandra.”

The first thing we will learn is how to ward. This will allow you some protection against the spells of another. NO, you will NOT be using spells against each other. You all get into quite enough trouble without using spells as you fight with each other. These spells may be used ONLY to help each other. Do... I... make... myself... clear?”
“YES, ALEXANDRA,” many have had their magic bound by Alexandra’s spells for various infractions and know when she “lays-down-the-law” they better listen and follow her instructions.

“Good. Now the first thing you must think about is the very first vision spell you ever learned. Remember how it worked and what you had to do to create it and to allow the magic to flow with it. Now, how do you suppose you could stop such a spell? Perhaps, placing a barrier between the magic and the spell??? That would work for the spell may do nothing without the magic to power it. The problem would be, you would need to know who is using the vision spell and that it is being used. Not an easy task. Well then, how could we detect a vision spell?
Any ideas?”

The next hour is spent investigating the methods which might allow some prior warning of the use of spells by someone distant from the person being viewed or moved against their will. The children come up with many possibilities but most of them are not sufficiently practical.

“What is common to all of the spells?”

“The person the spells are coming against...”

“The person who is placing the spells...”

“Magic.”says a third.

“Magic! Exactly. All of the spells are using magic. A spell without magic is no more than words or thoughts. Magic without a spell is simply an energy waiting to be tapped. We cannot know when or from where an attack may come but there are some things we may do to prevent or lessen the attack. We cannot place counter spells until we know what spell is in use or from where an attack is originating BUT, we can place a barrier around us which does not allow penetration by other spells.

We may create our barrier spell in such a manner that it uses some of the energy from the spell being sent against us to create the barrier to that spell. We may also make our spell to be similar to a mirror. A special kind of mirror. One which allows us to send spells out and away from us while preventing spells that are coming at us from penetrating. Almost a one-way mirror but not quite. We would want our mirror to be invisible and unnoticed but at the same time, powerful. Hopefully without using a lot of our own energy. A bit of like our candle spell.

When the candle is not burning, there is still a little, just a very little, energy being used to keep the spells alive. Then when the candle is burning a lot of energy is in use but to produce the light. Our spells still use but a little.

We will do something similar for our barrier. We will make a spell which uses very little energy so it may sit and watch for spells cast against us and when it detects one, then it will pull a lot of energy from that spell and use that energy to refill its own reservoir as well as to combat and block the spell coming against us. We would need to check our spell and replenish its energy pool every so often so it will not vanish, but that is not a lot of energy and is just to keep the spell working. The main energy it has in order to fight an encroaching spell comes from the attacking spell itself.”

“Alexandra... May our spell use a spell ingot to power it?”

“That is something to which I have given no thought. We will investigate that as well as practice creating a ‘mirror’ spell. Now I want each of you to begin to think of how this ‘mirror’ spell might be created. Is it a single spell or is it multi-part? And more importantly, why?”

Multi-part won out with certain portions looking for specific spells while another looked for magic use of any kind. Still others were counter-spells and absorbers for certain magical attacks while still another administered the whole batch. One more partitioned out the energy to keep the spells active, yet another converted spell ingot energy to magical energy for use in the whole mess and one more simply watched for any backlash so the user wouldn’t be burned by their own protective spell if they used magic themselves. All in all, one of the most complex spell casts the children have learned. The use of small spell ingots is a benefit which allows for a create and forget use of the protective mirror spell cast. Another spell was added into the fray to allow the energy siphoned off of an incoming spell to not only provide the protective spell energy but to slightly replace energy taken from the spell ingot. This was not as successful as hoped but did work, after a fashion.

The efforts continued after lunch and about mid afternoon the children had the concept down pat and everyone had a protective spell in operation.

Now the games begin with the children learning the freezing spell, which went by very quickly due to their previous knowledge of the cooling spell for milk, and the stasis spell to allow for immobilizing the individual so they are not a threat until the spell is removed. This is a bit more delicate since the stasis spell must also include keeping the individual alive. Learning to take into consideration all that must continue to be allowed to function, such as a heart and lungs and blood flow makes the spell combination very difficult and delicate. The concept being that you simply want to block the ability of the person to move or create thought for the period they are under the control of the spell and without permanently removing that ability. This is much more difficult than just making them so cold they can’t coordinate thoughts or actions well, a sort of hibernation.

Most of the children fall back to the freezing spell since stasis is so difficult. Alexandra has allowed them to use the freezing spell on the dirt or small rocks but not on any of the plants or themselves. The admonishment not to spell living things is told to them many times. Especially since several of the plants in Percoin did not survive their freezing and today are rather the worse for wear after their ordeal with that artificially induced frost.

Alexandra decides the children have gone about as far as they may for the day and releases them for the remainder of the day. The upside of this is that each child now has a fairly potent protective set of spells surrounding them. Further, they understand the use and cast of the multi-spell and the need to check and refill the energy pool for the cast on a daily basis until spell holders may be obtained and several small ingots for each holder.

Alexandra, herself, now has a complex protective cast as well and will show each of the others in their little clique how it has been accomplished. Should another visit by these strangers occur then there will be a nasty surprise awaiting them. Their spells are likely to be relatively ineffectual while the retaliatory spells should be nearly undiminished in strength.

Crossing behind the children who are returning to Percoin, Alexandra detours for a moment sitting on one of the benches before ringing Andrew who does not answer. She rings once again and a few seconds later hears the chime and a vision link opens.

“Hello, Andrew. You didn’t make it back for the class.”

“I know. I’m sorry, Alexandra. We became ‘involved’. How did it go?”

“Quite well actually. The children all have complex protective wards and we even determined a manner in which we may link the wards to spell ingots rather than filling the energy pool every day. We just need silver ingot holders which may hold three or four small spell ingots and the ingots and then each child will have a fairly potent protection around them. I may show you and Missii and Kayla later this evening. Rachel has the strongest ward, of course.” Alexandra looks lost in thought for an instant, “somehow we need to teach her not to put so much energy into everything she does.”

“She has tremendous reserves.”

“I know. But if she would learn to moderate her spells then her reserves would go much further. As it is when she used the freezing spell on a large rock it cracked into pieces from the sudden temperature change.
Everyone else, the rocks just had frost on them.”

“That’s Rachel. Perhaps as she becomes more accustomed to using the magic she will gain a control which will allow her to diminish the energy she places with it.”

“How did your day go, Andrew?”

“The usual. A lot of talk, a little action. We did come to one conclusion, however.”

“Which was?” Alexandra becomes frustrated at trying to pry information out of Andrew all the time.

Also lost in thought, Andrew returns to the present, “Oh, we have been thinking about all the bandit raids which have been occurring and then sat down and looked at the ‘big picture’. We are beginning to think the raids are not haphazard, but are coordinated by someone. Going back and looking at dates and places for the past year to 20 months we are beginning to see a pattern occurring.

The raids are coming in groups of eight to ten, split almost evenly, about 60-40 between The Shambles and The Survivor with the Shambles receiving the least. We believe, after looking around with the retaskable vision spell you developed, that the reason for this is there are many fields which are growing food here and which are no longer cultivated. It would appear that someone is harvesting them during the productive months. On both continents the raids occur more frequently in the winter and spring than in the summer or fall, which indicates there is a source of supply being used that is not available during the colder portion of the year.

This pattern of raids matches fairly closely with the purchases the Antagonist once made when they existed. At least according to the records which we managed to locate. It wasn’t easy. Reading information off those funny little disks drives the Techies crazy. They say there used to be a lot of the machines which could do it and even showed one to us but we don’t know how to power or use it so there you are. They call the machine an ‘Apple’ because it has an image on it that looks like an apple.

The insides look very peculiar, like little rivers running all over the place and these funny looking things fastened here and there like little buildings with the rivers connecting to them. While we were looking for those little disks we found a room with nearly a dozen of those machines in it. There was one which they think was portable but no one knows. There is one machine they use to pull the information off the disks but it looks different than the others and is the only thing that is still operable.

The Techies worked with a couple of the Sorcerers and the spell ingot idea to make something they call a ‘battery’. They feed the energy from the ‘battery’ into the machine and it lights up and reads the disks onto its screen. The whole thing is very strange. They showed us the inside of the first one they tried. When they connected the battery, smoke came out of it. With one working, they don’t want to chance damaging the others.

We think we will begin pumping out that big pit next week. They have most everything worked out and we have four spell ingot holders so we may have four pumps going. It shouldn’t take too long, maybe three or four days then we may let it dry and take a look.”

“Are you going to the house?”

“No, I don’t think so. It’s fairly late now. Tomorrow is the weekend and we and the girls could all go to look. We are only a couple of weeks away from moving in Alexandra. Right after the wedding.”

Alexandra blushes and looks away for a moment to collect herself. Turning back and looking Andrew squarely in the eye, “Yes. It’s about time. I do not intend to allow any more interruptions. And if those bandits or criminals or whatever they are interfere I shall make them sorry they ever thought of visiting us.”

Andrew blanches and simply remains silent. He has seen Alexandra angry before. It’s quite one thing to be angry, it’s quite another to be an accomplished Sorceress with this new control of magic at hand. Anger has a way of accomplishing a permanent manifestation which is not pleasant for the recipient.

The next morning, Alexandra gathers Alice, Rachel and Kitty early and, contacting Andrew, tells him they are on their way to the house for breakfast. He is just entering the meal hall so he exits and opens a gateway to the house as he tells Alexandra he is going there and will meet her and the girls in the reception hall before escorting them into the meal hall.

Moments after his arrival, Alexandra arrives as well with everyone in tow.

“Missii said she has some work to do before she arrives. Where is Kayla?”

“She said the same thing, and promised to be here in a couple of hours.”

“Now that’s strange, Andrew. I wonder what those two are up to?”

“Probably something to do with finishing the weapons spells for the last of the guard. The weapons were picked up a few days ago.”

“Oh, that explains it. I thought perhaps they were up to something in relation to our wedding... You know, some kind of Feline ritual or joke or something.”

Andrew stops walking, that thought having grabbed his full attention.

“Oh, no. No, you don’t think... Do you really think they would do something at our wedding?”

“Who knows how those two think. They might. They seem to have adopted us as part of their family so anything’s possible.”

“But... But, Alexandra... We’re not Feline.”

“I know. But I’ve never seen the two of them so secretive before. I think I’ll have a little talk with some of the Female Felines in our Guard and see if I may learn what kind of wedding traditions they have, if they will spill the beans to me. The sisters may have them sworn to silence.”

“This isn’t good. I could just see them dumping us into the river down there or taking apart our bed or something like that. I agree, see if you can learn what they’re up to.”

“Considering how the rest of the Guard feel about us, especially the Felines, we might not be able to learn anything... They might all be in on it.”

“Oh Great. We could always leave the wedding through a gateway and go direct to some undisclosed location.”

“You forget, Missii and Kayla know us so well they can open a gate directly to either of us.”

“So what course of action do we have available?”

“Let me see if I may learn anything. We may be worrying for nothing.”

Andrew begins walking again but continues to fret. Alexandra, on the other hand, is calm and actually rather pleased that the sisters might indeed be considering some special party or gift for the wedding. She and Missii are quite close so it could be quite meaningful. A treasured memory.

“Kayla, I still think this would be a good gift. I think it is the sort of thing humans give to the bride and groom at a wedding.”

“I don’t know. Trying to choose a human gift is difficult. They think so strangely. I don’t want to give them something which would be an insult.”

“I know what we need. We need a human to help us decide.”

“Oh, yes, a human warrior like one of those back at the house? Forget it. They don’t have a clue about what would be good for a gift. They don’t even have mates. Maybe we could ask Sister Kaitlyn,”

“She wouldn’t know. She’s never been married.”

“How do you know?”

“I overheard her talking with Alexandra one day. They forget we are able to hear and understand sounds many hundreds of meters away.”

“Oh.”

“Maybe Ladies deToraline or Elijah? Or both?”

“We don’t know Lady Elijah and Andrew’s mother would likely tell them of the surprise.”

“Purchasing a present for humans is difficult.”

“Yes.”

“Maybe we could give them a Feline present.”

Missii looks at Kayla with skepticism, “like what?”

“I don’t know, a jeweled dagger maybe, or an armored corset for Alexandra.”

“No. I think we should stay away from weapons and armor. We need something... Soft, like the humans.”

“Soft...”

“Like the humans.”

The two sisters continue to spend their time trying to decide what present they could obtain to give to the couple. They enlist the aid of a salesperson and go through many suggestions which just leave them more confused.

“Pots and pans as a wedding gift? They have a full kitchen and several cooks.”

“Maybe we could give them something magic. They might like that.”

“That’s a good idea. What?”

“I don’t know, I thought you might come up with an idea.”

The sisters find their way into another store and again enlist the aid of a salesperson, explaining the problem and difficulty of selecting an appropriate gift.

“Perhaps the two of you could give them a gift for the house.”

“For the house? No we want to give the gift to them.”

“I mean the gift is theirs to use in the house. Furniture, or bedding, towels, maybe commission a painting for their living room or give them some candle holders to help brighten the house.”

“No. Andrew has already spelled each room with a sun that may be controlled by the person entering or leaving the room.”

“A... sun?” now beginning to think that perhaps these two Felines may be a bit strange.

“Yes.

“He is a Sorcerer who makes ‘suns’.”

“Yes. Not all that many, maybe a hundred or so.”

The salesperson nods her head and is about to make a cautious exit, when a bright light begins to shine from behind and above her.

“See? He may make one of those almost whenever he wishes so they don’t use candles much.”

She turns slowly to discover a very bright source of light up near the ceiling which is almost painful if one tries to look at it.

“Oh... A sun. All right. I could see where they might not need very many candles. Well then, perhaps they might need a cool chest for the kitchen.”

They have a very large walk in located in an entire room just off the kitchen. They are able to store enough meats to last three weeks for nearly thirty Felines in it. Light... dim... half.”

The brilliant light become more tolerable but still lighting this room of the store quite nicely.

“Well, I’m afraid I’ve run out of ideas. I’ll try to think of something if you could check back with me later in the week?”

“All right. Everyone we talk to has the same problem. I would have thought humans would have a suggestion list for gifts. Felines have a hierarchy list and the gift depends upon the person receiving it and the person giving it. Some gifts are not appropriate for giving by one Feline to another while other gifts are so we have the suggestions all worked out and written so no one will make a mistake. It has been this way for generations.” Missii informs the saleslady.

Kayla nods her head and adds, “Humans are much more difficult.”

“I understand. They are more difficult for other humans as well.”

This allows Missii and Kayla to breath a little easier, the problem isn’t just them. Even humans have difficulty finding a gift for other humans.

“May we check with you later in the week, if we do not find anything?”

“Please do. I shall give it some thought. Maybe we may decide on something special but not too expensive.”

“Thank you. The whole guard has given some gold for the gift so we have 130 gold available for the gift.”

“Oh my. I hope we may find several gifts which do not cost as much as that. Could you check with me late in the week? We won’t obtain anything until you like the idea. How much time do we have?”

“About two weeks and a day or two.”

“Oh my. That’s cutting it a bit fine. Okay I’ll do some checking. Come back in three days, hopefully I will have an idea by then.”

“Thank-you.” Missii opens a gateway and they leave the shop hurrying back to the house to find Andrew and Alexandra.

Shortly after they are gone the saleslady realizes they left the “sun” here.

“Sun... out. Sun... dim. Sun... light. Oh, what did she say that controlled it?”

“Light... off.” The sun obediently goes out. Emboldened, “light... on”

The piercing brilliance penetrates the room again.

“Oh... Light... dim. Er. Light... dim... half.”

It drops in brilliance to something tolerable. The saleslady smiles and goes around blowing out the candles in the room, “Waste not, want not.”

The few prisoners taken from the battle in the garden have had their possessions removed for inspection. These include several curious items which have numbered buttons on them and appear to serve no useful purpose. No one is willing to attempt further examination as any of these might be the weapon which killed the sister or a device which provided transport for the individuals and the thought of suddenly appearing alone amidst possibly hundreds of armed individuals is not something anyone wishes to experience.

The prisoners have not vanished from their cells so it is presumed they do not use magic in the same manner as do the Sorcerers but that one of the various devices fulfill that purpose. Again, how this may be so is anyone’s guess.

At the suggestion of Andrew’s Father, the devices are divided into similar kinds and split to several locations far removed from the prisoners themselves. This is done as a precaution in the event others may trace these devices to their location of storage.

As it turns out, this was a wise precaution for inspection a day later shows all of one device are now missing from the location where they were being stored. This proves those devices may be traced by others and also suggested that they were the devices used to transport the individuals. Therefore some sort of technology is involved rather than magic. Once again this indicates the probability of the continued existence of individuals who once were members of the Alliance and possibly “The Aggressor”.

Serious talks now begin to break out in the political chambers of both the Survivor and the Shambles. The need for a political alliance between them to combat this threat now upon everyone’s lips. But... how to accomplish this...

Some are calling for treaties and mutual aid pacts. Others feel that may not allow a sufficiently rapid response and are calling for a unification of the two governments as one body.

This receives a resounding dismissal by the politicians who see this as an attempt to remove their influence over their portions of each of the countries. They are especially reluctant to allow this since the Sorcerer’s and Sorceress’ are already so unified and as such have more say in local affairs than the politicians like. Very few agree with Andrew, his Father, or the purveyors of magic who are already of the mind it may be a bit late to achieve anything since the threat seems to be well organized and becoming quite immediate.

The politicians disagree and believe, or at least say, that the entire event is being blown out of proportion and has no relationship whatever to the attacks by the “bandits”. The patterns conveniently ignored by those who stand to lose the most, in their opinion.

That the attacks are beginning to enter the outskirts of the larger cities is also ignored.

“Bandits are a totally separate issue and have nothing to do with this supposed threat by ancestors of the Alliance. Where have they been these past 120 years? Did they travel through time to disappear from back then and reappear now? I doubt that very seriously,” the speaker notes.

“Honorable Speaker... The bandits are organized. Someone is in charge as the attacks appear orchestrated within both continents. It is no accident that the bandits are increasing their attacks and we suddenly have Alliance uniformed people attacking within one of our cities.”

“Oh, spare me the rhetoric. There is no proof these people are Alliance. They could have found the clothing. Or they could be people who have been made to appear to be Alliance just to cause us to hand over our control of our own continent to others. I have seen nothing which will cause me to relinquish those controls.”

“Nor I,” adds another.

“You are both blind. What will it take before you see? An attack on this assembly itself? I for one do not wish to see that day, if I should be so fortunate as to survive it,” a cautionary voice.

Once again the Speaker replies, “That is exactly what I do see. Those outsiders come here claiming some mortal enemy is resurrected to send our way of life into oblivion and we must give up our constitution and hand everything over to them to control so they may protect us from this non-existent threat? I say, no. There is no threat. What proof do we have that a battle even occurred? These statements, those witnesses??? All of whom are the very ones who are trying to get us to give up our offices and power to them?

Are you all blind? The real threat is standing right over there. Those people who want us to hand over control of the country to them to battle an imaginary enemy none of us has even seen, just because they say that enemy exists? Who are they but the very same Sorcerers and Financiers who tried to wrest control of this country so many years ago. Have you all forgotten the day of those attacks. Don’t be ridiculous. I say we vote against this idiotic attempt to wrest control of our country from those voted to power by the populace and send them on their way. There is no threat except the one we see standing before us..”

“Mr. Speaker, I respectfully state you could not see a threat even if it stood in front of you and pushed a sword through you.”

“Order... Order!!!”

Debate continues for weeks in the legislatures of both continents. It all comes down to the fear that the Sorcerers and Financiers are, once again, attempting to control the countries. That it happened once and any user of magic or provider of finance was permanently barred from public office as a result brings the fear that it might be attempted once again. This being that attempt.

During these weeks Andrew and his Father have sold many of their land holdings to obtain funds to hire and continue to pay many more Human and Feline warriors. Andrew has had six more buildings constructed to house his small army of now three hundred and training is a constant thing. The children studying magic have been moved to a pair of buildings on the hill as well and their teaching is now nearly constant. Friendly politicians, all two of them, and Sorcerers (and Sorceresses) frequenting the location to monitor the children’s progress.

The children are given an increased emphasis upon wards, counter-measures and offensive spells. Healers are being given greater training in using the new magical controls to allow them greater effectiveness in their healing abilities. Two new healers have been discovered among the newer children and they are spending much of their time with Alice and Healer Gordon. Missii and Kayla are being run ragged in their attempts to orchestrate an effective army and to coordinate this army’s progress with that of the one Andrew’s Father is training; all the while, they continue to plan for the eventuality everyone (except the politicians and the general public) knows is coming.

The wedding finally goes off and without a hitch. Andrew and Alexandra wed and accept the various gifts offered them. Upon approaching the ‘gift’ presented to them by their original guard, they adopt a cautious stance, carefully removing the wrappings to discover a frame. Upon turning it around they found a painting of the two daughters and a certificate for a family portrait of the four of them.

“I can’t believe the children didn’t give the secret away, Andrew. The painting must have taken many days of sitting for it. Missii, Kayla and Kitty had to have been scheming the whole time.”

“Yes. This is a thoughtful gift. I hope we have time soon to have the second one painted. I knew Alice was good at keeping secrets but didn’t know Rachel was also.”

“I want to hang this one in our family room.”

“Sounds good to me, Alexandra... Alexandra... has your Father decided we are telling the truth yet? I would like to move him in here so he is better protected.”

“He has mixed feelings Andrew. He knows I wouldn’t lie to him and is concerned, but he is uncertain of the “proof” we have in the hand machines we have shown him. We talked of it just the other day. I don’t know how to convince him.”

“Then I think we must prepare a small force of Felines and Humans who may at a moment’s notice go to rescue him if it appears to become necessary. You would need to be a part of that rescue. I’ll have one more building constructed to act as a home for up to twenty and the downstairs may be their assembly room so some form of the government may continue. We can’t allow it to just vanish if there is an attack on the assembly.”

“I agree. I’ll tell Father that if an attack occurs that we shall be there through a gateway as quickly as we can and if he may gather a number of others near him we might take as many as possible. We could put some of them up in the guest rooms of the house. I think I shall continue to have the storerooms stocked with food and the cool room filled with as many of the perishables as it may hold. This may be done over another week or two so it is not extremely noticeable. We may rotate the foods so they remain fairly fresh. I’ll do the same at Father’s house so we may remove stocks from there to help support everyone if it becomes necessary.”

“Good idea. I wish we had some feeling for what their next move is going to be. I hate this waiting.”

“I would hate the battle more, Andrew. But, like you, I do see it coming. I’m afraid the politicians are waiting too long and we will be in grave difficulty before things begin to improve. At least we have the children and their training may be increased. The I-cats are wonderful hunters and they will be able to provide an adequate meat source so the fruits and grains will depend on our fields down below the house.

There is one thing about which I’ve been thinking... I believe we should add a spell to all of the automated gateways. In the event of a major attack, we should shut them all down so the enemy cannot use them.”

“I’m not certain they need to use them. They seem to have their own system and it is far more advanced than ours. But, I agree. Use of the gateways should be limited to military needs if and when such a major attack occurs. I’m concerned that attack may be highly coordinated instead of brute force. Something along the line of small individual teams going in and assassinating key politicians. That would effectively rip government apart and allow for confusion. Then too, there is little in the way of a standing army in either continent. There are a lot of warriors but they are not a coordinated army. The level of advanced technology held by this enemy is worrisome.”

Andrew and Alexandra end their wedding day by moving into their home and celebrating their union in the manner all husbands and wives follow after a wedding celebration. The next day shall again be one of work...

Several weeks go by with no new incursions by either bandits or those mysterious individuals who wear that strange emblem. Looking for a pattern in the attacks gives a date plus or minus five or six days and which is still now but a week away.

“That would seem to indicate that we may expect something to occur within the next twelve to fourteen days.”

Everyone continues trying to prepare for that eventuality but at the same time hopes it won’t occur.

Discussions have repeatedly been held among those ‘in the know’ about, “the possibilities of an attack ‘forcing our hand’ so to speak and causing the joining of the two governments of the continents. That joining could of itself be a bad thing. We don’t know if there are spies in high places who are orchestrating these attacks in an effort to cause us to join governments. We are a little leery of the potential consequences should those who are placed in charge actually be working for the ‘bad guys’. We are however agreed that the Alliance is decidedly the ‘bad guys’. At least the two continents agree about something.”

Training of the children is intensified with a third group of twenty added. After the second week the new children are entering multi-spell casts. This is a terrible rush and without the proper initial grounding in single spell casts proves to be a mistake. The prior training received in the old controls has actually been a detriment rather than an asset. Training is backed off again to allow time for more work in single spell casts and gateways.

The original forty children are well into their crash course in combat spells, the three new healers are learning to be inventive in their short cuts to rapid healings. Great emphasis is being placed on the use of multiple sources of living energy such that students who are not trained in healing may provide energy to the healers. A round-robin technique where those providing energy change from healing to healing and, sometimes, even the healer is changed in an effort to allow rest and the consumption of high energy foods. Meats are found to be best for rapid restoration of energy, but the honey cakes still hold their own due to availability and popularity.

“The fourteen days have come and gone and no attacks have occurred.”

“I know, Andrew.”

“Now what? The politicians are even more insistent that we have created the whole affair and that the Sorcerers are heavily involved. They are saying it was a plot to take over the governments.”

“I know this too, Andrew. An attack will occur we just don’t know where or when, but when it does...”

“When it does then the politicians will say we orchestrated it just to prove we were right. It’s a lose-lose situation. How can they be so stupid?”

“They’re politicians. They believe their own hype and distrust anyone who is not a politician. It’s their nature.”

“But they’re wrong. Why can’t they see that?”

“Andrew, son... All we may do is be ready for the attack... It will come. We obviously misread something in the previous attacks and predicted the wrong date for the next likely attack. We must continue to prepare. How is your candle factory doing? Will it have the student spell ingots ready soon?”

“Yes, we have nearly five thousand now and are still producing them. We should have another thousand by the end of this week. The biggest problem is creating the spell wards and keeping them running. We have about five hundred ready now but lost nearly forty when there was a delay checking the spell holders ingots. At least we didn’t need to create the holders again, just the spells. They are a little bigger than pocket size but are far better than nothing. Convincing anyone to use them will be the trick.”

“I don’t think we will have a problem if the attack is severe enough. This delay has me concerned. I’m beginning to think they are receiving information from our politicians and as a result they are waiting until they think we will be prevented from interfering. The legislature is about to enact laws making it illegal to practice magic in any form.”

“They’re cutting off their own noses to spite their faces.”

“I know, Andrew. But that’s how politicians frequently are. They can’t see the big picture, or don’t want to see it. Maybe it frightens them so badly that they can’t act. Who knows.”

“Father, I’ve got to get back home. Don’t wait too long... I think Mother should come to our home for a while. We have a strong ready force and the children are all there so there is a very strong magical presence there. Alexandra is tuned to her Father and should anything start there then we may at least try to rescue most of the assembly. If the attack occurs here then either use the ingot gateway to our home or destroy it preferably both. We can’t allow the enemy to gain access to a working gateway to our home.”

“We have already made allowances for that. I would think you would be more of a target than I, but who knows. The Alliance targeted politicians and financiers just before the War. We should have a good indication of their intent should this occur again.”

“I know, Father. I just worry about both of you, especially now. We are training another twenty children so that makes eighty. The third group is now receiving training in providing energy to spell casters. We have nearly thirty in the first two groups who are proficient in combat spells so with at least thirty to provide additional energy to them we have the ability to hold off or destroy a very large force. I would prefer to take the battle to them but we don’t yet know where they are originating. I better be going. Be well Father. Kiss Mother for me and please think about sending her to us.”

Patrick deToraline smiles at his second son and shakes his head, “If I think we are about to have a problem, I shall push her through the gateway myself. Be well, son,” as he clasps Andrew about the shoulders. Moments after releasing him again, Andrew is striding into the courtyard of his own home.

Andrew greets Alexandra with a hug and a kiss before they continue on toward the meal hall. Their daughters are just arriving from their rooms along with Kitty and two of the now six Feline protectors for the daughters. Andrew gives each of the girls a hug and kiss as well, and a gentle rub under the chin for Kitty. “My apologies, Kitty, if I don’t kiss you.”

Kitty gives his hand a bat with her paw as though to say he best not try to give her a kiss, then cocks her head as though reconsidering and looks at him with one eye, speculatively, which causes Alexandra to laugh.

“You may just have started something, Andrew.”

“Well, perhaps instead of a kiss a small hug would do?”

Kitty appears to give this some thought and walks up to Andrew allowing him to give her a gentle hug.

They all go into the meal hall which now feeds so many people that it has become necessary to feed everyone in shifts. There are always nearly fifty or more in the hall eating one meal or another.

“Well Andrew, what did your Father have to say?”

“He is concerned. The legislators are about to enact a law banning the use of magic...”

“WHAT? Banning the use of magic?”

“Yes.”

“Well, that will bring the continent crashing down quickly.”

“Father also thinks some of the legislators are in the pay of the enemy and once magic is banned and the major users placed into prison then they will attack. He says to watch for actions against the political and financial players of the country. That is how the Alliance did it before the War. If we see that start happening then it will be the key that the invasion has started.”

“Do you really think there are enough of them to attack the assembly as well as the homes of the financial and political players?”

“I have no idea. If they do then we’re in trouble because we don’t have anywhere near the kind of manpower to fight off those many people.”

“We have the children, Andrew.”

“True, but that would mean they would become involved on a battlefield and you didn’t want that.”

“I know. Sometimes we don’t have a choice. Perhaps the boys could provide magical support for each of our three teams. We could place ten boys with each team and that would leave ten boys and forty girls to defend here. They are becoming quite proficient at their combat spells. Some of the boys even have begun fireworks spells as a form of attack.

The spell wouldn’t do much damage to anyone but it might frighten them enough that others could do some damage. We do have the blue fire and the freezing spells which are able to do a lot of damage. You are never here to see what they are capable of accomplishing. You should watch them tomorrow. It’s quite impressive.”

“What we need is something that is quiet and deadly.”

“Oh, I’ve taught them some of that too. And their wards are very powerful.”

“The enemy doesn’t use our kind of magic so the wards may be of little or no value.”

“Possibly. But the wards have had more spells added to them so now the normal weapons cannot reach in to harm the children.”

“How do you know? Has it been tried?”

“In a manner of speaking. One of the boys with the new spells was attacked by a bear down by the river. One attempt and the bear ran off. The child was unharmed. Frightened but unharmed.”

“What happened to the bear?”

“The I-Cats ran it down and discovered it had lost most of its teeth as a result of the attack and a number of the claws which it used to try to harm the boy. One of its own claws was stuck in the roof of its mouth. It was dying when the Cats found it.”

“Now that is impressive. We need to know those spells so the spell holders we are manufacturing may be changed. I hope to soon have enough of them to provide our fighting force, as well as Father’s, with the ingot powered wards so all our fighting personnel will have better protection. A few more days and there will be enough to protect the politicians as well.”

“Then you had best start bringing them here, and to your Father’s now. Better to have some than none.”

“You’re right, Alexandra. How much time will be required to change the spells?”

“About two or three minutes for each holder.”

“Twenty an hour then. That means we need fifteen hours to re-spell the ones we are using and about ten to spell the ones going to Father. The final batch will also need to be re-spelled. They are to be given to any legislators we are able to save should the attack actually occur.”

“How soon may we have the ones for our warriors?”

“I could have them brought tomorrow.”

“Why not tonight? We could send our ready force and they could each carry four or five plus some spell ingots then we could start the whole thing right away. With five people casting the spells we could finish the whole batch very quickly. We could complete the five hundred in about five or six hours which means you could take some to your Father tomorrow.”

“All right. We could take knapsacks for everyone as well. That will allow us to carry all of the spell ingots back here for storage as well as the spell holders. Since we are re-spelling the holders we may remove the ingots which are in them once they are here, then the ingots may be replaced when the new multi-spell is about to be placed. Let’s eat, then I will take the ready force out to pick up everything. We should probably place the second ready force on alert while we are gone. Father thinks this to be the lull before the storm.”

“Not really??”

“Yes, I’m afraid so. He thinks it is just a matter of time. And not much time at that. How are the girls at combat spells?”

“About the same as the boys. Rachel is the star... She may send a freezing spell or the blue fire as far as the river from up here. She had small blocks of ice floating down the river. That would play havoc with any boats they might wish to use to cross the river. Her blue fire easily turns the river water to steam creating a fog. Remember that small scorched area on the other side of the river? That was one of her first attempts which went a little astray before she achieved better accuracy.”

“I wondered why that portion had been burned off.”

“Rachel has most of the others outclassed for power but she and perhaps two dozen others are tied for spell accuracy and number of spells which may be controlled. Any of them may release one spell and a split second later release a totally different spell. Some of them may continue this for as many as eight spells before they begin to lose control and must stop for a few moments. The greatest problem will be maintaining their energy levels for long periods. The meats and honeycakes simply take too much time to replace the expended energy. If a battle were to occur here, we must hope that it is all over in five minutes or less.”

“That may not be a great problem. If the children release a barrage of magic for perhaps thirty seconds and then wait, they may rest and eat during the lull, this would give our warriors the opportunity to hit and run before another magical barrage is unleashed. The hit and run may occupy five to ten minutes so the children would have a chance to prepare before they are needed again. If they eat some meat or a honeycake immediately after the barrage then it will start to replenish them shortly before the next barrage is needed.

Over the course of an hour they would tire but it would be a gradual thing and between our ward spells, the magical barrages and the warriors, any enemy would likely have a difficult time of it. I think the thing to do is to allow the children to commence the defensive attack while Rachel waits. Then as the enemy pulls back out of range of the others she could rake them with fire before the warriors begin working on them. What do you think Missii?”

“I think it is a good plan. We will begin integrating the children into the battle plan. They will not, however, be permitted to go outside the walls when the warriors do so.”

“I should hope not,” Alexandra injects.

“Don’t worry. An attack will occur and we will be ready,” Missii happily injects.

The following few weeks find the anti magic law passed by the legislators of the Survivor. Almost immediately many warriors are pressed into service to enforce this new law. As arrests mount and homeowners find their floor cleaners, spelled candles and cool boxes impounded even while containing their meats, milk for the children, and other perishable food items, opposition to the law grows. The legislators tried to prevent the use of magic by individuals without naming them and in doing so created a huge backlash from the populace of the country who now view the legislators as the enemy.

Training at Andrew and Alexandra’s home of both their Army and of the children continues unabated. Andrew’s property may be reached only through the use of a gateway or long days of travel. Since the decree outlawing the use of magic, the gateways have been shut down through the use of the spell that Alexandra placed upon the gateway system. This was an unforseen complication which further angers the politicians who had come to rely upon the gateways. The I-Cats are enjoying their hunting and are now permitted to venture onto Andrew’s Father’s lands. Hunting is good and everyone is well fed.

Finally the law is repealed and magic is again permitted. The gateways remain down and the items taken from the many home owners, who most needed those innovations, have not been returned. Many are seeking redress against the politicians for the loss of their items, candles and food. The politicians adopt the stance that the items were taken during the time such items were illegal, therefore no compensation will be forthcoming. Again the populace is angered and many demonstrations and marches occur, mostly around buildings which are owned by the government.

Finally a messenger reaches Andrew’s home and examination of the gateways begins, prior to reactivating them. During the time the messengers have been traveling, the politicians have once again attempted to come up with a law which will tie the hands of the Sorcerers and Sorceresses. This time with a little more success.

Creation of any new spell, be it of a pre-existing nature or a new creation is deemed to be illegal and anyone creating such spell is subject to imprisonment without trial. Now we have neighbor against neighbor and old grudges are being settled by simply telling the warriors that someone was seen to be practicing spells which places that individual into prison. Faster than you may blink an eye the prisons are filled to overflowing and again many of the populace are up in arms concerning the nature of the law and the politicians war against those who use magic. The gateways are still not operating with the estimated time of restoration numbered in unknown months rather than days.

During the time the first law against magic existed and the gateways were shut off, to the time when a messenger finally reached Andrew to have the gateways turned on again, most of the spells necessary to the gateways disappeared. This was due to the gradual use of the spell ingots by the spells in order for them to continue to exist and await use. Once the ingots were gone, the spells quickly vanished. Now, as it is illegal to place new spells, the public gateways cannot be made to function nor may any new gateways be created for public use.

Again the politicians disclaim any responsibility for their actions and the Sorcerers and Sorceresses simply continue to ‘wait it out’.

The politicians finally have come to the conclusion that they must imprison specific individuals before the ‘threat’ may be ended. Both the Sister’s and the Sorcerer’s conclaves in Percoin are raided and many arrested but as the prisons are already filled with people who have done nothing but use spelled items in their homes, there is nowhere to put the new prisoners. No one is released from prison and the new prisoners are allowed to remain in their conclaves but under guard. Even the Warriors are becoming tired of the lunacy being perpetrated. Again rather than just creating a gateway and departing, the Sorcerers and Sorceresses simply choose to wait it out.

A strong force has been dispatched to arrest Andrew and Alexandra. Upon arrival at the property they send a messenger up to notify the two of their arrest and of the requirement they surrender or face the consequences. The messenger is sent back with two words, “Go away.”

The following day the attack on the property begins and within an hour it is all over. No one has been killed and the entire force is now captured by the guard after being nearly cooked by just one little girl who sent blue flame out completely over their heads and down so far as the river. Everyone else in the hilltop compound simply watched. Again the child sends out a spell, this time of cold and again over their heads. This has the effect of causing hail to drop out of the sky above them, pelting them and causing much confusion. Again no one is killed but this time the hail causes some injuries. Concern rises that since a very young girl is capable of such powerful display, then what might the adults be capable of achieving? They decide they don’t want to find out and also appreciate that only the one young girl used magic. Further she used it above them and not at them. A very effective display and strategy.

A truce is offered by the users of magic and accepted, then healers come out to help those who have been injured. Among those healers are six children. Three of the children are healers and three are seen to be placing their hands on the healers whenever a healing occurs. When they finish they return to the hilltop compound.

By now the force of nearly sixty has had enough and also wishes to end the siege. Another messenger is sent and the peace accepted. A number of people come out bringing food and wine and basically feed those who only an hour before were laying siege to the home. Rachel opens a gateway and the force of warriors departs through it to return to Percoin.

The actions of the politicians are driving a wedge between them and the people they serve. Again Andrew and his Father hold a conference which has become an event occurring every few days.

“Well, Father, what news from Percoin?”

“Not a lot I’m afraid. We finally have identified the three politicians who press the hardest for the anti-Sorcerer legislation but are unable to determine if they are sincere or if it is a calculated act on their part to try and drive this wedge between them and the people they serve. Whichever it may be, they are doing a wonderful job of it and are setting up the country for a rebellion which will probably be the door the Alliance is looking for. Conditions are much the same in the Shambles.”

“Are we able to identify those responsible there?”

“Not as easily. We have five names but cannot be certain how deeply involved they are. The Alliance is masking its trail well.”

“If an attack occurs, we are prepared to move to protect the politicians and to allow for a continuation of elected government. We need to implement a similar program for the Shambles. Only if both governments survive an attack will it be to our benefit. This menace must be faced and defeated.”

“I agree, son. I do have some good news. The warriors your daughter defeated and who returned here, treated and fed, have been quietly gathering many of the others. Should you call upon them they will answer, favorably. They have said they will not harm any civilians nor the politicians but they will come to your assistance.”

“How many are there, Father?”

“Perhaps as many as eight hundred.”

“That would be good. Feeding so many might be a problem but we could use the numbers. I have considered contacting Weapons Master Liam and asking him to come here to train people but then changed my mind. The school is too important to pass by, but we don’t have the ability to handle that task here. I’m afraid his knowledge might fall into the hands of the Alliance.”

“I agree, that could be bad but we can’t have everything. What about creating a location on my property near you? We could hurriedly build there. I could move to that location and we could establish permanent gateways to allow mutual protection should it become necessary. That would also allow us a location for the eight hundred warriors should that become a necessity.”

“That might work out. Mother would likely be safer there as well. I still have mixed feelings about the eight hundred though. It might be better to leave them in Percoin but to offer them employ as a rapid action force for the Percoin area. Without knowing much about our enemy, decisions are difficult to make.”

“Very true. If we had Master Liam then we could improve their skill at arms and that might be an advantage.”

“That’s true also. I would like to know how many warriors we might rely upon in other cities of the Survivor. And the numbers in the Shambles as well. Everything is so spread out that it becomes difficult to protect. By the way, do you need more of the small spell ingots for the ward spells your people are using? We have several thousand more in storage here and I could send a thousand or so down to you.”

“I think we are all right for now but if you need room, I may take a thousand off your hands. I think the next step is to construct a compound on my property near to yours and to move my operations there.”

Ring... Ring... Ring... “ANDREW.”

“Yes, Alexandra?”

“Andrew, it has begun. Father just contacted me and the assembly is under attack. We are about to evacuate as many as he may gather before the enemy enters the chambers.”

“Thank you, I’ll contact the warrior garrison in Percoin and let them know. Most of them are with us. Be careful Alexandra.”

“I shall. The children are preparing for protection of this compound even now and our second and third response forces are either ready or preparing. The first just ate and are about to sleep. I think I shall allow it unless we come under attack.”

“Good move, Alexandra. Look for many to arrive from Father’s soon. I’ll be back shortly. I want to know what is happening in Scearnvale.”

“Be careful, Andrew. I love you.”

“I love you too, I’m off the Scearnvale and should return home within fifteen or twenty minutes. Bye, Alexandra.”

“Good-bye, Andrew.” Even as the link closes they may hear Alexandra responding to someone near her, “What? All right, make ready to link to the assembly and...”

“So it begins.”

“It looks that way, Father. I better go. If they are attacking in Scearnvale at this time then they will need our help as well. Be well, Father. And please send mother to our compound where she will be safe.”

“Even as we speak, Andrew. Your brother too, if we may find him quickly.”

Andrew opens a vision link to the area occupied by Weapons Master Liam and looks cautiously around the area before opening the gateway and stepping through. Liam is startled but greets Andrew with a smile.

“Andrew. I had hoped you would be along soon. Have you heard?”

“Only that there is an attack upon the Assembly in Percoin. What is happening here?”

“We were attacked moments ago. Most of my cadets are mobilized and about to attempt support of our politicians. We could use your assistance.”

“I believe the safest approach all around is to bring the politicians here and then to move them from here to another safe zone. Do you think they will come willingly, or has the same nonsense been occurring here as it has in Percoin?”

“If you mean the anti-magic laws then yes it has been occurring here as well. Many of our Sorcerers and Sisters are under house arrest and are simply looking for a valid reason to walk out of their prisons.”

“I think this qualifies as a valid reason. Liam, I would like you and the cadets to come to my properties after we rescue the politicians. My Father and I intend to build quarters on his property near to my own and we could use your expertise in training our rapid mobilization forces. If we draw in all of those in Percoin and perhaps here as well, then those forces added to the Guard my Father and I have created will bring our strength to over two thousand. We have nearly sixty children who are adept at creating gateways so a very large portion of that force could rapidly be dispatched to any location on either continent. We could rapidly provide support for the area attacked and then withdraw. We have five healers and the possibility of three more which could allow us to rapidly heal the injured. Half our present force is Feline with advanced training of the nature you provided. Your tactical and combat expertise could be invaluable.”

“You convinced me but just now we have some politicians to rescue. My force commanders are coming so that means we had best get going. Do you know where the Congress building is located?”

“Only generally, but if I open a vision link you may guide me to the correct building and inside... then I may open a gateway for everyone to go through.”

“Let’s get down to the training field quickly then. You may open the link and we may move it into the assembly then launch our counter attack.”

They rush out just as the senior cadets are arriving. The five of them return to the field to find some fifty cadets prepared for battle. The junior cadets have been issued firearms, since their physical abilities are insufficient to use against a trained combat force of men. Granted, the more senior will likely have nearly as much difficulty but training received from Weapons Master Liam counts for a great deal, both in skill and in tactics.

The vision link is opened and quickly has moved into the Congressional building, a search underway. Since closed doors mean nothing to a link they are rapidly able to search through the building and find several places where a few legislators have hidden, opening a gateway to allow their escape and then continuing the search. Nearly thirty have been rescued but there are nearly twice that seen decorating the floors throughout the building. Five more are assisted out of the building, injured but still living. Andrew contacts Missii and requests two healers. Alice and Rachel accompanied by Healer Gordon and three children who may provide energy arrive quickly crossing through Andrew’s gateway to begin healing the injured. Andrew and Rachel watching for the opportunity to provide magical tactical support and possibly even offensive measures against the enemy once they are located.

“Andrew,” Liam exclaims in sudden thought, “We must find President and Lady Elijah.”

Andrew quickly opens a link to Lady Elijah since she is the one who was healed by Alice and is better known to them than is President Elijah. She is found to be hiding in a pantry and they quickly convince her to cross through the gateway they opened to her closing it again immediately.

“Do you know where your husband might be Lady Elijah?” Liam asks.

“We were both in the house when nearly a dozen armed men came in. I ran and hid but didn’t see where Maurice got off to.”

Andrew opens a vision link and begins a rapid search around the house and then room by room inside. They find a hallway guarded by two men at this end and two further down the hall. Some of the cadets with rifles are situated such that the moment a gateway opens they may shoot the intruders then the vision search continues. A room is found with President Elijah and five men in it with Lady Elijah’s husband undergoing torture of some form. A dozen senior cadets are prepared that they may strike at the five in the room quickly from a gateway which will be opened into the room. The healers are readied to aid Maurice and the riflemen informed that immediately after the gateway is used to reach the president, a second one will be opened to allow them to shoot the four men in the hallway.

The first gateway opens and twelve cadets rush through taking the five by surprise, the second gateway opens mere moments later and four shots ring out resulting in four men dropping to the floor before they have a chance to react to the sounds of battle from within the room they were protecting. Maurice is brought through the original gateway and the healers tend to him. Most of the injuries are not serious but are painful. The two more serious wounds are quickly healed and the cadets bring their injured back through the gateway, two have received wounds which are also quickly healed even as the gateways are closed and everyone checked quickly. A large gateway is opened to Andrew’s property and everyone passes through feeling a great relief upon seeing an area which has no battle and which appears fortified and with many armed warriors present watching the perimeter and lands beyond.

Alexandra is returning from the skirmish at the Percoin Assembly Halls having rescued nearly 35 before the conflict was resolved. Only two Felines were badly hurt and healers are tending them. Two Felines and a Human who were aiding the enemy forces were captured and nearly twenty enemy were killed. Of the captured Felines, one has been seen before. He was one of the two who challenged for control of the pride and who attempted to cause trouble the first day the Guard was being formed. Eight of the Guard Felines take him out to the field near the river for “a quiet talk.” They invite two of the Human guard members to accompany them. They later return with information about the enemy’s strength which may be over 12,000 if the Troublemaker may be believed. They take a second prisoner down for a “talk” also. When they once again return the number of the enemy’s strength is nearly the same at just over 11,000.

The Warriors in Percoin are now occupying the Assembly Halls and managed to give a message to one Warrior from Andrew and Alexandra’s guard before everyone returned to the private location of the House. After some discussion with the politicians it is decided to allow nearly half that force to come to the property both for an increase in the Guard and for special advanced training from Weapons Master Liam. This training will last no longer than three weeks and then the force will be rotated to allow the others to receive advanced training. A voice link is placed to allow contact between Percoin and the home. Builders are contacted and new buildings rapidly designed and construction begun to house up to 1200 Human and Feline warriors on Patrick deToraline’s property at the closest point to Andrew and Alexandra’s home. A Gateway is set up between the two locations and is powered by five large spell ingots with five more sitting next to the ingot holder at the son’s home. All personnel and supplies for the construction are prepared on site or brought in through gateways thus preserving some secrecy as to location.

With half of the force from Percoin, both armies from the two deToraline properties and the slow addition of more Warriors from The Shambles, the ready action force has reached 1,187. This is roughly a tenth of the estimated strength of the “known” enemy force.

Few financiers and statesmen have been saved. Enough perhaps to allow representation one country to another but many have fallen, both in attacks on the country buildings as well as at the private homes of those individuals. The enemy has prepared well for this first strike. More clues as to their means of travel have been determined. While they use those strange pocket sized machines, the accuracy appears to suffer just as much as that of the original magic. The range of the machines is not yet known. Since it is a machine allowing the movement this explains the inability to track it using the new (or old) magical controls.

Many minds are working on possible ways to accomplish the tracking but first it is necessary to understand the machines themselves. This is further complicated by the question of whether there is a ‘master’ machine doing the transporting and these are means of controlling it or... Do these devices accomplish the task of transport of the individual without additional suppose structure? Or, perhaps, some combination between these two extremes? Research into machines and transport of many decades gone by is begun however more than cursory details are not rapidly forthcoming. Records of the achievements attained by the Alliance are very poor since the continent which spawned that Alliance has been sitting beneath an ocean since the end of the War.

That again places the question upon everyone’s lips. From where are these new transgressors appearing? It is inconceivable that they are arriving here from and returning to an underwater haven.

Adding to our difficulties, there are several politicians who are attempting to convince the others that we staged the attacks in order to kidnap them while creating the illusion we are ‘saving’ them from that ‘unknown’ menace. Alexandra and I are of the opinion we should simply return them to their own country buildings and simply allow them to take their chances. The more we think about it and the more the politicians spout their platitudes the better the whole idea sounds.

The warriors have had about enough of them as well. We’ll take a vote tomorrow. The two countries are democracies of sorts aren’t they. A vote seems very democratic to me. We’ll even allow the politicians a vote each.

“Andrew?”

“Yes, Alexandra?”

“Have you taken a good look at that third prisoner? He seems familiar to me for some reason. Of course I may just be imagining it but I can’t quite get the idea out of my head that I’ve seen him somewhere before.”

“No. You probably saw him in Percoin at one time or another. I don’t remember seeing him before.”

“I could swear I have met him somewhere. I wonder what he would look like without the beard and moustache? He seems fairly young, perhaps nearly our age.”

“Yes, he is about our age. It’s the beard, it makes him look older. His Guild signs are of the brick and stone layers. Perhaps he was involved with the wall since it is stone and brick. He may have been here then. I can’t imagine any other time we might have met him. Have you had any stone or brick work done at your Father’s or possibly at the Sister’s Conclave?”

“No. The only stone work recently has been here. I wish I could remember, it might be important.”

“Well, continue trying and maybe it will come to you. I think I’ll have the wall checked just to be safe. If he works for the enemy, he may have tampered with the wall somehow.”

“Good idea. If I place him, I’ll let you know. I wish I knew what he looks like without the beard and moustache.”

“A lot of men wear beards and moustaches, Alexandra. That doesn’t make them the enemy although I too wonder about his appearance without them. Maybe I should have him shaved. We might recognize him then.”

“Oh Andrew, I may simply be wrong. I hate to shave off three or four months of growth only to find out that I’m being silly.”

“Let me know if you think of anything. We could have him shaved if it becomes necessary in order to identify him. I’m going to go talk to Father. I want his opinion about sending the politicians back to their assembly halls and forgetting about them. At least your Father isn’t undecided anymore. He believes us now.”

“I’m glad. I would hate to send my Father back only to learn later that the enemy has killed him. I would feel terrible about that. He is enjoying it here. He has the girls to spoil and to whom to tell stories. They let him spoil them, they even have him pushing them on the swing and going for walks with them. He is having the time of his life.”

“I’ll see you and the girls for supper,” Andrew gives Alexandra a kiss and then opens a gateway to cross over to talk with his Father.

“Bye, Andrew.”

The gateway closes and Alexandra goes to take another look at the prisoners. That one still is bothering her. She stands there looking at him while four Guard remain present assuring they do not attempt to escape their quarters. After nearly five minutes she is no closer to deciding where she has seen him before than she was hours ago. Shaking her head she goes up to find Missii and present her with the problem. Perhaps she may have another means of identifying the individual.

On the way to find Missii, Alexandra also arranges for fifty guard to go to her Father’s home to bring back the supplies which have been stockpiled there before the enemy finds them. Those supplies could be very important now that many hundreds of extra warriors are present on the two hidden properties.

 © 2010 by Rénae Dáºmas. This work may not be replicated or presented in whole or in part by any means electronic or otherwise without the express consent of the work’s Owner (copyright holder), with the exception of the private and non-commercial viewing by the reader who is also the end purchaser. ALL Rights Reserved, including but not limited to ownership of Characters, final content decision, and more. This is a work of Fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this story are fictional and any resemblance to real people or incidents past, present or future is purely coincidental. Any and all images shown within this work are taken by license under Corel. Sketches are a product originated through the efforts of Terry Volkirch.. No affiliations, involvement or gender assignations through the use of the images provided by Corel, Terry Volkirch or the subjects contained within those posted images or sketches is implied or intended.
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