by Dale Britton
"I see Johnny and Jordan," Ollie said. "They're okay. George took Yrabelle to the mine, so she should be safe. I'm not sure where the others are. George and Lylor went after Ian." And Ian had been blasted off the platform. Where were George and Lylor? Was Ian alive? He was the one who had saved them. If he hadn't attacked Alakabal when he did, they'd all be dead.
Alakabal fought the pull of the portal as well, but he wasn't faring as well as Johnny. The talisman forced the portal to attract material that originated from the demon dimension. The demon lord was immensely strong, but not even he could resist the pull of an entire world. Inch by inch, foot by foot, he was slowly dragged closer and closer to the opening. Lesser demons were pulled out of the floor of the valley and drawn up the ramp, some flying past like they were shot out of a cannon. The wolf-demon that had tried to attack Sarah was gone, already disappearing through the portal.
Finally, Lylor and George appeared from the back of the platform. George had his massive sword drawn, while Lylor carried an unmoving Ian in his arms. George's sword dripped with black demon blood and he looked completely out of breath.
"I see Lylor and George," Ollie said. "They have Ian."
Sarah raised her head wearily and looked where he was pointing. "Is Ian..." Her voice trailed off. Ollie didn't answer. He couldn't tell from here if Ian was breathing or not. His mind went back to Ian's attack. The explosion had been strong enough to throw him all the way across the platform, and it was nearly twenty feet to the ground. No. He can't be dead. Ollie wanted to run to them, but he didn't dare leave Sarah to handle the talisman alone. Instead, he said a silent prayer for his friend.
Yrabelle collapsed onto the ground next to Ollie and Sarah.
"Yrabelle!" Ollie exclaimed. "Why aren't you in the mine?"
"You should be thankful that I didn't remain where George left me." She smiled grimly. "When I get my hands on him..."
Ollie nodded with understanding. "You're the one who threw the spear. I wondered..."
He was interrupted by a cry of rage that permeated the entire valley. Alakabal stood at the threshold of the portal, straining against its pull. The lesser demons were gone now, all returned to their world of origin. The demon lord still fought, but he couldn't overcome the power of the talisman. His burning eyes met Ollie's.
"You shall pay for this humiliation." The demon's voice spoke directly into Ollie's mind. "I leave you my curse."
The words floated in Ollie's head for a moment like something solid, and he felt a sudden burning in his chest. Then the demon disappeared through the portal and was gone from the world.
Chapter One Hundred and Thirteen
Johnny stumbled up to the group, struggling under the weight of his burden. Ollie helped him to carefully lay Jordan onto the ground next to the others. Jordan moaned, then quieted.
Johnny gasped for breath. "I didn't know girls were so heavy. Someone get a healing potion. I think she's alright, but she's hurt pretty bad. She might have a broken arm."
Ollie scrambled in his bag for a potion as George and Lylor arrived. Lylor still carried Ian, and he lay the unmoving boy onto the ground beside Jordan.
"Is he..." Ollie started, but stopped when he saw Lylor's grim expression.
The elf gave a slight shake of his head. "We were followed by a small hoard of demons. George and I were compelled to do battle with the creatures before we could reach our friend." Sarah began to cry softly from where she lay on the ground.
"He was stuck in the scaffolding behind the platform." George had tears in his eyes. "I had to climb up to get him down. By the time I got there..."
"What's wrong with him?" Johnny said, his voice tinged with panic. "He's going to be okay, right?"
"He was caught in an explosion. I found this in his hands." Lylor held up the hilt of Ian's sword. All that was left of the blade was a jagged piece of metal.
"No." Johnny's voice sounded numb. "He'll be alright. We have potions."
"He isn't breathing," George said, staring blankly at the ground. "We were too late."
Yrabelle took hold of George's hand and squeezed it tightly. "I am so sorry."
"Get out of the way."
Ollie turned to see Sarah moving unsteadily toward them with a determined look in her eyes.
"What are you doing, Sarah? You should be resting."
"Get. Out. Of. My. Way."
Ollie backed away from her as she made her way to Ian's side, and began to perform CPR. She pumped Ian's chest, counted silently, breathed into his mouth, then pumped his chest again. "How long?" she asked between breaths.
"I don't know," George said. "It all happened so fast."
"It's been about ten minutes since he was caught in the explosion," Ollie said. "So it can't be more than that." More than enough time to cause permanent brain damage, even if Sarah managed to resuscitate him, which was unlikely.
Apparently, Sarah was thinking the same thing. "Tell me we still have potions left," she panted, a touch of panic in her voice.
"I have a couple," Ollie said. "But he can't drink it."
"We have to get it into his bloodstream." Sarah pumped Ian's chest again. "There has to be something we can do."
Lylor pulled out his hunting knife. "There is something. I have known this method to work. Fill a water skin with the potion, Ollie, and I will open a vein. Then you can force the potion into him by compressing the skin."
"That might actually work," Ollie said. He grabbed one of their water pouches and dumped out its contents. He pulled off the stopper on one of the bottles of potion and hastily poured it into the water skin, then poured in a second bottle for good measure.
"I will cut him in the leg," Lylor said. "We need a large vein."
"Are you sure about this?" Johnny kneeled on the other side of Ian, holding his brother's limp hand. "What if it doesn't work?"
George put a shaking arm on Johnny's shoulder. "Let them work, Johnny. This is Ian's only chance."
"Pause, Sarah." Lylor made a deep incision on Ian's leg. Blood began to seep out, and Ollie almost lost it. He had to close his eyes for a second and take a deep breath to keep from passing out. You'd never make it as a surgeon.
"Now, Ollie," Lylor shouted, "before he loses too much blood!"
Lylor held the incision open, and Ollie put the mouth of the pouch against the wound and forced the potion out of the pouch and into Ian's leg. He couldn't tell how much of the potion was actually getting in.
"Cool," George said.
"Cover the cut." Sarah pumped Ian's chest again, forcing his blood to circulate. She was breathing hard with the effort of keeping up with the CPR. Ollie pressed hard where Lylor had cut open Ian's leg. Sarah breathed into Ian's mouth again, while everyone else held their own breaths. The entire valley had gone silent, with even the chains of the former prisoners lying still. Sarah murmured a prayer and pumped Ian's chest again.
And then Ian coughed. His eyes fluttered, then opened. Ollie pulled back his hand and found that Ian's wound had disappeared, healed magically by the potion. He let out his breath and sighed with relief. Sarah fell back from Ian, completely exhausted and her eyes filled with tears. Johnny threw his arms around his brother, hugging him tightly and crying with relief.
"What's going on," Ian asked. "What's wrong with you guys?"
"Everything's fine," Ollie said. "Thanks to you."
Ian stared at him for a second, obviously confused. "Did I miss something? And why are you covered with blood?"
Chapter One Hundred and Fourteen
It was really over. The talisman had done its work and the portal was once again an empty frame. The only demons left in the valley were dead, their misshapen bodies scattered across the barren ground. The former prisoners had quieted and looked now to their saviors. Amazingly, in all of the chaos of the battle, not one of them had been killed, though many had injuries. It was still very cold, but Ollie could feel the temperature beginning to rise as Alakabal's magic began to unravel. The twilig
ht began to dwindle, and a few stars appeared in the darkening sky.
Their own group wasn't in very good shape. Only Lylor and George still had the strength to stay upright. Everyone else lay on the ground, either from injuries or exhaustion. But they had all survived. Somehow, miraculously, they had faced a demon lord and actually won.
"What now?" George watched Yrabelle closely, maybe worried that she might pass out, or maybe just not believing she was actually here, and they had really rescued her from the demons.
"We need to do something for these people," Sarah said. "They're freezing to death, and they're starving. They need help."
Ollie reached over and slipped the magic ring off Jordan's finger. The healing potion had done wonders for her, but she was sound asleep. It would probably be a while before she woke up.
"Here." He handed the ring to Lylor. "You're in the best shape right now. I'm sure one of these demons had a key to the cuffs. Plus, there has to be food here somewhere. They had to keep everyone alive until it was time for the ritual."
Lylor nodded and solemnly accepted the ring. He slipped it on his finger, then disappeared in a blur. In a few moments, the former slaves' chains began to drop to the ground as Lylor unlocked them.
"Okay, " Ian said, "we completed our task. We beat the demon. Now how do we get back home?"
"I don't know," Ollie admitted. "We might have to return to Father Peter. He's the one who brought us here. He might be the only one who can send us back."
Ian groaned. "That's such a long trip. At this rate, we won't even get back in time for finals."
"We've been gone for weeks," Johnny said. "That's a lot of classwork to make up."
"At least we're not dead," George said. "It could be a lot worse."
"Our parents are probably going crazy," Sarah said. "What are we going to tell them when we get back?"
Everyone stared at each other for a moment. What could they tell their parents? Nobody would believe the truth.
"I wish I could see your world," Yrabelle said wistfully. "It sounds like such a remarkable place. Flying machines, devices to communicate over miles, and all of the entertainment that you have spoken of. It sounds so impossible."
"Don't forget the candy," Johnny said. "I'd kill for a snickers bar right now."
"Or a McDonald's," Ian said. "I've gone way too long without any French fries."
George had moved over to Yrabelle's side and had taken her hand. "Is there any way she could come to our world?"
Ollie shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. I mean, we came here, so it makes sense that someone in this world could come to ours. But I have no idea how it could happen. Maybe Father Peter would know, or one of the Elven magic users."
"All I want to know is how to get back," Ian said.
Lylor appeared out of a blur. "I've released all of the captives. You were correct in your supposition about the food, Ollie. I discovered a store in the mine. It should be sufficient for our journey out of the mountains."
"Great," Ollie said. "I think we should leave first thing in the morning."
"Let's at least move out of the valley," Sarah said. "I don't like that tower."
"Or all of the demon bodies," Johnny said. "They're already starting to stink."
Ollie dragged himself to his feet. "Maybe we should camp out in the mine tonight. It has to be warmer in there than out here." Ollie suddenly noticed that Lylor was looking at him strangely. "What's wrong?"
"You are fading, my friend," Lylor said. "I believe that your quest has come to its end."
Ollie looked at the others and saw that Lylor was right. All five of his friends from Earth were beginning to look like phantoms. He looked at Sarah and could see the ground right through her body.
"What's happening to us?" Ian stared at his hands with wide eyes.
"I think we're going back," Ollie said. "The summoning spell is ending."
"My people will ever be in your debt," Lylor said. "Your names will have an eternal place in our annals."
"But I'm not ready to go back yet. I haven't even..." George looked at Yrabelle and blushed.
Yrabelle smiled, but her smile was a little sad. "I am happy to have met you, George. You will not be forgotten." She leaned in and gave George a kiss, but it only lasted a few seconds. After that, he was gone.
Chapter One Hundred and Fifteen
It was pitch black, but Ollie knew instantly they were home. He could feel it in the chair he was sitting in. He could tell by the familiar scents of the basement. He could hear a storm outside. But most of all, he just knew. He could feel it in his bones, and he knew the others felt it too. There was no panic like there had been when they had been pulled out of their own world and thrust into the alien land of Valoria.
The light flicked on. Johnny stood next to the switch.
"Wow," Sarah said. That seemed to sum it up for everyone.
"Where are we?" Jordan asked. Sometime during the last few minutes, she had woken up from her slumber.
"We're home." Ian was on the verge of tears. "We're actually home."
"I'd almost believe it had all been a dream," Johnny said, "except for, well..." He spread out his arms, indicating the clothes they were wearing. They had been provided by the elves and were definitely not current high school fashion. "I wish I had my bow. I put it down when I picked Jordan up off of the altar, and..."
"You what?" Jordan exclaimed.
"Long story," Ollie said. "We don't have the ring, either. I gave it to Lylor to help the prisoners."
"He'll need it more than us," Sarah said. "He lives in Valoria." No one doubted anymore that Valoria was a real place, even if they weren't able to explain exactly how or why it existed.
"Well, we brought some things back with us." Johnny looked at George pointedly. Whatever the strength potion had done to their friend, the effects had carried over to this world. "I want to be there next time you play dodgeball. And I want to be on your team."
George smiled but didn't respond. He was staring at the north-western corner of The Map, studying the model of the elven village. He had lost his glasses at some point during the adventure, but didn't seem to be having any trouble with his vision. Ollie wondered if this was another effect of the potion.
"We'd better go upstairs and let our parents know we're back," Ian said. "I'm not sure how we're going to explain all of this, though. I mean, we've been gone for so long. I vote we leave out all the parts where we almost died."
Ian led the way up the stairs and pushed open the door. The living room was empty. The clock on the wall said it was nearly midnight.
"They're probably in bed," Johnny said.
Just then, the front door opened, and Mrs. Evert walked inside. She stomped her boots to shake off the snow.
"Sorry we're getting home so late," she said when she saw them. "The storm made traffic impossible. Are you done playing for the night?"
The teens stood silently for a second and stared at her. Then George murmured "different time flow" as if it explained everything. The group had been gone for nearly four weeks, but somehow only about four hours had passed during their absence. And they had been so worried about what their families might be going through!
"Yeah," Ollie said. "It's getting kind of late."
Mrs. Evert examined the group closely. "What are you all wearing? Are those shirts made of leather? Where did you get them?"
THE GROUP WAS SILENT for a moment, looking at each other uncomfortably.
"I found them at a thrift shop," Jordan said finally. "I thought it might be fun to really get into character for the game."
Mrs. Evert examined Ian's tunic. "They seem well made, but they have a lot of tears in them, and they're all stained. This almost looks like blood."
"Yeah, we should probably just get rid of them," Ollie said. "Who knows where they've been?"
"What should we do now?" Johnny asked.
"I want to know what happened when I was out," Jordan said.
&nb
sp; "What do you mean, 'out'?" Mrs. Evert asked.
"She was out of the room for a bit while we were playing," George said hastily. "We'll fill you in, Jordan. It was pretty amazing."
"I should probably get going," Sarah said. "My parents will be worrying."
"Would you like me to walk you home, Sarah?" Ollie asked.
"I'd love it."
Chapter One Hundred and Sixteen
Ollie and Sarah held hands as they walked down the road toward Sarah's house. The storm was over, and everything in the world was blanketed with a thick layer of snow. A feeling of unreality washed over Ollie as if this world were the fantasy instead of the place they had just left. Could he just go on living like normal now that he had seen so many things and learned so much?
Sarah broke into his thoughts. "Remind me never to go on a date with you again."
Ollie laughed. "I seem to remember that you were the one that invited yourself to the game."
"Well, I just wanted to see what you did when you weren't tutoring me." Sarah stumbled and Ollie held her arm to keep her from falling. "Sorry," she said. "I guess I haven't recovered from the battle yet. It really happened, huh?"
"All you have to do is look at George any time you start to doubt it," Ollie said. "People are going to be wondering about him."
"What about you?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, George brought back his strength. Did you bring anything back?"
"Oh." In the excitement and relief of coming home, Ollie hadn't even thought about his magic. "Let's see."