Emerging from the confusion, disorientation and swirling blinding light the Dream Cane uses to transport and transform people through to another realm both Dan and Raj quickly surveyed their surroundings. They were placed safely back into the Bardonia forest with Meswert, Eian, and Kaan.
Kaan approached them as the crimson butterflies fluttered away into the distance. Kaan was an experienced realm traveller and he recognized the slight anomaly as the pair returned. "Welcome back my friends," he said quietly with a knowing grin, "were you successful?"
Dan nodded vigorously, “Yes.”
Raj was more measured in his response. Raj took Kaan by the arm and turned their backs to the others, "We managed to find your knight, Dan placed the ring on his finger as instructed and he vanished into thin air; we assume he was transported here, but we can't say that with any degree of certainty. The boy’s in danger now Kaan, we’ve placed him in danger in his home realm."
"Understood," said Kaan, he turned to face the others, "today will be a big day, a glorious day in our history. Our friends in the forest have informed us of a massive gathering of devlins north of here. The devlins are streaming into the forest, they are organizing and leaving the sanctuary and safety of their caves, its clear that they intend to protect the foolish Ranger - Ryan. Today we begin our offense; today we’ll start our journey to break through their defenses and stop this misguided boy. We have to stop him,” he said rubbing his chin thoughtfully, “many lives will be lost this day but we all know the part we must play, protect the knight against all threats. We have to make sure that we get the knight within range of the Witches and the Elfen boy as soon as we can. The creatures of the forest will fight together to the death, I am confident of that, for they know what they're fighting for - their freedom and their way of life. Today you’ll see life long adversaries standing shoulder to shoulder united against a common enemy and fighting for a common cause."
A steely determination filled Kaan's narrowed eyes as the importance of this day swept over Dan and Raj. Animals of all shapes and sizes had been gathering in the forest; they were organizing and grouping into units organized by the owls and readying for their trek north into the Witches snare. Raj and Dan grew restless, the waiting was hard and they were starting to get irritable; finally the signal sounded and a collection of animals started to move out beginning their journey to deliver their destiny. It was a truly magnificent sight; the trees teamed with life supporting monkeys and birds all keen to provide assistance, direction and advanced intelligence. All races and breeds of animals moved in the most unusual procession through the forest trails; Kaan, Eian and the two Ricars were surrounded and protected deep within the procession and safe from any marauding devlin attacks. They proceeded through Ivany and the old forest; large established trees uprooted to created wide paths through the forest to support the journey of the animal army. Dan marveled at the spiritual trees and their ability to suddenly part and clear a path to their destination. The devlin pack would not attack the procession as it moved through the old forest; the trees were a formidable foe and the devlins were too smart; they would be far too exposed and tactically disadvantaged in a fight within this hallowed area. The devlins had deliberately skirted the old forest and forged their path further north travelling to a location that narrowed between two jagged rock rises; they blocked the narrow passage in a formation dozens of lines deep. This was ideal and a tactically strong position to defend making it a tough passage to breach. The devlins stood arranged within their lines standing shoulder to shoulder patiently waiting for their battle to commence. Standing in the cool shade offered by the tall rock, the largest devlin in the forest, and self appointed leader, swaggered into the area surrounded by the rock rise; he was flanked by two battle hardy and heavily scarred pack members escorting an unusual sight - a skinny Elfen boy holding a glowing golden flagon filled with liberating Milkenweed. Ryan was allowed to approach the pass as the devlin leader forced the tightly packed formation to break and separate for the hesitant Ryan.
Ryan walked nervously through the pass, large devlins reluctantly moved aside. Ryan felt tense and nervous, casting worried glances at the snorting rough haired beasts for he knew that on another day he would have been torn to shreds. He continued to walk through them unsure of his escape plan once he'd managed to free his love. A large devlin pushing his wet, sloppy nose aggressively into the small of his back nudged Ryan forward. If Ryan was to survive this he needed to stay close to the devlin leader and follow him closely for protection as he walked through the ranks of his loyal beasts patiently awaiting their fate. The lead devlin could not believe how easy this was, he’d expected a battle, to encounter hundreds of animals, a huge fight and dogged, determined resistance. Instead they simply walked through and had beaten his adversaries to the pass - this was going to be easy. They'd cleared the pass and the Witches snare was only two hours away and still no sign of the forest animals. They must have miscalculated, for what would have been their most celebrated day will soon be remembered as a no show.
When the animals finally arrived in numbers the first to engage the devlins in battle were the badgers. It probably wasn't the smartest of battle strategies but try telling the badgers that they had to hold back and be patient. After years of merciless persecution by the devlin the badgers were hell bent on revenge and retribution. The badgers attacked the devlin formation fighting in fierce packs snarling their teeth and flashing their claws. The devlin responded with an equal amount of aggression. The fight continued for about fifteen minutes with the badgers attacking then falling back to regroup, flashes of black and white fur soon turned to red. The devlin were getting tired but they were winning the fight. Heavy causalities were inflicted with dead badger’s lying bravely in the field of battle. Dead or wounded devlin were quickly pushed to the back of the pack by the other resolute devlins. The badgers would not give up; it was clear they would never give in as their pride was on the line for all of the other animals to see. The badgers were tenacious but out-sized and out-numbered. The devlin took heart from the battle, growing in confidence and standing firm. Many badger’s limped away from the fray lucky to still be alive.
Something needed to change for the badger’s bravery would have driven them to fight to the last brave badger fell. The badgers had killed a number of devlin, they’d wounded and tired the most battle ready front line but this small victory had come at a great loss. The signal to retreat was given and they reluctantly made way for the lions. The devlin regrouped growing in confidence that they would be able to repel any onslaught as they had demonstrated with the badgers. An uneasy feeling spread among the animals and the lions knew they needed to turn the battle around in their favor.
The lions lined up in a spear shaped formation knowing that their bravery could be met with death. The lions charged inflicting a lot of damage but the sheer number of devlins coupled with their tactically clever location meant the devlins would ultimately prevail no matter how brave the lions were. The animals however possessed a few clever tactics of their own now the battle had commenced. The lions charged initially swiping their vicious claws at their enemy, the noise of the big cats could be heard from the center of the procession that stretched miles back into the forest; the noise of battle heightened their senses. The big cats attacked but were smart for as quickly as they would inflict damage they would pull back escaping death. They attacked in short bursts, inflicting waves of injury and terror. Confident in their abilities to defeat any animal no matter how fierce the lions inflicted significant damage and the devlins sustained serious casualties but felt buoyed by their ability to hold the line and not yield.
The devlins tightly packed ranks had been temporarily broken with their formation scattered by the tenacity of the lions. Once the lions pulled back, large brown bears moved in to resume the onslaught. The bears were fast across the ground coming into view as much needed back up to the retreating lions. The devlins had no time to celebrate their short-l
ived victory or catch their breath as their next formidable opponent gave them a different challenge to survive. The bears approached the devlin pack by rearing up onto their hind legs and swinging their sharp razor like claws like fatal windmills causing damage and pain. The growls of the bears were deafening but the tortured screams of the wounded devlin could be heard for miles. The devlins positioned at the front tried to raised their weight up onto their haunches to match the cunning bears. As they elevated their heads they were surprised to see thick dense clouds of bees swarming in to attack the snouts and faces of the devlins. The devlins shook their heads furiously trying to avoid the bees but they were tightly packed and trapped within their formations, still the bears continued to attack. Severely distracted by the stinging bees while trying to avoid the fatal blows raining in from above them delivered by the bears, the devlins were again caught off guard. The tightly packed formation that was their advantage was now being used as a weapon against them limiting their mobility and adaptability. The badgers were more than eager to join the battle; they were desperately disappointed not to be selected to join the lions in the first onslaught. Badgers streamed into the pass catching the devlins unprepared again as their legs, paws, tails, and thick hides were now under attack from smaller enemies as they continued to be bitten, stung and slashed.
The bees regrouped and swarmed again - this time they created a black and yellow cloud of insects that annoyed and blinded the hapless devlins. The bears eased up on their assault falling back to provide the devlin pack a temporary reprieve. Foxes and stoats joined the battle by streaming in covering the ground quickly and joining the fight from all sides. The devlin pack was in shock as their reprieve lasted seconds before they were fighting a different animal and different challenges. This tactic was designed to wear out the enemy by having them fight constantly with no rest. The animals would attack in waves and then retreat, rest, or make way for another worthy adversary. The smaller ground based animals were ferocious and lightening quick but it took many successful attacks to bring a large beast to the ground ready for the kill. The bees continued to attack swirling in a stinging cloudy blanket providing a necessary distraction as the foxes attacked the confused devlins. Suddenly the badgers, foxes and stoats started to retreat in a well-choreographed maneuver with the bees providing a buzzing fog. When the bees cleared the devlins raised their badly stung snouts to see a sight of sheer terror; charging bulls and oxen with their horns lowered heading straight for them.
It was clear the battle was starting to turn in favor of the animals as a few startled devlins broke rank in terror, while others absorbed the full force of the charging bulls. Oxen followed swinging their horns wildly and throwing the large fallen devlins to one side clearing a path for the next charge. The bulls would charge again and quickly retreat allowing another fresh wave of bulls to charge. The devlins stood bravely absorbing the fatal blows unable to fight the bulls or match their raw power. Eventually the bulls tired but there was no reprieve for the poor loyal devlins. Eagles and owls swooped in from the sky to attack the heads and backs of the assembled devlin ranks. The devlins tried to regroup and arranged themselves into fighting patterns as they had agreed. The owls carried large boulders, which, when dropped from above, caused fatal wounds spreading fear, and confusion. The eagles with their oversized talons mercilessly attacked the devlins heads, eyes and necks. A few majestic eagles were killed, knocked out of the sky and unable to complete their swooping motion intercepted by snapping devlins that bit and trampled the brave birds to death.
As the birds attacked the cowering devlin pack the next animal wave prepared - this time it was more cats. Pumas, mountain lions, bobcats, panthers and tigers all lined up waiting for the signal to charge. A white owl streaked across the cats placing his trust and his life in the temporary accord. The owl was the signal as the cats surged into battle. Shioden was the largest and most feared tiger in Bardonia; he was selected to lead the cats into battle. Distracted by the falling boulders the devlins eyes grew wider with fear when faced by the bullet fast cats. Significant damage was inflicted in this attack as the ferocious cats faced the worn out, injured and morally beat devlin ranks; many fell screaming in agony. The large cats; hunters by trade executed ruthlessly.
The Elfen boy Ryan was again nudged in the back urging him to walk faster, he turned to glance backwards listening and aware of the screeches, howls and cries of pain emanating from the rocky pass. He was encouraged to keep walking, striving towards their goal as they followed a narrowing path previously cut through the trees and the brush. The mystical trees had passed and the rooted tree offered no resistance to the group intending to free the Witches. A parrot tracked their progress with worried concern unable to halt their progress. When this group had entered the rocky pass the lead devlin appeared extremely confident walking with a defiant swagger, with the desperate sounds that filled the crisp air, fatal screams of pain he didn't seem as confident.
Ryan would occasionally glance at the large devlin as he turned his worried head to sneak a furtive glance over his shoulders to assess the approaching danger at his back. Another more urgent prod in the back confirmed how worried the devlins demeanor were, as screams, snarls, growls and the horrendous sounds of a torrid battle filled the crisp afternoon air.
The animals had planned their battle to perfection attacking the devlin ranks in waves and distracting them with bees as the animals switched their offensive. The devlins became mentally and physically tired and wounded, some lost faith, broke rank, and fled in fear. The devlins were now scared and hesitant, as wounded, mutilated and dead devlins littered the battle scene giving more confidence of a victory to the animals. Injured animals were quickly removed, dragged away for treatment under the cover of swarms of bees, by the ever-vigilant packs of monkeys.
In the heat of the battle the devlins had not time to notice the injured animals and to them it looked like they were the only side sustaining heavy losses, with the animals having relatively light casualties. This added to their lack of confidence and commitment to their cause, the faith in their battle plan had faded quickly for the beleaguered devlins. A few more broke rank and charged forward in one last desperate ploy to go out with honor, but this panic induced reaction allowed their tight formation to open up encouraging more frightened and trapped devlins to stream forward. Wasps and hornets swarmed together in a thick yellow cloud blocking their view and providing the necessary cover to mask the inevitable; the swarming insects eventually cleared to reveal hundreds of organized waiting cats. The larger cats attacked first marauding into the shocked devlins; the smaller cats pounced upon the fallen and the wounded to finish them off by attacking their throats.
The devlins were losing this fight badly, and as brave as they had fought, they had delayed the advancing animals by about an hour; this would buy their advancing group travelling ahead some time but would it be enough? The animals would emerge victorious today. Raj and Dan had been progressing steadily towards the noise and the rocky pass. They crested a small hill littered with the dead, wounded and still eager where they could now see the full extent of the carnage that lay before them. Meswert held his twig like arm aloft to slow the chasing group to a halt.
Packs of cats hunted the remaining devlins teaming up on the hapless beasts. Bulls would charge in forcing the devlins to scatter and break their formation; packs of lions and tigers would pounce in teams attacking the legs, backs, and throats of the wounded devlins. Oxen would clear the fallen carcasses protected by badgers, stoats and weasels all forming an impenetrable guard. Elk, and deer waited in reserve, in case their sharp antlers were needed. These animals would be no matches for the sheer bulk of a devlin, yet they waited - eager to contribute.
Waiting patiently at the back of the attacking forces was a colorful collection of tigers; they circled and snarled in pure frustration itching to join in the fight and help their comrades. Raj had noticed the large sleek tigers, all fine specimens, "Why don't the
y unleash those tigers?" he said impatiently.
Kaan pointed to a dead tree, its stump and branches stripped bare by a white-hot lightening bolt strike, "Look over there." They shifted their gaze away from the battle to a tree strategically placed across the battlefield looking down into the rocky pass. Perched high upon a blackened branch surrounded by numerous large eagles was the largest white owl in Bardonia. The owl was gigantic; it was majestic and considerably larger than the owl that had transported Dan to Crescent Island to receive an audience with the Crocodile Queen. "That's Wist; she's the oldest and wisest creature in the forest. Looks like she's calling the shots and planning the battle; she'll decide when to use the largest of the tigers."
Above their heads their attention was drawn to the cackling sound of a thousand crows as they swooped into the battle creating a black wall of feathered confusion. Occasionally a frustrated devlin would lash out aimlessly and wound a bird knocking it clean out of the air. They would tear it from wing to limb mercilessly. A young impetuous devlin charged the swirling birds penetrating the black blanket of feathers. As the devlin burst through to the other side it was met by a pride of ferocious lions that showed no mercy to the defiant beast.
The wounded and dead were quickly and efficiently cleared away as the next attack was readied. The devlin ranks were now growing thin leaving them exposed; the last remaining fighters were injured, cornered, scared and mentally broken. A cloud of black crows scattered and instantly large black paws armed with razor sharp ripping claws emerged from the sea of scattered feathers. Panthers had been ordered to attack unleashing their power and striking fear into the frightened and vulnerable devlins. The panther’s intense speed and agility occupied the remaining few in what would be a final fatal fight, as the lions attacked from their flanks to deliver throat crushing bites.
The pass had now been breached with a couple of severely injured devlins turning to flee; the speedy panthers would deliver the final blow tracking down the remaining devlins with their keen sense of smell, acute hearing and motion sensitive eyes.
The oxen continued to remove the fallen beasts to one side creating a clear path for the chasing group to enter. An eagle flew gracefully from the blackened tree and landed nervously yards away from the largest agitated tiger still pacing with pent up aggression. A dozen hand-selected tigers were held back from the fray, in perfect condition and unharmed in any way they lined up at the entrance to the pass, "Yeah, shouted Kaan punching the air with his fist."
Raj tried to find the source of Kaan’s obvious excitement. It took him a while to see the large white owl had glided from her branch, opened up her considerable wingspan and flew to escort a lone horse sprinting from the cover provided by the woods. A white dappled stallion leapt around the fallen carcasses of bloodied devlins. Majestically riding the stallion was a knight wearing flowing robes, chainmail and protective armor plates; he carried a shield painted with the Golden Fleece portrayed against a brilliant blue background. The blue and white tunic of the Order of the Golden Fleece flapped in the wind as he steadied his horse. Jean d'Alluye raised his sword high into the air in salute to the brave animals as he entered the rocky pass followed by the impressive sight of a pack of black and orange striped tigers.
Raj, Eian and Dan did not require further encouragement; simultaneously they punched the air shouting as loudly as they could until their voices failed and their throats were sore. A flock of majestic eagles flew by overhead to lend their advanced vision to the chasing group and accompany them to the scene of the final battle.
"I so wish we were going with them," said Eian wistfully.
"Don't feel bad, you’ve done your part admirably, and the animals can feel proud of their accomplishments today," whispered Kaan, his throat feeling dry from the shouting. “When the history books are written, we visitors from other realms are rarely mentioned, but you, my young Elfen Ranger friend will be a hero for the part you’ve played. You've helped us and in turn you've helped find and liberate Jean d'Alluye, the one knight powerful enough to slay the Witches. Only he could do this but history will show a different story for it will tell the part you played; it will tell how you managed to locate this mysterious knight right here in Bardonia and how you worked together in battle to save your realm."
"But I didn't," said Eian looking confused and embarrassed, he glanced at the Ricar hunching his shoulders.
Both Dan and Raj smiled, "Yes you did," affirmed Raj. "You just didn't know it."
The victor will always write history, and one has to wonder if any of the fabled stories that you here in song, paintings, tapestries or tall tales are indeed fact or embellished and fabricated for popular consumption. Eian had shown great courage to follow Raj and Dan on their initial quest. He'd lost Elfen comrades along the way watching them die horrible deaths right in front of his eyes. He deserved to be recognized as the local hero who gave this realm a fighting chance of survival. Bardonia's fate now rested with a mounted knight from another realm, a speedy stallion and a dozen large tigers, all in hot pursuit.
The tigers cut through the jungle with sublime ease guided by the monkeys, parrots and eagles soaring above; birds screamed directions from the safety of their branches above. The stallion had to follow a longer path but his speed over the ground was considerable. Two tigers remained as the knight’s escort to ensure safe passage while the other tigers forged on ahead. It wasn't long before the chasing group had caught the advanced group that included Ryan carrying a golden flagon full of glowing Milkenweed.
The worried devlins could sense the approaching pack from the noise generated by the excited monkeys high in the canopy. A little way back, birds scattered indicating the trailing group were close now; around the next bend in the muddy path was the location where the Witches were ensnared. The famous snare was a hollowed out bank of lush grass that surrounded the three Witches. The Witches were secured in place with their arms, elbows, wrists, knees and ankles all bound by thick strands of Larkinsfelt weed. A mystical spell had been cast upon them all where the Witches were placed in a form of resting sleep, suspended in time and rendered harmless. This was the best that anyone could do for only certain people are strong enough, powerful enough, to kill a Witch. Three badgers were permanently assigned to guard and watch over the Witches, they lived in a burrow at the foot of the snare. Once the devlins approached they stood their ground and fought gallantly; it was not an even fight and they knew they were unevenly matched in a fight with a much larger, more battle hardy group of devlins. The badger’s tenacity accomplished one important thing that would prove to be pivotal; they bought some time - not much, but enough. The larger devlin unceremoniously shoved Ryan forward encouraging him to approach the sleeping Wendy as he struggled to figure out his escape plan.
She looked so beautiful, peaceful and fresh as the day she’d been spellbound in this obvious case of mistaken identity - they didn't know her story like he did. Ryan looked at her beautiful face now ashen and drained of the blush that normally illuminated her cheekbones. Her auburn hair fell gracefully around her face and her arms were folded across her chest. It was there again; another urgent push in the back, this time accompanied by a grunt that signaled the urgency. The forest had gone eerily quiet as if the animals were all watching him and holding their collective breath. He could see the three Witches sleeping and arranged next to Wendy with their hooked noses, warts and puckered faces protruding from their grass shrouds. How could Wendy be one of them? She wasn't, he told himself and he was here to prove them all wrong by righting this injustice.
Ryan fell to his knees and reached for the heavy golden flagon, he gazed into Wendy's innocent eyes as he gripped the flagon's gold cap. A commotion behind him temporarily commanded his attention as a large muscular tiger sprang from the bushes and attacked a large devlin protecting Ryan. The other devlins rushed to his assistance but more tigers arrived to join the fight. A badly wounded badger caught a glimpse of the impressive tigers as the last spark
of his spirit ebbed away from his lifeless body.
The battle was fierce as the devlins fought to protect Ryan and protect his mission. Ryan hurriedly opened the cap dipping his finger into the neck of the flagon trying to ignore the chaos behind him. The thick wetness of the Milkenweed glowed upon his finger as he reached inwards towards Wendy’s lips. He wiped his dripping finger across her lifeless lips allowing the glowing liquid to penetrate and fall into her mouth. For an instant nothing happened and he was stricken with fear - was all of this for nothing?
Suddenly Wendy gasped deeply for air bucking wildly, uncontrollably with her body writhing in pain; one final spasm subsided as her eyes finally opened. She immediately sat upright quickly surveying her surroundings for immediate danger. Dark clouds gathered quickly overhead with billowing tortured faces appearing in the swirling folds. Jean d'Alluye looked skywards and encouraged his stallion to run faster. The tigers were starting to overpower the devlins in an epic battle of speed, strength, cunning and power. Wendy gazed upon the love-struck Ranger trying to keep his promise to her. Her situation and her surroundings finally becoming clear she realized and seized upon the opportunity now presented to her.
While snared within their protective restraints the Witches power continued to grow, frustrated by their incarceration and unable to break free from the powerful spell. They’d tried to live their lives quietly hidden in the woods, until their powers grew from feeding upon the negative energies of war, strife, prejudice, disease, hatred and the growing levels of evil within the realm.
The Witches experimented with more powerful spells where they brought disease and death to the surrounding villagers. They’d advanced to a point where they could change the formation of matter and change form. Left unchecked they would soon have the ability to open inter-dimensional portals designed to invite more evil into the realm. Their ultimate goal would be to open a portal into the dark realms and invite the Dark Prince to step through into this realm. A flood of beasts, gargoyles, demons and unimaginable evil would pour through to convert Bardonia and the sixth realm over to the dark side completely. All good would be eradicated and the forest would burn leaving a charred smoking world full of death, disease and evil.
The Witches had been secured by a spell rendering them helpless yet despite their growing powers only one thing could break their incarceration - Milkenweed.
Ryan had unwittingly supplied the key to their escape; he placed a few Milkenweed drops onto Wendy’s lips. She rose effortlessly, the rosy color of her complexion came flooding back to her cheeks and the sparkle immediately returned to her once vacant eyes. She had Ryan completely besotted staring at her face while a dangerous frantic bloody battle surrounded him. The tigers were about to break through by removing the last devlin who offered resistance. Ryan noticed a small path leading away from the snare, "Quickly, let's go this way," he urged grabbing Wendy’s cold hand.
Wendy resisted flicking her hand towards the heavy golden flagon that Ryan gripped tightly. An invisible force wrenched the flagon away from Ryan's grip; it rose and flew through the air as if possessed. To Ryan’s utter astonishment the heavy flagon landed gracefully upon Wendy's upturned palm. With her other hand Wendy pointed to Ryan's feet; instantly the ground started to rumble with a strange noise and clouds of dust shot from the ground in strange patterns; tree roots emerged rapidly from the forest floor and began to wrap themselves around Ryan’s feet coiling their way up his legs while binding him in place. Ryan was trapped, immobile and rooted to the ground - literally.
Ryan looked up desperately at Wendy's smiling face, "Foolish boy," she sneered her voice growing grotesquely deeper and sinister sounding. Ryan’s face said it all, he was deeply hurt, betrayed and felt like the village fool, how could he have not seen this when everyone else did? She waved her hand again and pointed over his shoulder towards the brave tigers destined to be her next victims. They tried to run, writhed and struggled to break free from the surging roots that grabbed them from the ground beneath. Despite the snarling, growling, hissing and yelps of pain, all of the tigers were forcefully restrained, trapped by the binding roots that wound around the tiger's limbs, paws, tails and bodies.
Wendy casually walked over to Ryan paralyzed with fear and immobilized by the restrictive tightening of the roots wrapping his legs and arms. Wendy ran her long finger nails down Ryan's flushed cheek, "Foolish, foolish boy - Of course I'm a Witch, thank you for bringing me this," she said thrusting the flagon against his face, "I’ll be happy to use this to release my sisters, they can decide how you’ll die." Wendy laughed an evil sinister laugh that Ryan would never forget. Ryan shook his head reflecting upon how stupid he had been. Why didn't he listen to Eian who told him repeatedly that she was a Witch? Why had his heart overruled his head? How could he be such an idiot - a love struck blind fool? Why is it that a woman can easily manipulate a man who falls in love?
As Ryan lamented his gullible nature a white flashing blur caught the attention of his eye. Wendy had crouched upon one knee turning her back momentarily to feed the Milkenweed to one of her sisters. A large dappled stallion flashed by Ryan at great speed allowing Jean d'Alluye with his blade drawn to slash at the unsuspecting Witch with a brutal downwards blow. The sword caught Wendy cleanly at the shoulder severing her arm in one vicious strike. The arm detached instantly and with it fell the golden flagon spilling Milkenweed onto the grass. Wendy let out a blood-curdling scream, so loud it made the trapped tiger's recoil in horror. She turned her injured body, blood still streaming from her open wound to face her attacker, the brave knight. With her other arm she pointed her finger at her wound and a flash of light temporarily blinded all who were near. A scaly shell wrapped itself around her shoulder sealing her wound and preserving her powers. She glared at the knight, revenge flashing in fiery callous eyes. She pointed at the knight’s stallion with devastating effect. A broad blinding beam of white-hot light shot straight into the horse’s side puncturing his skin, ripping a wide hole into his stomach and causing the horse to drop instantly to the floor writhing in pain from the fatal wound.
Jean managed to leap from the horse and break the force of his fall with his shield. As he tried to regain his footing, Wendy pointed at Jean where a white beam of intense light streamed unsympathetically towards him. Jean managed to raise his shield in a defensive maneuver to deflect the beam skywards saving his torso from being ripped to shreds. The Byzantium metal shield held strong thwarting the evil force that was directed towards the knight by the angry Witch.
The Witch spun creating a swirling wind that pulled dirt from the ground into a blinding cloud. Jean could feel roots surging around his feet and shooting up his armored legs. He hacked at them frantically slashing the roots with his sword. The Witch stuck her hand into her mouth and tore at one of her long fingernails. She pulled it out of her hand spitting it at the frantic knight. The nail flew through the air turning into the shape of a large black bat. It flapped its wings and attacked the knight. The bat’s teeth were large and sharp but the bat had sharp pointed talons on its wings that it used to slash at the knight. The roots surged relentlessly trying to restrain the knight as the large bat swirled above attacking the distracted knight. The Witch unleashed her power but his thick shield again repelled her ray of light. The knight was distracted and the Witch had the power to finish him off but inexplicably she made a decision that would ultimately change the course of history for this realm.
Wounded and angry, Wendy decided to turn her full attention to her snared sisters - perhaps she could awaken them, retrieve the spilled Milkenweed and together they could defeat this pesky irritable knight. Jean anticipated Wendy’s next move but she surprised him. As she spun around to face her sisters, her dress drenched in blood, she flung out her arm and pointed it towards Ryan. Instantly the roots that secured him to the ground started to climb the remainder of his body muffling his screams as they tightened choking the last breath from his lifeless body. Wendy showed no remorse or s
ympathy for the young man that had fallen in love with her. Wendy had flirted with Ryan but it was now clear for all he was to her was a temporary distraction on a couple of hot summer evenings within the forest, a poor soul to help pass the time and relieve the boredom. Wendy kneeled again attempting to retrieve the golden flagon and its spilled contents from the ground. It still contained some of the glowing liquid within its glass flask.
Jean realized his mistake and his heart felt like it flew into his throat - he was too far away to prevent her from using the Milkenweed. The bat swooped in for the kill but Jean had wriggled his arm free and swiped quickly at the ferocious bat. The blade whipped through the air catching the approaching bat on the neck severing its head in one efficient blow. The body of the bat crashed into Jean knocking him to the ground. This turned out to be a seminal moment in Bardonian history; it was the moment that would be immortalized, sung about in ballads, painted and weaved into tapestries that would hang in the great halls of Elfen and Ricar castles forever. Jean knew he couldn’t reach the deceptive Witch in time to prevent her from waking her sister. He also knew he would not be able to overpower the combined forces of many Witches, but what could he do?
The roots surged taking advantage of his fallen position. He tilted his head skywards and watched the white head of an eagle fly by contrasted against the swirling black clouds that were starting to blot out the light. That's the moment the idea came to him - like a vision from the stars; his hand rested upon the handle of his Byridium metal sword. He discarded his heavy shield stripping himself from his only protection. As if they knew, the tigers stopped their struggling and remained still, silent and calm, as the shield hit the ground with an audible thud. Jean raised his unusual sword high above his shoulders and contorted his body to throw the sword like a javelin. He would be afforded one opportunity; one shot, one important shot to save the realm and succeed in his mission. His armor was bulky and heavy, under which he wore chain mail and a flowing tunic - could he do this?
As he raised the sword he noticed how deceptively light it was but combined with his armor he had to strain summoning all of his strength and determination to launch the sword through the air and direct it towards the Witches’ turned back. He watched in horror as the light weight blade wobbled through the air in an ungainly arc. The tigers followed the unlikely blade as their heads moved together and their eyes widened at the sight. The sword flew awkwardly through the air but it penetrated Wendy's shoulder blade with ease, slicing through skin, muscle and bone. It landed with a heavy thud causing Wendy to exhale loudly before slumping to one side in a fatal heap.
Upon her death the roots fell away allowing Jean to pick up his shield and run towards Wendy still unsure if he needed to finish the job. The remarkable blade had penetrated Wendy's back passing clean through her ribs, and heart, killing her instantly. As the sword entered her upper back she’d managed to dip her finger into the Milkenweed and was about to wipe it onto the lips of one of the Witches. As she slumped forward in her last defiant act she wanted desperately to release her sister to exact revenge. Wendy slumped into a crumpled heap skewered by a sharp unforgiving Byridium sword, as she fell forward she managed to direct her finger to the mouth of the sleeping Witch.
When Wendy expired the restraints provided by her spell allowed the tigers to wriggle free; the lead tiger charged towards the remaining Witches ahead of the charging knight. The Larkinsfelt weed that provided the restraints unraveled and fell away releasing the Witch closest to Wendy's body. Her eyes opened and she sat upright trying to orient herself quickly to her surroundings. A tiger had noticed the movement and immediately pounced upon the newly released Witch. The Witch reacted quickly by flicking her palm and powerfully pushing the tiger’s heavy leaping body aside like it was a rag doll - slamming him into the thick trunk of a nearby tree. The tiger was brave and fearless - but no match for the older, and more powerful Witch. While the tiger was not successful in his attack he’d provided a necessary distraction to provide time for Jean to arrive at the scene in a position to take action. The Witch, still shaken by her awakening, swiped her hand towards the approaching knight, but as he had done before his shield deflected the powerful force. In one quick movement the knight lunged to his side, deflecting the fatal white beam of light. He withdrew the sword from Wendy's slumped dead body and using his shield to block her powers he disguised his actions until he was close enough to the Witch.
Jean thrust his strong arm forward ramming the sword’s sharp tip through the Witch’s breast with as much force as he could muster instantly piercing her heart. A fierce burning sensation coursed through her body as she screamed her obvious displeasure. The injured tiger lifted his head to watch the Witch die a painful death. Jean withdrew his arm quickly extracting the blade that so expertly administered the fatal wound. He quickly moved to the other Witches resting in their snared slumber and without mercy or compassion performed the same action eliminating the threat of these evil powerful Witches from Bardonia and the sixth realm. The knight retrieved the Golden Flagon acutely aware of its mystical healing properties. He walked over to the badly injured tiger lying bravely at the base of a thick tree. The tiger had blood seeping from its mouth, several broken ribs and a broken back making his hind legs unusable. In this state the tiger would surely die. The worried tiger had barely enough strength to raise his sad amber colored eyes expecting Jean to administer a blow from the mighty sword to relieve him of his misery. It would have been the humane thing to do; the other tigers offered little resistance as they expected the same fate, they were saddened by the crippled state of their leader. One tiger turned away not wanting to see the final blow to this proud animal that fought valiantly.
Instead, the knight kneeled at the tiger’s motionless head and poured a little of the glowing Milkenweed into the palm of his hand offering it to the brave tiger. The tiger summoned every ounce of energy he had left to lap at the sweet liquid unsure of its origin and unfamiliar with its odor. Instantly his pain ebbed away and he clambered back onto all fours standing and feeling strong and rejuvenated. The tiger hunched down aggressively and growled at movement in the bushes behind the knight; two Ricars, a monk and an Elfen Ranger emerged.
Kaan, the monk, was the first to speak, "The Witches?"
Jean answered, "All dead," he spoke with a familiarity, as if he knew Kaan well.
Eian's gaze was transfixed upon the broken crumpled body to his right, still ensnared and suffocated by a mass of thick dusty dirt covered roots, "Ryan?"
"I'm afraid he’s gone, she killed him for fun - I think it was just out of spite.” Jean pushed his unusual but mighty sword back into its scabbard, "The devlins?" he inquired.
"All gone, the tigers and panthers are rounding up the remaining strays," Kaan rubbed his face and he walked towards the knight extending his hand, "It's good to see you old friend, I know she's waiting for you."
"It's good to see you too," said Jean, shaking the monk's hand. Jean turned to face Eian and the Ricars, "Forgive me for saying this but you’re not Ricars, are you the two who freed me from the suspension spell back at the museum?"
Dan and Raj both nodded, a little awestruck at the sight of the majestic knight.
The knight knelt upon his knee and bowed his head in reverence, "I thank you for your bravery kind Sirs, you were mentioned in the prophecy and the whole realm thanks you for your actions." It was a mark of respect rooted in another time but for Dan and Raj it was a moment they would treasure for the rest of their lives. They knew they'd helped the knight get to Bardonia but they couldn't help but question the price they would have to pay for their actions.
Earth had been their home, their crimson butterfly escape, and their sanctuary - where they could return to normalcy when they took a break in their adventure. It seemed their world had changed becoming more sinister. If the dark forces could penetrate and invade their realm, Earth, then they would need to be vigilant at all times. A Witch had cast a vile spell upon the c
rusader knight while in Earth's realm and the dark forces will be seeking an answer to the question - who released him? Who on Earth has this ability in modern times? They unwittingly had become targets.
Dan and Raj smiled and nodded at the brave knight, Jean stood and slowly walked towards Eian, "A small Elfen Ranger with a heart larger than all of us. Armed with a small sword, a bow, and unwavering determination - you’ve managed to keep us all together, to keep us moving towards this glorious conclusion and we thank you and salute you brave Ranger. You’re a credit to your colors. We all know what the prophecy said, but we cannot have this realm believing that its fate depended upon the intervention of creatures from another time and another realm. Do you see how that would be disruptive to your society and its belief system?"
Eian nodded, not fully understanding the ramifications of the knight’s point.
"We have to tell your people a small white lie, they don't need to know about this sword or the power invested within this ring, that will draw attention to me and feed the evil forces needing to find and eradicate me. The Ricars standing here and the monk will be hunted for their part in this and we need to protect their identities. I'm sorry young Elfen, we have to do this, but we’ll need to change the sequence of events that occurred on this fateful day and you will have to bare a great burden my friend - for the common good. If we have earned your respect today then you have an opportunity to help us, by taking the bravest step of them all. We need you to take responsibility for this, we need you to be known as the one who stood tall and fought bravely and defeated the Witches. You killed the young Witch and you killed the older more powerful Witches.” Eian recoiled shaking his head, “You fought valiantly alongside the knight, the monk and the Ricars," his story was quickly interrupted by a loud aggressive growl. "My sincere apologies to my majestic friends," said the knight bowing his head in respect, "and, of course, the tigers and the animals of the realm. But, it will have to be you, young Elfen Ranger that goes into the history books as the vanquisher and the savior, for we can't draw any more attention to our very existence - do you understand and are you willing to shoulder this burden?"
Eian just stared letting the gravity of the request wash over him, "I don't feel good about living a lie; I would be taking credit for your actions and that's not honorable - but yet I understand why you ask, and reluctantly accept your challenge to me.”
"The tigers will tell the animals what happened here today for they already know of our kind but you will be lauded as a hero and we will quietly slip away into the shadows - it’s what we want."
Eian puffed out his chest and glanced at Ryan’s crumpled remains, "My friend, he was really deceived but he was a good man, a man of honor - I don't want history to think he was evil, he was seduced by her beauty and deceived."
Raj glanced at the sky, the once dark swirling clouds with ominous tortured faces appearing within their shapes had started to dissipate leaving a welcome blue sky, he stepped forward, "A man will always follow his head and the stronger traits of logic will always prevail, but a good man will always follow his heart when it comes to decisions he must make about a woman. Ryan paid the ultimate price but he was deceived, he didn't want to believe she was a Witch and, in the end, she turned on him. There is a lesson here, to see through your heart and use your head."
The words had just left his mouth when crimson winged butterflies fluttered across the clearing catching the attention of the vigilant tiger guard. Raj raced over to Eian thrusting a leather pouch full of golden nuggets into Eian’s hand. “This is yours now my boy,” a swirl of light flooded Raj and Dan's heads as they were instantly transported back to their realm.
* * * * *
The Fifth Realm - Earth
Chapter 12: A Good Friend.
Westtown, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
“Trust is the glue of life. It's the most essential ingredient of communication.”