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Chapter 80: Lore Master
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Warrior of the Way Chapter 81: Lore Master
Buttercup watched as the taller woman walked off, assuming Buttercup would follow. Something about the lady both scared and intrigued Buttercup, and she found herself following. It may have been the comfort she found in The Murky Cauldron, but she didn't feel any malice coming from the woman."My name is Tansy, by the way, proprietor of The Murky Cauldron," the lady said as she led Buttercup to a small kitchen area toward the back of the store. "Tansy Paxton if you wish to be formal, but I hate formal. It's way too stiff for me."Buttercup smiled as Tansy talked. "People call me Buttercup." She stuffed her hands in her pockets as she stood there watching the other woman move about the tiny kitchen.Tansy turned and smiled at her. "You see? Now that's a nice breezy name. I like it." She filled a teapot with water and set it on the small burner plate that rested on the counter. She then pulled a couple of tins out of a cabinet and began to stuff a couple of infusers with loose leaf tea.
Warrior of the Way Chapter 82: Lore Master
The two ladies sipped their tea as each shared more of themselves. As Buttercup listened to Tansy talk, she grew more at ease—and more interested in the areas of magic. She wanted to know more. She was tired of being helpless and depending on Rhychard and the others to keep her safe. Not that there was anything to keep her safe from any more. Vargas, Adrian Michaels, and Jerome were all dead. She was free. For the first time in years, she was actually free. Yet, she was at a total loss as to what to do with that new-found freedom. She felt pathetic."You know, a small group of us meet here every Wednesday night to study witchcraft. If it is something you'd like to discover, whether you have a gift or not, you are more than welcome to join us. We meet at nine after the store closes." Tansy kept her hands on the tea, even though it turned cold an hour ago, and her smile was still fixed on her face. Buttercup would normally assume it all fake, because it lasted so long, but with the older
Warrior of the Way Chapter 83: Lore Master
Timmy just stood there, staring up at Rhychard with wide eyes, his neck craned back as he tried peering into Rhychard's eyes. The top of the teenager's towhead barely came to the Warrior's chest and the kid's body was bony, shoulders thin, as if he needed a few more meals. The Warrior was sure the kid was frightened. Hell, he just went from being bullied by three older teens to being rescued by a giant, a bear of a dog, and an elf. Definitely not a normal day for anyone, especially a young teenager.Kree settled back down on his rear haunches, tongue lolling out and to the left. Rhychard walked over and scratched behind the coshey's ears. :Remind me not to get on your bad side.::I hate those who make smaller people feel inferior. The lust for power grows deep in weaker individuals who need to rely on numbers to prove their worth and force others to submit.: Kree pushed his head into Rhychard's hand for a harder scratch.:I know how you feel. Can you read anything from the kid's mind t
Warrior of the Way Chapter 84: Lore Master
The Harbor City Police Department is a two-story building made out of red brick, making it seem like a historical building when in fact it is only five years old. The first floor consists of the reception area and the basic offices of the bottom of the totem pole officers along with a break room that was barely used. It also had the processing area to catalog the criminals as they entered. The second floor held the action. Homicide. Gang Crime. Special Victims Unit. Domestic Violence. The heavy hitters. Rhychard had never been in the police department, even though he saved Police Captain John Relco's life a couple of months ago. They took his statement at the warehouse, believed the unbelievable, and let him go on his merry way. Karl, on the other hand, was hauled in more times than Rhychard could keep count. He was sure his younger brother knew every nook and cranny of the place. Whenever his brother found himself on the wrong side of a police desk, it was their parents who made the t
Warrior of the Way Chapter 85: Lore Master
There were only a couple of places Rhychard frequented on a regular basis, three if you counted his Thinking Rock behind the condo. One was Common Grounds, an off-beat coffee house close to Whispering Oaks where he usually stopped for a morning cup of coffee and a breakfast bagel. The other was Embers along Washington Avenue overlooking the Indian River. It was a cigar bar fully stocked with the best stogies and top shelf liquor. Where Common Grounds was his morning spot, Embers was his nighttime haunt. It was peaceful, without the normal club scene that filled the downtown area. With as crazy as the last few months became, he needed that quietness.The September night was humid, Florida winters not hitting until after Christmas usually. Rhychard wore his jeans and a navy blue T-shirt, which stuck to his body in the sticky heat. He could feel the impression if not the weight of the swords on his back and Renny's engagement ring against his chest. The ring felt heavier.Famallumi tried
Warrior of the Way Chapter 86: Lore Master
The sword flared again. This time hotter against his back. Rhychard instinctively searched the surrounding area, but again, nothing stood out as of the Void. :Kree, do you see anything that should concern me? This pot sticker is sending out warnings again, but I can never see what it's warning me about. It did it at the police station as well.:He could feel the coshey's search of the area. The connection between human and coshey had grown stronger over the past month allowing each of them to tell what the other was feeling and not just thinking, sometimes even what they were doing. Well, Rhychard could never read Kree's mind, but he could feel Kree searching for any of the Unseelie.:Sorry, Warrior, but I cannot see anything that would trigger the Guardian Sword's magic.: Kree told him. :However, that does not mean they are not hiding behind a glamour of some kind. I would be just as deceived as everyone else.:"Something is wrong, isn't it?" Famallumi asked, his face showing exciteme
Warrior of the Way Chapter 87: Lore Master
Rhychard sat in a camp chair on his back porch, a glass of Jameson on a table beside him and a cigar, which he didn't get to enjoy at Embers, twirling between his fingers. His other hand toyed with Renny's engagement ring, which hung around his neck as he stared off into the woods. He would have much preferred sitting out on his Thinking Rock, watching the water of Manatee Creek drift by, but a sick elf probably shouldn't be left alone. Luckily, Famallumi didn't throw up in the moving truck. September was still too hot, and that smell would have lingered for days, making work unbearable.Buttercup was asleep, Kree still hadn't made it home yet, and Karl had completely vanished from sight. Typical for the younger Bartlett. Rhychard wasn't sure what all was going on, but he highly doubted his brother was as innocent as he claimed. Trouble followed Karl, who always seemed to welcome it. Of course, Rhychard couldn't help but wonder if his brother knew what was happening in the Bottoms or i
Warrior of the Way Chapter 88: Lore Master
Leary Property Management resided in the new Leary Building perched on Washington Avenue on the southern edge of the Bottoms. Most people told Bertram Leary that he threw away his money by building his business so close to a slum neighborhood, but he just shrugged his shoulders. "We cannot rebuild this area and improve the livelihood of the people who dwell here if we never invest in the area," he told them. It was all nonsense, of course. Bertram Leary needed to be near the Bottoms in order to craft the Gateway to the Void for the Unseelie. He would not chance something going wrong by living on the other side of town. Besides, these were his people. He needed to be near them in order to rule them.At the top of the Leary Building was his penthouse, which took up the entire top floor with several bedrooms, formal sitting rooms, a formal dining room, and even an Olympic-sized pool. He shared the penthouse with his sister, Alana. Gargoyles perched on every corner of the roof as his perso
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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
