Magic InkChapter 28
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I was awakened from a sound sleep some time later that night by the sound of someone attempting to get through my wards which rang like a bell from the attack. Robert sat up beside me at the noise, and the lights had come on when we moved.
"What was that?" he demanded sleepily.
"That was probably the owner wanting access to his hideaway," I told him. "We've been discovered."
"Can he get in here?" he asked in a worried voice.
"Not if that's the best that he can do," I assured him with a smile. "It will require a lot more Magic than that to crash my wards."
"Should we leave now?" he asked next.
"In the middle of the night, I should think not," I told him. "Besides he has probably gone off to gather more of his forces before challenging us further. Go back to sleep, I'll check my wards and join you in a few minutes." My wards checked out at full strength, and I soon cuddled back up to Robert and dropped off to sleep. There were no further incidents that night.
We were up early the next morning, our fourth here together. Breakfast was consumed at a leisurely pace. There was no need or acute desire this morning, but I could feel Robert's presence in the place in my mind where he stayed now, and I could almost tell what he was thinking.
By my time senses, it was 8:30 by the time we had finished eating and dressed. I had sent all of our extra things to the Tennessee house before informing him of our next move.
"It would be prudent to check the local news before leaving here to see if there is anything occurring as a result of last night's visitor," I told him before sitting down at the computer screen and activating it. It came up on the local news feed, as that was where I had left it before turning it off yesterday. The news presenter, a young woman with large aftermarket breasts and green colored hair, was very animated as she switched to a reporter at the scene of what was occurring.
"What's new at your location, Chet?" she asked as the screen split to show her on one side and a man with a portable microphone on the other side. It was apparent from her words that whatever was happening had been going on for some time.
"Here at the Council's Headquarters, the Wizards are gathering, Pat," he informed her. "There are now some thirty to thirty-five who have answered the call of the Wizard's Council to help them rid the city of these two rogue Wizards. In the last few minutes, I've spoken to several of them and learned from one of them that those present are mostly Third Level or Master Level Wizards.
"Another who I spoke to was upset that not all of those on the Council itself were present for this, but a third Wizard told me that several members of the Council had been injured in confrontations with the rogue Wizards and weren't well enough to participate." He was interrupted then by the sounds of heavy equipment arriving on the scene.
The woman reappeared on the screen and announced, "We now switch to Ron with the arriving Army units. Take it away, Ron." The image of a man immediately appeared on the screen standing in front of several large military tanks, and there were a number of soldiers visible in the background.
"The Army units have just arrived her, Pat. There are four of the new heavy-duty tanks and a contingent of twenty-five assault troops came with them. Their Commander is presently consulting with those on the Wizard's Council. All of the tanks are reported to have their own Wizard on board, and all of the assault troops are also trained in Magic, but levels of their ability haven't been revealed for security reasons.
"I have been told that they will move out behind the members of the Council in a support role, but haven't been informed just when that will be. Back to you for now, Pat," he finished and the cameras cut away to the young woman with the green hair.
"We'll be keeping you updated on things as they progress with this deadly showdown with those rogue Wizards as it happens. Meanwhile, the rest of Philadelphia..." I turned off the computer then and turned to look at Robert beside me.
"What shall we do?" I asked.
"We will face them of course, would you run from a challenge?' he demanded in contempt.
"Of course we shall meet their challenge. The question is 'what is our strategy'? If we remain in here, they will surely destroy the building to get to us, and of course blame us for it. Therefore, we must meet them outside, and I will ward the building to protect it from damage. How then shall we face them?" I finished.
"I will face them as Crendenor from the air, while you maintain our security from the ground," he informed me.
"All right," I agreed. "There are several exits from the basements of the three building, but they are all on the south side, which faces the large open square. Which shall we choose to exit the building?"
"I would say the one on the east side of this, the Hall's basement. It will place us more centrally, and I will then be able to judge the wind's direction for takeoff," he told me.
"That sounds good. The Wizards will be some time yet before they will be here; that will give me time to ward the buildings and for you to judge the wind. I'll also leave my strongest wards around this apartment so the Wizard who had it constructed won't be able to use it even after I remove my wards from the remainder of the building," I told him as we made ready to leave, and I returned the backpack and the canteen to my house.
We transferred into the second room on the east side of the Hall's basement, as the wooden steps to the exit were in that room. The horizontal doors at the top of the steps were of course and locked, but a quick spell removed all of the security measures which had included more than locks, and we were free to exit.
It was a bright sunny day in Philadelphia with temperatures already in the low 50's by 9:00 AM. The area surrounding Independence Hall and the square south of it were totally deserted with no one in sight but some policemen and their vehicles that were blocking the intersections of 5th and 6th Streets where they crossed Walnut Street south of the square. I was sure that there were others blocking the remaining streets around the Hall.
I quickly cast strong O'Connell wards around the Hall and its outlying buildings as well as Congress Hall, the Old City Hall, and the Museum building, while Robert walked out into the square to better judge the wind's direction. Before long we heard an echoing as the tanks began to move again down the empty street. Robert had returned by then from checking on the wind.
"The wind is from the southwest what little there is of it. I'll take off in that direction," he informed me before changing into Crendenor, but only the eight foot tall version. The flash of light when he changed wasn't as bright outside as it had been in the basement.
"Until we are reunited, my love," he said with a hiss in his Dragon voice, as he spread his wings started a short run and flapped his wings. He was soon airborne and gaining altitude.
At first, I thought it was an illusion or a freak of sight, but he appeared to remain the same size as he gained altitude and then began to circle high above me. I soon came to realize that while he appeared to remain the same size, he had actually increased in size as he drew further away, and that was the reason that he appeared to be the same size even far away from me. I could see him swooping and cavorting in the air on his now long wings, and I could feel his joy in that place in my mind where his essence now resided.
The sounds of the tanks and now the sound of voices from the people on the way here had grown louder, as I watched him, and now drew me back to the present situation. I also sensed that Crendenor was circling back in this direction.
Stepping into and then through the arcade that ran from the Hall to its east wing, I could see the mob of Wizards coming down 5th Street from their Headquarters and hear the tanks following them. I could also sense the many minor wards that had been cast by those in the mob, along with a few much stronger ones. They were just passing Market Street, and even as I watched, began to spread out in the smaller open area across from Independence Hall to its north. There were many more than thirty-five of them now. The tanks and their assault troops remained on the paved street.
As Crendenor drew closer, I felt a strange influence come over me. Firstly, I could see through his eyes as he approached the Hall from the east and used his huge wings to break his speed for a landing on the fifteen foot or so wide balustrade roof walk of the Hall. He cleared the brick end-walls easily to touchdown on the relatively flat roof walk, folded his wings against his body, and then moved to the center of the building.
Additionally, there appeared in my mind what looked like the screen of a tablet. There were icons on it, and as I studied each one, it revealed its various components. I wondered where this had come from, before realizing that this could be how Dragons performed their Magic. Their voices weren't like ours since they had a different larynx and mouth than humans, and they had no hands or fingers to draw glyphs and signs with.
Several of the icons that I saw worried me. On touching the one shaped like a bird with my mind, it showed two divisions, one in red and the other in blue. The red icon split into three smaller icons. A quick search of the sky with Crendenor's sharp vision revealed a number of objects flying there. A quick touch with my Magic senses revealed that these were assault craft similar to the ones that I had removed several days ago at my house in Tennessee.
On checking the blue dots, I discovered that they were news media craft. Ignoring them, I returned my attention to the Military assault craft. Touching their symbols with my mind and thinking vanish, the craft disappeared not just from the screen but from the sky also.
By this time Robert as Crendenor had reached the center of the building and turned to face those approaching. I could feel it in my mind as he turned his body and wrapped part of his long tail around the side of the bell tower to keep it out of the way, and then spread his massive wings again. Looking up from my position beside the building, I could see the end of his right wing extending well out over the end of the building which was easily over a hundred feet long. Surely his wing span was close to a hundred and twenty feet.
His head was now also extended on his long neck out over the edge of the roof and the building as he regarded those approaching with his large red eyes.
"DEPART," he hissed in a bellowing voice.
The reaction of the mob across the street in the open space to his arrival had been one of panic. I noticed a number of minor Wizards who had simply vanished, while others drew back in fright at the apparition confronting them. His loud demand that they depart had done nothing for their confidence, except for the Senior Wizards who merely drew their strongest wards around themselves.
The tanks and their assault troops had also taken notice of this new threat. The tanks turned their guns in Robert's direction and their troops also raised their various weapons. While I was sure that Crendenor's wards would be sufficient to defeat whatever they fired at him, I noticed another icon on the screen in my mind that resembled a turtle and tapped it with my mind. It turned into four large dots surrounded by a large number of smaller dots. Crendenor had also noticed this threat.
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The sun was well up when I awoke the next morning. I was indeed loved. Gretchen was still in my arms, and Clare and Shannon had moved up against me. Clare was pressed against my back, and Shannon was pressed up against her little blond friend. I lay there for a time thinking about what had happened last night. It had indeed been an exceptional night, but I was worried. I had three women in love with me. Somewhere along the line, I had already decided to marry two of them. This, of course,...
Kell and his twins arrived an hour, or so after we had gotten back. He knocked on our door when they got upstairs. They looked tired. "Anything?" I asked, after they were seated on the bed. "A morning's ride, some nice scenery, and time spent at two ancient sites, but no trace of recent Magic use at either of them," he told me. "There were still some traces of ancient Magic at the well. Kell told me that the goddess Airmid was one of the ones that created the healing well, and that...
"Oh Dear!" the Smith groaned in distress at the table. "What is it, my Sweet?" he asked, as he quickly rose to see what was the matter. He never did make it to the bedroom, as his wife led a small boy and girl out into the main room. She was followed by a girl a few years older than the pair of youngsters, and Clare and Cathleen. "Look at them, Henry!" the wife demanded, excitedly. "This morning, they could hardly hold their heads up, and now they are as well as you, or I. How could...
The following new characters make an appearance: Mary Margaret O’Connell (Margie) Katie’s twin Sister, Margie and Robert’s Daughter, Born on the 18 of September 1907, 7 pounds, green eyes, flaming red hair, Siberian Tiger cub Mary Kathleen O’Connell (Katie) Margie’s twin Sister, Margie and Robert’s Daughter, Born on the 18 of September 1907, 7 pounds, green eyes, flaming red hair, baby Dragon Patrick Owen O’Malley O’Connell Grace and Owen’s Son, Born on the 15 of October 1907, 7pounds 8...
Characters returning from Grace and Owen: Grace O’Malley, Heroine, former prostitute, 5’-2’’ tall, 110 pounds, 34D-22-34, 21 years old, alabaster skin, long flaming red hair, bright green eyes, some freckles, very cute, has a large but untrained Talent and little knowledge of Magic Owen O’Connell, Blacksmith, Grace’s lover and soon-to-be Husband, 5’-9’’ tall, 150 pounds, 25 years old, light auburn hair, gray eyes, quite handsome, has a large but untrained Talent and little knowledge of...
Final characters introduced in the story: Wolfgang Patrick O'Connell Mike and Gretchen's son, born 7 November 2053, auburn hair, green eyes Carl Michael O'Connell Pat and Petra's son, born 7 November 2053, reddish blond hair, blue eyes While Pat and I had been busy with our Wives and Sons, a bit of a brouhaha had developed at the University. It seems that some of the other Faculty members were jealous of our Parents and Aunts, and their position in what had become one of the...
We had just finished taking our seats and Lady Caoilinn had signaled for the first dish to be served when everything was interrupted by a long, loud, high pitched, agonizing scream that was suddenly cut off. I immediately sent out my Magical senses to determine what had happened. I didn't like what I found. "What on Earth was that?" Lady Caoilinn demanded in the sudden silence that followed the scream being cut off. Captain Sean Og was already on his feet and calling for the guardsmen,...
Seamus continues his Narrative: The following new characters appear in this chapter: Sarah MacKenna, Chandra Duncan's Sister, Seamus's Wife, 5'-2" tall, 100 pounds plus, 34C-20-30, 18 years old, long lustrous black hair, brown eyes, beautiful Duncan MacKenna, Oconostota Chandra's Brother, A & A's Husband, 5'-10" tall, 145 pounds, 16 years old, dark auburn hair, gray eyes, a very handsome young man I transferred Black Bear, the Ranger Lieutenant, and myself back to the...
The following new characters are introduced in the next two chapters: Savannah Collins Shannon's twin, James's Wife, 5'-2" tall, 105 pounds, 34C-22-34, 17 years old, blond hair, gray eyes, very cute Shannon Collins Savannah's twin, James's Wife, 5'-2" tall, 105 pounds, 34C-22-34, 17 years old, blond hair, gray eyes, very cute James's Narrative of his trip to Boston: I went north with Gwyn, Glanda, and their soon-to-be lawyer Husband plus a number of other Representatives to...
Grace takes over the narrative: Margaret O’Connell and her Husband returned that evening after supper. As promised, she brought the wedding dress and a box of books, but she also brought two lamps with her. “These are Magic Powered lamps, which don’t require fuel or electricity to work. All that you need to do is activate the spell in them with your Talent, and then you can adjust the intensity of the lamp to the level that you require,” she told Owen and me, before demonstrating how to do...
It was just after 4:00 that afternoon when the radio broke the silence. "Attention all O'Connell teams! We have just received word from the Intelligence Corp that the Persians have landed a short distance down river from Frankfurt. Keep a sharp lookout for their arrival. That's all for now," Grandfather Mark finished. Pat and I used the small pair of binoculars that we had been issued to search the area west of the city, but could only make out the top masts of several ships down the...
On arriving at the Hall for the evening meal, we were surprised to see a larger table set up and that several other guests were already there for the meal. The current conversations all stopped when we entered the Hall. "These are my house guests," Lady Feidhelm told the others. "The young man is Master Kellen O'Connell and the young ladies are the Mac Sweeney Sisters, Airmid and Almha, his Apprentices," she finished. "Kellen, these are my guests for the evening meal: Master Murchadh...
We materialized in the Duke's apartment on the second floor of the Manor house. The lamps there ran on Magic and they were lit. There was a fire in the large fireplace, making it much cheerier than the cell that we had just left. Of course the four girls couldn't see any of this, but they could feel the increased warmth. A large sumptuous dinner had been set out on the large table in the dining area here. It appeared that the Duke and Duchess had been interrupted as they prepared to have...
Mark's Narrative Continues: We didn't see Seamus or most of his people for ten days following dinner that night. Meagan and Maureen did appear for dinner a couple of times during that period, and they borrowed Dymphna for a time as Seamus and Carl had taken Dealla and Cessair with them. Having three Mages in the Ohio country put a strain on our one remaining Mage, Coleen, who was rather busy with two locations to take care of. Things on this side of the Ohio River had not slowed down or...
June slipped into July, and we still hadn't found time to return to the Other Reality to visit the girls still there, and to see how they and the Daughters they were carrying were doing. We had planned on returning several times, but every time that we had, something had come up to prevent us from leaving. Aside from the normal work in the fields on the growing crops, and our work in the printing plant, several emergencies had developed to prevent us from leaving. The first was one...
Because of our late start, there was no way that we could make the fifty kilometers to Gray before dark. We passed through the hamlet of Belleauve that afternoon, and had neared Mirebeau-sur-Beze before deciding to stop for the night. We looked for, and found, a wooded area with a pond nearby, at the edge of an open field. Pat and I had unsaddled our riding horses, unhitched the cart team, and removed their harnesses before we took them out to the pond for a drink. The women were preparing...
Monday started a week of discoveries and amazement for our future wives. While Pat and I hit the books, as the old saying goes, on Monday morning, our Sisters and female Cousins took our girlfriends shopping in Statesboro. They went on the small bus that makes regular trips to town several times a day so that our people can shop or run other errands. The first shock was the bus itself. It's one of the small types of buses that can carry 25 or so passengers, like those used by many churches...
Characters introduced in this chapter: Shannon O'Connell (Shan) Sheena's twin, one of Mike's future wives, 5'-4" tall, 104 pounds, 34C-21-30, 15 years old, long flaming red hair, deep green eyes, some freckles, and terribly cute Sheena O'Connell (She) Shannon's twin, one of Pat's future wives, 5'-4" tall, 104 pounds, 34C-21-30, 15 years old, long flaming red hair, deep green eyes, some freckles, and terribly cute Clare O'Toole Cathleen's twin, one of Mike's future wives,...
At home on Monday we all relaxed for a while except for the need to weed the fields and some maintenance on the new Tractor. Sean and I took Annie and Sara out to show them how to weed with Magic. They were surprised that they knew the spell, and at how easy it was to weed the large fields with Magic. Later our Moms took them out and introduced them to the herbal garden and weeding by hand because many of the herbs and other things growing there would be considered weeds by the Magic spell,...
"Shannon, what are you doing?" Savannah demanded, standing in the hall behind us. Shannon's head came up off my chest, and she turned toward her Sister in a more determined way than I had seen before. "It's all right, Savannah. He will take us with him and will marry both of us," she told her Sister. Savannah gasped in surprise. "Really? Both of us? Are you sure?" she asked in a doubtful voice. "I told Shannon that I would marry both of you. I will be glad to have both of you as...
Annie and I spent a troubled night with thoughts of Weres waking us from time to time, as I was sure others in our family did. We had all heard tales about them, but had always assumed that they were just that - tales, and not anything real. We were about to discover if they were real or not. Annie and I were up early for breakfast and were joined by Sean and Sara, who were up equally early. After breakfast there wasn’t anything to do at our houses, so we went over to our parents’ house to...
Mark resumes the Narrative: I didn't have a chance to return to the barracks room until sometime later. I had checked with all of the Platoon Leaders and the remaining leaders of Olive Hill. I had also created the permanent Portal to Hickory Hill to get supplies in here. Wolf came over to me as I entered the room. He had very hesitantly left the girl that he had rescued, who was asleep on one of the bunks. "I'm sorry that I let you down, Mark, but I ... I just couldn't leave Saoirse....
The sun was already up when we rose the next morning. It was dry and fairly warm in our defensive shell, and the fire that the Eternal Flame had left was still burning. While the women started on breakfast, Pat and I fed the horses. "We are going to take the horses for a drink," I told the women, as we prepared to move the horses through the defensive shell and our wards. They didn't like this, and were always skittish when we did it. "Breakfast will be ready in a bit," Shannon called...
The following Monday, the 4th of September, was Labor Day, and on Tuesday, the 5th, we all started back with our home-school studies. Pat and I were now Seniors in high school. Thanks to the work done by the 'Book of Dreams', Shannon and Sheena were now in their Junior year of high school, while Clare and Cathleen had started their Sophomore year. Gretchen and Petra, because of their late start with the 'Book of Dreams' were only on eighth grade work at present, but were advancing rapidly...
It was July before more checks showed up. It was Wednesday, the 13th, to be exact. On Thursday, the 14th, we returned to Nassau to deposit the latest checks and some excess funds from our parents' regular bank account in Georgia. Our parents were maintaining a large reserve of cash on hand in their house now. They had built it up over the last eleven months. This deposit brought them to over 225 million dollars in the two Nassau banks. It would appear that we weren't the only ones moving...