The Long Way Home

From Spiritwood Wiki

Part I

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The inchworm smiled happily as it cruised down the branch at top speed, oblivious to its measuring at two inches per second. It cared little that it was unprotected and out in the open, for there were no birds in this area of the forest…and the large black things that lived here had better things to do than to bother with something as small as the worm…which suited it and its relatives just fine! Generations of inchworms not having to hide from predators had instilled an adventurous spirit in the little critters…and every day, the brave little worm explored a few inches further away from its nest. Today being no exception, it slowed its velocity as it neared the new leaf it had investigated the day before. The possibilities of what might lie beyond got the worm wiggling so excitedly it almost slipped off the branch! With tiny pulse a-pounding, it inched carefully up the leaf…and thrust its head over the rim to gaze for the first time at whatever was there…and gasped! Instead of another length of branch or a wonderful new tree, the worm's gaze stretched on and on, out across a vast clearing that must be at LEAST a few generations worth of area to explore! There was more than that, though! There was something in the center of the clearing…shapes and colors that the little worm had no basis to even begin to define. All it could do was watch in fascination.

• * * *

The tall, elven-looking lass in blue puffed a strand of pale hair out of her face and sucked in deep breaths of air through clenched teeth as she pressed herself back-to-back against a sweat-soaked giant of a man garbed in green, who was breathing almost as heavily. All around them lay the corpses of a multitude of different creatures…each with coloring darker than the blackest pitch. If evil had a specific stench, surely the odor emanating from these bodies would be in the running…for 'twas almost too much for the exhausted pair to bear.

"I donnae know *huff* how much more *huff* of this I can take." Dara gasped between gulps of oxygen, her nose wrinkling at the smell.

Slayne grunted acknowledgment as he continued to scan the clearing they'd been fighting in for the past hour. His sweeping gaze paused momentarily on his bow, lying broken on the ground some yards away, and he felt a twinge of regret. He'd had that bow a long time…a gift from the Ranger Lurik on the day he first arrived in the Southlands. A shimmer of fog near the east edge of the forest caught his attention, and he barked a warning as a half-dozen jet-black skeletons erupted out of it into the clearing. "Here come more of 'em!"

A spray of cold mist took the edge off the uncomfortable heat of the tropical weather, and he brought his axe into a ready position, his energy level rising with the brief moment of refreshment. Dara had something to do with it, he knew. As she spun around to stand beside him, he couldn't help but chuckle to himself as he noticed her clothes were dry even after having been pressed against his, which were by now completely drenched. He had long since stopped wondering why she never seemed to sweat no matter her level of physical activity. In fact, there were a LOT of things he had stopped wondering about her…it was way too exhausting and frustrating to try and figure out what didn't really make much sense to begin with. Sure she was different…but she was his true friend, and wouldn't leave him in this clearing no matter how much he insisted that she do so…and that's all that really mattered as far as he was concerned.

An annoyingly musical laugh caused them both to glance toward the top of a boulder resting nearby, upon which lay a stunningly beautiful woman dressed provocatively all in gray. "I can keep this up all day," she laughed teasingly. "Feeling a little winded are you, Slave?" For some reason, the Lady Gray always addressed Slayne as if Dara didn't even exist…an arrogant gesture that left Dara seething, which was probably the point.

"Say nothing," Slayne muttered under his breath so only Dara could hear. "Don't give 'er the satisfaction that we care one way or t'other…the only chance we've got is if 'er amusement o' this sport wanes!" By this time, the small skeletal horde had advanced to about five yards…where they stopped abruptly. The combatants stared across the short distance expectantly, each waiting for the other to make the first move. Slayne twisted his foot slightly to the left, but otherwise didn't move a muscle. Dara caught the signal and nodded imperceptibly. She was already turning when the sound of spitting venom reached their ears.

Another small patch of fog winked out behind a giant black snake as it launched a short stream of highly corrosive venom at the pair of rangers. It hissed in pleasure as the smaller of the two swung at its projectile with her stick, knowing full well that the weapon would dissolve in a matter of seconds.

Slayne hurled himself at the skeletons at the same time Dara's staff connected with frozen venom, shattering it into hundreds of icy bits that flew like tiny arrowheads back toward the snake. It hissed loudly in pain and surprise as the miniature hailstorm slashed at its eyes, body, and open mouth, causing its second volley to spray harmlessly to the side. It didn't even have enough time to get its bearings before a whooshing sound and a flash of wood banished its consciousness from the world forever.

"I HATE snakes!" Dara yelled angrily (much to the Lady Gray's amusement) as she turned to see Slayne rolling furtively off a crushed skeleton, the rest of them trying to regain their footing. She had to admire the combat skill of the large ranger who had become her closest friend…he didn't waste a single thing that could be used to his advantage. His axe was already moving to intercept the nearest skeleton as "Vas Flam" escaped Dara's lips. She had mastered a few of the more rudimentary spells of this world…though less quickly than others of her race would've, she thought frustratedly. Adapting to a world's own set of rules was all well and good in theory…but in practice, 'twas a whole 'nother matter altogether!

The first skel flew apart as it met with Slayne's axe, whilst the second was knocked back to the ground by the force of the firebolt. Two more left. Dara sprinted to the fray in a few painful strides and slashed at one of them to try and draw its attention from her friend.

== Part II == 11 May 2000

The first half-hour of constant fighting could be considered a really good workout, as far as Dara was concerned…but everything after that was most definitely something she never wanted to attempt again! She wondered if her muscles would ever heal properly after this ordeal…if she survived it, that is. A few airborne broken bits of bone stung her right cheek as her staff delivered another blow to the skeleton from behind.

Slayne grunted in satisfaction as a well-placed blow produced that tinkling sound a skel made when it longer had enough bones left to remain standing. He quickly turned his attention to the remaining one, which was busily slashing at his side. Another blow got past his guard and he hissed in pain as poison burned the small cut, making it feel deeper than it really was. What was even more annoying, though, was that these skeletons should be relatively easy for them to defeat. It seemed that fatigue was their greatest enemy now, and it just might get them killed if they couldn't figure a way out of this mess…and soon! He dodged a chunk of flying shoulderbone as Dara scored another hit, and hacked at the thing's leg in the same motion…another satisfying tinkle.

The immediate threat passed, Slayne righted himself with a groan, every muscle in his body seemed to protest all at once. Almost as a ritual, he absently removed yet another bottle of orange liquid from his beltpouch and popped the cork off with his thumb. Dara smiled at how small the bottle looked in his hand as he raised it to his lips…and was about to look away when she saw his eyes widen in alarm. "DOWN!"

Slayne's shouted warning came at the exact moment a flaming bone hand grabbed onto Dara's shoulder, causing first a puff of smoke, and then a puff of steam to erupt at the point of contact. For once, Dara's muscles were happy as she immediately relaxed her legs and dropped to the ground. She heard the whizz of a projectile as she, at the last second, turned the fall into a forward somersault.

As the glass broke on the flaming skeleton's skull, the orange contents splashed out, dousing some of the fire and encasing the creature in a cloud of smokey steam from the chest up. It flailed about blindly with its bony arms, giving Dara enough time to recover from her somersault and launch a counterattack. Unfortunately, fatigue and physics spoke up just then…and she was unable to avoid a patch of inky blood on the grass…courtesy of a downed black raven from an earlier wave of baddies. With a yelp, she slid right into the skeleton's feet, sending it slowly toppling over right above her. She was about to roll out of the way when a sudden whooshing sound made her freeze flat on the ground. One moment the flaming undead was about to land on her…and the next…it was gone! She sat up in time to see a hundred burning bits of bone dance across the clearing in a sort of fan pattern…and Slayne's axe skitter to a stop a good hundred yards away.

"Bah!" he spat, "throw was a mite low…curse these aching muscles! Are ya damaged, lass?" Slayne rushed over in concern as Dara blinked, sneezed, and rubbed her nose…the end of which had one less layer of skin than it had a moment ago.

"I should've known that one firebolt wasnae enough to take one of those outta play for good." she muttered, sniffing experimentally to make sure all was in working order. "Aye, I'm fine. Nothing a good swim and a ten-year nap wouldnae fix." she added dryly. Slayne started to chuckle, but a voice from atop the boulder cut him off.

"Hmph! That was over FAR too quickly for my tastes." the Lady Gray pouted cutely, rising from her lounging position. The smoldering, angry glint in her eyes, though, easily dispelled any attempt she made at feigning only mild annoyance. "I guess that means you'd rather have MORE toys to play with!" Slayne and Dara, now leaning on each other so they could remain standing, both sighed in frustration as over ten shimmery patches of fog appeared all around them...and black-skinned lizardmen began to slide out from each one.

"What say you NOW, Slave!" she called as the wind began to gain in strength. "This can all end if you just promise…" Just then, a blinding flash of light from over the treetops caused them all to look alarmedly at the sky. "How DARE…"

' THRAKOOOM! '

In the space of a heartbeat, the cloudless blue sky plunged into darkness and the ground quaked violently, knocking the Lady Gray to one knee and the pair of Rangers on their arses.

"What in…" Slayne started to say as the horizon seemed to ripple. His face visibly paled as his unfinished question turned into an "Oh hell." Using every last bit of adrenaline he had left, the giant Ranger pushed himself to his feet, bent down to grab Dara around the waist, and literally dragged her over to the boulder in a desperate surge of speed. They barely made it to the lee side before the shockwave hit with a roar…which most likely saved their lives. He wrapped himself protectively around Dara and closed his eyes to the storm of sand and debris that pummeled them from all sides. And so great was the noise that he never even heard the Lady Gray's wail as she was swept from her perch…like a leaf in a hurricane.

• * * *

When the branch finally stopped moving, the inchworm peeked its tiny head out of the small knot it had ducked into, wondering how that storm had snuck up so quickly...and where it had gotten to. What an exciting day this had turned out to be! Everything seemed quiet now, the clearing dark and empty...so the inchworm decided that it was a good time as any to head back home. Dinner would be ready, and the little critter realized it had grown quite hungry.

== Part III == 13 May 2000

The town was in rough shape when the two Rangers staggered out of the forest. All the buildings had cracked or broken walls with tattered roofs...those that still HAD roofs, anyway. Debris and rubble were everywhere...cluttering the lawns, choking the streets, and even protruding out of whatever had the strength to remain standing in the wake of the massive shockwave. The murky sky seemed to be growing lighter, but it still cast ominous shadows over everything. Random winds gusted through the alleys, kicking up swirls of dust and sand that forced the pair to occasionally close the hoods of their cloaks to avoid getting a faceful of grit. By the time they reached the northernmost bridge and crossed the river that bisected the city, Slayne was growing increasingly concerned.

In their arduous journey from the clearing, the only sign of life they had seen was a single ogre...running heedlessly in the direction they were coming from as fast as its legs could carry it. Its entire body was scratched and bloodied from the branches in its path that it seemed not to notice...and a tumble to the ground only slowed it for as long as it took to regain its footing. The thing was terrified...and Slayne wasn't sure he or Dara was in any condition to meet what could make an ogre run that fast...or cause a shockwave that must've traveled for miles. They had little choice, though...and had to help their friends, who were most likely at ground zero. They'd be in bad shape, getting hit with a blast like that...if they weren't dead already.

"At least the...ungh...castle is still standing." Dara offered optimistically, wincing as she forced herself to take another step.

Slayne raised the level of his searching gaze...and sure enough, looming over the entire city like a protective sentinel, the castle stood intact. "In fact..." Slayne added, as he leaned forward and squinted his eyes. He never got to finish his sentence as they both gasped in wonder...for at that very moment, a shaft of sunlight punched a hole in the murky sky, and bathed the undamaged castle in a radiant glow of hope. The banners of virtue atop the battlements flapped proudly in the breeze as the sunny spotlight grew in diameter...and adding to what must surely be illusion, a familiar sound floated faintly out of the south.

"Shh! Listen!" Dara quieted the Ranger, his mouth repeatedly trying and failing to comment as the light pushed the shadow off of them and continued on toward the outskirts of the city. "Is that...laughter?"

Their energy level grew exponentially as their hope did, and despite the pain, they were both jogging by the time they arrived at the Blue Coyote Tavern. It had only half its roof, but the walls were still standing...and judging from all the noise coming from the inside, they were missing one hell of a party!

"...NO SUCH THING AS TOO MUCH ALE!" the Archmage, Murphy Pious, was yelling over the din as Slayne pushed the doors open to reveal a packed house of happy faces.

"AAAH!" everyone screamed in surprise at the sight of the two newcomers...who were so battered, bloody, and dirty that they were hard to recognize. Well, all except for Dara's hair...which was just as straight and silky as it always was. Weird. There was a moment of dead silence as wary stares were exchanged. And then...

"YOU'RE ALIVE!!!" yelped Yale as he dove across the room to give Slayne a hug worthy of his size, and a bow to Dara...the hug attempt abandoned after it made her blush so bright it showed through the dirt on her face. They were then assaulted loudly from all sides: "I KNEW you would be!" "HAHA!" "...wondered what happened to ye after the Lady Gray pushed ye into that portal!" "An' Dara dove in after 'im afore it closed!" "Auntie!!" "...did you defeat the Gray Lady?" "In Vas Mani" "Kyrian went looking for ye, hast ye seen him?" "Have some ale!" "Ho eyo he hum!" And noticing the bewilderment on their faces, Yale added excitedly, "WE WON!!! By the Goddess, WE WON!!!"

The whole room erupted in renewed merriment at this, and the two new additions to the party were swept up into it before their jaws had a chance to hit the ground.

== Part IV == 15 May 2000

The room fell silent as Kyle the Postmaster climbed to the top of one of the tables and raised his arms. "Saw it with me own eyes, I did! The Final Battle with Mondain!!" The crowd oooh'd and aaah'd, and a few of the men elbowed each other playfully. Over in the corner, Carlos Bittersky and Puck Rembrant sulked...occasionally casting glares at one another. When it had come time to fill Slayne and Dara in on what all had occurred, the two bards had gotten into a heated argument over which of them would tell the tale (Carlos repeatedly citing his position on the Council...and Puck repeatedly citing his floppy hat)...and whether it should be sung or not. The crowd put a quick end to it by appointing Kyle instead.

To add to the drama, and the hunger for a good tale that lived within all present, Kyle began his tale with a recap of recent events...starting with the retaking of the magically bound city of Magincia, touching on the significance of the map that Red Tusk so desperately wanted to get his hands on, and leading up to the culmination of the Dark Monks' sinister plan. Occasionally, he would blush and stutter whenever he caught Shana's gaze...which was always accompanied by either her prettily batting eyelashes or wiggling eyebrows. About half-way through, Puck jumped up on the other table with a flourish, and started adding sound effects to the story, "Woosh!" "Tweet tweet!" "KaFLAM!", causing ripples of smiles and chuckles throughout the crowd.

Glaring at Puck in annoyance from time to time, Kyle eventually came to the final confrontation between the King and Mondain. "Why, just like a fanciful bard's tale it was! Swords sang! Arrow's whistled! Bones crunched! And the Lady Penelope screamed incessantly as she tried to run from the fighting that was everywhere at once! 'Twas an epic battle! And in the center of it all, our Lord British faced off with Mondain himself! And in a surge of desperation mere moments afore he was ta be overwhelmed by Mondain's power, the King unlocked the secret of the jeweled Dagger of Destiny!"

"By th' Power o' Grayskull!" yelled Puck as he slashed at the air with his hat.

"There was light everywhere!" Kyle continued, ignoring Puck the best he could. "And looking more like a king than ever he did, British held the Dagger before him and forced the evil being away from the city toward the shore! But though he was weakening rapidly, Mondain yet had the strength to utter the words of the Armageddon spell in spiteful vengeance...and there was nothing any of us could do to stop it!" Kyle paused to let the audience hang on the edge of their seats for a moment...which one would think wouldn't've worked so well, seeing as how most of them had actually BEEN there during the battle. Hehe. "And then BLAM!!! Just before the spell could be completed, the mighty ship of the scurvy pirate Axiom D'Rune surged forth from around the cape with its giant cannon a'smokin', and aimed true!"

With a piratey "Arr!", Puck leapt off the table, imitating a swooping ship. "Like Han Sol…OW!" he yelped as Spellsinger planted a heel firmly onto a set of Puck's toes. "What'd ye do THA' for, ye ol'…OW!" he yelped again, his plan for revenge backfiring as he stomped on Spells' foot…which was still on his own. "Hey! Take yer foot offa mine so I kin step on it without mishing m'already mooshed toes!"

"Oh look, a bull." Spells muttered dryly as he rolled his eyes in annoyance.

Nightfall blinked and looked curiously around the room…wondering where Puck had gotten off to.

With an grateful glance at Spellsinger, the Postmaster continued his tale. Slayne and Dara's mouths fell open in amazement as Kyle explained that the impact of the cannonball caused Mondain to mispronounce the final phrase of the spell, and thus the Armageddon force turned inward instead of outward...destroying the sorcerer and projecting a massive shockwave in a sort of inverse wake. The Dagger had shielded everyone present from the blast before it mysteriously disappeared. Well, all except for Red Tusk and his blood-red sword, who were hit with the brunt of the force head on. It was like the proverbial unstoppable force hitting an immovable object...and as such, they canceled each other out. The new cavity in the expanding shockwave bubble passed right over the castle, thus leaving it and a few surrounding buildings untouched...and Red Tusk was knocked unconscious, the pieces of his shattered sword scattered around him. Critically weakened, but still alive, he was was slain a moment later by Vinny...by accident. Vinny puffed up proudly at this point and strutted around yelling "Reeeeed Tusk! Reeeeed Tusk!"

Eventually, Kyle reached the conclusion. "And then he says, 'If they havenae all blown away, I say we crack a few barrels of ale and celebrate!', ta which we all yelled, 'AYE!' And we lived happily ever after. The End!"

The applause and whistles that followed were most deafening for the tale well told, but once the cacophony regained a less boisterous level, Slayne felt the need to tie up a few loose ends. "Erm...we seem to be missing someone. What became of that paladin feller...Gary Lightstar!"

The room grew deathly silent at this...and Stephen and Centri spat upon the ground. Finally, Lurik cleared his throat and spoke up. "Well...when the Dark Monks appeared and began fighting at Mondain's side...Gary joined them as well." Lurik paused as a few low hisses and grumbles rolled around the room. "Seems he was allied to their cause all along, pretending to be our friend so he could leak our plans and help them sabotage us from the inside."

Dara caught the look of extreme gratitude that Fianna gave her, and nodded once in acknowledgment.

Knowing better than to pour salt on an open wound, Slayne winced, nodded, and asked his next question. "Erm...so what happened to that pirate feller...Axiom D'Rune?"

After letting some vague murmurings burble around the room for a bit, Nat fielded this one. He explained that the pirate's ship was nowhere to be found after the blast. That there was no wreckage was a positive sign...one that suggested he might have survived...but without a means to search the water, they had no way of knowing for sure. It seemed he was as missing as the Dagger was. Hmmmm. ^_^

== Part V == 17 May 2000

The doors of the tavern flew open as the town Magistrate burst through them on his horse.

"AAAH!" everyone screamed in shock, for a horse bursting into a building is not a common sight in this land.

The Magistrate was more angry than anyone had ever seen him, and though he looked resplendent in his usual finery, his seething fury made him look positively evil. "I REQUIRE THE ONE CALLED...YOU!!" he bellowed, his bloodshot gaze sweeping across the room and resting on Slayne. "YOU WILL COME WITH ME NOW, SLAV...SLAYNE!!"

The murmuring began in earnest as Slayne slowly rose to his feet. Whatever the Magistrate was so angry with him about was surely a mistake or misunderstanding, but he WAS the law, so Slayne figured the best course of action would be to go with him and let things get sorted out in a calm and rational manner.

"I think not, you silly hag." said a commanding voice from behind the Magistrate. Slayne raised an eyebrow in puzzlement as a well-dressed, clean-shaven, ultra-suave gentleman that he didn't recognize smoothly strode into the tavern like he owned the place.

There was a moment of silence as the Magistrate was taken aback and began sputtering in outrage. "HOW DID...HOW DARE..." he started to scream, but stopped immediately when the dapper gentleman casually pulled a scorched and scratched jeweled dagger out of his left pocket and began turning it over idly in his hand.

"That's the...! He's got the Dagger!!" whispered Nokekula harshly, recognizing the weapon from the battle earlier that day.

The room collectively gasped.

"By the Light of Truth..." Stephen of Gray oathed aloud, "It's HIM! That's Axiom D'Rune!!"

Another...louder...collective gasp.

"And THAT, my dear fellow, is naught but a pouting witch." Axiom added, gesturing to the Magistrate with the point of the dagger, then addressed him directly. "I highly recommend you remove that ridiculous mask."

The Magistrate hissed, gestured angrily, and...melted? Like wisps of fog, the Magistrate and his horse dissolved into a thousand ribbons and floated apart. Slayne promptly sat down numbly as the parting ribbons revealed the Lady Gray, in all her voluptuous fury.

"That one too, Wench!" Axiom barked, without losing his cool.

"I'LL RIP YOUR...ERK!" she tried to scream, but was silenced as Axiom's eyes narrowed and he gripped the dagger tighter, causing it to pulse once with a soft yellow glow. The Lady Gray repeated the gesture from before...only this time, it looked as if she was trying to stop herself from doing so. Her body dispersed in another flurry of ribbons, revealing the same woman...only scratched, bruised, and covered with bits of grass, leaves, and twigs...her revealing garments so tattered and torn that they barely hid what a lady is supposed to hide. And for some reason, her normally curvaceous body was much less...augmented...than it had seemed before.

"Roughhousing with a tree...were you?" Axiom taunted, as Slayne realized that the shockwave must have knocked her into the forest before she had a chance to teleport to safety.

"WHAT...in the name of the King...IS GOING ON HERE??!?" shouted a confused Victor Draken, echoing the question that was in everyone's mind.

"It's quite simple, really." the former pirate explained casually as he bound the hands of the woman who looked so angry that she might spontaneously combust any second. "Allow me to introduce myself. Agent Virgil A. D'Rune of the Avatar's Secret Service, at your service." He paused to make a sweeping bow while Jyrthan and Estarriol turned to each other and mouthed the word 'Virgil' with pained expressions on the verge of laughter. "And this pathetic excuse for a 'Lady' is one Alandra Gray, spoiled brat-turned-sorceress and...*cough*...my ex wife."

== Part VI == 19 May 2000

Silverleaf blew his mouthful of ale all over Urza and fell into a coughing fit, which no one even noticed as they were gaping so incredulously. The Lady Gray was Axi...er...Virgil's ex wife??!? Kalman had to hastily bite into the apple he was eating to keep himself from laughing out loud...while Noah contributed a giant, toothless grin.

"For years," Virgil continued, his voice slightly raised to be heard over the coughing, "we've been aware that the Syndicate of Dark Monks had been working on a plan to bring Mondain into this world, and our on-staff oracles prophesied that the eldest daughter of the Lord of the City of Gray would play a significant role in it. I was therefore sent undercover to the Gray Institute of Higher Sorcery, where she was a student. Her atrocious grades and primadonna attitude made it easy for me to secure a position as her tutor...for no one else wanted the job.

As time passed, her grades did not improve...but, as planned, with a little strategic charm here and there, our tutoring sessions became the basis for a relationship. And since no other men could stand being around her for any length of time, I had no competition...and we were married in short order.

Ever the spoiled little rich girl, Alandra used her father's influence to have her grades adjusted...but that was not enough. She also wanted the power that the rest of the students earned, only she wanted it without having to do all the hard work. A few bags of gold to various well-known thieves and black market vendors built her a nice collection of rare and illegal magical artifacts and talismans, which she used to artificially increase her magical powers at an incredibly accelerated rate. Her interest in her marriage to me was inversely proportional to her level of power, but by then I had already had more than enough time to secretly set up all the monitoring equipment the A.S.S. would need to keep tabs on her and everything that she did. Tracking runes attached to the underside of all her yachts, one-way scrying thread sewn into all her clothes, undercover agents hired into our serving staff...that sort of thing."

Summer looked around in excited curiosity, suddenly wondering if someone sitting near her was an undercover agent too.

"In her dealings with black market artifacts," Virgil continued, "Alandra learned of the Twin Dagger of Destiny...a weapon with blades created from shards of the Gem of Immortality itself. It is said that whomever wields the Twin Dagger would have enough power to control entire worlds. So, unable to resist the promise of such power, she focused all her efforts on its retrieval...which brought her into contact with the Syndicate...and played right into our hands. You see, until then, all our attempts to plant an undercover agent into the Syndicate had failed...but Alandra's character and reputation by then had become so widely known that they accepted her motivation without question...and because she was so well monitored by us, she unwittingly became the perfect mole."

"MMMMM!! MMMNMMPH!!!" the Lady Gray tried to scream through lips that wouldn't open. Her face spoke volumes, however, and half the room shrank back at such tempestuous fury. Docosamien wondered for a moment if her eyes might even shoot Twin Daggers of their own, if given the chance. The former pirate seemed to have no trouble ignoring her, though. Perhaps he was used to her temper after having been married to her.

"The Syndicate also needed her for their own purposes, for Alandra had connections through her father that gave her reach into areas and information the Dark Monks had previously been unable to access. They convinced her that the only being capable of obtaining the Dagger for her was Mondain, their lord and master...and so she moved to their main headquarters near Britain, dragging me along without so much as a 'by your leave', and turned her resources to aiding their cause. Which, in turn, allowed us to stay one step ahead of them at every turn. Neither of them had any way of knowing that we already possessed the two halves of the Twin Dagger...one at A.S.S. headquarters, and the other in a location so secret that even a top-level agent such as myself has not the clearance.

This dagger," he continued, indicating the one in his hand, "the one you know as the Dagger of Destiny, is actually called the Waning Dagger of Destiny...only half of the Twin Dagger of Destiny. It has only a fraction of the power by itself...but when combined with its twin, the Waxing Dagger of Destiny...well, I'm sure you all can appreciate why we keep them apart. Anyhow, we knew that the only way to get to Mondain was to let the Syndicate draw him out into the open...so we had to give the Dark Monks the illusion that their efforts were proceeding according to plan. We allowed the Red Tusk to resurface, we allowed the dark armies to amass, we allowed the theft of the Waning Dagger, and...against my better judgement...we allowed the corruption of many city officials, guards, and fellow A.S.S. agents."

Strongarms leaned over to Valdir and whispered, "Umm...is he spelling out the word 'ass' 'cause he thinks we can't spell?"

"Shhhh! Pay attention!" the fighter hissed back.

"Alandra inevitably grew bored with the careful pace the Syndicate was taking with its plans," the man formerly known as Axiom droned on, "so she began to find ways of amusing herself to pass the time. This usually involved abusing her artificially enhanced magic at the expense of anyone around her. People who annoyed her started having 'accidents'...men she found intriguing were forced into her bed...and those with strong wills she took delight in breaking...publicly. The A.S.S. saved as many lives as we could...but sadly, a few had to be sacrificed for the greater good. To keep the appearance that I was nothing more than a neglected husband of an evil witch, I had our marriage annulled...and when the attacks on the cities started, I had to let myself be evacuated with the rest of the civilians. This also served to allow me the freedom to move more effectively behind the scenes, for a pirate can do things and go places that would be mighty suspicious for a simple married tutor.

And the rest...I believe you know. Yes, I do have more knowledge of how to wield this dagger's power than I let on...yes, I had to let the King figure it out for himself...and yes, my presence at the battle with Mondain was not left to chance. And I want to personally thank all of you, on behalf of myself and the entire A.S.S., for the splendid job you have done in helping make this victory possible! Without your efforts, the plan would have been less believable, the damage far greater, and the lives lost much more numerous than they were. In my official report I will bestow upon ye the title 'Heroes of Virtue!'"

This set the room vibrating with another round of cheers and table-banging. Virgil bowed deeply to display his appreciation, then turned the Lady Gray with his free hand and pushed her roughly toward the door. Just before reaching it, though, he turned around suddenly as if just remembering something. "Oy! I almost forgot!" he smiled as he focused his gaze on Vinny. "Alandra, be a dear and return what you have taken from these good people."

The dagger pulsed again to silence the hiss that tried to escape her lips. A moment later, a patch of gray mist formed at the far end of the tavern...and out slid a very confused, very frightened woman who seemed on the verge of tears. Vinny's breath got caught in his throat as he blinked and rubbed his eyes, not believing what he was seeing. "Ma...Marcella?" he croaked.

The woman started openly crying when she saw Vinny, and immediately started running toward him.

"MARCELLA!!!" he screamed in confused joy as he leapt up and met her half way. They crashed into a desperately tight hug, and just stood there holding each other, crying, while everyone looked on and smiled hugely.

"But...but...I thought she KILLED her!!" blurted Carlos.

"It is simply a matter of manipulation and cruelty, Sir Bard." Virgil explained. "You see, Alandra's purpose in making Vinny believe his wife had been killed was so that she could manipulate him into helping her find the Dagger. However, since she gets her pleasure from the pain of others and playing games with their lives, she most likely planned to milk the situation for all it was worth. The only thing more cruel than killing his loved one is making it seem like she did...then, once he was about to come to terms with his loss, she'd most likely give him a little hope by showing that his wife was really still alive... then rip that hope away again and revel in his renewed pain."

Icy glares from everyone made the Lady Gray shrink back a little, despite her molten anger at being helpless in the Dagger's power.

"When such a heinous plan backfires, however..." the former pirate added, "...all that you have left is a happy ending."

"Oh happiest of happys!" Vinny chimed in, his voice slightly muffled as his mouth was still buried in Marcella's hair.

Just then, the Lady Penelope ran by outside, screaming at the top of her lungs...followed closely by her two shirtless, overly-muscled, chippendale-type retainers who were scrambling to keep up. Jen Denai stifled a laugh and noted aloud, "Um…shouldn't someone inform her that the danger has passed?"

"Aye," Baelthenoc bellowed in response, "but she's a lady who does as she pleases…and if she wants ta work on her singin' voice, who are we ta deny it! HAHA!"

Virgil barked a laugh and added, "Were it not in bad form to use this dagger's power for my own pleasure, I'd most certainly love to teach that arrogant snob some humility! Though *snicker* I suppose she is doing a fair job of it on her own."

"But...but...I though you LOVED her!!" Carlos blurted again in bewilderment, wondering how his "facts" had ended up being so wrong.

"All part of the job, my dear fellow...all part of the job." The agent answered with a wink. He then pointed his prisoner toward Daetok, who was having a great time despite his handicap. Another pulse of the Dagger, and a gray mist enveloped the deaf mute...causing him to stumble backwards in surprise and fear. It evaporated a moment later, and his hands flew to his ears as he looked excitedly around the room. Dara tapped her staff lightly on the ground, and smiled as Daetok quickly turned his head and looked directly at her.

"He heard that!" Dormer Halchak exclaimed...which caused another round of cheers...which, in turn, caused Daetok to quickly cover his ears and bolt out of the tavern as if persued by a cloud of angry bees.

"Let him be." Virgil cautioned when half the room rose to go see if Daetok was okay. "I would think that his ears are especially sensitive right now...so it is most likely that he will need to start small and work up to being able to handle a group such as yourselves." He winked again, turned the Lady Gray toward the door once more, and goosed her to get her moving...which bathed the tavern in renewed laughter as the celebration resumed, more joyfully than before.

Everything was going so well, it was almost hard to believe after all they'd been through. Could it be as real as it felt? Or was the other shoe about to drop...like it always seemed to? Dara hoped Kyrian was all right.

== Part VII == 21 May 2000

The tavern doors banged open as a rumple-haired, short-of-breath Kyrian Koven staggered in.

"AAAH!" everyone screamed, sending Mara, Shana, and Kara into a fit of giggles.

Kyr's glaring eyes swept the room threateningly until they came to rest on Dara, who was sitting on a stool in the back...slightly apart from the rest of the crowd since personal space was at a minimum. With a determined stride, he traversed the room quickly, the aire of anger about him parted the crowd in his path easier than a dagger through butter. Dara eeped involuntarily as he strode purposefully right up to her and loomed menacingly. It was then that she felt a drop of water on the back of her hand, which was folded on top of the other in her lap. Up to that point she had timidly avoided his gaze out of fear and embarrassment, but now she rose her eyes to look up into his...and, surprisingly, Dara saw nothing of the anger she'd expected. In fact...his eyes were brimming with tears which began generously sliding down his cheeks! No one breathed, and time froze for a heartbeat of silence. So startled was she, that when he suddenly gathered her into his arms, she offered no resistance as their lips met in a passionate kiss.

The sounds of stomping feet and mugs banging on tables was all but drowned out by the cheers and "OOOOOOOOOH!"s of the crowd, who had never witnessed such an obvious display of affection between the two before. There may have even been a sigh or a jealous grumble...but if there were, it was certainly swallowed by the din.

Dara was having trouble focusing her thoughts on anything, so she only half-heard Kyrian mumbling about how worried he was when he finally found the clearing and all the dead creatures, their black blood mixed with someone else's red...his forehead was resting on hers with his hands gently cupping either side of her face. She had never been this physically close to him...or anyone...before, and the effect was nothing short of pleasantly and terrifyingly dizzying.

"And I don't know what I'd do if you..." Kyrian was murmuring in mock anger when he suddenly realized where he was and what he was doing. A cricket from the back of the tavern was the only sound to be had as he slowly turned his head to see everyone in the room leaning forward intently, most of them cupping their ears with their hands and wearing open mouths or giant smiles. As if struck by lightning, Kyrian jumped backwards and looked back at Dara with horrified eyes. What had he done! "I...I..." he stammered before his hands unconsciously covered his mouth. He wasn't sure who was more stunned, Dara...or himself! And with the heat he felt his face giving off, surely he must be as bright pink as she had become. Were he still here, Puck would probably have put on a pair of tinted spectacles.

"I think I saw...left something..." Kyrian offered weakly as he made good use of the close proximity of the back door. Another round of howls and item-thumping followed in his wake...before everyone's attention focused on Dara, who hadn't moved a muscle. Well...maybe one muscle.

"Lass..." Hodur prodded verbally, wondering it she was still conscious, "Do ye know yer smiling?"

Dara clapped her hands over her mouth and, though no one thought it possible, blushed even deeper than she already had been. She then realized that she was the center of attention, and with a terrified squeak, dove into the rafters of the half-a-roof that still existed like an acrobat on a trampoline. It was a long time before she stopped shaking like a leaf...and longer still before she could stop smiling. ^_^

== Part VIII == 23 May 2000

The celebration continued through the night and into the dawn...but none of the Heroes of Virtue felt the least bit fatigued when they finally emerged from the Tavern, squinting at the bright morning sun that overpowered the lanterns within. At last...it was time for everyone to go their separate ways, for many responsibilities remained even though the evil no longer did. Some volunteered to take up the task of finding the population that had been evacuated, to tell them that it was finally safe to return. Others voiced their desire to begin rebuilding the damaged parts of the city and the surrounding area...including most of the Rangers of the Heart, who knew that the ravaged forest needed the healing touch of a Ranger. A few Rangers, though, had their sights set northward...back to the land of their home, which was still undoubtedly plagued by evil. And where there was evil, there were always people who needed protection from it.

One of them, however, had shouldered a different responsibility. Dara made a quick inspection of the supplies carried by Shana, Kara, and Mara...and was impressed by how efficiently they had packed. She smiled to herself as she tried to imagine Aly, Robin, and Raina trying to school their daughters in survival techniques and the proper way to prepare for lengthy journies. "Ready to head out?"

"AYE AUNT DARA!" they all chimed in unison with a gesture roughly imitating the Royal Guards' official salute.

"Then let's say our goodbyes and be off!" Dara replied before she turned and took the two steps necessary to bring her in front of Slayne. She was more than twice the giant ranger's age...but she couldn't help feeling like a child in his presence...and not just because his stature made her six-foot height seem normal for a lass. Their relationship was an odd one...they were more than just best friends, though both knew there would never be anything romantic between them. Much like Robin and Alyssia, Dara saw Slayne as a member of her family...the closest comparison being that of a niece and her favorite uncle, but with the added benefit of viewing each other as an equal.

"Ye take good care of those lassies, y'hear?" he mumbled as he tried to blink away the welling tears before pulling her into a tight hug. "They miss their parents and their home more than they let on."

"Aye, me friend...ye know I will." she replied, not even bothering to try to breathe as she was crushed by his embrace. "If there exists a red moongate that can send them back...er...forward...er...whate'er, ye can be sure that we'll find it."

"I could still come with ye..." he offered after a few moments, releasing her and stepping back so he could look her in the eye. "This lot can surely manage without me..."

"Hush." she interrupted gently as she reached up to touch his forehead with the tip of her middle finger. A single drop of water ran down his nose, sending a wave of tingles down his spine. "Ye know as well as I that they need e'ery bit o' muscle they can find to help rebuild their lives here. And we both know ye'd sooner bathe twice a day than turn thy back on them." She added with a grin as his nose started wiggling in response to the ticklish drop of water now dangling on the end of it.

Slayne knew her logic was sound...as much as he wished it weren't. "Be safe." he whispered intensely before he put on a giant smile and turned to the line of teenage girls that were chirping "Uncle Slayne! Uncle Slayne!" as they grew impatient waiting for their hugs. "And as for YOU three...I be lookin' forward to watching all o'ye grow up into the amazin' young women I've had the pleasure of fightin' beside these past..."

Dara let the ambient crowd noise fade behind her as she strode west toward the outskirts of the city in search of Puck. A few minutes of fruitless looking was brought to a halt by a strange gutteral noise that didn't sound like any animal she had ever heard before. Instantly wary...and as curious as ever, the Amethyri dropped to all fours and silently peered around the guardhouse at the post office across the river. There were two figures standing there, shadowed by a passing cloud...one who's silhouette appeared to be...Puck? If everyone was back in town...who was Puck talking to?? Again, her curious nature got the better of her, and she crept soundlessly into the river...glided across it...and snuck up the bank on the other side, her clothes already dry.

"Nngh. Nnghaaa. Nnghaannnaaam..." the man in front of Puck was saying. Dara recognized him instantly when the cloud finally moved out of the way. "Thh! Khh! Shh! ...I..." Daetok continued, testing sounds his tongue had been unable to form for months. "I...khan...heer...annd...sspeek!" he sounded out slowly and carefully.

Puck smiled and produced from his pack the book that Daetok had been using to communicate with. The former deaf mute accepted it...and with a laugh of triumph, tore the binder off and threw the loose pages into the air. Puck let out a cheerful "HUZZAH!" as the paper snow filled the air and Daetok twirled in glee.

"Thank you...mmy...friend." he said as he clasped Puck in a brotherly hug. "You...were mmy...voice...and my ears."

After a few hearty thumps on each others' backs, Daetok stepped back into a sweeping bow, which Puck returned with a flourish...as only a bard can. Then the former deaf mute turned and headed toward the faint sounds from the distant crowd...stopping only to add another bow for Dara, who was standing on the bank now, as he passed her.

After returning the gesture with her signature knuckles-together half-bow, she headed towards Puck, who was now leaning with his back against the wall of the post office. His tear-filled eyes were focused on something far away...farther than the sky he was staring at. It was a full minute before he noticed Dara standing only a few yards away. The green statue instantly became a flurry of motion as he hastily wiped the tear tracks from his cheeks, thrust his arm into his hat, and began a bad ventriloquist routine using the hat as the talking dummy.

"Ye donnae have to bother with that, m'lord." Dara said softly, with a warm smile.

Puck and his hat looked at each other...then they both looked at her...then back at each other again. With a not-very-regretful sigh and a smile, he flipped the hat back onto his head, and stepped in to give her a warm hug. "I'll be seein' ya soon, aye?"

"Much sooner than ye would if ye saw me later." she replied with a grin when they separated.

Puck smiled hugely at the reversal of lines, then they both leaned against the post office and gazed at the sky in silence for awhile.

== Part IX == 25 May 2000

When Dara returned to the crowd, the three girls were almost done with their goodbyes.

Shana looked around to see if she had missed saying goodbye to anyone...and spied Kyle standing close to the tavern trying to look inconspicuous. Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she licked her lips and began walking toward him. He was like a hind trapped by the light of a hunter's torch...his body wouldn't move no matter how insistently his instincts told him to flee. She moved in to hug him like she had everyone else...but at the last second, twisted her head and planted a big close-mouthed kiss on his lips...with a nice loud "MMMmmmmmm!". When she let him go, he staggered back a few steps, wobbled, and fell on his arse...his eyes completely glazed. Kara and Mara were hopping and squealing in incredulous delight as Shana came strutting back with an evil smirk and an even brighter twinkle in her eye. "Y'know...sometimes it's hard being me." she quipped in a tone of mock-sadness as she turned the other two girls around and wrapped an arm about each one's shoulders. "There isnae a woman in the universe that could ever satisfy him after a kiss like that!"

Dara giggled inwardly at the renewed squealing at this...and even felt a twinge of remorse for poor Kyle. She knew that where the daughter of Alyssia Kanath was concerned, that boy didn't stand a chance. Getting her and the other two girls home was likely going to be quite the adventure. Dara just wished it didn't keep her away from her friends for too long.

There were many hugs and a few tears as the rest of the Heroes of Virtue said their goodbyes. Eventually, as they always knew they would someday, the crowd broke apart...and each of them wasted no time in heading out to start the daunting tasks set before them...in the aftermath of a well-earned victory.

• * * *

The moist blanket of morning dew was just beginning to dry when a tiny mouth yawned a tiny yawn, and an excited little head poked out of a leafy nest. Today, the inchworm decided, it would explore a few inches more…and see what other wonders there was to see.

'tff tff tff tff'

== Epilogue == 27 May 2000 Two years have passed.

The Minax War has devastated the Northlands, and the first portals to the new world have been opened by the Goddess in an effort to preserve the beauty and life that was in danger of extinction.

Within this new world...deep in the forests of Spiritwood...lies a small clearing with two unassuming paths leading into it.

And within this clearing...

...a patch of air that was deathly still a moment ago...

...begins to shimmer.

- End -