Recovery and Planning

King Joseph of Gallia was nearly frothing in seeming anger. "I thought you said you could kill gods?" He was sitting on his throne, his eyes quite maniacal and glittering in the torchlight. His hands were gripping the arm rests hard enough that you could see the knuckles were actually white. Was this emotion he was finally feeling? Yet it still seemed so hollow.

"I was not prepared for some of the weapons they were using. That chattering thing that threw hundreds of bullets at me was something worthy of the First Age. And was nothing like stupid guns you had your soldiers show me." The figure of Dances on the Cutting Wind of Despair was only slightly cleaned up from her battle and wearing several bandages.

"Tristain is breaking the ban on advanced machine guns?" Joseph asked in surprise.

"What? You have these machine guns also? Why didn't you tell me?" the too-beautiful red-headed Abyssal asked angrily.

"There are secret treaties banning their use for a reason," the king of Gallia noted idly, seemingly totally recovered from his earlier outburst. "We don't want to give the peasants any ideas that they could even conceivably fight a noble, after all."

"An interesting idea. Silly, but interesting. Well, if Tristain has these weapons, you had better start getting yours out of storage-" Dances started to say.

"We have limited stockpiles... with the ability to make more, eventually." Joseph leaned forward as if to think. "Are you wounds hurting you?"

"Yes. I'll recover, eventually. Of greater worry is my essence. I am almost totally spent. How many slaves can you bear to lose? I shall have to feed off of them to gain proper unliving essence," the Dusk Caste Abyssal explained.

"Gallia has no slaves-" Here Joseph smiled. "-but I do happen to have a few over-crowded prisons."

"That will work. Are any of your mages capable of repairing these wounds I took from those Tristain nobles?" While Dances had been able to escape, that had only been because of the supernatural strength of the Gandalfyr rune. She was a mass of burns and cuts. She was in danger of becoming one of the twisted abominations, more ugly than life or death. "I must have these wounds fixed as best as possible. Without scarring if at all feasible."

"I've already had my most powerful healer help you. Unfortunately, the holy water of the Spirit of Ragdorian Lake... still is not granting the boon of her water that can heal all wounds. And the stores within Gallia have been robbed of the precious mystical waters." Several of his noble had been complaining about that for a while. A large dose of the spirits water could stave off the looks of aging for a bit, a hidden secret. And keep you alive years longer than even mages could live by healing the heart, liver and other organs of an old mage.

"Then I will have to convince it otherwise. Perhaps I will kill the impudent spirit when I am done," the Abyssal said with a shrug. "I shouldn't need more than half a dozen prisoners to recoup my essence." She extended her fangs for just a moment, almost salivating at the thought of the glorious feast awaiting her.

Joseph just started laughing. "Lovely! You are such a wonderful familiar! I look forward to your future successes."

The mousy-haired girl in her maid's uniform fluffed the pillow for the visiting Germanian noble.

"Seraphine! Baron Du'Gol has ordered that we find his wand again," Alice called out from the doorway.

"Again, Alice?" she asked of the blonde-haired girl who was a few years older. "I never see him use it, so maybe he's one of those fake nobles that bought his title? A true noble never loses their wand." It was engraved into them as a near instinct, from what she had seen from most nobles.

The two girls started to scour the room for the next hour. Seraphine finally found it. Somehow it had fallen into a vase of flowers.

"It's a little wet. Should we dry it off-" Seraphine was asking as she flicked the wand to remove a few droplets when... something exploded.

Two mage knights dashed down the hall, dueling wands out as the left one opened the door with a flick of his wand. "What is going on?" Randulf asked as he took in the destroyed room.

"Seraphine cast a spell! She blew up the bed," Alice declared in shock.

"What? Certainly you are joking," Francine, the other mage knight, asked as he pointed the wand at the soot-covered girl.

She dropped her wand immediately. "I didn't mean to do anything," Seraphine babbled out quickly. "It just kind of jumped in my hand. There must have been a spell within it that had not been released."

Francine and Randulf shared a look. "Easy enough to test," the older mage knight declared. He took out his utility wand and handed it to her. "Point your wand at the bed and say the magic words; Pur, Tor and Uva."

"Pur, Tor... Uva!" Seraphine said in a small, worried tone as she pointed at a pillow.

Boom.

Feathers covered the room as the mage knight shared a look. Francine spoke up this time, using his plumed hat to send feathers scattering. "Who are you parents, child?"

"My mother is Charlene, sir," Seraphine replied instantly with a curtsy. "She works as the head maid on the third floor."

"And your father?"

"None would claim me." The cute girl bit her lip. "Though I have seen one noble give my mother gifts of coin. I don't know his name, though I believe he is of high nobility. He has blond hair, a goatee and a monocle."

"Duke Valliere? Child, that is a serious allegation!" Francine continued, even as Alice's eyes had opened wider and wider at the discovery.

"I didn't say he was... just that maybe he might," the young girl admitted.

"Sir Francine... her spells explode. Like the Zero's." Randulf's eyes were glittering in thought.

Francine stroked his gray-streaked beard to its normal point. "Send a message to the Queen immediately. And request that Duke Valliere come to the palace. I will speak with Charlene myself." He turned to both girls. "Neither of you will speak of this. Milady, it appears that you have just elevated yourself to nobility. Praise be Brimir."

On the storm swept sky-shores of Albion stood a new wonder, facing towards the east into the rising sun. The massive Statue of Liberty, a pale reflection of the Colossus kept its new vigil in silence. Only a few dozen people even knew it existed. The elders of the nearest village had been arguing over how such a thing could suddenly sprout into existence. At this point, they had only sent a letter to the lord of the land, a baron. They had not yet heard that he had died months ago on the fields of Londonium.

So there was only a simple sheepherder that was in the wild fields with his flock when two young women appeared on the crown of the Albion Liberty.

Sheila moved to catch the strawberry-blonde void mage. "Are you all right?"

Louise held her hand to her chest, right above her heart. "I felt a strange tug at my soul that hurt." In fact, it still hurt though it was slowly lessening.

"It's no physical malady, of that I can be sure. Which must mean its mystical." The young goddess frowned at that as she tried to consider matters. "It may have to do with your Void, but without further information... I could not say."

"I suppose it could be my magic fighting myself, though I do not understand why it would be different this time," the shorter mage replied. She held out her hands. "Will you carry me?"

"Shall we head to the palace of Tristain so that we may report to your queen?" Sheila did think that Henrietta would want to know that Louise is back. She swept up her mage into a very careful hold and lifted off the ground, the winds at her beck and call.

"Yes. You read my mind exactly."

The pair flew through the air at a sedate pace, only a few hundred miles per hour. It was only about six hours later that they landed in the main courtyard where a proud ship was flying over head.

A mage knight trotted down from the walls with quick haste. "Your highness," he said, bowing deeply. "You heard about your sister?"

"Oh, no. Cattelya?" Louise took off at a trot towards the main doors of the inner palace.

The knight actually winced at that, even as he and Sheila took off after the void mage. "Ah, no. Your other sister," the knight said, hoping that he had not just opened a large can of worms.

"Eleanor? Did she finally go to far in fending off the advances of her suitors? She is far too strict." Louise looked over her shoulder at the knight as he did not answer. "Well, answer me!"

"I do beg your pardon, Princess Louise, but I meant your other sister," he replied finally as he waved for the doors to be opened.

"Other- sister?" the heir to the throne asked. "I do not have any other sister."

Sheila sighed at that. "That you know of, my mage." She was following along in bemusement as she started to piece thing together.

The strawberry-blonde immediately understood what she was insinuating. "Oh, father. Mother will murder you for that. Or at least make you beg for that sweet release."

"It may be as you say, your highness," the mage knight said blandly.

Two knight up ahead of them came to attention and slammed their staves down upon the ground and then opened the door to the throne room.

Wales and Henrietta looked up from where they sat on the throne as Louise and Sheila glided across the ground in an effortless way that was faster than it appeared.

"Your majesties," Louise said as she bowed at her waist.

"Princess, your timing is... impeccable," her childhood friend noted in a dry tone.

The Valliere family of nobles was arrayed in a line before the queen. The duke himself stood all the way over to the right, looking tense at the scene. Next to him stood his wife, who's arm was in a sling. Her face was calm, collected and hinted at a furious storm behind her blue eyes. Eleanor was trying to emulate her mother, while the next younger daughter was fidgeting fitfully. Next was a younger girl that looked remarkably like Louise, except with shorter dirty-blonde hair. Her fine dress did not seem to fit well. In fact, Louise remembered having outgrown that gown a year ago. Last and not fitting in at all was a brown haired young woman of rare appearance in a maid's uniform.

"The winds of fate must have blown me here, your majesty," the adventurer stated with aplomb. Louise and Sheila both looked quite militant in their armor.

"Louise, welcome your younger sister to the family," the duke said simply. "She is the product of my ill-advised weakness fourteen years ago."

Karin looked like she wished to speak, but a glare from Henrietta quelled that.

"How did this come to light now and not earlier?" Louise asked carefully, impressed that her father seemed totally unhurt.

"Seraphine did not appear to possess any magical talent until recently, so I thought to spare her the ridicule of being of noble blood with no noble talent by not even letting her know I existed. Her new propensity to explode things quite reminds me of yourself," he stated with just a tinge of humor.

"Void?" Sheila asked, narrowing her eyes as she studied the girl.

The youngest girl looked very intimidated by the tall girl in the heaviest armor she had ever seen. "Maybe?"

The maid curtsied carefully. "All young children play with wands. It's how young mages are found so they can be schooled. It was only happenstance that Seraphine happened to wave a wand earlier this morning-"

"Mother, what happened to your arm?" Louise suddenly asked.

"The Academy was attacked by what we believe is a Gandalfyr. She killed a dozen men and withstood several triangle mages, myself and a bombardment by The Eagle with those new cannons of your familiar created," Karin the Heavy wind explained. "Unfortunately, it appears my days of combat are now forever beyond me. There are no tears of the water spirit left in Tristain to be purchase for any price."

"Ah, let's correct that then," Sheila said simply. With a simple application of will, she regenerated the crippling wound with a glance. "That should do it. I think my mage would be quite vexed if I did not fix such a wound on her mother."

Karin was already removing the sling her arm had been, a hard smile upon her face. "Yes, much better."

"Ah, then we will be able to go through with our duel then," Louise's father said with a nod of his head. "Eleanor, if you will accompany us? By you leave, your majesty?"

"Can I not convince either of your of the foolishness of your determination?" the young queen asked as she suddenly paled. When neither noble answered or looked away, she nodded as she clenched her hand atop her love's hand. Wales put his hand upon her. "Then we will recess to see this sadness through." With that, she stood with her hand still clenched on her king's.

The closely trimmed grass in the side court, for privacy, gave the location a much more gentle appearance than its history would suggest. For centuries, the duels within the palace had been performed.

Wales struggled a bit with his staff, manfully attempting to appear fully recovered for any witness.

"Eleanor, in front of these witnesses, let it be known that you are my heir to the lands and title of Valliere. I am sure you will do your mother and I quite proud in your duties," the duke declared, then turned to his wife. "For the wrong I have visited upon my family and my wife, I stand upon this field of honor."

Karin's voice was rock solid. "On this field of honor do we meet, to clear this taint upon the Valliere name."

Louise's expression was the most eloquent of the sisters to her friend and companion, a pleading wish for her companion to do something.

The goddess slipped chameleon-like into the mindset of a high noble of Tristain even as her wit and mind bent itself hard for a solution. The first action she did as two duelists raised their wands was to bolster the life-force of the duke. And not a moment too soon, as Karin's massive blast of wind screamed out to blast the duke with lethal force. He had not even tried to cast a spell, nor defend himself. A spray of blood followed his spinning body.

Seraphine screamed in panic. "Father!"

"Silence, sister," Eleanor said in her strongest voice, only slightly catching at the crumpled form of her father.

The youngest daughter of the duke dashed over to the crumpled form, sobbing.

Karin rounded on Sheila, her wand levels at the teen in her heavy armor. "Why should I not attack you for interfering with my honor duel?"

"Because killing your husband is too much for his moment of weakness, Karin. He did not hide behind false words nor flaunt his infidelity. Unless I miss my understand of the duke, I do not think he meant to hurt you or your daughters. Does honor really require that you kill your husband, the father of your three daughters and a young girl that only learned of her father?" Sheila stared her back without giving up an iota of resistance. "I healed your arm for your daughter's sake, not so you could kill someone you love."

"It is not your concern. You intrude where you are not welcome. What do you know of this situation?" the female mage of stature said in a harsh tone.

"Perhaps a bit more than you think, Karin of the Heavy Wind. My grandfather Zeus's predilections drives Hera to distraction and beyond. But I have the gift of many aunts, uncles and my mother because of his actions. My world would be a very poor place without Athena the Wise. That does not mean my step-grandmother likes his illegitimate children. In fact, she has sometimes tried kill them when they did not bear proper observance of her position as matriarch of the family and she has always felt the mothers were fair game. But she never seriously tried to kill her husband." Sheila carefully omitted the fact that Hera was not above hexing him and making him rue his actions for decades at a minimum. Or the brutal conflicts that had happened between her Uncle Hercules and Hera.

"She did not follow the Rule of Steel," Karin snarled in anger, her perfect facade as the cool, collected soldier cracking slightly. "How dare you-"

That got Sheila to interrupt the mother heatedly, clenching her fists. "I dare... because Steel is not totally inflexible. It will bend before it breaks and because of that flexibility is actually prized and valued."

Louise stepped up between them. "No one is perfect, mother. Not even yourself. Punish father-"

"Please, I'll do anything," the young girl Seraphine said between sobs. "Just don't kill father."

"Anything child? Are you sure you are willing to give that word?" Karin studied the young girl as she nodded mutely, tears dribbling down her face. "Very well. You will be trained by me as my fourth daughter. Your mother will move to Castle Valliere." Her wand suddenly snapped out, sending a blast of wind that seemed aimed at her youngest, natural daughter, which Sheila interposed herself between instantly, sending another spray of blood across the field again. "Never interfere with my honor or my battles, Sheila, or I will be an implacable enemy."

"As you say," the wounded goddess replied as blood dripped down her face.

Siesta stood by the main door to the Academy of Magic of Tristain, looking across the main field as she awaited her princess. Just imagine that, she was actually the head maid of a princess. This was so far above where she had started as the daughter of peasants, she could almost not believe it.

So she could be forgiven for being startled as two figures alighted next to her out of the blue sky.

"Siesta! How are you doing, my maid?" Louise asked happily, delighted to see the young girl.

"Princess Louise! Please forgive me for not noticing you! I heard from the radio operator that you were on your way, but I failed to see you arrive," the dark-haired quarter-Japanese girl apologized with a deep bow.

"We came immediately when we heard of the attack," the taller girl replied.

They entered the center tower, guided by Siesta back to the infirmary where several figures were gathered next to the poor, tattered figure of Sylphid.

The poor dragon had really seen better days. It opened one eye as the door opened.

"As you can see, poor Sylphid has been very hurt and Flame ran off into woods," the maid explained.

"Any reason why?" Louise asked as she tilted her head at her friends.

"Because she is not my familiar," Kirche complained from where she sat on a bed.

Sheila shook her head sadly. "You were killed and then revived?" That was the only way that she knew of to break the familiar bond at this point.

The dragon made a honking growl noise.

"Oh, you poor dear," the young princess said as she looked over at the dragon. "Didn't they give you something for your broken wing? Sheila?"

Tabitha looked up, unshed tears in eyes as she saw the damaged wing almost knit back together and then the most grievous wounds fade to merely bruises.

"Wow, that is very amazing," the Asian-looking boy sad from a little behind the group. "Do you understand me?"

"Healing is a very potent power, of course. And yes, I and Princess Louise do understand you," the goddess said to him in his native language with a very Tokyo accent.

"Oh, thank goodness. I found a translation spell in Brimir's Prayerbook, but I have lost all my will bringing Kirche back from such a dreadful wound. I fear that I've been casting too many spells," Tiffania exclaimed. "Louise, would you be able to..?"

Louise moved over to look at Tiffania's notes even as Tabitha was hugging her familiar tightly, listening to its cooing. The strawberry-blonde princess suddenly looked up at the dragon. "The foe was here to kill you and steal the Founder's Musicbox?" she blurted out at the dragon.

That caused everyone to stop and then look at the dragon. "Kyu?" she said very cutely.

Tabitha looked at Sheila and then Louise. "They know."

"They know what?" Kirche asked in irritation, hands on her hips as she stood up.

A shimmering light encompassed the dragon, leaving a quite naked girl with long blue hair in its place. "So I don't have to hide myself anymore? Kyu! That's so wonderful, big sister!"

"Titties," Saito said in shock as a streak of blood dripped from his nose.

"Clothing," Tabitha said firmly.

"Wait a second," the full red-head suddenly said, looking around. "How did you know? Could you understand her?"

"I've always been able to understand her. I mean, all the dragons I know of are intelligent. It's your basic fire and wind dragons here that are not, I guess." Sheila raised an eyebrow at Louise. "Do you think you can cast a translation spell?"

"Oh, certainly. It's actually incredibly easy," the shorter Void mage declared as she started chanting at Saito.

"Uh, don't hurt me?" he asked worriedly.

There was another flash of light.

"Can you understand me now?" Louise asked in the standard tongue of Halkeginia.

"I do! That's an amazing talent you have," the boy said in wonder. "Though why do you have to use the sticks?"

"Why wouldn't you use a wand for your magic?" the half-elf asked in confusion.

"Magic? Then you mean you aren't Talent?" he asked in great confusion.

"Perhaps a bit of an introduction? I am Sheila, Goddess of Excellence and Battle. This is my companion and Void mage, Princess Louise al'Valliere. The pale haired girl is Tabitha of Gallia. That is Kirch Von Anhalt Zerbst while next to her is the void mage Tiffania. And this is her highnesses' maid in waiting."

"And I'm Irukuku the Rhyme dragon!" the naked girl exclaimed happily and she bounced a bit in excitement. "Kyu! I'm so happy I don't have to hide."

Sheila whipped a sheet off a nearby bead and had it wrapped around Sylphid's neck. "I think you are showing him a bit too much skin, Irukuku."

"Oh, ah, I'm Hiraga Saito of Academy City. I'm a Level Four Telekinetic," the Japanese boy said happily. "Thank you for feeding me. When can I go home?"

"He has the Myozthirirn rune upon his head? Is he your familiar, Tiffania?" Louise asked the half-elf.

Tiffania nodded shyly. "But I thought the rune allowed him to control magical items?"

"Familiar?" Saito asked, looking quite confused. "I thought those were black cats. And only witches had them. You look too pretty to be a witch."

"Yay for culture clash. Saito, you have been pulled to an alternate world of mages and magic. From what I can gather, you appear to be from a world that does not have much magic but you have mental powers?" the goddess asked.

"Um, yeah. Academy City was founded to help Talents develop their psychic abilities. Like I mentioned, I'm telekinetic." The young Japanese boy floated a bed off the ground. He looked at Sheila for a long moment. "Hey, you are that girl that appeared on CNN."

"You saw me on CNN?" Sheila parroted for a second. "Then that means this Academy City is actually on my Earth, somehow. Well, that means you are not strictly stranded, though I don't plan on going back for a few months."

"What is CNN? And why would he see you on it?" Kirche asked.

"That's... going to take a while. Luckily, I brought some technology that will help explain this."

"Good, then you can explain it to all of us." Louise nodded her head imperiously.

Dances on the Cutting Wind of Despair pulled her concealing cloak over her form. Only some of her red hair was showing out of her cowl and her black armor was covered by a long gray coat which was unpleasantly hot. The lower part of her face was covered in gauze bandages. With a snap of her reins, she set her large roan stallion down the path that curved around a few farms and to a large, muddy border to the receding lake.

Across the lake, she could see the Tristain side of the border as she came upon a group of farmers carrying bags upon their backs. They scurried off the road, watching her worriedly.

"You. What are you doing?" Dances demanded of the oldest peasant, a man with a long white beard.

"We are just trying to see if our homes have been released by the water spirit," he replied in a quavering tone.

"How do you summon this water spirit?" the Abyssal asked in a seemingly easy tone as she dismounted her horse.

"Er, we aren't mages, so can't summon the water spirit," the old man lied glibly.

"What, no rumors? No mystical stone circle's that the mages use?" she asked with a harder edge.

He doffed his hat. "I beg your pardon, lady, but we're not really-"

In a split second Dance's black sword appeared and was stabbed into the old woman's arm next to the old man. "One wrong answer and granny will never use that arm again," the alien woman said to the peasants. "I am in no mood to play games. I will kill all of you in the most horrible manner beyond what you can imagine. Once again, do you know how to summon the water spirit?"

"Grandma!" a young child shrieked.

"Please, lady warrior, we are not mages, but we do see them go to the circle of stones here on the Gallia side of the border." The old man pointed off into the lake were an island lay, covered in trees. "But any peasant that goes there is killed by order of the king."

Dances just twirled the sword around, spattering them all with droplets of the old woman's blood, making her smile at the artistry he had created. She was back in the saddle and trotting down the muddy hill. The horse shied away from the edge of the lake but the Abyssal brutally forced it into the supernatural waters, heading towards the small hillock that was barely visible about a mile away.

Her spurs cut into the warhorse's flanks, pushing it onward against its desires to avoid the cold, dark waters. When she finally reached the island, she tethered her shivering horse on the edge, sneering at its weakness. What she wouldn't give for a good horse of magical pedigree, something that seemed unknown in his land. She fed her horse and cared for it.

The she started to cut her way through bramble to the crest, feeling the tingle of natural, spiritual magic. The ancient stones, set in square, lintel arches in a circle were nothing special in her mind. The magic of the Nerverborn or the First Age Solars were far beyond this primitive set up, though its unfamiliar positioning confused her.

Finally, at dusk she decided upon a blood offering, infusing the three stones within the center with her power and essence. It was a powerful time for the Dusk Caste, when her power was waxing. "By the Mask that binds with piercing thorns, heed my call oh spirit of Lake Ragdorian! Answer my call here on this place of power! Come forth!"

It was almost pure doggerel in mystical verse, but it should work. And Dances on the Cutting Wind of Despair felt the lake answer. Something deep within it had been startled awake by her necromantic essence that traveled through the dragon lines and into the lake. Bubbling water frothed at the edge of the hillock and formed into a barely human form and trod up to the circle of stones.

Its face flowed through several expression as the spirit showed its confusion in its language. Dances nodded at it as her cast mark burned in glowing, crimson blood upon her brow.

"Godling of the lake of Ragdorian, I greet you," the Abyssal spoke directly to the spirit as she prepared mental to use her Corpus Rending Blow charm.

"You are not of this land and are caught betwixt the land of Day and land of Night, armed only with a sword," the watery spirit declared, showing surprise that the being could understand its spiritual exhalations, but unworried by it. It would take powerful magic to injure it and even then it would then reform... eventually. "Why have you called me forth?"

"I seek the boon your pure kisses of water, for you are the last source of the water essence that the mage's can use to cure great ills and remove scars. What boon would you ask for this powerful item of your creation?" Dances demanded.

"You have nothing I desire, undead-alive thing," the spirit replied. It turned and started to flow back across to the tree.

So the agony as Dance's soulsteel sword as it ripped part of its spiritual body from it in a massive spray of water was not merely surprising, but devastating. "What! How is this possible?" the spirit cried in sudden fear.

"Little, foolish spirit... I have the potential power to slay Creation itself. You shall be sacrificed on the altar of your pride," she called out as slid around the huge mass of water.

"I am ancient beyond belief, mortal. You shall not hurt me with your tricks again," the spirit of pure water declared.

That was proven false as the red-headed horror charged forward and in a flurry of attacks, cut off both limbs that the spirit had formed to bludgeon as attacks, then kicked the water spirit backwards over fifty feet and into circle of stones.

"For you sins, you will be punished godling. I will visit you an eternity of agony if you do not give me what I want," she warned as spun and flipped around its flaying attacks.

"You have already cost me beyond the loss of such as the pure waters," it replied carefully, fear filling every mote of its turbulent waters. "I will give you what you seek."

Dance's held out a large jug, letting the spirit fill it with the prized healing water. Carefully stoppering it, the Abyssal nodded. "Thank you. And I am sorry."

"You are sorry for inflicting these horrible wounds?" the spirit of Lake Ragdorian asked in confusion.

"No, because I lied to you." The black soulsteel sword, filled with shadowy reflections of the twisted souls it was forged from, lashed out in a blitz of attacks. One blow removed the spirits head, a second its watery left forearm while the third attack cut its legs out from beneath it.

"Why? Why do this to me?" the spirit wailed its essence started to disperse back into the lake. It would survive even these blows, but would come back changed and a new being.

Dances on the Cutting Wind of Despair laughed even as she grabbed the spirit's essence and slammed it into the center of the circle. "Let my God-Slaying Torment punish you for your transgression against me. Open the pathway to the Underworld and unleash the Eternal Night. You shall become a key to the end of this world." With her other hand, she slammed her sword through the dying spirit and slaying it's essence, its being to poison the ley lines.

The spirit screamed, swearing eternal pain and torment upon the Abyssal even as its water boiled black, searing the land as the two moons turned scarlet as the waters of Lake Ragdorian burned in black, bloody froth.

On the edges of the lake, animal and humans alike felt an unholy terror descend upon them as the stars faded out as Halkeginia's first Shadowland appeared. Spectral ghosts and the hungry undead, buried for centuries but unable to cross back over to the living world suddenly found themselves in the half-dead half-living world.

Dances smiled hungrily at the corpse of the powerful god-spirit. "I really shouldn't waste the Starmetal, should I?" She would have to forge the godling into something splendidly horrible.

Laughter drifted across the lake as the first peasant screamed in the new and most horrible night.

The queen of Tristain looked at the envoy from Gallia. "I'm afraid I am not aware of the treaty you are referring to, Marquis de Maritas. We have not opened the recuse of hidden weapons. As a matter of fact, I do not even know what hidden weapons you are referring to."

At her side sat King Wales who was listening intently.

The mage envoy looked stern, her gray hair tied up in a bun. "The release of the advanced firearms from those is prohibited! These weapons are not to be allowed into peasant hands, per the Treaty of Pristine Nobility," the marquis replied from where she stood in front of the two thrones in the main, blue and white halls of Tristain.

"Release?" Wales asked curiously. "Be specific in this case, as even I was not aware of any treaty between the four nations of ancient Halkeginia pertaining to any weapons."

"Of course, the powerful weapons from Elsewhere are known to our four great nations; Gallia, Tristain, Albion and Romalia. These are similar to the weapons that elves favor, advanced and powerful. And they do not require magic to function at all. That is why secret negotiations have been had in the past with the problem of Germania, as they are loathe to abide by the restrictions. Luckily we have managed to keep them from anything useful," de Maritas explained, ticking off points on her fingers.

"Ah, that could explain the confusion. These weapons we used in our war against the vile traitors of Albion were not released from any hidden cache of weapons, but created with the help of a loyal subject and her familiar," Queen Henrietta explained carefully as she folded her hands upon the lap of her pristine white gown. "In fact, Sheila stated that these weapons and canons were quite primitive, even though the gunpowder she helped our alchemist create is much more safe and reliable."

"Engineers that have studied the banned weapons are not allowed to pass on their knowledge," the envoy said in a smug manner. "If you do not remove these weapons from your armies, you shall be crushed before the might of Gallia and Romalia and our released weapon caches."

"And if the 'engineer' is from Elsewhere?" Cardinal Mazarin asked where he stood at the queen's side. "For Sheila was not from our world, claiming to be from a land where these weapons are common."

"I-" The Gallian looked confused. "I do not believe that is actually covered under the treaty. But you will destabilize the continent and may start a war with the elves! And empowering the peasants to rise up against us, the nobles of Halkeginia."

"I think we have heard enough, my love. King Joseph's machinations have been found to be connected to the Reconquistia as a major funder. He has attacked the fleet of Albion, though he claimed that was the actions of a hot-headed captain." Wales' eyes were hard as considered things. "Then he sends you, Marquis de Maritas, with threats of war."

"Gallia is the mightiest nation of Halkeginia! Our repository of weapons is the most extensive-" the older woman started to say.

"And if you bring them out, you break the treaty and will be shunned by all the nations. Will Romalia follow you into battle when we have not broken this treaty and you do?" Henrietta suddenly stood up, looking quite regal. "And will you dare face us with us against the Holy Void and her Familiar?"

The Marquis de Maritas looked confused. "I thought that Louise the Zero had not been seen in quite a while?"

"And has returned, more powerful than ever before. The secrets of Void are being found out by her and others. Take heed, Gallian, that if you threaten us again, that we will fight you with everything we have. For we have Brimir's magic within our will as our holy purpose," the queen declared. "Leave and tell King Joseph this."

The Marquis de Maritas suddenly pales as she realized that she had read the situation entirely wrong. This was not a weakened nation that would bow to her own country, but a powerful and prideful nation that had just crushed their last enemy. With a stiff bow, she backed up and then left.

She would be lucky to escape with her life, as King Joseph was not kind to messengers that brought him dire news.

Tristain's Academy for magic was startled awake by the sound of thunder that shook the windows in the direction from Colbert's workshop. The bald mage came scrambling out of his lodgings, slipping on his glasses and trying to pull his tunic straight. Next to the covered form of the Zero fighter stood three figures.

"Are you ready, Louise?" Sheila asked her companion patiently. They were both dressed casually, she in a severe military-looking uniform while Louise was actually wearing her school uniform. Behind them and to one side stood Siesta in her uniform.

"I think so. I really liked using this and I want to become more familiar with it," the Void Mage said as she sighted down the large rifle. It was improbably long and far heavier looking than the dainty girl should have been able to wield. She read the status indicators again, noting the full charge.

"What was that noise?" the older mage asked them, rubbing his eyes. "It is a day of Void and everyone is lying in."

"Sorry, I needed to charge the capacitors to full on the railgun," the goddess replied as she gestured to Louise. "Louise wants to practice with it in case we fighting that woman in black armor."

CRACK! went the weapon, kicking slightly. Over six hundred feet away, a small tree had a two foot section explode.

"Where is the smoke?" Colbert asked in confusion.

"There is no gunpowder. It uses lightning to throw the metal slug!" Louise said with a small grin, patting the big weapon fondly. "And it can really hit targets out to twelve thousand feet?"

"Yes, it should be able to."

"Remarkable," the fire mage said with a heavy overtone of wonder in his voice.

"Oh, it's just Louise having to be the center of attention again," an irate looking red-head said, hand on the hips of her school uniform as she finished stomping up to them.

"Weapon," Tabitha tiredly noted.

"Hey! I don't go around just calling you human or mage!" Derflinger yelled out from Sheila's back.

The Gallian mage leaned on her staff and then leaned forward to study the rifle through her glasses. "Study?" she asked Louise.

"What are we studying?" the strawberry-blonde Void mage asked in confusion.

"Tabitha thinks she's figured out a way to help her mother with some void magic. Dispel magic and then powerful void mage to cure her mind of the damage," Kirche explained.

"Should be easy to do. Is she under house arrest? Will we have to escape with her?" Sheila asked the quiet girl.

"No will," Tabitha explained. That was when a very large dragon landed next to the pale-haired girl. She leaned against Irukuku tenderly.

"Is it critical right this moment? I would hate to run into a trap by someone that took an army to run off," Sheila finally asked. This rumor of the Gandalfyr that could shrug off cannon rounds and Karin the Heavy Wind had slightly unnerved her.

"It's really important!" Kirche nearly shouted.

"I'm not saying we should not work towards freeing her, but there are some problems. We could be starting a war by having the crown princess and her companion invading Gallia right now. Tensions are high..." The goddess looked like she was concentrating in a very hard matter.

"I know you want to help, Kirche. Tabitha has a very good friend in you, but Tristain and Gallia are on the edge of war right now," Louise explained. "We are supposed to present ourselves to the queen this morning to discuss strategy to defend against them. Especially now that we have found out that Gallia has advanced weapons that we thought were our Ace of Mages."

"Orders..." Tabitha said softly.

"We are not at war with Gallia yet, Tabitha. Hopefully we can avoid that. Yet it may come down to war to depose King Joseph and put his daughter or Princess Charlotte upon that throne," Louise said as she thought through the politics of the matter.

Kirche snickered while the pale-haired girl looked at Louise in consternation. "I'm sure that the Gallian royal family would be very interested in your plans, Louise the Zero."

"Ooh! You Zerbst! I am just planning for 'just in case'!" the strawberry-blonde said in vexation.

Cardinal Mazarin was leading a procession down into a deep basement in the palace. "Once their majesties became aware of the possibility of advanced weapons, they talked with the old nobles and asked for advice from the Queen Mother."

"And I take it they found something?" Princess Louise said. Today she was not wearing her school uniform nor even a dress of finery for a ball or date, but her armor.

Sheila narrowed her eyes as a mage knight pulled out a key and then unlocked a door at the end. The small room was filled with junk, crates and chests. "A secret passage?" She walked to the far wall, brushing grime from a spot. Then she reached over, purr a torch ring and the twisted it with effort. The squeal of tortured metal filled the room, but a section of the wall in the corner slid back.

In the next room was revealed ten crates perfectly preserved.

Cardinal Mazarin could not believe it. None of those with the secret had mentioned a second, hidden room. And this girl had found it with her strange, discerning eyes. "I had hoped you might be able to discover something hidden."

"AK-47's, Civil War .69 caliber Harpers Ferry Rifle and that looks like a Model 1859 Model Sharps from the same era. Some grenades and one rocket launcher," Sheila said as she studied the guns. "Hmm. These look like replicas, not original ammunition."

"Quite potent, hmm?" the Cardinal said as he considered matters.

"No, not really. They'd last an afternoon or two, but logistically they aren't that useful. The AK-47s are probably the best to replicate. The Soviets made a reliable weapon that just about any monkey with a hammer seemed like they could duplicate."

"So this is worthless? That doesn't sound right," Louise noted even as several other knight were poking around.

"The trick is that we don't really have the basics down well enough to make most of these. There's several advances in gunpowder and explosives that the chemists really need to get down pat. I mean, it was only last year that we introduced cased ammunition and working towards gun-cotton powder." Sheila frowned as she considered matters. It appears she was going to have to move up her plans for advancing firearms rapidly.

"We should report this to their majesties," the crown princess declared. She gave a nod to her head to the cardinal, then led her companion out of the room.

It only took them about ten minutes to wind back up through the dungeon and into the royal wing. They nodded to Agnes as they were admitted.

"Well? Did you manage to discover anything?" Henrietta asked from her seat at her private desk where she was doing her work.

"Yes, please do enlighten us," Wales asked from his seat where he was lounging.

"There are weapons there, your majesties, but not nearly enough to turn a large battle." Sheila shrugged.

"That does not matter. A more grave concern has arisen. Lake Ragdorian appears to have become blackened by a massive curse. Ghosts and living dead walk the land and it threatens all of south Tristain. You are to leave in the morning and investigate this matter. It may be related to the Gates of St. Tyronil."

That got both young woman to nod.

"We should prepare for the journey then," Louise said. She bowed deep to her leige and then led Sheila back to their private rooms. Already there were specific things of their own.

"We should prepare. It's been six days," Sheila said as she ran her fingers to trace Louise's jaw. She could feel Louise's mind checking the passage of time and nodded in reply.

A pull of the bell summoned Siesta as they started to remove their armor.

"You rang, your highness?" the maid asked as she entered the room.

"Yes, my maid," Louise said, echoing Sheila's turn of phrase. "We will want a light supper brought up and a tub for a bath. But after that, you are free to spend the evening as you wish."

Supper was quite quick as the two teens ate in silence and peace. As Siesta was taking the trays out, Sheila could feel a discontent rising up in her mage. "What's wrong?"

Louise pulled her bathrobe tighter about her. "That girl always makes me feel so inadequate." She pressed her hands to her flat bosom. "I think you promised that you could do something about that."

"I can and will, but I'd ask that you let me mold your form a little at a time. If you suddenly walked out in the morning with boobs bigger than Siesta, you might have some people thinking you are a doppleganger," Sheila noted dryly. "Besides, you are young and have not had a child. Your body needs room to grow still."

"I'm almost seventeen, Sheila. I don't have a lot more time to grow. I want to be womanly." Louise gulped slightly. "I don't feel very... womanly most of the time."

"You are very beautiful, Louise. Most girls could only wish for your complexion and noble features. But I will do this for you, because I love you," Sheila said even as she tried to blank out her misgivings about the fact that she no longer felt an unnatural compulsion in her love. Louise was still responding to her overtures and seemed to care for her deeply. "Let me slip into something more comfortable."

With a flash, she reverted to her fully ascended form, her hair glowing like soft sunlight. "This is one of my few truly godly powers." She trailed her hands down the neck of Louise's robes, loosening it and then opening it wide. "You do need to remove all your clothing."

The Void Mage nodded shyly, realizing that this was going to be a turning point in their relationship. She slipped off the bathrobe and hung it on the bed post. Her last bit of clothing was removed from her hips and she lay there, the thing girl with only a hint of her adultness starting to touch her form.

Sheila impishly kissed her lips, then started to mold the flesh. Blemishes disappeared as she slightly thinned Louise's waist. Perfect symmetry was added, starting from her follicles on her head all the way down to her matching toes. Her bust was increased from the beginning of an A-cup to the low end of a B-cub. Hips were slightly widened even as Sheila made other, slight changes that you would only ever see from the inside. Small changes to her respiratory and pulmonary systems.

Not only was Louise's beauty now a thing of near legend by itself, but the imbued ichor shown with greater strength. The last of thirty-one changes that Louise underwent in that minute was her hair becoming pure silken and unbroken as it increased two feet to nearly brush her heals.

"I'm not an artist, my love, but I think I have created a wonder. Though I only amplified things slightly." Sheila pulled Louise to her feet to show her the difference in the oval mirror that stood in the corner.

The mage, for her part, gently trailed her hands down her changed curves, cupping her breasts. "This is me?" She frowned ever so slightly, inadvertently increasing her bust for a short while with her borrowed ichor. The kiss at the nape of her neck drew her to gaze to her companion-goddess. She turned and then kissed Sheila. "I feel... very womanly now. Could we try that other method of sharing?" she asked shyly after breaking the kiss.

Blue-green eyes studied her red-brown eyes. "Of course, my mage," Sheila whispered back as her heart thudded in joyous pain. This time her hands wandered freely, causing Louise's breath to catch in her throat.

The next day, Louise was regretting her new curves, as they made her armor no longer perfectly fit.

"I already told you, we'll adjust that when I have time at a forge," Sheila said. She had stayed in her full godly form, the glowing hair startling to all the Tristainian nobles as they walked down the halls of the palace to the front gate.

Louise grumbled even as she wriggled and her borrowed legend temporarily let her fit her armor again. "Oh, much better."

"Interesting. You are getting the hang of using my ichor there. And not just for understanding languages." Sheila gave her companion a quick smile as the guards opened the door.

"Your highness, do you have any orders?" Siesta asked as she tried to study her noble while pretending not to. The noble had never looked so relaxed.

"Return to the Academy and give word to Headmaster Osmond that we are on a mission for their majesties," Louise delegated instantly and without thinking.

Sheila was studying a wing of griffins with their mage knights as they landed in the courtyard.

"Of course, your highness." Siesta then bowed deeply.

Derflinger piped up, "See you later, pretty girl!"

That got Louise and Siesta to glare at the sword on Sheila's back, causing the goddess to glance into the sky as if to ask... Why me?

"Derf!"

"It's Derflinger!"

"I fear that this trip to Lake Ragdorian will not be as pleasant as our last one," Sheila finally said, changing the subject. The fact that it had become tainted was a strange parallel to the love she had profused on those shores, she thought bitterly. She shook off those bitter thoughts. That love may have been influenced externally, but it appears that it may have grown into a reality of its own.

"So let us get to this task as quickly as possible." The Void Mage started chanting a spell and with a pop, a green portal appeared in front of her. "I think I might know how to make a permanent portal. And with a bit of practice, even enchant it to go to your world!"

"Very nice work. What was holding you back from figuring this out?" her goddess asked as she took Louise's hand and stepped through the portal.

"It has to be anchored to the Earth at the beginning and end point," the Void Mage proclaimed proudly. "By the Founder!"

What had caused that was lake with water as black as the void of space. An oppressive gloom seemed to hang over everything, as even the sun seemed muted and faded out, a pale blue.

"A gateway to the underworld," the goddess said solemnly. "I see the restless dead in quite a large number."

"Let's talk to some of the locals," the shorter teen said even as she checked her wand and pistol.

The lake had retreated quite a ways back down towards its old shores, though the village on the edge of the lake looked largely deserted. They walked down the hill in the squelching mud in the early morning light.

"Thank god, it's a mage knight," an old man croaked from a doorway. "Praise the prophet, we are saved."

"Did any others survive?" Sheila asked the thing in the form of a man.

Louise felt unease through her link with Sheila. 'What is going on?'

'He is not alive and some thing is using his body,' she replied silently through their bond.

"No," he lied in fake sorrow. "I'm the only one. I've just stayed here to watch over this village."

"So who are you working for?" Sheila asked.

"Eh? Pardon?" the undead thing asked. He sized up the teen with but the use of a touch of necrotic essence, her glowing white hair and paled dramatically at what he glimpsed. "G-Goddess, forgive my impertinence for trying to keep a humble visage in these lowly lands.

"So answer the question in your humble manner," Sheila asked firmly. Louise was frowning, because she could not see a difference.

"I am but a humble acquaintance of Dances on the Cutting Wind of Despair, she who stands on the border of Life and Death," the Nemissary said very cautiously. This being matched Dances in power? Though admittedly, only with her hand upon her sword, with the Nemissary coveting such a necromanticly powerful weapon once it had realized that.

"Who is this Dances on the Cutting Wind of Despair?" Louise demanded, her dueling wand at her hip's side, its cool grip comforting in her right hand.

"She is the slayer of the Water Spirt of Ragdorian and has made this land as you see it," the Nemissary said carefully. His loyalty was never strong, of course, and Dance's had not specifically ordered him to not tell anyone. That was probably assumed with the order to kill those unwary that came into the Shadowland (what an intriguing term.)

"And she is in this darkened land?" Blue-green eyes studied the possessing spirit closely.

"No, she has traveled deeper into the Underworld at the bidding of her master," the undead said in a very placating tone.

"I think we have enough information to at least start making decisions, my mage," Sheila said to her companion.

"I'll just be going then-" the Nemissary started to say when its undead-animated body exploded in a terrifying display of positive, healing energies. Before he could even think to flee deep into the underworld, he had hand about his neck.

"I think you've murdered enough people, foul thing," the goddess declared. With a squeeze of her hand, she shattered his incorporeal form.

Louise was already creating a portal back to the palace.

Saito Hiraga was finally getting used to the fact that magic was real. And that he was attending a school of magic in a castle. Thankfully he managed to keep from calling it Hogwarts so far. He had to admit that there were worse things than being the familiar of a very buxom elf, though Tiffania kept trying to hide her ears.

"You can open your eyes now," the half-elf called out.

The Japanese boy peeked out, seeing that she was dressed in her normal green dress and had her hat ready. "So its time for breakfast?" he asked cheerfully. While he missed his normal breakfast, eating with the students here at the Academy had been fairly nice.

"Yes, it is," the taller girl said. She hid a frown at his simple desires. He obviously was very attracted, but something did not quite seem to be quite right in the way he responded.

He followed 'his mage' down to breakfast, getting wary nods from some of the students. While he did not use a wand, most of the nobles had decided he must be his land's version of a mage. His uniform looked similar to the boy's suits, even if he had a jacket and they had capes. Their place at the center table was not noted, as they had been doing the last month. Most of the girl's thought Tiffania was some sort of country bumpkin to not take her hat off at the table.

Breep-bing-bing.

All the eating stopped at the center table as the Second Years students all looked around for the very strange noise. People at the next two tables started craning their necks.

Breep-bing-bing.

Malicorne looked over. "Are you making that very strange bird song?"

"Oh, that's my phone telling me that there is a signal." Saito smiled at that, then his smile dropped as he realized what he was actually saying. His hand flashed to his pocket and pulled out a phone, frantically tapping and flicking through menus. The phone made a few more noises, then started to make several more chimes. "I've got messages!"

Everyone else was looking at the young Japanese student as if he was insane.

"My mother has been very worried." He was typing on the little glowing screen very quickly. "She's not very happy that I ran away from home, so I'm trying to explain that I was summoned to another world."

"You are talking to your mother? But I thought your mother was on another world? And is that little thing like Sheila's comp-ooter?" Kirche asked from across the table, leaning forward.

"It's smaller and we use it to talk to people who are not close," Saito explained happily. "Um, do you mind if I take your picture to prove to my mother that I'm not ill or kidnapped?"

He had Tiffania, Kirche, Tabitha, Guiche and Montmorency all crowded into the center, along with several other mages in the background. The flashes startled most of them even as the young man sent the pictures.

Most of the students went back to their eating, even as Saito continued to tap away on the little device. He was finding it hard going to explain to his mother he was not playing one of his video games on his phone. Nor was he at a fantasy convention.

It was near the end of breakfast that Louise and Sheila wandered down. The newly arrived Void Mage blinked as she took in his hunched form, playing with the screen. "What is he doing?" she asked as she sat down to eat.

"It appears he's already figured out your little gateway and is talking to his family," Sheila said with a grin. Her expression turned grim. "But we need to get back to the army camped north of Lake Ragdorian."

"So you figured out how open a portal to Saito's home world?" Tiffania asked with a bright smile.

"That's right. I've prepared a magical circle out in the Vestri Court and we are going to look at opening a full size portal later," the strawberry-blonde said as she buttered a muffin where she sat.

"Thank you very much. My mother is still confused about everything, but she's happy I'm fine." Saito gave her a big smile.

It was not long before Louise and Sheila departed through a glowing portal to Lake Ragdorian, meeting up with the main army of Tristain that was encamped in the hills above the inky waters.

Saito had not really noticed, as he was busy finishing up his message. "Hmm. My mother is really wanting me to get home as soon as possible. And she wants to meet you, Tiffania, as you are my mage."

"What do you think, Tabitha? Do you think we can use that circle to create a portal?" the blonde half-elf asked.

"Should," the pale-haired girl replied as she looked up from her book.

"It sounds like a grand adventure," Kirche said brightly. "Let's go already!"

"Leave me out of it," Montmorency declared as she put her fists upon her hips.

She grabbed her quiet friends hand and dragged her out to grassy courtyard. An area had been cleared out, showing an intricate rune pattern on a solid stone slab that she really did not remember from earlier. Floating above it was a small flat circle.

"It does look all completed," Tiffania said as she studied the runes. They were more complicated than she remembered, but it appeared it was just ready for the infusion of Void to open the portal. "Are you ready, Tabitha?"

The other girl nodded as she raised up her crooked staff. The half-elf joined her and they started chanting. The glowing spark of green started to grow bigger. After five minutes of chanting, it was soon over six feet tall.

"Willpower?" Tabitha muttered to herself, seemingly studying the runes much more closely.

"It really didn't require much, did it? I suppose the runes upon the ground helped empower it from the magic in the land. That's something my mother had talked about." That made the half-elf look a bit sad.

"Is it safe to walk through?" the Japanese teen asked the girls.

At his mage's nod, he immediately walked through the portal. With an indignant squawk, Kirche charged right after him, dragging Tabitha with her. Tiffania settled her hat upon her head and then stepped through.

"-move you will be fired upon!" one of a few men in bulky, padded armor was calling out. They were on the triangular lawn in front of a gleaming building of glass in between two very large parking lots.

"Um, we come in peace?" Saito replied, his hands slowly raising.

"What is that portal and what is your intention here?" the uniformed young man called out.

"Halkeginia, of course!" Saito replied as he looked around.

"So this is the home of Sheila and Saito?" Kirche exclaimed with a grandiose gesture of her arms.

"Um, not my homeland. There's too much English writing, so this is probably America or Scotland. Uh, I mean Britain," the Japanese boy said.

"So where are you from then, kid?" a second Port Authority policeman asked.

"Academy City in Japan!" he replied with a happy smile. "May I call my mother?"

"So what do you have, Miller?" Special Agent Murdoch Styles asked as he walked over to a portable command center for the Port Authority Police in JFK International Airport in one of its many parking lots.

"Didn't Agent Barnes from the TSA let you know he was talking to the invaders?" Miller replied as he looked up from his computer, phone in his ear. When Murdoch did not reply, he continued. "We have some weird people in costume, a Japanese national that disappeared about four weeks ago and a freaking glowing portal right in front of the Terminal 4. The Japanese kid was happy to talk to his mother, by the way. And the one girl has elf-ears."

"I heard they were unarmed," Styles said. "So what are we holding them on?"

"Trespass, for now. The problem is that they seem to speak a language that sounds a bit like French, but according to our translators is not. And the boy from Japan understands them, even though he says he is only a middling student of only English." The older policeman frowned, hanging up the phone. "The thing is, I can't hear any accent on the boy. None at all-"

"Miller! Something is coming through the portal and you have to see this!" an agent called out.

Everyone headed over to the glowing green portal as a reptilian head head stuck through and then the rest of 'Sylphid' followed through. She snuffled around, unhappy 'kyu-kyu' noises at the acrid stench of modern polution.

"Come back here you dratted familiar," a bald-headed man said in the language of far off Halkeginia. "I know you can understand me to at least a limited degree. What do you think you are doing?" Professor Colbert looked around, realizing that the portal must have taken him farther abreast than he had expected. "What an intriguing construction."

"Freeze!" a very tense lieutenant of the police called out. "This is the police! Put your hands up!"

"Nobody shoot!" Agent Murdoch Styles shouted out quickly as he ran over.

Colbert already had his wand out, so started chanting and then tapped himself on his forehead. "I say, hello? Exactly where am I?"

Not one of the police or goverment agents could hear an accent. Styles waved for people to lower their weapons. "This is..." He paused here a second. "JFK International Airport in the United States. Is anyone else going to come through that portal?"

"I doubt it. Most students are in class and the servants know better than to poke around a magical portal. Sylphid, I think you had better calm down. I'm sure we'll find your master." The bald professor was very busy looking everywhere. So much glass. So many metal objects and a strange black ground.

"Kyu! Kyu!" Irukuku whined, sniffing around a bit more.

"You haven't happened to see a young girl about this tall, pale hair with a staff, have you? It really would be best if her familiar could be taken to her," Colbert explained.

Styles nodded slowly. "This way. I'm Special Agent Styles of the F.B.I. What's your name?"

"I'm Professor Colbert of the Tristain Academy. A pleasure to meet you. I was looking for a few of my students that have apparently wandered farther afield than I thought."

"Well, they caused a disruption with their portal," the federal agent explained as he led them to another large truck. "So we are holding them for the time being."

"Sir, the portal again!" Miller shouted out, causing everyone to turn around. Guns were raised.

Another two figures were standing in front of the portal, garbed in ancient armor that glinted brightly in the sun.

"Freeze! Put your hands up!" a JFK police officer called out.

"Carefully do as the nice men with guns are saying, your highness," Sheila said carefully, raising her hands. "This wasn't exactly how I envisioned Tristain initiating diplomatic contact with the United States and the UN." She sighed at people mucking up her carefully considered plans.

"It looks like Tiffania and Tabitha figured out how to cast the portal spell and lock it into the runes on the grounds," Louise said with a sniff as she raised her hands as ordered. "How long will it be before a noble comes to discuss these important matters?"

"That FBI agent will probably be the first person we'll get to talk to. Remember, Americans can be touchy about nobility. They believe in self-rule."

Professor Colbert blinked as he took in the information. "Oh, so this was a diplomatic mission from her majesty?"

"Diplomatic mission from where?" Agent Styles asked carefully as his headache started to grow.

"An alternate reality kingdom where magic exists, of course." Sheila just snickered at his dumbfounded look. "This is probably going to take a while. 'Take me to your leader.'"

Mohamed Al'hazzis was not too happy. Something had happened up at JFK Termina 4 and cars were being diverted. "Why, oh why, Allah, do you test me so?" The radio of his taxi crackled with more useless information about the shutdown.

"Man, what da hell is going on? I gotta flight to catch in an hour to France!" the black man in his back seat nearly shouted.

"I am very very sorry, sir, but dispatch is saying some sort of security shut down. Maybe terrorist scare again. Happens like once every few months," the Iranian called over his shoulder.

In the middle of the street, a police officer was directing traffic by hand to the side when the ground started to rumble and sent him stumbling. Parked cars in the nearby parking garage started to honk and shriek as their car alarms started to go off. In the midden of the road behind him, the ground started to swirl like it was water or liquid mud.

As casually as if he were just walking out of a swimming pool, a very large man wearing a Grecian breast plate and gauntlets, his beard neatly formed as they did three thousand years ago, led a procession of monsters. Dwarfed by his twelve foot tall heroic figure came brutish cyclopian giants wielding massive clubs that looked like pieces of oak trees.

The cop grabbed his radio handset from his shoulder. "I have no idea how to call this in. Armed men have appeared at the Van Wick Expressway just before it turns off to Terminal 4."

"Copy that Cp. Adams. What are they armed with, over?" the dispatch operator replied.

"Spears and large clubs-"

Keerash!

The elegant giant had been looking around and pointed. So with a bestial roar that could be hear even over the roar of jet engines, the cyclops charged across the vacant turnpike and started to bat aside cars in the parking lot with horrendous crashes and the blaring of car alarms.

Special Agent Murdoch Styles stopped glaring at the two armored girls to look off in the distance. "What is that?"

Sheila was looking off in the distance and was frowning. "That, Special Agent Styles, was the roar of a half dozen cyclops. Which means you have some very big problems headed this way.

"Good lord," Captain Miller yelled out. "They're monsters."

The cyclops were cutting across the intervening roads and parking lots in quite the brutish fashion. Vans, cars and pieces of the road were flying from their clubs.

"Do you have any heavy weapons?" the goddess shouted out to Styles.

"How heavy?" he shouted right back.

"Grenade launchers and up. Louise, stay back here and support me with the railgun." With a snap, she took off at a blur to appear in front of the the nearest cyclops after it has just totalled a Ford Taurus, impaling it on Derflinger.

"Wow, I haven't seen a one-eyed giant in centuries!" the sword exclaimed. "I'm pretty sure Brimir exterminated them."

"Why are you here?" the five foot four inch tall girl asked the titanspawns in Classical Greek.

"They are here at my orders. To crush the enemies of our Mother and to investigate the strange portal you came through, Daughter of the Dodekathon. Gaia herself has become interested in you, little godling," the statuesque giant said at the back of the cyclops. "And now that we have confirmed this, I shall break your body in revenge for the death of Gelmatheon on Olympus."

"I helped kill a lot more than one Antean giant," Sheila noted as Derflinger warded off three blows.

"Ouch! Ow! Whoa!" the sword cried.

With a massive 'CRACK' sound, the head of the nearest cyclops sprayed blood. Off in the distance, Louise clicked her tongue in frustration as she sighted down the railgun. "They have hard heads, it seems." Indeed, the Cyclops just stood back up and shook his head to continue fighting.

The goddess was frowning at them. She sent her thoughts to Louise even as she garbed herself in the power of a juggernaut of war, letting her match the size and strength of the elder cyclops and the Antean giant in ichor-formed brass and bronze armor. 'Louise, be aware of tricks. This is a distraction.'

Louise moved over to the portal. 'I will, my companion.' "Special Agent Styles, I believe that my companions from Halkegenia would be of great assistance in protecting this portal from attack. Especially against monsters that you do not seem to be equipped to deal with."

"Kevin, go get those kids from the van. Mr. Colbert, is what she saying true?" Styles called out, sweat staining his forehead under his short crewcut black hair.

"Yes, quite possibly," the teacher replied.

"Kyu-kyu!" the dragon said happily next to them, starting to sniff around. With a short hop and a glide, she landed over by a large 'incident' command vehicle and pulled open the door to the poor door's detriment. "KYU!"

A small, crooked staff bopped her on the nose. "Bad."

"Now now, Tabitha. She's just tracking you down," Kirche said haughtily.

"Kyu," Sylphic cooed in complaint.

Saito followed slowly behind the girls. "Uh, the nice officer asked us to stay in the van."

"Don't sweat it kid. Supposedly your friends are good at stopping monsters," the American said to him from closer to the portal.

A rather large crowd was gather just behind the police barricade. There were at least four different news crews and everyone seemed to be holding up cell phones. So the squeal of tires down the road in front of the curved building of glass and steel was quite unnerving. The huge, black semi-truck and trailer seemed quite imposing as it smashed through the barricade of cop cars that had been blocking the street. The two cop cars were sent spinning from the force of the impact and one of the police officers screamed as his legs were snapped like twigs.

Whoever was driving the Mac truck was insane as he set the wheels squealing like you would see in a bad action flick, sending the whole truck sliding sideways. People in the crowd pulled back behind some of the concrete retaining walls.

For a long moment, the truck just sat there unmoving. Then the trailer's sides dropped, revealing strange, almost human men wearing Roman breastplates over modern camouflage. Across each shoulder was an axe and in their hands were Isreali made uzis.

"For our god and the world!" they roared out as they leaped out of the back.

The door to the truck's cab was kicked open as a six-foot-three figure wearing a shining, Grecian breastplate stepped out. Like his Myrmidons, he also was wearing a modern uniform under his armor. He had a machine gun in his hand and a gleaming axe across his back. "Defend that portal for your god, Victor Phalanx, and Olympus!"

Guiche blinked even as he took in the figure. "Olympus? Isn't that where Sheila is from?" he asked his fellow students. A surge of energy had emboldened him like a shot of adrenaline. His rose-wand was almost vibrating with power.

"The security of this portal and the lands behind it now fall to me, Victor Phalanx, God of Soldiers and Son of Ares," the tall figure said. He looked like something that should be in a movie poster, not real life.

"The hell you say," Styles snapped back. "You bust in here and just think you can take over?"

"Medusa in the crowd," one of the Myrmidons called out.

"Hold weapon!" the God of Soldiers yelled out, averting a bloodbath.

Out of the crowd stepped four female monsters that pulled back their hoodies from their hideous visages. Their hair of snakes hissed and squirmed, freezing all that met their appearance.

"Avert your gaze," Louise shouted out. "Only look at them in a mirror." She had turned herself away instantly and almost swore in frustration as she saw that Kirche and Guiche had been frozen by the horrors.

Most of the Myrmidons had likewise been frozen, along with their god. That was when salvation appeared in the form of the a US Marine's Apache attack chopper, kicking up a lot of wind as it roared over head towards the giants. The medusa shrieked and covered their faces, freeing everyone. The lead one was hit with a jack-hammer of air from Tabitha and a fireball from Colbert. Kirche was only a moment later, creating a bonfire out of another even as Styles sighted center mass of another and fired his semi-auto 10mm Berretta.

From behind the giant and his cyclopian, winged horrors appeared from the swirling sinkhole in the earth. The shriek of the winged monster-women, the Harpies, pierced the cacophony of both battles. The Apache's chaingun roared, ripping a cyclops into bloody chunks.

The pilot stared in horror as the monster started to pull itself back together. "I hit it but it is recovering," he called out to his base as his gun-camera zoomed in close.

A strangely clear voice appeared on his radio. "Apache helicopter, please be aware that a tornado is about to appear," Sheila called out as she floated over with her back to the portal as the bronze, brass and steel armor sublimated off of here. "Retreat immediately." She thumbed open a corked bottle from her belt unleashing a tornado she had captured only a week ago while flying over Tristain.

The wind howled and roared in anger at appearing in such an alien world. For a tornado, it was not terribly large at only ninety feet tall and wide at the top.

"Oh, hush. Don't break any windows, but I want those harpies smashed," she ordered even as she avoided a massive column of earth that shot up at her at the behest of the Antean giant.

The Apache had already been pulling back and moved much faster as the threat appeared. With a booming roar, the tornado moved as if it were alive, swirling the harpies in its embrace.

Louise finished sighting off a reflection on her greaves, the six-shooter pointed over her shoulder backwards and upside down. With a crack-crack-crack, the fourth Medusa was sent jerking from three head-shots.

"When did you get that good?" Kirche complained even she sent fire to scorch a harpy in the air as it dived at her.

A snake made of flame scorched another, even as most of the harpies were sucked into the vortex of the tornado.

The smallest mage frowned as she looked around. "We need to shut down the portal for at least a while." With her wand she sent a small explosion of void at the nearest cyclops.

The one-eyed giant bellowed in anger as its armor cracked. Then it hard far greater problems as Victor Phalanx's axe slammed down, biting hard into his shoulder. With a mighty kick, the god sent the cyclops flying into another cyclops.

"They will continue to heal if they are touching the Earth! Gaia has blessed them with unlimited healing while they stand upon her!" Sheila called out even as she threw a bolt of lightning at the Antean giant.

Tiffania winced even as she uncertainly pointed her wand around. She flinched as a harpy came out her when it suddenly turned ninety degrees and plowed into the earth face first with punishing force. "Saito?"

"I'm here, my mage," he replied happily as he gestured at another harpy, plowing it into a car.

Guiche had a pleasant smile upon his face as rose petals floated around him as he stood next to the portal. "Such un-lovely creatures, but it is a noble duty to destroy such monsters. Rise my Valkyrie and destroy them!" With a swish of his wand, the ground rumbled as eight foot tall bronze statues appeared from the ground itself. It seemed so amazing to him, his power increasing.

"Line?" Tabitha asked curiously even as she flash-froze another harpy, causing it to shatter when it hit the ground.

"Kyu!" Sylphid called out as she slashed out with her two front claws. Her reptilian hind flexed hard as her tail smashed the head of another cyclops, but it just got back up.

Louise suddenly realized something. "Guiche! Step away from the portal! You're possessed!"

"What are you talking about? This is my moment of triumph," he called back in slight confusion even as his wand flicked without his command, creating shining bronze rose-petals that swirled around him.

"Close!" Saito called out even as the runes on his forehead flared to life for the first time.

With a snap, the glowing green portal vanished and with it, the strange vitality that had infused Guiche. With a groan, he collapsed to his face.

"Sheila! I think we were outmaneuvered," Louise called out.

The young goddess hissed in frustration. Distraction within distraction within cunning traps. Of course it was through the Earth elemental mage that Gaia would strike. "Rise them up and throw them into the bay, cunning wind," she called out to her pet tornado.

With a bellowing roar, the tornado swept up the remaining cyclops and carried them off at his mistresses bidding, but the Antean giant feet stayed firmly adhered to the ground.

"I am invincible! With Gaia's blessing and planning, your defeat is imminent!" The ground boomed as he took careful steps.

Victor Phalanx ran up, leaped into the air and then smashed down with his blood-soaked axe. "Die for the glory of Olympus!"

"Fool! Like all gods, you are doomed!" the giant stated as he caught the God of Soldiers, smashing him to the ground. The crater created by the impact was easily fifty feet wide and even caused Victor Phalanx to cough blood.

"Then you should weep in despair, giant, for I am a Thunderer!" Sheila called out above him as a crackling bolt of lightning appeared in her hand, then lashed out at the giant.

He screamed in agony, but immediately started healing using his own might and power. "You dare?"

"Boots," Tabitha called out. Indeed, the boots of the giant were quite large and unusual.

"Together, Tiffania, we'll dispel the magic within them," the strawberry-blonde Void Mage called out. The blonde half-elf joined her as they raised their wands.

Styles looked up from talking in his radio. "What are they doing?"

"Magic," Saito called out in wonder.

The massive explosion of void canceling magic struck the giant's boots, to seemingly no effect. "If you won't come down, then I will kill the ones you care in front of you," the Antean giant bellowed.

"Saito, lift him up now!" Kirche called out. "And together, Tabitha!"

The pale maiden nodded even as they both chanted while Sheila struck the giant with another lightning bolt. The young Japanese boy frowned and concentrated, lifting the huge man off the ground finally.

"Firestorm!" Kirche called out, sending sheets of fire into Tabitha's wind, amplifying the fire tremendously.

The Antean giant screamed, a pure terror and pain that he thought could never be visited upon him, even as a larger and more potent bolt of lightning struck. "Mother!"

Just to be sure, Sheila sent her familiar tornado to deposit the body in the bay like her Uncle Hercules had down with his famed progenitor.

"We won!" the red-headed Germanian whooped out loud, distracting quite a few people.

Sheila landed on the ground. "No, we lost."

"The giant and cyclops are defeated, cousin," Victor Phalanx said as he staggered to his feet. "I would call that victory."

"Gaia's strength is not in her arms, but in her mind. I fear she did something to the portal," she replied even as she checked over each of them. Only Victor was hurt and she cured his wounds with a casual wave even as she held her bottle up for the tornado to fill back up. With a roar, the tornado was sucked into the small container.

Special Agent Styles coughed loudly. "Would someone please explain what happened here?"

And in far away Halkeginia, bronze rose petals melted into the ground in the Vestri Court with none the wiser.