Alana was pulling up to the lake she had chosen as a place to fight as she could use all four elements here. She was sitting on the hood, forcing herself to eat a small meal when she was approached by five men. They were just regular men but of the variety that thought it might be fun to take advantage of a solitary woman.

  The first, a black-haired man with a beard approached and said as he reached out to put a hand on her ass, “Hey darlin’; how’s about you and I get to know each other better?”

  Alana jumped over the men as they had surrounded her and her sword was in her hand, “I wouldn’t mind teaching you boys about how bad your manners are but in about thirty seconds others are going to show up that are going to make you wish you stayed home to watch TV. I suggest you use what little time you have to leave as I won’t have time to worry about your worthless hides when they show.”

  The men displayed anger as they tried to rush her but Alana used some air to force them all to fall on their backs, “Suit yourselves but don’t cry to me when you’re forced to see these others. I might find it fun to watch you wet your pants when they come but I doubt I’ll have time to enjoy it.”

  Just then Alana sensed the arrival of the first Drakling and the foulness of its presence nearly caused her to swoon but she held herself together as it landed. She was forced to watch the Drakling use two of the men as landing pads. The squish they made was not pleasant to hear and the other three ran for all they were worth wishing they had listened to the woman from the beginning. She had tried to warn them.

  Alana called up some water from the lake and sent it at the Drakling. As it came close she turned it into ice spikes that blasted through and forced it down. Alana didn’t think it was that easy and she was right. Even as she watched the ice melted and the holes healed. It got to its feet and said, “I hope you have more than that. I want this to be at least a little fun.”

  Alana launched four slivers of flame at its head and when its hand passed in front of its face to swat them away Alana came in with her sword and cut through the wrist. The Drakling was surprised as the blade cut it and didn’t bounce away like a normal blade would. What made it panic more was that the hand wasn’t growing back.

  The Drakling punched with its remaining hand at the ground and Alana was forced to throw herself to the side to avoid the geyser of flame that shot up from where she stood. Alana stared at the ground between the things legs and forced three large earth spikes to rise quickly. The Drakling took to the air and rushed her after the holes healed.

  Alana squatted down and just before it got a claw on her she rolled under it and stabbed straight up with her sword as it passed above. The sword entered its heart and was nearly pulled from her grasp but she managed to hold onto it. It came back out of the wound as Alana got to her feet quickly to watch the Drakling turn to liquid and sink into the earth.

  The second came in quickly and didn’t bother with taunts after witnessing the end of its brother. Flying in, it took the straightest route to her heart but Alana was ready as she caused a wall of earth to rise for it to crash into. It shook off the effects then ran around the wall only to find Alana standing on top of it.

  The guardian jumped down and sent her sword through its brain. She was forced to let go of the hilt as she dropped to the ground but the sword came back to her when she called it. That was two down but Alana knew this was going to be much harder as the others were learning as they witnessed the fights.

  Alana was forced to hit the last two with ice spikes from the lake at the same time as they tried to rush her in tandem. The spikes put one down for a moment but the other barreled through and didn’t allow the punctures to put it down. The holes healed on the run as it tried to grab her.

  Alana swiped her blade across taking both hands from this one then hit it with a boulder she caused to come up from the ground. This caused it to back off as the last came and threw a flame blast spell at her. Her shield was up but it took nearly all her magical strength to keep from feeling the heat. Then she was rolling forward and launched herself into its chest putting her sword through the heart.

  That was when she discovered a new little problem. Her hand touched the liquid the Drakling turned into and was burned. Fortunately it was her left hand but the burn hurt. She used her power to clean off the burn but the redness was severe.

  The handless one came at her to try and squash her but Alana was quicker and she was removing its head as it passed by. She made sure not to touch it as it liquefied. She didn’t sense anymore coming so she sat in her car as she calmed her mind as much as she could to slip into her haven.

  Marilyn was waiting, “You need to call the tomb to you so you can heal. That’s the other purpose of it. When you’re in it, the magic of the tomb will heal magic related injuries.”

  “That was rough and that was only four of them. They aren’t as hard to kill as your golems were but my challenge is going to be catching up to them as they have been scattered around the world.”

  “Don’t get overconfident. You stopped them but until you see all they’re capable of don’t assume anything.”

  Alana came out then she was looking for a place to call the tomb to her. She found a large enough piece of flat land surrounded by trees and she settled her thoughts. Then she cast the spell. It took half an hour but the tomb was coming up out of the ground. When it was done moving the door opened showing she was alone. She was so tired that she ignored the dust on the coffin and just lied down on it. She was asleep in moments.

  When she awoke several hours later her hand was healed. Getting up she walked outside and was on her phone, “Heather, my love, I just faced the first four. I won but this is going to take a while. I love you.”

  “I love you too. Be safe and come home.”

  Then Alana was one the phone with the White House. Frank Barton took her call, “We have confirmed sightings of the Draklings in Mexico, Peru and Venezuela. We’re still waiting to hear about countries across the oceans. We’ve sent the warning about the leaders and several took us seriously but some didn’t and those that didn’t are now dead. What do you need from us?”

  “I need to move from country to country freely and I could us some fast transportation.”

  “Use your jet. We have all the information on it and by the time you’re airborne we’ll have clearance for you. Thanks for taking care of the ones here so quickly.”

  “Don’t get cocky, Mr. Secretary. I don’t know that they’re gone. I won’t know that this is over until I have Quionnes’ dead carcass in front of me. This is going to get harder as I now have to go to places where the Draklings are reinforced with magic users.”

  “We are behind you.”

  “Care to stand in front for a moment?”

  “We are behind you, Guardian.”

  Alana grinned as she replied, “That’s what I thought. I’ll be okay as long as I can move through the countries without worrying about being shot down. I like my plane and I’m not looking forward to having to walk.”

  “I don’t even know how to respond to that.”

  Alana laughed as she got in her car and began the trip to the airport. As she was driving her phone rang, “You know it isn’t a good idea for me to talk and drive at the same time.”

  Frank Lintel replied, “Small infraction that I think you can be excused for if it’s important. We’ve checked both places you mentioned and there isn’t anything in either that match your clues but I didn’t stop. I had a few guys check other places and we think we found it. One of my guys followed a bus load of infants and toddlers into an area of Botswana. He was challenged at the fenced border and he didn’t try to cross but he thinks he saw one of these robed people. The bus went down a ramp into an underground facility. It’s right on the border with Zimbabwe.”

  “Thank you. I’ll check it out when I’m done with the Draklings. If you can keep the place under surveillance great but don’t you dare poke your head up to get it shot off. Too many have lost their lives to this already and more are going to do so as I can’t get to all the Draklings fast enough to prevent that.”

  “Already ahead of you there. It took some doing as the facility is virtually open territory but we have two guys watching what happens.”

  Alana hung up as she was driving onto the tarmac at the airport. As she approached her plane she sensed two Draklings coming her way. She jumped out of her car and started ordering the people around the plane to vacate the area. The pilots of her plane helped her as they knew she was for real and they ran for the hanger causing everyone to follow. Marilyn was right to warn her not to get overconfident.

  The two that landed on the tarmac had scars over their hearts showing they were the ones she had taken out that way. The other two weren’t in her senses so she figured she had to take the heads. Her sword was in her hand but these had learned respect for her skill so came on slow. They circled so she could only face one at a time and she wasn’t where she could use all four elements.

  She threw a weak fireball at the one on her right. She anticipated that it would be defeated easily but it distracted that one enough for her to jump up and fly over the head of the one on her left. It didn’t turn fast enough and her sword was taking its head. That was when she ran into her next problem.

  The surface of the tarmac didn’t allow the earth to absorb the liquid so she was forced to race to the side to prevent it from getting on her. This caused her to get out of position a little and she was forced to take a desperate gamble to avoid the flames coming from the last one. Her shield was up but she hadn’t been able to get much strength into it so she took a minor burn as she rolled under the flames.

  When the Drakling attempted to adjust she took its feet off. It toppled to the ground and Alana’s sword cut through the neck. The head rolled off and Alana was scrambling to get away from the liquid.

  The guardian tried fire to burn the liquid but it wouldn’t burn so she was forced to damage the tarmac so the liquid could get to the earth and be absorbed. Her pilots ran to her when they saw that it was clear.

  Vicki the blonde said, “Are you okay, Ms. Morgan?”

  “Vicki we’re going to be doing a lot of traveling together so you might as well call me Alana. I’m okay but nobody better disturb my nap on the plane. We’re off to Mexico. The clearance should be ready when we’re onboard.”

  When they were airborne Alana called Heather to hear her voice and to update her. Then she was taking her nap. The next vision started.

  Lopner was coming into Quionnes private room, “It’s confirmed. The guardian took out two of the Draklings.” Alana mentally snorted as her count was four but apparently it took a bit of time for the updates.

  “I sent four. We should have heard by now if the guardian was dead.”

  “We’ll know soon. The others are creating glorious panic. Many have died and the children are being shipped as we speak.”

  Alana felt the sadness at this confirmation that she would be too late for many but she felt the determination to get them all.

  Quionnes continued, “We can’t fail, Lopner. The torments waiting for us would make anything we have done pale in comparison. The guardian must be eliminated.”

  “The guardian will face our brothers and sisters as well as the Draklings in the other countries.”

  “Let us hope it’s enough.”

  Alana awoke with a small smile. She couldn’t feel truly good with the death occurring but the note of uncertainty she was creating in Quionnes was nice to hear.

  Chapter Ten

  Alana Morgan was arriving at her house ten months later. Quionnes wasn’t done yet but Alana needed a break before going after the final piece. It was a hard road but she had done it. Twenty Draklings were dead and she had eliminated fifty-two magic users. She also had to deal with the thanks of those she saved. That had been as hard because it slowed her down. She didn’t even want to think about how many lives she could have saved if she could have gotten away from that.

  At this point the death toll was still being measured. The world’s countries were watching all the means in and out of their countries and were stopping the transport of all children two years old and younger. Some of the battles with magic users Alana had were against those that tried to force an opening to get the kids through.

  Alana hadn’t called first and she tried to quietly open the door. No one was in the entryway so she quietly walked up the stairs. Her plan had been to surprise her love but the moment she saw her she just broke down crying.

  Heather turned and leaped at her to give her the welcome home she wanted. Mildred was a little put out as she had to deliver meals to the bedroom for five straight days while Heather and Alana got reacquainted. The room was full of loving passion as they touched and laughed and talked about anything but the fight. It was precisely what Alana needed before she tackled the next part. She had time but she had no idea where Quionnes really was.

  Heather said on the sixth day as they were actually having dinner in the dining room, “I’ve been planning for our life. I still want your opinion on most of it but I’ve been daydreaming about children and the two of us just loving each other even when we get old and wrinkly.”

  Alana responded, “Don’t get too ahead of yourself. Quionnes is still out there and I have no idea where. This was just a break for me. I must get back out and try to find where she is.”

  “I know that but I’m keeping our hope alive with dreams. I love you and mean for us to find that quiet life where we can just enjoy each other. Even at our age I’m done with the exciting and ready to have a simple existence with you.”

  Alana moved them back to the bedroom for a soft and tender night of passion. It was a sweet night that led to an uninterrupted night of sleep that left Alana as close to emotionally balanced as she could be when she was ready the next morning to finish this. She and Heather kissed goodbye as Alana went out to her car. It nearly broke her to have to leave again but she and Heather couldn’t even begin to think about their life afterward until Alana found and defeated Quionnes.

  Frank Lintel was getting fulltime pay for his participation even though he was retired. He was outside the plane when it arrived in Rome. He said to Alana as soon as her feet hit the tarmac, “We’ve looked everywhere but we can’t find anything about these people here. I‘m not sure that saying was about Rome or a reference to something else.”

  Alana got in the back of the car that was waiting for her and she used her senses to detect anything magical. She sensed fourteen different sources of magic but they weren’t moving. They were also in one location so she had the driver get the car moving. She corrected his direction every so often.

  By the time she had him stop they were parked outside a small bookstore. Her senses were telling her she was in the right place. Unfortunately the language spell didn’t allow for reading the language so she had to ask the driver what the sign said. Alana smiled a little when the driver replied, “The Winter’s Blessing Bookstore.”

  Alana was a little concerned as she was sensing no movement but she bravely stepped into the store. The guardian sensed she was standing where the magic was but she was just in rows of books. The store’s owner came to speak with her, “May I help you, Miss?”

  “I’m in the market for the exotic. Maybe for something you have stored in a basement.”

  “I do not know what you mean.”

  “I have an instinct that tells me you do.” She tapped her foot right over one of the places she sensed the magic.

  Sweat beaded on the man’s forehead as he replied, “I can’t help you. It’s worth my life if I let any but the owners of what resides below to enter.”

  “I’m fighting a major evil, sir. I’ll do what I have to including razing your store to find my answers.”

  The man pointed to the door in back then ran out of his store. Alana moved to the door and used her magic to unlock it. She found a set of old stairs that led into darkness. The evil foulness in the air forced Alana to activate a shield.

  Then she saw the fourteen books on pedestals. Each book was forest green in color with gold lettering. She didn’t need to read them to know what they contained. The magical energy radiating from the books was palpable and she guessed this was where the initiates came to study. Alana went to the first book and carefully opened the cover. It wasn’t trapped so she began scanning pages. The language was Spanish making her glad she took those classes in high school.

  The first book contained nothing of use and only made her sick with what the book detailed. She moved onto each until she found what she was looking for in the fifth book. It was plans for how to build a temple that could collect the magical energy resulting from celestial alignments. It also detailed the four prime locations on the planet where one of these temples could be built. One of them was in Botswana on the border with Zimbabwe.

  Alana closed the book then stepped back toward the stairs. Gathering her power she began a complex pattern of spells that destroyed the books but prevented the store above from taking damage. When she was convinced not a single piece of the books had survived being turned to ash she climbed the stairs. Her senses were telling her the magic in the area was gone. Then Alana was traveling to the plane for a trip down to Botswana

  Alana got on her phone so she could hear the voice of her love and what she got nearly stopped her heart. The phone went to voice mail but it was the message on it that caused her to nearly lose herself. It said, “Ms. Alana Morgan. Or should we say guardian. We would invite you to the little party we set up for Ms. Heather Vincent but we really don’t want you to come. We apologize for the mess we left in your house but your housekeeper made a nice addition to the wall decorations. Don’t blame us. It was your own fault for being just a little too good at your job. We will send you a part of your love as a memento.”

 

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