Uncharted Land Between E-Book

Sally A. Laughlin

• Herausgeber: Next Chapter
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

After friends of Mac and Kess are thrown into another dimension, they embark on a quest to find and rescue them.

Kess is thrown into the Land Between, and quickly finds out that pure magic has a bad habit of going awry in this extraordinary world held together by magic and technology.

Meanwhile, Mac finds himself in a dimension he’s quite familiar with – Earth. In his search for his friends, he discovers that a malevolent demon from Mystovia has been pulled into Earth’s dimension.

Racing against time, can they find their friends - and stop the demon that is thirsting for a kill?

Leseprobe

UNCHARTED LAND BETWEEN

WARRIORS OF THE MYSTIC MOONS BOOK 2

S. A. LAUGHLIN

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Books by S. A. Laughlin

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Dear reader

About the Author

Copyright (C) 2020 S.A. Laughlin

Layout design and Copyright (C) 2020 by Next Chapter

Published 2020 by Next Chapter

Cover art by CoverMint

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the author’s permission.

To Kathleen Churgovich, my sister and best friend, for enjoying my books and always being there for me.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank Sandra Laughlin for being one of the best book editors I know.

BOOKS BY S. A. LAUGHLIN

Science Fantasy Series

Book 1: Mystic Moon Warriors

Book 2: Uncharted Land Between

Book 3: Revenge of the Demon

Book 4: Sands of Dragon Fire

Romance/Adventure

Hidden Between the Lines

Historical Fiction WWII

Fly Toward Death

CHAPTERONE

A lone, red-figure plunged and whirled into the thick white, billowing vapors. His powerful wings spread out to capture the strong air currents that wound invisibly across the skies. The small, red dragon floated on the prevailing wind letting it take him for a carefree, airy ride.

Suddenly, he felt something was wrong. Drago glided silently, cautiously through the dense mist. The thick, milky clouds obscured his vision, but not his increasing sense of danger. Drago’s eyes narrowed as they pierced the murky substance that surrounded him. Then, he saw it. A dark shadow began to form in the middle of a white cloud. It was too far away for him to make out any shapes, but he felt it was not good. Drago moved closer, but as quickly as the shadow had appeared it disappeared.

He flew through the clouds for several minutes but found nothing. Satisfied that the ominous shadow was gone, he returned to a strong air-current and let it carry him closer to Castle Remat.

His friend, Mac, was leaving today to go on an important quest to find two friends that had been thrust into the portal. He was going to join Mac and the others. They needed him, although they did not know it, yet.

The Oracle of the Arega dragons advised him that he must fulfill his destiny with the Out Worlders. Drago knew she meant Kess and Mac. Then she added he must “watch for the tides of weakness and devour the unseen enemy within.” When he asked what that meant, the Oracle simply replied, “a fate is sealed, and the door to eternity waits.” He was not sure what that meant but knew he would figure it out eventually.

Drago eased himself away from the rapidly moving air current when he spotted the purple-blue crystal mountains that surround Castle Remat. He headed toward the scent of Mac and let out a shrill screech as he approached a large veranda situated atop the castle.

* * *

Mac stopped by Kess’s room as he did each morning for the last two days. As usual, she was still in bed and awakened by his morning exuberance. He settled himself into a soft, blue, billowy chair to chat about their forthcoming adventure.

“Morning. Come on wake up. We are about to partake in another adventure.” Mac tapped his fingers on the arm of the chair.

Kess rubbed her eyes and yawned. “Were you like this every morning?”

“Nope,” he lifted his head and looked at her. “I just like annoying you.”

“Mission accomplished.” She turned and faced away from him and fluffed up her pillow.

“Get up. Time’s a wasting,” he laughed.

“Mac, I haven’t been able to get a good night’s sleep. I’ve been thinking and thinking.” She rolled back around and looked at him. “Do you miss being a police officer? Are you still going back to our dimension, Earth, and stay there?” She sat up and pulled the blue and white lace comforter up around her knees. “I kinda miss being a cop and all. And I will miss you if you go back. But I can’t go back with you because I would miss everyone here too much.”

“I’ve had a lot of time to think about all of that, cousin,” he leaned forward, his elbow resting on the arm of the chair. “I’m going to stay, Kess. And, yes, I would miss being a cop, but like you, I would miss everyone here much more, too.”

A huge grin spread across Kess’s face. “You’ve just made my morning.”

“Well, how about getting up and …” Mac stopped in mid-sentence when he heard the familiar screech of the little dragon. He jumped up and ran to a set of French doors that led to a large veranda just outside Kess’s room.

He threw open the doors. “Over here. We’re over here,” he yelled and pointed up into the sky. “Do you believe it?” He turned to Kess excitedly, “It’s Drago!”

A thumping sound vibrated slightly through her bedroom, as Drago landed outside on the patio. Mac whirled around to look at his little friend and froze in place.

Kess slipped from underneath her bed covers and crawled over to the edge of the bed to get a better view of him. She stifled a giggle at the sight of the "baby" dragon. He looked like he had grown about two feet, and some of the little scales on his back had turned into rather large, pointed spikes that ran up and down his spine. His baby teeth were now medium-size fangs that lined his entire, much longer, jaw. Drago’s bright-red scales were beginning to turn a reddish-gold color, and his forearms were powerful muscles ending in long talons.

“Whoa!” Mac blinked a couple of times and then ran to his dragon friend. “You have grown up quite a bit in the last couple of days, haven’t you?”

“Yep,” Drago replied telepathically to Mac as he waddled over to him. “I grow bigger all the time; you just not notice how big I get when I be with you.”

“That is amazing but true.” Mac reached down and scratched the tip of Drago’s nose. He turned toward Kess and motioned for her to join them.

“Drago!” Kess smiled warmly at him. She threw herself off the bed and grabbed her long, white robe. Her bare feet felt cold against the marble floor of the terrace as she ran toward him. ‘Nice to see you.” She bent down and gently stroked his face, careful to avoid the now larger spikes.

“Nice to see Kess, too.”

Kess stood up and was surprised to see Kybil, Doc, and Yaneth sitting around one of the tables on the veranda, drinking steaming cups of hot liquid. “Hey, what’s up?” She greeted them with a big smile as she walked toward their table.

“Clouds.” Yaneth rolled his large, lavender eyes upwards. “Dun’t sees no hay.”

“Good morning, sleepy head,” Doc said as a big grin appeared on his thin, blackface.

“It is a beautiful morning, but most of us have been up and dressed for a couple of hours already.” Kybil, the Elven Prince, could not hide the mischief in his eyes as he gave Kess’s bedclothes a once over.

“Yep and dis gonna be a good day.” The Dwarger was back to his usual upbeat demeanor. “We goin’ ta find our friends.”

Kess had not seen him smile since his friend Nordaal had been thrown into the portal.

The two Dwargers had become her friends, and she missed the brave, loyal, and somewhat dim-witted Nordaal, too. It amazed her how the two Dwargers looked so much alike as she studied Yaneth’s face: big, lavender-colored eyes, large bulbous nose, and a wide mouth filled with uneven teeth. The Dwargers were just a little taller than she was, but what they lacked in height was made up for in muscles.

At first, the only way she could tell the two Dwargers apart was by the feather each wore in his hat: Yaneth's feather was yellow and Nordaal's was red. However, after spending a couple of weeks with them, she had no problem telling them apart.

“Yes, Yaneth, we are going to find our friends today. We’ve got good weather for it.” She smiled and touched his arm.

"We have had unseasonably warm weather. Unfortunately, that's over." Kybil turned his deep, green eyes toward Kess. “Actually, we are in the midst of our coldest months. You would not have known that during the last three weeks. But I can feel the cooler air already this morning."

“It feels wonderful.” Kess took a deep breath and inhaled the cool morning air. She glanced at everyone sitting at the table and shrugged. “Well, seeing as everyone is dressed, I guess I’d better get on some traveling clothes.” She turned and raced back to her room.

A few minutes later Kess, fully dressed, walked back onto the veranda to join her friends who appeared to be in a heated discussion.

“Whoa, little buddy,” said Mac stooping down to talk to Drago. “I know you want to go, but I don’t think this is a place for a dragon. We are not sure how magic is going to work wherever we are going. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“Drago is not afraid. If I do not use my magic powers, then I use my brains. Drago is very smart. Remember?”

“Yes, I remember.” Mac ran his fingers through his brown hair and sat down on the ground next to Drago. His blue-gray eyes studied the little dragon. “It’s just that I don’t want to worry about you getting hurt or worse on this journey. I have enough to worry about with Kess.”

“Hey, watch it!” Kess pulled herself up to her full 5’6” height and placed her hands firmly on her hips. A cool breeze kicked up and began to blow her shoulder-length, dark-brown hair all around her face. Her pale coloring almost made her large, brown eyes appear black. Her eyes narrowed, “Just because you are seven feet tall doesn’t mean I need any special watching after.”

“Six-four.” Mac quickly corrected her.

“Whatever,” she shrugged. “I can take care of myself, and so can Drago. I think if he wants to come along, then he should.”

“Yep, I think so, too!” Drago nodded.

“Okay! Okay!” Mac threw his hands up in exasperation. “I can tell when I am out-numbered. Drago goes with us. But is this okay with your father, King Zaatyr?”

“Yes, because the Oracle told him how important a journey this was to be.”

“What article?” Mac asked amazed. “Really? Dragon newspapers or magazines?”

“Oracle, not article.” Kess laughed gently. “A Seer.” She looked at Mac’s face, and he still looked confused. “Kinda like a fortune teller type thingy, only Oracles are supposed to see the future for real.”

“Gotcha,” Mac raised his hand and snapped an index finger in her direction. Mac turned seeing Rakmor, the Sorcerer, standing in the doorway. "Hey, Rakky, good morning to ya."

Rakmor walked over to the small group. He was wearing a long, purple robe befitting his high station as a fully trained Sorcerer. The hood to his robe was down exposing his deep-set black eyes and slightly crooked nose. His tall, thin frame moved gracefully toward the group. “Well, good morning everyone. Are we ready to start the journey? We have a couple of our friends to find.”

Mac looked down at the marble floor.

“Mac,” Kess said softly. “We’re gonna find her. Really, we are.” Her thoughts went to the tall, beautiful Ankhourian warrior Mac had befriended and cared a great deal about. It still boggled Kess’s mind that the Ankhourian warriors were all females. An even more astonishing fact was that they were such fierce and greatly feared warriors.

“I know, but I just can’t stop thinking of her face etched in pain when she was thrown into that door or … portal … whatever …” Mac closed his eyes for a moment.

“I think of poor Nordaal being thrown in there, too. He was thinking of my safety first and pushed me back through the portal door. I shudder to think where I’d be if he hadn’t pushed me back.”

“Okay,” Doc said firmly. “Let’s not go there.” And, much softer he added, “Yet.”

“Well, he’s right.” Rakmor nodded toward his fellow companions. “I do believe we should get down to the meeting hall and have our breakfast, so we can get started.”

“Yes,” Kybil interjected. “We have to discuss our plans to find them, with a lot of help from the Imperial Sorceress Cedwynna, of course.”

“Wait a minute!” Mac stood up and stared at the small group. “What is everyone talking about? Who is going with Kess and me on this trip, besides Kybil and Drago?”

“Really?" Rakmor folded his arms in front of him. “Do you really think we would let the four of you run off and have all the fun alone? And besides, I am best equipped to use magic against the unknown.”

“Just so you all know I am going, too. Besides, who would take care of you if Miri and I weren’t along to fix all the booboos?” Doc folded his arms and stared back at the group.

“You and Miri, too?” Kess and Mac sounded stunned.

“There they go again,” Doc gave a small sigh referring to Kess and Mac continually saying the same thing at the same time. “It’s got to be a cop thing.”

“What’s a cop?” Yaneth asked.

“It’s someone who is overworked, overstressed, and underpaid.” Mac quipped.

“Oh,” Yaneth looked even more confused.

“All of you are going then?” Mac asked.

There was a resounding “yes” from everyone.

“Then, believe me; I really am glad to hear it.” Mac quickly added.

“That makes two of us,” Kess replied happily.

“Come on Drago. Let us go visit Aunt Cedwynna.” Mac gestured grandly toward the doors leading into the castle.

Kess hurried after Mac, who was walking briskly toward the large set of French doors. “Mac?” She caught up to him and touched his arm. “It’s been two days since they were knocked into the portal. Do you think it is too late? Will we be able to pick up their trail?” She stepped quickly beside him to keep up with his long strides.

“I don’t know, Kess.” Mac’s voice was tight with restraint.

“Well, if there is any trail to pick up, we have two of the best trackers in Mystovia going along with us; Kybil and Yaneth.” Rakmor nodded back toward the two men walking behind them down the long, marble corridor.

“I need some roller skates.” Doc mumbled, as his short legs tried in vain to keep up with his long-legged comrades.

* * *

After their breakfast and a short meeting with the Imperial Sorceress Cedwynna, they collected their equipment and headed out to the large veranda.

“So, what grandmother was saying,” Kess said referring to the Imperial Sorceress Cedwynna, “is that if we get separated this Stone of Iszel will signal the sorcerers when we are close to the magical border area.”

“It chose you. What can I say?” Mac shrugged. “I’m to carry this Crystal Orb and protect it at all costs. What I don’t like is that this so-called high-intensity magical border area is located near the swamps.”

“We don’t exactly understand it either,” Rakmor said. “But we are feeling a change in the way the portals are opening.”

“What do you mean?” Kess asked.

“Something is changing the positions of the portals.” Rakmor fastened his cape around his neck.

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?” Kess was genuinely concerned. “I mean, we’re going to use the portal thingy soon.”

Rakmor replied. “We’ll just have to wait and see.”

CHAPTERTWO

A couple of hours later, Mac and the rest of his group reached the campsite where the Sabbot witches had set up camp.

Mac glanced around the campsite, “Say, where are the Tahotay and Ankhourian warriors? They should be here by now, shouldn’t they?”

“They should be coming pretty soon with a contingent of Elven warriors,” Kybil said.

“There,” Rakmor pointed toward the edge of the forest. “There they are.”

Almost a hundred warriors emerged from the edge of the forest. The three men walked over to greet the warriors as they entered the grassy plateau.

Mac smiled and waved at the Ankhourian warriors as they approached. It never ceased to amaze him at the sight of the all-female Ankhourian Warriors. He fought beside them on many missions and knew they were armed and dangerous. Mac was only slightly disappointed at their blouses and long, black, leather pants and vests they wore. He much preferred the loincloth, bra-type clothing they wore when he first met them.

A meeting was called, and swiftly the warriors formed a circle around the fire.

Mac walked over and joined Kess and Doc who were standing back and watching the scene unfold around them.

“What’s going on?” Kess asked.

“I don’t know,” Mac shook his head.

They stood and watched for a while but were too far away to hear what was being said.

Mac recognized the Chief of the Tahotay Indians. “Remember Chief Wolfclaw,” Mac asked without waiting for a response from either Kess or Doc. “Now that is a very imposing man.”

Soon it appeared that Wolfclaw and Rakmor were in a heated discussion.

“Mac, Kess, and Doc, would you do us a favor and honor us with your presence.” Chief Wolfclaw called out to them. All three of them noticed the slight hint of sarcasm that dripped over the words “your presence.”

“Whoops,” Kess grimaced. “I keep forgetting we are part of this, too!”

“Why do I feel like I was caught in the hall without a hall pass?” Doc said and followed Mac and Kess over to the campfire.

The assembled warriors were listening to a heated discussion between their Chief and Rakmor. It didn’t take the latecomers long to figure out what the commotion was all about.

“I tell you it is not safe for you to travel alone into the Land Between. We must all go!” Chief Wolfclaw spoke adamantly. He sat near the campfire and threw another log on the fire. It teetered high on the stack of burning logs.

“But what if our magic cannot sustain all of us in there,” Rakmor protested with a calm demeanor.

“We have the strength and power of all of these seasoned warriors.” The Chief spoke forcefully as Mac and Kess quickly seated themselves among the warriors.

“We understand that.” Rakmor lifted his hands from his lap. His hands rose slightly with palms up, “And believe me; we sincerely appreciate the help you will be giving us to the portal. However, it would be an impossible mission for everyone to journey into the unknown. We are not even certain if our magic will work in there.”

Kybil was the one to speak now. “The demon hordes are increasing in their attacks. That is precisely why you all must stay here. We cannot take the finest warriors out of Mystovia and leave it unprotected.”

Silence filled the air. No one moved or spoke. The only sounds were the birds chirping as they flitted from tree-to-tree and the sporadic crackling of the fire.

Suddenly, a black arrow shot out of the forest and landed on top of a burning log. The black shaft and feathers of the arrow wavered back and forth just before the flames reached up greedily and engulfed them.

“Enemy alert!” The Chief shouted more to Mac and Kess than the others. Everyone else knew what the black arrow meant. It was a warning shot by one of the sentries posted on the fringes of the campsite.

Mac and Kess stared in amazement at the coordination and efficiency of the combined warriors. There was no mass confusion. Everybody knew exactly what to do and when. Some of the warriors went back into the forest to reinforce the sentries; a few of the warriors broke up the camp and put out the fire; while those remaining placed themselves along the perimeter of the campsite. Indian, Ankhourian and Elven warriors stood with their weapons readied and watched the forest and valley for the advancement of the unseen enemy.

“Mac!” Kess watched in horror as his amulet began to glow. The Protector, the magical sword the two dwargers had given her, burned hot against her thigh as she visually scanned the area for the enemy.

Chief Wolfclaw noticed Kess’s sword glowing. “We’re under attack,” he shouted to the warriors. Instantly, the warriors drew their weapons and prepared to do battle.

“I don’t see them!” Mac yelled. “Where are they?”

Suddenly, a warrior shouted to look up in the sky. At first glance, it looked like a black cloud lying lazily and low in the sky. Mac watched as the hazy mist swirled around and gathered into the solid form of a Drakluf dragon wraith.

Mac stood transfixed as the dragon seemed to be heading straight for Kess and him. As it got closer, he could see a foul-looking Wraith rider and a deadly arrow aimed directly at him.

Warriors raced back to where Mac and Kess stood and formed a protective circle around them. As if in perfect sync, they drew back their arrows and fired, but the arrows merely glanced off its thick scales. The Drakluf dragon and its demon rider closed in on their target.

Mac grabbed his amulet, and Kess brought her ring up to stop its lethal advance when a terrifying shriek penetrated the air, and at the same time, the attacking dragon and demon rider burst into flames.

Everyone stood transfixed as they watched them fall harmlessly to the ground in a fiery glob. No one knew what had happened.

Another shriek filled the air, and Drago appeared high over the treetops. The warriors quickly parted to make a place for him to land near Mac and Kess.

“Now, I call that perfect timing,” Mac smiled with relief.

“Not perfect timing, just smart dragon. I was hungry and ate. On my way back here, I see a dark shadow in clouds. I see same dark shadow in clouds on my way to Remat Castle. So, I followed for a long time. I wait for it to do something. Then, the dark shadow turned into a dragon and charged in fast, but not as fast as Drago.”

“Yep, you definitely are one smart dragon,” Mac dropped to his knees and scratched Drago’s scaly, spiked head.

“This is not a good sign. He may be a lone scout, or there may be others. There is no time to waste. We must get to the border as fast as possible.” The chief hurried toward the wagons of the Sabbot Witches who had set up camp for the warriors. He quickly ordered them to pack their wagons and return to protect their villages.

“Will they be all right?” Mac watched as the Witches prepared their wagons to leave for the mountains in the opposite direction.

“Trust me,” Wolfclaw replied. “I pity anyone or anything that would try to mess with that assembly of Witches.” He spoke hastily as he watched the wagons pull away. “They will be needed if their village comes under attack.” He patted Mac on the arm as he headed toward the warriors. “Oh, before they left, they sensed other Draklufs heading our way and placed a spell to send them in another direction. Plus, the sentries have spotted hundreds of Evoos bearing down on us.”

Mac walked over to Kess who was watching all the activity going on in the camp. “Well, partner, here we go again.” Mac looked down and smiled. “Here’s hoping this won’t be as bad as they think.”

“That would be impossible,” Kess said, adding, “I hope.” She stopped and looked up at Mac. “It got awfully quiet. Listen. I don’t hear the birds anymore.”

“Probably they got scared when Drago killed that Wraith.” He said trying to sound nonchalant.

“Move out!” Chief Wolfclaw yelled, and the entire band of warriors turned and headed toward the portal entrance.

* * *

Camouflaged against the gnarled tree trunks; they watched and waited. The deadly creatures unwound their serpentine bodies from around the trees and slithered across the ground. The woods came alive with the writhing mass of Snagars. They moved stealthily toward their unsuspecting prey.

CHAPTERTHREE

The forest wore its most vibrant greens amidst its foliage, as if not to be overshadowed by the colorful wildflowers that were sprinkled haphazardly among them. A cold, damp breeze began to filter through the changing landscape, as they walked deeper into the woodland. It brought with it the pungent smell of mildew and decay.

The warriors traveled at a fast pace through the woods, only stopping occasionally for small breaks.

“We are almost there,” Rakmor said, as he stepped gingerly over a large rotted log. “Drago,” he called out.

“I be here,” Drago said, flying low over their heads.

“Can you go and check on the other warriors?”

“Yep, where they be?” Drago landed next to Rakmor.

“I don’t know exactly,” Rakmor shook his head. “They had to split up and the chief showed me on the map where they were last seen. They are traveling with some Sabbot’s as well.” He pulled out a map and showed Drago where they should be and gave him landmarks to look for.

“I like this thing called a map. Lots of trees, mountains, rivers, and I see where things be. I go now.” He lifted off the ground and flew quickly into the air.

“Hey,” Mac shouted to Rakmor, “Where’s he going?”

“To check the whereabouts of the other warriors," he said.

“Oh, a reconnaissance mission,” Mac nodded. “He’ll be fine then.”

“Mac,” Kess caught up with Mac and grabbed his arm. “I feel heat coming from the Protector.”

“I know my Amulet is doing a Pace-Maker beat against my chest, too.” He looked around at the expectant faces of his traveling companions. “It’s just that the darn thing isn’t bright enough, or hot enough.”

“Same thing with my sword. It’s like there is something there, but they are keeping their distance for now.”

“Well, I know we’re not the only ones who have been aware of whoever or whatever is out there,” he nodded toward the warriors with their drawn weapons.

Kybil and Rakmor caught up with Kess and Mac, falling in step next to them.

“Some of the Evoos villages are very close to here,” Kybil’s head turned toward another snap of a branch coming from the fetid swamp that now ran alongside them.

“Yeah, they are following us, but they haven’t attacked yet, probably because they are waiting for reinforcements,” Rakmor said gripping a pouch tightly in his hand.

“Yep,” Yaneth walked silently behind them. “And den dey gonna ta attack us.”

“What do they want with us anyway?” Kess asked.

“Dey be hungry,” was all that Yaneth said.

“Yikes, I forgot about that nasty little habit of theirs.” Kess shuddered at the thought of the Evoos. They were vicious, cannibalistic beings that she’d had the misfortune to run into when she first arrived in Mystovia. She remembered the short, smelly, creatures covered with long, black hair from top to bottom, all except for their faces.

“The forest seems to be getting a little darker and nastier the farther we go,” Mac’s eyes narrowed as he studied the constantly changing terrain.

“I know. And the area we are headed for is probably the most dangerous,” Rakmor raised the pouch in his hands and smiled. “This time I have come well prepared.”

Suddenly, Yaneth stopped, whirled around, and raised his bow and shot an arrow. The arrow raced several yards over the heads of the warriors. Everyone turned and looked at Yaneth, who hollered, “Snagars,”

The loud hissing sound that followed let everyone know his arrow had found its mark and brought everyone to combat stance.

Now, all the warriors began shooting at the trees and the movement on the ground, while pressing in closer around Kess and Mac.

“What are they doing?” Mac tried to ease his way between the crush of the warriors. “How can we use our magic if we don’t have room?” He yelled impatiently.

“Save your strength, we may need it later,” Rakmor hollered back at him. “Drat! The arrows of the warriors aren’t making a dent in that mass of Snagars advancing toward us.”

“We can help here,” Mac pushed closer to Rakmor.

“I know you can. Just wait for a moment. Let me try this first so you two can save your strength. I have a feeling you will need it pretty soon.” Rakmor called out to the warriors, “Cease your firing.” He walked slightly in front of them and opened the pouch. Slowly, he began to chant in a low guttural voice as he sprinkled sparkling dust from the pouch onto his hand. He threw the dust high into the air. He took out a second pouch said a few more loud and forceful incantations and then slammed the contents onto the ground. Everyone watched as instantly a bright, misty light rose from the ground where he had thrown the contents of his pouch. It swirled and twisted all around them.

A faint wail could be heard, like a soulful cry as if it were off in the distance. The almost inaudible wail began to increase in volume. Soon, it turned into a screeching howl with the wind so forceful it bent tall trees. It ripped leaves from their branches and the mighty creatures in the trees along with it.

Mac and Kess could hear the discord of the wind through the trees and saw the havoc it bore. They watched in amazement as the winds howled around the warriors, yet, not a single cape of theirs so much as moved. It was as if they were in the middle of a strong force-field protecting them from the destructive forces.

Kess wrinkled her nose at the strong smell of sulfur in the air, “Whew. I certainly hope that was his magic and not what we are gonna smell for the rest of the journey.” Excitedly, Kess grabbed Mac’s arm to get his attention. “You know what this reminds me of?” She looked up into Mac’s face.

“Yes, yes I do. So, that’s how it was done.” Mac watched the spectacle before him. “I remember when we had our first encounter with the mysterious Rakmor. The wind blew all around him, but his cape never moved.”

“I take it the first potion put a protective shield around us,” Kess said to Rakmor as he joined them.

“Yes,” he smiled. “I was a bit concerned if I had enough to cover all of us.”

“It worked perfectly,” Mac smiled.

“Yes, but now we must move quickly. The protective covering around us has already dissipated.” Rakmor gave a loud chirping sound that was a signal for everyone to run.

No one hesitated as they ran through the dense, damp forest and this time they did not stop for any breaks.

Kess’s breath was ragged, and her lungs were on fire as mile turned into mile. But every time she would begin to slow down Kybil would take an arm and almost lift her off her feet as they pushed on toward their appointed rendezvous. She felt as if she had run a hundred miles when they finally broke into a small clearing in the woods. Kess was the first one to hit the ground as she gasped for breath. Her body shook from sheer exhaustion and pain.

Rakmor rushed to her side and dropped to his knees. He held a small flask filled with a red liquid, and with the help of Kybil, forced her to sit up and drink from it. A bitter-tasting liquid slid down her throat causing her to cough and sputter.

“You’ll be okay now,” Rakmor smiled and stood up.

“How safe are we from the Snagars?” Kybil asked Rakmor.

“I only got a few of the Snagars. The poison carried by the winds killed some of them, and some were just blown away. The other Snagars were frightened and fled. They were only stunned for a moment and will be back in full strength. So, we had to move through their territory rapidly before they could regroup. But we made it. We are here now.”

“We’re here now – where is here?” Kess asked.

“We are here at the portal entrance,” Rakmor gestured to a dank, wooded area.

“What?” Kess looked around her and shrugged. “I don’t see any portal.”

“You will see it when it is activated,” Rakmor responded calmly.

“When I saw the portal door before, there were images from my world. Will we be able to pass through?” Kess said perplexed.

“It looks like you can just step through into another world,” Kybil stated, still sitting next to Kess. “But you must get through a small patch of the Land Between before you get to the other worlds.”

“Yes, it is deceiving,” Rakmor said. “Our magic creates a tunnel effect that gets us through to the other worlds much quicker and safer.”

“Could the bad guys get through that portal?” Doc asked standing next to Rakmor.

Rakmor smiled at the small man next to him. “The portal can only be opened by powerful magic, and it is the only way to go through it safely.”

Doc sat down next to Kess. “I hope we can get through it without lighting up like a sparkler.”

“You are definitely well protected,” Rakmor chuckled. He gave a slight smile and nod as he walked toward a small group of warriors.

“Well, I see you are in good hands,” Kybil stood up and looked down at Kess and Doc. “I’ll be back a little later.”

“Thanks for a fun run,” Kess said her voice dripping with sarcasm. She looked up and smiled.

“We’ll have to do it again sometime,” he smiled back and headed toward Rakmor.

“What was that stuff I saw Rakmor giving you?” Doc asked.

“Trust me, Doc, it was nasty tasting stuff. My taste buds were so mad I think my tongue slapped me. Why didn’t you have to take that stuff?”

“Yaneth carried me piggy-back. I think I will take the ‘nasty tasting stuff’ next time. My bones were so badly jarred I’m not sure they have all gone back to where they belong. And, if we hadn’t stopped just now, I would have been in great need of a motion-sickness remedy,” he heaved a deep sigh.

“I don’t know about taking that nasty stuff; you didn’t taste it,” Kess laughed. She turned toward the shouts of some of the warriors.

“Hey, what’s all the commotion over there?” Doc asked.

Warriors began to run toward a couple of large wagons emerging from the woods.

Kess stood up, “Let’s go check it out.” She reached her hand down for Doc to grab.

“I just got down here,” he grumbled as he took her extended hand.

They hurried toward Mac, who was already heading toward the wagon.

Mac reached the wagon surrounded by Ankhourian warriors and was relieved to see Miri safely among them. He heard the fluttering of wings and looked up to see Drago overhead.

“You okay?” Mac said as Drago landed next to him.

“Yep, I was told to go find them, so I did.”

A captain of the Ankhourian warriors, raised her fist sharply to her chest in the Ankhourian greeting. Her clothing was ripped and torn, and her ebony face bore sweat mixed with dirt, and her braided hair was completely disheveled. She spoke quickly. “We were attacked by a large group of Evoos.”

“Were there any serious injuries?” the Chief asked looking past the Captain to the other Ankhourian warriors.

“No, we were very fortunate to have had the company of Maaleah and Miri,” She nodded toward the uncovered wagon directly behind her. “They are very powerful Sabbots. The Evoos never knew what hit them.”

Kess and Doc neared the wagons of the Sabbots.

“Look! It's Miri!” Doc’s eyes lit up at the sight of the blue-skinned young girl.

Miri spotted Doc and broke into a run. She reached him and threw her arms around his thin neck. “Doc! It is so good to see you again.”

“For me as well,” he released her from his bear hug and smiled warmly. “I am so glad you are safe.” He added as almost an afterthought. “The Imperial Sorceress said you would be traveling with your mother. I am sure she is as beautiful as you. I would love to meet her.”

“Why, yes! Of course. She is right there.” Miri nodded toward a group of Sabbot Witches standing near the wagon.

“Which one is she?” Doc’s leaned to the right and the left as he stared at the Sabbot Witches wagon.

“There!” Miri pointed enthusiastically toward the small group.

“Well, I just can’t seem to pick her out.” He peered harder at the group. “I am so sorry dear. There’s a frumpy old woman blocking my view.”

“Where?” She asked.

“There,” he pointed at a dark, blue woman with dreadlocks, and a dirty, brown cape draped sloppily over her somewhat portly body.

“Oh, you silly man,” Miri laughed and motioned for the woman to join them. “That is my mother.”

“Your mother?” Doc’s mouth fell open. “She doesn’t look like you at all. Why…why she…well, …she doesn’t look like you at all.”

“Hello,” Kess extended a hand toward Miri’s mother who had reached the small gathering in a huff.

The older, dark-blue woman stopped and looked at the extended hand; her brows knitted together in a quizzical look. She shrugged and made the same gesture as Kess but did not touch her hand.

“You’re supposed to take her hand,” Doc’s voice dripped with disappointment.

“And do what with it?”

“I have a few suggestions at this point,” he muttered.

“Doc,” Kess said in a low, warning tone. She turned to Miri’s mother and said, “Where I come from when one extends their right hand to someone the other person does the same, then they gently shake hands. It is our form of greeting.”

Miri’s mother cocked her head slightly, reached over, and grasped Kess’s hand in hers. “Strange greeting but I have no problem with it.”

“I guess hundreds of years ago it was a sign that you didn't have a weapon in your hand or something like that.” She quickly changed the subject, “My name is Kess, and I’m sorry I didn’t catch yours.”

“Maa’hala’eemute,” she said with a grunt of satisfaction.

“Malamute?” Doc’s eyebrow went up, and his mouth opened. “Did she say Malamute?”

“Maa’ha’la’eemute,” she pronounced her name slowly as she eyed Doc up and down. “Just call me Maa-le-ah.” She pronounced it even more slowly looking directly at Doc. She moved in a little closer to him. “And who pray tell is this unpleasant little man?”

“Wha-a-t?” Doc appeared stunned at the comment.

“Ahem,” Kess quickly interjected. “This gentleman is Doc. Doctor Benjamin Weeks. Well, I can see you two got off to a good start.” She gave Doc a stern look.

Doc rolled his eyes and sighed, “I apologize. I did not mean to be so…well…discourteous.”

“You are kind of cute,” Maaleah reached over and tweaked his cheek. “For a little man.”

“Huh?” Doc looked like she had slapped his cheek instead of pinching it. “Cute? They know the word ‘cute’ here? Wait a moment. Did she say little man?”

“Chief Wolfclaw has called a council so that everyone will be aware of our situation.” The captain motioned for everyone to join them.

After everyone was situated the captain began her account of what had happened. “We were attacked by hundreds of Evos. There is a lot of activity in the bogs and it appears that the Evoos tribes have all joined together.” The Captain shook her head slowly. “If it wasn’t for the witches’ magic, we would have been in serious trouble with the Evoos.”

“We have doubled up on the sentries and posted them strategically along the borders of the campsite.” Chief Wolfclaw advised briskly, all the while keeping a watchful eye on the activity going on at the campsite.

Maaleah spoke solemnly. “There is a powerful demon controlling this horde of Evoos, but I know not of this kind of power.” Her voice trailed off. “A long time ago … but no, that cannot be.” Quickly, she added. “It is a very big demon.”