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Chapter 240: Summerlands
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Warrior of the Way Chapter 241: Summerlands
Early morning commuters, college kids, and senior citizens enjoying their morning caffeine fix packed Common Grounds this morning. Rhychard took a long sip of his coffee—-black, strong, and blistering. Setting the cup back on the table, he stared out at the morning traffic as it passed back and forth on Main Street, easing their way to school or work. Rhychard envied them the normalcy of their morning.The sun climbed over the downtown area, chasing away the night's shadows and bringing a clean slate to another day. Too bad my slate is still full from yesterday, Rhychard thought as he took a deep breath of the morning air."Penny for your thoughts," Renny said before she took a sip of her breakfast tea. He glanced over at her, looking at her purse and then down at her feet, but gnomes appeared. "I was wondering how people would react if they knew a couple of demons stood just down the road from them." He glanced under the table, but still no tiny men. "Where are your bodyguards?"Renn
Warrior of the Way Chapter 242: Summerlands
Alex heard the screams along with the screeching of tires just before cars hit each other as he climbed out from under the bridge. The commotion sounded as if it came from the downtown area on the other side of Washington Street, and Alex started racing toward the noise, choosing to leave his car behind with everything he had heard so far coming from downtown. He feared what he would find once he reached the chaos.As he reached the crosswalk leading from the business section of Washington Street to the downtown area on the other side of Washington Street, people poured out of the small strip of stores, running as fast as they could, jerking their gazes over their shoulders to make sure nothing pursued them. In the intersection of Washington and Main, several cars sat twisted together, fiberglass bumpers shattered, metal caved in and twisted. Traffic backed up in both directions, some cars abandoned as people either fled or stood and gawked trying to figure out what freaked everyone ou
Warrior of the Way Chapter 243: Summerlands
Laci stood there staring at the bare top of her dresser, arms over her waist, wallowing in her self-pity of having kept no possessions over the past eight years to show she had even walked the Earth. Okay, so that wasn't exactly true. She owned a few things at one point, but Jerome did a good job of destroying those when she wouldn't return to his stable of prostitutes. In the interim, there wasn't much of a chance to replace much outside of a toothbrush and some lipstick, and truth be told, Rhychard bought those for her. Another reason she needed out of the world of the supernatural; it left no time for a life.Hearing a shuffling behind her, she turned and watched as her mother walked into her room, her arms ladened down with a large box. "I know some of this is probably too childish for you now," her mother said. "But, I never could bring myself to throw any of this away, hoping you'd return to us one day." She set the box down on the foot of the bed and then turned to face Laci, re
Warrior of the Way Chapter 244: Summerlands
Jayden had a sad smile on her face. "I remember when Dad gave you that. It was your sixteenth birthday, a couple of months before you left."Laci swiped at her eyes with the palm of her hand. "I left it here thinking I didn't deserve to wear it, knowing what I would do to him when I ran away."Jayden nodded. "I get that." She reached in and pulled out a dirty-white teddy bear, holding it in her lap as she examined it without really looking at it. "He spent months searching for you, calling the cops several times a day, showing up at their offices demanding results. He was determined you wouldn't have left on your own, that someone must have kidnapped you." She glanced up at her sister, her own eyes filled with tears. "In a way, he was right. You were kidnapped, forced to leave against your will." She took a deep breath, straightening her back. "He'd be proud of who you've become," she said with a proud smile of her own curving up her lips. "It's taken a lot of guts to stand up to the t
Warrior of the Way Chapter 245: Summerlands
As soon as Common Grounds emptied of its patrons, Renny turned toward the main downtown area. The people running from whatever they feared had disappeared, either hiding or gone, while cars no longer zoomed down the road barely avoiding the people in the road or the other cars. All the noise just seemed to cease.She took a couple of steps, staring down the silent street. Had Rhychard put an end to whatever happened down there? Could it have ended that easily?"That can't be good," Pux said as he materialized at her feet.She glanced down at the tiny man and noticed him looking up at the buildings lining Main Street. Gargoyles perched atop the buildings peering down the street, their claws digging into the stucco and brick as they waited for whatever was about to happen. "I need to get to Rhychard," she said and started running down the street. Pux disappeared into a near patch of ground, calling to the others just before he vanished below the surface. Renny knew that whatever caused
Warrior of the Way Chapter 246: Summerlands
Rhychard stepped out from between two parked cars, just as Kayla Lewell sent a bolt of power at Alex, which he managed to block with his own powers before it sent him sprawling along the road. The two witches then trudged down the street in the direction of the Murky Cauldron. This was so not what Rhychard wanted to face. He could tell by looking at the witches that the demons wreaked havoc with their bodies, stretching them beyond their normal appearance. He saw this happen before, back when Vargas stole Adrian Michaels' body. The ending had not been good.Tansy stepped up beside him, Famallumi on the other side, as they stared down the street at the approaching demons. "Damn," Tansy hissed. "They're out in the open.""Whoa," Karl said as he joined them. "Kayla has definitely changed.""Demons?" the shorter man with Karl asked as he stepped up beside the youngest Bartlett, his hands twisting around the thick handle of his hammer. Why the hell does he have a hammer? The short man then
Warrior of the Way Chapter 247: Summerlands
Tansy could feel her nerves making her tremble as she stepped closer to her friends. She refused to see them as anything except the witches from her coven. They could be saved. She would save them. There was no other option. She lost Rose. She would lose no one else.She held her hands out to her sides, doing her best not to appear threatening. Of course, her power hovered just underneath, ready to be used to defend herself, but Tansy wasn't sure she could bring it to bear against her friends. "Kayla. Wanda," she started, keeping her voice soft, soothing. "Can you hear me? I know you're still in there. I need you to fight these creatures." She talked slowly, each step a risk, she knew.The demon inside Kayla sneered at her, making the young witch's upper lip curl upward, and Tansy could see the girl's teeth had changed to resemble fangs. "The one you call Kayla is huddled in some corner weeping," he hissed. "She holds no power against me, the foolish witch. Weak.""Pathetic," the one w
Warrior of the Way Chapter 248: Summerlands
Alex took a deep breath. He knew he had to get through to Kayla, but he wasn't sure how. She had to be in there still. At least, he assumed so. He wasn't really sure how the whole body possession thing worked. He crossed his fingers and hoped. The circle entrapped the witches, unable to hurt anyone else for now. How long that would last, he also didn't know. He was running out of time."Kayla," he called out to her again, hoping she could hear him even through the body possession. "I know you can hear me." With another deep breath, and without thinking too far ahead, Alex stepped over the salt and into the circle."What are you..?" Jordan hissed and moved to stop him, but he was too far away."Alex, don't!" Tansy called out, running around the circle toward him, but it was too late; he had already stepped inside. There was no going back.He ignored Tansy and focused on Kayla, keeping an eye on Wanda just in case this didn't work. "Kayla, I know you can hear me," he repeated, his hands
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Warrior of the Way Chapter 263: Summerlands
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
Warrior of the Way Chapter 262: Summerlands
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
Warrior of the Way Chapter 261: Summerlands
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
Warrior of the Way Chapter 260: Summerlands
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
Warrior of the Way Chapter 259: Summerlands
"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
Warrior of the Way Chapter 258: Summerlands
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
Warrior of the Way Chapter 257: Summerlands
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
Warrior of the Way Chapter 256: Summerlands
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
Warrior of the Way Chapter 255: Summerlands
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
