The God looked at Lardic. "The easiest way for you to be resurrected to the mortal realm would be to sacrifice a mortal and use necromancy to takeover the body. I'll have to assist the necromancer who performs the ritual. Then we'll help you open a way for Balron to step through. Then you can summon Teldren via his truename."
Lardic looked at Balron and then at Teldren. Lardic's eyes darted back to Greed. "Thank you, master."
The God of Greed whistled and a wall of darkness appeared to the God's right side. A dog, a pit bull, the biggest dog any of them had ever seen, stepped through the wall of darkness. It stood roughly ten feet tall at the top of its head. It wore a leather war cap on its skull and a saddle right sized for a human rider. It walked up to Balron and sniffed him up and down then sat down. Another of the giant dogs stepped out and sniffed Lardic. Then a third dog stepped out and sniffed Teldren. The saddles had leather ladders instead of stirrups. The God's voice carried with a slight hum. "The dogs will serve as steeds. They're very smart as they were once human. You'll find them to be quite bloodthirsty as well."
Balron thought of Juxta's Kergian cat and smiled. He raised his eyes to Greed's. "Thank you."
"I'm not finished." The God snapped his fingers, and after a moment, a red skinned creature, with long fingers and a tall face, leaned out of the pool of darkness with something wrapped in a piece of leather. The creature unwrapped it, and held it up for everyone to see. Then he set it on the ground in front of the darkness. Three razor sharp blades inscribed with intricate symbols of some kind were attached to a pair of rings the size of Teldren's fist and forearm. "It's Shraeker. Use it in battle, Teldren, and the souls of those you kill will be sent to us."
Teldren approached the pool of darkness and picked up the weapon. The red skinned creature that had brought it out poked its head through the pool again and handed over a round shield and helmet for the demon. The God of Greed spoke, "The shield and helm will serve you well."
Teldren took the shield and helm. He fitted the weapon to his right arm, the shield to his left. Then tried on the helmet. They fit him snugly. He laughed a wild maniacal laughter. He nodded to his deity. Greed said, "You'll have to find Juxta's grove on your own. Destroy it! Burn it down. Balron, be careful not to die in that realm. If you die, you'll go before The One True God and may be dealt with very harshly."
The trio nodded.
"When you return to the mortal realm," the deity said, "it'll take time for your powers to be fully restored. Lay in wait."
Chapter 44
Winter came and went. Juxta told Matthew to study the chants for creating a mage staff. Matthew chose one from Juxta's grove. When it came to the third chant, to feed the tree, Juxta poured great life magic into his apprentice, and they woke and fed the entire grove. Matthew's eyes twinkled with a bit of a haze to them.
Juxta asked Robert to fly to the Weslan Forest and find out about Lisa. Within a week Robert returned; all the Nymphs would say was that she still lived. There were ranger trials at hand, and it seemed to Juxta lately there were always ranger trials to attend. Prince Matthew grew in strength daily. His shields were uncanny in their fortitude. Matthew wanted to go to Weslan and duel. Juxta agreed, and they both went to Weslan, but Juxta didn't do any dueling. His friend Marc wore the robes of a master.
Matthew's dueling went well, and his shield proved stronger than any one magi could deal with. Against two magi Matthew's shields still proved thick enough. Kirl wanted to put three Magi against him, but Matthew declined, for he wanted to flex his muscles offensively, too. They spent a month in Weslan dueling and studying in their library.
*
Balron, Lardic, and Teldren left for Balron's estate. Balron could only contact the mortal realm from there, and he needed to organize some of his necromancers to resurrect Lardic. They rode the dogs that they'd been given. Spirits and demons alike fled before their coming. Teldren's mule couldn't keep up, and they left it to its fate.
They reached Balron's estate just before midday. Balron contacted his six strongest priests and told them they had to organize again as a new mausoleum had to be built to house Lardic's spirit. It would take a month to build. Balron, Teldren, and Lardic lived well at Balron's estate waiting for the temple's completion. The priests massacred three host bodies before the ceremony worked, and Lardic's spirit walked among the living once again.
Lardic found his powers to be weakened and had to almost relearn even the simplest magic. After the first week Lardic started to attempt to open a portal to hell for Balron to step through. His efforts were in vain, but he grew stronger each day. Soon the gods of the nether regions started helping him granting him more and more energy from hell. With the help of the gods, a portal opened large enough for Balron and the giant dogs.
Upon stepping through, Balron took in a great breath of air and then pounded on his chest a few times as if to be sure he were mortal. Balron tried summoning power, and it flowed into him like from a wellspring. He was stronger than he had been in his youth, stronger than ever before. He immediately proceeded to bring Teldren into the mortal realm. Balron started to chant Teldren's truename and pour power into it. The demon Teldren appeared from within a cloud of smoke and smiled, "I'm whole, unbound!" His eyes turned wild as if he were about to strike at everyone in the temple... He went back to grinning and thanking Balron.
*
Juxta practiced with Matthew every day. Every few weeks he would send Robert to the Tree Nymphs to check on Lisa. After Robert's third visit, they told him not to return and ask about Lisa again. So, Juxta waited.
Juxta and Matthew set up targets for Matthew to shield while Juxta cast lightning and fire at them. One day, Juxta decided to set up more than the usual number of targets, from two or three to five. Matthew shielded them all. Juxta raised the ante to ten and spread them about the backyard. It took a few moments for Matthew to raise shields around each one, but he did, and they stayed strong against Juxta's attacks. Raising shields around twenty targets took some practice. Matthew worked at it diligently. That would be enough to cover a full squad of Rangers and then some.
Juxta taught him to use lines of force to move objects to crush the undead. He wouldn't be able to take on a lot of undead, but a few he would be able to handle.
Chapter 45
A loud banging on Juxta's front door before sunrise woke him. He donned a robe, grabbed his amethyst staff, and went downstairs. Someone shouted out his name. Juxta opened the door, and there stood Monroe, covered in nicks and cuts with streaks of blood running down his clothes. Once the doors opened, Monroe collapsed on the ground. The nicks and cuts on him looked like slow acting poison. Matthew appeared at the top of the stairs, and Juxta shouted to him, "Go out back and dig up some Cecil's Root…"
Juxta used force lines to lift Monroe up and carry him into the house. Juxta started the Druidic chant to lend strength. Monroe opened his eyes and looked at Juxta. "Two necromancers and a demon…" Monroe gulped for air. "They attacked. There was nothing we could do. They killed hundreds…"
Juxta's insides growled and power started to flood into him.
"The demon was like nothing we'd ever seen," Monroe said as his head shifted left and right. "He wielded a cruel three bladed weapon on his right hand. One of the necromancers was undead, for you could see where his stomach had been stitched over. Our arrows were useless."
Juxta continued to let his strength flow into Monroe. "What of Ruskin?"
"Ruskin ordered the rest of us to flee. He and three others planned to hold them back somehow. To slow them down. I have to assume he fell."
"Rest, Monroe. I'll seek them out."
Matthew returned with the Cecil's Root, and Juxta asked, "Do you know how to use that root?"
Matthew nodded.
Juxta went and got his orb and tried to scry on them. He couldn't get through. He went to his groves to summon the God of War and find his enemies. He scryed on the three. One was Balron, only young again. He didn't recognize
the elder necromancer… The demon he knew at once as the one he had banished with fire some time ago. They were to the northeast. The God of War said, "I know I promised that I got rid of him for a long time, but I have made him mortal again. If he is struck down now, he'll face The One True God."
Juxta rode from his grove to the palace to inform William of the situation. Matthew was in the throne room waiting. William sat on the throne fingering the hilt of his father's great sword. William said, "Balron is back again? What's it going to take to kill him?"
Juxta honestly wished he had an answer. He could only hope and pray. "According to the God of War, he's mortal again now, and if we strike him down, he'll die a mortal death."
"Balron is bent on conquering us," William said. "We still have his crown and great sword."
"He'll come for them, and it's my fight," Juxta said. "I'll engage them with magic before they can reach Lynken. Matthew is ready, if he's willing to fight."
Simon stared a cold hard stare at Juxta. "You'll need swordsmen to face their demon, and you know it. Count me in!"
"You're welcome, Simon." Juxta turned to William.
"My eldest isn't exactly old enough to ascend the throne," William said. "But he wouldn't be the youngest from our history books."
Simon said, "So, you're in?"
William grinned.
Juxta's success at scrying on Balron grew sporadic. Balron's troop made good time traveling, for their dogs ran all day and into the night. Scores of men, with women and children in tow, arrived from Juxta's estate and some carried weapons forged of adamite. William lodged them in barracks within the castle.
Juxta and Matthew moved into the castle. Juxta tried time and again to scry on Balron with no luck. Days passed.
Juxta turned to Robert. "You must go and check on Lisa. Although I doubt Balron will have tempted fate by going into the Weslan forest."
"The Tree Nymphs said I couldn't check on Lisa…"
"Tell them Balron's a threat again."
Robert darted off. Juxta went back to waiting in the castle. Robert returned, "They said they would carry the message to Lisa, and that Balron attempted to enter the forest, but the Tree Nymph's fog dismayed him. They said we must defend the crown and the great sword, or he'll be able to attack them."
Juxta wondered why that would be a concern of his if he couldn't stop Balron from getting his way into the castle.
Two days passed. Around midday, Juxta and Matthew stopped for lunch. A hawk cried out over head. The hawk circled the castle courtyard and landed just a few steps from where they lunched. The hawk seemed to look around. Then a bright light streaked up from its feet to its whole body, and the hawk transformed into Lisa. Juxta dropped his food and stood up. "Lisa! You can turn into a hawk?"
"Or a wolf or a Tree Nymph. I can do poisonous snakes too, but they're creepy. Robert said Balron is loose again?"
"Yes, Balron attacked my fiefdom. He has a powerful undead necromancer and a demon with him. The Tree Nymphs have healed you? You're ok now?"
"Not entirely. I can't always control my powers, especially after doing something difficult. I wield great strength now… I'll help defend against Balron's assault."
Chapter 46
That evening William invited everyone to his table to eat in honor of Lisa's return. Before the servants brought out the first of the food, Juxta started to hear an eerie sound of faint screams from far away. He turned to Lisa. "Do you hear that?"
Lisa raised one eyebrow and shook her head.
The sound grew louder. Juxta's heart skipped a beat as he realized he could hear trees screaming. He scryed outside the castle and fire bloomed in the distance. "My grove! It burns!"
Juxta leapt to his feet and ran for the outdoors whistling for his cat. William turned to Simon. "Alert the guard!"
Lisa, William, and Matthew ran after Juxta. After alerting the castle guard and rangers, Simon chased after them towards the grove. The fire consumed the trees all along one side of the forest. Juxta's first thought egged him to seek out Balron, but the screams of his trees drove his heart in another direction. He called out, "Robert!"
Robert materialized. "I'm here, Juxta."
"The prayer to make it rain! What is it?"
Robert started the prayer in Ancient, and Juxta poured power into it and recited it after him. Juxta finished the chant, and the wind picked up a bit but no rain. Robert said, "More power!"
Juxta channeled his power through his amethyst staff and Dragon's Fire and recited the prayer to the God of the Winds again. William, Lisa, and Matthew joined Juxta with wide eyes and open mouths. William looked to Matthew, who looked to Lisa. Juxta howled, "I'm calling on the God of the Winds!"
The wind picked up even more so, and dust cyclones knee high were forming. The winds carried the fire deeper into the grove. Juxta prayed to the God of War asking him for strength, but the God of War stated, "I won't help. You must not try to bend the will of a god. If the God of Winds doesn't want to help you, so be it."
Juxta gripped his arcane staff and focused on the amethyst. The gem started to shine from within. A white fire burned in a rippling coil inside the stone. Light began to bleed out of the Dragon's Fire ring. The arcane staff in Juxta's hands began to hum and vibrate just a tiny bit. Juxta recited the prayer a third time. Lightning crashed overhead. The strength of the God of the Winds cracked and broke. Torrential rain started to fall in sheets. The fires began to go out. Smoke and steam filled the air.
Juxta withdrew his scrying orb and attempted to scry on Balron. His troop traveled east from the grove, and Juxta hopped on his cat. Lisa transformed into a hawk, and they chased after Balron.
The demon held three chains attached to three giant dog's collars. The demon was scarred by fire from head to toe. On its right arm, a three bladed weapon was tight in his grip. The dogs stood easily eight feet tall at the shoulders. Balron stood next to a decaying man they didn't recognize. Balron looked up and smiled. The undead necromancer, Lardic, turned away and began an incantation.
Juxta's cat bucked, which he never did before. A second time he bucked, harder this time, and Juxta jumped off the beast and turned to face Balron. Juxta's cat growled and started to approach the chained dogs. Balron shouted, "Good of you to join us, Juxta. We want you to see what's going to happen…"
Juxta threw a ball of white fire at Balron whose shield held strong. Matthew put up shields around everyone. William and Simon drew their blades and nudged their cats forward. Lisa began to whisper a prayer to The One True God. Juxta threw another round of white fire at Balron, to no avail.
A pool of darkness started to spread out in front of Lardic. Juxta's cat leapt at the lead dog raking it on the neck with its claws. The demon let the chains go and all three dogs jumped at the cat. The demon howled and charged William and Simon slashing at William with his triple edged claw. William blocked the blow with Shoc-Ra, and red sparks danced onto the ground. William shouted, "Do something, Juxta!"
Matthew tried throwing a fireball at the demon, but it merely smashed against some magical barrier. Balron still grinned wide.
An undead necromancer stepped through the pool of darkness in front of Lardic. It smiled and started to rain lightning down on Juxta. Matthew's shield held strong. Juxta's cat dodged out of the way of the dogs and scored another slash on one of their hind legs with his claws. Simon tried to circle behind the demon, but he got whacked in the face by the demon's shield, knocking him off his cat.
A demon, a small one this time, only about six feet tall, stepped out of the portal and charged William and Simon. Juxta envisioned a web of force lines around it and threw it skyward.
The dogs recovered and jumped at Juxta's cat again, and the cat stepped to the side, but one of the dogs got lucky, and the two beasts rolled on the ground. Both beasts kept trying to get above the other one. The two other dogs just watched the spinning fury of claws and teeth. Simon's cat made it to the dogs by then and took a good sized bite out of one of th
eir legs.
Another necromancer stepped out of the portal Lardic cast. Juxta cried out to the God of War for spirit warriors. Ghostly figures wearing long black cloaks formed up like solid mists surrounding Teldren the demon. He slashed at the spirit warriors with his cursed blade, and the spirits screamed and slipped downward into the earth. William lunged at Teldren and missed. Another demon climbed through the portal, and Juxta sent him skyward as well. Juxta's cat finally broke free of the dog. The cat had scratches on his face and neck. He turned and darted off into the woods. The dogs howled and chased after him with Simon's cat chasing after them.
Juxta's eyes started to ache in his skull, for his heart pumped the blood too fast and strong. Lisa still prayed to The One True God. Balron shouted out, "It's not going to do you any good! An army waits on the other side of this portal."
Juxta threw a great ball of white fire at Balron again, and the fire engulfed his shield completely. Balron clearly had to work to maintain his shield, and sweat poured from his forehead. He shouted out, "Juxta, you'll have to do better."
Power sparked in Juxta, and he cast a great bolt of lightning on Balron. More necromancers stepped through the portal, and they focused their attacks on Juxta. Matthew's shields held. He shouted, "I don't know how many more I can stop!"
Balron fell to one knee and placed his hands on the ground for balance.
William and Simon danced with the spirit warriors trying to harm Teldren, but the demon's shield moved like lightning, and the ghost warriors fell with one slash of the weapon attached to his arm. More demons stepped through the portal. William began to mentally count their foes. "To the castle! To the castle!"
Lisa transformed into a hawk again and took to the skies. Juxta and Simon took off in a run. William raced back to the castle on his cat. Balron laughed. More and more of the undead and demons came through that portal.
Juxta ran towards the castle, and the dogs barked in the distance. It grew louder as he ran. A loud whistle sounded, and the barking stopped. Juxta ran on. His cat sat on a tree branch twenty feet off the ground none the worse for wear. Juxta shouted, "What are you doing up there! Come down!"
Juxta, Magi Page 32