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From: "Net Wolf" <netwolf.thepub@gmail.com>
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Subject: {ASSM} Dragonseekers, by Net Wolf [13 / 20] (ff, mF, mf, first, inc, rom, solo, teen, voy)
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Date: Fri, 24 Aug 2007 12:10:02 -0400
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Story is (C) 2006 by Net Wolf

This story will be posted one chapter a day until it is finished.  If you
don't want to wait, or you want to see my other stories, you can visit my
website at

http://netwolf.wolfpub.org

The Mystic Wolf Pub also has several other good authors.  Check it out:

http://www.wolfpub.org

Please let me know if you enjoy the story.

Net Wolf

**********

Dragonseekers
Chapter 13 of 20

Genre: Fantasy
Codes: first time sex, incest, romantic, solo, teen, non-sexual
violence, voyeurism
Pairings: ff, mF, mf

Description:
Don White and his friends are transported to Zemlia Nov through a computer
RPG. Their mission? Find a way home. But that's not the whole story...

**********

           --===Dragonseekers===--

Chapter 13



    Don dismounted his horse.  He felt Gill at his side, and
the two walked forward, leaving their horses in the care of Susan.  She
knew she wouldn't be of any real use in the coming battle, if there was
to be one.  Psionics can protect themselves from flying objects; an
archer doesn't stand a chance.

    The two boys walked steadily forward, sharing sidelong
glances.  It was just hitting them; this was not a movie.  This wasn't
Wyatt and Doc on their way to the OK Corral.  Whatever happened here,
they knew that someone was probably going to get hurt.

    "Just keep it cool, Gill," Don said quietly.  "Maybe we can
talk our way through this."

    "Fine with me, man.  I don't have any of those nifty powers
to protect me."

    "I hear you.  Just don't piss him off any more than he
already is, okay?"

    "Yeah, yeah."

    The two walked the remaining way in silence.  Don studied
Paul's body language, and didn't like what he saw.  His former friend
was obviously angry, and Don wondered if he wasn't slightly insane.
Looking to Carysta, he saw her fade backward a little, and wondered
what that meant.  The look on her face was more one of worry than anger.

    *She's worried about Paul?  Or worried that we've got the
ability to beat them?  Which?*

    Don kept his gaze steady, hoping that his mien was
impassive as he approached.  He and Gill stopped when they were about
twenty feet away from the other two.

    For a long moment, no one spoke.  There was a tension in
the air that no one dared to break.  Paul glowered at the others, and
Don and Gill looked back at him pensively, wondering what he'd do.

    After about a minute or so, Don couldn't stand the
silence.  He didn't know what to say, but finally, from the recesses of
his brain, came a line from a Mel Brooks movie.

    "I say, would you mind terribly getting out of the way?"
Don asked in his best Robin Hood voice.  It was a movie that the boys
had watched together a dozen times; he hoped it would break something
loose in Paul.

    "Yes, actually, I *would* mind," Paul snarled back.
Obviously he didn't care about their past relationship; he wanted -
what?  Vengeance?  For what?

    "Look, what the hell's your problem?" Gill demanded.  Don
put his hand out to stop Gill, who was about to step forward.

    "*You're* my problem, you... sister-fucker!  I'm going to
kill you for stealing Julie from me!"

    Don stepped intentionally in front of Gill.  "Actually,
Paul, Julie is *my* girl, not Gill's."

    "What the fuck are you doing?" Gill whispered.

    "Saving your ass," Don replied in kind.  "Now, step back,
and go protect the girls!"

    "I'll be damned if I'm letting him run me off!" Gill rasped.

    "*He* isn't.  *I am.*  Now, *move it!*"

    Reluctantly, Gill backed away.  Don needed him gone,
because that was the only way that Don could hope to calm Paul enough
to let them pass without a fight.

    "So, *you're* the fuck she's sleeping with?  God, and I
thought you were my friend!"

    Don raised his hands in supplication.  "Paul, believe what
you want, okay?  Julie came to me after she gave up on waiting for
you.  You were ignoring her.  What did you want her to do?"

    "She's *mine*, god damn you!" Paul bellowed.

    At this point, Don felt a presence at his shoulder.  He
turned to bark an order at Gill, only to find Julie looking past him at
her brother.  "I'm not yours.  And I never *will be* yours.  What
happened to you, Paulie?"

    "My name, you little whore, is *Paul*!"  Julie stepped back
involuntarily.  Don put his body mostly between them, though Julie
could still see around him.

    "Why did you have to abandon me?  I *wanted* to be with
you!" she cried.  "But you wouldn't have anything to do with me!  So,
yes, I went to someone else!  It was *your fault!*"  Don turned and
hugged her, and she gripped him.  It was the wrong thing to do in front
of Paul, though it was necessary.

    "So, you've brainwashed her into believing I did all this
shit to her.  Good trick.  I suppose that kind of magic can come in
handy.  You're not likely to be able to use it on me, you piece of
shit."

    Don leaned down and whispered in Julie's ear.  "Go back to
the horses.  Jules... I love you."  He didn't know why he'd said that,
or if it had any more significance than simply to comfort her.  She
looked up and smiled through her tears, and nodded, then ran back to
join the others.  Don turned to face his now-enemy.

    "Like I said.  Believe what you want.  Obviously, you've
already made up your mind.  The truth isn't likely to sway you at all.
You've always been a little pig-headed.  What do I have to do to get
you to go away and leave us alone?"

    "Die," Paul spat.  "That's all.  Would you like to kill
yourself, or will you allow me the satisfaction?"

    "I'm going home, Paul.  If that means I have to go through
you two to get there, then so be it."

    At this point, Don could feel someone new approaching.  He
turned his head just enough to catch red hair out of the corner of his
eye.  That told him who it was; Annie was coming to join him.  He
worried as much about that as he felt grateful for it; she wasn't
confident with her skills.

    Finally, realizing he couldn't reason with Paul, he turned
to Carysta.  He asked her, "Why did you turn him against us?  What the
fuck did we ever do to you?"

    "You leave her out of this!" Paul snarled.  Don continued
to look at Carysta, and he saw his pleading look returned.  *She
doesn't want to be here at all.  She'll support him, but she'd just as
soon be somewhere else.*

    "You know what?" Paul growled, "If you want that little
cunt, go ahead and have her!  She's too stupid for me, anyway."

    Don stepped back, his right fist down at his side.  It was
clenched tightly into a fist.  When Don realized that, he consciously
relaxed it.

    "Fucking slut, is all she is.  She's fucked every member of
the senior class, far as I can tell.  Guess you were the best she could
manage, in this place... though I'm surprised she's not flirting with
her horse."

    Don knew when he was being goaded.  He could tell that Paul
was trying to taunt him into action.  He *was* getting angry, and he
realized his hand was clenching and unclenching rhythmically.

    Paul continued.  "Hell, I bet she slept with you *just* to
get even with me!  Yeah, that sounds like something she'd do.
Vindictive, stupid little cow that she is.  Spread her legs for anyone
to suit her needs."

    Don lifted his left hand ever so slightly, and he felt
Annie shift beside him.  He didn't dare look at her; he was afraid Paul
was hoping to catch him off guard.

    "But it doesn't matter.  I'm not going to let you boss me
around anymore.  You can have the silly little slut, though."  Paul
sneered at Don, but then he glanced down.  He saw a light shining from
Don's clenched fist.  As the fist relaxed, he saw a tight ball of
crimson energy hidden there.  He knew that meant trouble; he had pushed
too far now, and if he didn't take the first action, he might not get a
chance.

    Paul lunged, his attack hurried and disorganized.  Still,
it caught Don by surprise, since he'd been expecting a continued verbal
tirade.  Don lifted his left hand, forming a ward-off sign to create a
weak shield, and then he brought his right hand up.  It wasn't until
that point that he even realized there was already a ball of energy in
his hand.

    Don looked at it for a brief moment, and then, shrugging,
decided that he wouldn't worry over why it was there.  Looking into
Paul's eyes, Don's right hand shot forward, releasing the highly
charged ball of magic.  He watched as first Paul impacted his shield,
which gave way, but didn't break under the strain.  Then, the energy
spell impacted Paul in the side, throwing him violently sideways, and
tossing him to the ground.  Paul rolled for a dozen yards, but Don
wasn't watching that.

    Sensing that she would enter the fight now, Don turned to
face Carysta, who was already forming a ball of mental energy.  She
loosed it just as Don turned.  He began to chant a stronger shield
spell, but Annie didn't give him time.

    Annie knew that Don would be caught unaware, and she had
been watching Carysta.  As soon as the psionic ball left Carysta's
hand, Annie leapt forward.  As she moved through the air, she drew the
Sword of Hollie from its sheath.  As her feet landed lightly, she
swiveled and brought her sword around in an arc.  The ball of energy
was right where she had expected it to be, and her sword cut deeply
into it.

    Mental energy and magical energy cannot meet without some
reaction.  In the case of opposing forces, that reaction is most often
quick and violent.  The ball of energy split in half, then exploded.
Annie was hurled off her feet, thrown thirty feet backward by the
blast.  She barely missed hitting Don, not that she had any control of
her flight path.

    Don cursed at seeing what had happened, and he turned to go
to Annie.  He knelt down as she raised up to her elbows, shaking her
head to clear it.

    "Are you okay?" he asked in deep concern.  She nodded,
still a little woozy from the landing.  She could feel some bruises,
but nothing hurt too badly.  She turned her head, and saw the attack
coming, but had no time to say anything.

    Paul had risen from his position in the grass, and he had
taken the opportunity of Don's inattentiveness to fire a blast of mind
energy at him.  Like a particle beam, it lanced through the air and
contacted Don's back, throwing him a dozen feet away.  Don rolled in
the grass, cursing himself and then chanting a spell to protect himself
from further attacks.

    Paul advanced on Don, but as he came across Annie,
struggling to get to her feet, he looked down and scowled.  He
delivered a kick to her midsection as she tried to rise, and she
collapsed back on the ground with a loud *whoosh!* as the air rushed
out of her lungs.

    "You stupid bitch.  Don't you know you're no match for us?
Get in the way like that again, and Carysta will *vaporize* you!  Do
you think I'm afraid of you?  I know how weak you are.  You depend on
*him*!  First, I will kill him.  Then I will have my fun toying with
you, before you d-"

    At this point, Paul went flying.  A massive burst of
unfocused energy washed over him.  The rage contained within the blast
was enough that Paul could not resist it, and was thrown off his feet.
He looked down, as he flew fairly high above the ground, to see Don
using both hands in a major attack.  He could hear his former friend
clearly, however.

    "You will not *touch* her!" he screamed.  The energy
actually increased, and Paul struggled to get free of the beam.
Finally, Don let him loose, and Paul was falling.  He tried to right
himself, but the blast had disoriented him badly.

    Don didn't pay much attention to what happened to Paul
after that.  Once he released his beam, he ran to Annie's side,
kneeling quickly to look at her.  She was already struggling to get
back to her feet, so he grasped her hand, and hauled her upright.  She
reached down to grab her sword, and then shook her head to clear away
the last of the cobwebs.  Only then did the two look for their
opponents.

    Carysta thought to attack Don as he rushed to his partner's
aid, but she was more worried about saving her own mate, who didn't
seem to be able to stop his rapid descent toward the ground.  She
reached out with her mind, and gripped him.  It was a struggle; he was
falling rapidly.  Finally, only twenty feet from impact, she managed to
slow his descent so that his landing was nothing more than an
unpleasant tumble in the dirt.

    The two groups once again faced off, about twenty feet
apart.  Paul was breathing hard, but Don didn't think it was so much
from effort as anger.  Annie was rubbing her arm where she'd fallen on
it.

    "This is pointless," Don called out.  "Look, you don't have
to do this!  You know, we *know* where Vernior is now!  All you've got
to do is come with us, and we can all be home in a little while!"

    Carysta looked at Paul.  This was the thing she feared;
would he leave her here, alone again?

    Paul looked at him.  "Why the fuck would I want to go back
home?  Home I'm a nobody.  The nerds don't like me, the jocks hate me,
everyone teases me, and *you* push me around!"

    "I have never pushed you around!" Don spat back.

    "Oh, yeah, right.  Like this whole thing isn't just your
fucking power-trip.  No thanks.  Here, I have a good life.  I've got a
girl, I've got some respect, and I've got *power*.  Power I'm about to
show you, asswipe, so I'd advise you to say a prayer!"

    Don moved closer to Annie, but he wasn't sure if he was
protecting her, or if he just wanted someone else close.  Annie
tightened her grip on her sword, and put her free hand on Don's
shoulder.  Carysta, Don noticed, stepped away from Paul slightly, as if
to give him room to work.

    Paul was concentrating, trying to form a ball of mental
energy.  Don saw this, and quickly weaved his own spell.  The spell had
little power, but it flashed and popped and twinkled in front of Paul,
distracting him.  The spell lasted for longer than it took to chant it,
and while Paul was confused, dealing with the sparkles, Don formed a
more powerful spell.  He lanced a shot of lightning from the tip of his
finger, heading right for Paul.

    Carysta saw this, however.  She used her kinetic ability to
shove Paul out of the way, and the spell zipped harmlessly past.  Paul
lifted himself up off the ground, using his power to levitate.  Now he
zoomed straight at Don, a ball of energy crackling between his hands.

    Don was caught by the sight of Paul diving at him, and it
took Annie tugging on him to bring him back to reality.  "Go right," he
told her just loud enough for her to hear.  As he shoved her, she dove
to the right, rolling along the ground and then running.  Don moved to
the left.  This way, he knew that Paul would have to choose, and he was
hoping there would be a moment of hesitation.

    Paul was not going to be fooled that easily, however.  He
swerved, aiming right for Don.  Don turned and, at the last moment,
swung himself first to the right, and then the left.  He spun about
just as Paul was trying to correct his flight path, and he put up a
magical tripwire in front of the flying teen.

    Paul's body contacted the tripwire and went tumbling.  He
hit the ground hard, and got a face full of mental energy ball.
Blasted by his own attack, Paul went rolling along the ground, dazed.
He was also extremely angry, and by the time he'd gotten to his feet,
it was clear that he was enraged.

    Paul paused, and closed his eyes, tilting his head forward
and bringing his hands to his temples.  Don was worried now; he
couldn't easily distract him in his current pose.  When he felt Annie
at his side, he was more comforted.

    Suddenly, before them were three Pauls.  Then five,
seven... they were multiplying rapidly, forming a circle around the
two.  Don tried to keep his eyes focused on where he knew Paul to be
standing, but then a problem developed.  Paul lifted himself and his
copies off the ground, and they all started rotating around the two.

    Don and Annie stood back to back, not sure of exactly how
to deal with this attack.  Don raised a shield around both of them just
as Paul took his first shot.  The mental energy impacted on the magical
shield, causing sparks and bright auroral colors in the air for a
second or two.  Don considered how to beat an enemy he couldn't see.

    *Well, if I can't see him... no, it's not that I can't see
him, it's that I don't know which one is real.  Okay, good.*

    "Annie, can you create a wind, flowing left to right?"

    "I'm... I'm not sure."

    "Try.  Please.  I need your help."

    "I'll do what I can," she said self-consciously.

    "I believe in you, Annie," he said, keeping his eyes on the
Pauls in front of him.  Annie closed her eyes, and began a chant.  He
could hear the quaver in her voice as she tried to concentrate.  He
reached back and grabbed her free hand, the one not involved in the
spell.  She squeezed his hand very tightly.

    Slowly, uncertainly, as if it wasn't really sure it felt
like going anywhere, the air began to move across the field, causing a
slight wind.

    "Heavier, Annie.  C'mon, you can do it.  I need a stiff
breeze."

    Slowly, agonizingly slowly, the wind speed picked up, until
Don could feel it tugging at his clothes.

    "Good!  Now hold it, keep the wind going!"

    Don looked now at the spinning images of Paul before him.
The wind was whipping their hair around... but the key was that only
*one* of the images had hair going in the right direction for the
wind.  Don focused his mind, casting a spell of seeing, and his vision
became vastly more acute.  He could now tell with a glance which Paul
was the real one.  He dropped his shield and dumped all of that energy
into a beam spell, lancing it out at Paul.  The beam connected, because
Paul didn't even try to dodge, figuring there was no way Don could
correctly guess which one was him.

    Paul was thrown violently to the ground.  He rolled in the
grass in agony.  He was outraged that his trick hadn't worked.  Still,
he wasn't really injured.  He pulled himself up off the ground, and
looked across the grass.

    "Okay, Annie, you can let it go now.  You did great."  He
could feel her whole body trembling as she had struggled to hold it
together.  As the spell faded, she nearly collapsed. Don had to turn to
hold her up.  He wasn't paying attention to Paul.

    Paul noticed this.  A ball of mental energy went sailing,
and Don caught it in the small of his back, throwing both himself and
Annie to the ground.  Don went rolling, tumbling so that he would not
land on Annie and hurt her.  He got up, dazed and shaken.

    *Stupid mistake, Don.*

    Squaring himself, he looked at Paul.  Paul was glaring
maniacally at him, in a way that made Don really wonder about his
sanity.  Paul lunged, and once again, the fight was on.

    For the next ten minutes, four powerful individuals
battled.  No one seemed capable of getting the upper hand.  Near the
end, Annie seemed to retreat from the fighting.  Don didn't mind; he
was more worried about her getting hurt than needing her help.  He
focused on the two before him, ducking Paul's next attack.  He feinted
to the left, flashing a beam of light in that direction.  Had it hit
Paul, it would have done no more than dazzle him.  Paul didn't know
this, of course, and he swung right to avoid it.  Don was ready for
him, and arced a blue laser-like beam from his fingers through the
sky.  Paul almost ducked it, but the edge caught him in the side.  He
went spinning through the air, heading straight for a tree.

    Carysta screamed in panic, and rushed for Paul.  She was
throwing every ounce of strength she had at him, to try to slow him
down.  When she realized that wasn't working, she pushed at him,
shoving him off course.  She watched, hoping he'd miss-

    Annie had been waiting for an opportunity.  She knew that
she couldn't take Carysta in a head-on fight, but now Carysta wasn't
paying attention.  Annie summoned up all the psionic power she could,
and channeled it along the blade of her sword.  It was the only way she
knew to point her energies in the right direction, and the blast shot
out the tip of her blade, lancing deep into Carysta's body.

    The blast was, truly, feeble, and it would not have been
more than an annoyance if Carysta had been ready for it.  She was,
however, watching Paul too intently, and the blast caught her
completely by surprise.  She crumpled to the ground, rolling in pain.

    In the meantime, Paul had crashed to the ground, missing
the tree by a good three feet.  He struggled to get upright, and shook
his head to clear it.  The world still seemed to be spinning.  Looking
over, he wondered why Carysta wasn't occupying the other two's
attention so he could recover.  At that point, he saw her writhing on
the ground, and he ran toward her, his feet barely touching the ground.

    When he got closer, he saw the scorch mark on her clothing,
and he knew from experience that it was a psionic blast.  He leveled
his gaze at Annie, and the rage burned within him.

    "You stupid cow!  How dare you!  I will crush your skull!"

    As Paul was readying for his attack, he learned why anger
is a weapon only for one's enemy.  Don saw what was about to happen,
but he'd been waiting to see what Paul would do.  Now knowing that it
was necessary, Don let loose a massive gout of magic flame.  When it
reached Paul, it not only began to burn his clothes, but it threw him
backward... right into the tree Carysta had worked so hard to make him
avoid the first time.  Paul's body bowed when it hit the tree, his back
arching ominously.  Don was sure he would have to have something
broken.  When Don let the fire die away, Paul crumpled to the ground.
That's when Don saw the blood oozing from the back of his head.  Don's
stomach churned as he thought about what might have happened.

    By this time, Carysta was getting shakily to her feet,
having recovered from the blast.  She was about to turn on Annie, but
then saw what had happened to her lover.

    <*Paul*!> she screamed in her mind, running to his side.
The blood began running more freely from his head, and she pressed her
hands against the wound.  She sent her energy into him, trying to heal
the damage.  She managed to stop the bleeding, and she prevented the
inevitable swelling, but she couldn't get him to wake up; too many
other injuries had occurred.

    As she felt a presence near her, she looked up, terrified.
Anyone who could do this to a *friend*...

    She looked into Don's gaze, and was confused to see
concern.  "Is he dead?" Don asked.

    *<No,>* she said, her mental voice a harsh whisper.  *<Are
you going to kill him now?>*  She thought if he said yes, she would
surely die trying to save him.

    "I didn't want to fight him in the first place."

*    <What are you going to do with us?>*

    Don noticed the total lack of will left in her.  "Why did
he do this?" Don wanted to know.

    Carysta shook her head, crying.  *<It might have been my
fault.  I only wanted... it's so lonely here, and he was so like me...
I only wanted a companion.  But he... changed...>*

    "We're leaving Zemlia Nov.  We're going back home."

    Carysta looked up at him.  *<Are you going to take him away
from me?>*

    Don snorted.  "Hell, no.  I don't know what we're going
home to... we've been gone for like two months or something.  I do know
that I don't want to put up with *him* for the rest of my life."

    The rest of the group had come over, now that the fight was
over.  Don could feel Julie pressing behind him, and he turned to let
her in, so she could see her brother.  She looked down at him, worry
creasing her face.  She turned to Carysta.

    "You'll take care of him?"

    Carysta nodded.  *<I'm sorry.  I never wanted to hurt any
of you.  Least of all, him,>* she said, looking down into his
unconscious face.

    "Maybe things will ease up for him when we're gone," Don
said.  "Tell him... shit, nothing you tell him that I said is going to
be helpful.  Just let him know we left, and that we wish him luck."

    *<Thank you... for sparing me.>*

    "I didn't want to fight you, either," Don said plainly.
"Something tells me that between here and home is something nasty.  I
didn't need this little battle to wear me out."

    *<I'm sorry.>*

    "We should be gone by day's end... or at the very latest,
tomorrow.  Don't let him follow us."

    *<I'll try.>*

    "That's all I ask.  C'mon guys, we've got a long way to go
yet."

    As the group began to walk to their horses, Don held Annie
back.  When the rest of the team was about twenty feet away, he
embraced her.  She hugged him tightly, reveling in the feel of him.
After a little while, he let her go, and smiled.

    "See?  I told you we could do it."  She grinned at him
sheepishly, and blushed.  "Are you okay?  I mean, really?"

    "I'll be all right... but... could I... maybe ride with you
for a while?  I feel better when I do."

    "Okay," he said.  He leaned in, and they kissed softly,
before finally walking over to Don's horse.

    When they were both situated, he looked back.  "Everyone
ready?"

    "Lead on," Gill said.

    "Let's go home."



-----



    The team rode on for most of the afternoon, and it seemed
only slowly that the Siratis Gates grew closer to them.  By
mid-afternoon, they were wondering if they would make it before
nightfall.  At a small lake, Don called a halt to their group, to give
the horses some rest, as well as to let the blood return to his ass,
which had just about fallen asleep completely from the riding.

    After getting a drink himself and making sure there were no
problems, Don turned to gaze at the immense spires of rock before
them.  Though they were still untold miles in the distance, he already
had to raise his eyes to see the top of them.  He stared at them,
wondering how something like that could exist, for a long moment before
he noticed someone standing beside him.

    Turning, he saw Katie looking at the spires, a look of fear
and dread on her face.  "What's the matter?" he asked, suddenly
concerned.

    "What's going to happen... when we get home?"

    Don cocked his head to one side.  "What do you mean, what's
going to happen?"

    "With us," she said more directly.  Don's eyebrows lifted;
he hadn't considered the idea of their relationship in the real world.

    "I... well, what do you want to happen?" he asked,
temporizing.

    Katie turned to him and wrapped her arms around him.  "I
love you, Donny.  I don't think I can go without you."

    Don wrapped his arms around his sister and hugged her
tightly.  "Well, then... I guess we'll find a way to see that you don't
have to," he said with a comforting tone to his voice.  With a chuckle,
he said, "I'm kinda gonna miss the wings, though."

    When she backed away, Katie was blushing fiercely.  "You
really like me this way?"

    "Katie," he said quickly, "you were beautiful before, but
here... here you're a goddess."  She leaned in and kissed him strongly
as a reward for his compliment.  He held onto her for a long time
before he sensed someone waiting for them to break it up.

    Letting go of Katie, he turned to see Gill smirking at the
both of them.  "You guys done, or you want us to build you a room right
here?"

    "Hmmm, a room sounds nice," Don said jokingly.  "You in
some kind of hurry?"

    "It's going to start getting dark soon.  I'd like to be out
of here as soon as possible."

    "Spoil sport," Don said to his sister, who giggled.  Don
turned and looked at the Gates again.  "Okay, I guess we should get
going."  He noted that Annie was back with Julie, though she smiled and
nodded to him.  Don turned to Katie and said, "Looks like you got your
seat back.  What did you threaten her with?"

    Katie blushed again, but said nothing.  Soon, the group was
back on its way toward the Siratis Gates and, they hoped, home.



-----



    The next two hours were blessedly uneventful, but it was
becoming clearer to them that they might not make it to the Gates
before they had to stop for the night.

    They didn't know that it wasn't up to them.



-----



    Don was in the lead, as usual, when a shadow crossed over
him.  He looked up just in time to throw himself and Katie off the
horse.  Dan-Gelmer came down out of the sun, decapitating their horse.
Blood spewed everywhere, and Don rolled clear of it.  He looked over to
his sister, who was already up and running, looking for anything that
resembled shelter.  Don saw Dan-Gelmer wheeling for another attack.

    "Katie, *DOWN*!" Don screamed.

    Without hesitation, Katie disappeared into the tall grass
only seconds before Dan-Gelmer came streaking across the grassland,
mere feet above the ground.  He was angered that he couldn't find his
target.

    Don, however, was angered at who Dan-Gelmer's target
*was*.  He let loose with a magical blast that singed the tip of
Dan-Gelmer's tail.  The dragon swung around in a tight arc, looking for
his assailant.  He found Don standing in the open, a look of rage on
his face.

    "You want to attack somebody, you overgrown dragonfly, you
attack *me*!"

    "Very well, *human*," the dragon replied.  A blast of blue
fire erupted out of Dan-Gelmer's mouth, heading for Don.  Don jumped
out of the way, rolling clear and back on his feet.  The grass did not
burn from the flame; Don was surprised by this, since it would have
been a good way to corner them.

    By this time, the others had dismounted, and had drawn
their weapons.  Don felt them coming up beside him.  Without looking,
he asked Gill, "Where's Julie?"

    "Hiding somewhere."

    "Good.  Susan!"

    "Already strung!"

    "Let it fly!"

    Susan released the arrow she had in her bow.  Don chanted
his spell as the arrow flew.  Dan-Gelmer swung in the air to avoid it,
but he had as much chance of dodging it as a Cessna would have dodging
a Sidewinder.  The arrow guided its way to its target, thanks to Don's
spell, and it embedded deeply in Dan-Gelmer's side.  The dragon howled,
first with rage, and then with pain, as the secondary spell kicked in,
sending jolts of electric energy through the dragon's body.

    Don was proud of himself, and he was highly annoyed when
someone tackled him from the side.  He rolled, ready to beat the crap
out of whoever it was, until he saw that it was Annie.  He looked at
her angrily, until he heard the sizzle of magical energy in the air.
 He nodded to her as he pushed her off him so he could get up.

    *A coordinated attack.  We should have expected it.*  He
was now faced with the crimson-robed Denonia once again.

    "You may have passed the test of the maze, boy, but you
cannot defeat me!"  Denonia lashed another bolt of energy at him, but
this time he was ready for her.  A quick defense spell deflected the
ball of energy up and away... right toward Dan-Gelmer.  Denonia
screamed in warning and then in frustration.  Dan-Gelmer glared at her
from his position in the sky.

    "Looks like you've got some pretty bad aim there," Don
taunted.  Denonia leveled a slender finger at him.

    "Don't think you can toy with me, child!  You are nothing
but a piss-ant!"  With that, she loosed a blast of lightning from her
finger.  Don dodged, but the edge of it still caught him, throwing him
to the ground and setting his robe alight.  He quickly rolled in the
grass to put himself out, and then rose to his knees.

    Just then, Dan-Gelmer swooped out of the sky, aiming right
for Don.  Don rolled onto his back, so he could see the dragon, and
lanced a shot straight at the oncoming lizard.  Dan-Gelmer dodged and
weaved, avoiding each bolt of energy.

    Suddenly, a blue bolt of fire zapped straight up at him.
He was caught in the side, and screamed in rage.  The bolt didn't hurt
him much, but it was irritating.

    The column of energy Don sent his way had somewhat more
impact.  Dan-Gelmer was rocked backward, thrown into a spin for a
second before he was able to recover.  He blessed Annie for the
distraction.

    As Don rose, he turned to face Denonia again.  "Gill, you
three take care of him.  I'll deal with Denonia."

    "Right!"

    "You think you can *deal* with me, you worthless pond
slime?  I will crush you!"

    "Why must bad game characters always talk too goddamn
much?" Don asked her.  He didn't give her a chance to retort, as he
fired a series of fire darts at her.  Denonia cried out in pain as
several contacted her body.  She waved her hands to form a magical
shield, and the remainder of the darts bounced harmlessly away.

    Behind Don, the rest of the team was facing down
Dan-Gelmer.  Susan pulled out the largest arrow she had; a hunting
arrow designed for bringing down large game, it looked puny compared to
Dan-Gelmer's immense size.

    "Annie, can you... do anything to it?" Susan asked
hurriedly.

    Annie nodded, and said, "I'll try.  When I say go, fire it."

    Susan nocked the arrow and pulled it back as far as she
could.  Annie closed her eyes and chanted a spell, repeating it over
and over as she visualized in her mind.  When she felt she had it, she
screamed, "GO!"

    Susan let loose her arrow, and was nearly thrown backward
by the power of the energy coursing through it.  The small wooden stick
looked more like a laser beam as it lanced speedily toward its target.
When it impacted in Dan-Gelmer's shoulder, he was thrown to the ground
in pain.  He tumbled until he was upright, and then reached back with
his mouth to grab the offending object, yanking it free.

    "You will all die horrible deaths," Dan-Gelmer promised,
advancing on them.  Gill shrugged.

    "Hey, if I'm gonna die, might as well try to take you with
me.  *Charge!*"  Gill rushed the dragon, who, in his astonishment,
failed to burn Gill to a crisp.  When Gill was close enough, he lunged
at the beast, swiping at his foreleg, and cutting deeply into it.
Dan-Gelmer howled in rage and pain, swinging his tail around to catch
Gill, but Gill had already rolled himself into a ball and bounced away
from the angry beast.

    Annie, seeing an opportunity, let loose another electric
blast.  Following that, she was able to put together a weak image of a
larger dragon.  It was transparent, and wouldn't fool anyone, but it
had the desired effect of further distracting an already upset animal.
Annie drew the Sword of Hollie and rushed in.

    Dan-Gelmer was almost fast enough to catch her, but Annie
was also able to augment her speed.  She was using every trick she'd
managed to figure out over the last weeks, and she was inside on the
dragon before he could bring his foot down on her.  She sliced over his
midsection, blood spewing over her head as she went.  In a second, she
was clear, able to hop and roll over the animal's tail before he could
lash her with it.

    Dan-Gelmer knew that he couldn't fight this way; he was too
clumsy on the ground.  He beat his huge wings, and soon he was soaring
into the air.  The attacks of the humans were mere stings to him, but
enough stings can be fatal, too.  He rose to five hundred feet, and
then dove at them, fire blasting from his mouth.

    Even Denonia cringed at Dan-Gelmer's attack, probably
because she knew she was very close to his flight path.  She ran away
from the area quickly.  Don, knowing what had to be happening, turned
to see the dragon barreling down out of the sky heading toward his
friends.

    Thinking quickly, Don let loose a burst of bright flashes
right in front of Dan-Gelmer.  Harmless though they were, they would
blind the dragon for a short time, allowing everyone to move.  Don ran
to where he remembered Katie was; he needed to know she was all right,
since he hadn't seen her in a few minutes.

    About the time Don reached Katie, Dan-Gelmer crashed into
the ground, still dazzled from the bright lights.  He wheeled on his
opponents, a fierce blast of yellow fire spewing from his mouth.  This
time, everything it touch withered and died instantly.  Luckily, it
reached none of his friends.  He looked down to see that Katie was
shaking, but unhurt.  He reached down and pulled her up.

    "C'mon," he shouted.  "If you stay here like that, you're
liable to get trampled by accident!"  He ran with her toward where he
knew Julie to be hiding, but he never made it there.

    Denonia, recovering from her surprise at Dan-Gelmer's
reckless charge, saw Don and the Elfling.  She fired a rapier-like
blast at him.  Katie shouted a warning, and Don raised his hands in
spell-defense just in the nick of time.  The blast dented his
shielding, but didn't crack it.  He knew she couldn't keep this up
forever; it was draining way too much power.  He didn't know how much
she had, but no one's levels were infinite.

    *I hope.*



-----



    Half an hour later, and the group was really beginning to
show signs of wear.  They'd been fending off attacks from two
directions for too long, and no one can hold up forever.  Don continued
to ward off Denonia's energy bursts, and throw a few of his own, but he
also had to keep an eye out for Dan-Gelmer, as he would periodically
make another diving attack, and Don's magic was the only way to prevent
that from succeeding.  Annie was doing her best, but she simply wasn't
up to this level of combat.

    Gill and Susan were both beginning to wear out, though
they'd had the least to do, other than running away.  That alone grated
on Gill's nerves and set him on edge, but there was little he could do;
he was completely outclassed in this kind of fighting.

    On the other side of the battle, Denonia and Dan-Gelmer
were both becoming agitated.  They had not anticipated a major
resistance from this rag-tag group of people.  Denonia was growing
angry, at herself and at her enemy.  Finally, she decided that enough
was enough.

    Raising her hands high above her head, Denonia chanted
loudly and long.  Beneath her feet, the ground started to rumble.  The
others felt it, and they looked fearfully to Don, who was now crouching
slightly, to keep his balance and his focus.  Whatever was coming, he
was sure it would be bad.

    He was right in that assessment.  Springing forth from the
ground came a trio of rock monsters, about seven feet tall, looking
very much like The Thing from the Fantastic Four, except not as
charming.  The creatures lumbered toward the group, arms outstretched
in classic monster pose.  Gill, finally seeing an enemy he could sink
his blade into, actually let out a battle cry.

    "Come get some!" Gill screamed as he charged the beasts.
Annie, drawing once more the Sword of Hollie, followed her instructor
into combat.  Don turned to Denonia, who watched with a superior smirk
on her face.

    "What're you so proud about, bitch?  You said you were
going to wipe the floor with me, remember?  What the hell are you
waiting for?"  Don leveled a heavy blast of magical energy at Denonia,
and she had to dodge it repeatedly, as he kept up firing.

    To his left, Gill leapt into the air and plunged his blade
deep into a rock monster.  To his surprise and horror, the monster kept
coming, throwing Gill backward onto the ground.  Luckily, he'd managed
to keep hold of his blade, or he would have been completely defenseless.

    Annie, seeing Gill's failure, tried to think of another
tactic.  Her thoughtfulness nearly got her killed, as a monster's heavy
hand almost caught her on the top of the head.  Only a whistle from
Susan and a quick ducking motion saved her hide.  Instinctively, she
raised her sword in an arcing motion, swinging it around the monster's
arm, and then down toward its head.  The sword struck home, cutting
cleanly through the beast's skull.  The top of its head slid off and
plopped down onto the ground, and the rest of the creature soon
followed.  It lay limply and unmoving.

    "The head, Gill!  Go for the head!"

    "Right!" he shouted, and lunged again.  This time, he was
approaching from the side, and as the beast turned to fend him off,
Gill swung his sword in a wide arc.  The blade went through the beast's
neck, and the head rolled off the shoulders.  Before it had even
managed to hit the ground, the monster's body was crumbling back into
dirt.

    Don heard the satisfied whoop that Gill let out, and
smiled.  He didn't have time to look at what was going on, however.
Dan-Gelmer had decided he'd had enough of the pesky magician, and he
was now diving directly at Don.  Denonia had backed off, not wanting to
get caught in the attack.  Don was glad for that; had they had the
brains to coordinate against him, he would not have been able to fight
off both of them.

    Don focused his mind, and chanted quickly.  It took
precious seconds, but finally the spell was cast.  Crouching, he moved
about twenty feet to one side.  Dan-Gelmer did not see this, however,
as he was fixated on the false image of Don still standing, cowering in
the field.  Dan-Gelmer loosed more yellow fire at the image, and the
grass wilted into nothingness.  The image, however, did not fade.
Dan-Gelmer's eyes widened in the belief that this magician could fight
off his flame, and he charged even faster, angered at the thought.

    Don watched in astonishment as Dan-Gelmer collided full
force with Don's image... or tried to.  He passed right through the
illusion, of course, and smacked very hard into the ground.  The dragon
tumbled for a good quarter mile before coming to a stop, dazed and
bruised, but not injured.

    *Dammit.*

    The dragon rose to its feet, then flapped itself into the
air.  It circled, and on again it came.



-----



    An hour later, and the team was starting to fall apart.
Night had fallen, and only the occasional spell of energy balls lit up
the area so they could all see.  Gill was unconscious, having taken a
nasty blow from a mud cat conjured up by Denonia.  Annie had dispatched
the beast shortly after, and Julie had made sure that Gill was okay,
but he was out of the fighting for the moment.  Susan had run
completely out of arrows, and Don did not have time to create more for
her.  He was fending off continuous vicious attacks from Denonia, with
the occasional strike from Dan-Gelmer thrown in for good measure.

    *Do they *ever* get tired?*  So far as he could tell,
Denonia and Dan-Gelmer were both as fresh as they had started out.  At
the moment, Dan-Gelmer was chasing Katie around the sky.  She couldn't
find anywhere to hide, and Don was being kept occupied by Denonia's
assaults.  He knew they were trying to divide the team, and beat them
one by one, but he couldn't find a way out.

    Suddenly, Don heard Katie scream.  He looked up, taking a
blast in the shoulder for his trouble.  He saw his sister falling from
the sky, unconscious.  She'd obviously been hit by some kind of attack
from Dan-Gelmer.  Don screamed in rage, lancing out a massive strike at
Denonia, who dove clear just in the nick of time.  This gave Don his
chance, and he ran toward where Katie was falling.  He was chanting
frantically, trying to slow her descent.  He could see it was working,
but he didn't know if it was working fast enough.

    Soon enough, Katie hit the ground with a dull thud.  It was
no more than if she'd fallen out of bed, but the attack itself had
knocked her unconscious.  Don knelt beside her, to check on her.  He
was relieved to see that she was breathing easily, though there was a
nasty cut on her chin and a bruise on the right side of her face.

    It took a long moment for him to register the frantic
shouts of Susan and Annie.  When he looked to them, he saw them
pointing upward.  When he looked up, the sight he saw nearly made him
faint.  Dan-Gelmer was diving, straight down, right on top of the two
siblings.

    *He can't possibly survive that himself, can he?  One
thing's for sure, *we* sure as hell won't!*

    Don knew there wasn't time to move his sister to safety.
He stood up, planting his feet on either side of her prone form.  *If
he wants her, he's going to have to go right *through* me!*  Don's fear
was that this was precisely what Dan-Gelmer had in mind.

    Don saw the licks of crimson flame leaking from
Dan-Gelmer's mouth.  He didn't know what *this* color meant, but he
didn't really want to find out, either.  Just in time, he erected a
magical dome of protection over himself and his sister, his left hand
raised straight up, holding the dome in place.  He felt the impact of
Dan-Gelmer's blast physically; the dome actually yielded some three
inches before it held away, shakily, the force of the dragon's attack.

    Though he was physically still capable of fighting, Don
knew that his magic wasn't going to take much more abuse.  The dome of
protection was already beginning to crack.  He knew that he could cast
the spell again, and it would hold, again, but with Dan-Gelmer getting
ever closer, the dome would eventually give way.

    *What else can I do?*

    Some words that Gaphnia had once said to him came back at
this moment.  *'If the magic is too powerful to resist, then you can
either absorb it, or redirect it... or channel it somewhere else.  It
will take will, and concentration, but as a magical being, magic cannot
harm you if you allow it to flow over you, through you, and then beyond
you.'*

    *Can I do it?  Do I dare try?*

*    Do I dare *not* try?*

    Don held his spell together as he began to cast another
dome spell.  This one, however, he inverted.  As he allowed his dome of
protection to fade, he replaced it with a dome of gathering.  His
outstretched left hand now held in it a dome with its open end facing
upward.  Dan-Gelmer's magical force poured into the dome, and was
channeled directly into Don's hand.  Don felt the energy pulsing into
him.  He concentrated on his breathing, allowing the energy to flow
over his body, down his legs, into his feet... and into the ground.

    As the energy washed over him, the world began to fade away
for Don.  Actually, this was not true; the world was not so much fading
as becoming crisper... or was it twisting about him madly?  His vision
blurred, and also saw everything clearly, all at once.  The world spun,
then began to settle, and slowly came to a stop... Don saw everything,
not just the battle before him, but he could see all the way to Iamor's
castle.  He could see Gaphnia, standing, looking surprised out at the
darkness.  He turned his gaze, and he saw Neiela, staring up at the
stars, a strange smile playing across her face.  He turned his gaze
again, and he saw the place they had arrived in Zemlia Nov; a clearing
now filled with a family of deer.  His mind whirled and traveled over
the length and breadth of Zemlia Nov in instants.  He plunged deep into
the lakes and soared above the peaks of the Siratis Gates... the way
home...

    As he rose higher, and his mind's view widened, Don took in
the whole of Zemlia Nov.  He could see his vision shifting; the colors
were no longer the natural colors he was used to, but electric hues of
blue, red, and purple began to shimmer here and there.  He knew
instinctively that these were sources of magic.  In a few more seconds,
the ground itself took on a dull green glow; the magic existed
everywhere.

    Suddenly, he was plunged downward, diving deep down a well,
and plunging into the water, going well below the ground.  Here, in the
world beneath the world, Don became aware of the origin of everything.
He could feel, at the very edge of his consciousness, as if he could
almost read the game code, as if the world was his to manipulate at his
whim.  He knew, then, that he had only scratched the barest surface of
what he had access to.  In this world, a magician who truly *believed*,
who acknowledged the magic, gave himself over to it...

    Could save his sister from a dragon.

    As Don rose from the depths, his mind was filled with other
images, knowledge of everything that had ever happened in Zemlia Nov,
of everything that was to happen in the near future.  He saw the
Siratis Gates, up close.  He saw a shining light... he also knew why
Denonia and Dan-Gelmer were attacking them.

    *The bastards.*

    Don's consciousness flowed upward along a different path, a
bright crimson path.  He could feel the energy washing over him, but he
knew now that even this massive outpouring was the merest drop in an
ocean of power, waiting for the right person, waiting...

    Don emerged back into his own body.  He looked up at the
dragon, now a mere two hundred feet above him, and dropping fast.  Don
stared at the creature with disdain.

    *You poor soul.  You don't stand a chance.  And you've been
lied to from the very beginning.  Not that it makes a difference.*

    Don felt the weight of the energy ball forming in his right
hand.  He dropped his left hand slightly, still holding the dome of
gathering - he still had to protect Katie, after all - and then he
forcefully threw his right hand upward.  He was startled to see that
the ball of energy leaving his hand was a pure golden hue, and
intensely bright.

    Dan-Gelmer, unaware of the transformation that had just
taken place, ignored the attack that was coming.  Nothing would sway
him from his attack.  If he died, he would take this puny human with-

    The energy ball contacted Dan-Gelmer just above his heart.

    With a massive scream, Dan-Gelmer ceased his flaming
attack, and was thrown a thousand feet upward into the sky.  Everyone
who was conscious screamed in surprise as Dan-Gelmer's body twisted and
contorted, wracked in massive waves of pain.  Slowly, the skin began to
decay, slowly dropping away, exposing the flesh.  That too, was already
beginning to rot, and everyone stood, transfixed as the dragon slowly
disintegrated, its body thrashing about, causing even more damage to
itself.  Soon, all that was left was a skeleton, and that exploded in a
bright cascade of firework lights, showering the sky with brilliance.

    Don was stunned at the power that he had unleashed, almost
unwittingly.  He looked down at his hands, the dome of gathering having
evaporated without notice.  He suddenly smiled, as the awareness of the
full understanding of the purpose and nature of Zemlia Nov returned to
him.  He looked down at his bruised and battered sister, and he reached
his hands out.  A golden light spread forth, and he watched as her eyes
fluttered open.  She looked up at him and smiled the sweetest smile
he'd ever seen.  He looked down at her with love, knowing now why she
had been transformed, knowing that it had been for *him*.

    Don reached out his hands to the others, and the golden
light enveloped them as well, healing their injuries and restoring
their strength.  He watched as they, too, smiled at him, but it wasn't
the same, and they didn't really understand.

    His therapeutic task complete, his gaze turned to Denonia.
The peace that she had seen in his face as he looked at his friends
evaporated, now replaced with cold, calculating malice.  She backed
away; something had happened, and she knew that she was now
outclassed.  She had been so close, but that was ashes now, and she
only hoped that she would not soon follow.

    "I have a problem," Don said to her in a voice that was
flat and angry.  "I want to kill you."

    "Please," she began, but Don cut her off.

    "Shut the fuck up.  I *want* to, so badly I can taste it.
But I can't.  You are a necessary part of this land.  Dan-Gelmer can be
replaced in a decade.  You... there isn't another as evil as you in the
entirety of this land.  Zemlia Nov requires your malignance to function
properly.  So much as I want you dead, it would cause great harm to
this land, and there are too many people hurting already."

    "What... are you going to do?" Denonia said, backing up
again.

    "Why... nothing," Don said with a malevolent grin.
"Although when word reaches the dragon kingdom of how you betrayed
Dan-Gelmer and left him to his death... well, perhaps the dragons will
do to you what I can't."

    "You wouldn't!" she screamed.  She knew what the dragon
guild would do to her.

    "I already did," he said.  "I imagine they are already
swearing a blood oath against you.  You might want to find a place to
hide."

    Denonia turned to run; she knew she had to find shelter
*immediately*.  Don's voice stopped her.

    "Oh, Denonia, Dear?" he called, mocking her.  She turned in
terror.

    Don's voice returned to its angry self.  "Had you just left
us the fuck alone, none of this would ever have happened.  We weren't
out to *challenge* you.  We just wanted to *go home!*"

    Denonia paled - as much as that was possible for someone
already as alabaster as she was - at her gross stupidity.  *I brought
this on myself?  No!*  She turned and fled, as much from the outrage of
her own idiocy as from fear for her life.

    Seeing her depart, Don collapsed right next to his sister.
Katie screamed, and bolted upright, leaning over him in terror.  The
others were soon at their side.  Don looked up at all of them.

    "I'll be okay," he said quietly.  "Anyone got something to
drink?"

    Annie bent down and pressed her gourd to his lips.  Katie
looked up at her in infinite gratitude for being there at that moment.
Don gulped the liquid; he couldn't have cared if it was cod liver oil
at this point, he just needed liquids.

    After draining the entire gourd, he sat up, a little
shakily.  Gill grabbed one arm, and Katie took the other, and they
hauled him to his feet.  Once they were sure he was steady, they let
him go.

    "What the hell *happened*?" Gill asked  "We were just about
to have our heads handed to us, and *Wham-o!*  Here comes Don the
wonder-mage!  Why the hell couldn't you have done that an hour and a
half ago?"

    "I didn't know how," Don said quietly.  Gill saw the
strange expression on his friend's face.

    "What the hell just happened to you, man?"

    "I understand, now.  I know all about Zemlia Nov.  The
whole thing.  It's not just a game, Gill.  This place is real... or as
real as anything apparently is..."

    "I don't suppose you found a way home?" Gill asked
sarcastically.

    Don pointed.  Suddenly, the Siratis Gates seemed to be a
mere thousand yards away.  "An illusion.  One of Denonia's, actually.
We'll be home shortly."

    "So, if you know *everything* now, why the hell were we
yanked into this damned place?"

    "That... is the one thing I don't know."

    "Great.  Well, could we leave, then?"

    "Might as well walk.  We're short a horse."

    "Two.  He got another one."

    "Unsaddle the third and let it loose.  We can walk a
half-mile."

    "Sure, easy for you to say, Mr. 'I know everything now,'"
Gill said with a smirk, but he did as he was instructed.

    Katie and Don walked together, with Julie and Annie right
behind them.  Gill and Susan brought up the rear.  Gill was wondering
if he would ever get into his sister's pants once they were back in the
real world.

    As the team approached the Siratis Gates, they grew
slightly tense.  Only Don had confidence that this would go smoothly.
On reaching the base of the Gates, they were confronted by a large
guard.  Don suddenly realized it was a Gork, but one like the one they
had met at Iamor's castle, rather than Denonia's variety.  The friendly
but stupid grin on his face confirmed Don's suspicion.

    "We would like to pass through the Gates, please," Don said
politely.

    "Need permission."

    "Oh, shit, here we go," Gill said.  "Some kind of goddamned
quest just to find the Holy Fucking Grail or somesuch-" Don glared at
him until he shut up, but he wasn't happy.

    "Could you then, perhaps, ask Vernior to come here so that
we can get permission?"

    The Gork looked at him for a long moment, apparently trying
to figure out what he'd just said.  After about a minute and a half,
the Gork asked, "You wants to see Vernior?"

    "Yes," Don said patiently, nodding with a smile.

    "You sure?" the Gork asked.

    "Yes," Don said firmly, keeping his smile in place.

    "Okay," the guard said finally, turning and going inside a
small room built into the base of the Gates.  Somewhere high above, a
bell tolled loudly, ringing musically across the area, and, Don was
sure, heard over five miles away, as loud as it was.

    The group stood quietly, waiting for Vernior to show
himself.  When it happened, it came as a surprise.  The first surprise
was that Vernior approached silently, from behind them.

    The second surprise was that the 'dragon' was about five
feet tall.

    The third, and most shocking surprise was that the dragon
was not a he.

    "So, you have made it to my home, have you?"  Vernior
asked.  Her voice seemed raspy, but also strong, as well as a mixture
of kindness and barely hidden power.

    "Yes," Don said, a little flustered.

    "Very few ever get this far," Vernior said.  She walked
around the group, rather than disrupting them by trying to go through
them.  She stood before the Gates, settling on her hind legs, her
small, probably useless wings folded neatly against her body.  She
looked as if she might be slightly ill.

    "It was very difficult," Don said.

    "Are you proud of yourself?" Vernior asked.  The question
seemed more pointed than it first appeared, and it also seemed not
meant to be derisive.

    Gill, however, didn't take it that way.  "Yes, of course we
are, now could you just get this shithead out of our fucking way so I
can go home?"

    "Gill!" Don snapped.  Don's voice had a tone that Gill had
never heard before, and he backed up two steps.  It was clear that Don
was pissed.

    Don took a deep breath, and settled his nerves before
turning back to the dragon.  "Please excuse my friend.  He gets grumpy
when he doesn't have his hot cocoa before bedtime."

    Vernior smiled - at least, Don *thought* she was smiling -
at his little joke.  "You understand, now," Vernior said.

    "I'm not sure," Don said, suddenly uncertain.

    Vernior nodded.  "Good.  Then I think you are ready."

    "Ready for what?" Gill snarled again.

    Vernior leveled her gaze at him.  "*You* will never be
ready.  And if you do not wish to end up dinner for my dogs, I'd advise
you to watch your mouth."

    Gill wisely shut his mouth, and kept his retort to
himself.  Vernior looked over the group, noting how they all looked to
Don for leadership, expecting him to know what to do.  She looked at
Don, who seemed like he had no clue really what to do, but was doing
the best he could, anyway.  She nodded.

    "Yes, you are ready.  Do you wish to go home now?"

    "Yes," Don said.

    "Wait!" Julie suddenly cried out.

    "What is it?" Vernior asked with barely-submerged
impatience.

    "What about my brother?"

    "Your brother has chosen not to return to Earth.  I cannot
force him to go.  Do you wish to remain here to try to convince him?"

    Julie wavered for a long moment, but she said tearily,
"No.  I just... I hope he's okay."

    "Carysta is nursing him back to health as we speak,"
Vernior said.  "But Don could have told you this already."

    Don was surprised that he did, in fact, already know that.
It had simply not occurred to him to tell Julie.

    Vernior sighed and said again, "Do you wish to go home now?"

    "Yes," Don repeated.

    "Very well.  Enter the Siratis Gates.  On the other side,
you will find your homes waiting."

    "Thank you," Don said to Vernior.

    "Do not thank me until the journey is over, Donald White,"
Vernior said with an inscrutable look in her dragon eyes, which were a
deep, resonant blue.  "Go now."



-----



    The team walked determinedly into the Gates.  Katie clung
tightly to Don's hand as they walked into a thick mist.  The thick
billows flowed around them until they couldn't see each other.  Don
couldn't even see Katie walking next to him, he could only feel her
hand.

    He began to panic as soon as he could no longer feel her
hand.  He raised his hands to his face, and he could see them just
fine.  He called out to Katie, Annie, and the others, but got no
response.  He turned himself around, and then around again.

    *Go forward?  Go back?  What the fuck is this?*

    Resolutely, deciding that it made no sense to go back the
way he'd come, Don marched forward into the unknown.



-----



    "Welcome."

    Don spun around, lost his balance, and fell to the
carpet-covered floor.

    *Carpet?*

    Don allowed his mind to settle a little, and he tried to
look around.  He very slowly was able to bring this new place into
focus.  He was in what appeared to be a fairly plush library/office,
with bookshelves lining every wall, and books filling their ranks.  The
carpet on which he was lying was soft and luxurious, and a deep navy
blue.  His eyes wandered up to see a giant mahogany desk.  His eyes
swept its length, taking in all of its details.  His eyes passed over
the long silky legs to take in the intricate -

    Legs?

    Long, silky legs?

    In a moment of clarity, Don remembered a female voice
saying, "Welcome."

    His eyes returned to the long, silky legs, and began to
travel upward.  Covering the very tops of the long, silky legs was a
short and very tight black cotton miniskirt.  Holding it in place was a
wide red leather belt, which sat below a black corset that almost
revealed more of this lovely creation's body than it concealed.  Her
breasts were straining to be free of their confines, but Don forced his
eyes to continue their way up.

    When they did, he was glad they had.  Deep, resonant blue
eyes stared back at him, above a small, upturned nose and soft, pouting
lips.  Brown hair flowed gently around the round face, and Don thought
he could stare at her forever.

    "Welcome," she said again, a smile gracing her lips.  "I've
been waiting for you."

    "Who... who are you?  Where am I?  Vernior said that we
were going home.  Where are the others?"

    "So many questions.  I like that.  The others have already
been sent home, they are perfectly safe.  You have been... redirected,
for a moment, so we could talk."

    "Who are you?"

    "My name is Veronica Melchior.  To you, Vernior.  I
designed the game."



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