Chapter 19 Please open Gate Nine

Chapter 19 Please open Gate Nine
Hilario nudged Tom with his foot. After the drunkenness the night before, he feared Tom would be hard to rouse, but Tom proved him wrong by sitting bolt upright and greeting him cheerfully.

"Good morrow my sturdy friend!" Toms eyes were bright and clear, his tone was jovial. He sprang to his feet and took a deep breath, filling his lungs to capacity and exhaling slowly. "Aaah, theres nothing like a good nights rest to set one on the right path for the day." Tom nudged Hilario "Wouldn't you agree?"

Hilario could not deny that he did feel much better this morning than he had for weeks prior. Although the accommodations didn't look like much he had rested quite well on the cushions. Even the aches and pains of traveling had left him. Hilario smiled, "You know Tom, I do feel really good today!"

Tom slapped Hilarios shoulder. "That's the spirit! Now lets wake the girls and go find some breakfast before we get on our way."

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In the kitchen on the main floor, Erika, Bear Dog and Vay were feasting on pancakes while Tom, Hilario and Scott discussed the journey ahead.

Bear Dog had finally transformed back into girl form and was chatting animatedly with Vay about life as a dog. Vay was nodding her head and making a mess of herself, wiping syrup from her chin then using the same sticky hand to brush a fallen lock of hair from her eyes.

Erika shook her head, a big sisters work was never done. She looked away from her sisters and watched the two old men as they chatted over tea while Hilario helped himself to another large helping of the fluffy pancakes.

"You know, I am depending on your support in order to make the arduous journey to the ninth gate." Tom insisted as he sipped his tea.

"Don't worry a bit about that," Scott Assured him "Getting to the ninth gate is easy, all you need is an escort. And I just happen to be qualified in that capacity!" Scott nodded his head forward in a regal sort of mini bow. As he straightened he raised an index finger in warning. " The hard part will be entering the gate without being consumed by the veil."

"What is a bale?" Asked Hilario "Is it a beast we must kill?"

Tom reserved comment, leaving the explanation to Scott. In truth, he wasn't quite sure because the ninth gate was the end point of the apprentice trail. Wizarding hopefuls who made it that far were granted their honors and awarded their hat. He had seen the veil, felt its presence, marveled at the splendid sheen of it, but never had he attempted to cross it. The veil was like a curtain of night sky hanging in front of an opening in the mountain side. It's blackness was marked with constellations of unfamiliar shape and intensity. As if it were a view of the universe from some alien planet.

Scott took a sip of tea then cleared his throat. "The Veil is a thin place in the fabric of space and time, but it also separates the planes of life and death. The fundamental difference in the use of it is the key one uses to open it." Scott paused for another sip of tea then shrugged. "Use the right key and you go to a different place or time, use the wrong key and you die, or in some instances give life to what would otherwise have none."

Hilarios Eyes widened " Like a golem?"

"Yes exactly like a golem." Scott replied, surprised that Hilario had knowledge of such an arcane monster. " But our concern is getting through alive. If we do, then we will be right in the core of Brocks fortress. Maybe we can catch him by surprise, or preferably,
  be in and away with your friends before he even knows."

Erika was listening in to the adults conversation. The thought of going into Brocks lair when she had heard so many terrible things about him scared her. " We're going in there?" She asked as she chewed a mouthful of pancake, mountain berry syrup dripped down her chin.

Scott smiled at her. " Maybe not. As I said before we need the right key, and for the life of me I could never figure it out."

Hilario thought about what he had learned of keys and locks from Nina. "Like the bumpy sticks that open doors?"

"Not exactly" Scott said. "In this case the bumps as you say, are in the air. One must speak a password."

"A password." Hilario mulled the idea over in his head, scrunching his forehead as he considered. " you mean like a code?"

"Yes, something like that." Scott replied as Hilario smiled a self satisfied grin. He was pleased to be catching on to the outlander ways.
Scott continued. "If we speak it correctly the veil will part and let us pass safely. If incorrect, the veil will either do nothing, or it may wrap around us and consume us. No one knows exactly what can happen to a person then. Maybe they die, maybe they are trapped within. In any case, I have studied tomes and scrolls for a thousand years and have yet to find a written example of the correct password. I do know that it is in a language that is not our own. but I know little more about how the veil works. I was planning on trying to cross that bridge when I came to it. Basically it's just a matter of finding the right way to say ' Please open Gate Nine'. If I can search the memory of that place I may be able to figure it out."

Erika swallowed then said in her sweet little voice, " Emosewa siyrrot!' , pronouncing the S's like a snakes hiss and rolling the R's deep in her throat.

Scott Gasped "Where did you hear that?!"

Erika shrugged nonchalantly as she forked another piece of pancake into her mouth. "I dreamed I was a demon, I was holding a Nina doll and I opened a sparkly curtain with funny words."
Tom eyed the little girl as she chewed her breakfast.

Erika looked up at the stunned adults. "What?" she said incredulously.

"Well I guess that's as good a place to start as any." Remarked Scott. " After breakfast we'll take a shortcut to the ninth gate and try it out."

"A shortcut?!" Tom exclaimed. "When you sent me on the trail it took months to get there!"

"Well you wouldn't expect me to travel the long way just to congratulate you for making it would you?" Scott said.

Tom was taken aback, actually he had thought that Scott had followed him through all of the trials. Had he known he was alone all that time it would have seemed much more daunting.

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Pakaar approached Brock on his throne. To Brock, who was brooding again, it seemed that the Demon had materialized out of the darkness. "What do you want?" Brock asked. He was perturbed by the interruption.

Brock had been concentrating on dividing his thoughts into two streams. One, a worried rant about problems and insecurities. This one was joined by the mocking demons. The other stream of thought was subtle, calculating, hidden beneath the din of the heckling horde. On this hidden flow of consciousness Brock schemed against his intruders. Examining how to rid himself of the demons.

"There has been a disturbance." Pakaar said plainly.

Brock looked up at the demon, his anger unhidden. "What kind of disturbance?" He shouted. "Don't you know better than to interrupt me with every little problem?!"

The demon replied in an even tone. " The overseer is dead, the grandmother is dying and the child has been abducted by the wet nurse. Should I have waited to inform you?"

Brock jumped up and took two long strides toward Pakaar. He reached forward to throttle the demon. "How could you be so incompetent?" He screamed.

Pakaar raised his hand in a casual halting gesture and Brock stopped suddenly as if turned to stone. His tirade silenced. He was held in place by the demons within him, as the demon in front of him calmly advised him of his situation.

"Let me explain to you what is going on." Pakaar began. "Due to the pact we have made, I am bound to protect you until you complete the ceremony to release the male magic. That does no give you right attack me, no matter how futile the attempt. Do I make myself clear?"

Brock stared back with a look of hatred but said nothing.

Pakaar placed his clawed hand on Brocks chest. "Do you not realize that I could shred your soul and drag it out of you? That would leave you an empty husk but you'd still be alive." Brock held his silence.  Pakaar nodded." Alright, perhaps a demonstration is in order." With that, Pakaar spread his clawed fingers and held his hand close to Brocks chest.

Inside himself, Brock felt an instant sense of despair  It was so powerful that he could not help the tears that welled up in his eyes. Then he felt a thread thin tearing in the center of his being. The sensation was more than physical or emotional pain. It was excruciating on a soul level. He screamed involuntarily as he felt his very being shred. He was being unwound, It was the most awful sensation he had ever experienced. He looked on wide eyed and helpless as the thread of his life fed into Pakaars eager hand. Brock moaned like a lost child then caught his breath and screamed again, a long sorrow filled bellow that sounded like the end of humanity.

Pakaar grinned evilly,  his point was made. His fist snapped shut like a trap and the flow of soul broke off. "As you see, I am not a lesser demon like those who inhabit you. I will destroy you at my whim. Now you deal with the disturbance before you lose your value to me."

Pakaar turned and faded into the darkness. The demons holding Brock released him and he fell to the floor curling into a ball.

Brock took a Moment to collect himself. The experience he had just suffered had shown him the folly of his plan. Pakaar was far too powerful to be controlled. In a matter of seconds the tables had turned. What's more, Brock had been brought low, shown the despair  of hopelessness. For the first time in his long existence, he had a taste of the sorrow he had been spreading all of his life.

Brock picked himself up and walked shakily toward the cell wing. He had to save the grandmother and find the baby. All of his plans hinged on the ceremony to restore his power. Only then could he have any hope of ridding himself of this demon curse.

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Brock walked quickly down the corridor. As he approached the room where Nina was being held, he saw the signs of a magical battle. Scorched walls and floor, shattered doors, and the peculiar smell of magic scorched air that lingered, were all clues as to what had happened.

Brock glanced int the feeding room and saw the shredded flesh of the overseer piled in a puddle of gore. He looked into the opposite room and saw Nina laying in a pool of blood across the room. Her face was a bloody mess. Five deep gashes ran vertically down her face. Her forehead was dented in on one side and swollen grotesquely on the other. Despite her monstrous appearance, Brock was moved by her presence. Something about her touched him.

He reached down and placed a hand on either side of her disfigured face. He then called on the power of the demons to heal her. The blood and swelling began to appear hazy and then to dissipate like fog.

When He was done, Brock stared at the face of a the woman he had been plotting to kill for years. The only evidence of her injuries were five vertical black lines crossing her face, they reminded Brock of tiger stripes.  And he muttered beneath his breath, "my tigress."

Where did that come from? He thought. This morning had turned his world upside down, and now he was staring into the face of his sworn enemy. Despite his thirst for revenge and his efforts to smite her bloodline from the world, all he wanted at that moment was to touch her lips with his.

The demons inside him caught on to his thoughts and cackled at his uncertainty. His differing thoughts only served to show his weakness to them. With every dilemma he faced, they were closer to stealing the power that he meant for himself.

Brock lifted Nina from the floor and carried her to his personal sleeping quarters. There he laid her down on his own bed and then summoned servants to care for her.

Soon after, three servants arrived and he instructed them to clean her and watch over her. "Summon me when she awakes." He said as he walked out of the room. Before closing the door he turned back and added,"Take good care of her, If she dies, you all die, along with your families and the towns they live in" He was not loud or abusive in his tone, he just stated it as a matter of fact. The servants, knowing his reputation, had no reason to doubt him.

They went to work cleaning Nina and dressing her in a regal gown. Then they stood watch over her day and night. Nina did not wake however, and as the days passed the servants charged with her well being began to worry.

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Nina lounged on a sunny tropical beach, beneath a large silk umbrella. It poked out of the sand beside her blanket, blocking the sun. She didn't remember how she got there or even how long she had been there. The only change had been the fantastic rising of the sun some hours (or was it days?) Before.

When she first noticed her surroundings, this place was dark and foreboding, the sky was black with dark maroon stripes from North to South. The water lapping up on the beach appeared to be red like blood changing to pink where the frothy foam developed on the whitecaps (pink caps?).  But then the darkness just sort of blew away like a mist under a warm breeze, and now she was left on this pristine beach. The water was a sapphire blue and the sand was pure white. This matched the blue sky and fluffy white clouds that floated lazily above her.

Nina had a vague feeling that she had something important to do, but she couldn't remember and didn't want to. This place was paradise and she only knew she wanted to stay here as long as possible. There were fruit trees and coconut trees behind her if she got hungry, but she didn't. She wasn't even thirsty. As she lounged there watching the ebb and flow of the tide, she was perfectly content to just be. Here and now was perfect to her. She had no needs, no wants, no worries. Nina relaxed.  That's all she wanted and all she did.

The Girls of Ohmer Chapter 18 Emelia breaks bad

The Girls of Ohmer Chapter 18
Emelia breaks bad

Hilario was amusing the girls with stories of being a boy in the jungle when tom stepped into the sleeping quarters.

"I thought I told everyone to get some rest." Tom said as he swayed from the influence of the mango brandy. He raised a finger and pointed at Hilario. "You must be an adult and take control of the sitch e ay shun!"  Tom staggered back a step and sat down, missing a bench and landing hard on the floor. He howled in surprised pain as he rubbed his backside, then rolled onto a thick rug and fell right to sleep, snoring loudly.

Hilario stood shaking his head while Erika and Vay giggled. Bear Dog continued to stay in canine form. Erika had begun to worry that she would stay that way forever . The dog was nice but a little sister was so much better.

Hilario lifted  Tom and placed him on one of the many cushions that were arranged around the floor." Here you go my friend." He said as he arranged a pillow under the snoring mans head.

Tom snored loud enough to wake himself, rolled over and went right back to sleep, luckily for the rest of the group he was more or less quiet for the rest of the night.

Hilario looked at the girls. They were yawning as they looked at them expectantly. "Is there something you need?" He asked Erika.

She looked at him through tired eyes that could barely stay open. "Tell us the story about the monkey and the lizard again." She pleaded.

"No girley girl,  it is time for us all to sleep. Now lay down with your sister and close your eyes." As Erika complied, Hilario pulled a blanket off of a nearby shelf and laid it over them. Vay was already drifting off to sleep and Erika was not far behind. Hilario admired the girls, they reminded him of his little sister Bienta. At the thought of her he began to feel sad. She was a slave somewhere and he should be helping her. Instead he was mixed up in this outlander business. He could not however leave these little ones to their fate. He would see this through and then enlist the help of his new friends to save his own family.

Hilario laid down on another cushion, and drifted off  to sleep, wondering where Nina was and if she was alright.

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Bill Brace usually frowned everywhere he went. So much so that when he arrived at the dungeon, the guard asked if he was alright.

"Why would you ask such a question?" Bill replied.

"Because you're smilin." The guard answered. "I've never seen that before. I didn't think you could." The guard smiled back at Bill. "It's good to see you in better spirits."

Bill stopped smiling and glared at the guard. "Are you being pert with me? Wipe that grin off of your stupid face before I make you regret waking up this morning!"

The guard snapped to attention." Yes overseer, pardon me sir."

Bill squared his shoulders. That was more like it. There was no room for familiarity with the guards, it was disrespectful. He motioned for the guard to unlock the door and stepped through without another word.

He was lost in thought as he walked the dim corridor to the torture chamber where he would subject Emelia to her morning session. "It's because of Nina." He mumbled to himself.

Just saying her name fluttered his insides. He felt like a young man swooning over the lovely lass in the holding wing. He was captivated. He was enraptured. He could not get her off his mind. Even when he was able to sleep he dreamed of her. Every waking moment was spent daydreaming about her lovely eyes, her smooth skin, her soft brown hair.

He had imagined taking her on a picnic in the meadow south of the mountain pass. He had imagined how she would blush and then ecstatically accept when he ask her to marry him. He imagined their wedding and the cottage he would build for her. He would quit this dirty business and become a blacksmith or a farmer. He would bring her flowers in the evening and she would cook his dinner they would...

A voice interrupted his thoughts. Bill stared not comprehending at first.

"Sir are you alright?" The second guard he'd met asked.

Bill was standing in front of the torture chamber door staring at nothing and grinning like the village idiot. "Wha, huh, Ahem." He gathered his composure and eyed the guard. " Well! Open the damned door already lets get started!"

His heart wasn't in it. They strapped the wet nurse to the to the torture rack but she seemed different today. She wasn't pleading of fearful, she was smiling. That combined with the distraction if knowing Nina was just a scant two minute walk away, discouraged him from continuing. He just wanted to get the feeding started so he could go see Nina. Just her name made his heart skip a beat. He longed to see her again, to hear her voice. Oh to kiss those perfect soft lips...

The Overseer straightened, trying to snap out of this perplexing mood. He looked at Emelia stretched out and smiling at him, he looked at the hot irons smoldering in the glowing coals. He looked at the guard and said. "Todays torture will be her knowledge that tomorrows will be tripled. Let her down and take her to the feeding chamber."

Emelias smile was replaced with a grin as the overseer, love struck Bill Brace, turned and walked out if the room. She knew there would be no torture tomorrow or ever again.

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Nina heard movement in the hallway. She stood and walked to the door to peer out the hatch. She was a picture of stunning beauty, her lips full and soft, her cheeks slightly blushed, her hair framed her beautiful face perfectly. But those eyes were the key to any mans heart. Golden orbs that mesmerized and sparkled. One could be lost in those deep pools and never care to return.

In the corridor, a guard was leading Emilia to the feeding room. Only today she was not being dragged by her hair or kicked along in front of him. The guard walked slightly ahead and to the side of her. When he got to the door he didn't even look on Ninas direction. He unlocked the door and held it open as Emelia entered the room. She was not hobbling or limping. There was a certain regal assurance to her gait. She glanced at Nina with black eyes before turning into the room without acknowledging her.

Nina shivered despite herself. The woman across the hall was not the same at all, she was obviously basking in the dark power she had discovered. Nina felt a new urgency to get the baby as soon as possible. Emelia, in this state, would be a formidable opponent should the need to confront her arise. Nina breathed a sigh of relief when she heard the guard lock the door across the hall and walk away.

Moments later Nina heard whistling from down the corridor, followed by footsteps. The whistling  continued low and melodic. Was that ...yes it was, It was the gruff overseer whistling an old tune about endless love. Nina recognized it from when she had sung the song as a girl
She grinned, this was going to be easier than she thought.

When the overseer approached her section of the hallway, he did not go directly to the door across the hall as usual. Instead he turned to peek into Ninas quarters instead. He stopped suddenly and a wide smile spread across his face as he realized Nina was right there in front of him, only a stout door separating them, and he had the key.

"Uh, my lady," he stammered " I was looking forward to seeing you today." He shuffled back and fourth absently holding the swaddled baby in his arms. "I was thinking of paying you a visit after I take this baby to be fed."

Nina pushed power out toward him as she batted her eyes. "Oh sweetie, I adore children! Why don't you bring the little one in with you. He looks sleepy anyhow. You could set him on the bed while we get more acquainted." Between the sultry lilt to her voice and the tendrils of power wrapping themselves around his ego, the man was lost.

"Be careful darling" she warned in a cooing voice. "Don't drop him."

"Oh I Wouldn't do that my lady." He said, pulling the bundle close.

"Oh silly, call me Nina." She smiled and tilted her head ever so slightly as he reached for the keys in his pocket. She continued in a more secretive tone, "Although I could be your lady if it pleases you."

Bill Blade Blushed. The keys rattled in his hand as he tried to single out the correct one without dropping the baby. Behind him, unnoticed by Nina or Bill, dark tentacles of magic like wispy hairs of smoke, lingered through cracks in the door. They reached toward the overseer just as he was saying, "You can call me Bill."

Bill had just a fraction of a second to realize the alarm in Ninas eyes as he looked up into them.  Nina was too late in seeing the stringy smoke of black magic that wound it's way around his throat. Bill gasped and dropped the keys. He reached one handed to try to loosen the band of pain that was ever-tightening around his neck.

Nina screamed as she saw the face of Emelia framed in the open hatch of the door across the hall. Emelias eyes were black as pitch,  her grin was insidious. She started screeching at the overseer, berating and cajoling him. All the while sending more deadly tendrils to wrap him tight and strangle him. "We'll see who's smiling now!" She screamed.

Nina begged "please don't hurt the baby." She stared in horror as the black tendrils coalesced into a thick rope of hate and slowly lifted the overseer as if lynching him.

Other tendrils reached out and swaddled the child in darkness, pulling him out of Bills grasp and setting him aside on the floor of the corridor.

Emelia laughed."Stupid woman! You think I would harm my own child? I'm protecting him from this mad man!" She looked crazed as she twisted the dark power around him. His helpless body flailed,  he struggled to breathe but before he could pass out the black noose relaxed.

Bill gasped, drawing in fresh air. Instead of begging for his life, he twisted his head to gaze at Nina. " Oh my sweet," he gasped "If only it could have lasted longer." His yearning gaze made Nina pity him at that moment.

Emelia, was enraged by the fact that her torture of him was spoiled by his rapture with Nina. The tendrils of smoke cinched tight around his body. Then dragged him screaming through the small hatch in her door. He was sliced into strips from the feet up as he was dragged through the bladed bars. Bills screams echoed down the hall almost drowning out the snapping and crunching of bones as his body compressed to fit through the hatch. The whole episode ended with a sickening splat of dead flesh on the floor behind the door.

The door was then wrapped in the same black tendrils and crushed in on itself. Iron bands snapped as it was wrenched from its hinges and compressed into a single rod of composite wood and iron woven together by hate. The rod clanged to the floor,  seemingly weighing much more than it appeared.

Nina saw the horror of what remained of the overseer. Strips of flesh and torn clothes piled unceremoniously in a splatter of gore. She shut her eyes to avoid the sight when black tentacles shot forward and grabbed her head.

Nina pushed hard against the door as Emelia pulled with her tainted magic, trying to drag Nina head first through the bladed bars on her own door.

As much as she detested the darkness of that magic that she commanded, Nina dipped into it, knowing it was her only choice as the blades started slicing into her face.

In an instant Nina let loose a blast of hate, shattering the door and sending splinters of
wood and metal at Emelia. Ninas face was lined with five deep cuts, her nose split in two, but she was alive.

Emelia countered by blocking the shards of debris and forming a spear with her power. The black point struck forward like a viper directly toward Ninas heart.

Nina countered by wrapping her own power around the tip of the spear holding it in place for just an instant as she focused all of her will. That combined with Emelias unrestrained power, was directed on the trap inside her that held the light magic, Ninas true power, out of her reach.

It was a gamble, but it paid off in that the invisible shield shattered. Nina was filled with the power of light and love. She basked in the sun of a thousand days, relishing the return of her true power. The shock of it was ecstasy!

Nina opened her eyes and they glowed gold in the midst of the black smoke that surrounded her. She sent a rush of power out from her core to clear the air.

Nina squinted through the blood that obscured her vision. Emelia was no where to be seen, but the baby was safe and sound on the floor in the hall. Nina stepped forward to retrieve her grandson when a dense rod of wood woven with metal flashed in her vision a moment too late to be avoided.

The rod connected with her forehead, knocking Nina senseless as she pinwheeled back into her chamber. She lay on the floor motionless. Blood pooling around her head.

The Girls of Ohmer Chapter 17 Emelia unlocks the darkness

The Girls of Ohmer Chapter 17
Scott Tragg had been a wizard long ago, a close companion of Toms. Unlike other wizards who had done their best to try to retain their magic, Tom and Scott saw the futility of it. They used their last bit of power to cast longevity spells on each other in order to live long enough to find a resolution to the problem. Tom was twelve hundred and thirty-three years old, but Scott was over fifteen hundred years old. In their prime, Tom had been a more powerful wizard, but Scott was the wisest of the two.

Where Tom became a traveler and craftsman, Scott concealed the entrance to his castle in the mountain and began establishing the town of Casa Dagger.

He changed personae every fifty years or so in order to evade suspicion by the townspeople. This one of the bum, was his favorite though. It was easier to just bask in the open air on the bridge and watch travelers go by when one had no responsibilities.

Scott owned most of the town so he had no worries about finances. He got a pleasure in the thought that the stinky bum on the bridge was really the richest man in town.

Agents handled his money and investments for him, he only required that they obey his messages delivered by courier and affixed with his seal. The courier often made withdrawals for Scott and deposited them in a secret place for him.

Tom sat across from his host, sipping mango brandy. "Oh, this is the best! I haven't had mango brandy in ages. It's my favorite you know." Tom sipped again and closed his eyes, savoring the warm sweetness as it went down.

"Well" said Scott."when it's ages in honey amber for six hundred years, it tends to be the best." He grinned, appreciating his long life and the benefits it brought. Who else could wait so long for their spirits to age.

The crystal castle was a veritable treasure trove of fine articles he had collected throughout the ages. Some things he had made himself, long life extended the possibilities of an artisan. For example, Scott Tragg made the finest violins in the world. He selected the wood and aged it himself, then spent well over sixty years constructing them and fine tuning them. They were beautiful and their sound was heavenly. There were only three in existence. Two others had been destroyed, one in a fire and one in a robbery.

Every hundred years or so, Scott would gift an instrument to a promising violinist. He would then begin making a new one for himself. The ones who received his gift went on to fame and fortune. Inevitably they were invited by an anonymous benefactor to play a solo performance on the bench at the bottom of chasm street. The violins haunting melody echoed up the gorge, filling the whole town with beautiful music. The best place to hear it was at the center of the bridge on market street.

Scott poured himself a tumbler of the prized brandy as he sat across the table from Tom. "So my old friend. What sort of trouble have you found yourself in this time?" He lifted the glass as he lifted an eyebrow at Tom and then took a slow sip.

Tom took a deep breath, noting how the pain in was his side was much lessened since the morning, or perhaps since the brandy. "The trouble with evil wizards locked in enchanted caves, is that they tend to get restless," Tom began "it seems our nemesis has made a deal with the devil for another chance at glory. Or at least a deal with a horde of demons."

Scott set his glass down, seemingly unsurprised. "Yes that is a troublesome thing about evil wizards." He leaned back in his chair examining the problem. "Well, that at least explains the the increase in demonic activity here of late. As well as the reports of travelers coming from the east. They say black riders are sacking villages and taking prisoners."

Tom agreed. "They are, but it's not random at all. The soldiers are harassing an old friend of sorts, taking her family line into custody."

Scott leaned forward, this was new information. "Well go on!" He said expectantly. "Who is the old friend? Do I know him?"

"Well yes." Tom started. "You knew her quite well. Serendipity."

Scott reached for his glass, tilted it back and finished the priceless brandy in one gulp. "She's alive? How? When? Wha..."

Tom savored the experience. He had never seen Scott struck dumb before.

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Emelia sat in her quarters. She wasn't dreading the torture to come, she wasn't crying about her dead father. She wasn't even whimpering about her beloved Timbob. She was basking in the glory of the power of the dark.

The thick rancid coldness flowed through her, filling her with the need to wretch and the power to lash out. She gained control over the rising sickness by fantasizing about what she could do to that overseer, what she would do to him. 

She grinned as she used her new power to bend chain links and shatter them. Then she used the same power to melt the shattered dust and mend her chain. This was phenomenal! She had never had such an easy time with the light, it was too structured, too much care was required.

Emelia wielded this dark gift with abandon. She didn't want to be found out before she got the child, but if she did, she would just kill everything in her path until she found him.

That other had been timid, speaking of unlocking the light again. Emelia sneered at the Idea. What could the light do in the face of this power. It was fast, it was easy, it was what she'd wanted all the long. She could master this,  she could reign supreme, with her new son as her prince!

But now she would wait. Her time was coming soon enough. And when it did, she would wait no longer.

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Nina prepared herself for the return of the overseer. Even with the benefit of the black magic, she took time to improve her appearance. She had been supplied with a change of clothing since her arrival, but she had retained the revealing underclothes she had worn beneath the robe. Now she put them back on, adjusting straps and cinching clasps to benefit her particular shape. She admired her reflection. She had to admit that she was quite captivating,

"That overseer doesn't have a chance." She remarked, turning to see her backside."Not a snowballs chance in hell."

After preparing herself, she sat in a chair and awaited the overseer. Her plan was to lure him in while he still had the baby. Then she would use her wicked wiles to enlist his aid in releasing her daughter and son in law. After that, they would slip away into the night. After that...she didn't know, but getting out of this fortress was the most important thing.

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Brock brooded.

Brock worried.

Brock was going insane.

Not that he ever had what others might accept as pure sanity, but this was different.  He was constantly assaulted by the voices of the demons inside him. They laughed and cajoled. They read his thoughts and commented inside his mind. Opposing views and ridiculous assumptions all mixed up with his own inner dialogue to the point where he didn't know where his thoughts started and theirs began. it was soup of conflicting reasons and memories.

He had the child. He had the mother and the grandmother too. His plans to regain his power were right on track. All he had to do now was continue feeding the child with the "milk of sorrow" as the prophecy had put it, and in less than a year the boy would be strong enough to grasp a knife. Then with the help of a demon possessing him, the "child of light" would slay his maternal bloodline and release the power of magic to men.

Brock did not know how the magic was captured into this particular bloodline, but the prophecy spoke of the time and the place and most importantly, the golden eyes. Brock could feel the power inside, he could almost touch it.

That time would come. For now he had only to stave off the madness of the demons. For now he had only to survive the taint of mirth filled evil.

Brock brooded. Sitting on his dark throne as he waited for his destiny.

The Girls of Ohmer Chapter 16 Snotrag

The Girls of Ohmer Chapter 16
Snotrag

As they entered the Village of Casa Dagger, Hilario asked Tom, "Where we gonna find your friend? Does he have a house in town?"

"Something like that." Tom said cryptically "Its more on the outskirts, but this time of day we can find him at the center of town where the market street bridges the river."

"Okey dokey smokey." Hilario said and continued leading Blue into the village.

Through the center of the community was a gorge containing a deep narrow river. In the center of town there was a single bridge crossing this river. In the center of the bridge there was a beggar holding a bowl. The center of the bowl was empty accept for the ever-present odor that surrounded the beggar. He was called Snotrag because of his appearance, but he could just as likely been called pisspot because of his smell.

Snotrag sat on the bridge berating passersby for not giving to the needy, and  cursing those who who gave for not giving enough. All in all, he was a detestable character. If it weren't for all of the through traffic on this bridge he would never get a single coin in his bowl. If it were not for his disgusting smell and appearance, he'd have been tossed off the bridge long ago for his rudeness. Being as he was, nobody even wanted to kick him for fear of soiling their boot.

As Hilario led the Ram across the bridge he smelled the beggar before he saw him. "OH MY GOAT!" He said." What is that smell?" The Girls wrinkled their noses while the dog, cat and squirrel reacted similarly.

Tom smiled "Help me down Hilario I need to speak to my friend.

Hilario helped Tom out of the litter, causing the Hammock on the other side of Blue to sink towards the ground. "Stay here." Tom instructed as he slowly walked across the bridge toward the smelly beggar. Tom shouted. "You're stinking up this bridge you dirty excuse for a pile of putrid pickles!"

Snotrag looked up from under his ragged hat. "Better to smell bad than to look as bad as the likes of you! You ugly monkeyloving steaming sack of shhhh.."

Tom raised a warning finger toward his friend, shaking it admonishingly. "Ah ah ah! There are children present!"

"As if my language were more offensive than your face!" Snotrag retorted. "What brings you to my bridge? You dirty conniving useless excuse for a slop bucket!"

Tom smiled widely, it was good to be remembered by an old friend. "I need to buy some dung." he responded. "Something to help my cabbage grow. Also there have been black beetles in my garden, do you have a remedy?"

Snotrags eyes widened at this last statement. " I may be able to help you. But not today! come back in a week, maybe I will reconsider! You stupid dress wearing donkey kisser!"

Tom responded loudly. "well if that's how you feel I'll take my business elsewhere you dirty urine soaked pile of rags!" Tom offered him a wave goodbye using a single finger in an upward thrusting gesture, then turned and walked back to his group. He asked Hilario to help him back into the litter and told him to lead the ram over the bridge and take a right on chasm lane.

Hilario was angry that the so called friend had been so rude. "Hey Tom, should I go back and teach pee pee man a lesson? He should not talk to a friend of Hilario like that!"

"Thank you for sticking up for me Hilario," Tom was smiling, he whispered behind his hand. "But there is no need. that was all code." Then continuing in a normal voice, Tom said. "There is a stable beside the river where we can put Blue, then we'll take a walk and find a place to stay."

Hilario knew little of codes, but chose to hide his ignorance in this case. It was getting to be frustrating every time he didn't know about the out-lander ways. Things in the jungle were much easier. At least for him they were, he thought his new friends would have a very hard time though. They might not survive long enough to learn that they knew so little of the dangers there.

They turned right after the bridge onto Chasm lane. This narrow road followed a descending path right down to the river.  There was no room for buildings, instead there were storefronts covering caves which had been dug into the side of the cliff.  About half way down they saw a stable and livery. The proprietor was not thrilled about having such a large animal to house and demanded double the payment. Tom agreed and handed the man a large gold coin saying "I'm not sure how long he'll be here but this should cover any expenses incurred."

The stable owner grinned. That was enough to stable this beast for over a year. "Yes sir, I will be happy to keep him." the man said enthusiasticly.

Tom quieted him saying,"The coin is more than enough for your services, the extra is for your silence!"

The stable man understood completely. "Yes sir." he said and pocketed the coin. "I'll put the beast in the stable right now."

The group walked down chasm street to just where it met the river, there was a bench sitting next to a boulder with overgrown vegetation around it. There were few people this far downhill from the shops so the small party had the bench to themselves.

Vay was getting restless. "I wanna go!" she pouted. "I wanna see Nina!"

Erika tried to sooth her. "I know Vay. I want to see her too, but right now we have to stay by the river. Would you like to sing a song with me?"

Vay smiled. " E I E I O?"

"Sure" said Erika,"That one will be just fine."

They both started singing in unison "Old Mac Donald had a farm, E I E I O. And On the Farm there was an eye lookin stuff, EIEIO!"

Soon Hilario had picked up the tune and began playing along on the flute as the dog and Squirrel danced along with Vay. Popsicle wanted nothing to do with the festivities, preferring to sit under the bench and act bored.

The Girls sang on about how the eye got poked and it started to cry, when Snotrag came hobbling down the street. He motioned to Tom. "Follow me and bring your gaggle of girls." he hurumphed.  Snotrag led them behind the boulder where he lifted up the undergrowth revealing a passage. Sewage was dripping from the passage and running into the river.

Erika plugged her nose as she followed the rest inside.   When they went a little way down the passage, it opened up into a wide room lit by some kind of glowing crystals in the ceiling.  Snotrag followed them, but stopped just at the entrance  He took off his stinky rags and hung them over the doorway. Then he stood up to his full height. Erika was amazed, he was much taller he looked without  his rags, and much cleaner too.

He turned and studied the group then giving a bow he said. "Honored guests, I am Scott Tragg, the former wizard of the mountain now beggar of the bridge."  Tom walked forward and hugged his friend.

"Oh it's been so long since I've seen you inside your home I'd almost forgotten that you weren't actually so disgusting!" Tom commented as he embraced his friend.

Hilario smiled. He liked surprises and this was a pleasant one indeed. As they walked deeper into the mountain the walls became sparkling crystal everywhere he looked. It was like being on the inside of a diamond. The air was clean and sweet, the light was bright, and the owner was friendly.  They walked on for a while when they entered a giant open area with a crystal castle in the center. It sparkled from within.

Vay was entranced by the view of the castle. It was so sparkly, she couldn't take her eyes off of it. Most of it appeared to be made of clear crystal accept for the large center tower that started clear then became a light rose color and then amethyst purple at the very top.

Scott Took his guests inside and fed them a scrumptious meal of bread and fish, followed by mountain berries that none of them had tasted before, accept for Tom.  Afterward, Scott showed them to their quarters and told Tom to meet him for a drink in the tower.

"Hilario, you stay with the girls, I will return in a little bit" Tom instructed. Then to everybody, "try to get some rest, we have a long journey ahead of us."

++++++++

Nina sat in her plush bed meditating about her magic. she was trying to dip into the dark power without being consumed by the greed and hate that accompanied it. Each time she was able to draw a bit more of the magic for her own use without becoming disgusted, however she feared that this desensitization was just a symptom of giving into the darkness.

She changed the focus of her meditation to concentrate on those she loved, but in the end she felt a rage growing inside her that they were taken from her. She then attempted to think about love and only love, the pure unselfish giving force in the universe. She remembered how it felt when she first fell in love. His name was Dirk, he was tall and handsome. His dark eyes smoldered when he looked at her. That look sent butterflies fluttering in her heart.  He was everything a young woman could want, the problem was he knew it.

Not long after they were married he had gone to a battle on the southern front, this was when Brock was just coming to power. After a heroic victory he decided to celebrate with one of the southland maidens.  Evidently he liked the attention of being a hero. Before long he was more concerned with the after battle celebrations than he was with the battles. Nina had found out about his wandering eyes and hands and... In the end, Dirk was slain on the battlefield. Nina grieved the loss of her husband, but it was tainted with the betrayal to her heart.  She had never loved another man again.

"That son of a DOG!" Nina shouted. Her anger at the long lost love surprised her almost as much as it enraged her. She wanted to spit on his grave for betraying her. She wanted to curse his soul!  Nina took a deep breath. she had to calm herself. This dark magic was changing her against her will, her temper had never flared like this without cause. She had been pacing the floor clenching and unclenching her fists. She stopped and looked at her black reflection in the shiny stone wall. It was as if she were turning into that person she saw there, cold, dark, hard, everything that she wasn't.

She heard the guards come to take the prisoner out of the room across the hall. She didn't bother to look out. She knew that no help would come from that woman. If anything, she was a new enemy. She wanted to take Ninas grandson away just as much as Brock did. Nina resigned to continue working on the overseer.  She had almost gotten him to open the door for her, what then? she thought. "I have to make a plan." she resolved. "I have to figure out where my daughter and her husband are, where they're keeping the baby. Then how to get out of here together."  She thought about each part of her plan. First she had to get the baby, without him the rest wouldn't want to leave.

The Girls of Ohmer Chapter 15 Nina meets Emelia

The Girls of Ohmer Chapter 15
Nina meets Emelia

Emelia sat waiting for her boy, her Timbob, her only reason. The preceding weeks of torture were taking a toll on her. Even though she held on for the child, she didn't see much point in it seeing how he was under constant threat of death. Every day the overseer informed her that he would be sacrificed, and every day he gave a reason for putting it off. The uncertainty was a new kind of torture, worse than the beatings and burns, worse even than the rack or the tongs. She despaired, she wept, she agonized over the threat to the baby. She longed for the use of her power, for the means to end this madness and take her sweet Timbob away from this place.

She was drowning in her sorrows, considering how much more merciful it would be to smother the child, rather than let him burn in a sacrificial fire, when she heard a voice.

"Hey, you over there, come to the door." Nina spoke in a whispering tone trying to project her voice across the hall without alerting any guards.

Emelia stood slowly and hobbled to the door. "Who's there? " she asked tentatively. She suspected another one of the overseers tricks, he delighted in giving her hope and then beating her down for even grasping at the smallest chance to avoid the misery here.

"Over here. Across the hall." Nina lowered her voice as Emelia closed the gap between them. She knew that it was dangerous to talk to anyone here, but judging by the condition of her fellow prisoner, Nina was confident that this woman was no fan of Brock. Getting out of here meant first gaining some information.

Emelia peered through the bladed bars of the hatch in her door, the light from the hall casting flickering lines on her bruised face. "What do you want? We shouldn't be talking like this. "

She was about to turn when Nina replied "I want to get out of here and rescue my family. Wouldn't you like the same?"

Hope, as dim and flickering as the light in the hallway, but hope none the less. It kindled behind Emelias eyes, deep in her heart.  Her mind tried to snuff it out. " Ha! You know nothing! There is no escape from this hell. Any thought brings more torture!" Emelia scoffed, any hope was false hope.

"I have magic!" Nina responded quickly. "I can help you! If only you give me some information about this place."

The hope flared like a bonfire. "You have? How did you retain it? They put some barrier around mine and I cannot touch it!" Emelia was excited, magic could equalize this whole situation. With the right magic they could walk out un-harassed with Timbob in her arms. They could escape to the safety of the Hinterlands where no demon dared to go.

So, thought Nina, another sister of the light separated from her power. "Yes I know what you mean, they have done the same to me. But I have found a way around it."

"You have? " Emelia was ecstatic "Show me how and I will tell you anything you wish to know! I long to touch the light, to swim in the power, to claim retribution for the wrong done to me here!"

Nina was taken aback by the rage expressed in Emelias speech. "Well I haven't yet gained access to the light." Emelias excitement fell yo disappointment  Seeing that she was about to lose Emelia, Nina continued quickly. "I have not touched the light but I have found a way around that!"

"A way around? What are you talking about? Can you access your magic or not?" Emelia was starting to feel that this woman was just teasing her.

Nina heard footsteps down the corridor. She whispered," there is dark power behind the light, it is detestable but usable, I'll explain
later."

Emelia heard the footsteps as well, she hurried to her chair, trying to mask the hope that was even now raging inside her. Dark behind the light? She pondered the concept. She had never considered that anything was in that pool of power that she had known so long, but how could she? There had never been a reason to look behind the light. If only she had discovered this idea sooner, she might have been able to prevent them from threatening the life of the little one she loved so much. perhaps it wasn't too late.

Nina was still looking out the door when the overseer arrived with the baby. He took a ring of keys from his pocket and started to insert the silver one into the lock. Nina interrupted him. "Hey there handsome! Have you got any time to spare for a lonely maiden today?" She poured on the sweetness like thick syrup. As she did so she could sense tendrils of dark power reaching out to him, caressing him.
The overseer dropped his keys, bending over to retrieve them, he bumped his head on the door, almost dropping the baby. What was it about this woman that made him so clumsy, he felt like a stupid boy every time he was in her presence. "Ahem," The overseer cleared his throat before responding. "Sorry My lady, I have much work to do today, the master has lost another servant and so my duties have doubled. That's not to say I cant handle them" He straightened  wondering why he felt like he had to justify himself to her. This was ridiculous! He looked her straight in the eyes and was lost in glimmering pools of gold. "I, I, I,..." I what? he was thinking. What is going on? there was something pressing that must be done, but for the life of him he could not remember. He only stared at the deep pools of her eyes, feeling lured by the promise of love and lust. Maybe she would like to marry him, maybe they could run off to the north mountains and start a family. He smiled as he thought of her standing in his kitchen, or sitting at his table, or laying in his bed. his smile widened to a grin. she was whispering to him. "What is it my love?" he replied softly" Yes, anything for you."

The baby cried, he was clutching it much too tightly. The overseer blinked. he looked at his hand, placing the silver key into the lock on the door. It was the wrong door. He looked around wondering how he had made such a mistake. His head hurt from bumping it when he had dropped the keys. Yes that was it, he reasoned, a bump on the head. He withdrew the key from the lock and turned around opening the correct door as the baby continued to cry. Emelia who had witnessed the whole episode was stunned. this horrible, hard as stone, mean as hell man, was like putty.  He stepped dazedly into the room and handed the baby over to Emelia. "No sacrifice today." he said absently and then turned and left the room. He barely remembered to lock it on the way out.

Emelia soothed the child and brought him to her breast. "Alright my sweet boy, here you go." The baby quieted and Emelia heard the fading footsteps of the overseer down the hall. She stood and limped to the door. "Hey, hey!" she summoned. "I need to talk to you. How did you do that?"

Nina appeared between the sharp bars of her door. "Like I said, there is dark behind the light. If you try to touch the power, the light power, you will meet a wall. But if you search the edge of that wall, you can slip around it, not to the light but behind the light. There you will find a different kind of power altogether. It is cold and horrible, I didn't like it at all. It makes me sick to touch it. But considering the circumstances, I saw no other choice. Just be careful not to let it taint you. It is not a power of goodness. It is greedy and dirty, it is evil.".

Emelia considered this. "It makes sense that such power would be opposite of the light, how did you use it without being affected?"

Nina replied."Who said I wasn't affected. It turns my stomach, to use this wicked force. The scary part is that I'm starting to get used to it. I'm afraid that if I have to use too much, I will start to like it. Then I will be prisoner to that evil greed. I only hope I can release my light power before then. I think having both will enable me to control them equally."

Emelia pulled Timbob from her breast to show him to Nina. "As long as I can get my little one safely away from this awful place, it would be worth anything! Nothing can be worse than what I've experience so far."

Nina looked  at the beautiful child. He was yawning so sweetly, arms stretching, eyes shut tight. When he opened them Nina gasped. She saw his golden eyes, her golden eyes. This was her grandson! "Where did you get that child?" she asked.

"He's mine." Emelia replied. "They take him after feeding, but he's mine, he's my boy, my little Timbob."

"That child is my grandson!" Nina insisted. "He was stolen, along with his mother and father. How long have you been his wet-nurse?"

Emelia pulled Timbob close. "You're lying!" she screamed " This is just another cruel trick to take my boy away! You'll never have him. Do you hear me? NEVER!" Emelia turned and walked back away from the door crying. Nina was speechless, she was regretting telling this woman how to touch the dark power. She must figure out how to get her grandson from that crazy wet-nurse.

++++++++

In the gravel valley, the wreck survivors were continuing their journey. Tom was pretty busted up, so Hilario had constructed a litter out of branches, and attached it to Blues back with a makeshift harness. Most of the actual harness from the wagon had burned up in the mysterious colored fire. To balance the litter on one side of blue, Hilario had made a seat similar to a hammock on the other side. The Girls and animals were resting in this hammock while Hilario led Blue up the valley. Tom had assured Hilario that there would be a road up ahead that led out of the valley and up to Casa Dagger. The road was unsuitable for a wagon, but Blue would have no problem negotiating it.

Hilario had also mended Toms wounds and given him a pain remedy to make him more comfortable. Though he tried, there was nothing that could be done for Blues broken horn. Hilario thought it was beautiful though, and placed it in a sack to carry on blues back, maybe someone knew better that he about fixing rams horns.

After several hours the Ram started the steep climb out of the valley  When they finally crested the ridge, hilario saw a tightly packed town that filled every available space between two ridges. The buildings took advantage of the free space going up because there was no free space between them. Hilario gaped at the tall towers and narrow streets. Casa Dagger was like a forest of stone spires. "Holey Hamburgessas!" he said "This place is crazy! Hey Tom, how high they build here?"

Tom peeked out from under his purple hat. "Yes, it is quite impressive, is it not? wait untill you see where my friend Snotrag lives. Now that is a wonder!"

"Snotrag huh?" Hilario questioned "He must be the mayor or something with a name like that."

"Something like that." Tom said with a grin.

The Girls of Ohmer Chapter 14 Erika saves the day

The Girls of Ohmer Chapter 14
Erika saves the day

Erika was in the back of the wagon. When it had tilted so violently off of the road, the candle Hilario had been holding went out. It was then that she had invoked nevertime. Usually she did so slowly, in order to let time slow to a stop. Doing so in an instant felt like hitting a wall, it disoriented her. That's probably why she fell and knocked her head. Inside the wagon was dark and with the floor tilted at a severe angle, she was not quite sure where to find the door.

She began feeling her way around the small space, she recognized the softness of the side bench and worked her way up the steep incline to the back of the wagon. There she found the only exit. She tried the door and found it unlocked. "Good she said, one less thing to worry about."

Pushing the door open was another matter. It was heavy. With the wagon angled front down, it would take considerable force to lever it past it's balancing point, to open all the way.

Erika gave up trying to muscle it open and started feeling her way around the cabin of the wagon. She had located the squirrel already, and decided to leave him suspended for a reference point. She held Wentworths soft body and stood up to feel around. She bumped her head on Hilarios cheek. Feeling her way around, she found that Hilario was suspended almost in the center of the space, with his feet pointing toward the door. She drew his knife from his belt and placed it in her own belt for later use.  Further inspection revealed that Vay was just below him and Dog was against the back wall with Popsicle.

She went on to inventory anything that could help her get the door open. She found a coil of rope and a box of tools in the cupboard under the front bench. She found a collection of books and bottles of liquid under the side bench. There was also a cupboard on the back wall containing odds and ends of clothing along with some cloth sacks.

She took the knife from Hilarios belt and used it to lever the door open. When she had sufficient space she placed one of the books between the door and the door frame. Then by levering between the book and the door, she was able to make enough room for two books, which she placed next to the first book to hold the door open that much more. Using this method, she successively added book after book until there was a space sufficient for her to climb out of the wagon.

She could find nothing handy to tie the rope to so she tied it around Hilarios ankle. As long as she didn't interact with him, he would be a stable anchor in nevertime, but if she decided to move him, gravity would be in effect and he would fall to the floor. Or the corner of the wall which was under him now.

She tied the other end around her waist then crawled out of the door, using the bottom of Hilarios foot as a step. She  stood on the slanted back of the wagon trying to see what she could. The answer was nothing. Aside from the slight amount of moonlight that seemed to make the fog glow a little, she could see nothing but fog in all directions.

Gravity told her which way was down, and that was really her only option. So she began climbing down the side of the wagon until she reached the drivers seat. Visibility was only a few feet in front of her, but there was a clear path behind, where her movement had pushed the fog out of the way. Anywhere she went, became clear to her view and slightly illuminated by the glowing fog.

She continued along the rigging and onto Blues back. Crawling down the animal, she grasped his fur to keep from slipping. When she got as far down as she could, there was no clue as to what lay beyond. She looked behind her and saw a clear path through the glowing fog. She looked ahead and saw a wall of glowing fog.

They didn't call her the smart one for nothing. Erika made her way back to the cabin and grabbed two of the blankets they had been wrapped in,  the third was hopelessly  wrapped around Vay and Erika didn't want to move her yet.

Erika returned to the top of Blues head. She took one of the blankets and spread it out, then swinging it around, she managed to cut a large swath of viewable area through the fog. Then she dropped the blanket, doing her best to make it as large as possible when it fell. This cut a tunnel of clear space through the fog. She could even see where the blanked had landed. She judged that they were about as high as the roof on her house. (Or thirty feet if you are the measuring type.)  She dropped the second blanket a little to the left of the first, opening her view even more. She looked at the distance between herself and the ground. If she tied a rope to Blues horns, she could safely lower herself and be out if harms way. But what of the others? She thought. How could she get them out and down safely?

++++++++

Some time later Erika was busy filling a sack with bottles, tools, anything heavy  could find in the wagon. After that she examined the rigging she had set up. The rope tied to Hilarios ankle was going out the door and over the top of the wagon. From there it ran through one of the metal rungs on Blues harness, and finally to the sack she had just filled.

Erika had no idea if this plan would would work, she crossed he fingers then attempted to move Hilario. Her hard work filling the sack had paid off. As soon as she tried to move him, gravity took effect. All at once Hilario began to fall, the rope tightened as the weight sack fell. This caused Hilario to swing toward the door while being pulled closer to the door jam. Just as he made contact with the door, he was pulled up and out of the wagon by the increasing momentum of the weight bag. Hilario free fell for a bit until the rope caught on the harness ring. He stopped in mid air then was lifted up a couple of feet. When the bag of weight hit the stone ground below, several of the bottles inside broke, spilling their contents and thus lightening the bag. As a result Hilario was lowered safely, though roughly to the ground.

Having done that, saving the others was a simple matter of lowering the smaller members of the party by rope. However she had used all of the available rope to lower Hilario. As she considered her options, Erika remembered the sturdy leather reigns used to steer the wagon. She climbed up to where the reigns fed through a metal loop in the harness rigging. It was then that she noticed how they were stretched out tight, leading off into the fog. She tugged but could not get them to to give an inch.

"Maybe they are stuck on a limb or rock" she reasoned to herself. "Well, theres only one way to find out." Erika checked that she still had Hilarios knife, then she began inching her way along the reigns, using her hands and legs. At the end of the reigns she found Tom suspended as if in free fall. His hand was wrapped in the reigns.

Erika attempted to move tom so that gravity took effect on him. She held on tight as the two of them swung in a long arc towards the ground and up again. As the swinging slowed down, Erika could see they were still too far up to see the ground. She knew Tom might be injured but there was no avoiding it, she had to hurry and get everyone away from this plummeting wagon before it landed, and before she was exhausted. She feared that if she went to sleep, there might be another nightmare that would bring back realtime before she was ready.

Erika took Hilarios knife and severed the reigns just above where tom was holding them. She had expected to be able to hold on and climb up from there. But with all of the hard work, her arms were tired. When Tom dropped to the ground, she slipped as well. They fell about fifteen feet. Erika heard a crackling sound as she landed on top of Tom. " Oh sorry Tom." She said "I hope you'll be OK."

She then went to climb the rope that was attached to Hilarios ankle. It was no use. The rope was slick with moisture from the fog, and should she was just too tired to climb it.

Erika looked at the rope going streight up through the tunnel in the fog. She looked at the weight bag dangling above. She looked at the way the rope held Hilarios leg up. She decided to take the express route back to the wagon. She unraveled the part of the reigns from Toms hand and used this portion to secure herself to the rope. Then should she cut the rope from Hilarios ankle and let gravity do the rest. The bag fell and she rose. When she got to the top, she secured the rope and climbed to the wagon door. She put the dog, the cat and the squirrel in a sack then she picked up Vay and using the reigns she secured the littlest Ohmer girl to her back.

Erika climbed out and down to the front of Blue. Here she tied the sack of animals to the reigns and lowered them all to the ground. Then she was about to slide down the rope with Vay on her back when she thought of Blue. He was most certainly too heavy to move. She only hoped he was strong enough to survive the impact. Just to give him a better chance, Erika unfastened the buckles that held  Blue in the harness. Now he would not be attached to the wreckage should he survive.

Erika slid down the rope, carried Vay and the bag of animals to a safe distance, and started the task of dragging the two men away from where the wagon would impact. Hilario was smallest, she took him first. Despite his small size He was quite heavy. Erika pulled with all her might yet only managed in moving him just a foot or so. She tried again, and again, each time making little progress. But she did make progress and eventually he was propped against the opposite side of the ravine next to Vay, popsicle, dog, and Wentworth.

By the time she got Tom out of harms way, she collapsed in exhaustion, too tired to lift her arms. She slept.

++++++++

Erika didn't dream of unicorns or butterflies. There were no open meadows of flowers. Only fog and the sound of flapping wings. Not the soft flutter of birds wings, but the leathery flap like that of bats wings.

In her dream the fog fell away. She looked up and saw the clear night sky above her. She heard the wings flapping and saw they were her own. Big black wings stretching out and above her, then pushing down with mighty thrusts of muscles she didn't know she had. She looked down and saw that she was holding a doll of sorts. Her hands were clawed and scaled. Sharp protrusions jutted out of her knuckles. She looked at the doll and realized it looked just like Nina.  A crying Nina doll , she thought, how strange. She flew across mountains for as far as she could see. Finally she descended to a place where a trail entered a dark passage. There was a veil of sparkling black mist. When she landed she spoke words in a language that she did not comprehend, "Emosewa siyrrot!" Pronouncing the S's with an elongated hiss and rolling the double R's like the purr of some dangerous reptile. The veil lifted to reveal a smooth dim corridor with stairs leading down into the mountain. She walked in and woke up.

Erika awoke feeling disoriented. Had she been flying? The tendrils of the dream slipped from her mind as she realized where she was, what she was doing.  She was sore all over from the strain of getting everyone out if the wagon. They were all together behind a large boulder. This valley must have been full of water at some time. It was full of boulders of every size that rested on the gravel bottom. But then, only a small stream flowed through the center. Well actually nothing flowed right then not even time.

Erika raised her hands and slowly brought them down invoking realtime.

There was a thunderous crash of splintering wood and snapping metal. The ground shook with a thud that vibrated under Erikas feet. The contents of the bottles mixed causing a fantastic chemical reaction purple and blue flames spouting green smoke.

Hilario screamed. "Mamaaaa!' And then cut it off short realizing he was OK. Everyone in the small group was startled accept for Tom. Tom was gasping for the breath that had been knocked out of him when the demon knocked him out if the drivers seat. He was gasping through the pain of ribs that had been cracked when Erika landed on him. He was gasping through the fear that he was dying after all these centuries.

The dog and the cat were huddled together, shaking. The squirrel was prancing around Tom, chattering.

Hilario looked at Erika, "Hey Erika timestopper, is good you do that" he said giving her a thumbs up and a wide smile. Hilario pointed to the wreck with his thumb. I don't think we would feel so good after that.

Erika looked around the boulder to see the heap of twisted metal and splintered wood. Blue had landed head first, digging a deep furrow into the gravel. He sprang up onto all four hooves shaking his head and looking around confusedly. One of his golden horns had been broken off, leaving a shiny stump on the right side of his head.

Hilario and Erika looked behind them at the chattering squirrel and at Tom. "Oh Tom!" Erika exclaimed as she rushed to his side.

Hilario knelt down beside him."Hey Tom! You OK? Oh man you don't look so good."

Tom was wheezing, his eyes where wide and his color was pale. He struggled to speak. " just.... a...... moment,...... I...." he took a deep raspy breath and coughed. The pain was evident on his usually smiling face. "Some......thing.......broken..." he went on to coughing and then laid still, breathing shallowly.

Erika looked at Hilario. "What do we do?" She asked.

Hilario smiled. "Don't worry girly, We can make him feel better. We'll camp here for the night and then decide what to do in the morning."

Erika gathered wood for a fire, while Hilario went in search of herbs for a pain remedy for Tom. Vay and the animals were curled up in a blanket.

++++++++

Ninas new quarters were quite plush. The bed was adorned with dark silk pillows and soft blankets. The room was spacious, containing everything a person could need. There was a table nearby with bowls of fruit, bread, and dried meat. Along with a pitcher of water and a bottle of wine.

"What is this about?" Nina wondered aloud as she surveyed her surroundings. Her neck hurt from being picked up by her hair. But aside from that she was unharmed.

She knew she had to be at Brocks fortress. He was the only one stupid enough in his greed to employ the help of demons. But why in this posh room? Why had she not been killed outright?

The room was indeed lavish. All of the furniture was made from rare wood and carved with the most painstaking detail. Unlike other claw footed tables she had seen, the one that held her food looked as if those claws were real not just carvings in wood.  The walls of the room were solid rock, polished to a brilliant gloss. It was like looking into a dark mirror, a puddle of black oil.

She went to examine the door as this was the only obvious exit.
It was thick wood with finely wrought steel bands. The bands were made to resemble branches and leaves, yet their main purpose was to reinforce the 4 inch thickness of solid wood. In the center of the door was a small hatch with a grating of sharp metal blades. Knives instead of bars in this jail. Peering through the hatch she saw a very little way down the hall way to each side of her door. Right in front of her door was another that looked to be constructed the same way. There were no identifying markers on2 the door aside from the steel leaves and branches.

Just then Nina heard screaming in the corridor. She strained to look down the hall, but the knife blade bars concealed too much. Nina waited foe the noise to approach before risking another glance.  When she did, Nina spied a woman who looked to have been beaten within an inch of her life. She was taken to the room across the hall and pushed in by a well dressed guard of some sort.

The woman stumbled, almost fell, and righted herself in the last moment. The guard pushed her down into a chair and whispered something into her ear. She screamed a mournful wail. " Not my boy! No no you can't kill my precious TimBob!"

"Oh given him a name have we?" The overseer sneered at Emilia. "Well it's no matter, " he grinned. "He'll never even learn it. The child burns tonight! He will be a sacrifice to the kingdom!" The overseer jeered as he turned and slammed the door. Taking a silver key and locking the bolt.

As he turned to leave he spotted Nina gazing at him through the small hatch in the door.

"Ahh our new guest" the overseer said graciously. "Perhaps when I have more time we can get better acquainted." He gave Nina a wink that sent shivers of revulsion down her spine.

Instead of putting him in his place she turned her head slightly, let the sparkle shine in her eyes and replied" maybe this place won't be so lonely for me after all." She gave him a coy look and brushed a strand of hair put of her face.

The overseer stammered. " uh uh umm ahhh yes,  I um must go but I'll return with fresh food. " He turned to leave and bumped into a stool knocking it over. He righted it,catching another glimpse of her face before blushing and hurrying down the hall.

Nina smiled to herself. "Wicked wiles for wicked men."