Radof took a step back, blending deeper with the shadows of the night. He held his breath as Dane looked in his direction, then let it out when he realized that he had not been seen. He stood concealed by the shadows until Dane was out of sight, then he began his long journey home.As he walked the path to his underground cave, he went over what he knew about this strange newcomer.He knew that Dane had been summoned by Genève and had had no choice but to come. Radof had been to every watering hole and tavern in town to listen to the townsfolk talk. He had realized long ago these were the best places to pick up the information because wine and spirits loosened the tongue as nothing else could. That was how he had learned Genève’s purpose for Dane. He was here to help her find Zeek.The townsfolk spun great tales about how Dan had gotten himself separated from the rest of the group Genève had summoned, and how he had something up his sleeve, something that pleased the queen immensely.
Orion noticed the others looking around in awe at the immaculate landscape, but he couldn’t enjoy the view. His priority was to find out what kind of shape Gwendolyn was in. He put her down on the grass, which seemed to break the strange spell that the ambiance of the place had on everyone.Alizeh was the first to walk toward them. She reached out and touched her mother’s face, then drew her hand back. Gwendolyn was burning up.Zeek caught her eye and softly said, “One of Asmodeus’s demon minions must have put a spell on her. We need to figure out how to remove it. We will go to the shaman. He will help. I have visited this realm many times before, and he is aware of my plans. He will be expecting us.”As he walked away, he motioned for Orion to follow. Orion scooped Gwendolyn into his arms and caught up to his father. Everyone else trailed behind. They were all amazed by how different this place was than their own homes. There were no shops, no traffic, just beautiful untouched natur
Radof stepped into the small, dreary room and peered around. It pleased him that there were so many people ready to take a stand. Now all he needed to figure out was how to get a message to Orion. As he strode toward the center of the room, a sudden hush swept over the crowd. He looked at all the familiar faces and felt an unexpected surge of pride.We will really do this. Our town will be our own again, he thought to himself.“Thank you all for coming. I know that each one of you is taking a monumental risk in being here, and I praise you for that. We are all here for the same reason, and I can say with confidence that better days will soon come. Before I get started, do any of you have questions or concerns?”A small, middle-aged woman stood up. The grin on her face was so dazzling, the dreary room appeared to brighten. Radof had to look twice because he had known this lady for many years and had never once experienced her smile. Her name was Alana.“I have found my son. He is not
Sheeshan looked at each of the people Zeek had brought with him. These were the individuals upon whom the fate of the world rested, and none of them were even slightly prepared. He motioned for Dixon to follow him.“I need you to give me a quick rundown of what each person can do. We will then set a plan to teach them to use their powers.”Dixon nodded and pointed at Zeek. “Well as I'm sure that you already know, Zeek is a wizard. All of his extraordinary abilities come from alchemy, potions, spells, and his magic staff.”Sheeshan smiled patiently and responded, “Yes, I have known Zeek for many moons. He has an amazing grasp on what he can and cannot do with his powers. Everyone else here, I am afraid, does not understand what they are capable of.”Dixon sighed. "These people possess some of the most phenomenal abilities I have ever come across, yet they are completely unaware. I am sure Zeek told you about me, but I will just summarize my talents to be certain we are on the same page
Alizeh was talking to Zeek and watching them out of the corner of her eye. As they walked closer, Dixon could sense her vitality. It vibrated all around her. He could not believe one person could hold so much raw intensity and not even be aware of it.Sheeshan noticed it, too, because it seemed to influence the energy and vibration of the universe. He had felt nothing like this before. He looked at her, wide-eyed, trying to hide his amazement.“Hi Alizeh, I just wanted to start this conversation by letting you know that your mother is doing quite well. She is up and will be ready for you to see her once we are done here. Dixon will give you a small amount of information about the powers you possess.”Dixon smiled and added, “I know that you have been dabbling in your powers since you met Orion, but I don’t think you understand them at all. Am I correct in this assumption?”He finally had Alizeh’s full attention. She looked straight into his eyes and answered, “Honestly, I don't have a
Dane looked at Radof with excitement. “I think I have it! I keep getting tiny snippets of what he is seeing. I believe they are preparing for something big. Just give me a little more time, and I will try to connect with him. When I touch your arm, deliver the message.”After a few moments, Dane's eyes opened wide, rolled backward, and then closed again. He reached out and touched Radof’s arm. Radof cleared his throat and began.“Hello friend. I have some news for you. It's important that you get back to this dimension right away. An army of those who oppose Genève has been gathered. They await your command. It's time to begin our war, to put your son in Genève’s place on her throne. We just need you and your team to lead us. Come as quickly as you can. With every moment that passes, the danger for us grows.”As he finished speaking, his words began echoing, and the world started spinning. He looked over at Dane and realized by his startled face that he was experiencing the same thing
Zeek walked over to the group. After learning about their powers, they were in a quite state of disbelief. He motioned for the others to follow. Sheeshan turned toward Zeek, and the rest followed suit."Radof has sent a message. We have an army bigger than we could have ever dreamed possible. Most of them are untrained, but they are ours to command. Sheeshan, you must lead us. I wish we would have had more of a chance to develop our powers, but there is something big looming. If we win this fight, then we will have the chance to train everyone properly. We would be fools to believe that this will end with just one victory. But we must go now. They are all gathered and waiting.”Sheeshan met his friend’s gaze. “It’s more than that, Zeek. There is something major brewing. Something that has never happened before. There is no chance to explain. Genève’s army is on the march, and we are about to run out of time, my friend. Everyone gathered around. We must leave now.”Zeek handed them eac
Alizeh rushed through the doorway, surprised that nobody had tried to stop her. Most of the army had dispersed.Finally reaching the exit, Alizeh stepped out and gasped. The battle had already begun. After surveying the situation, she noticed her mother fighting with a man twice her size. There was also a soldier with a longsword running toward Gwendolyn from behind. Alizeh screamed and put her hands up, moving her mother away from her attackers in a single gesture. All it took was one stream of electricity to knock both men to the ground. She was sure they would not get up again. She turned to walk toward her mother when she felt paralyzed.Without warning, something rooted Alizeh to the soil like the tree she had just departed. She tried to survey the situation, but her head was just as useless as the rest of her. She panicked, shut her eyes, and screamed.When she opened her eyes, she was staring straight into Genève’s grimacing face. She closed and reopened them, hoping it was jus