Renny appeared at their sides. She crouched down with them, even though her body barely touched the ground. "She's in there. Top floor. With two girls who are bound hand and foot."Rhychard glanced at her, a smile on his face. At least he didn't have to worry about her being hurt again. "Thank you for checking, but how did you know to look?""I may not be visible to you all the time, but I am here. When you headed this way, I decided to scout around a bit since I was still invisible. So, what's our plan?"Rhychard glanced around the area behind the building. He wished he had a plan in mind. He found himself wondering if the police officers were parked in the playground area as normal. He slid the Guardian Sword back into its sheath as he stood. "How about this time we try doing it the human way and call the cops?" He slid the hood from his head, baring his dark hair to the night air.:Do you think they will help?:Both Renny and Kree stood. Rhychard shrugged. "Who knows? It's worth a s
Buttercup jerked her gaze toward the windows as the night over Feather Lakes exploded in a cacophony of sounds. She heard screaming as people begged for the death of the Warrior and saw the flames from fiery arrows arc across the sky. She stared, mouth open wide, as smoke filled the sky. What the hell? Arrows?After Bertram threatened her for a little while longer, he then told the dark elves to dump her back by the little girls, hands bound behind her back. He sent Fat Boy out to gather up his crew while Aradhon simply grew bored and left. Alana climbed out of the pool, leaving for a while to get dressed. When she returned, Bertram told her to watch the captives until he returned. "If anyone tries to rescue them, kill them all." Then he left. For the last two hours, Buttercup sat on the cold tile floor, her shoulders and arms cramped from being stuck in the same twisted position, trying to figure out a way to get them out of here. Now, it seemed she may have waited too long.Alana ran
Buttercup froze, the sight of her rapist from eight years ago, sending her into a panic that threatened to be her undoing. Alana swam for the stairs, her body transforming back into her human guise as she reached the steps and trudged her way out of the pool, screaming her outrage at the deception. Buttercup couldn't move. Renny screamed at her, begging her to turn around, to run, use her magic, something. Buttercup stood frozen in the face of her past, knowing that no one would protect her from his abuse this time."Buttercup, move! Now!" Renny bounced up and down, screamed, waved her hands back and forth. "Buttercup, don't make me watch them kill you. Do something, damn it!"But Buttercup couldn't shake the paralysis brought on by the appearance of Fat Boy. She just stood and watched him approach, the dirk raised, ready to strike. She heard Alana leave the pool, heard the water splashing along the tile floor, but still she couldn't move. Her power left her as her fear gripped her."I
Fiery arrows flew through the sky as Rhychard heard people shouting for the death of the Warrior. He glanced around and saw dozens of people screaming while waving their pitchforks and sickles, some holding torches high, while others kept firing arrows. He panicked, thinking Mephalus broke free from the barriers they placed around him, yet the flames weren't burning Rhychard this time. Instead, it was more like…He glanced around and, across the street in front of an empty house, he saw Famallumi standing with his arms outstretched, palms up, as he recited the tale of Mephalus' death. Standing to either side of the apprentice was Ohlin and Sheehan, their swords drawn, braced for battle. Two of the witches Rhychard remembered seeing at The Murky Cauldron, a tall, thin boy and a robust looking girl with metallic red hair, stood in front of them.Bertram roared his frustration at the images around him. With a sneer, he thrust his arm out, shoving his magic in Famallumi's direction. Rhycha
Turning to the witches with Rhychard he screamed and thrust his arm out towards the young girl beside Kree, gripping her by the neck with his power and lifting her off the ground. Kree was fighting off two gargoyles and Rhychard was too far away. Neither could go to the girl's aid."Stop this nonsense," Bertram roared at the girl in his grips."Wanda!" Tansy gestured at the elderly woman and both reached out with their power, not at Bertram directly, but at objects lying around. They hurled everything they could find at Bertram's body, hitting him in the chest, arms, and back. He yelled and shoved the young girl backwards, sending her into the fence surrounding the playground. A loud crack filled the air as her body slumped to the ground. Both witches continued to hurl things at Bertram. He threw his hands up, creating a barrier around him, blocking their assault.Rhychard dispatched the dark elf he fought and moved on to another. The residents from the Bottoms fought dark elves, shove
Kree, his tongue out, panting, his muzzle dripping blood and ash, padded his way to Rhychard's side at the same time Karl appeared out of nowhere. Rhychard reached down with his free hand and scratched the coshey's neck while he stared at his brother, unsure what to say. Karl stared at him and shrugged. "I had to make it right."Rhychard just nodded and then glanced around. "This is going to be hell to explain.""Try filling out a report for it," Officer Rochester said as he joined them.Karl just laughed. "It's the Bottoms. No one ever sees anything."They all turned at the sound of footsteps and watched as Jordan joined them, his shovel still dripping blood, a gash over his left eye. He slammed the shovel into the ground and leaned on it for support. He glanced at Rhychard and nodded. "Well, I suppose you finally earned that cape, Superhero.""It's a cloak," Rhychard said dryly."Right." Jordan chuckled. "A cloak."From off to the side, Tryna walked over to them, the two girls sticki
Rhychard stood in the ruins of Harvest Fellowship, memories of the madness that took place here over a month ago still very vivid in his mind. He clutched the ring, savoring the feel of it in his hand, the strength he always pulled from it. Last night, once he arrived back home and after a long, scalding shower, he managed to talk to Tryna and ask how they could send Renny on to her next journey. Renny, of course, argued against it, but in the end, Rhychard's stubbornness won out. It also helped that the ellyll was on his side. "It's not fair of me to keep you here," he told her. "There is something greater waiting for you. You've done what you needed to do here. You deserve to move on, to gain real rest and peace.""We don't even know what moving on means," she argued. "It could be terrible, you know."He smiled at her. "Tryna swears it's not and I trust her. The Guardian wouldn't send his precious creation somewhere bad. Something special awaits you and I won't be the reason you rema
Giselle Bamford jerked open the back door of Moss's Butcher Shop, her heart thumping in her ears, her breathing ragged gasps. Snatching her apron off a hook on the wall, she jerked it over her head and quickly tied it around her waist, her fingers trembling, making the task almost impossible, but she fumbled through it, yanking it tight just as she shoved her way into the front of the store."I'm telling you, Judy, it's the worst thing I've ever heard," Betsy Moss, wife of the shop owner, said to the elderly woman on the other side of the glass counter. "Can you imagine those poor parents?"Judy just nodded, her eyes scanning the lamb chops in the case. "Are those still on special?"Giselle stepped up to the counter. "Who's next?" Her voice was just as shaky as her fingers. The butcher shop overflowed with people, most scanning the aisles or glass cases. A few added to Betsy's tale, sharing their versions of disgust and disbelief."I'm next," an elderly man, thin, his fingers trembling
While their mother piddled in the kitchen fixing them a plate of fajitas, the Valentine sisters sat on the living room sofa, legs folded under them. Maria Valentine put most of the house back in order after Baltabek's attack, but the destruction remained obvious to Laci. She held tight to her sister ever since the Summerlands, scared to let her go. Jayden, of course, fussed at her to stop being a mother hen.Once everyone arrived back at Rhychard's Thinking Rock, a place Renny decided would cause the least amount of sightseers, the witches and Famallumi returned to the Murky Cauldron while Rhychard placed a still-weak Jayden in the back of Laci's car. The eldest Valentine wasted no time or words as she headed straight for home."I almost lost you," Laci said. "I don't know what I would have done if that happened.""Probably moved into my room since it's the biggest," Jayden said with a shrug."That's not even funny," Laci snapped, shoving Jayden's hand away from her in disgust.Jayden
Rhychard wasn't sure what he hit, but he found himself spinning backward, the Guardian Sword leaving his hand as he hit the ground with a hard thud, the air whooshing out of his lungs. Scrambling to his feet, a pain tugging at the back of his head from where he hit the ground, the first thing he noticed was Laci sprawled on top of Kree. Renny! He jerked his attention around until he saw her still gripping Jayden's arm as both women lay stretched out on the grass. However, he didn't see the wall he ran into, knocking him back on his ass. Another glance around, and he noticed the salt circle and the three witches sitting on the ground, eyes closed as they chanted. An older man he didn't recognize stood behind Wanda, his face a mask of admiration.A groan alerted Rhychard to Baltabek stirring, and Rhychard lunged for his sword. The demon moved faster, however, and shot a burst of his demonic power at the Warrior, knocking him back against the invisible barrier, the air he just managed to
Rhychard heard screams, but he couldn't tell whose or where they originated. They might have even been his for all he knew. Pieces of the broken table jabbed him in his back and legs, and he felt blood making a trail down his side. Groaning, he tried to sit up. He must get up. Renny needed his protection as did his parents.:Warrior, Baltabek is heading to your home,: Kree sent. Rhychard could hear the elven hound moving toward him through their connection. :He hid among the woods along the creek.:"Rhychard!" Renny shouted, and then he felt her hands on his arms along with someone else's on his other side.:Well, he knows how to make an entrance.: Rhychard sent.He could hear shouts of panic coming from the parking lot and other apartments, people screaming at the sudden explosion.Glancing up, he noticed the other set of hands helping him to his feet belonged to his father. His mother stood by the sofa, her face pinched with concern, and Tryna picked herself up off the floor from whe
Tansy walked over to where Alex's backpack lay on the ground from where the gnome dropped it when they first entered the Summerlands, pulling out the container of salt that rolled halfway out. As she stood, she couldn't take her gaze off the dark pack, remembering its owner and how far he came since walking into the Murky Cauldron that first day. Her heart twisted, and she did her best to keep the tears at bay. She didn't know how much time they had, so she needed to make sure she completed the barrier spell before Renny arrived with Baltabek.Kayla and Wanda sat off to the side, Kayla with her arms wrapped around her knees as she stared at the last spot she saw Alex, and Wanda absorbing her surroundings. Since the demons had been cast out of the Summerlands, the dank grayish color slowly faded away, replaced once more by the lush greens and vibrant colors of the flowers that filled the Land of the Dead. They had even seen the return of some of those who had already passed on from the
"Mom! Dad. What are you doing here?" Rhychard just stood there, staring. He didn't need this right now."Your father thought I was crazy," Catherine Bartlett said. "He even made sure I didn't have any hidden wine bottles anywhere. Empty wine bottles, that is. I had to drag him here to see for himself.""You're alive," Rhychard's father said as he stood there and stared at Renny, his brows bunched in disbelief. "How is this even possible?"Rhychard sighed. "I've discovered just about anything is possible these days.""Hello, Mr. Bartlett," Renny said as she casually closed her purse, hiding the gnomes from sight for now. Catherine didn't handle them well last time, and Renny didn't know how Rhychard's father would react. "I'm sorry we didn't come over and tell you. We've just been…well, we've had our hands full."James Bartlett swooped in, wrapping his arms around Renny and giving her the tightest bear hug she ever had. "I can imagine you have," he told her, his voice filled with enthus
Rhychard watched as Renny gathered up the other Warriors and returned them to the Guardian Sword, only to reappear a moment later with Pux on her shoulder. Laci paced the entire time until Renny returned, eager to be on her way to protecting her sister. With the bridges gone, she had no other way back to the Land Above than Renny. None of them did, actually. Rhychard ran a hand over his long, dark hair, worried about what they would find when they arrived in the Valentine household, concerned for his brother, just as Laci showed concern for her sister.Tansy still stood off to the side, holding a sobbing Kayla and a shaking Wanda. Both witches shifted back to normal once the demons left them, but still wore the wear and tear from the possession. Rhychard hoped they would continue to heal with time, at least physically. He highly doubted Kayla would heal emotionally anytime soon considering her hands snapped Alex's neck even though the demon controlled her. That would be a heavy weight
Karl stood there, still not sure what he should be doing or even what was actually happening. He saw what those demons did to downtown. He couldn't possibly stop one if it showed up now and took over Jayden's body. Glancing over at Famallumi, he wondered just how much power the elves possessed. Gormec seemed to always have his giant hammer nearby, and while Karl had seen its power before, was it enough to stop the demons? There were only five of them against a demon like the ones who killed a witch and almost defeated his brother, the Warrior. Karl didn't particularly care for his odds."How do you feel?" he asked Jayden, his hands over his chest."I'd feel better if you'd stop staring at me like I'm about to go off my meds," Jayden snapped."How about I go and fix us all some lemonade?" Jayden's mother suggested. "It'll give us something to do while we wait for the others.""Do we even know they're going to be here?" Gormec asked, leaning on the handle of his hammer. "It's been longer
The witches continued to shout their chant, their power strengthened with their success. Baltabek sent a blast toward them, but Rhychard blocked it and hurled the power at the demon's feet, the ground exploding and shoving Baltabek up and backward into the air. The other Warriors quickly pressed their attack while the demon lay on the ground.Kayla let out a wail, slicing the air, and dropped to her knees. The demon inside of her wasn't so easily taken, however. With clenched fists, he shoved his power at the witches, doing his best to stop their chanting. Rhychard caught one of the bolts before it struck Tansy, but the next slipped past him and struck Laci in the chest, somersaulting her backward to land on the ground in a heap.Kree leaped up on his back paws, spinning in midair before racing over to the fallen witch. Rhychard could hear her moan and breathed a sigh of relief that she still lived. :Is she okay?: he asked Kree.Kree leaned down, pressing his muzzle against Laci's sho
Rhychard blocked another blast, sending it off to the side to explode into the ground. The gnomes fought from inside the ground, churning up the soil the demons stood upon and causing them to slip and lose their balance. Kree darted in all directions, drawing the demons' fire while he attempted to get close enough to bite one of them. The witches sent their power at the demons, Rose from behind and the others in front, doing their best to keep Baltabek and the others from focusing on any one person. They all did their best to bide Renny time to bring the other Warriors out of the sword, but Rhychard wasn't sure how much longer they could keep it up.The demons who possessed the witches spun, one sending a bolt of power at Rhychard's head and the other one sending one at his feet. He swung his sword, blocking the bolt to his head, but missing the one aimed at his feet. The magic snatched at his ankles, spinning him around and dragging him to the ground. His sword arm hit the ground, his