by Martha Carr
“Well, I think it’s a good thing, and we appreciate it immensely.”
Suddenly all the wolves stood up and backed into a large circle, some of them quietly staring at the edge of the woods, others growling, the hair standing up on the backs of their necks. Lucius dropped his hands down and pulled in energy, symbols appearing on his arms, changing rapidly. He glanced down at them, stopping and staring harder.
“He came,” Lucius whispered.
From the edge of the forest a tall dark-skinned man appeared, long dreadlocks held back by flowering vines trailed down his back. His eyes shifted back and forth, his multiple pupils taking in the entirety of the scene but finally focusing on Lucius.
Rufus looked from the Gardener back to Lucius, stepping away slowly. Many believed the Gardener to be nothing more than a myth, a legend spread to scare the children out of the dark forest, but there he stood with an enormous lion beside him, carefully checking his surroundings.
Lucius let out a deep breath and started to walk toward him, putting his hand up to freeze the shifters. They settled down in a circle and watched their Alpha’s every move.
“I heard you were searching for me,” the Gardener began, nodding at Lucius. “It has been a very long time, my friend.”
“That it has,” Lucius replied, nodding at the lion. “I didn’t know exactly where to find you, so I put the word out, hoping you would hear.”
“How could I miss hundreds of wolves flowing in from all over Earth to a sanctuary so close to my own?”
“I suppose I hoped that would happen,” Lucius replied. “Have you come to see us, to see the land?”
“I have come to help you stay under the radar,” he countered. “My land is too close to this to allow you to be caught by the government, the humans, or the dark families. I have species of animals there that are nearly extinct, and others rescued from horrible situations. I am their protector.”
“And I am theirs,” Lucius asserted, motioning to the shifters. “Only a few hundred right now, but I hope to grow that into the thousands. You have been doing this far longer than me, and I would give thanks for any kind of protection you can help me put up.”
The Gardener nodded, looking at the wolves, who were still frightened by the revelation of the Gardener’s existence. Lucius knew he needed to get the pack working, get their provisions handled and the ground ready for planting. Put up shelter from the storms.
“If you would give me just a moment to address my pack,” Lucius requested.
“Of course,” the Gardener replied, looking out over the land.
“Family,” Lucius started, walking toward them with his arms out. “We are all here with a common goal. This is a sanctuary for freedom, for protection, and for training. We need to start building, creating spaces for the human sides of you to live if you so choose. The Gardener has come to help us with protection, and while we do that, please come together and begin building our future here. This is your land and you are in charge of caring for it, as well as caring for the creatures on it, and creating a home here.”
The shifters stood and everyone changed back into their human form. They nodded at Lucius and started putting their heads together, creating a plan for the land. Lucius knew this was just the beginning, but in order for there to be a future, he needed to protect the place. He turned back to the Gardener and nodded, walking beside him as he took in the space.
“You will need to shield anyone on the outside from seeing the beauty of the land,” the Gardener began. “You need to make it look uninteresting, cutting down on those that may just wander onto the land. You are protecting yourselves, but also them. We have a responsibility for all creatures, humans and others.”
Lucius nodded, although the thought of protecting those who would do his kind harm was a bit to swallow. Still, he understood the importance of not only keeping the humans out but the dark families out as well. With shifters gathered in one place, it became a liability. A necessary one, but a risk nonetheless.
The two magical creatures walked to the top of the hill and stood side by side. The shifters stopped for a moment and looked up at them, watching the light begin to cascade from their bodies and shoot into the sky. Two of the most powerful beings on Earth, joining forces like never before. Everything was changing.
Loud explosions echoed through the streets of Chicago as the Silver Griffin’s vault fell under Sirius’ heavy attack. The wizard and his misfits had finally done it. They had ventured in and attacked where the Griffins were most vulnerable. Once inside the vault, however, they were in for a bit of a challenge.
Large pieces of the vault shuddered and then crumbled, crashing into artifacts and sending them either flying across the rooms or crushing them in their boxes. Running in and out of the vault were senior Griffins, the tattoos on their wrist identifying them. However, where they usually fought during a time like that, instead they were running in and back out with armfuls of dangerous artifacts. Boils and blisters burned their skin from handling them in a hurry, but this was what they had sworn to do.
Once the artifacts were removed from the vault they were taken to an undisclosed location, somewhere even the agents of the Silver Griffins weren’t aware of. The most important thing was that they didn’t fall into Sirius’ hands. He was dangerous. Old and injured, true, but that made him even more dangerous than before. He was looking for something in particular, but his cronies were keeping the Griffins on their toes, trying to take out as many of them as they possibly could as well as filling their pockets with artifacts.
If the vault collapsed before they could get everything out they would lose much—and the danger would be back in the hands of Sirius, someone who had terrorized them for decades. A witch ran up the stairs carrying the golden lamp that Leira had brought to them a year before. When she reached the last step one of the dark wizards sent out a streak of magic, striking her in the back.
Leira saw the occurrence through the portal she had just opened and leapt through, striking the wizard in the chest with light magic. He spun off the stairs and hit the wall, then a boulder tumbled down on top of him. Correk rushed to the witch’s side and worked his magic over her back, healing the wounds enough to get her up and out of harm’s way. Yumfuck grew taller, looking down at the rubble and growling loudly.
“This is worse than I thought it was going to be,” Correk declared, shaking his head. “We need to get in there and get these people out.”
“What we need to do is find Sirius and end this once and for all,” Leira replied, setting down their bag of weapons. “He is growing stronger day by day, and we cannot continue to let him break the rules without consequences.”
“That’s the cop in ya.” Correk smiled. “Let’s do this.”
Correk, Leira, and Yumfuck headed into the vault, sending out magical fireballs as they went to knock some of the dark wizards and witches back. The Silver Griffins were working as fast as they could, trying to defend themselves as they pulled the dangerous artifacts and ran with them through the door. The vault was creaking and crumbling, and Leira could tell that it would come crashing down soon.
“Where are the shifters when you need them?” Correk mumbled.
“I can call them, but only if we need them,” Leira told him, jumping over a stream of dark magic and sending her light out in return, striking the wizard in the stomach. “Sirius has to pay for what he did to Alan, and I think we are the perfect ones to make that happen.”
“And Ossonia.” Correk gritted his teeth. “If it weren’t for him, that fight would never have happened and Ossonia would be safe on Oriceran with Perrom.”
“Wait,” Leira called, grabbing Correk’s arm. “I want to remind you that killing Sirius won’t bring her back. It won’t even lift the burden; it will only darken it. I need you to remember that when you face him or he will use that darkness against you.”
“I wouldn’t even think about letting the darkness in.” Correk smiled and kissed Leira on
the forehead. “Now, let’s kick some dark wizard ass. Whatcha think?”
Leira smiled and looked around, watching Yumfuck swipe his large paw across four of the dark wizards, knocking them around the vault. He picked up a fallen pillar and threw it to the side, clearing a path toward the back. That was where they kept the most dangerous artifacts, the ones that not even the Light Elves wanted to touch. Many of them had been in Sirius’ possession before, but from experience Leira knew that was the last place they should be.
As she stepped forward through the archway she felt her body lift into the air and her lungs lose their air. She slammed into the wall and fell into a pile of rubble, and a red blister appeared on her shoulder. She blinked her eyes to get rid of the stars she was seeing and Correk sprinted over, disposing of the witch as he ran past.
“Hold still,” he ordered grabbing her arm and looking down at the redness, which was quickly spreading toward her throat.
He closed his eyes and pulled his energy to his chest, then pushed it out over her body. The white light smoothed over her skin like a balm, seeping into her body, and the redness began to fade. Correk felt her relax when the pain dissipated and he reached down to help her to her feet. She looked at her shoulder and back at Correk, nodding in thanks.
A menacing laugh echoed through the hallway near the back of the vault. Leira stepped forward squinting in that direction. “Sirius,” she whispered.
A flash of light forced them to cover their eyes and dust and smoke rolled in their direction, disguising the opening. Leira shook her head and grabbed Correk’s hand, knowing it was nothing more than a distraction. She pushed through the haze and dust into the back vault, waving streams of light to clear the airborne debris.
Standing in the back was Sirius, his cloak illuminated by the stars of Oriceran. Slowly he turned around with a smile on his face, holding a large stone in his palm.
“Nice of you to come.”
19
Sirius pointed his wand at Leira and Correk and shot a steady stream of dark magic at them, then swirled his wand and sent out a shockwave that hit them both hard, sending them flying backward. Then the magic shifted, striking the ceiling above them and crumbling it faster and faster.
The vault lurched with the power of the magic blowing through it and large chunks of cement tumbled down, the sturdy wooden beams breaking under the pressure. The Silver Griffins watched in horror as the center of the vault collapsed, pushing them away from the most dangerous artifacts. Leira, Correk, and Yumfuck were on the other side, staring at Sirius and his group of magical soldiers. The dust swirled through the air, choking everyone. The sound of the crash could be heard for miles, but still no human police had been alerted.
Correk shook his head, dust flying from his hair as he pulled himself out of the rubble. He looked around the vault, but there was now a crumbled stone wall between them and the exit. Leira. Correk looked through the dust and found Leira to the side pushing a large metal sign off her, with scratches and cuts on her arms and forehead. Yumfuck stepped over next to her, grabbing her hand and helping her to her feet.
“Thanks,” she said, brushing the rubble and dust off her clothing.
“They’re still here,” Yumfuck told them, pointing to the back vault. “They have no way out, and they’re looking for a fight.”
“That’s what they’ll get.”
“Are you okay?” Correk asked, climbing over to her.
“Yeah, nothing too bad,” she assured him, looking at the stones.
“We are trapped in here. Portal magic won’t work in the vault.”
“Right now we have bigger things to worry about.” Leira looked at the back vault.
Correk nodded as they both pulled energy from the ground. Their arms lit up, but the symbols flipped so fast on Leira’s arms she couldn’t make out what they were telling her. There were so many ways this could end and so many things that could go wrong, but this was their mission. A wizard needed to be stopped.
As they approached the archway into the dangerous artifact area, the dust began to settle, and they found Sirius standing to the side with his new family lined up against the wall. Leira didn’t wait this time. She wasn’t about to take another blow like that.
She threw an orb of white light, spiraling toward the group, dipping low at the last second and striking a wizard in the knees. He crumpled to the floor, groaning in agony. The others watched in horror as the magic seeped through him, turning his body to blue vapor one inch at a time until he was completely gone. The only thing that remained was his wand.
They looked at each other in a mixture of fury and fear, never before having seen an elf use such powerful magic.
“You okay?” Correk looked at her with concern.
“Gotta let ‘em know I’m not playing around anymore. She gritted her teeth, ready for the inevitable.
“Attack!” Sirius screamed.
The wizards and witches lurched forward, sending spikes of magic through the air. Correk and Leira could hear the mumbled chatter of spells leaving their lips as they ducked and dove, using their light magic to deflect the attacks. Everything was a mess, energy whizzing through the air, people screaming in agony from the effects of the magic, and debris still falling from the shuddering vault. Leira ran through the dust and grabbed Correk’s arm, turning and pressing her back against him as everything suddenly went silent—not a spell, not a whisper.
They turned in a circle trying to see through the dust. Leira squinted to make out any figure she could, but she couldn’t even tell where Yumfuck was—the one who had taken down four of the dark wizards in one fell swoop. Leira took that moment to pull more energy through her, feeling the scar on her belly begin to tingle. The light reflected off the dust around them.
A wind swept through the small room, clearing the air and Correk found the family in a circle around them with their wands out, dark sparks at the ends. He pushed against Leira, feeling energy flowing through her and just waiting for whatever came next. A whistle rang out from the corner and all the witches and wizards swirled their wands at once, shooting thick sprays of magic at Leira and Correk.
They both ducked, closing their eyes tightly as they waited for the pain to hit them. Neither expected to live; they thought it was the end, but as they huddled together Correk realized there was no pain, no heat, no death. Slowly he opened his eyes but the white light almost blinded him so he squinted. A steady stream of light emanated from Leira, bursting around them to create a shield that waved and moved with the power of dark magic bearing down on them.
“Leira,” Correk whispered.
She had felt the energy inside of her raging, and as they dropped into a huddle fear had blown through her. She thought of Correk, Yumfuck, her mother, her grandmother, and all the beings on the outside who would lose their lives because of her failure. Before she could even whisper a spell the energy exploded from her chest, impelling her forward with images of her loved ones flashing through her mind. A peace like she had never known floated over her, and she heard only a distant whisper of Correk’s voice in the background.
Correk could see she was slipping away and the magic around them began to crumble, small incandescent flakes like snow falling around them. He gripped her wrist and leaned forward, pressing his forehead against hers. He growled as the energy pushed against him, light but so powerful he could barely handle it.
“Leira, it’s time,” he whispered. Her face was writhing and he fought for her return. “LEIRA!”
Correk’s voice rang in Leira’s mind, calling her back to the fight. She could see everything around her like she was above and looking down. The dark magic was beating down on them and she was losing the will to fight back. She looked peacefully over at Correk, then the calm began to fade. Leira opened her eyes and the magic streamed back, but not into the ground below her—into her chest. She took a deep breath and stood up, then clenched her fists and yelled. Correk covered his head as an explosion of energy burs
t from Leira and radiated outward, striking every dark wizard and witch in its path.
They flew backward, their wands exploding into shards.
Their bodies were immersed in the light, their dark magic too weak to fight back. Screams echoed, fading into the distance as each disappeared, enveloped by the magic around them. Slowly Leira’s muscles began to relax and she opened her eyes, the light still shining brightly through them. There was an aura of power around her that Correk had never seen before. It came in waves, like heat floating above asphalt on a sweltering summer day.
She looked at Sirius, whose mouth was hanging open. He threw his cape back and shot a beam of magic at her, but she merely pushed it away with her hand. She moved forward, hovering just above the floor, staring over at Sirius. He moved and dodged as Leira blew fireballs from her hands, watching them explode as they hit the crumbling cement walls.
Sirius growled, knowing exactly what this Elf was—a Jasper Elf, something long since gone. Something more powerful than even him. He dove out of the way of a fireball and whispered a spell, watching a large orb of dark magic fly toward her chest. She took it head-on, stumbling slightly and looking down at the darkness spreading over her. Correk stood up, eyes wide, not having expected to see that. She tripped but caught her footing, then spread her feet and closed her eyes.
Motes of light swirled around her feet and up her torso, working like tiny machines to repair the damage. Correk sent a fireball toward Sirius, who was planning an attack while she was still healing. It struck him in the shoulder, shoving him back into a wall. He gritted his teeth and glared at Correk, then shifted his gaze to the wand lying on the floor. Both Correk and Sirius lunged for the wand, but Sirius got there just a moment sooner.
Correk stumbled backward, scooting across the rubble as Sirius stood up, lifting the wand high over his head. He smiled menacingly and Correk shut his eyes, again waiting for the pain. He knew he was cornered and his magic was nearly exhausted.