Random Musings: March 2011

This is just a rough copy, and not the finished project. However, I do enjoy how I have things written in here. Comments and constructive criticism welcome - Hawkeye

Chapter One
The Warning

   The evening appeared to be a calm one, as darkness fell upon the town of Davenport. Outside the apartment number 4 of fifty-third street, all was quiet, the only sound was passing cars from the busy road next to the complex. Inside apartment 4, however, the mood was opposite of the world outside its door.
   A young man, by the name of Tyler Moore, was pacing the length of his apartment contemplating what he had just heard on his phone. He was six foot even, and had sandy blonde hair, with bright blue eyes. He was very skinny, and looked younger than the age of 19, however with the solemn look on his face, he looked much older. He hadn’t shaven in a few days, so he had a gruff look about him.
   He glanced over to where his phone landed after he threw it when his conversation ended. He was trying to remember where he had learned news like this before, but try as he might, the memory escaped him. He tried to shake the worry he felt off, something just seemed so unfitting of the peaceful night. He walked to his closet, and reached for the back of the shelf, pulling down a small box. He held it fondly, then lifted the lid and looked at what lay inside.
   To anyone else, it would have looked like a simple stick with a few knots in it, but to Tyler, it was much more. He grabbed his old wand out of the box, it filled him with hope, in the tension the phone call left, this brought peace. He stored it under his shirt, then put on his shoes, the warning still ringing in his mind. “There is a good chance we will never see each other again, so I need to tell you this,” his ears heard his mother say. “Something awful is going to happen tonight, something similar to what happened in London not too long ago. When it does, you must take refuge somewhere, and protect all you can. I know you turned from magic, but you will need it tonight, I promise you,” those were the final words he heard from his mother, because at those words, he threw the phone.
   Despite his hate for magic, he heeded his mother’s warning, and before he set off for work, he made sure he had his wand. He set off down the street, the calm of the quiet night seemed to be mocking his mood. The nights were getting darker sooner, a sure sign winter is near. Tyler shuddered as he shut the thought of another winter here out of his mind. He arrived at work moments later, put his things into his locker, and pulled on his work shirt. He gazed at himself in the reflection of the window, green really wasn’t his color, but he didn’t have a choice. It was mandatory for working here.
   By the time a half hour had passed, his supervisor showed up, she was older than he was, as well as shorter. She had shoulder length brown hair, and beady brown eyes. Her face looked like it had once been very attractive, but the years had worn on her, and wrinkles had settled in. “Hello Janice,” Tyler said politely. “Hi Tyler, we have a busy night, the display room is changing. Getting close to Christmas you know?” she said cheerily, her voice higher than people expect. “Great, you know how much I love Christmas,” Tyler replied sarcastically. Christmas was just a reminder that it was colder than it should ever be for him.
   A few moments had passed, and the rest of the team had shown up, all except the one whom Tyler cared for the most. She was late, as was usual, she always showed up after everyone else. The others led the way, as he fell into step behind everyone. He didn’t make any attempts to talk to any of them, and that was just fine with him, he didn’t like being very social.
   “Aren’t you listening Tyler” Jen asked him, he shook himself out of his stupor. “Sorry, I was just daydreaming I was somewhere cheery,” he said with a wry smile. “I was just telling you, we are working together tonight,” she replied hastily, almost flustered. Tyler looked at her, her long blonde hair was straightened into perfection. She was truly beautiful, but a bit to clingy for his taste. She looked up at him with her emerald green eyes, “Well, shall we get started then?” Tyler said, turning from her. He led the way to the seasonal room, and walked down the aisle he’d be working on.
   He looked at the blueprint for the aisle, then set to work. The store had just closed, and people were starting to filter out of the store. Working third shift suited Tyler, he didn’t much care for helping the customers, it meant talking to people. “Damn,” he whispered. “What is it?” Jen asked, looking hopeful that he’d say another word to her. She thought he was a very good looker, and didn’t care to hide it. “It’s nothing, the aisle is just changing a lot. That’s all,” he said, clearly not wanting to talk. She looked taken aback by his suddenness to shut her out, his attitude tonight was not normal. He always talked to her at least, maybe not to others, but she was his friend. He felt slightly guilty for being so rude with her. He knew it was only a stupid warning, his mom had been wrong before, she was wrong this time too. “I’m sorry Jen, I’ve got a lot on my mind,” he said sincerely. She beamed at him, “It’s alright,” she said merrily.
   A couple hours had passed by, and the night seemed to move on normally as always. The other overnight teams had shown up, and nothing that seemed to happen that would make him need to fret. “Tyler, I need you to go to the stock room and pull everyone’s aisle’s product, alright?” Janice said, “Yeah, O.K.” he said. “Hey Tyler!” James said, aside from his missing friend, James was his best friend in the store. He stood as tall as Tyler, with jet black hair, and blue eyes. He was as a bit stockier than Tyler though, he frequently worked out. “Hey James, how’s it going?” Tyler asked him, if things went bad tonight, he’ll be the first I look for, Tyler thought to himself. “Not much,” James replied. “You headed to the back room?” he asked, Tyler nodded. “Cool, maybe I’ll see you back there, Jared wants me to put this product out on the floor first,” he said, looking at the pallet behind him. “Speaking of Jared, here he comes,” Tyler said warningly, and with that he left James. He passed Jared on the way to the stock room, he was the store manager. Short and stout, with wavy brown hair, he was hard to take seriously, there weren’t many people shorter than he was. Tyler nodded cordially at him, and kept walking.
   “Tyler, I need you back up here when you get the chance,” Janice’s voice came over his walkie-talkie. “Alright, be there in a moment,” he replied. He left the tub where he had been putting candy from the stock room shelves in the aisle he was just in. He made his way up to the seasonal room, and found Janice standing near Carly. She was only slightly shorter than he was, with brunette hair and golden eyes. His heart skipped a beat when he saw her, she was here, and safe. This knowledge comforted Tyler, he smiled at her, the first time he smiled all day. “What’s up?” he asked as he approached them. “I want you to help her with her aisle, she isn’t feeling well,” Janice said. “Alright,” he said, this was easily a good night. They walked towards her aisle, the biggest in the room. The two set to work right away, not talking very much, because they knew Janice would be near by.
   After a few moments passed, they decided conversation was safe. “What took you so long to get here? Are you alright?” Tyler asked, “The weather outside is awful, it took a long time to get here, and I have been feeling nauseas all day,” she replied. This didn’t make sense, Tyler thought, it was so nice outside when he left. “How is that possible? The weather was amazing when I left my apartment…” He started to say, but he quit speaking and seemed to be frozen with fear. He couldn’t have heard that, not tonight, there was no way his mom was right. “Tyler? Want to come back down to Earth?” Carly asked, she looked worried. Tyler blinked a couple times, and looked around the room. It was empty except for him and his team. “Did you just hear anything?” he asked frantically. Carly looked at him worry growing on her face.
   Tyler walked towards the wall of the room, listening intently. If he really heard what he thought he heard, he’d here it again. “Tyler, your scaring me,” Carly whispered to him. Jen noticed Tyler was acting odd, and came over. “Are you O.K.? Your sweating really bad,” she said, she looked worried, but sounded hopeful, as if she’d be able to help. “No, I’m not, none of us are. I need to talk to Jared,” Tyler said, looking at Carly as he spoke, hoping she would be able to read his mind. He sped past them, almost running towards Jared’s office. When he got there he didn’t bother knocking, he threw the door open, and what he saw startled him. In Jared’s office stood a woman with long black hair, wearing square glasses, and when she saw Tyler, she disappeared. “You?!” Tyler half shouted, his wand was vibrating against his stomach. “Tyler listen to me, you heard it to, and if what is supposed to happen happens, we’re all in danger,” Jared said. He then raised his own wand, it‘s handle was green, with small jagged edges, and it was a light colored wood. The green edges were also on the knots along the shaft of the wand. He flicked it at the door which snapped shut, and locked itself.
   “You’re a warloc?!” Tyler half shouted, “Keep quiet!” Jared hissed. “You really think your father would have let you leave unprotected?” He asked, Tyler knew his words were true. “Listen Tyler, I know you don’t like magic, but I need your help. I need you to guard the seasonal room. If the warning we’ve just been given comes to pass, we’ll need all the help we can get,” Jared explained hastily, then looked at Tyler, waiting for a response. Tyler nodded in agreement, could this really be happening? He thought to himself. “I assume you have your wand?” Jared spoke, he seemed so distant. Tyler couldn’t focus, was he really about to be plunged back into a world he had sworn to never contact again? It certainly seemed that way, as he nodded again. “Very well, go back up to the seasonal room and stay alert,” Jared said, and with that Tyler left.

   The walk to the seasonal room seemed to take years. Tyler felt numb, if things did go bad, he could barely remember any of the simple defensive jinxes. He’d resigned to it, reluctant to do so as he was, he had no choice. As he approached Carly, he could feel the eyes of everyone from his team on him. He was certain he saw two of them talk behind their hands, he ignored them though. He grabbed Carly by the arm, pulled her aside, and when he spoke, he was very quiet. “Did you get my message?” he asked her, very seriously. “Of course, I was surprised you sent it that way, I thought you turned from magic,” She said, confusion heavy in her voice. “Forget about how I sent it,” Tyler said, “I just saw a woman in Jared’s office, the same form of message I sent you, he’s one of us. He reckons something is going to happen. Did you bring your wand?” He asked her in a rush. She lifted her shirt slightly to reveal the end of her wand. It had a blue spiral around the handle, a very intricate design.
   Tyler explained everything about the evening he had to her. About the phone call with his mom, and the conversation he had just had with Jared. When he finished, he looked at her, she seemed terrified, but she composed herself quickly. “I’m behind you,” she said. Tyler knew she would be, but he was very grateful. Janice came over to where they were, she looked angry, “BACK TO WORK!” She yelled. “You want to talk, do it on your breaks!” she continued, Tyler tuned her out, he had to be alert. He kept listening, and the sound he heard kept getting louder, and closer. It sounded like horrible shrieking, a banshee no doubt. Why on Earth would the Wanderer’s need one of those? If they were coming, they definitely didn’t need a banshee. “Are you done yet?” Janice snapped at him, snapping him out of his daydream. “No, if you didn’t notice, I had to talk to Jared, so I haven’t really been here to work have I?” He retorted, he didn’t care how rude he was being. “Watch your tone!” She yelled, she was standing far to close to the back wall.
   “Get away from the wall!” Tyler shouted at her, but she laughed. “Are you telling me what to do? You think you’re the boss…” Her words were cut off by a terrible shriek, everyone doubled over, covering their ears. In the same moment, Jared’s figure appeared in front of Tyler, slightly transparent, he spoke airily. “They’re here, it’s happening,” and with that it disappeared. “What is going on?” Janice asked angrily, but before Tyler could answer, the wall exploded, sending everyone flying back. Janice flew farther past them, and Tyler looked towards where she had landed, and gasped. She was dead, her eyes open, face blank.
   He grabbed his wand, it seemed eager to be used again, he looked around, there was debris from the wall everywhere. Tyler looked back up at the wall in time to see 3 black figures blur past him, towards the back of the store. Jen was curled up in the corner crying, and Carly had her wand in her hand as well. Tyler and her had their wands trained on the broken wall, waiting. The rest of the team was dead too. He got to his feet, and slowly backed out of the room, “Jen. Carly, get behind me,” he said, alert as ever. That’s when he saw it, the banshee he had been hearing came through the wall. It glided over the floor, it’s slight pink body looked very slender. It’s head looked beautiful, with pink hair that appeared to be floating freely, as if in water. It started to open its mouth, and looked terrifying as a sound pierced the silence. The wailing was terrible, and the creature looked suddenly violent. “Silantce!” Tyler shouted, and a purple light shot out of his wand, binding the banshee’s mouth together. It struggled to open its mouth, to be able to wail, Tyler was surprised at how strong his magic still was. “Deatrus!” Carly yelled, a yellow light flew from her wand, and hit the banshee in the face, and it fell to the ground dead.
   “We need to seal the wall!” Tyler shouted over the bangs resonating from other parts of the store. Him and Carly flourished their wands, and the wall seemed to fix itself, and sealed magically; unbreakable. “Carly, take Jen and lock yourselves in the team training room. I’ll be there in a few minutes,” Tyler said, no body argued, Jen seemed all to glad to be leaving the room. Tyler ran for the direction he knew James to be, he wasn’t there though. He saw someone from the overnight team he didn’t know, and ran to him. “James, do you know where James is?!” Tyler asked him frantically. “The stock room I think, I just came from there, people are dead,” he started to ramble, he was in shock. Tyler stood, and stepped away from him, and at that moment, a jet of yellow light flew past him, and hit the rambling man in the chest. The man slid back a few feet and came to rest, dead on the floor.
   Tyler turned in the direction of the light, and shouted “Stungint!” A shower of gold sparks shot out of his wand and flew to the figure advancing on him. The man stood for a moment, then fell to the floor, he was stunned. Tyler ran passed him, and picked up the persons wand, then continued to the stock room.
   When he entered the room, jinxes were flying in every direction, sending boxes flying off the shelves. Tyler pointed his wand at a fridge that was falling towards Jared, and set it flying in the other direction. He ran towards the others, hoping James was still alive. He knelt near Jared, and started firing jinxes down the stock room. “Wanderers?” Tyler asked, “Yes! Only two, and their bloody brilliant.” Jared replied angrily. “Have you seen James?” Tyler asked, and his stomach churned when Jared pointed to the Wanderers. They had James captive, Tyler knew it’d be quite a fight to get to him. “Keep me covered,” he hollered at Jared.
   Tyler broke into a run, straight at the Wanderer’s. He barely had time to duck under a Death jinx, when a Stunner jinx flew just past his ear. Tyler dropped to his knees, slid a few feet, and then he turned down one of the aisles, and began to climb the shelves. He finally got to the top, and started running to the other end of the stock room, jumping the gaps between aisles. Jinxes flew past him repeatedly, but he could feel something repelling them. A shield jinx, clever, Tyler thought. He finally reached the last aisle, and he jumped down, just as a couple jinxes collided with the shelf. The effect of the blast sent heavy boxes and wood splinters falling with Tyler. The fall was farther than he thought, and the landing hurt, the pain doubled by the falling debris. He struggled to free himself from the wreckage, then slowly rose to his feet. He was bleeding, his leg looked broken. He pointed his wand at his leg and said, “Joint Lockus.” He felt a sharp pain in his leg, which stopped almost as suddenly as it began.
   He slowly crept down the aisle, limping slightly, and raised his wand. Tyler’s heart was beating fast, he was more nervous then he’d been in a while. He jumped out the aisle, and fired two binding jinxes towards the Wanderers. They dropped their wands and fell to the floor, appearing to be tied up. Tyler kept his wand aimed at them, and slowly walked towards them. One was laughing, he seemed insane. James was shaking, looking at the two on the floor, and then at Tyler. Then he collapsed, in shock.

Chapter Two
Elves and Yeti’s

   Tyler picked James up off the floor, then flicked his wand at the two on the ground, they rose, and floated behind him. Tyler opened the door to Jared’s office, and set them on the floor. He walked towards the training room, and then opened the door, setting James on the table. “Is everyone O.K.?” Carly asked, she had tears in her eyes. “Quite a few people are dead, Jared and some of his friends are sealing the building. No one will be able to get in,” he said, exhaustion settling in. He explained what happened after he sent them up to the training room, about the battle that ensued in the stock room, and about the two he had tied up in Jared’s office.
   “Why did the Wanderers attack?” Carly asked. “I don’t know, but I plan to talk to them. To find out who sent them.” Tyler said. They sat there for a long time, not sure what to think. It seemed like hours ago that everything was going so well. His mom had been right, then.. No, surely no. Tyler got to his feet and left the room without a word. He then pointed his wand at himself, and muttered, “Transporasis,” He felt the world leave him, he could barely breathe, the sensation of lifelessness only lasted a moment longer. The next second he was standing outside his parents house.
   The door was hanging off its hinges, and there was something glowing on the door. He walked closer, there was a black W on it. The Wanderers had been here. Tyler raised his wand, “Incinerate,” he muttered, and a the tip of his wand erupted with light. A small orb fell off the wand, and floated ahead of him. When he took a step forward, the light moved in the same direction. He pushed the door open and stepped over the threshold, the sight of the house was not as he remembered it.
   The front room had been destroyed, there wasn’t much left in in the right place. Papers were scattered about the floor, chairs were broken and splintered. Some of the windows were broken, and the kitchen sink was running. Tyler walked around, he noticed there was blood on the walls, and as he turned off the sink, he saw a tiny creature hidden beneath the television stand. The creature stood about two feet high, and had grey skin, and a very pointed nose, and pointed ears. The tiny creature peered out from its hiding spot, and looked up at Tyler, with big blue eyes. “The Tyler person returns!” cried the tiny elf. It quickly came out from under the television. It was wearing its own fashioned clothing, a green shirt that seemed to large, and a pair of brown pants, that were cut off just above the ankle. The elf was wearing a pointed leather hat, and leather shoes. It looked at Tyler with great respect.
   “Gretchen!” Tyler said, surprised to see the little elf. The elf still looked terrified, but glad to see a familiar face. “Tyler should not be here, terrible things have happened tonight, your family… Is destroyed. You are the last living member, you should flee, flee while you can.” The elf started trembling, and its eyes filled with tears. “What happened Gretchen?” Tyler asked, kneeling beside him. “The Wanderers came sir, looking for you. Terrible things happened, tortured your parents, then killed them. They left me, they knew not that I was here, oh what is to become of poor Gretchen?!” Gretchen started crying harder than ever, his words were unintelligible through his sobs.
   Tyler stood up and searched the house some more. He slowly turned the door to his parents’ bedroom, and gasped at what he saw. His parents bodies were on the floor, broken and lifeless. There arms looked like they had been shredded, and there necks were terribly distorted. He quickly closed the door again, and turned towards Gretchen. “Who sent them? Did they say? What were they looking for?” His questions came out fast, and the elf composed himself, and began talking.
   “They was looking for you sir, said you were important for their master. Your parents told them to leave, and they tried to fight. Fought valiantly they did, but they had no chance when their master showed up. He was furious when they didn’t have you, or your location. He tortured where you were out of them. Then… Then….” Gretchen burst into tears again, and was uncontrollable. It seemed that he would never stop, then there was a loud crack, and the elf was silent instantly.
   Tyler stood up, wand at the ready, he gave a twitch of his wand, and the light went out. “Show yourself,” a voice came from the front room. “This is my house! You show yourself,” Tyler snapped back. He tightened his grip on his wand as the silence pressed in around them. Then a figure appeared in the door way to the front room, wand raised, and trained on Tyler’s face. “Get that out of my face, you’re in my house,” Tyler said defiantly. “I shall do no such thing, learn your manners,” the voice said. It had a sharpness to it, it sounded familiar. “Sonaris,” Tyler whispered, and a light blue light emerged from his wand, fell to the floor, and rippled across the room. He recognized the person at once. “Do you have any clue how close to jinxing you I came?” Tyler yelled at him. They both lowered their wands, but did not put them away.
   The figure walked into the room, his face was dark, and he looked as though he hadn’t slept in days. He had shaggy black hair, and a slight beard. With it, no one could tell they were brothers. “Jordan, you know to answer when I ask, you know how jumpy I can be,” Tyler said, exasperated, but happy to see his brother. “I’m sorry, but you were in the house. Gretchen alerted me we had more intruders, he wasn’t able to tell me it was you before I got here though,” he explained. He flicked his wand at the lights and the room was suddenly filled with almost blinding light.
   “It’s good to see you,” he said, putting his wand away. It had a slight curve just past the handle, which was orange, and was a light colored wood. “As it is good to see you,” Tyler replied, he conjured up a chair, and sat down in it, then looked his brother in the eyes. “I need to go back to where I’ve been. You’re welcome to come, as is Gretchen. We can put safety jinxes on the house, and use it as well as the store I’m using at the moment,” Tyler said. “You’ve got a store as a safe house? How’d you manage that?” Jordan said amazed. “I work there, it’s a department store. Its big, and well stocked. We should last for a long time. We can use here too if you’d like,” Tyler explained. Jordan nodded, then waved his wand and the lights went out again.
   “Grab a hold then,” Tyler said. Jordan grabbed Gretchen and clasped Tyler’s arm, who pointed his wand at the three of them, and for the second time that night, said, “Transporasis.” The world left him, and he could feel Jordans hand getting tighter around his arm. At last they landed on the floor in the training room, which was now filled with lots of people. They had apparently interrupted a speech.
   Tyler found himself squeezed into a hug, and he heard someone crying in his ear. “I thought you would never come back,” Carly cried, she clung around his neck, not letting go. “Come on, I’ll explain later,” he said, as he led her and Jordan to some chairs against the wall. Every eye in the room seemed to follow them, and then they sat and faced Jared, who was standing in the front of the room, closest to the door.
   “So glad you could join us,” he said, Tyler nodded in acknowledgement. “O.K. So basically, what I was saying, was, we’ve got every protective defense on this building, meaning this is the safest place you can be right now,” Jared began. “As long as the Wanderers are at large, it’s not safe for us, being Warlocs, to be out of this building. We have two Sentries guarding us on the roof, and two at every door to the building. They are the best, and most highly trained Warloc’s we could get. I ask for your cooperation, and that you listen to any order when given,” he finished.
   An argument burst out on the heels of Jared’s words, Tyler looked around, people seemed furious at what he just said. Jen and James were sitting in a corner, both looking rather confused, then James stood up, and silence fell over them. When he spoke, he was very calm, “Why isn’t Tyler in charge? He’s better than you at… Whatever it is you people do,” he looked over to Tyler, who titled his head and looked curiously at James. “I vote that Tyler be in charge, us people who don’t have, whatever, magic you call it? We should get a say in this too,” James continued, Jared already had the answer, “No, it is us magic folk that will make the decisions,” he said matter-of-factly. This time it was Tyler who spoke. “If we are making decisions like that, then how much better are we then the Wanderers? If we decide our vote is more important than that of someone who, as James put it, doesn’t have magic, what makes us any better than the people we fight against?” Jared did not have a reply to this, he was very unhappy that Tyler spoke, but he gave in. “Very well, all in favor of Tyler being the one in charge instead of myself?” All the hands in the room went up, Tyler kept his gaze fixed upon Jared. “Then it is decided. Tyler is your boss, your safety is in his hands now,” he said, and he left the room in a hurry.
   People were applauding, and Tyler looked at them all, then stood up. “Listen, I’m not going to be uptight, but I’m not going to pretend that we’re not in danger. If you don’t want to stay, that is your choice, if you are, I urge you to be cautious. Over the next few days, we are going to set this place up for security. Anyone who wishes to leave, will be protected by myself, or someone of my choosing. For now, rest easy. Today may be the last time we are able to,” Tyler said, he felt awkward talking to people like that. He didn’t like the way they put him in such a place of respect. He felt like a symbol of hope, but felt hopeless himself.
   If the Wanderers were working on their master’s orders, then it was only a matter of time until their defenses were broken. They would be greatly outnumbered and he new it. Tyler left the training room, and walked out into the store. Carly’s creativity was kicking in, she was bewitching the store to make it look different everyday, depending on her mood. Over the next month it changed, some days it was a nice sunny rainforest, other days, it was dark stormy mountainous terrain. Tyler stood and admired how wonderful her work truly was. She was a far greater Warloc then he was, and yet he was the one people wanted to be led by.
   He turned and decided that now was the time to interrogate the two Wanderers he caught earlier. He passed James in the hallway, who stood and looked at him. “Look, I’m sorry, I should’ve told you long ago. I would’ve been arrested though, I’m sorry,” Tyler said. James shook his head, “I’ve known for a long time. I found your wand once. You must have left it lying around. I know you used to like looking at it. You told me it was just an old family relic or something,” he said. They looked at each other for a moment, and then Tyler beckoned him to follow.
   “I’m going to talk to the two that had tried to kidnap you in the stock room, I would like for you to be there,” Tyler said. “Alright, don’t know what good I’ll do,” James replied. They got to the door of the office Tyler locked them in, and turned the knob. The door wouldn’t budge, Tyler pushed with all his might, but it wouldn’t open. He pulled out his wand, pointed it at the door and muttered, “Hingent,” but the door remained shut. “Damn. Jared must’ve locked the door with his own brand of magic,” Tyler said. “What does that mean?” James asked. “It means that only he can open it, something isn’t right,” Tyler said, almost to himself. “Come with me, hold on to this,” he said, tossing one of the wands he took off the two Wanderer’s to James. It had a white handle and the wood turned black half way down the shaft. It had a cherry-white cream double spiral down the handle, and a few spiraled knots along the shaft.
   “But, I’m no Warloc, it wont work for me,” he spluttered. “Just repeat anything you hear me say, alright?” Tyler said. James nodded in agreement, then followed Tyler out of the office area. He found the first guard he could, the man was tall and very muscular. He looked very hygienic, and almost snobby. He had blonde hair that was slicked back, he didn’t acknowledge Tyler or James until Tyler spoke. “Quinten, I can’t find Jared, I think he may be helping the Wanderer’s in his recent dismissal,” Tyler said hurriedly. Quinten’s expression changed at once, he turned on his heel, pulled out his wand, and said, “Lead on!”
   “We need to alert everyone, tell everyone to be on the lookout,” James said, Tyler realized at once he was right. Jared was a good Warloc, some of the others wouldn’t know what hit them. Tyler pointed his wand at his own throat, and said “Decibails!” “Everyone be on the lookout for Jared! Sentries, stop him if you see him. Warlocs, groups of two, search the store, when you find him, send a full bodied message to me!” Tyler’s voice boomed off the walls, sounding as though it went over a loud speaker. He then pointed his wand back at his throat and said, “Decacute,” and his voice returned to normal.
   They seemed to only be searching for a few moments, when Carly’s image appeared before them all. “We found him, in the freezer, hurry, we can’t fight him for long,” her image disappeared. “Quick!” Tyler yelled. He ran as fast as his feet would carry him, if anything happened to her, it would be his fault. They got to the freezer, and he opened the door, where a raging snow storm was waiting for them. The freezer had somehow been jinxed to be much larger than it normally was. As well as it was jinxed to be snowing. “Sparksus!” Quinten yelled. Fire erupted from his wand, melting the snow. They could see blue and yellow lights flying across the freezer. Then a giant figure stood up and sped towards them. Tyler grabbed the door and slammed it shut, then put all his weight against it. Looking at Quinten, he muttered, “He has a damn Yeti!” They all tried holding the door shut, as the Yeti slammed hard into it. They were keeping it held in, then Quinten started laughing, Tyler looked at him then shouted, “Are you out of your mind?!” “No! The Yeti doesn’t listen to anyone, just because Jared brought it here, doesn’t mean it won’t turn on him!” he replied laughing. Tyler opened the freezer door and ran in, slamming it shut behind him. He could here the muffled shouts of Quinten and James on the other side, but he wouldn’t let them face a Yeti and Jared.
   “Sparksus,” he muttered and fire blazed out of his wand. The snow melted around him, and he saw it. The Yeti stood ten feet high, it was covered in white, shaggy fur. Its hands feet and face were the only part of skin that wasn’t covered in fur. The skin was a deep blue, and its eyes glowed bright red. It let out a roar of anger, Tyler realized the fire was a mistake, and lowered is wand, putting out the fire. The Yeti stopped, just a few inches from Tyler’s face. He could smell it’s foul breath with it being so close. “I’m not going to hurt you, it’s the one who put you in here you want,” Tyler said. He felt ridiculous talking to a Yeti, he knew it wouldn’t understand him.
   But it did, the Yeti nodded, and then picked Tyler up and put him on its shoulders. It ran to the other end of the freezer, Tyler wished he was wearing a jacket, the ice cold of the freezer cut at his skin. Finally the Yeti stopped and put him on the ground, and picked Jared up. Carly and some girl Tyler didn’t know came running towards him. Carly looked terrified of the Yeti, and clung to him, “It’s O.K. I think it understands me,” Tyler said. She looked at him, her face expressing how crazy he sounded. “Look, you guys get out of here, I’ll handle Jared,” he said, they both nodded in agreement then turned and left.
   “Let him Down!” Tyler yelled to the Yeti. It looked at him, and then set Jared on the ground. Jared got to his feet quickly and raised his wand. “You think this wise?” he asked. “Probably not, but I don’t see that I have a choice,” Tyler replied. “You could just let me leave,” he tried, “Yeah, so you can go run and tell your friends how to get in?” Tyler yelled back angrily, his anger was coursing through him. “Haven’t you heard? I don’t care if they know, I’m interested in letting Lord Walden know. He is, after all the leader of us Wanderers,” he replied, lifting his sleeve revealing the same W that was christened on the front door of Tyler’s old home. “Tortris!” He yelled. A pain unlike any other coursed through Tyler’s entire body, he thought for sure he would die. Tyler screamed loudly, surely the others would hear and save him. He looked at his arms and saw that the skin was being torn apart, he was bleeding out of his nose as well. “Now you will die, just as Walden planned,” he said. He lifted the jinx and Tyler lay there motionless in pain. Jared raised his wand and pointed it at Tyler’s heart, then he said, “Deatrus!” This pain was worse than the pain he had just endured from the Torturous jinx. He knew it was the Death jinx, but he wasn’t dying, he felt like his head was going to explode from the pain.
   Tyler lay on the ground, motionless, breathless in pain. The Yeti was laying motionless next to him, it wasn’t moving, or breathing. Someone had lifted him off of the floor, and he felt himself leave the cold of the freezer. “Get a jacket, he’s freezing. He’ll be hypothermic in a moment,” The voice belonged to James, he sounded frantic. He heard James mutter something, then felt the heat of a fire next to him. Did James just perform the fire jinx? Someone was muttering very fast under their breath, he could feel the dried up blood leaving his arm.
   “He’ll always have those cuts, that was some bad magic he had done to him. They may never heal properly,” Quinten was speaking now. How long have I been out, he wondered. He opened his eyes, and the sight was pleasant. His friends were staring down at him, some with tears in their eyes, others looking very somber. He tried to roll over, but a sharp pain shot through his body, and he stopped abruptly. His head hurt terribly, and he couldn’t remember getting there. Time seemed to be fading, as blackness surrounded him.

Chapter Three
Safe Proofing

   Tyler woke with a start, he was surrounded by people, most of them sleeping. James was awake, but didn’t notice Tyler’s sudden movement. He still ached from head to toe, and somehow he felt stronger. He raised himself, painfully, into a sitting position. James took notice of this movement, and was beside him in an instant. “What happened?” Tyler asked him, “Jared almost killed you. He used the torturous jinx on you, and then… We don’t really know what happened, but from the looks of the freezer, he tried to use the death jinx on you. The Yeti got in the way, took most of the blast. But it still hit you, not full force. That’s probably why your still alive, to be honest, you should be dead. The Yeti is fine, it’d take more than that to kill a Yeti,” James explained.
   “So, the Yeti saved me?” Tyler asked after a few moments. “It seems that way… You however, aren’t completely O.K. Your cuts on your arms, may not ever heal. That torturous jinx, or whatever it was, is a little devil,” “Yeah, I’ve seen it used, I’ve seen the last effects of it,” he was speaking of the blood on the walls, and the broken bodies of his parents. He never told anyone these things before.
   Tyler sat and contemplated these things. Why did the Yeti attempt to save him? Why did Jared help them, if only to betray them, then the thought occurred to him. “What happened to Jared?” he blurted out. “Ah, well, the jinx bounced off the Yeti and it killed him, like I said, it takes more than simple magic to kill a Yeti. It’s fine, it wants to see you… We think,” James said. “It wants to see me?” he asked. Tyler wasn’t sure he heard right, why on Earth would the Yeti want to see him. Did the Yeti actually have some kind of intelligence? Of course it did, it stopped chasing him to go after Jared. Surely it was smarter than people think.
   Tyler got to his feet, and very gingerly walked to the freezer, the stares and whispers were more than he was used to. He didn’t like it, it bothered him to know that people were talking about him, good or bad, he didn’t like it. At long last he reached the freezer, and with a big sigh, he opened the door. Before stepping inside, he grabbed a freezer jacket, and closed the door behind him.
   He looked around, but couldn’t see anything. The blizzard was still going full force, and Tyler took a few steps forward. He had no idea where the Yeti would be, but he had to talk to it somehow. He put his fingers in his mouth and whistled loudly. A few more silent moments passed, as he tried making things out in the swirling snow. That’s when he saw it, a large mass rushing in his direction, but he stood his ground.
   The Yeti once again stopped a mere four inches in front of Tyler’s face. He opened his mouth to speak, but couldn’t find the words. He just stood there gazing into the face of the terrible beast in front of him. Finally he found the words he was searching for, he opened his mouth to speak again and said, “Thank you.” It sounded foolish, but if it understood, surely it would show some sign. The Yeti bowed its head, then sat down next to Tyler. It turned its head and looked down at him. Tyler kept the gaze in the eyes that looked so ferocious, and yet, he felt at ease.
   He stood there for what seemed like an hour, wondering just what he might say, or ask. He let his mind wander to what the others must think of him in the freezer with the Yeti. “Why did you save me?” He finally managed to ask. The Yeti turned its eyes onto him and blinked, it looked deep in thought. After a few short minutes, it spoke. Its voice deep, hard to discern between the low rumbling growl.
   “You have the powerrr to save the worrrld. To kill you, would be to kill hope. This is something, even Yeti’s have laws against. You arre hope, even forrr us. I must leave, rrreturrrn to my kind. I must trry to convince them to join you. Without us, you may lose,” Tyler took what the Yeti had just said in. There were more, that he always knew. But how willing would they be to fight alongside Warlocs? The very people who put them into such restrictive living conditions. He continued to gaze at the Yeti, appreciation for how majestic the creature was filled him. “Thank you. For saving me,” Tyler said, the Yeti again, bowed his head. “Do you have a name?” he asked the beast. “My name? I have not been asked that, in ages,” the Yeti growled. It looked to be on the verge of tears. “My name is White Fall the Brrrute. You may call me Brrrutus,” the Yeti said, very politely.
   “Well Brutus, thank you so much for your assistance, and willingness to help. Will you require assistance contacting your kind?” Tyler asked, he felt a small bit of hope welling up inside of him. “I may need some covering of snow. My kind arrren’t meant to wanderrr in this weatherrr,” Brutus said. Tyler realized how dangerous this would be, but nodded his head. “I shall accompany you, I will provide what protection you need,” he said, with a tone of finality. Brutus shook his shaggy head, “You arre to imporrrtant to rrrisk! You must stay behind!” He roared. Tyler stood, slightly shaken, but quickly recomposed himself. “I, as well as a personal guard for myself will assist you,” Tyler said, not breaking the stare he was locked in.
   Brutus finally nodded in agreement, and they made their plans. They would leave, as soon as they had the store safe proof. It seemed as though it would be a very long day for Tyler. Tyler left the freezer, then took his wand out of his belt-loops, and pointed it at his throat. “Decibails. Everyone, Warloc and non-magic people alike, will meet me at the front of the store in five minutes,” he announced. “Decacute,” he muttered. He walked the length of the stock room, seeing the damage from the night before. Or maybe it was two nights ago. How long ago was that? Tyler wondered to himself.
   He walked passed the aisles in the back room, passing the tub he had left, still sitting there untouched. He saw the fridge that would have been Jared’s demise, he silently wished he never saved him. He looked down the aisle in which he fell, and realized just how lucky he was. The fall could have easily rendered him useless, not including everything that cascaded down onto him. He continued to walk, almost nearing the end of the stockroom, and he paused, suddenly alert. He thought he heard something, but he wasn’t certain. Why was it so dark down here? “Incinerate,” he said, light immediately filled the end of the room. He looked around, but didn’t see anything, shaking the worry off, he made his way to the front of the store.
   Everyone was waiting for him when he got there, and many were pointing, not caring to hide the fact they were talking about him. He looked at everyone as he stood in front of them all. Carly and James were on either side of him, silently waiting. James was still looking in awe at the wand he was given. He still hadn’t fully recovered from the shock of being able to produce any kind of magic. Tyler planned to talk to him about it, but put the thought on back burner as he began to address the group.
   “O.K. Listen up people, we’ve got a lot to do today. This store has to be set up for all kinds of intrusions. We need to be ready, we’ve already got all the magical precautions placed on this building. I don’t think it would hurt to go with some old fashioned, non-magical securities as well,” Tyler began. This being social thing, really didn’t fit him. He was uncomfortable giving this kind of a speech. But, he was growing used to it, and decided he had what it takes, and kept going. “If you are sitting from check-out aisle one through five, you got the grocery area. You will team up with Carly, she will assist in helping set security standards. When you are finished there you will finish the rest of the green area, as indicated..” he flicked his wand, and a stock-board diagram appeared, “On this chart.” The chart split the store into four different areas, green, yellow, red, and blue. “O.K. if you are sitting from six to eleven, you have the yellow part of the store, you will be working with James,” Tyler continued through this. He would be helping every team, supervising, and giving advice where needed. The red team led by Quinten and the blue team, led by the girl from the freezer, who Tyler learned was named April.
   They set off to work immediately, and didn’t stop until the sun had gone down. The grocery area was set so nicely, that no one would be able to get through unnoticed, or undamaged. The food was set to fly off the shelves at trespassers, and the liquid set to spill, in the attempt to keep intruders from running. In the sporting goods area, Tyler had made excellent use of the bicycle accessories and fishing gear. He managed to rig an alarm system, similar to trip wires in the military. When someone crossed one of the fishing lines, a bicycle bell would ring. Tyler had jinxed the spell using the decibel spell, so that the noise would awaken the entire store. After the rest of the store was finally set, everyone made their way up to the seasonal room, which had been bewitched to resemble living quarters. Guards were to take shifts staying awake, making sure no one could get through. When dinner was finally served that night, everyone’s spirits seemed high.
   Tyler watched as everyone was talking animatedly to their peers. James and Jen were laughing loudly at Quinten’s jokes, and people Tyler never knew seemed very at ease. Everything seemed like it could last this way forever, but he knew, this would only last for another night. For him at least, he planned to leave the next day to meet with the Yetis. Jordan came over and stood next to Tyler, taking a long swig of his bottle of rum. He leaned in close and said, “I’m coming with you tomorrow by the way.” Tyler looked at him amazed. How did he know? Tyler never mentioned leaving, not yet anyways. “How?” Tyler began, but Jordan cut him off. “We’re brothers, you think you can hide things from me?” he asked amused. “Fine, but you have to be careful,” Tyler said reluctantly. “Come on! When have I ever not been careful?” Jordan said, swaying slightly. Tyler wasn’t listening though, he was watching Carly, who was now joining in laughter with Jen and James.
   “Did you tell her your plan yet?” Jordan asked. Tyler shook his head, “No, I don’t know if I should,” he said. “Oh yeah, letting her realize you just left, sounds like a much better plan,” Jordan replied. He sounded irritated. Tyler had resigned to telling her that night, it would be better not to hold it off any longer than he already had. He slowly walked over to her, leaned down close to her, and whispered for her to come with him.
   They walked to the sleeping area, and he turned to face her. To his surprise she was in tears, she wasn’t looking at him either. “You’re leaving tomorrow,” she said. It was a statement, not a question. Tyler nodded and said, “Yes, I am.” A single tear streaked down her cheek, she looked as though she were trying her hardest to stay composed. “I have to. Brutus is right, we will need the Yetis help. He said “they view me as a source of hope,” who better to ask them for help but me?” He said clearly. Tears were flowing freely down her face now, but when she spoke her voice was clear. “He’s a Yeti, what does he know? And why you? Send someone else!” She lost her control and couldn’t hold her tears. She shook, letting the tears flow freely, an she slowly lowered to her knees. Tyler leaned down next to her, and put an arm around her. “It has to be me, no one else can,” he whispered into her ear. A few moments passed as she tried to calm herself, and she took a deep breathe, and spoke. “I know,” she said. “Just promise me you’ll come back. In one piece,” she added. “I will, I promise.” Tyler vowed. He stayed there hugging her for only a moment more.
   After bidding her good night, he returned to his quarters and began careful planning for what he was about to do. He called for Jordan, James and Quinten to join him. After explaining the situation to them, he looked them all in the eyes. Jordan agreed to accompany him immediately, as did James. Tyler and Quinten exchanged long stares, and finally Quinten said, “I’m in.” Tyler nodded, then they started going over the plan. They had jinxed a broom, a shopping cart, and a skateboard, (which Jordan had removed it’s wheels,) so that they would fly. Quinten was to fly above them on the broom, as was Jordan with his makeshift air board. James was to cruise the shopping cart in circles around Brutus and Tyler. “As soon as we leave the roof, our protection will be gone, and it will be up to our fighting skills to keep us safe. Once we get far enough away, we’ll all grab a hold of Brutus, and I will perform the transport jinx, which will take us directly to the Yeti’s,” Tyler said for the umpteenth time. Everyone nodded in agreement, and looked suddenly worried. “Get some sleep,” Tyler said. “You’ll need it.”
   After the three left his quarters, Tyler went to the freezer to tell Brutus of their plan. He would need to prepare for some fast running. Tyler opened the door and walked into the blistering cold again. It didn’t take him very long to find Brutus, because he was sitting close to the door. He was apparently waiting for Tyler to show up. Tyler pulled his jacket tighter around him, and strolled to the Yeti.
   “Evening, Masterrr Moorrre,” Brutus growled. “Really, just Tyler will do,” Tyler said, chuckling. He immediately told Brutus the plan, stopping every now and then, but Brutus didn’t have much to say except for the occasional grunt. When he finished Brutus scratched his shaggy head. “This will be dangerrrous,” Brutus growled. Tyler nodded, and the creature groaned. Tyler assumed it was a yawn, then realized just how tired he himself was. “Well, you should probably get some sleep Brutus, we have a long day tomorrow,” he said. Brutus nodded in agreement, then fell to the ground, making it rumble slightly. He breathed in deeply, and was fast asleep. Tyler left the freezer and returned to his bed, climbed into the warm blankets, and let sleep consume him.
   Tyler woke the next day, wishing that the night hadn’t gone so fast. He made his way to the kitchen area, and grabbed a tray, which he filled with an assortment of foods. He looked around, and saw James sitting by himself looking pale. Tyler sat down next to him, and stared at him. James didn’t seem to notice, until Tyler waved his hand in front of his face. James jumped, startled by the sudden movement. “You alright?” Tyler asked him. “Fine,” James replied, his voice sounded weak. “Look, you’re going to do fine. Just a couple days ago, you performed magic you never thought you could,” Tyler said. James merely nodded, and took a small bite of bacon. “Listen, I promise I won’t let anything happen to you, everything will be alright,” Tyler said. James seemed slightly reassured, and ate some more of his food. Out of nowhere James let out a sigh, and began to explain his attitude. “I really care for Jen, and I am terrified of not coming back to be with her,” he said. Tyler looked taken aback, he had no idea, but he smiled softly and said, “I promise, I will bring you back to her O.K.” James nodded, and began eating more enthusiastically. Tyler began buttering his toast, when they were accompanied by Jordan and Quinten.
   “Great breakfast, huh?” Jordan asked enthusiastically. Tyler smiled and nodded in agreement. “Listen, before we leave Quinten, I want to make sure your wand is working properly,” Tyler said. Quinten handed his over immediately. It looked incredible. Very straight, a dark walnut wood, with a nice little spiral on the handle. Tyler held it, looked it over, then gave it a wave. A jet of water shot out of the end, filling Tyler’s cup. “Very nice, it will work just fine,” he finished, handing the wand back to Quinten. The rest of breakfast was spent in silence, and when everyone was finished, Tyler rose to his feet. “Shall we then?” he said, and the others followed him to the freezer.
   Carly, Jen, and Gretchen were waiting there for them. Jen ran and hugged James, then turned to Tyler and said, “You bring him back.” Tyler nodded his understanding, and turned to Carly. She gave him a hug, and then kissed his cheek. “Be careful, and stay alert,” she whispered. “I will. You’re in charge while I’m gone, keep an eye on the place. If something goes wrong, I’ll send a message,” he said quietly. She then looked up at him with tears in her eyes, and said, “There is something I need to talk to you about.” He looked puzzled but said, “I know you’re worried. We’re all worried, but I promise we’ll be safe. We can talk when I get back, I’ve gotta go.” Gretchen approached him and Jordan together, he bowed low, and then looked up at them. “Be safe sirs. I shall await your return, and observe your departure,” Gretchen said. “Thank you Gretchen, as soon as we are out of the protection of this place, double the protection up O.K.?” Tyler said. The elf bowed, and opened the freezer door. Tyler pulled out his wand, and muttered, “ Doplar,” and a snow storm, like the one in the freezer surrounded them.
   Brutus emerged from the freezer, and stood towering over everyone. Tyler was putting on a parka, a wool cap, and some thick gloves. “Ready Brutus?” he asked, and Brutus replied, “RRReady!” Brutus then picked Tyler up and place him on his shoulder, then made his way to the roof. Quinten followed carrying his broom, then came James levitating his shopping cart, and Jordan brought up the rear, holding his air board. They climbed the stairs onto the roof, and stood looking into the parking lot. A large black W was in the center of the parking lot, as were hundreds of Wanderer’s. Tyler gulped and held onto Brutus.
   “Let’s Go!” Tyler yelled, and Brutus took off for the edge of the building. Quinten, James, and Jordan followed. At the last minute, Brutus leapt from the building, and landed with a ground shaking thud. Jordan was already circling them on his board, as was James in his cart. Tyler looked up and saw Quinten flying above them, craftily dodging several jinxes. Tyler retrieved his own wand, and started firing behind him, and watched as James and Jordan followed suit. The Yeti was running as fast as he could in the cover of the snow storm that was following them. Tyler turned and saw a Wanderer raise his wand. He could barely hear what the person said, but was just able to make it out. He watched as the Death jinx flew from the Wanderer’s wand and hit Quinten in the back. Quinten’s face went blank, and he slid off the side of his broom, and fell to the ground. James reached him just in time to catch him in his cart. “Now, everyone grab hold!” Tyler shouted, trying to block the image of Quinten’s lifeless face from his mind. He waited till everyone was holding onto the Yeti, then pointed his wand at Brutus and bellowed, “TRANSPORASIS!”
   A sickening darkness fell over them, and they were being suffocated. Tyler could hardly last the pressure much longer, but at long last it ended, and they found themselves on a snow covered mountain. Jordan ran to James’ cart, and Tyler joined them. They all looked down at Quinten’s lifeless body. He lay, looking peaceful, as if he had never been killed. Tyler picked up his wand and stowed it in his parka. He looked at the others, fighting back tears, and finally said. “Let’s get going. No sense standing here,” and with that, they followed Brutus to find the Yetis.

Chapter Four
White-out

   It was almost impossible to see through the immense snow that surrounded them, the snow storm Tyler had conjured had long since been gone. The snow surrounding them now, was purely nature made. The only hope that they had was that Brutus knew where he was going. Jordan had conjured a heating jinx, even with the heavy coats, the wind cut through their skin. They wandered for what seemed like hours. They could’ve been wandering in circle’s and none of them would have ever known. After a few more minutes Brutus stopped dead in his tracks, and Tyler ran into him. “What? Why did we stop?” Tyler demanded, rubbing his neck.
   “Therrre is someone on the horrrizon,” Brutus said. Tyler strained his eyes, and sure enough there was someone heading in their direction. “Get your wands out, James, stay behind Jordan and I,” Tyler said. They all drew their wands and waited, as the figure came closer. The figure was wearing a hooded parka, hiding his face, he was holding a wand down at his side. He raised his wand when he saw the Yeti and fired two death jinxes at once. Tyler and Jordan raised their wands and yelled, “Protectus!” The shield jinxes protected the Yeti from any harm. James pointed his wand from between their shoulders and shouted, “Stungint!” The stunning jinx almost hit him, but he was to quick with his shield jinx.
   Tyler started firing jinx after jinx at him, but his shield charm was so fast. Then without warning the man raised his wand and with a raspy voice muttered, “Disarment.”
As he did this James pushed Tyler out of the way, and him and Jordan were hit with a disarming jinx and were knocked off their feet, and their wands were driven out of their hands. As Tyler rose to his feet, the man stood his ground.
   Tyler raised his wand and waited for the fight. Jordan and James looked on, as the anticipation rose. The man flicked his wand and a swirling stream of light hit Tyler and he flew, spiraling through the air. While he was flying through the air, he shot a shield jinx at the ground, which threw him higher. As he fell, he up righted himself, landed on his feet, and shouted, “Rocorpus!” The spell hit the hooded man in the chest and he was sent back-flipping through the air. He landed on his back, and quickly jumped to his feet, wand raised high. They cast their jinxes at the same time, and they collided in air, sending sparks and fire everywhere. The jinxes weren’t breaking, and Tyler held his wand steady, refusing to break focus. He finally pulled his wand into his fist, and with all his might threw as much energy at the man as he could muster. There was a loud burst followed by a rushing of wind, and the man flew ten feet in the opposite direction, losing grip of his wand. Tyler flicked his wand at the other mans, and it flew into his hand. He stood over the hooded figure, wand trained on his face, and asked him, “Who are you?” The man started laughing, then reached up and pulled back his hood.
   The man had long black hair, and a grizzled beard. His eyes squinted in the sun, looking like tiny brown beetles. “My name is Oliver Thomas,” the man said, he had a thick British accent. “I’ve been following you ever since you left Target. You weren’t easy to track, though, when I saw you with the Yeti, I figured you’d be headed in this area,” he explained. “Why were you following us?” Tyler asked him. “I wanted to help you, I know who you are Tyler. I know who you fight against, and I know of more ways than Yetis that will help you win,” he concluded.
   Tyler considered this for a moment, he could really use all the help he could get. This man was far more experienced than anyone he had met. He examined the wand still held in his hand. It had a slight curve to it, with a golden handle, the golden color branched up the shaft, ending shortly before the tip. He turned it in his hands, then put it gingerly into Oliver’s hand, then extended his own. With a great tug, he pulled Oliver to his feet, and they stood there looking at each other. Then they shook hands, and Oliver joined their cause.
   “So why did you attack the Yeti?” Tyler asked. “I wasn’t sure if it would attack me, and I figured I wouldn’t chance it,” he replied. Tyler nodded, it made sense, he would’ve done the same thing. “So, where did you train? Surely you didn’t teach yourself. I went to a school here, when I was twelve, they accepted me and kept me for about six years,” Tyler said, trying to learn more about their new companion. “I went to a school far in the hills of London. Only students know its location, as it is very well hidden,” he replied. Tyler thought this through, he had always heard of a school hidden in London, terrible things happened at that school. So did some great things, some of the most famous Warlocs came from there. He was pretty sure, however, that they were called by a different name there.
   Tyler continued to walk in silence, and looked at James and Jordan. Jordan looked tired, but he seemed to enjoy the new company, they were talking animatedly to one another. James, on the other hand, looked very glum, so Tyler waited for him to catch up and decided to talk to him. “You alright?” he asked. James nodded, keeping his focus fixed on the ground. “You upset by Quinten?” Tyler prodded, but James simply shook his head. “Then what’s wrong?” Tyler said, frustration building. James knew he could trust him, why wouldn’t he just speak. Finally James spoke, emotion straining his voice.
   “It’s just, I saw how well you fought him, and I am not even a Warloc. I don’t know any jinxes, or anything like that, why did you bring me along? You would’ve done better to ask someone else to come along,” he said quickly. Tyler had to hold back laughter, he looked over at James, fighting back a smile. “Listen, I chose you because I know you can do it. There have been rumors that people born with no magic in them can obtain it, if they try hard enough,” Tyler said. “You were able to jinx up some fire when I was hurt, you’ve got it in you. You just gotta have faith in yourself,” he finished, patting James on the back. James looked happier, straightening up a little bit.
   “So what’s Oliver’s story?” James asked. Tyler dived into what Oliver had told him, about his school in London and how he had been tracking them for a while. He told him about how Oliver seemed to think they needed more help then they had. James seemed to take it all in welcomingly, but his words contradicted his expression. “I don’t know, seems sketchy to me. I mean, if he wanted to help, why contact us now, and why try to fight us?” “I don’t know, but notice that the only threatening jinx he used was when he tried to kill Brutus,” Tyler retorted. James nodded in defeat, clearly there was no point in arguing. Oliver was there to stay, and with that, they continued in silence.
   The silence was broken only a few short minutes later by James, who turned towards Tyler, and asked him, “How does that transportation jinx work?” Tyler laughed, and replied, “It’s quite simple. You simply focus on where you want to go, point the wand at yourself, or someone else focusing on where they want to go, and say the jinx. Then, just like that, you’re there.” James looked amazed, learning these things had clearly brightened his outlook on magic.

   After an hour or so, Brutus growled a low menacing growl, causing everyone to freeze in their tracks, wands at the ready. Tyler slowly crept towards Brutus, whose teeth were bared and was in a stance reminiscent of when they first met. “What’s happening? Are we close?” Tyler asked. Brutus nodded, but kept his gaze ahead. “Why aren’t we getting closer?” he asked. “Therrre arrre otherrr’s herrre,” he growled quietly. Tyler looked at the others, then motioned them to come forward. They came quickly and silently over to them, and leaned in close.
   “Someone, or a few someone’s beat us here. My guess is Wanderers. We can either fight them off, or wait till they leave,” Tyler explained. They all thought hard about it, it was finally Jordan who spoke, “I say we take them, any idea how many there are?” he said, looking at Brutus. “About seven,” he rumbled back. “Oh come on, we can take ’em. Between you and Oliver, they don’t stand a chance,” James said, encouragingly. Tyler and Oliver looked at each other, then Oliver said, “These are Wanderers. They’ll have magic we don’t know, we should wait.” Everyone looked at Tyler, they seemed to expect him to make a decision.
   Tyler looked up and felt the freezing wind blow on his face, the blizzard had calmed down a little bit. He took a deep breathe and then said, “We fight.” Brutus refused to fight, he would not do anything that could risk his relationship with the other Yetis. “First, we may need a little bit of help,” Tyler said, pointing his wand at himself. “Communicatus,” a hazy version of himself appeared in front of them. “Carly, I need your help. Bring one other with you, we’ve got a fight ahead of us,” he spoke to his other self. He waved his wand and the figure rushed away from them.
   Moments later, Carly and a friend of hers appeared together, looking scared. They both had their wands out, and they were ready to fight. Carly walked over to Tyler, and leaned in to ask, “What’s going on?” “Brutus here says there are people with the other Yeti’s. Our guess is it’s a group of Wanderer’s,” Tyler explained. “Wanderer’s? Aren’t they really dangerous?” Carly’s friend said, terrified. “Yes, they are. Who’s your friend?” Tyler asked Carly. “This is Jane, she’s pretty good. She’ll prove valuable,” Carly explained. Tyler nodded, then noticed Jane’s wand. It was a dark colored wood, and it had a purple double-spiral, and a bit of purple on the knots.
   They all started making their way in the direction Brutus said the Yeti camp was. They only had to walk for about ten minutes, then they saw the Yetis. They were all the size of Brutus, but looked more ferocious than him. They all had their wands ready, and stopped at the edge of the camp, it didn’t take any time for the Wanderers to notice them. Quick as a flash they had their wands out and trained on all of them.
   “You’ve stumbled into the wrong part of this place, Tyler Moore,” the leader said. “There is no need for this to turn ugly,” Tyler said. “Perhaps you know Oliver Thomas? He wont let any kind of trouble befall us. We can work this out with words, can’t we?” he said, knowing full well it was futile. “You can use your words if you’d like, we believe in other means of negotiation,” he said, as he slashed his wand through the air. Oliver flicked his wand and a huge transparent wall appeared in front of them all. The jinx flew back at the man who fired it, and it hit one of the Yetis. It let out a loud roar, and charged them. “Break!” Tyler shouted, everyone, Tyler’s group and Wanderers alike split up, running in different directions.
   Tyler ran towards the assumed leader, praying that everyone was ok. He raised his wand, and yelled, “Rocorpus!” The jinx hit the man in the back, and he went flying through the air, landing on his face. Tyler caught up with him, and kicked him in the face. He rolled onto his back, clutching his nose, Tyler pointed his wand at him and looked at the fear building in his eyes. “Go ahead, kill me. It’ll solve nothing,” he said. As he finished saying this his eyes widened, and he started crawling backwards. Tyler felt hot breathe on the back of his neck, and fear gripped him strongly. He turned and saw that the Yeti staring in his face, its breathe was putrid, red eyes glowing brightly.
   The Yeti reached forward and grabbed him by the ankle, and held him above its mouth as if it was preparing to eat him. Tyler pointed his wand at its eye, hoping that this would work, and he shouted, “Valence!” Lightning shot out of his wand and into the eye of the Yeti, which dropped him and clutched its eye, roaring in pain. Tyler landed with a thud on the ground, and a ringing pain in his ears. He stumbled to his feet, and turned just in time to jump out of the way of the Yeti’s long arm, swinging straight for him. He raised his wand and shot a binding jinx at the Yeti’s arm, then directed it towards the ground. The Yeti’s arm was suddenly stuck to the ground, as Tyler repeated the jinx on the other arm, causing the Yeti to be stuck in place.
   It roared it’s disapproval, and fell onto its back in surrender. Tyler saw the Wanderer still lying on the ground looking at him in amazement. Tyler turned to him, and said, “Komatos,” and the man fell to the ground unconscious. Tyler walked up to the Yeti, and looked into it’s eyes, burning with anger. He kneeled down next to it, and held it’s gaze. Finally Tyler found the words he had been searching for.
   “I am sorry for having to use violence against you, I should not have. I am going to let you free, I must plea for your help. I am here with White Fall the Brute, we beg your assistance,” he said. The Yeti looked at him, it’s eyes were softening, but it made no indication that it was listening. Reluctantly, Tyler pointed his wand at the Yeti’s arms, and waved his wand. The restraints disappeared and the Yeti sat up. It looked down at Tyler, but didn’t attack, then it looked around, and saw Brutus. He motioned for him to come over, and Brutus obeyed immediately.
   Brutus sat next to Tyler who shivered slightly in the cold, holding his gaze on the other Yeti. After a few moments, the wild Yeti spoke. “I will hearrr what you have to say, I accept yourrr apology. I am Mickel the Arrrchetype, one of the last of the orrriginal clan of Yetis. You may simply call me Mickel,” said the Yeti, his voice deep and ragged. “Thank you. My name is Tyler Moore. I come on behalf of my friends, and the rebellion to the Wanderers. I assume, they were trying to get you to join them, but I assure you, we can provide better living arrangements, as well as a friendly environment,” Tyler said. “They did say that they could prrrotect us if we helped them,” Mickel began, Brutus interrupted him. “Believe me, they arrre crrruel and they will enslave you. They will beat you to do theirrr will, you would be much betterrr to trrrust Tylerrr. I have been living with him for the past month. He is verrry kind, and has the perrrfect arrrea forrr us to live,” he concluded.
   Mickel scratched his fur, thinking deeply about what they had said. Finally he leaned his head back, and let out a mighty roar. Suddenly, hundreds of Yetis came from the distance, and from every direction. Mickel stood too his feet, and addressed them, “My brrrotherrrs, sisterrrs, frrriends. Tylerrr Moorrre has asked ourrr help, he opposes the thrrreat of the Wanderrrerrrs and theirrr leaderrr. We must stand and fight with him!” The other Yetis roared in agreement, it was louder than thunder, Tyler had to resist the urge to cover his ears.
   Tyler turned to face Carly, who’s face was bleeding, and said, “Take the other’s back to the store, and put an enlargement jinx on the freezer, and prepare for the Yetis to arrive. I’ll join you shortly.” She nodded in agreement, then turned to the others and disappeared. Tyler turned back to the Yeti’s where the scene had changed completely. There was a black furred Yeti standing face to face with Mickel, apparently they were arguing.
   Tyler approached them cautiously, but they were only glaring at each other, so Tyler spoke. “What’s going on?” he said, the black Yeti faced him ferociously. “We do not serrrve humans!” it screamed in his face. “I’m not asking that you serve us, only that you help us. A battle that starts with us, will surely spread to you,” Tyler retorted. “Why postpone it? I will destrrroy you Tylerrr Moorrre. Prrreparrre to fight,” growled the black Yeti, who raised his arm and swung it towards Tyler. With barely enough time to spare, Tyler raised his wand and shouted, “Protectus! The shield jinx blasted the Yeti’s arm back towards it’s face, and it stumbled backwards, falling to the ground. The Yeti howled with rage, as he saw Tyler break into a full sprint, and began running towards him.
   Tyler jumped out of the way just as the Yeti almost landed on top of him. He rolled over in the snow, aimed his wand at the Yeti’s glowing eye, and shouted, “Deatrus!” The jinx flew and hit the Yeti in the eye, and the beast stood from the ground, clutching its eye. Then it stumbled forwards a little bit, and Tyler fired another death jinx at the Yeti’s exposed eye. The creature shrieked in pain, and fell to it’s knees, and started flailing it’s arms in every direction. Tyler was standing too close and got hit by one of the massive arms, and was sent flying through the air. He hit the ground hard, knocking the wind out of him, he observed his surroundings, and saw a huge boulder lying a few feet away from him. He pointed his wand at it, and it rose to the air. Tyler then slashed his wand in the direction of the black Yeti, still writhing on the ground, and the boulder flew through the air towards the monster, where it collided with it’s head. The Yeti fell to the ground, Tyler kept his wand trained on it as he made his way towards it. It wasn’t breathing, or moving, Tyler leaned down over it, and realized it was dead.
   Tyler made his way back towards the other Yetis who had watched the entire battle, hoping that this wouldn’t effect their decision. He approached Mickel, again with caution, and opened his mouth to speak. Mickel cut him off with a wave of his great hand, “You have done us a favorrr, Tylerrr. We will still fight with you, lead us home.” With that, Tyler smiled in appreciation, and instructed for them to all grab a hold of one another. Then with Brutus holding onto him, he pointed his was and himself and muttered, “Transporasis.” The weight of the Yeti’s was immense. Tyler thought for sure that his arm would snap under the pressure of Brutus’s grip. Finally the pain ceased, and the appeared inside the freezer, which had expanded greatly. At last, he was finally safe, and able to relax.

   Chapter Five
Respect and Nightmares

   Tyler thanked the Yeti’s again and again, and made his way to the front of the store, where all the other’s were waiting. Gretchen was awaiting him outside of the freezer, and wrapped his arms around Tyler’s legs. “I was so worried when the other’s returned without you. Oh, Tyler, sir, you are bleeding,” the elf said, clinging tightly to Tyler’s legs. Tyler pulled his leg free of Gretchen’s grip, and held him still. “Thank you Gretchen, you did your part I see,” Tyler said, lowering to one knee to look the elf in the eye. “I thank you for that Gretchen. If you’d like, you may leave, I will not force you to stay here.” Gretchen’s eyes filled with tears, but he shook his head violently, then opened his mouth to speak. “I will not leave you. You are needing my help, sir. I can rally more elves to your cause. Allow me to leave for only a day or two, and I will get lots of help,” he said happily. Tyler nodded, then shook hands with the elf. Gretchen then turned on his heal and disappeared.
   Tyler slowly made his way back to the front of the store, and noticed that none of the security defenses had been messed with, he took it to be a good sign. He saw Carly leaving the restroom, and caught her eye. She walked over to him and hugged him, and he held her, taking in the moment. He gently rubbed his hands up and down her back, then pulled away and kissed her forehead.
   “How is your cheek doing?” he breathed in her ear. “It’s alright, it stings. I was just about to go to my quarters to clean up,” she said. He held her face in his hands, and looked at the wound. It looked horrible, and was still bleeding. He pulled his sleeve over his hand, and held it over the wound. She was looking up at him, tears in her eyes, then she said, “Will you come by my quarters later? I don’t want to be alone tonight.” Tyler looked deep into her eyes, and then nodded. They hugged briefly, and then left each other’s company.
   Tyler walked to his quarters, and collapsed on his bed. He felt exhausted, it had been such a long day. He still had to announce that Quinten was dead, and have some kind of service for him. He heard a knock on his door, and when he looked up, Oliver was walking in. Tyler sat up straight on his bed, and looked curiously at Oliver.
   “Everything alright?” Tyler asked. “I would like to teach your friend James. He is knew to magic, am I correct?” Oliver replied. Tyler simply nodded, and looked slightly shocked. “How did you know?” he asked. “Its his stance. You can tell by the way he holds his wand. He is unsure of himself. I’d like to teach him, so he’d be confident.” Tyler nodded again, and thought about it. James had been worried earlier, of course his stance would be off. “Can I ask you something?” Oliver questioned. “Yeah, sure. Ask away,” Tyler replied. “That jinx you hit me with, I believe you said Rocorpus, where did you learn that? I’ve never seen it done.”
   “That is actually one I made on my own. Powerful little devil, when it hits you, as I’m sure you experienced. It feels like a weight came flying through the air, and hits you full force. It then sends you flipping through the air. Trust me, no matter how hard you try, you can never land on your feet. I call it the uprooting jinx,” explained Tyler. Oliver looked impressed, and was rubbing his chin. “To be able to create your own jinx. That is impressive. Not unheard of though, all the same. It takes a great deal of magic to be able to do such a thing,” Oliver said. “I’ve heard stories of you Tyler. You are a very powerful Warloc. Tales of the things you have done, the powers and abilities you posses, are almost incomparable. I will be glad to be fighting along side you. I bid you ado for the night though, it’s been a trying day.” Oliver finished, and walked out of the room.
   Tyler had never realized that it was rather foolish of him to turn from magic. He would never admit it, but he knew it was true that he was extremely gifted. To accomplish all he had accomplished, was nothing short of amazing. He rose to his feet a few moments later, and absentmindedly made his way to Carly’s quarters.
   He entered her quarters, and looked at her, then quickly turned away. She was only wearing jeans and a bra, and she quickly pulled a shirt over her. “I’m sorry, I should’ve knocked,” Tyler said. “No, no. Its O.K. I honestly don’t mind. I feel comfortable with you. I wouldn’t care if you had seen me with out anything on,” she replied laughing slightly. He was still blushing, and looked up at her, then started laughing a little as well. He turned back away from her, still embarrassed. He heard her rustling slightly, then he looked over at her, and her shirt was off again.
   “What are you doing?” he asked her. Secretly he didn’t mind, he appreciated how stunning she really was. She moved closer to him, till their faces were inches apart. “I told you I was comfortable with you, but I really need to speak to you about something.” she replied. He put a finger on her lips and said, “Shhh. Everything will be O.K. Tonight, lets just forget our problems.” Then with that, he then leaned in, kissed her deeply, and he wrapped his arms around her.

   Tyler woke up the next morning, and rolled over onto his side, and wrapped an arm around Carly. He felt like last night was a dream, granted a very good one, but he wasn’t so sure it had actually happened. Yet proof of the events lay right in front of him, still sleeping silently. Images of the previous night kept flashing through his mind. He enjoyed dwelling on them for only a moment longer, and then he was interrupted when someone was knocking on Carly’s door.
   “Who’s there?” Carly said drowsily. “It’s Oliver, do you know where Tyler is, he needs to come see this,” said Oliver’s voice through the door. “I’ll be there in a minute,” Tyler replied, and he got out of bed and got dressed. When he left her quarter’s, the sight that followed worried him. Near the front of the store, next to the sealed entrance doors, there was a group of people, who seemed to be watching something.
   “What’s going on Oliver?” Tyler asked him, his tone dropping to a sudden seriousness. “Walden is here, in the parking lot,” he replied. Tyler’s heart plummeted, if he was really hear, they would not be able to hold him off for long. Even with the Yetis, they were still outnumbered ten to one. Walden was standing in the center of the parking lot, his scarred face was terrifying. He was the tallest in the entire crowd, and his stance was menacing. His wand was black, and gnarled along the shaft. He had his fingers curled around it, then raised it to his throat.
   Tyler didn’t have to be next to him to know what was coming next. “Give me Tyler Moore, and no one need get hurt. Give me Tyler, or your friend here, will never return,” Walden’s voice boomed throughout the store. Tyler seemed to have left his body behind, his mind seemed far away. This couldn’t be happening, surely this was a trick, but even as he looked on, he saw Walden levitating Jen in the air.
   There was a sudden urge of panic all through the store, as people made their way to where Oliver and Tyler stood. Tyler looked at them all, they all looked worried. Carly, Jordan and James had all made their way to the front of the crowd to stand next to Tyler. James was looking terrified and distraught knowing that it was Jen that may never come back. “What do we do?” someone in the crowd cried out. Another person who was unidentified shouted, “I say we give them Tyler. Why risk our lives for his?” The crowd cheered and applauded. It seemed as if they would never be silenced until Tyler gave himself up. A loud crack, followed by a shower of red sparks shot out of Oliver’s wand. Everyone shut up at once and looked at him.
   “We can not give Tyler away. He is keeping you protected,” he began, but someone interrupted him. “There are other Warlocs here that can protect us!” a voice yelled. “I promise none of us will help if any harm befalls Tyler!” James shouted over the crowd. “You are only one person, surely the rest of them will help us,” the same voice said, though not so sure of itself. Tyler looked at the others, as did James, and everyone shook their heads. Oliver spoke next, “Its settled. None of us will help if you try to harm Tyler.” The group of people shouted in anger, but dispersed anyways.
   James turned to Tyler, and whispered, “You better have a plan.” Tyler looked at James as he walked away, wondering exactly what he would do. He couldn’t let Jen die, but surely if he died, others would too. He looked around the store, and at all of his friends, thinking hard. He only had moments before it would be too late. He turned towards Oliver and said, “I’m going out there. I can’t just stand here and let her die.” Oliver nodded, and then replied, “I’m going with you. You are more noble than I thought.” Tyler smiled sheepishly and turned on his heal and began making his was to the stairs in the back room.
   As he ascended the stairs, every molecule in his body seemed to be trembling. The fear must’ve been very noticeable, because Oliver patted him his reassurance on Tyler’s shoulder. Tyler reached for the handle, and wrenched the door to the roof open, and pulled himself up. He waited for Oliver to come through the roof, then slammed it shut, and sealed it with his wand. Then, turning to the parking lot, he slowly walked to the edge of the roof.
   The parking lot looked the same as the last time he was on the roof, the large W clearly visible through the sea of faces. Walden was standing in the middle of the W, waiting for Tyler to come to him. Tyler Jumped of the edge of the building, followed closely by Oliver who, just before they hit the ground, launch a shield jinx to cushion their landing. The mass of people erupted in thunderous applause. It was impossible to make out the jeers, but it was discouraging none the less. The crowd parted, making it easy to get to Walden, who had a disfigured smile on his face.
   In no time at all, they were only a few feet away from Walden, whose smile looked more menacing now that they could see it properly. “O.K. we’re here. Now let her go Walden,” Tyler said, keeping his voice steady. Walden let out a maniacal laugh, and mercilessly directed his wand at Jen and said, “Torquere.” Immediately her body began to twist and contort in multiple directions. Her bones snapped and cracked loudly, and she screamed in pain. Blood started to fall from her mouth, as she was sobbing. After a few more moments, he let the jinx lift, and then muttered, “Deatrus.” He flicked his wand, and her lifeless, distorted body flew back towards the store, then smashed through one of the walls, which immediately sealed itself.
   Tyler was infuriated, disgusted, and upset all at the same time. He let out a roar of rage, then aimed his wand directly at Walden’s heart. “You lying devil! You swore she would be returned if I gave myself up!” Tyler shouted at him. “You dare call me a liar!? I did not lie! I said she would return, I never said in what condition!” replied Walden furiously. “ROCORPUS!” Tyler shouted, Walden was sent flipping through the air, and landed on his back. He was on his feet quick as a flash, and was poised to strike. “Torquere!” he shouted, but Oliver was faster this time, “Fortificatio!” He shouted, and a giant transparent wall appeared in front of Tyler, bouncing the jinx back towards Walden. He jumped out of the way just in time, as the jinx hit some of his Wanderers. Their bodies immediately began contorting uncontrollably, as Tyler shouted “Valence!” Lightning flew and hit Walden in the chest, and he rose into the air, and then fell to the ground. “Oliver, get us out of here!” Tyler shouted. Oliver grabbed him by the back of his shirt, and yelled, “Evanescere!” Tyler felt himself melt away, and then felt the ground leave him. He looked down on the parking lot, and watched as he slowly dropped down to the roof of the store.
   When they landed, Tyler felt as though he was growing for the first time. Mild pain coursed his body, as his limbs grew firmer. He examined his body, it looked as if nothing had ever happened, he turned to Oliver and said, “What the hell was that jinx?” Oliver smiled and said, “One of my own. It basically vanishes you, and jumps you to where you need to go. The melting feeling is natural, because to others sight, your body almost melts away.” “What about the other one? The fortificatio one?” Tyler asked. “That one. Basically a very powerful shield jinx. Why don’t we get inside. I’m sure people will be upset about Jen. Looks like two services are going to be held here,” Oliver said.
   They made their way back into the store, and resealed the roof door. Tyler felt very upset for the first time in a long time. The way Jen was killed had really bothered him, and he didn’t know how to deal with it. He didn’t even notice he was shaking until they got to the front of the store, and Jordan, who was accompanied by Carly, put a hand on his shoulder. “Are you alright? You look like hell,” Jordan said. “I don’t know. Did you guys already get Jens body hidden?” Tyler replied. Jordan nodded, “We didn’t want anyone to panic. James, surprisingly wasn’t all that upset. He said he had a feeling it would happen. Maybe you should go lie down,” said Jordan. Tyler nodded, and Carly took his hand and led him to his bed.
   He sat down on the edge of his bed, still shaking, and stared blankly at the floor. Carly pointed her wand at him and softly muttered, “Confortare.” Immediately Tyler’s body relaxed, and he felt at ease. She pulled his shirt off, and then lay him down on the bed. “You need rest. No one should have to see what you saw. I’ll stay here as long as you’re asleep,” she said. Tyler looked into her eyes, and nodded. “If you’d like, this can be your living quarters too. I wouldn’t mind sharing,” he said, exhaustion taking over him. She smiled, nodded, and then leaned in and kissed his forehead.
Tyler was walking through an empty parking lot, Walden was standing in front of him. Every step Tyler took, Walden raised his wand higher. Finally, he brought his wand down, and Tyler watched as James’ body was contorted, and bent in every direction. “No!!” Tyler cried loudly. James’ body changed to Jen’s, and then to Jordan’s and then to Carly’s. “STOP IT!” Tyler screamed loudly. “Leave them alone! Take me instead!” Walden turned to him, and said, “Very well.” He then turned his wand on Tyler, and muttered, “Torquere.”
   Pain such as Tyler had never known coursed through his veins. He couldn’t handle the pain he felt, screaming didn’t help either, so he yelled, “Just kill me already!” He heard the maniacal laughter of Walden, and knew the end was near, as his body started shaking. “Tyler! Tyler wake up! Someone, quick get in here! OLIVER! I need your help!” Carly cried somewhere in the distance. Tyler was awake, but he was still screaming, he could feel the pain tearing at his throat. “What is going on? Oh my God, Jordan! Get in here! I can’t do this on my own!” Oliver called loudly. Jordan came running in, and he muttered, “Jesus, what’s happening to him?!” “Just hold him down, you’ll need your wand,” Oliver ordered. Tyler felt something holding him down, but there were no hands. He listened closely and heard Oliver mutter, “Panakeia.” At once the pain in Tyler’s body ceased. He felt something on his arms twitching, like skin was sealing itself.
   He fell quit moving, and lay there for a moment, then opened his eyes and looked at his arms. He couldn’t believe what he saw, the scars on his arms from the torturing jinx Jared had used on him, had almost completely faded. He felt his restraints leave him, and he leaned up, and looked at the worried faces of Carly and Jordan. “What happened?” he asked. “You were having a really bad nightmare, the scars on your arms started bleeding really bad. Then Oliver did.. Well I’m not sure what he did, but it fixed you,” Carly explained. “I healed you. A jinx I discovered not too long ago. It heals any wounds one might acquire from a jinx,” Oliver said. Tyler nodded in amazement, it was impressive.
   Tyler was very shaken, and wanted nothing more but to rest, but was to afraid to go back to sleep. He asked everyone except for Carly to leave, and when everyone else was gone, he said, “Will you stay here, next to me?” “Of course I will,” she replied. She then climbed into bed next to him, then wrapped her arms around him, and together they went to sleep.

   Tyler woke up the next morning, and noticed shortly there-after that everyone was already awake and busy doing their own thing. Everyone except for Carly, who was still sleeping by his side. He gently woke her up, and said in her ear, “Wake up Carly, we are going to have the ceremony for Jen and Quinten today.” She slowly started waking up, and they got dressed and together walked to the front of the store. After setting up some picture memorials, Tyler pointed his wand at his throat, and said, “Decibails.” “If everyone would please make their way to the front of the store. We are going to pay a tribute to Quinten and Jen,” Tyler said, his voice echoing through the store. Slowly everyone gathered at the front of the store. They all stood in Silence, and then Tyler muttered, “Decacute.” With his voice back to normal, he opened his mouth to speak. “Today, we commemorate the lives of Quinten Jenson, and Jen Hayes. They were both brave, and fierce friends. Neither should be gone so soon. May we take comfort in knowing, that though we may not be able to talk to them now, we will see them again. Let’s have a few moments of silence, to pay our respects to them,” he said politely.
   People lingered for only a moment, and then paid their respects, then left to go about their business. Carly came over to Tyler’s side and said, “That was very kind of you to do. Thank you. Hopefully today will be a quiet one. We really need to talk though, like right now.” Tyler nodded in agreement, and they started making their way around the store. A Few moments later, Carly stopped and looked at Tyler, saying, “You know I haven’t really been feeling well lately, and well, I found out why.” She paused, looking at the apprehension on Tyler’s face. “Tyler, you’re going to be a dad,” she finished. “You got a pet, right?” Tyler said, in an attempt to keep his mind from thinking what he knew to be the truth. “No Tyler. I’m pregnant,” she replied. Tyler looked at her, and then slowly, a smile started building on his face. He hugged her, holding her for a few moments, and they continued their walk. The rest of the day was a peaceful, relaxing day, filled with laughter, and joy. They all cherished every minute of it, unsure of how long it would last.

   Chapter Six.
      Good News

   A good three months went by with out any trouble. Walden had apparently decided against attacking again, seeing the way Oliver and Tyler fought so well together. The people at the store started getting along and working together as a family, and things just seemed to be flowing better together. The sun was beginning to set on the horizon, and everyone was clearing their places from that nights dinner.
   Tyler made his way back to his quarters to bring Carly her dinner. On his way, he passed the doctor, who had been in the store for quite a long time. The doctor looked at him and smiled, and when Tyler opened the door, Carly got up from bed, and came over to him and said, “We need to talk tonight. I need to tell you something.” Tyler looked at her confused, “Alright, everything O.K.?” he asked. She simply nodded, then laid back down on the bed.. Tyler looked after her stunned. What had her so worried, things seemed to be going so well. This didn’t make any sense, and for the first time in a long time, Tyler felt worried again.
   James knocked on their door, announcing he was there. Tyler made his way to the door, and pulled it open. He stepped outside, shut the door quietly, and turned to face James, Jordan was also there. “What’s going on?” James asked. “I am not sure, I think some thing is wrong, she said we need to talk. That is usually not a good thing,” Tyler said. “I’m sure its nothing. I mean, there haven’t been any kind of attacks lately or anything,” replied James. Tyler was hoping these words were true, he didn’t think he could handle it if she decided that things weren’t working out for them. He turned to James and said, “Look. Carly is pregnant. She’s four months along now, that’s why she has been in bed so much lately.” James and Jordan had a look of sudden understanding on their faces, the looked at Tyler for a moment, and James said, “Really? That’s good though isn’t it?” “I don’t know. The way she’s acting. I’m worried something is wrong,” Tyler replied.
   A few moments later, Tyler went back into his room. Carly was waiting for him, sitting on the edge of the bed. He walked over to her, and sat down next to her. “What’s wrong?” Tyler asked. She looked into his eyes and took a deep breath, then said. “We‘re going to have twins.” Tyler sat there, not realizing that his mouth was hanging open. “Are you sure?” he asked. “Yes, I had the doctor here the past few days to check. He was trying to figure out why I have been growing so fast. He’s positive we’re going to have twins, but he says they’re healthy, and that I‘m O.K.” she replied. Tyler couldn’t believe what he was hearing. All the worry that had been building up suddenly disappeared, as joy filled every corner of his being. “Wait, how do you know it’s twins?” Tyler asked. Carly giggled and said, “There is an old jinx to figure that out. It is also another way I know that I am pregnant. It‘s called the Gnasci jinx, it basically does the same thing as an ultrasound.”
   Tyler couldn’t help but laugh, his happiness beginning to overflow. He kissed her on the cheek a few times, and then left the room to go tell James and Jordan. As he made his way to where they were, he passed the liquor area, and grabbed a bottle of champagne. Finally he arrived at James’ door, and knocked loudly. There was no answer, and so he knocked again, and again there was no answer. He turned his head in both directions, hoping to see a sign of him, but didn’t see anyone. Out of nowhere a message appeared in front of Tyler, it was Jordan, and his figure opened its mouth, “Tyler, get to the roof. I think your going to laugh at this.”
Tyler ran to the back room, and up the stairs to the roof, threw the door open, and jumped onto the roof. He saw Jordan and James sitting in lawn chairs at the edge of the building. Tyler made his way over to them, and looked at James, who had his wand out and was laughing loudly. “What? What did you want?” Tyler asked.
   “We wanted you to see what their doing,” James said, pointed towards the crowd of people. They had camp fires all through the parking lot, and one huge fire in the center of the lot, where Tyler knew the W to be. “What are they doing exactly?” Tyler asked. “They’re making wands. Apparently some more people have joined their cause,” Jordan explained. “Well, lets have some fun then. You know the watering jinx James?” Tyler said, a smile growing on his face. “I can’t say that I do. He’s smiling, is that bad?” “You have no idea,” Jordan said sarcastically.
   “The water jinx is simple enough,” explained Tyler. “You just say, Wetirunda, and the rest is pretty self-explanatory. Shall we then?” Finished Tyler. Jordan and James nodded, they seemed eager to do this. “On three. One, two three! Wetirunda!” They all shouted in unison. A giant wall of water descended onto the parking lot, smothering their fires, and carrying some of them away. There were indistinct shouts of anger rising from the crowd, as Jordan, Tyler, and James doubled over with laughter. “Oh man. That was great. So did you ever find out what was wrong with Carly?” James asked.
   “Huh? Oh yeah, Carly is going to have twins. I’m going to be a dad, twice.” Tyler said, a smile breaking over his face again. Jordan and James immediately stood up and hugged him, “That’s fantastic!” Jordan said. “Congrats my friend,” James said, patting Tyler’s shoulder. “I think, this calls for a little celebration,” Tyler said, revealing the champagne bottle. Jordan cheered as James smiled widely. Tyler jinxed a couple glasses out of midair, and filled them with the drink, and handed each of them a glass. They stood there for a little bit looking at each other, and then Tyler raised his glass to take a drink, and the liquid suddenly burst into flames. Tyler dropped his glass, cursing loudly, and looked around the roof.
   “You haven’t won anything today Tyler!” Boomed Walden’s voice. Tyler crept to the edge of the building with his wand held aloft. He could clearly see Walden staring up at him, all the hatred in Tyler’s body began to fill him. “I hear you are to be a father, a father of twins” Walden continued. “Am I invited to the birth, or am I going to have to intrude…” Walden said, but before he could continue, three uprooting jinxes hit the area where he had been standing, sending Wanderers in every direction. Tyler looked around to see who had fired his jinx, he knew he didn’t fire it, as much as he would’ve liked to. Oliver, Jordan and James were all standing side by side, wands aimed at the parking lot.
   Walden returned to his spot, and opened his mouth to scream, “Peridiciun!” “Fortificatio!” Tyler and Oliver yelled at the same time. The three jinxes collided in air, causing an enormous explosion that sent debris everywhere. Jordan pointed his wand at the gaping hole in the side of the building and said, “Tectonicus.” The wall immediately reappeared, undamaged and whole. James, then aimed his wand at the same spot and said, “Fortificatio,” and a magical seal was set over the new wall. “What do you say we get inside now?” Oliver said. Everyone nodded in agreement, and then went back into the building.
   When they all got to the front of the store, people were slowly making their way out of their rooms, all looking worried. “It’s alright, nothing is happening,” Tyler said bracingly. “Then what was that explosion?” asked the man who months before suggested getting rid of Tyler. His name was Greg, he was six feet tall and very muscular, and had a keen eye for causing trouble. “It was a simple misunderstanding between Walden, and myself. It has been resolved for the time being, and if you have any complaints, you may feel free to tell them to the wall,” Tyler replied, becoming agitated by the mans constant irritation.
   Carly walked over to Tyler and said, “So what was that really about?” Tyler turned to her and replied, “He knows we are going to have a child.” Carly’s jaw dropped slightly, she quickly recomposed herself and said, “Then we have to be really cautious not to provoke him.” “I think it might be to late for that. He already knows, he’s not going to wait for us to provoke him,” Tyler said quietly. Carly looked very worried, and Tyler pulled her into his arms and comforted her. “I need to talk with Oliver, then I may need to leave for a little bit. But I promise I will be back before the night is over,” Tyler said, and then he kissed her cheek and left her to find Oliver.    Oliver was sitting in the dining area reading a book when Tyler found him. “Oliver, I was wondering if I might ask you something,” he said. Oliver looked up from his book at Tyler, nodded and motioned for Tyler to sit down. “So I’m not really sure how magic works from generation to generation. But my parents always expected great things out of me when I was younger. They said I would grow up to have powers incomparable to any known Warloc of the age. Why is that? Do you know?” Tyler said, stopping himself so that he didn’t ramble. Oliver examined him for a moment, then sat up straighter and said, “It has been rumored that, with every new generation, the powers given from the parents, are stronger and more intense. Generally, if two Warlocs have a child, as you and Carly are going to have in the near future, that child will have powers, most likely unseen. Since you already posses such amazing powers, I feel it is needless to say that your daughter, will be a very great Warloc. We can expect amazing things from her.”
   “I also think that it would be wise to keep Carly as safe as possible while she is pregnant, as you have been doing. Walden already knows that she is, and will do everything he can to keep her from having that baby. I hear that there is a particular item in your families possession. It is a necklace, it has a small eagle carved into it. Do you know where this is?” Oliver said, relaxing a little more into his chair. “Yeah, I think it was at my…” Tyler said, a sense of fear gripping him. “What?” Oliver asked, “I think it was at my moms house. If it was, they have it for sure,” Tyler replied. “We must find it. We need to leave at once,” Oliver said, suddenly rising from his chair. He grabbed Tyler by the collar of his shirt and dragged him along.
   “You know, I can walk,” Tyler said, slightly agitated. “Right, sorry,” Oliver replied. Together they walked to the entrance doors, and looked into the parking lot. Tyler started to smile slightly, Oliver took notice of this, and said, “You can’t possibly be thinking about this?” Tyler’s smile kept getting bigger, and then he turned to Oliver and said, “Why not? We could use some training anyways right?” Oliver sighed, but agreed. “On one condition. Someone else comes with us,” he said. “Alright, who?” Tyler said. “Jane, Carly’s friend. She didn’t do much fighting when we encountered the Wanderers when we met the Yetis. I want to see what she can do,” Oliver replied. “Alright, I’ll send for her.”
   Tyler sent a message for Jane, and moments later she arrived looking puzzled. “What’s going on?” she asked. “How do you feel about a little bit of a fight?” Tyler said. She looked shocked that he was asking her this. “Right now?” she said weakly. “No, no just yet. But I have a feeling we will be having one before we get back. We’re going to my parents house, and if we find nothing, we’re going to my old house. It’ll be very dangerous, but it’ll get you out of here for a while. You up for it?” Tyler explained. She looked like she was having a horrible internal conflict.
   After a couple moments, she agreed to accompany them. She then left to grab her wand, and met back up with them at the front of the store. “All set?” Oliver asked. Jane nodded, and Tyler said, “Alright, grab my arm.” Oliver and Jane did as he said, and then Tyler pointed his wand at himself and said, “Transporasis.” Once again Tyler felt the sensation that he was being suffocated. The pain was immense, and his breath was short, and finally he appeared outside of his parents home. It looked exactly like it had the last time he visited.
   The black W was still clearly visible on the door, which still hang open. The three of them made their way to the door, Tyler stopped just before the threshold, hesitating a moment. “Wands at the ready then? Yes?” he said, as he pulled his wand out of his hoodie pocket. Oliver and Jane followed suit, and then Tyler walked into the house, and immediately said, “Benight.” The house went pitch black to everyone except for Tyler. “Touch me, you’ll be able to see,” he said. He felt a pair of hands touch his shoulders, and looked to make sure it was his companions. “That was very clever Tyler. Another one of your one?” Oliver said, amused. Tyler nodded, and gestured to be quiet.
   Tyler had a sinking feeling that they weren’t alone in the house. He slowly crept forward, the others following closely behind, as he made his way to the kitchen. “O.K. Check the bedrooms, if it’s here, it’ll be in one of them,” Tyler instructed. Oliver went into the parents bedroom, and gasped when he opened the door. “The smell,” he said. “I know, try and bear it. Or leave that room for me,” Tyler replied. Oliver went into the room without another word, and Jane went into the room across from it.
   Tyler looked around the living room, which looked as if it had already been searched. He then muttered, “Summundre necklace.” He waited a moment, and then heard a rushing of wind. He turned around and muttered, “Leukos.” The darkness jinx lifted, and Tyler noticed the rushing wind was growing stronger. He turned towards it and saw a body flying towards him from outside. “Jane, Oliver. I think I found it,” Tyler called.
   Jane and Oliver made their way into the room and looked in the direction he was looking, and then Jane said, “He’ll never make it through the wall alive. Mind if I make a way for him?” Tyler and Oliver looked at her, then at each other, then back to her. “Sure,” Tyler said. Jane pointed her wand at the wall and said, “Peridiciun!” The east wall of the house exploded, leaving nothing holding the roof, and it started to collapse. Tyler pointed his wand at the collapsing roof and cried, “Explodere!” The roof was blasted into oblivion by the force of this spell, as bits of debris fell on them. “Next time,” Tyler said. “If your going to take out a wall, take the entire side, including the roof with it.” Jane flushed with embarrassment, but acknowledged his words by nodding.
   The body easily came through the lack of wall, and came to a rest at Tyler’s feet. The man was laughing hysterically, and he said, “You’re too late! When you summoned the necklace, I was still holding it. I transported it to another location, and let Walden know where it is. You wont stand a chance now.” The man’s eyes were sunken in and wild looking. He kept laughing uncontrollably, he was definitely out of his mind. Tyler leaned in close to him, looking him in the eye.
   “Tell me where it is, or you’ll die,” Tyler said. The man laughed even harder at these words. He spoke through his laughter, “Tell you… Or die? Ha. If.. If I tell you, he’ll kill me. I see no benefit for me.” “Fine, then I suppose you die,” replied Tyler. As he raised his wand, Jane grabbed his arm and said, “Wait. There is another way, let me try. I wont mess this up, I promise.” Tyler thought for a moment, and then agreed.
   Jane stepped in front of Tyler, facing the crazed person on the ground. She directed her wand at the man and said, “Psykhe. You really want to tell us the location of the necklace. Once you tell us, you will flee, and never come back.” The man’s eyes were glazed over, and he said, “The necklace is at Tyler Moore’s apartment. Walden is sending twenty Wanderers to retrieve it. They will be there shortly.” As the man finished, he stood to his feet and walked in the opposite direction.
   “Well I must say, that was impressive Jane,” Tyler said. Jane blushed, and quickly hid her face. “Alright, once more, grab a hold. As soon as we come out of this teleportation, be ready to fight,” Oliver said. Tyler looked at him, stunned. “How do you know where I live?” “I tracked you for a while remember?” replied Oliver dryly. Tyler laughed slightly, then grabbed Oliver’s arm, who immediately said, “Transporasis,” and was once again plunged into the painful, breathless darkness.

   As soon as they were released from the teleportation, jinxes started flying in every direction. “Quick Tyler! Summon the necklace so we can get the hell out of here!” Oliver yelled over the sound of colliding jinxes. Tyler raised his wand and cried, “Summundre necklace!” At once he heard the sound of rushing wind and had his eyes peeled for the necklace. He caught a quick sight of something glimmering through the air, but had to look away. One of the Wanderers was heading straight for him, and before Tyler could react, the man raised his wand and started to say, “Deat..” He stopped halfway through though, because out of nowhere, a tiny elf appeared between them. Wearing a pointed hat and a green shirt, the elf stood defensively between Tyler and the Wanderer. “Gretchen?” Tyler said amazed.
   The elf opened its mouth and said, “You will do no harm to Tyler today!” Gretchen pulled his fists together, and then made a motion similar to shoving in the direction of the Wanderer. The man was sent flying back and through one of the surrounding buildings, as Gretchen went running for the middle of the crowd of Wanderers. “Protectus!” Tyler yelled, aiming slightly ahead of the elf, trying to keep it protected.
   Gretchen clapped his hands together, and then pulled them apart, sending a blue light into the sky. Suddenly, about Forty elves appeared out of thin air, and began using their own magic on the Wanderers. After around ten minutes of watching this, Tyler felt something hit him in the back of the head. “Ow!” he said. He turned around and saw the necklace laying on the ground behind him, and he started laughing. As he leaned down to pick it up, Oliver screamed, “Duck!” Tyler had barely had the necklace in his hand when Oliver collided with him, knocking him to the ground.
   Tyler heard a piercing scream and turned to see Jane in the air, being contorted in every direction. He quickly rose to his feet and fired a shield jinx at her, but it didn’t stop the jinx from hurting her. Without thinking about what he was doing, he ran for her. When he was only a few feet from her, he leapt into the air and grabbed a hold of her. The pain he felt was worse than anything he had ever felt. Worse than the torture jinx Jared used on him, and even worse than the side-winds of the death jinx Jared tried to use on him. With all the strength he could muster, he yelled, “Oliver, Gretchen. Get out of here!” He then pointed his wand at himself, and yelled, “Transporasis!” He was sucked into darkness, and the pain he was feeling was replaced with a pain he almost welcomed. After a few short moments, he appeared on the floor of the store, surrounded by people. James and Jordan rushed to his side and tried to help him up, but he refused saying, “Help her, she’s worse. Help her.”
   They did what he said, and he felt them leave his side and move over to Jane, they then picked her up and carried her to a bed. “Oliver, you’ll need to help her. You’re better at healing magic than I am,” Carly’s voice said. “Right,” Oliver replied. His footsteps trailed away, as others got closer to Tyler. He lay motionless on the ground, trying to block the pain he still felt. “Can you move?” Carly’s gentle voice asked. Tyler simply nodded, but didn’t move. “Do you want to move?” she asked, her voice still as gentle as ever. Tyler shook his head, it was true. He didn’t want to move, he just wanted to lay here on the cold ground and unwind.
   “Gretchen?” Tyler asked, it took every ounce of energy he had to say one word. “He hasn’t made it back yet. As far as I know, he still hasn’t even made contact with the other elves,” Carly said. “He has. He was there, he really helped. I hope he’s O.K.” Tyler explained. “There weren’t very many. I am guessing he went to get more,” he continued. He remained on the floor for a few moments longer, then someone, or something was lifting him off the ground. He didn’t have the energy to even try to open his eyes.
   He could tell that they had entered his quarters, it was warmer in here. Whatever was holding him set him down on the bed, and then closed the door. He felt someone sit next to him on the bed, but he continued to pretend to be unconscious. Carly leaned in and kissed his cheek, then curled up next to him. He put an arm around her, and lay motionless, every joint in his body was aching. He felt as though his body had been bent in every possible, and impossible way. Then, with slight chagrin, he realized his body had indeed been bent in every way. “Are you O.K.?” Carly asked again. “No, not really. I can barely move. I learned what that jinx that killed Jen feels like,” he replied.
   “Oh, here. Put this on,” Tyler said, handing her the necklace. “What is this?” she said. “It’s a family heirloom. It supposedly has some ancient magic on it, its supposed to protect the wearer from any kind of harm. I figured you should have it since your pregnant,” he explained. She rolled over to face him, and kissed him. “Thank you,” she said. He nodded, and closed his eyes, and relaxed as much as he could. “How’s Jane doing?” he asked. “She’ll be alright, Oliver is looking after her,” Carly replied. “Good,” he said, failing at stifling a yawn.
   “You need to rest Tyler. You’ve had a hell of a night, and your going to feel it in the morning. Sleep good O.K.?” Carly said as she started tucking him in. He nodded and got comfortable, and let sleep slowly overcome him. He lay there motionless, still aware of the fact she was still in the room. He opened an eye and said, “You O.K.?” she asked. He smiled and nodded, as she kissed his cheek, and then, he drifted into peaceful sleep.

   Chapter Seven
       Fight or Flight

   Tyler woke up, feeling the pain still coursing through his whole body. When he opened his eyes, Oliver was sitting in a chair across from his bed. Tyler sat up, painfully, and asked, “What’s up? How long have I been asleep?” Oliver looked at him, keeping his hands folded in front of him. “You have been asleep for close to a month. I had to steal an IV from a hospital to keep your nutrients up. So, Carly tells me you’re going to have twins,” he said, keeping his eyes fixed on Tyler. “Yeah, that’s pretty great huh? Where is Carly?” Tyler replied. “She is getting some food, and not necessarily. There have only been a few twins that have been born, that haven’t had some kind of issue,” Oliver began. Tyler looked puzzled, he wasn’t sure he liked what he was hearing.
   “In 1904, there was a woman who gave birth to twins. One of them grew up as normal Warlocs do. He was well to do, and never attracted attention to himself. The other however, went down a different path. He was a brilliant person, he excelled in everything he did. Including the darkness that he possessed. As kind as he was, people soon learned that he was a fake.
   “On the night of his eighteenth birthday, he murdered his parents, and then set out to murder his brother. His brother, however, was an equally powerful Warloc. When the dark twin showed up on his brothers doorstep, his brother was waiting there for him. The fight that took place that night was epic. In the end the twisted brother ended up killing his twin. There wasn’t even any of him left. After that, the evil was completely unleashed in him. He has grown to be one of the most feared Warlocs of the time. He still lives to this day,” he finished. Understanding came over Tyler, as he realized who Oliver had been talking about.
   “You’re talking about Walden aren’t you?” he said. “Yes. Twins are usually not a good thing. I think it would be safe to say that we should be cautious with them. Keep a very close eye on them until they‘re born. Also, you should know, babies who have two magical parents, tend to grow much faster than normal babies. They tend to be mature in five months at the most, and from what I understand, Carly is five months along now. She should be due any day,” Oliver explained. Tyler was shocked. He had been so happy to know he was going to be a father, he never thought that anything like this could happen. “I need some time to think. If anyone needs me, I’ll be on the roof,” Tyler said. He left the room and made his way to the roof. The lawn chairs were still there from the last time he was up here.
   He sat down in one of them, and relaxed, and let his mind wander. Surely this wouldn’t happen to him. He was certain that his kids would be wonderful, and that nothing like what Oliver had said would happen. He heard footsteps behind him, and turned around with his wand ready.
   “Relax, it’s just me,” Jordan said. He walked over to where Tyler was sitting, and sat in the chair next to him. “Oliver just told me what he told you. I’m sorry to hear that kind of news, it must really suck to hear it,” he said. Tyler nodded, and looked into the parking lot. “The Wanderers have been really quiet since the apartment. I wonder what they’re planning.” Tyler replied, trying to keep his mind off of what Oliver said.
   Jordan looked over at him, then said, “I’m sure they’ll be fine. I really doubt they’ll turn out the way Oliver said.” Tyler looked at his brother, and merely nodded. He was wondering if they would still have this good of friendship if they were twins. “I’m sure they’ll be just fine,” agreed Tyler. He looked at Jordan, and then stood up and went back inside, then when he got to the front of the store, an interesting sight greeted him.
   Carly was standing in the center of a group of people, and Greg lay on the ground, dead. “What happened?” asked Tyler, as he made his way through the crowd. “I told him to drop dead, and look what happened,” replied Carly. “Why though? What did he do?” prodded Tyler. “He called me a whore. It’s a little obvious that I’m pregnant, and I’m not married. So he called me a whore for getting knocked up, I told him to drop dead, and then I killed him,” she explained. Tyler looked at her shocked, this was so unlike Carly. Tyler had a sickening feeling that he knew what caused her reaction.
   Tyler told everyone to go back to their business, and not to make a big deal out of it. He pulled her aside, and said, “You need to get a grip on yourself. Whatever emotion came over you, you need to control. It wasn’t you, I think it was one of the babies.” Carly looked up at him with tears in her eyes and said, “I don’t know what happened. I don’t know what came over me, I sort of lost focus.” “Oliver thinks one of those babies may turn out to be evil,” Tyler explained. Carly looked terrified, as Tyler led her back to the room.
   Carly stopped suddenly, grabbing her stomach, she clutched Tyler’s arm and said, “My water just broke.” Tyler looked at her, jaw hanging open, and then pulled out his wand, pointed it his throat and said, “Decibails. Doc! I need you in my quarters. It’s time, decacute.” He then turned to her, and picked her up. After only a few moments, he got to their quarters, and set Carly on the bed. He then pointed his wand at her and said, “Confortare.” She calmed slightly, but was still breathing heavily. Moments later, Doc, James, and Jordan showed up, looking anxious.
   Tyler was by her side during the whole thing, holding her hand. It took quite a while for the whole thing to happen. A girl was born first, and they decided to name her Kayla. A boy followed only a minute later, and they named him Tanner. They were worried for a while because Tanner was born with red eyes. His eyes slowly faded to brown, and he was awfully fussy.
   Tyler thanked the doctor, and told him to help himself to anything in the store. He looked very confused for the gracious thank you, but left anyways. They were all soon joined by Jane, who came to give her congratulations on the births. Tyler was somehow beside himself, despite the situation. He was worried that Oliver’s prediction of one of the twins being evil was true. The redness and the look of Tanners eyes when he was born was unnerving.
   The rest of the night went on peacefully, and everyone eventually left their room. Tyler had left briefly to grab a couple cribs from one of the shelves, and went back to his room and built them. He placed Kayla in her crib, and kissed her forehead. He then placed Tanner in his, and the baby fell immediately asleep. Tyler then got into bed next to Carly, and let her rest on his chest. In only a short time he drifted into peaceful sleep.
   Tyler woke the next morning with a start, due to the building shaking. He got up quickly, got dressed, grabbed his wand and made his way out. He saw Oliver running towards him, wand in his hand. “What’s going on?” Tyler asked. “They’ve created a Giant out of the parking lot. This is insane. I learned how they are keeping this quiet, you know, from the public,” Oliver said, worry raising in his tone. “They put a jinx over the entire parking lot and store to make it look like a construction site. The Giant is trying to break into the store. It wont be long till it’s in,” he finished.
   Tyler quickly ran to the back, and swiftly made his way up the stairs, throwing the door to the roof open. He jumped onto the roof, and then gasped at what he saw. He turned to Oliver and said, “Get to Carly, protect her and the kids alright? Protect them at all costs, when the time is right, transport yourselves somewhere safe. Wait a day, and then send me a message of your location alright, alright?!” Oliver nodded, turned around and went back through the roof.
   Tyler looked at the huge beast, it looked like a massive rock. The head of the beast was easily at the top of the roof, and it was very muscular. It bashed its fists into the building, causing big cracks in the wall. Tyler raised his wand and shouted, “Peridiciun!” Nothing happened to the Giant that caused it any great harm. He rethought his plan and said, “Explodere!” A large chuck of rock flew off the Giant’s shoulder, and it roared ferociously. It raised an arm, raging in anger, Tyler turned around when he heard, “Tyler! What did you need?” He turned to see Carly standing by the roof’s door. “What are you doing? Why aren’t you with the kids?” he asked. “Jane said you needed me,” she replied. Tyler suddenly got a sickening feeling in his stomach, at that moment, the Giant’s arm crashed into the roof, making it collapse.
   Tyler ran for Carly, and pulled her through the door. He sprinted down the stairs, with her at her side, he quickly made his way to their room. He threw the door open, and looked in the cribs. “Tyler,” choked Carly. “Tanner is still here,” he said. “Tyler!” Carly cried, he turned and looked at her. She was crying uncontrollably. “What?” he said, she looked at him and said. “They’ve taken Kayla. Jane must’ve done it. She must’ve tricked me to get me out of here, she must have been helping the Wanderers,” Carly said through heavily falling tears. Tears started to fill Tyler’s eyes, and he said, “Find James and Jordan, take Tanner, and transport yourselves somewhere safe. Then send me a message in a day, and then I’ll join you. Oliver will accompany you.”
   He turned on his heel, and left the room. Wanderers were pouring in through the hole in the wall, and Tyler walked towards them. He pointed his wand at himself and said, “Communicatus. Brutus, now is the time. Front of the store, they have a Giant, so I would be careful. Leave the Wanderers to me.” His message left him at once, and headed to the freezer. Tyler found himself face to face with hundreds of Wanderers, all who seemed eager to fight.
   They had all stopped, looking from one another, then over to Tyler. Tyler wasn’t sure what he was going to do, but he didn’t have long to think about it. At that time, one of the Wanderers shouted, “Tortris!” Tyler reacted much faster than the Wanderers had expected, he flicked his wand and said, “Protectus.” His shield had gained speed, and it quickly deflected the jinx, and sent it back in the direction of the one that fired it. Tyler stood amazed, he had never seen shield jinx do that before. The Wanderers seemed equally amazed, and in the next moment jinxes were flying rapidly towards Tyler. It took all of his concentration to move this fast, but he was able to keep up with his shield jinx.
   There was a loud crash from somewhere in the depths of the store, and Tyler had a feeling that the Yetis were on their way. Tyler had a quick thought, but he knew he’d have to act fast in order for this to work. He’d have to get the Wanderers outside if the Yetis were going to get through, without anymore thought, he pointed his wand at himself and said, “Transporasis. There was only a brief feeling of suffocation, and he was standing outside, looking towards the Wanderers, whose backs were turned on him.
   “Rocorpus!” he shouted. The jinx acted so powerfully that it sent several of his enemies flying through the air. “He’s outside!” A voice boomed under the control of the voice level jinx. Almost as if they rehearsed it, all of the Wanderers turned around together, and said, “Tortris! Tyler’s eyes widened, and he raised his wand and bellowed, “FORTIFICATIO, PROTECTUS!” The was a loud bang from his wands, as the jinxes collided as soon as they left his wand. The result of the combination sent the closest Wanderers flying away from him, and turned the torture jinxes into balls of fire, that went soaring back to the Wanderers.
   The cries that erupted from the Wanderers overpowered by a loud breaking of glass. Tyler glanced to the doors of the store, and noticed the Yetis finally got out of the store. He aimed his wand in their direction and said, “Doplar!” Immediately, the Yetis were covered in snow, and they began fighting the Giant. The Giant waved one of its massive arms at them, and one of them flew threw the air, landing on its feet. The Yeti got up, roared fiercely, and ran back towards the Giant.
   Tyler turned back to the Wanderers, and then quickly raised his wand. Walden was standing feet from him. “Disarment!” Tyler shouted at the same time that Walden shouted, “Torquere!” The two jinxes hit in midair, and were sent flying straight up, then exploded, sending showers of acid green sparks down on them. The sparks hit them, sending severe pain through their bodies. Tyler immediately pointed his wand upward and said, “Protectus.” His shield merely turned the sparks into water. He then spotted something flying through the air towards him, and he turned his wand on Walden, taking advantage of the sparks, and said, “Rocorpus!”
   The jinx hit him in the chest, and sent him flipping backwards through the air. The thing Tyler had spotted landed in front of him, it was Oliver’s image and it said in a voice so quiet only he could hear, “The mall on forty-sixth street.” The image evaporated, and Tyler turned and noticed Walden was getting to his feet. He raised his wand again and said, “Komatos.” Walden immediately hit the ground unconscious. Tyler then turned toward the Giant, and ran right for it, hoping his sudden idea would work. He aimed his wand at the Giants head and said, “Transporasis!” The jinx consumed the Giant, and in an instant, the Giant was gone. Turning to the crowd, wand held high, Tyler said, “Valence!” Lightning spread through the entire crowd, and they all screamed in pain, and then collapsed, all unconscious.
   Tyler walked over to Brutus, who had a large gash in his neck, and said, “You can leave if you wish. You may go back to your home.” Mickel was the one who answered, leaning over Brutus. “We will still help you, just call us if you need us.” Brutus grabbed Tyler by the shirt and pulled him close, then said, “It was worrrth it to fight forrr you, I will not make it past this day.” Tyler looked at him, then at Mickel, who simply nodded. Brutus’s legs shook, and he fell to his knees, looking Tyler in the eye, he said, “Fight well, Tylerrr. You arrre ourrr hope.” The Yeti slumped over, as his last breath escaped his lips. Tyler placed a hand on Brutus’s shoulder, and looked at the others and said, “Thank you for your help today. I can not express my gratitude. If I need you, I will simply call.” The Yetis all bowed, and then broke into a run, heading north. Tyler turned to the crowd of people, who were all slowly regaining consciousness. He then aimed his wand at himself, and as one raised his head and caught Tyler’s eyes, said, “Transporasis.”
   He was sucked into a suffocating darkness. The pressure was pressing against his ears, and at long last, he appeared inside the mall, behind a large pillar. He quickly put his wand in his pocket, and walked out from behind the pillar. He saw Carly at once, and quickly made his way over to her. She was holding Tanner, and her eyes were full of tears. “Are you alright?” she asked, sighing with relief at the sight of Tyler. “I’m fine, they didn’t touch me,” he replied, pulling her into a hug. James, Jordan, and Oliver appeared out of nowhere, looking as relieved as Carly.
   Jordan pulled him into a squeezing hug, and James and Oliver patted him on the shoulder. “Good to see it was you who got my message, and not someone unwanted,” Oliver said. Tyler nodded and then said, “Whose idea was it to come here?” “It was mine,” Jordan said. “I figured, they wouldn’t be likely to attack in an openly public place like this,” he explained. Tyler thought this through, they didn’t mind attacking them at the store, granted, the store was closed at the time. Maybe they’d attack here at night, after the place closes.
   Tyler thought a moment longer, and then said, “We need to find a place to stay. Let’s start looking. Then we start trying to figure out where they have taken Kayla.” With an arm around Carly, and a hand in his pocket, holding his wand, they left together. “We’re going to need a way to get around. We can’t keep using magic like that, its not safe anymore,” Tyler said. Jordan walked over to a blue SUV, and tried the handle. It was unlocked, and so, as inconspicuously as possible, they got into the vehicle, and then sat there. “We need keys. I don’t know any way to magically start this thing,” Tyler said. “Oh, move over,” Oliver breathed. He pulled out his wand, and said, “Contingere.” The vehicle immediately started, and Tyler pulled out of the parking spot, and made his way out of the parking lot.
   They drove peacefully for a few moments, heading downtown, looking for old abandoned buildings. It was almost sundown when Oliver said, “There. That house on the left there.” The house he pointed out was crooked, and it looked like it hadn’t been occupied in years. Tyler pulled into the driveway, and put the vehicle in park. He looked out the window at the house, thinking if this would be good enough. Several of the windows were broken, and the wood the house had been made of, looked as though it had been severely weather worn. As shabby as it looked, he thought it would be perfect.
   They all got out of the car, and started making their way into the house. Tyler heard a voice from across the street, and he turned to see who it was. A short and squat man, with balding brown hair came waddling over to where he was standing. Tyler looked at the man, who extended his arm and said, “Buy this place? It’ll be nice to have this place fixed up. Glad to have neighbors again too. My name is Walter Edwards, I live in that house right across the street. If you kids need anything, just let me know, I’d be more than happy to help.” Tyler took the mans hand, and shook it firmly, and said, “Yes. Yes, we just bought the place. We’re hoping to be here for quite some time. My name is Tyler Moore, this is my girlfriend Carly Smith. My brother Jordan, and best friends, James and Oliver.” Everyone acknowledged the exchange with a polite nod. The man beamed at them, then started walking back to his house. He turned around, looking at them carefully. “It was nice to meet you,” he said. “Remember what I told you,” he continued, with a sudden tone of seriousness in his voice.
   Tyler stood rooted to the spot, and then was snapped out of his weird trance by Carly. “You coming Tyler?” she said. He shook himself, then turned and walked into the house. As soon as the door was closed, Tyler pulled out his wand, and put several protective jinxes around the house. He walked into the kitchen, where Oliver and Jordan had already had some maps set out. They were going over all the known locations that Walden had ever hidden. He liked to use these places as fortresses, for whenever someone was close to defeating him. He’d shut himself up in one of these, and let his minions do the fighting. How he ever got such a large following, Tyler would never know.
   “I say we start with his location that is known to most. He wouldn’t think that we’d look there, if he thinks anything like I think he does, that’s where Walden will go,” Oliver said. Jordan nodded in agreement, as Carly and James walked into the room. “We’ve got Tanner situated in one of the rooms upstairs. James put together a crib out of nothing, he should be fine,” Carly said. Tyler walked over to her, and stood next to her as they continued planning.
   By ten o’clock they had decided on splitting up. All of them go to a separate location. Whichever once has the most Wanderers there is most likely the one. Whoever finds this one, would then send a message to the others, and they’d all meet up there, and rescue Kayla. They decided, that after a few days of living here, and getting to know Walter, that they’d ask him if he could watch Tanner while they were out.
   They were all tired from the days events, and one by one they retired to bed. Tyler and Carly slept in the room that Tanner was in, and all the others slept in their own rooms. They slowly drifted into unnaturally peaceful sleep. The night went on without any interruptions, while the world outside seemed to take an unnatural turn.

Chapter Eight
Tragedy Strikes

   Tyler woke up late the next day. Sitting up in bed, rubbing his eyes, he smelled something coming from the kitchen. It smelled amazing, and he got out of bed, and went downstairs. He entered the kitchen and saw Carly at the oven cooking bacon and eggs. He walked over to her, kissed her cheek, and then asked, “What are we eating off of?” “Jordan and Oliver went out and bought some things. Food, dishes, stuff like that,” she replied. She handed a plate to Tyler, and he filled it with some of the food.
   He sat down next to Tanner and started eating. Carly sat down on the other side of Tanner, and she looked over at Tyler and said, “When are we going after her?” Tyler looked up from his food, and replied, “If you wanted to, we could leave tomorrow.” “I’d like to leave today if we could. I want her back,” she said. Tyler looked at her, and was about to argue back when James came into the kitchen.
   “Good morning. Why is the kid sitting up?” he said. Tyler chuckled and said, “Babies that are born from magic parents mature way faster than normal babies. That‘s why they were born in five months, instead of nine. They rapidly progress to what would be age twelve. It takes about two months time to fully mature to that age.” “Oh. That’s interesting. It smells delicious,” Replied James as he got some food for himself. He sat down next to Tyler, and said, “I interrupted something huh?” Tyler chuckled and said, “We were discussing when we are leaving to get Kayla. She would like to leave today, what do you think?” James looked shocked at suddenly being dragged into this, he chewed his food for a few moments, and took a sip of water. “Well. I would say lets go now, but what about Walter? Would he be willing to watch Tanner after only knowing us for a few hours?” he said. “That is my point,” Tyler began. “I want to get a decent relationship with the man before we ask him something like that,” he finished. “He said, if we needed anything to ask. He seemed serious, I say we take him up on the offer,” Carly said.
   James appeared to be in deep thought, and then he said, “I’m all for leaving today, but I guess we should see what…” “What Oliver and Jordan say?” Interrupted Jordan. They all looked over at them, and James said, “Yes.” Oliver was leaning against the door frame, looking as though he was having a terrible battle going on inside his head. Jordan heartily agreed to leaving as soon as possible, he was eager to fight. It appeared that the final vote lay with Oliver, and after a long while, he finally spoke. “I think we should talk to Walter tonight,” he said. Tyler simply shook his head, but he didn’t say anything. Since they all agreed, there would be no point in arguing.
   At that moment, there was a loud knock on the door that made them all jump. Tanner giggled slightly as Tyler stood and pulled out his wand. He walked to the door, and looked through the eye-hole to see who it was. He gave a loud sigh of relief and said, “It’s alright, it’s someone we know.”
   He opened the door, and said “Hello Walter.” “Good afternoon Tyler, I say, still in pajamas at this hour?” he replied. The short man walked into the living room, and Tyler motioned for him to make himself comfortable. The man looked at Tyler appraisingly, and said, “I sense there is something you wish to ask me.” Tyler looked at the others, slightly shocked that Walter knew this. “Yes, actually. I know we only met yesterday, but, we have found ourselves in need of a babysitter. We all have an important meeting to attend to, and we are needing someone to watch Tanner while we’re gone. We were wondering if you’d be at all willing to watch him? We’d pay you for it and everything, and we should only be gone for a day at the most,” Tyler explained. The man beamed and said, “Of course of course! I’d be more than happy too. I don’t need payment, I have money. I will do it as a favor to a new neighbor!” “Thank you so much. I really appreciate it Walter, we all do. We’ll pay you back somehow. If you ever need a favor from us, just ask,” Tyler said very graciously.
   Walter stood, and gingerly took Tanner from Carly. She handed him the things they had for him, and thanked him again. After he had left, and they made sure he made it back to his house, Tyler said, “We leave in five minutes. We’ll drive the car in to a field, and then we’ll all transport ourselves to one of the locations. I’m going to Arizona, the rest of you already know where you’re going. If you are at the right place, send a message to the rest of us, and wait for us to show up.” They all nodded, and then scurried around the house, collecting their things. Tyler stowed his wand, and then met them in the SUV.
   They left quickly, and drove out to the middle of nowhere. He turned sharply into the middle of a field, and then they all got out of the car. “Alright, on three then?” Tyler said. Before they did, the all said their goodbyes, and then Tyler said, “One… Two… Three… Transporasis!” He was pulled into an intense sensation of darkness. He felt as though he was being crushed, finding it hard to breath. This was the longest this had ever gone on, and he hoped something didn’t go wrong. After a few moments, he appeared outside a large steel building in the middle desert terrain.
   Tyler pointed his wand at himself and said, “Evanescere.” He had the odd sensation that his body was melting away. He started walking towards the building, trying to keep from making any noise. He realized that there were an immense amount of Wanderers here, and he thought that this was surely where Kayla was being held. Just as he was about to send his message, Oliver appeared in front of him and said, “They’ve seen me, this is definitely the place. In Washington, hurry, I don’t know how long I can fight them.” Tyler immediately pointed his wand at himself and said, “Transporasis!”
   For the third time in two days, he was pulled into suffocating blackness. The jump was shorter than last time, and he appeared at the exact same time as James, Jordan, and Carly. They all had their wands out, but their mouths were hanging open in shock. The sight was amazing, and terrifying all at the same time. There were easily ten times more Wanderers here than there were in Arizona. Tyler saw where the jinxes were flying, and sprinted towards them, praying that Oliver was still holding them off.
   Tyler saw Walden fighting with Oliver, they were moving so fast that the jinxes were mere blurs. Tyler sprinted even harder, as he raised his wand and bellowed, “STUNGINT!” The spell hit next to Walden, but he blocked that too, then turned when he saw Tyler running towards him. An evil smile broke out across his face, and he then turned on Tyler. “SPARKSUS!” Hissed Walden. Tyler dropped to the ground, and rolled under the fire that should’ve hit him. He threw himself onto his feet in mid roll, and said, “Fortificatio, Stungint!” Tyler didn’t know what caused him to try this, but it worked when he did it with the shield jinx, so he just tried.
   The combination of the jinxes hit Walden as well as four other Wanderers who were about to join the fight. They all stood stock still, and then fell over. Tyler sprinted forward and stood next to Oliver. They were soon joined by James, Jordan, and Carly. Together they all raised their wands, and looked at the on looking Wanderers. “Do what I just did, use fortificatio with the stunner. Trust me,” Tyler said to them.
   At the same time, they all said, “FORTIFICATIO, STUNGINT!” All five spells hit the crowd of Wanderers, and a dozen of them all fell, just as Walden had. Tyler stood in front of the rest of them slightly, and said, “Fortificatio, Valence!” The lightning seemed to course through his wand, up his arm, and then straight into the crowd. The Wanderers all fell, screaming in pain, and then Oliver said, “Fortificatio, Komatos!” The group fell silent, all unconscious, dozens more than Tyler had knocked out in the parking lot. “Well, that should buy us some time to search for Kayla, lets go,” Oliver said.
   They sprinted towards the first door they saw, threw it open and walked in. Surprisingly, there were no Wanderers waiting for them. It seemed as though Walden was confident that they wouldn’t make it this far. The walked through the corridors, looking in every door they passed for her. It wasn’t long until they came up on a large window, and when they looked in, they saw Kayla. They all gasped at the sight before their eyes.
   She was hooked up to some sort of machine, and there was a Wanderer who was about to press something on the machine. They weren’t sure what it was, but they weren’t about to let it happen. Tyler moved away from the group a couple of feet, and pointed his wand at the door. “Peridiciun,” he said. The door flew off the hinges, and he walked into the room. The Wanderer had his wand pointed at Tyler, and one hand on the button.
   “You push it you die,” Tyler said menacingly. “You do anything to me, I push it,” replied the Wanderer. “Surely we can work this out,” Tyler said, trying to devise a plan. The Wanderer scoffed, but Tyler kept trying. “So what is this machine. What is it doing to my daughter?” he asked. “This machine? It’s basically how we learn all our dark magic. Once I press this button, it will basically inject all the knowledge of dark magic into her,” the Wanderer explained. As he was talking, Tyler was busy tapping his foot carefully. Making sure it would be heard by the others in the hall. He was tapping S.O.S. hoping that they would here.
   Tyler ducked instinctively, and the wall exploded, and in came Jordan and Oliver. Oliver yelled, “Komatos!” He was a second too late though, because the Wanderer had hit the button just before the jinx hit him. “NO!” cried Tyler. Kayla started crying loudly, and she started squirming. Carly looked through the wall, with tears in her eyes. Jordan was about to grab her, but a voice said, “I wouldn’t do that if I was you.” They all turned and saw Walden standing there, wand out, and with his crooked smile. He pointed his wand at Carly and James and said, “Komatos.” They collapsed immediately, and he then in a flash, did the same thing to Jordan and Oliver.
   He turned to Tyler, quicker than ever, and tried to do it to him. Tyler was faster though, and he said, “Protectus.” The jinx was deflected, and he was staring down Walden. They both had their wands trained on each other. “I will be leaving with her Walden. Even if it means killing you,” Tyler said. Walden cackled, it was an eerie sound. “If you touch her right now, I promise you’ll kill her,” he replied in a horse voice. “How?” Tyler asked irritably. “You remove anything, and the result of it would be fatal. She is going through a massive, upload if you will. To cancel that would cause her brain so much trauma, she would die,” Explained Walden.
   Tyler could tell that he was not lying. He eyed Walden carefully, making sure he wasn’t going to try anything. Walden had actually lowered his wand, reached his hand into his pocket, and pulled out a shorter than average wand. It was mostly straight, and the handle was a pink-ish red color. “We have already fashioned a wand for her. Your daughter is in better hands than she would be with you. You couldn’t even keep her safe,” Walden sneered. Anger coursed through his veins, but he thought Walden seemed to be in a good mood, and so Tyler said, “Can we leave then?” Walden laughed even harder, and said, “Oh no, you won’t be leaving. Don’t you want to know how we managed to get her?
   “Your friend, Jane, she told Carly you needed her. As soon as Carly left, she took Kayla, who put up quite a fight for just being born. It was quite impressive really, I am quite proud of her for being able to stay under cover for so long. We knew she would be the worse of the two twins, just by the fight she put up for us. This wand was actually made from a piece of wood from her crib. She managed to break it off and throw it at Jane,” Walden explained. “And now Tyler, you shall die,” said Walden, he raised his wand, but before he could say anything, Tyler said, “Disarment!” Walden flew off his feet, and dropped his wand. Tyler picked it up, and aimed at Walden’s heart.
   “Give me a reason, I beg you,” Tyler said ferociously. He quickly flicked his wand towards Jordan and Oliver and said, “Wacian.” He did this one more time, in James and Carly’s direction. They all stumbled to their feet, and rubbed their necks. They all pointed their wands at Walden, whose eyes widened with fear. “Now, we will take our leave. Don’t try to follow us,” Tyler said calmly. He slowly backed away from Walden, and when he reached the others, he told them all to grab him. He then pointed his wand at himself and said, “Transporasis.” At the exact moment, Walden had raised the wand he made for Kayla and said, “Deatrus!”
   As Tyler was plunged into the sickening, breathtaking darkness, he felt something jerk his arm. The jump lasted much longer than he wanted, and he felt like he was under even more pressure with the weight of everyone else. Finally they appeared next to the SUV, and Tyler heard something drop to the ground.
   He looked at what made the sound, and felt a sharp pain in his chest. He fell to his knees and whispered, “No.” Jordan’s body lay lifeless on the ground, his eyes still open. Tyler was trying as hard as he could to hold back tears. But he wasn’t able to, they started pouring down his cheek, and Carly tried picking him up off the ground. “No, No. I can’t, I can’t,” breathed Tyler. James and Oliver both picked him up, and then put him in the passenger seat of the SUV.
   Carly got into the drivers seat, and Oliver and James put Jordan’s body into the back of the vehicle. Tyler didn’t even realize that they were driving, he didn’t care. His brother was gone, and he had left behind a giant hole in Tyler. Things would never be the same again, Jordan was gone. The weather seemed to be mirroring Tyler’s mood, because it started raining heavily. The car ride could’ve lasted an eternity. Tyler’s hatred for Walden grew even stronger in him, and he wanted to kill him. To have his revenge.
   Carly slammed on the brakes, and said, “No!” Tyler forced himself back to reality, and realized they were back on their street. The were Wanderers here, and they were fighting someone. Tyler quickly got out of the car, following Carly closely. He raised his wand, aimed it at the Wanderers and said, “Deatrus!” He heard someone cry, “Protectus!” The jinx was deflected, and the voice sounded familiar.
   Tyler ran closer to the Wanderers and then heard some unfamiliar jinx, and he quickly casted a shield jinx. There was an explosion of energy from the middle of the street, sending Wanderers in every direction. Standing in the place the explosion came from was Walter, and he looked fierce, and had a fire in his eye. “Get in the house!” He said, looking at Tyler and Carly. They ran quickly for the house, followed by James and Oliver. Jinxes kept exploding on the ground all around them, but finally they made it in to the house unharmed.
   After a few moments there was silence out in the street, followed by footsteps on their porch. Tyler had his wand trained on the door, he was ready to jinx whoever walked through the door. There was a knock, and then Walter’s voice sounded from the other side of the door. “It’s Walter, please let me in. I have Tanner, he is safe,” he said. Tyler cautiously walked forward, and slowly opened the door.
   Walter made his way in, holding Tanner in one arm, and had a wand in his other. “You and I should talk, Tyler,” Walter said, handing Tanner to Carly. He made his way to the armchair, and sat down. He jinxed a glass out of the air, and then took a sip of the amber colored liquid. “Whiskey?” he asked. Tyler politely declined, and sat across from him. Tyler couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
   “You’re a Warloc?” Tyler said, unable to keep the shock out of his voice. “Yes, and for obvious reasons, I could not tell you until now,” replied Walter. Tyler knew of course, that if he knew Walter was a Warloc, he would’ve never trusted Tanner with him. Walter must’ve seen the understanding come across Tyler’s face, because he continued, “My name is Walter Edwards, as I have already told you. Walden’s last name, is Edwards. He is my twin brother, not identical, of course. But, he is my twin all the same.”
   It took Tyler a moment to realize his jaw was hanging open. He quickly closed it, and looked at Oliver, his jaw was also hanging open. James and Carly both looked shocked, but were hiding it much better. “That’s not possible, Walden killed his brother. They had a huge fight, and then he destroyed him. There was nothing left,” Oliver said. Walter let out a haughty laugh, then said, “That’s what I wanted him to believe. For as powerful of a Warloc as he is, he isn’t a bright fighter. Or at least, he wasn’t then. He always followed the same pattern, which I have studied carefully. I saw him preparing to use the explodere jinx, and at the same time, I used the transportation jinx, and left. I made it look like he had destroyed me.
   “I knew one day that he would figure out that you would be a threat to him. It was predicted, by your mother. Just as she predicted what an awful night you were going to have. Bright woman, your mother. I knew he was going to break into your store, and I figured you would try to find a new place to hide. I made the SUV easily accessible to you, I had it jinxed to get you here. I knew if I could get you here, you could be safe for now. He wont be able to find you here. His Wanderers though, they will. If any of them were to get back, he’d immediately know where to find you,” Walter explained.
   Tyler had listened to all of this carefully. Could it be true, is it possible that this was true? That by some strange chance, Walden and his fate had been tied together from the beginning? Had their families known each other? “I can’t believe it. It’s really you,” Oliver said. He looked like he was in awe. Walter stood and said, “I will bury your brother Tyler. It is my fault he is no longer with us.” With that, he bid them good night, and left them in the room.
   So many new questions faced Tyler. How had this man not mentioned this sooner? Why did he keep it secret. Why was it that he wanted to help Tyler? Why did he fake his own death, as to avoid his brother? These were questions that had to wait, as exhaustion settled in. They all made their way slowly to bed. Tyler lay up for a long time, trying not to think about Jordan. It was far past midnight when sleep finally overtook him.

Chapter Nine
Growing Up

   Tyler woke up the next day, noticing that he was alone. Carly was already out of bed, and apparently she had taken Tanner downstairs. He took a shower, got dressed and went downstairs. Carly was feeding Tanner, and had tears in her eyes. “What’s wrong?” he asked. She looked up at him, then rolled her eyes. “You left Kayla. You had the perfect opportunity to kill Walden, and you let it slip. Why didn’t you cry when they took Kayla, or when you found out your parents were dead. But you cried when Jordan died. What’s wrong? He better than the others? Better than your daughter?” she burst, tears flowing freely.
   “Are you out of your mind?” Tyler asked defensively. She scoffed, and then she stood up, setting Tanner in a chair. He whined slightly, but didn’t make any other noise. “Our daughter has been kidnapped, and you passed the opportunity to kill him! Let alone rescue her!” She shouted. “She would have died if I touched her!” Tyler yelled back. “That’s your excuse?! You know damn well you could have taken that stupid machine with us. I want my daughter!” She said, reaching hysteria. “SO DO I!” Tyler roared back.
   She acted so fast he didn’t have time to prepare himself for what happened. She pulled out her wand, aimed it at him and said, “ROCORPUS!” Tyler felt like he had been hit in the stomach with a baseball bat, and he was sent flying through the kitchen wall. He landed with his back on the couch, quickly got to his feet, and then ran upstairs to grab his wand. When he finally had it in his hand, he heard, “Peridiciun!”
   He jumped out of the way, but only a moment too late. The force of the explosion sent him flying through the roof. As he plummeted towards the earth, he said, “Protectus!” he was bounced upwards lightly, and he landed on his feet. He stood, not believing what was happening. Why was she so upset, she should know him well enough to understand. His thoughts were cut short, because the door to their house was blasted of the hinges, and was flying straight for him. “Sparksus!” Tyler shouted, and flames erupted from his wand. The only thing left of the door was ashes. Carly shot a couple stunning jinxes at him, but he dodged them swiftly.
   Carly flourished her wand and said, “Petrificare!” Tyler’s limbs snapped together, and he became stiff as a bored. He wasn’t able to move at all. He found he was still able to talk, and so he said, “Let me go.” “No! The Tyler I used to know wouldn’t have let anyone live if they messed with him before. What? You can’t kill him? To scared?” Carly sneered.
   “It’s not like that! I’m not strong enough!” Tyler shouted back at her. “I can’t do it! I don’t want to lower myself to their level,” he finished. Carly looked shocked at him, and he realized that tears were streaking down his face. “I’ve gotten weak. I can’t handle it anymore. I’m the only one from my family left. I saw my parents mangled bodies after Walden had his way with them. I watched as my brother’s life was taken from me. My daughter has been kidnapped by someone who wants me dead. Yeah, I’m strong enough to kill him!” Tyler said, trying to fight through the tears.
   “Confortare,” Carly said softly. “I never knew you were this affected by it all Tyler,” she replied. Tyler’s body was immediately released from the binding jinx, and he staggered in place for a moment. He couldn’t hold back the tears anymore, as they started flowing freely. Carly put an arm around him and said, “I’m sorry. I’m just so worried about her. I don’t want anything to happen to her. We need to get her back.”
   “I know we will, I promise,” Tyler replied. They sat in the street for a moment longer when Walter came out of his house, looking frantic, saying, “Get back in the house! Fix it fast, hurry!” Tyler and Carly ran into the house, and quickly fixing the house as they went. Tyler put his protective jinxes back over the house, and went into the kitchen, where Carly was standing in front of Tanner.
   “Mom, move over, I want to see,” Tanner said impatiently. Tyler looked at him in amazement. He was already talking. Tyler thought about it, and it made sense. He was already, technically a month and a half old. In only half a month, he would be two months old, the magical equivalent of a normal twelve year old. Tyler couldn’t believe it, he almost forgot Walter’s sudden wariness. “Stay behind your mother Tanner,” he said as he walked to the window.
   He realized what Walter was warning them for, as two figures appeared in the middle of the street. One was obviously a woman, and the other, Tyler guessed was a man. The were Wanderers for sure, both were wearing hoods to cover their faces. Carly joined him at the window, and together they watched the Wanderers.
   The man looked up and down the street, then said, “Come out come out wherever you are Tyler! We know you’re…” “SHH!!!” The woman hissed. “Do you want them to know we’re here?” she continued. Carly gasped quietly, and said, “That’s Jane!” Tyler realized she was right, and he watched her carefully. He saw Walter open his door, and scream, “Keep it down!! Rotten kids!” He slammed his door shut, and the male Wanderer walked towards it.
   Tyler and Carly reacted at the same time. They both had their wands out, and were out the door in a matter of seconds. “Stungint!” Tyler yelled, the jinx zoomed past Jane’s face, and caused her hood to fly off. It then hit the man in the back of the head, and he thudded to the ground. Jane shrieked in anger, and flicked her wand towards Tyler and said, “Tortris!” Tyler was in immediate pain. He dropped his wand and fell to his knees. Carly ran towards her, and punched her in the face. The jinx lifted off of Tyler, who picked up his wand and pointed it at the two of them. Not willing to risk hitting Carly, he simply shot a shield jinx in between them.
   The force of the shield pushed them apart, and at the same time, Tyler and Carly shouted “Deatrus!” Tyler heard three other voices, along with his and Carly’s. One of them saying, “Deatrus!” Another saying, “Fortificatio!” The third said, “Transporasis!” The jinxes stormed past each other in mid air. Tyler’s and Carly’s jinxes hit Jane in the chest, at the same time as the Transporasis. The last thing they saw of her was her life leaving her eyes. A massive shield wall was produced right behind them, as another death jinx almost hit them. It was sent back to the male Wanderer, who had managed to get out of the stun. The spell hit him, and he fell to the ground.
   Tyler looked to see who fired the shield and transportation jinxes. He saw Walter standing in his doorway, stowing his wand, which Tyler caught a quick glimpse of. It was crooked, and had an intricate black helix on the handle. Oliver was standing next to the SUV, stowing his wand as well. “Thank you. Both of you,” Tyler said, addressing Walter and Oliver. Walter simply bowed, and went back indoors, and Oliver joined them in the street.
   They turned to the house, and walked back inside. Tyler stopped at the door, and told the others he’d be there in a moment. He went over to the grave that Walter had made. He did it during the night, while everyone was still sleeping. He knelt down by it and said, “I don’t know what to do Jordan. By now Kayla has most certainly learned some of the dark magic, not to mention that machine. I don’t know if I can go get her back..” He broke off, in tears.
   He sobbed for a long time. Every emotional thing that had happened in the past months that he had held onto, seemed to be forcing their way out of him. He buried his face in his hands, sobbing harder, when he felt a hand touch lightly on his shoulder. When he looked up, he saw Walter looking down at him with great compassion in his eyes. “Come with me son,” Walter said. He helped Tyler to his feet, and walked across the street. He was still fighting back tears, as Walter opened the door to his house, and ushered Tyler inside.
   Walter motioned for him to sit, and he went into the kitchen. Tyler could hear the tinkling of ice in a glass, and heard some liquid being poured. Walter came back into the room, carrying two glasses of whiskey. He handed one to Tyler and said, “Drink up. It’ll calm you. I promise.” Tyler did as he was told. The liquid burned on the way down, but Tyler drank the whole glass. Walter was eyeing him carefully, folding his hands in his lap. After a few moments of silence, Walter spoke. “There is still hope for your daughter. Do not be disheartened. Just because my brother used that machine means nothing. It is ultimately up to the Warloc which path they choose. It’s not so much about good and evil, as it is about the choices we make.
   “My brother never learned that. It is the things we do that make us who we are. Not the power we posses. Your daughter is still in control of her actions. I am sure she will make the right decisions. It is in her blood,” he said. Tyler didn’t quite understand, and his confusion showed. Walter chuckled lightly and said, “You think of yourself as weak because you were unable to kill Walden. But I assure you, that is what makes you so wonderful of a person, Tyler. The fact that you cannot justify killing someone, no matter what harm they have done to you, physically, or emotionally. Walden would not have been so hesitant to kill you. If you crossed him, your days were numbered.
   “That is what makes you so different. You see right from wrong, you can make the right decision, even at the greatest cost. My brother is not so wise, Tyler. He doesn’t see what is right, or wrong. He sees only what is easy. He was a fool growing up to believe the best way to succeed was the easiest way possible. He has never learned from his mistakes, because he views them as some of his greatest successes.
   “It is no weakness that you have Tyler. It is a great strength, and I would not let it get under your skin,” Walter said. Tyler had never received such advice before. Not even from his parents, or any teacher he ever had. He sat there for a few moments, considering what Walter had said. He nodded, acknowledging what he heard, but continued to think about it. Finally he opened his mouth to speak.
   “If that is the case. How will she know the difference if she doesn’t hear it from anyone?” he asked. Walter seemed surprised to actually get any kind of response. “She will know of it. As I said, it is in her blood. She will know right from wrong, but it is up to her the choices she makes. The most you can do, is hope that she makes the right decisions. I’m sure she will. I think it would be safe to say that she could very easily get herself out that place,” Walter replied. Tyler stood up, and said, “Thank you, Walter. For the drink, and the conversation. I think it has helped. I’ll talk to Carly about this as well.” Walter nodded cordially. He too stood up, he walked Tyler to the door, and before Tyler left, he said, “I am sorry for your loss. I’m sure your brother was a wonderful person.” Tyler stood there for a moment, taken aback by the sincerity in Walter’s voice. He simply nodded, shook Walter’s hand, and made his way back to his house.
   “What did Walter want?” Carly asked when he entered the living room. He sat down on the chair, and told her everything Walter had told him. She seemed filled with hope when she heard there was still a chance for Kayla. “So when are we going to try again?” Tyler said. Oliver exchanged looks with James. “What?” Carly and Tyler said at the same time.
   “We’re not sure if that is the best idea. Last time was a really close shave. We cant risk that again,” Oliver said. “This is our daughter we’re talking about,” Tyler said irritably. “Tyler! Jordan is dead. We weren’t well prepared last time, and we paid the price for it. I’m not ready to do that again!” James said loudly. These words took Tyler off guard. He had to recompose his thoughts after James hit him with that blow.
   “Alright. I’m sorry,” Tyler replied. “Well then we should start planning,” he continued. Oliver looked at him, then Carly, and lastly at James. “I think we should just give her some time. I think we should listen to what Walter said. I think he is right. If she is anything like you two, she will get out of there with no problems,” he said. Carly stood to her feet and said, “No we will not just wait on the whim that she might save herself. She’s not even twelve yet!” “Carly, calm down. He was only suggesting,” James said politely.
   “I think it is a very good idea. I mean, if Walter is right, then she could easily get out. Walter said, ‘It’s the choices we make that make us who we are.’ If she is anything like you, then she’ll definitely realize she shouldn’t be there,” James said. Carly sat down, and seemed to be really deep in thought. Tyler looked at her, weighing their options. If they planned another attack, no matter how carefully planned, they risked losing someone else. Should they decide to wait it out, they risk losing their daughter.
   “I can’t make this decision. I leave this with you three,” Tyler said. Everyone looked at him, but he said, “I can’t do this. I can’t make the decision that could either leave someone dead, or cause us to lose our daughter.” They all looked at one another, and silence fell over them. The silence built an irritating tension, and finally Carly broke it.
   “I agree, with James and Oliver,” she said. Everyone turned and looked at her, jaws hanging open. “Are you sure?” Tyler said. She hesitated to answer, but then said, “Yes. I don’t want to risk losing anyone. That could’ve easily been you that jinx hit. I can’t have that happen.” Tyler looked into her eyes, and he could see that she was sincere in what she spoke.
   “James, Oliver?” he asked. They both agreed with what Carly said, and so Tyler said, “Then it’s settled. We wait to see what happens.” Tyler still had an uneasy feeling about it. He hoped that Walter knew what he was talking about, and that Kayla would make the right decisions. Tyler just settled that if Walter was right, they’d know soon enough.
   Tanner walked into the room, it was breathtaking how fast he had grown. He was very close to being twelve. Tyler decided that as soon as Tanner had reached that point, that he would teach him how to slow down the rapid maturing. It should only be a few more days now, and he would reach that point. Tyler was excited for that day, he was excited to see how fast Tanner could learn.
   He stooped in front of Tyler and said, “When can I have my own wand Dad?” Tyler laughed slightly and said, “Not for another few days. I’ve already got one for you, too. But you’re going to have to wait to get it.” Tanner whined and walked away sighing. He was so eager to learn, it reminded Tyler of himself slightly. Tyler got to his feet and walked to the kitchen. He got himself a glass of water, and then walked back into the living room.
   He leaned against the door frame, watching Tanner as he messed with the television set. Tyler chuckled to himself as his son got upset with the T.V. for not having anything good on. Walking to the front door, he asked James to follow him. “We’ll be back. I’m going to go pick up some soda. We need something besides water here,” Tyler said. Carly and Oliver nodded, and then Tanner said, “Can I come too?” “Alright, come on,” replied Tyler.
   Tanner ran upstairs, then came back down wearing his shoes. They climbed into the SUV, and pulled out of the driveway. The drive was a short one, thankfully, because the streets were crowded. After a few short minutes, they arrived at a gas station. All of them got out of the car, and walked into the store.
   “Go get what you want Tanner,” Tyler said. Tanner disappeared in the direction of the soda. Tyler grabbed a twelve pack from the display at the front of the shop. Tanner came back a moment later, and set his coke on the counter. The person behind the counter scanned each item, and then said, “That’s four eighty-six.” Tyler pulled out a debit card, and paid. They all turned to leave, and as they walked out of the door, the passed two rough looking men.
   As they passed, Tyler turned and looked at them. He ignored the feeling he had, and continued walking to the vehicle. Tanner and James got in, and James put his window down. Tyler accidentally dropped his wallet, and as he bent down to pick it up, James yelled, “GET IN THE CAR!” Tyler picked up the fallen wallet, and quickly rose to his feet. James had his wand aimed over Tyler’s shoulder. “Disarment!” he said. The jinx whizzed past Tyler’s ear, as he turned to see one of the gruff men get knocked off his feet. The other pulled out his wand, and aimed it at them. Tyler ran around, and threw the door open. He quickly threw the SUV into drive, and peeled out of the parking lot.
   Tyler merged into traffic without looking. He checked his rearview mirror and saw that the Wanderers were following them closely. He floored the gas pedal, and wove in and out of the other cars. Tyler rolled down his window, stuck his wand out, and said, “Valence!” Lightning shot out of his wand, and almost hit the Wanderers’ car, but they put a shield jinx over it. The sunroof to their car opened, and one of the men stood out of it.
   “Tanner,” Tyler said, as James yelled, “Rocorpus!” “Yeah Dad?” Tanner replied. Tyler swerved sharply to avoid hitting a silver BMW. “When you’re older, do not drive like this,” said Tyler. Tanner started laughing, and Tyler focused on the road. “James, can you get a good shot at their tires?” Tyler asked. As soon as the words left his lips, they got ran into from behind. Tyler looked in the mirror and saw that the Wanderers were right behind them. “Yeah, I’d say I have a good shot,” James replied sarcastically.
   “Try shooting a disarming jinx at them,” Tyler said. He yanked on the steering wheel taking a sharp right turn. The Wanderers followed them effortlessly. “Disarment!” James shouted. The jinx missed their tires by inches, and James swore loudly. “I can’t make the shot like this!” he said. “Alright, Tanner, hold on tight!” Tyler said. He quickly slammed on the breaks, spun the wheel as far as it would go, flipped the shifter into reverse, then mashed his foot into the gas pedal. The SUV made a complete one hundred and eighty degree turn swiftly.
   Now Tyler was driving in reverse, praying that nothing would happen. “Try it now!” Tyler yelled at James. James leaned out the window and bellowed, “DISARMENT!” The jinx hit one of their tires perfectly. It exploded into tiny pieces, but they didn’t lose control. The Wanderer standing out of the roof lost his balance, then quickly pulled himself together. He aimed his wand and said, “Explodere!”
   Without thinking what he was doing, Tyler ripped his seatbelt off, jumped into the back seat, grabbed Tanner and James, and said, “Transporasis!” The exploding jinx hit right as he said this, and he lost his grip on James. But he was already sucked into the horrible darkness. His breath was already short, and he almost passed out. Suddenly, he appeared on the floor of the living room, still holding Tanner.
   “Tyler!” Oliver cried. He opened his eyes, and made sure Tanner was O.K. Tyler noticed that Tanner was shaking, and when Tyler turned him around to see his face, he saw the his son was laughing. “That was fun, let’s do it again!” Tanner said loudly. “What happened?” Carly cried as she came walking into the room. “Somehow a couple Wanderers found us,” Tyler said. “They chased us all through town. I had to do some impressive driving. But, these guys were good. The shot an exploding jinx at the ground beneath the SUV. Just as I did the transportation jinx, their jinx hit, and I lost my grip on James. I don’t… I don’t know if he’s O.K.” Tyler explained.
   He got to his feet, and started shaking. Carly hugged him, then pulled Tanner into the hug. “I’m so glad you’re O.K.” she said. There was a knock on the door, and Oliver, Carly, and Tyler all had their wands out. Oliver walked to the door, looked through the eye-hole and said, “It’s James!” Tyler lowered his wand quickly and ran to the door.
   He threw it open and pulled James into a crushing hug. “I thought you might’ve died!” he said. James laughed wearily, and said, “It’ll take more than a simple car crash and a couple thick headed Wanderers to get rid of me.” “What happened?” Tyler asked him. “Well, after your hand slipped off of me, the vehicle flipped through the air, and came to a rest upside down. I used the vanishing jinx on myself to keep from being seen. I quietly climbed out of the car, and snuck away. Good timing too, because had I waited a few seconds more, I would be dead. I can survive a car crash, but not an explosion. They blew the SUV up to make sure, but don’t worry, I saved the soda,” James explained.
   They all laughed loudly, more than glad to see that no real harm had been done. The next few days passed peacefully. They all went about their lives, living as normally as possible. Tanner was finally old enough to start learning magic, and so Tyler pulled him aside one sunny day. “Tanner, it’s time we slow your rate of maturing. This will be quick, easy, and painless,” Tyler said one day. Tanner glowed with excitement, he had been waiting for this day more than his dad was.
   “I just say a simple jinx, and your growth will slow to a normal rate,” Tyler explained. “You ready?” he asked. Tanner nodded, as Tyler pointed his wand at him and said, “Reductio.” A stream of red light wrapped itself around Tanner, and then disappeared. “There you go. Normal living from now on,” Tyler said beaming. “I believe, you will be needing this now,” he continued, pulling out the wand that once belonged to Quinten.
   Tanner held the wand fondly, almost affectionately. The look in his eye was similar to when he was born, and Tyler shut out the thought of what Oliver had warned only months ago. “Can you teach me anything right now?” Tanner asked eagerly. “Maybe some other day. I’m not feeling up for it today,” replied Tyler. Tanner’s face changed immediately. His smile evaporated into a glare. “Teach me something!” he said fiercly.
   “Watch your tone young man. You want to learn, one of the first things you need to learn is patience. It takes more than saying mere words to perform any magic. It takes focus, concentration, neither of which you’ll have. Not on the day you just got your wand,” Tyler replied sharply. Tanner glared after him as Tyler walked away. “Come on. Just one simple jinx, please?!” Tanner begged.
   “Alright fine. This one is simple enough. One of the first I learned,” Tyler replied, slightly exasperated. “It’s the disarming jinx. The incantation is, Disarment. Now, I’m going to do it to you, very lightly, and then I want you to try it on me, O.K.?” Tyler explained. Tanner nodded, then prepared himself.
   Tyler pointed his wand at his son and said, “Disarment.” Tanner was lightly knocked off his feet, and his wand flew into the air. He was quick to get back onto his feet. He caught his wand, pointed it at Tyler and said, “Disarment!” The jinx hit Tyler hard, and he flew backwards, and landed on his back. He was laughing as Tanner came over and looked down at him. “Nicely done. You’ll do just fine,” Tyler said reassuringly. Tanner smiled and said, “One more?” “No, we agreed on one. Work on it a little bit. We’ll learn some more later in the week, alright buddy?” Tyler replied. Tanner nodded, slightly disappointed.
   Together they walked back into the house, and sat down next to Carly. “Working hard?” she asked. “Kinda, showed him the disarming jinx,” Tyler said. “He’s really good at it,” he added, whispering quietly into Carly’s ear. She smiled slightly, looking at Tanner. He turned the T.V. on again, and the rest of the day went on quietly.

Chapter Ten
Kayla’s Lessons

   Kayla woke up from a long nap. She stretched and rolled out of bed, and pulled on some jeans and a t-shirt. She walked over to the mirror hanging on the wall, and groaned at how her hair looked. It was brown with blonde highlights, with a slight hint of purple. It looked as if she styled it that way, but it was all natural. She quickly pulled her hair into a ponytail, leaving some of it over her eyes. Today was the day she would start her lessons, and she wanted to look her best. She knew for twelve years old, she shouldn’t care what she looked like. But she wanted to look impressive for her first lessons.
   She grabbed her wand, which she thought was unique, compared to everyone else’s. It was sort of short, and it was the only wand that had a different color than black. It had a pink-ish red handle, that had some gold mixed in with it. She pushed it in to her pocket, and turned to leave her room. She opened the door, and jumped.
   “Don’t scare me like that Brendon,” she said. The boy was her age, he had black hair and blue eyes. He was the same height as her, standing at four feet even. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I just wanted to walk with you to the first lesson,” he continued. She sighed to herself, then said, “I am capable of walking myself to class. I do know my way around here you know?” Brendon was silent for a little bit, but after a few moments he said, “So, are you nervous? I know I am. I hope they don’t throw us into anything too dangerous on the first day…” “Brendon, no I am not nervous, and you shouldn’t be either. It’s a weakness,” she interrupted.
   “I know,” he replied, slightly embarrassed. “You look really nice,” he said quietly. Kayla blushed slightly, but tried not to let him see. The rest of the way to the class was silent. Brendon was trying not to make her too upset. She knew from the first day they met that he had a crush on her, and she tried to get him to leave her alone. She even tried jinxing him, but when the leaders found out, she got in trouble. ‘I’ll never forget that punishment,’ she thought to herself, absentmindedly rubbing her shoulder.
   They made it to their class, and took their seats. He sat next to her, as he had done since they were very young. They waited silently, and then the teacher came in. He was wearing a black collared shirt, with the sleeves rolled up. On his left forearm there was a big black W. “Everybody quiet down!” The man snapped, although the class was already silent. “Today, you will be thrown into a great challenge. There is no doubt that you have all learned jinxes since you’ve grown up,” he continued. He flicked his wand at a blackboard in front of the room and said, “Here, is a list of the jinxes you will be using today. Understood. Begin preparing for this lesson.”
   She looked up at the board, and started memorizing the list. Explodere, Sparksus, Psykhe, Valence, Silantce, ‘Childs play,’ Kayla thought to herself. She already knew all of these jinxes. She had perfected them in the privacy of her room. She knew almost all defensive jinxes, and she was sure there were some that she still didn’t know. She felt confident that she would do well today, and started staring absentmindedly at the board. The teacher stood from his desk and said, “Head to the courtyard. Your lesson is about to begin.”
   Kayla and Brendon stood up and left for the training area. They were the first two to reach the place, and slowly it filled with other students. It was a large stone courtyard, with pillars all the way around. The ceiling was higher than she could see, and high up on one of the walls was a large window. She couldn’t help but worrying about what her first lesson was going to be. She was worried that it would be something really dangerous. She looked up at the observation window, and saw their teacher looking down on them. He put his wand to his throat and said something. Suddenly his voice was echoing through the courtyard.
   “Prepare for the challenge!” he said. She drew her wand before anyone else did, but Brendon quickly followed suit. She glanced at his wand, it was long, ebony colored, with a long helix down the handle. They stood their, anticipation growing into unease. Kayla listened closely, and tried to hear any movement. Kayla thought she heard some distant singing, or maybe it was rumbling. She couldn’t tell, but whatever it was, it sounded menacing.
   A large door on the other end of the courtyard opened, and in walked in something that resembled zombie, and a banshee. That explained both the singing but not the rumbling. The zombie like beast, Kayla recognized to be a ghoul. It had a crazy look in its glazed over eyes, there was rotting flesh around its mouth, and the skin was turning a green color. The banshee looked as beautiful as ever. It glided easily over the floor, and its long pink hair flowed past its face.
   The ghoul was stalking slowly towards them. Kayla raised her wand, then heard another rumble somewhere in the distance. She tried keeping an eye on both the banshee and ghoul, making sure the banshee wasn’t about to start shrieking. The ghoul kept creeping closer to them, making its way inch by inch. Kayla noticed out of the corner of her eye that the banshee was slowly opening its mouth. She reacted before anyone else noticed what was going on.
   As the banshee started to wail, people put their hands over their ears, but Kayla raised her wand and yelled, “Silantce!” The banshee’s mouth was immediately snapped shut, and it started clawing furiously at its mouth. At that exact moment, the ghoul pounced at them. “Valence!” Brendon shouted. Lightning shot out of his wand and hit the ghoul. It didn’t have much effect on the ghoul, it merely twitched for a moment and then kept on moving.
   Some of the other students tried some of the other jinxes, but nothing seemed to affect it. Kayla watched as it ran towards one of the students, growling menacingly. It jumped through the air, landed on one of the students, and bit him in the face. It pulled the skin slightly off, and the student shrieked in pain. “Sparksus!” Kayla shouted, pointing her wand at the ghoul. Fire erupted from her wand, and the ghoul immediately leapt off the student, growling angrily. It circled around her, and she followed it closely.
   She noticed as it made the same motions it made before jumping at the other student, who lay twitching on the ground. It made its leap, and Kayla bellowed, “Explodere!” The force of the jinx repelled the ghoul, and blasted one of its arms off. It quickly got back to its feet, then ran full force at her. She was ready, but at the last minute, it changed direction and ran for Brendon, who was taking care of the banshee. It’s mouth had reopened, and his back was turned on the ghoul.
   The ghoul made a running leap and Brendon, and landed on his back. It bit into his shoulder, and tore his skin. He screamed in pain, and tried to shake it off. Kayla ran towards him, and raised her wand. “Decaput!” she screamed. The ghouls head rolled off its shoulders, and the body fell lifeless to the ground. Brendon fell to his knees, clutching his shoulder. Kayla pointed her wand at it and said, “Asclepius.” The wound closed itself up, and he looked up at her and said, “Why did you do that? You’re going to get in trouble.”
   “I don’t know,” Kayla replied. She did, indeed, know why she did it. She too had a small crush on him. Not to mention he was her only friend in this place, and she wasn’t about to lose him. An ear piercing scream echoed through the courtyard as the banshee let out its most wretched wail. Kayla fell to her knees, clutching her ears. The noise rang through her entire body, making her shake violently. She somehow managed to control it, and she pointed her wand at the banshee and said, “Dissipate.”
   A bright light left her wand, and hit the banshee in the chest. Light started shining through it, then it finally burst, leaving a pile of smoldering ash. The teacher walked into the room, and made his way straight to the boy who had been bit in the face. He was foaming at the mouth, and shaking on the ground. The teacher raised his wand and said, “Deatrus.” The body immediately lay lifeless. He turned to face the students and said, “If this had been me, I would have expected you to do the same thing. There are worse things than death, and becoming a ghoul is one of them.” He flourished his wand at the body, it raised itself, and then left the courtyard. “Kayla Moore and Brendon Stevens, come with me,” said the teacher.
   Kayla and Brendon looked at each other, and then fell into step behind the teacher. They didn’t dare speak a word to each other. Kayla immediately recognized where they were heading. He was taking them to see Walden. She only knew this because this is the same direction she had been taken so many times. They rounded a corner and came up on a door with a magnificent W on it.
   The teacher knocked on the door, and a voice said, “Enter.” The door swung open, and they walked into an office with all sorts of objects. Walden was seated behind a large desk in an ornate chair. “Sit,” he said to Kayla and Brendon. The teacher left the office, and Walden folded his hands and looked at them sternly. They took their seats in hard wooden chairs, and then sat in silence for a moment.
   Walden stood from his chair, and walked around his office. “You two showed exceptional performance today. However, Kayla, you used jinxes that you were not instructed to use. Why did you do this?” he asked. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. After a little thought she said, “I wasn’t about to let my friend die.” She felt Brendon looking at her, and shifted uncomfortably in her chair. Walden rounded on her and said, “That is a weakness! You should not care for him! People will use that to their advantage, and ruin you!” She tried to keep the fear out of her eyes, and said, “I understand. Next time I’ll let him die.”
   “Totris!” Walden said. Pain erupted throughout her body, but she didn’t scream or shudder. After a few moments, the pain faded, and Walden said, “You remember punishments here. Do not have a smart attitude with me.” She looked up at him, fear turning to anger. They stared at each other for a moment, then Walden had a sudden glint of fear flash across his face. He quickly regained his composure. “You two both showed advanced work today, and I wanted to commemorate you. You do not need to attend lessons, you clearly know enough about this. However, I would suggest you do attend. It helps to keep your mind fresh. You will do just fine without any more lessons I feel,” Walden explained.
   “One last thing before you leave,” he said. “You must bear the mark of a Wanderer, now that I see that you don’t need classes. Where would you like it?” Walden said. Brendon pulled an arm out of the sleeve of his shirt and said, “On my shoulder.” Kayla thought for a moment, and then said, “Behind my ear.” “A peculiar place. Any reason why that location?” Walden replied. “It makes it easier if your doing undercover work. They would be hard pressed to find it,” Kayla said. Walden agreed, and said, “There has only ever been one other person who asked for it in such an inconspicuous place. She is part of the reason you are here. Her name was Jane, and it is unfortunate that she has gone missing.”
   Kayla thought about this for a moment, and then Walden pointed his wand at Brendon and said, “Wandramarc.” Brendon’s flesh burned for a moment, and then a W appeared on his shoulder. It slowly got darker, until eventually it was black as night. He then turned to Kayla and said, “Move your hair.” She pulled her hair up slightly, and he pressed his wand into the place where her jaw bone met up with her skull. He said the same thing he said to Brendon, and she felt a severe burning sensation. It stung for a few moments, and then slowly stopped.
   “Very well. You are free to go,” Walden said. Together, Brendon and Kayla left the office, and made their way down the long corridor. Brendon was unusually silent, and so Kayla felt obligated to start conversation. “Can you believe that? We must be the youngest Wanderers ever,” she said. He simply shrugged, and kept walking. “What’s wrong?” Kayla asked him. He looked at her and said, “Why did you keep me from being killed?” She stopped in her tracks and glanced at him. “Like I told Walden, I didn’t want my friend dead,” Kayla replied. He eyed her carefully and then said, “No. There is more to it then that.” She kept his gaze, and started getting lost in his eyes.
   She never really appreciated how attractive he really was, and why should she? She was only twelve after all. His stare finally won her over, she couldn’t hide it anymore. She truly did care for him. There had been a connection between them since they first met. She didn’t know exactly what she felt, only that she cared for him.
   “The truth is: you’re the only friend I have here. I have feelings for you, I don’t know what kind. I don’t know what I feel, but I’ve felt it since we first met. I don’t know how I’d take it if you died,” she said. He looked at her in amazement, and then smiled. “I knew it,” he replied. “I knew you did, because I have felt that feeling too. Since the first day I saw you, I knew that somehow our lives would be connected,” he continued.
   She didn’t know what came over her, as they started walking again, she took his hand, and they walked together in silence. When they reached her door, Brendon looked at her. He looked troubled by something, and said, “Can I come in? I need to tell you something.” She looked at him, wondering what he could possibly have to say. “Yeah, sure,” she replied, tapping the door with her wand to unlock it.
   They walked in, and she closed the door. He leaned against the wall, and she sat down on the edge of her bed. Brendon was looking at her, eyeing her carefully. “Listen. I have this theory, would you mind listening to it?” he asked. Kayla looked at him skeptically, but nodded anyways. “Alright, so. We all know that Walden has a personal vendetta on this Tyler person. Well, his last name is Moore, your last name is Moore,” he said. She looked at him, confusion clear on her face. “Look, we both know you are kind of out of place here. You’ve said it yourself, you don’t belong here. What if he is your Dad? It would make sense. Why do you think you’re so much different then everyone else? Nobody else tried to save me when I got attacked, no one else has your judgment. You learn faster than anyone here, and know magic most of us don’t know.
   “I heard them talking about that Jane girl. She hasn’t gone missing, she’s dead. Tyler Moore killed her. I also heard them talking about how Jane had kidnapped his daughter, and that’s why Tyler killed her. Wouldn’t it make sense? What if you are his daughter? What if it was you Jane kidnapped? No one has ever said how you got here, but Walden hinted at it in his office. He said that she was part of the reason you were here.
   “I overheard my Dad talking to Walden one day, talking about how Jane had acquired Tyler’s daughter. Walden was foolish, but he left a picture of Tyler and his girlfriend on my kitchen counter. I have it with me, and I have to say. You look almost exactly like his girlfriend,” Brendon explained. Kayla looked at him, she was able to piece it all together, and it did make sense. “Can I see the picture?” she asked reluctantly. He rummaged into his pocket, and pulled out a tattered looking picture.
   He handed it over to her, and she slowly turned it over. She gasped at what she saw. There in the picture stood a man who was slender with blonde hair. Also a woman who looked remarkably like herself. They were each holding a child, one was a boy, the other was.. “That’s me,” Kayla whispered. “Sorry?” Brendon said. Kayla quickly jumped up and started searching through her dresser. She pulled out a photograph, the only piece of her family she had left, and held it out.
   It was an enlarged image of the baby being held by Tyler, it was her. She sat on the bed, holding both pictures in her hands. She didn’t know what to think, but now so many things made sense. She really didn’t belong here, she belonged with her parents. She looked at Brendon, tears swelling in her eyes and said, “How did you find all this out?” “It took a lot of sneaking around, and a couple clever jinxes, but. I got it figured out. I’ve been working on this since the first time I heard your last name,” he replied. “Thank you for showing me this,” she said. He nodded and said, “You deserve to know.” She stood up, and hugged him. “I should probably get going, my Dad will want to hear about what happened during the lesson,” he said. She nodded, and then opened the door for him. “Have a good night,” he said. Kayla waved at him, then closed her door and locked it.
   She lied down on her bed, and let emotion swell through her. ‘Why did this happen?’ she thought to herself. If her Dad was so powerful, how did he let this happen? She decided that she would find out, she pointed her wand at herself and said, “Communicatus. Dad? This is Kayla. I’m a Wanderer now, one of the youngest ever. But I just found out you are my father. I want to leave here, but I don’t know how to get out of here. I need help.” She finished her message, and watched as it went straight up and through the ceiling. A few moments later, a message came through her door, and she thought hers was unable to leave the building. But it was Brendon, and he looked frantic.
   “I’m in trouble, I need a place to hide. Send an answer back as soon as possible,” it said, and it disappeared. She once again, pointed her wand at herself and said, “Communicatus. Of course, hurry, just transport here.” Her message left, and within minutes, Brendon appeared at the foot of her bed.
   “What’s going on?” she asked, worried by the sight of him. He was covered in cold sweat, and looked terrified. “They found out that I got bit by the ghoul. They say, even though you healed it, I’ll still have some of the effects of it. They think I’ll be reminiscent of a werewolf, changing uncontrollably into a ghoul. They want to kill me!” he explained, breathlessly. She looked at him, and then started packing. “I’ll make a distraction, when I do, go pack. Then meet me back here. I think we’ve outgrown our stay here,” she said, throwing as many clothes as she could into her bag.
   She opened her door, then aimed her wand carefully at the ceiling and said, “Peridiciun.” The roof exploded, and it started to cave in. Several Wanderers showed up, and were trying to stop it. This jinx was one of her specialties, so it was hard for them to keep up with it. “GO!” She hissed and Brendon. He teleported himself to his house, and within only a few moments he was back.
   Kayla locked the door, and turned and sealed up her bag. “Where are we going to go?” Brendon asked. “To my parents. They’ll be willing to let us in,” she replied. “How will they know where to find us?” Brendon asked. Kayla picked up her bag and said, “With the same way we just did. Messages.” Brendon nodded, and then gasped. Kayla turned around and saw Walden standing in the doorway. There were about ten Wanderers behind him, all with wands aimed at them. “Going somewhere?” Walden asked, a malicious smile spreading across his face.
   Kayla looked around, clearly realizing their odds were well beyond overcoming. “Yes, actually I am. He’s coming with me,” she said to Walden, keeping her voice steady and calm. “Why such the hurry? Why no goodbye’s?” he asked. Kayla started worrying, she didn’t know how long she could keep this up. “Because, I’ve found out why you’ve kept so many secrets from me. I’ve realized why it is that no one seems to know how I got here, and why I don’t fit in so well,” she said, defiance growing in her tone. “Oh, and why is that?” Walden asked. “I’m Tyler Moore’s daughter,” she replied holding her head high.
   Several Wanderers gasped and whispered behind their hands. Walden, however, suddenly looked terrified. He raised his wand and started saying the incantation for the death jinx, but Kayla reacted swiftly. “Komatos!” She cried. Walden fell to the ground unconscious, and before anyone knew what happened, she grabbed Brendon, pointed her wand at herself and said, “Transporasis!”
   She had never used the jinx before, but she didn’t like it. It was painful, suffocating. She couldn’t breathe, she felt like she was being pressed in from every side. After a few moments of this, she appeared in the middle of an empty street. Brendon was panting next to her, and he asked, “What the hell was that?” “Teleportation jinx. Better then the teleportation things we used there,” replied Kayla. They were standing outside an old crooked looking house. It looked like people recently moved in, and there was a grave in the front yard.
   A cloudy image flew out of the front door of the house, and stopped right in front of them. Kayla held her wand out, just to be safe. The image cleared slightly, and Kayla recognized the image, it was Tyler Moore. “We live in an old looking house, very crooked. Across the street is a cozy looking house. We’ll be waiting outside for you,” the image said.
   Kayla looked up at the house on the other side of the street. It looked like a very cozy house, and very quaint. Then she looked at the other house, it was old looking enough. What were the odds that she teleported them to this spot? Could it actually be Tyler’s house? What did the image mean by ‘We’ll be waiting outside for you,’? Who was ‘they’? How many of them were there?
   “Kayla?” Brendon said, raising his wand. They could see four figures making their way towards them, but it was almost impossible to see who in the dark. “Incinerate,” one of the voices said. There was suddenly a bright light from one of the figures. They were definitely Warlocs, but could they be trusted? Kayla wasn’t sure, so she kept her wand out.
   “What do you think James?” came a voice with a thick British accent. “She definitely looks like her. What do you think Carly?” a second voice said. “My God. She looks so beautiful. I can’t believe this,” the third voice came. This was obviously Carly, the only girl so far. “I’ve been waiting for this day for so very long,” came the fourth voice. This voice came from the figure holding the light. His voice was familiar and welcoming. The light slowly raised itself upwards, and the light fell over their faces.
   Tyler’s face was the first one Kayla recognized. He was holding the light high over his head so everyone could be seen. Carly was standing next to him, lowering her wand. The other two, James and the one with the British accent, kept their wands out. They weren’t aiming at Kayla and Brendon though, they were looking around, making sure they were alone.
   “Mom, Dad?” Kayla said quite shyly. Tyler and Carly smiled brightly, and Carly started to cry. They walked towards her and pulled her into a hug. Brendon stood there, uncomfortably, not sure what he should do. They continued hugging for a few moments, when out of nowhere several figures appeared in the shadows. Tyler lowered his wand into a defensive stance, and pulled Kayla behind him. Carly raised her wand again, while James grabbed Brendon by the collar of the shirt, pushing him behind them as well. The one with the British accent held his wand at his side, keeping it concealed.
   “Having a nice family reunion?” a voice called from the darkness. Kayla raised her wand out of instinct and noticed that Brendon did as well. They both recognized the voice immediately, it was their teacher. “He’s going to try to use the torture jinx on you,” Kayla whispered to the four people in front of her. Tyler nodded, and said, “Yes, and you have no business intruding. Now, get out of here.” The Wanderers laughed heartily. “No, we aren’t leaving unless the deserters come with us,” replied the teacher.
   “If your talking about my daughter, she isn’t a deserter. She left a place that held her captive. She was taken from us unwillingly. Ancient magic doesn’t hold her to any kind of ties to you. As for the boy with her, he stays too,” replied Tyler defiantly. “Then, I suppose we intrude. Tortris!” Cried the teacher. “Protectus,” Tyler muttered. The jinx was deflected instantly, as Carly and Kayla said at the same time, “Stungint!” Their jinxes hit two separate Wanderers, and they both fell to the ground. Brendon pointed his wand at one of the last ones and said, “Komatos!” the Wanderer fell unconscious. All that was left was the teacher. “Now, take your friends and leave,” Tyler said Threateningly. The Wanderer nodded in defeat, teleported his helpers, and then himself.
   Tyler turned to the rest of them and said, “Let’s get inside before more show up.” They all followed him into the house. Kayla felt beside herself, unsure what to think of the generous hospitality. The house was bigger on the inside then it looked from the outside. The made their way into the kitchen, where Tyler and Carly hugged her again and said, “Welcome home.”

Chapter Eleven
Tanner and the Ghoul

   Tyler woke the next morning to the sound of arguing. He looked at Carly, and noticed she too was waking up. They got dressed rather groggily, then slowly made their way downstairs. Kayla was standing in the living room arguing with her friend, whose name Tyler learned to be Brendon. “I’m just saying, you’ve got to learn how to control this stupid thing,” Kayla said irritably. She stopped herself once she noticed that Tyler and Carly were standing in the room.
   “I suppose we should all have a quick conversation,” Tyler said, indicating for Kayla and Brendon to sit down. Kayla and Brendon exchanged nervous looks, but sat down regardless. Tyler and Carly sat down across from them, and smiled politely. “So, what we need to talk to you about is, well, we need to know your story. How’d you figure out that we were your parents, how you got out. Also, Brendon, we will need to know some things about you. Such as your story, and why you were with our daughter,” Tyler said as politely as possible. He didn’t want them to get the wrong impression, they were welcome, but they needed to be sure of a few things.
   Kayla looked surprised, but nevertheless she answered. “Well, I found out you were my parents because of him,” she said, pointing at Brendon. Tyler and Carly nodded, but stayed silent, so Kayla continued her story. “We’ve known each other for as long as I can remember. He is my best friend. We had our first lesson, and Walden thought our progress was so advanced that we didn’t need any more lessons. Shortly after that, Brendon told me he believed you were my parents. I decided then that I was going to leave, and only a few minutes before I finished packing, he showed up in my room. He was in trouble, and would have been killed if he didn’t leave with me,” Kayla explained.
   Tyler was rubbing his chin, thinking, he then looked at Brendon and said, “If Walden decided you were far enough advanced to not need lessons, he must have made you Wanderers?” Brendon nodded, pulled his sleeve up and showed them his mark. Kayla moved her hair out of the way, and revealed the small W behind her ear. Tyler leaned back in his seat, sighed and then said, “O.K. Brendon, what’s your story?”
   Shaking slightly, Brendon put his hands on his knees and told them everything he had told Kayla. About how he overheard his father talking with Walden about Jane’s kidnapping job. Then how Walden left the picture on the counter, and how he thought that Kayla looked like Carly. He told them he pieced it together, and then let her know.
   “What about the trouble you were in?” Carly asked Brendon. He glanced at Kayla, and she nodded, and then looked at Tyler and said, “During our lesson, we had to fight off a banshee and a ghoul. Well, as I was trying to take care of the banshee, the ghoul jumped on me.. It bit into my shoulder,” he said, pulling his collar down to show the scar. “Luckily Kayla was there, she decapitated it, and healed my wound,” he finished. “Oliver, could you come in here?” Tyler called.
   A few moments later, the man with the British accent came into the room, and Kayla realized finally he was Oliver. “What’s up?” he said, glancing from Tyler to Brendon. “He got bit by a ghoul, but she healed it. Could you look at it, tell us if we should expect any… Changes?” Tyler replied, picking his words carefully. “Of course,” Oliver replied, turning to Brendon. “Let me see it,” Oliver said, and Brendon showed him the scar. Getting close to it, Oliver sighed slightly then said, “It is likely that he will change into a ghoul. Not permanently of course, more to the liking of a werewolf. It’ll be uncontrollable, but, with the right protection, it should be manageable.” Tyler nodded, and then looked deeply at Brendon.
   “You have cut all ties to the Wanderers then?” he asked. Kayla and Brendon nodded their heads. “You swear to it?” Carly asked. They both nodded again, and with that Tyler beamed at them and said, “Well then, you’re welcome to make yourselves at home. If you need anything at all, just ask.” Kayla let a smile spread across her face, and squeezed Brendon’s shoulder. At that moment, Tanner walked into the room, then stopped at the sight of the two newcomers. He quickly drew his wand and said, “Who are they?!” “Tanner, put your wand away. That’s no way to treat your sister,” Carly said sternly. Tanner glared at Kayla for a moment before saying, “So the traitor made her way home huh? Going to jinx us in our sleep?” “Tanner! What has gotten into you?” Tyler said. “Nothing, as long as she minds her manners,” he replied. “Don’t worry,” Kayla said. “I don’t need to be in your room to make you pee your bed,” she finished with a smirk.
   Tanner shot her the worst glare he could muster, and Tyler said, “Alright, enough! You two are family, act like it!” Tanner gave her one last glare, and then stormed out of the room. “Don’t let him bother you. He never liked it when we talked about you. He liked being the only child,” Carly said. “But I promise, he’ll warm up to you. Just got to give him some time is all.” Kayla doubted very much that they would get along ever.
   The next few days went on similar to this. Any time Kayla and Tanner passed each other, it was like watching a couple of gunslingers. They would circle around each other and back away until the other was out of sight. Tyler caught Tanner trying to jinx her while her back was turned, and took his wand away from him as punishment. Carly apologized many times to Kayla for his behavior, and every time Kayla shook it off. She didn’t care that he didn’t like her, she was used to it. She had grown up with it, and wasn’t about to let someone, related or not, bother her.
   “I swear, if he’s not careful, she’s going to make him pee his bed, just like she said she would,” Tyler said to Carly late one night. Carly chuckled but said, “I don’t think Tanner is that thick headed. I think he’s just testing her boundaries.” “So what happens when he pushes them to far?” Tyler replied. Carly wasn’t able to answer this question. She shrugged then opened up a book and started reading. A moment later there was a frantic knock at their bedroom door.
   “Come in,” Tyler said. He was surprised to see Oliver standing in the doorway. But when he looked closer he saw Kayla standing behind him. “What’s wrong?” Tyler said getting to his feet and putting shoes on. “Its Brendon. I think he’s about to go through his first change,” Oliver replied. Tyler grabbed his wand off the nightstand and said, “Lets take him up to the attic. We can at least try to keep him contained there.”
   They made their way to the room Brendon was staying in, and when the got there, he looked terrified. “My skin, I can pull it off,” he said, fear heavy in his voice. “That’s natural, as a ghoul, your skin is technically dead. Don’t pull on it though, otherwise you’ll have bad scaring,” Oliver said. “Quickly now, come with us,” Tyler said. They led him to the attic, and told Kayla to stay in her room. They locked the attic door behind them, and waited.
   “Is it going to hurt?” Brendon asked. “The transformation?” “No, but I am afraid we may have to hurt you to keep you contained. I promise we’ll keep things as light as possible,” Oliver replied. Brendon nodded, and started looking paler. His breath started getting shorter, and raspier. Tyler noticed as his hair started falling out in clumps that his eyes were starting to glaze over. Oliver shifted on his feet and held his wand in front of him. Brendon collapsed, and no more breath came from him.
   Tyler looked at him, then at Oliver and said, “Is he dead?” Oliver chuckled slightly and said, “Of course he is. Ghouls are not living.” Tyler raised his eyebrows and said, “Hmm.” “It shouldn’t be but a minute now,” Oliver said. He was very tense and sweating badly. The mood in the room felt like it might snap due to the tenseness of the situation. “Any minute,” Oliver repeated more to himself.
   Looking down at the greening body that was Brendon, Tyler noticed one of the arms twitch. The rest of the body seemed to be waking up, and it slowly rose to its feet. When it turned to face them, Tyler let a gasp slip through his lips. It’s eyes were glazed over, and it’s face looked violent. It started creeping towards them, and Oliver held his wand ready. It made a leap for them, but Oliver said, “Repulso!” A green light emanated from his wand, and stood in front of them like a shield. It forced itself forward, keeping the ghoul held back. Tyler watched amazed at the concentration on Oliver’s face. It looked like it was troubling him to do this. The ghoul jumped at the barrier and was forced backwards into the wall, making a loud crash.
   Tyler noticed something change in the room, and apparently so did Oliver, because the barrier was gone. The attic door was open, and Tanner was standing in the doorway. “I wondered what all the racket was up here,” he said. “Tanner, go back downstairs. We have this under control,” Tyler said as he flicked his wand at the ghoul, sending it flying backwards again. “No, I’ll make quick work of this,” Tanner replied pulling out his wand. “How did you get that back… Tanner NO!” Tyler yelled as Tanner ran for the ghoul, wand raised. “Expulso!” Tanner yelled. The ghoul was sent flying through the roof, and Tanner jumped after it. “TANNER!” Tyler yelled.
   He went to jump through the roof, but as he did so, the roof sealed itself again. Tyler bolted out of the attic door and down the stairs, praying nothing happened to Tanner. He threw the front door open, and ran to where he saw a body on the ground. He hoped it was the ghouls, and as he got closer, he felt something hit him in the side. He was sent flying through the air, and he landed on his stomach. He looked up to see what happened, and he saw Tanner hiding behind a trash can, pressing his fingers against his lips.
   “GET OVER HERE NOW!” Tyler mouthed. Tanner shook his head, then crept out from behind the trash can. The ghoul was already on its feet, and it noticed that Tanner came out of hiding. It started stalking around him, Tyler pointed his wand in between them, and waited. He knew any minute the creature would pounce. Before he knew it, the ghoul lunged for Tanner, and Tanner hesitated, and the ghoul was on top of him. Tyler ran out to him, and yelled, “Repulso!” The jinx hit the ghoul with so much force that it made it roll a few feet. The green light seemed to keep the ghoul held against the ground, it tried to move, and growled fiercly.
   “GET IN THE HOUSE NOW!” Tyler yelled. “But Dad, I can help!” Tanner protested. “I said get in the house!” Tyler replied. Tanner tromped off, swearing loudly, and then he slammed the front door shut. ‘Just a few more minutes,’ Tyler thought to himself. The sun had already started to come up on the horizon, in just a matter of minutes, Brendon would change back into himself. At long last the sun broke through the tree line, and the ghoul started gaining color in its skin, and the hair started growing back. After a few seconds, Brendon’s body lay motionless on the ground.
   Tyler lifted the anit-ghoul jinx, and helped him up. He was rubbing his neck, and squinting his eyes. He looked like he had just woken up from a long nap. “How bad was I? Why are we outside? What happened?!” Brendon asked, starting to get frantic. “Confortare,” Tyler said softly. Brendon started calming down at once, and Tyler said, “Tanner had the brilliant idea to try to fight you on his own. You almost killed him, but don’t worry, he’s alright. Mad at me though for not letting him help. I’ll probably pay for that some day. It was for his own good though, how do you feel?” Brendon looked around, cracked his neck and said, “Feeling better the longer I’m in control I guess.” “Great, how about some breakfast?” Tyler said. “That’d be great,” replied Brendon.
   “YOU IDIOT!” They heard Kayla shriek somewhere in the house. There was a loud sound like a shotgun blast, and Tanner came flying out of one of the windows. He rolled backwards on the grass for a moment, then quickly got to his feet. Kayla was emerging through the window, and Tanner started firing stunning jinxes at her. She merely flicked her wand and deflected them. “Petrificare!” Tyler said. He twitched his wand twice when he said it, and the jinx hit both Kayla and Tanner.
   They both stood rooted to the spot, as Tyler walked in between them. “Alright, what is the deal?!” he asked. Carly and James came out of the broken window as well, looking confused. “He told me he attacked a ghoul last night! How many ghouls do we know that just wander around here?!” Kayla screamed. “Whoa, whoa. Calm down,” Carly said. “Tanner, is this true?” she asked him. He nodded and said, “Dad and Oliver had one locked in the attic. I told them I would take care of it. But Dad made me go inside, so I thought I’d tell her about it,” He replied. Carly put her head in her hands and said, “Tanner, you are not old enough, let alone good enough to fight a ghoul on your own. There is a reason your father and Oliver had that ghoul up there. The ghoul is Brendon. They were trying to help him. The next time you go to take care of something, don’t” Tanner looked hurt, and infuriated at the same time. “Fine,” he said. Tyler let them both out of the binding jinxes, but said, “No more jinxes on each other, or you lose your wands. Understood?” They both nodded, then went back into the house.
   Tyler pointed his wand at the broken window and said, “Tectonicus.” He looked at Carly and James, then turned to Brendon and said, “You better get inside. We’ll get some breakfast for you in a moment.” He nodded, and then went into the house. Tyler looked at James and said, “Who would’ve thought raising kids would be so difficult?” “Honestly, I don’t think they would’ve had these problems if they were never separated,” replied James. “I agree,” Said Carly. Tyler stood there with his hands on his hips, then looked across the street when he heard a door open.
   “Everything alright, Tyler?” Walter asked. “Just sibling rivalry. Thanks Walter,” Tyler replied. Walter waved, and went back into his house. “Where is Oliver?” Tyler asked as they walked back into the house. “He hasn’t come down from the attic. Is he alright?” James replied. “I’m not sure, I’ll go check on him,” replied Tyler. He made his way up the stairs, and opened the attic door. Oliver was sitting against the wall with his head on his knees. “You O.K.?” Tyler asked him. Oliver looked up at him with watery eyes and said, “I don’t like ghouls.” “I’m sorry, you could’ve said something,” Tyler replied. Oliver shook his head and stood up. “I needed to do this, to help me move on,” he said. Tyler looked confused, and Oliver rubbed his chin.
   “My wife was turned into a ghoul the day after we got married, and I had to kill her. I haven’t recovered from it. I guess this just brought up old memories,” Oliver explained. Tyler stood there for a moment, feeling awkward. “I’m sorry,” he said. “No, it’s fine. You couldn’t have known. That’s one thing we have in common Tyler. We both keep things held inside. Damned if we do, damned if we don’t I suppose huh?” replied Oliver. Tyler stood there for a moment, then nodded once. “Care for some breakfast?” Tyler asked. Oliver nodded, and they made their way downstairs.
   They entered the kitchen where everyone else was getting situated to start eating. Tyler pulled out a chair and sat down next to the seat he knew Carly would sit at. Tanner had two plates in his hands, and Tyler took notice. “That’s nice of you Tanner. Who is that for?” Tyler said, Tanner scoffed slightly and said, “It’s for Brendon.” He sat down next to Tyler and then set a plate in front of him, and then turned to Brendon and said, “Here you go buddy. Fresh of the ground, just how you like it.” He tipped the plate over letting the food fall to the floor. Carly was walking behind him when he did this, and she smacked him upside his head. “Ouch, what was that for?” Tanner demanded.
   “For being rude, now clean this up, and when your done, you may get yourself another plate,” replied Carly. She took the plate from in front of him, and handed it to Brendon. “Mom, he wont like that. It’s not raw and screaming for mercy,” Tanner said, trying his luck. This time Tyler popped the back of his head and said, “Quit being so rude. If you don’t knock this off, I will snap your wand. Now do what your mother told you, and pick up the food.” Tanner glared at him, but did as he was told. Tyler exchanged long looks with Carly and Oliver. He was sure that they were all thinking the same exact thing. The thought almost made Tyler shudder, and he picked at his food. He didn’t eat much, because he lost his appetite. He sat there in a daze for a few minutes, and then shook it off. He helped Carly clean the kitchen and the dishes, and then everyone settled in the living room to watch television. After an hour or so, everyone had fallen asleep.

Chapter Twelve
Tanner’s Lesson

   The next few days were fairly quiet, with the exception of a few outbursts from Tanner and Kayla. A few times Tyler had to take Tanner’s wand away. For some reason, Tanner couldn’t resist the opportunity to try jinxing Kayla or Brendon while their backs were turned. Tyler and Carly had both yelled at him for it. “That’s a good sign of a coward to jinx someone while they’re not looking!” Carly said sternly. Tanner rolled his eyes, and Carly held him by the shoulders and looked into his eyes, “It is not power to try to fight someone every day, nor to try to do while their unexpecting it,” she said more calmly this time.
   Tanner looked at her, and then she let him go. He stalked away and up to his bedroom. Tyler came into the room and looked at Carly. “I don’t know what we’re going to do. No matter how many times we talk to him, yell at him, or take his wand, he just doesn’t stop,” Tyler said.
“I know,” replied Carly. Their worst fears were seemingly coming to pass. It seemed that Tanner was indeed headed down a different path then they had hoped. “I think I’ll talk to Oliver about it,” Tyler said.
   “Talk to me about what?” Oliver said. Tyler turned around and saw Oliver standing in the doorway. “Look, we don’t know what to do with Tanner. No matter how many times we punish him, he doesn’t change. What do we do?” Tyler explained. Oliver rubbed his chin, and then said, “I think that for now at least, maybe you should just let things happen. If Kayla has enough, she’ll let him know. I don’t think she is in any real harm from him. He’ll learn one way or another.”
   Tyler looked at Carly, who nodded. Tyler nodded too, and then said, “Well, then I suppose that’s what we’ll do.” With that, he walked up the stairs and knocked on Tanners bedroom door. “Intrude,” Tanners voice called from inside the room. Tyler opened the door, and as he grabbed the door handle, his wand vibrated in his pocket violently. Suddenly Tyler had a very nervous feeling. He didn’t know what it was, but shoved it back, and opened the door.
   Tanners room was dark and it barely looked like it was lived in. The only place that looked like a mess was the book shelf. There was a mess of books strewn about, unorganized on the book shelf. Tanner was sitting on his bed, reading one of them, and when Tyler came in, he looked up from it lazily. “Yes?” he asked.
   “O.K. so, since you cant seem to get along with your sister, or Brendon, we’ve decided to quit punishing you,” Tyler began. A smirk spread across Tanners face as he opened his mouth to speak. Tyler held up a hand to silence him and said, “I would urge you to be cautious Tanner. Your sister has magic that not even I have seen before. She can, and most likely will take care of herself. If you attack her, and she fights back, we’re not going to intervene. There is one thing you must learn Tanner, you must. You keeping picking fights like you do, and someone is going to be better than you. Someone is going to one-up you. Just, be cautious. Don’t pick fights because you don’t like someone. Magic should only be used in a fight as a defense, not to attack without warning.”
   Tanner kept his gaze fixed on Tyler. Something was running through his mind, but Tyler wasn’t sure what it was. Tanner finally opened his mouth and said, “Don’t worry, she wont be better than me. Neither will her ghoul buddy. I’m too good for either of them.” Tyler looked at him crossly, but calmed himself quickly. “All your mother and I ask for from you, is a little humility. You have to realize that there are some battles you can’t win on your own. You aren’t invincible Tanner. I hope you learn that before it’s too late,” he said.
   Tyler turned and left the room, and when he closed the door, he let the feeling of uneasiness overtake him. He collapsed to the floor and his vision went black. He could hear voices, but couldn’t make out what they were saying. ‘Come on, concentrate,’ he heard his mothers voice say quietly. He tried to focus his thoughts, and blurred images started to form in front of him. He focused on closing his mind as hard as he could, and the images became clearer.
   It was him and Carly standing at an alter. They were getting married, everyone he knew was there, as well as thousands of elves. Carly and himself kissed, and the images swirled slightly. ‘Focus!’ his mothers voice repeated. He tried with all his might, and the image became clear again. The scene had changed completely, he was lying on the ground, and someone was standing over him. Carly was being held by something, or someone. Kayla was nowhere to be seen, and James lay dead behind the figure standing in front of Tyler.
   Tyler looked closer at the figure, and looked in horror, as Tanner stood over him, wand aimed at Tyler’s chest. “Explodere,” Tanner’s figure said calmly. Tyler started to scream, only it was really him, not his future self. He was being shaken by someone, and he heard another voice. “Dad?! DAD!? MOM! OLIVER, HELP!” Kayla yelled loudly. Tyler could hear thunderous footsteps racing up the stairs.
   “Move,” Oliver said calmly. Tyler could feel a wand on his face, and Oliver said, “Confortare.” Tyler calmed at a rapid pace, but the images of Tanner killing him wouldn’t leave his eyes. He forced them open, and the first face he saw was Kayla’s. They were full of tears, and she was hugging Carly, who looked worried. James and Brendon were standing behind them, both looking confused by what was going on. Tyler looked to his right, and saw Tanner standing in his bedroom doorway.
   He didn’t have a look of concern on his face. His face was blank, and he turned and closed his door behind him. Tyler was helped to his feet by Oliver and James. They helped him downstairs and set him in a chair. “Kayla, get him some cold water,” Carly said, trying to get her out of the room. “Brendon, would you go help her please,” Oliver joined in. Brendon and Kayla both left the room without question. They must’ve known it was a hint to leave. Oliver looked at Tyler and said, “What did you see?”
   Carly and James both looked at Oliver like he was crazy. But Tyler didn’t hesitate to speak. “I was at our wedding,” he said looking at Carly. “We were at the alter, everyone I know was there. There were a lot of elves too, I had trouble focusing. We kissed, and then everything kind of swirled. I heard my mom’s voice, she was telling me to concentrate. After I regained focus, I was on the ground, looking up at Tanner. Kayla was gone, and Carly, you were being held by someone. I didn’t see what happened to you, Oliver. James was,” he had stopped himself, and James caught his eye.
   “You were dead,” finished Tyler. James’ eyes widened, and Carly and Oliver looked intently at Tyler. “What happened next Tyler?” Oliver prodded. Tyler closed his eyes, and pressed his hands against his forehead. “Tanner had his wand aimed at me. He killed me, using the explodere jinx,” he said. Carly gasped slightly, and Oliver’s eyes widened. James didn’t make any acknowledgement that he head anything else. He was still trying to process being told he was dead.
   “Have you ever seen anything like this before?” Oliver asked. Tyler shook his head, putting it in his hands. “There is history of future seeing in your family though, isn’t there?” He asked. Tyler nodded and said, “My mom could. She predicted Walden’s attack, which is why I gave Carly the warning to bring her wand.” They all sat in silence for a moment, and Oliver spoke up, “Well then, we must be prepared. We have to keep Tanner under close supervision from now on.”
   They didn’t say anything more about it, and after a minute, Kayla came into the room carrying a tray of water and crackers. She set it down on the table, and looked at Tyler. “Did you see it too?” she asked. Tyler looked at her, and said, “What do you mean?” “Come on Dad, I’m not that stupid. I saw you and moms wedding day, Tanner showed up and attacked. He was fast, and he killed you,” Kayla explained hurriedly. She didn’t seem very calm, but held her composure well. Everyone was now looking at her very intently. “I think there is one more thing you should know,” Kayla said. “What’s that?” Tyler said quietly. “It happens a lot sooner than you think. I couldn’t get an exact date. But he looked exactly like he does now. I think it’ll happen within the month,” she replied. James and Oliver looked at her incredulously, and said, “But that would kind of require Tyler and Carly to be engaged, let alone married,” James said.
   Kayla raised her eyebrows and said, “I know.” “Are you implying your parents are planning to get married without telling anyone?” Oliver asked. Tyler and Carly exchanged looks, and then Tyler said, “We are, actually. We didn’t want to have a big wedding, and so we were going to wait to tell everyone. We wanted to have the wedding, at the end of the month.” Oliver and James now looked at them shocked.
   There was a slight tension in the room for a few moments, which was broken by James. “Well then, I guess we have a little bit of reason to worry,” he said. Everyone nodded, but stayed in their seats. Tyler stood up and said, “I think we should all get to bed.” They all agreed, and then stood up and made their way to bed.
   Carly and Tyler changed into their pajamas, and climbed into bed. They drifted into an easy peace, and sleep overtook them. Kayla still lie awake in her bed, thinking about what she had seen, and how odd it was that her and Tyler saw the same thing. She was uneasy as she drifted into a restless sleep.

   The next morning came much to soon, Tyler thought as he took his shower. He got out and dried off. He pulled on a pair of jeans, and a long sleeve shirt, grabbed a pair of shoes, and slowly made his way downstairs. He opened the kitchen door, and stopped. There was a huge hole in the wall, and he just looked at it. ‘What the hell happened?’ he thought to himself. He turned and noticed that the kitchen door wasn’t on its hinges any more. He saw Tanner standing in the living room with a grin on his face.
   Understanding swept over Tyler, and he turned just in time to see Kayla coming through the hole in the wall. She looked dangerous, and Tyler stepped out of her way. “Rocorpus!” She shouted, the spell hit Tanner, and he flew through the living room wall. Tyler walked to the cupboard, and grabbed a bowl. He poured himself some cereal, added some milk, and then sat down at the table.
   A few moments later, Kayla came crashing through the door frame, and she quickly got to her feet. She deflected a jinx that Tanner shot at her, and it flew towards the table. Tyler calmly lifted his bowl just as the jinx hit where it was sitting. He set it back down, and continued eating. Kayla, aimed her wand carefully and said, “Petrificare!” Tyler looked up in time to see the spell hit Tanner in the face. He straightened up, and fell to the floor.
   Tyler finished his cereal, and then stood up and walked over to where Tanner lay on the ground. Kayla still had her wand aimed at him. “Lower your wand Kayla,” Tyler said, very calmly. She did as she was told, and then Tyler leaned down over Tanner, and said, “I told you she’d do that, didn’t I?” Tanner glared up at him, and said, “She got lucky.” Tyler shook his head, then said, “No, she wasn’t lucky. She’s better than you Tanner. I tried to tell you that.” “NO ONE IS BETTER THAN ME!” Tanner shouted in his face. “O.K. Have it your way then. I’ll let you up a little later,” replied Tyler.
   He left Tanner bound to the floor, and pulled Kayla away by her arm. He looked at her and said, “Nicely done. But I wont encourage you to fight him. I didn’t intervene, because I want him to learn somehow that he isn’t the best there is. You did wonderfully, don’t get me wrong, but try to avoid it at all costs, alright?” Kayla looked up at him and nodded.
   Tanner shouted at everyone that passed him to let him up, but no one listen. Oliver even chuckled as he passed him, but left him on the ground. “Kayla’s doing?” he asked Tyler. Tyler looked in the direction Oliver was pointing and said, “Yeah. I tried to warn him.” Tyler heard a thud, and then heard, “Oh, sorry Tanner. What are you doing on the floor?” Carly asked. “He is there because he attacked his sister, and she proved to be better than him,” Tyler explained. “SHE IS NOT BETTER THAN ME!” Tanner screamed from the floor. “O.K. If you say so, but I don’t see her stuck to the floor,” replied Tyler.
   Carly entered the kitchen and said, “Is that really nice? Leaving him on the floor?” Tyler looked at her, then said, “Oh, alright. I’ll let him up.” Tyler leaned over Tanner and waved his wand over him. Tanner acted so fast, Tyler almost didn’t know what was happening. Tanner had his wand raised before Tyler could raise his. “Rocorpus!” Tanner shouted. As the jinx hit Tyler, and he was sent through the air, he thought to himself, ‘Why didn’t I take his wand?’ He felt his body crash through the roof of the house.
   He fell back through the same way he came, but landed on his back. Carly came into the room, followed closely by Oliver and Kayla, all had their wands out. “Disarment!” Tanner said to all of them. Their wands all fell out of their hands, and they were sent backwards. He turned towards Tyler, and said, “Petrificare Fortificatio!” Tyler felt his limbs being pressed against his body. He lay motionless on the floor, and looked at Tanner. Kayla and Carly were the first to get back into the room.
   Kayla rolled across the ground, grabbing her wand. She pointed it at Tanner and said, “Stungint!” “Protectus!” Tanner shouted almost in synchronicity with Kayla. The spell bounced from him, and hit her. She slumped over, and fell to the floor. Carly aimed her wand at him and said, “Komatos!” Tanner once again deflected the jinx, and hit her in the face. She fell to the ground unconscious. Oliver appeared in the door way, and Tanner yelled, “Komatos!” Oliver fell to the ground as well.
   Tanner walked over to Tyler, and kicked him in the face. Tyler’s nose broke, and he looked up at his son, who was smiling. “I told you no one was better than me,” he said. “Once again, you fight dirty Tanner. I promise, you wouldn’t have been so fortunate had you done this properly,” replied Tyler. They looked at each other for a long time, and then Tanner said, “I think my time here is done. I’ll be leaving now, and don’t worry. I wont be back.” He pointed his wand at himself, and said, “Transporasis.” Just as he did this, Brendon arrived at the bottom of the staircase, and said, “Folgian!”
   James emerged from the stairs as well, and he waved his wand and said, “Wacian.” Carly and Oliver got off the floor, and Carly went to Kayla’s side. She held her in her arms, and waited. A few moments later, Kayla woke up. Oliver walked over to Tyler, and worked at getting him released from the bind. It took longer than usual, but after a moment, he did it. Tyler got to his feet, then looked at Brendon and said, “What was that jinx you used on him?” Brendon looked at Tyler, and then said, “It’s a tracer jinx. It’ll tell me exactly where he is, any time I want.” Tyler raised his eyebrows and said, “Is that one of your own?” Brendon nodded.
   Tyler thanked him, and then started fixing the house. Carly, Oliver, and James helped him, and in a matter of minutes they had it looking good as new. Kayla hugged Brendon, a little closer of a hug then Tyler thought necessary. He had a sneaking suspicion that they had a bit of a crush on each other. He never had the heart to actually confront them about it though. He walked back into the kitchen, and made everyone sit at the table.
   “Well, since this happened, I guess that means that we really have to be careful now. If what Kayla and I saw is going to happen, then we must be ready. I guess now would be a good time to tell you all, that we have decided on a date. The last Tuesday of the month. A week from now,” Tyler said. They all nodded, and then Oliver spoke, “Should we call the elves? We may need their help.” “Yes, of course. I’ll do that later today,” replied Tyler. They continued their plans while eating their breakfast. Tyler felt a sense of unease amongst them, but tried to enjoy the next week as much as possible. He looked at James, sincerely hoping that part of his vision was wrong.

Chapter Thirteen
The Wedding

   The rest of the day went on with a feeling of unease. Tyler couldn’t shake the vision out of his memory. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Tanner killing him, or the image of James’ dead body laying in front of him. Carly had tried to break the tension more than once, but gave up, realizing that this was something Tyler needed to shake off on his own. She slowly made her way up to their bedroom, and gently knocked on the door.
   “Come in,” Tyler said. Carly eased the door open, took a step inside and said, “I’m going to take Kayla to the store. We’re going to go start getting some decorations for the wedding. We should be back in a couple of hours.” Tyler nodded, and Carly left him in the room. She then turned around, and was surprised to see Kayla standing behind her.
   “We’re going out?” Kayla said. “Yes, I want you to come with me. You can help me pick out some nice decorations,” Carly replied. “O.K.” Kayla said, a slight look of surprise on her face. They made their way downstairs together, and Kayla grabbed her coat, and slid her wand up the sleeve. Carly noticed and said, “I don’t think we’ll need wands while we’re out. We’re only going to the store.” “Yeah, but dad got attacked just getting snacks from a gas station. Plus, with Tanner being missing, I’m not risking anything,” Replied Kayla. Carly nodded her approval, and they left.
   The drive was a short one, the closest store was a Wal-Mart, and it was only a couple miles away. They parked close to the store, due to Carly’s habits. She always did, she never liked parking very far away. Kayla grabbed a cart, and followed Carly to the decorations area of the store. When they got there, she had trouble finding anything she liked. Everything was so unlike her. Bright, cheery, everything you would expect from a wedding day. They were the exact opposite of what she was feeling.
   She was anxious, on edge, and sharply alert. Every small noise made her jump, and she had trouble staying focused on conversation. “Kayla, have you heard anything I’ve suggested?” Carly asked her, putting an arm on her shoulder. “Yeah, I’m sorry. I’m just, out of it. I guess a wedding seems out of place with everything that’s been going on lately,” Kayla replied.
   “I understand. I know this is kind of odd, but your father and I want to try to keep a little peace in this insanity that has become our lives,” Carly said. “I know, I suppose my head just isn’t in it yet. I’ve got a lot going on up there,” Kayla said softly. Suddenly a thought came to her, and she said, “Why not have this wedding exactly how you want it? Screw traditional weddings. Do things differently?” Carly looked up from the ribbon she was looking at, considered what Kayla had said, and then smiled.
   “The color purple is nice, and not so conventional for a wedding,” Carly said, her smile growing wider. Kayla smiled back at her, and conspicuously slid her wand out of her sleeve. She waved it at some of the white ribbon, and it looked as if purple paint was falling down the length of it. She did this a few more times with some more ribbon, until they had all they needed. They did the same thing with table cloths and napkins, and then with some plastic utensils.
   After they had all their decorations in order, and in their cart, they made their way to the bakery. “Should we get a purple cake too?” Kayla asked, grinning slightly. Carly let out a small laugh. “No, I think ocean blue would be nice. It’s Tyler’s favorite color. I want to do something nice for him too. It isn’t just my day you know?” Carly replied. They approached the counter, and asked the baker for the best cake he could make.
   “It’ll take me a few hours to make,” The baker said through a heavy French accent. “That’s fine, we’ll be back to pick it up,” replied Carly. They went to the checkout counter, paid for the decorations, and started making their way out of the store. Kayla noticed something hanging on the wall, and she changed course to look at it. She gasped, and took one of the many sheets of paper and handed it to Carly.
   “I don’t believe it,” Carly whispered. On the paper was her, Tyler’s, Kayla’s, James, Brendon, and Oliver’s sketches, the papers were wanted posters. “The government is looking for us. Ever since Walden revealed our kind to them, I’m sure he’s posing to be friendly, and has named us as murderers or something horrible. They want us alive at least. A million dollar reward for each of us,” Carly read in pieces. She crumpled the paper in her hand, then turned to leave.
   Kayla noticed a group people talking to one of the security guards, they were all looking at her. The security guard nodded, and started walking towards them. He grabbed his radio, and called for back-up. Kayla turned around and saw another guard coming from the exit they were about to use. “Mom, we’ve got some trouble,” She said to Carly, who was still reading the poster. She looked up and saw the guards coming. Kayla went to pull out her wand, but Carly stopped her and said, “We’re not the bad guys. We’ll attempt to talk our way out of this, we only fight if absolutely necessary.” Kayla reluctantly listened, and put her arm back at her side.
   The guards were close enough to be heard talking. “We need you to come with us,” The taller one said. He was very stocky with black hair, and a mustache. The shorter one was somewhat overweight, and had balding red hair. “Why? What have we done?” replied Carly. “Well, you look an awful lot like two of those people on that poster there,” the short one said nodding his head in the direction of the posters. “You’re clearly mistaken then,” Carly retorted hotly. She glared at the balding man, noticed his name tag said Tom.
   “We don’t want any trouble, but we will take you by force if necessary,” the tall one said. His name was Samuel. “I assure you we are not those people on the poster, nor do we know who they are,” Carly said fiercely, standing her ground. They all looked at each other for a moment, the tension building. “It wont be much of a fight,” Kayla said defiantly. “Of course not, we’re men, and we’re bigger then you,” replied Samuel, laughing. “No that’s not what I mean. You’ll try and stop us, but before this is over, we’ll be long gone,” Kayla said. The two men looked at her, then each other. They both ran for them at the same time. Carly pushed Kayla in one direction, accidentally tripping her, and ran in the other.
   “Go after her, I’ll deal with the fiery teen,” Tom said to Samuel. Kayla picked herself off of the ground, and then looked at Tom. He laughed and then said, “Your friend should be able to get out of here, she seems fast. You on the other hand, I’m afraid I’ll be stopping you. I noticed your hand move when we started walking towards you. That is why I told him to go after her, he would never stand a chance against a Warloc.” Kayla’s surprise was more than she could hide. She looked at him stunned, and he continued laughing.
   “Yeah, I know you’re a Warloc. That’s why I’m stopping you. Do you honestly think that you can stop a full grown Warloc? Particularly a Wanderer?” Tom continued. Fear over took Kayla, and she started to shake. “My family wont let anything happen to me,” she said tensely. “Oh, I’m afraid they wont know. You see, I am not taking you to the police. Walden has put a price on your head. He is going to kill you himself, as soon as your brother kills your father,” replied Tom.
   Kayla stood stock still, and was terrified to move. Tom revealed his wand, it had an orange handle, and a black shaft. There was an elegant spiral on the handle as well. He held it down at his side, and a grin spread slowly across his face. Kayla pulled hers out as well, and continued looking at him. He acted so fast Kayla didn’t have time to defend herself. She was to aware of the large crowd of people watching them. His unspoken disarming jinx hit her, and she fell backwards, losing her wand.
   Tom ran towards her, and just as she grabbed her wand, he was picking her up by her hair. She groaned at the pain he was inducing to her scalp. When she got to her feet, she saw Carly standing a few feet away from them, her wand aimed at Tom’s face. She looked more terrifying than Kayla had ever seen her.
   “Let go of my daughter,” Carly said intensely. Tom scoffed at her and said, “No, I don’t think Walden would be to happy if I just let her, slip, through my fingers.” Carly glared at the man, and took a step closer. “I wouldn’t do that,” Tom said, warningly, pressing his wand into Kayla’s neck. She gripped her wand tighter, waiting for the right time to strike. Carly held her ground, not breaking eye contact. She looked into Kayla’s eyes for a moment, and winked. “Smoca!” Carly yelled, and immediately there was dark smoke all around them.
   Kayla pressed her wand into Tom’s stomach and said, “Rocorpus!” She felt the mans hands leave her, and she ran in the direction she remembered Carly being. She ran into something hard fell to the ground. She looked up and saw that she ran into Samuel’s back. She got to her feet, and noticed he was choking Carly. “Let go of her!” Kayla yelled, but Samuel simply brought one of his large arms back, and hit her in the side of the head.
   Kayla fell to the ground in a daze, she had stars in front of her eyes. She saw three pairs of feet coming in her direction, one of them was being dragged along the ground. The other two were running. She looked closer and saw that it was Tyler and Brendon. Tyler ran as fast as he could when he notice Samuel choking Carly. Brendon was still holding onto Tom, his wand aimed at Tom’s temple. “Let go of my fiance!” Tyler shouted, slamming his body as hard as he could into the man.
   Samuel let go of Carly, who got out of his way just as he fell to the floor. Tyler had his wand pointed at Samuel’s neck. “We’re all leaving this place, together. You and Tom, are not going to stop us, or we will become the murderers the poster claims us to be. Or at least I will, do you understand me?” Tyler said. Samuel nodded quickly, fear gripping him at the sight of a wand in his face.
   Brendon took Tom’s wand, and walked over to Kayla, helping her get up. “Alright guys, before we go, I have a quick word for the people who have just witnessed this,” Tyler said to the other three. Nobody argued as he cleared the smoke. The crowd of people gasped at the sight of two new people, and the guards on the ground. Tyler looked at all of them, and pulled out his wand. A few people screamed, but Tyler raised his hands, trying to hush the crowd.
   “I just want to talk that’s all. Simply to be heard, and then me, and my family will leave you be,” he said. The crowd hushed, but still looked very tense. “Now these posters,” Tyler started, grabbing a poster of the wall. “Portray me and my family as murderers, and dangerous people. The media, and the government however, is trying to hush up how your officials really found out about us.
   “Let me tell you this, the man who revealed our kind to the president, and other world leaders, is the most dangerous Warloc we have ever seen. We are a threat to him, because we fight against him. The incident at the store that is undergoing construction, was not a simple remodeling of the store. He attacked it, him and his followers. He told the government that he was trying to get to a group of dangerous people, my family and me. They covered it up, until we got out and away from his lockdown of the store.
   “He wants us turned in so that his, quest if you will, for power, domination, will work without a fight. He knows we can stop him, and that scares him. But we cant do it, if you all believe what these posters say. We are not killers, we are people just like you. He’s the one you should all be worried about,” Tyler finished. The people all looked at him, but nobody said anything. Tyler turned to leave, and when he was with the others, he transported them out of the store.

   “How did you find us?” Kayla asked as soon as they reappeared in the living room. “The tracer jinx. You don’t really think with all the trouble we’ve got, we’d let you leave the house without one?” Tyler replied. Kayla looked at Carly and laughed. “You thought I was paranoid for bringing my wand!” She said, Carly laughed too. Everyone started laughing, and then silence fell over them. “Well, we still have a lot to do for this wedding, I suppose we should get on it,” Tyler said. Everyone nodded, and then got up and proceeded with preparations.
   Much of the next few days were spent setting up, rehearsing, sending invitations, arguing over the way things should be done, and where people will sleep. Kayla and Brendon had become more open about how close with each other they were. They held hands whenever they were together, and kissed whenever the were reunited. Tyler was very jumpy, and very cheerful. The day before the wedding, all the guests showed up.
   The elves, close friends, people they had only known because of past jobs, and all of them were Warlocs, or related to Warlocs. A few hours had gone by, and it seemed as though the last of the guests had shown up. Tyler, Oliver, and James had jinxed the house to be big enough to hold so many guests. Walter and offered to house some of the guests at his home as well. Amidst the noise and laughter of old friends reuniting, there was a nock on the door. Tyler walked over, opened it, and then stood shocked at who he saw.
   “Am I late?” his sister said, smiling at him. She was as tall as he was, with brown hair and green eyes, she was skinny as well. “Danielle? What’re you? How did you know?” Tyler sputtered, pulling his sister into a hug. “Well, you know when you send out invitations to a wedding to all our family friends, I am likely to hear,” she replied. “Why didn’t you send me one?” She asked. “I didn’t know where you were, or if you were still alive,” he replied. She laughed and said, “It’s alright, I was shocked when I heard you were. I hear Walden has it out for you pretty bad.” Tyler chuckled bitterly and said, “Yeah. That’s putting it mildly.”
   They stood for a moment, and then Tyler motioned for her to come in. “Carly, this is my sister Danielle,” he said to Carly. “It’s nice to meet you. To be honest, I haven’t heard much about you,” Carly said, looking at Danielle. “Yeah well, he doesn’t talk about family very much, does he?” replied Danielle. Carly laughed slightly.
   “So where’s Jordan?” Danielle asked. Tyler’s smile faded, and he looked at the floor, then at his sister. “He.. He is dead. He died protecting me,” Tyler replied solemnly. Danielle dropped her gaze to the floor, swallowed back tears, and said, “That sounds like him. I guess Walden has it out for our whole family.” Tyler nodded, and then put his hand on her shoulder. The rest of the night went on with more laughter, and stories of past happenings.

   The next day was a busy and stressful one. Tyler got dressed in his tux, and made his way outside into the back yard. It was completely decorated in purple and ocean blue colors. It looked picture perfect, and he was very anxious. He made his way to the alter, and waited. Everything that happened seemed to be melting together. Seeing Carly walk down the aisle with her father, looking as beautiful and stunning as ever. The exchanging of the vows, and then the kiss happened.
   It lasted for what seemed like forever, and Tyler wanted it to last, because he knew what happened next. At any minute, Tanner would burst in here, and kill him. But it didn’t happen. Tyler pulled away from the kiss slowly, and opened his eyes. He looked into Carly’s, and knew she was thinking the same thing. They were safe, the vision had been wrong. They smiled, and then walked down the aisle together. Kayla had tears in her eyes, and Oliver was beaming at them.
   They got to the cake, and there was a nock on the front door, audible all the way in the back yard. Tyler looked around, and then looked at Carly. “I’ll get it, you two cut your damn cake,” Kayla said, making her way into the house. She was still smiling as she walked through the house, and opened the door. As soon as she did, her smile faded.
   “Hello sister” Tanner said, and evil smile on his face. “Transporasis!” he yelled. Kayla was immediately sucked into darkness. She felt like she was going to die. Every breath hurting worse than the one before it. Finally she appeared in the middle of a blizzard, with no houses in sight. “TANNER!” She screamed, knowing he’d never hear her. She fell to her knees, and started sobbing.
   “Who was it Kayla?” Carly asked when she heard the back door open. “Rocorpus!” Tanner yelled, his wand aimed at Oliver, who was sent flying through the air. He then turned on Tyler and Carly and yelled, “Disarment!” They flew backwards, their wands became dislodged, and fell to the ground. The crowd screamed, and ran in every direction, as Yetis appeared. One jumped over the house, and landed in between Tyler and Carly. Tyler jumped at it, but it threw him backwards, and he landed on the alter. Carly was held down, helpless under the Yeti.
   Tyler noticed these were different Yetis. Their fur was brown, and they were bigger and more menacing than the snow Yetis. ‘And people thought Bigfoot wasn’t real,’ Tyler thought bitterly to himself. James stood between him and Tanner, and started fighting with him. Tanner was much faster then him though, and he blocked every jinx James fired. Finally, the moment Tyler had been dreading had come. Tanner deflected one last jinx, and then yelled, “Deatrus!”
   The jinx hit James in the chest, and he stood for a moment, twitched, then fell to the ground. “NO!!!” Carly and Tyler screamed at the same time. “Tanner, don’t do this,” Walter said, his wand aimed at Tanner. “This isn’t your fight old man, back down,” replied Tanner. “I can’t do that,” Walter replied, stepping closer to Tanner. “Very well, you’re expendable. Deatrus,” Tanner said viciously. Walter didn’t have time to react. The spell hit him, and he fell to the ground.
   Tyler lay on the ground, very aware of how defenseless he was. He was thankful that he was as paranoid as he was though, he had a second wand on him, hidden in his sleeve. If Tanner was planning to kill him, Tyler wasn’t going to simply go that easily. Tanner stepped over James’ body, and stood in front of him. Then, just as in Tyler’s vision, he raised his wand and said, “Explodere.” Tyler muttered softly at the exact same time, saying, “Transporasis.” He felt the wind of the Explodere jinx following him in the darkness. The pain was more intense then it had ever been, and finally he was released. He rolled out of the way, just as the following jinx hit the ground.
   He looked around, and recognized his parents house. The door was still hanging off the hinge. Tyler quickly made his way inside, and resigned himself to exile. He hated the fact that he had no idea if his family was safe or not, and fought the urge to communicate that he was well.
   Carly looked at the spot where Tyler had just been, tears falling freely down her cheek. He was dead. Her husband, her best friend was gone. She felt her heart falling, and she screamed at her son. Tanner looked at her, laughing, and said, “I told him, I told you, I told everyone. There is no one better than me.” Carly glared at him through her tears. Tanner looked at the Yeti, and said, “I think you can let her up. She wont harm me.”
   The Yeti let her go, and the minute it did, she rolled, grabbed her wand and said, “Stungint!” Tanner deflected the spell with ease, laughing. “Not today mother. I’m afraid we will all be leaving. I think it’s time I paid a visit to Walden, lets go Yetis,” Tanner said calmly. “TANNER!” Carly shrieked. He turned to look at her, and smiled. He turned away, and continued walking. “Tanner, you’ve never met your aunt have you?” Carly said ferociously.
   Tanner stopped dead in his tracks, turned his head slightly and said, “I don’t have an aunt.” “I beg to differ,” Danielle said, her wand aimed at his head, tears staining her cheeks. “Valence!” Lightning hit Tanner, then lifted him off the ground. He was screaming in pain, and he started being bounced off the ground. The Yetis kept walking away, unaware he had been attacked.
   Danielle stopped the jinx, and let him fall to the ground. Tanner pointed his wand at himself this time, and said, “Transporasis.” With that he was gone. Danielle roared in anger, and then fell to her knees. Carly walked over to her, and knelt beside her. They sat and cried for what felt like an eternity when they were joined by Oliver. He to had tear stained cheeks. They sat in silence for a while, and then Oliver asked, “Where’s Kayla?” Carly shrugged and said, “Probably dead, but I don’t want to go into the house to find out.” There was a small crack of leaves behind them, they all turned to look.
   Kayla had appeared before them. Carly got to her feet quickly, and embraced her. “Thank God you’re alive,” Carly said. “I’m going after Tanner,” Kayla said, choking back tears. “No, we all will. Don’t forget we still have Walden to worry about,” Oliver said. Kayla, Danielle, and Carly all looked at him, and then nodded. “We should all take at least a day or two to cope with what’s taken place today,” he continued. They all went back into the house, and the rest of the evening went on without words.

   Chapter Fourteen
     Breaking News

   Tyler had fixed the front door of the run down house he was in, and had completely refurbished the entire house. He took his time making sure his security jinxes were properly in place, and impenetrable. The house felt foreign to him, as though he had never lived there. As he finished his securities, he put a T.V. dinner in the microwave, and turned on the television. He reached into the fridge, pulled out a bottle of water, grabbed his dinner, and watched the news in silence.
   “The newly found out group of people, known as Warlocs, have elected a Prime Minister. They have talked with the President and the UN, and they have all come to the conclusion that they need a leader in government who understands them,” the news anchor said. “It was a tight election between the one who brought their existence into the light, a man named Walden Edwards, and a man named Alfred Andrews. After quite an intense campaign, Alfred won. He is the first Warloc Prime Minister ever. Currently he is working with the President to come up with a peace treaty. We’ll have more as the story progresses, and we hope to have an interview with him before the night is ove…” Tyler turned off the television.
   Could there still be hope? Walden had failed to gain the power he wanted, or was this part of his plan? Tyler couldn’t be sure, but of one thing he did know, now that there were Warlocs in power, it was that much more unsafe to be out in public. How could Walden have almost won? So many Warlocs know him, and know how dangerous he is. ‘Maybe Alfred is on our side,” Tyler thought to himself. It would be nice, because then it would mean that he knew what Walden was up to, and also that Tyler and his family were innocent.

   Carly fell asleep with the news channel on, but when she woke up, the story held her interest. “The Warlocs have a Prime Minister now!” She shouted. Everyone quickly jumped awake. “What do you mean?” Oliver asked wearily. “It’s on the T.V. Walden almost won the election. Apparently, someone named Alfred is the Warloc Prime Minister,” Carly explained. Oliver’s eyes widened with excitement. “Do you know him?” Carly asked.
   “Yes I do, he was a good friend of the English Minister. He’s a damn good Warloc. He’s on our side. I’m willing to bet he knows the entire situation. He could help us. All we have to do is get a message to him some how,” Oliver exclaimed. He looked triumphant, as if he had just won a tournament. He rose to his feet and began pacing, rubbing his chin. Kayla, who had been asleep against Brendon, woke up, and looked confused by what was going on.
   “What’s up?” She asked, wiping her hair out of her eyes. “We still have a fighting chance, if we can just rally some people to this guy, we can win this,” Oliver said. “Wait, slow down, what guy?” Kayla asked even more confused. “Us Warlocs were just appointed a Prime Minister. Apparently he is on our side, and is pretty powerful,” Carly explained. Kayla smiled at this news. Oliver left the room for a moment, and then came back with shoes and a sweater.
   “Where are you going?” Carly asked, standing up. “I’ve got to contact him. He could be our one hope,” Oliver replied. She looked at him in disbelief, and then looked at the picture of her and Tyler on the fireplace. She looked back at Oliver and said, “You better be careful. I don’t know how I’ll manage if I have to bury another body.” Oliver looked up at her, and said, “I will be, you can put the tracer jinx on me. I’ll let you know as soon as I get to him.” She nodded and then they hugged. He turned around and transported himself to Washington.
   Carly sat back down, next to Kayla and Brendon, and turned up the television. The story continued on the news. So far nothing new had come up, the President and Alfred were still working on their peace treaty. Slowly, Carly drifted into sleep again. Kayla got up, and went to her room, leaving Brendon sitting on the couch. He stared blankly at the T.V. and slowly started to slip into slumber.

   An hour later, Brendon woke up on the floor. He looked up at the television and saw Alfred looking back at him. He looked kind, with grey hair, and a very clean cut look. He quickly got to his feet, and shook Carly. “Alfred is on, I think he’s giving his interview,” he said. Carly sat up in her seat, and rubbed her eyes. “Good evening to you all. My name is Alfred Andrews. I, as you all may know, am a Warloc. My kind have lived among you for centuries, and we have gone unnoticed. That is until the man you all have heard about, Walden Edwards revealed our existence to you. He promised things such as peace, and easy living. Let me tell you, that is a lie.
   “He never planned to give you peace. His plan, as soon as he had been elected, would have been to assassinate your President, and slowly dominate the world. Now I assure you, under my supervision, and through working with the President, and other world leaders, nothing like this will happen. My new advisor, Oliver Thomas, has just informed me that there is a family who Walden had singled out as dangerous criminals. They are not, they are the most peaceful well to do family I’ve ever known. You have no reason to fear these people.
   “I want to encourage all of you, human and Warloc alike, to keep a watchful eye out for him. He is extremely dangerous, as are his followers, who are marked with a black W. Usually located on their right arm. Oliver, as well as myself and many others, are going to be working through the night to put up phones with a direct line to our Sentry Unit. If you have any information, or think you have seen him, get to one of these phones immediately. Thank you, that will be all for tonight,” concluded Alfred.
   Carly and Brendon looked at each other beaming. “Well sure, it wasn’t the way we expected, but at least he got a hold of us,” Brendon said laughing. Brendon left the room to tell Kayla the news. They walked out together, and were both smiling. “This is good news, isn’t it? We don’t have to stay here anymore, do we? Cant we go where Oliver is? If he’s right, their going to need help,” Kayla said. “Not so fast,” Carly replied. “We cant just leave, for all we know the Wanderers are watching this, and are waiting for us to leave,” she continued.
   Kayla and Brendon looked dejected, but sat down. “We’ll wait a few days, and then we will see what happens with the news,” Carly said. They all agreed, then retired to bed leaving the T.V. on.

   “This is the best news I’ve seen in months!” Tyler said to himself, punching the air. He was sure that if anyone had seen him, this would look very foolish, but in the empty house he didn’t care. He wouldn’t have cared if he was in the middle of the street. The Warlocs finally had a fighting chance against Walden. Tyler looked around, wishing there was someone there he could tell, but knowing there was no one. He kept beaming, and looking at the man who had just announced his families innocence.
   Finally, Carly, Kayla, and Brendon would be able to live their lives. He had to keep himself hidden for as long as it took. He knew it would be hard on everyone, but it was necessary to keep his family safe. As long as Tanner was alive, it wouldn’t be safe for them if he revealed that he was still alive.
   He owed Oliver more than he could ever repay, but he would do his best to do so. Oliver had somehow, once again, saved their lives. As soon as he was able to reveal himself again, he’d have to ask him how he managed to do it. But that would have to wait, because he just heard on the television that Alfred was about to come back on. He calmed himself, and took his seat in front of the television.

   An hour earlier:
   Oliver had appeared in front of the White House in Washington D.C. He quickly walked up the steps, and noticed the two guards standing at the door. One was definitely a Warloc, hopefully he’ll be able to get by. It was imperative that he meet with the Prime Minister. As he approached the guards, they both held out their hands to stop him.
   “Sorry sir, no one is aloud in right now. Not until their peace treaty is done,” the Warloc said. The other guard seemed scared to say anything. Oliver looked at both of them, and then addressed the Warloc. “My name is Oliver Thomas, and it is of great importance that I speak with Alfred. I have information about Walden,” he said. The Warlocs eyes widened, and he nodded his head. “Follow me,” said the man.
   Oliver followed him through the doors, and down a hall way. They stopped outside another door, and the Warloc rapped on the door. “Busy, no one is aloud in just yet,” a voice said from behind the door. Oliver recognized the voice as the Presidents. “I have a man here, he says he has information about Walden,” The Warloc said. Oliver heard the door unlock, open, and then he was pulled into the room by Alfred.
   “You say you’ve got information about Walden? You’re not a Wanderer are you?” Alfred asked fiercely. “No, no of course not,” Oliver replied, lifting his sleeves. “Very well, lets hear what you have to say,” replied Alfred. They looked at each other for a moment, and then Oliver dove into all that he knew. The last place he had seen Walden, what he knew Walden had been up too, and by the time he had finished, the Prime Minister looked very solemn.
   “This is far more than I have feared. He is assembling an army. I was right then, at least, that he was trying to take over. Very well, Oliver, is it? You are to be my advisor, and basically my defense leader,” Alfred said. Oliver nodded, and then said, “I’m sure you’ve heard about the Moore family?” Alfred and the President both looked at him, and then nodded. “Dangerous, aren’t they?” The President asked. Oliver scoffed loudly.
   “Hardly. They are the friendliest people I know. They would do whatever it takes to stop Walden. Some of them, already have,” Oliver explained, thinking of Jordan. “Well, I should’ve known the rumors weren’t true. I knew Tyler’s parents very well, and it did seem out of place,” Alfred replied. Oliver nodded in agreement. “Alright, well then, since our peace treaty is finished, I suppose it is time for me to make my speech,” Alfred said, rising to his feet. The President stood too, and opened the door to the office.

   Tyler relaxed, letting the steam and hot water from the shower overtake him. He kept thinking about what he saw on the television. He couldn’t believe how much things had turned around, and in such a short amount of time. If he could somehow come out of hiding and talk to Alfred, maybe he could get some protection for his family. What would it take though? It would definitely take a lot of planning.
   ‘Well, it’s not like I don’t have time on my hands now,’ Tyler thought to himself. He knew he should be focused on finding Tanner. As long as Tanner was alive, there was no way he could come out of hiding. Tyler started thinking of ways he could disguise himself long enough to get to Alfred. It would be difficult, but possible.
   Tyler jumped when the lights suddenly went out. He turned off the shower, grabbed his wand and a towel. After briefly drying off, he got dressed, and left the bathroom. All the power in his house was off. He walked around slowly, not daring to light his wand. He could see a few figures in the living room, definitely males.
   “Why do you think he’s here Tanner?” one of them said. “I don’t, I know I killed him. Walden, however doesn’t think I am clever enough to have done so. Walden wants us to check every possible place,” Tanner replied. ‘So, Tanner is working for Walden now?’ Tyler thought to himself. It made sense, after he left where else would he have gone? Tyler slowly crept backwards, towards his old bedroom. He opened the door as quietly as possible, and then closed it just as quietly.
   He started feeling around his room, hoping it was still here. At last he felt it, his old hooded trench coat. He threw it on, put the hood over his head, letting it keep his face hidden. “Incinerate,” he muttered. He threw the door open, and let the light flood into the house. He ran down the short hallway, and fired a couple stunning jinxes at the other two men, leaving him face to face with Tanner.
   “Lower your wand,” Tanner said sharply. “I shall do no such thing,” Tyler replied in a harsh voice, much unlike his own. Tanner put his wand in Tyler’s face, but didn’t do anything. “If your going to kill me, do so. Other wise, let me pass. I have no trouble with you, and don’t want any,” Tyler said. “Well you got trouble. Why are you in this house?” Tanner snapped back.
   They glared at each other for a moment, and then Tyler took a step to the left. Tanner followed closely, never lowering his wand. “I’m a scavenger, I was looking for a place to stay for the night, and then I’ll leave,” Tyler said. “I don’t believe you. Lower your hood,” Tanner replied. Tyler shook his head and said, “Can’t do that I’m afraid, I can see I’m not welcome. I’ll be leaving now.” He turned around and started walking.
   “Don’t you turn your back on me!” Tanner roared, he flourished his wand and said, “Komatos!” “PROTECTUS!” Tyler bellowed back. He then trained his wand on himself and said, “Transporasis.” He was crushed into suffocating blackness. After a few minutes, he was released on the steps of the White House. He broke off into a run up the stairs, and the guards at the door tried to stop him. “Rocorpus,” Tyler said. The two guards flew backwards, and hit the wall. He threw the front door open, and rushed to the first person he saw.
   The man saw Tyler running at him, and drew his wand. Tyler stopped in his tracks and said, “I mean you no harm. I need to speak with Alfred Andrews.” The man looked him over, and said, “Very well. Mr. Thomas, would you please take this man to see the Prime Minister?” Oliver looked up from the paper he was reading. He looked at Tyler suspiciously, and got to his feet. “Come with me,” he said. Tyler nodded and followed him.
   Oliver took him down a hallway, and then stopped at the door. He knocked on it, and then opened the door. “Minister, I’m sorry to interrupt you. This man requested a word with you,” Oliver said. The Prime Minister looked at Tyler, just as suspiciously as Oliver did, and then said, “Who are you and what do you want?”
   Tyler closed the door to the room, and pulled his hood back. Oliver gasped, taking a step closer to him. “You? How? You should be dead!” Oliver exclaimed. “Thanks for the sentiment,” Tyler replied. Alfred looked very confused, and Tyler looked at him. “My name is Tyler Moore. My son, who is one of two kids, who are twins, attempted to kill me. He is extremely dangerous, and now works for Walden. You should know that twins are very powerful,” Tyler explained, extending a hand.
   Alfred shook his hand and said, “It is nice to meet you. I understand you’re fairly powerful too. We could use your help around here.” Tyler shook his head, “I’m sorry, but until Tanner is either caught, and in the highest security cell, or dead. I can’t reveal myself. For my families safety,” Tyler replied. “I understand. Of course, we could provide them with protection until he is caught,” Alfred said. Tyler considered this, he looked around the room, and looked at Oliver. “Alright, I can do it. But we’re not going to tell anyone who I am. We’ll use a false name, and I’m keeping the hood up,” replied Tyler.
   “Very well. You can be Oliver’s partner. Defense executives,” Alfred said. Tyler nodded, and put his hood back up. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some work to do,” Alfred said, motioning for them to leave. Tyler and Oliver left together, and walked down the hallway together.
   “How did you not die?” Oliver asked. “I did what Walter did when his brother tried to kill him. I transported myself to my parents house. Tanner showed up, and I had to fight him. After the fight, I transported my self here,” explained Tyler. Oliver seemed amazed that this was possible. They walked together, and then sat down at the same bench Oliver was sitting at when Tyler got there.

   Present time:
   “Hey mom! Dad and Oliver are on the T.V.!” Kayla yelled. Carly came running into the room and said, “That’s not possible.” “I know it’s not, but I’d recognize him anywhere. Look at his chin, its him!” Kayla insisted. Carly looked closer, and her jaw slowly dropped. “Oh my God. It is him. Turn it up, what are they saying?” Carly exclaimed.
   “The Warloc Prime Minister has declared another defense executive. His name is Johnny Watts, and he is quite good at what he does,” the news anchor said. “He’s using a false name?” Brendon said. “He wont let it known that he’s alive until Tanner is out of the picture,” Carly said. “I always knew my brother had some sense of genius about him,” said Danielle.
   “This just in, the President and Prime Minister are locked in the White House. It is under siege by several Warlocs that belong to the group called The Wanderers. Defense executive’s Oliver Thomas and Johnny Watts are on the steps of the White House, along with several of the Sentry Unit, trying to keep the forces at bay. We’ll keep updating you as we get more information. Our prayers are with the people at the White House, as well as with our new allies helping to protect us,” the news anchor continued.
   The four of them sat there in silence watching as Oliver and Tyler fought off the Wanderers. Nobody said anything, but watched in awe. “We’ve got to go help them,” Kayla said. “I agree,” Carly and Brendon said in unison. They all got to their feet, and left to get their wands. After a moment they all returned in the room.
   “Everyone take hands. When we appear, be ready to fight. Our goal is to get to Tyler and Oliver as soon as possible,” Carly said. They all linked hands, with the exception of Danielle, who said, “I’ll be along. Need to calm my nerves,” And with that Carly said, “Transporasis.” They were all forced into the suffocating darkness. It was much worse than usual, due to their anticipation. After a few moments, they appeared in the middle of a huge crowd of Wanderers. The fighting seemed to have stopped as everyone looked at the new comers. “Oh damn,” Carly whispered.





Chapter Fifteen
Conflict

   Kayla immediately took Carly’s arm and whispered, “Trust me.” Carly kept her wand hidden, as Kayla revealed hers, and pressed it into Carly’s back. Brendon followed suit, and revealed the black W on his arm. “We’re taking her to the defense executives. We have reason to believe that they are significant to them,” Kayla said.
   “Alright if the boy does, we can see his mark. Show yours, or you die,” one of the Wanderers said, directing his wand at Kayla. She pulled her hair back, and the Wanderer checked behind her ear. “Very well, we’ll make a path for you,” he said. “Clear the way! We’ve got hostages! I swear if you don’t move, I will blast you into oblivion!” Shouted the man. Slowly the large crowd parted, letting them through.
   Oliver and Tyler noticed what was going on, and saw why. They all stopped fighting for a moment. After a few seconds, Kayla and Brendon made their way to them, pushing Carly ahead of them. Kayla looked Tyler in the eyes, winked subtly and then lowered her wand. The Wanderer noticed and said, “What is the meaning of this?” Kayla turned around to face the man, and chuckled.
   “Well, now that we’re up here, I see no sense in pretending like they wont kill us if we don’t lower our wands. Just because I have a hostage, does not mean I’m going to risk death by being stupid,” Kayla said, the Wanderer nodded in agreement. Kayla turned to face Oliver and Tyler, and looked pleadingly at them.
   “We are taking them inside to negotiate a deal for the release of this prisoner,” Oliver said loudly. The crowd erupted its disapproval, but Tyler acted quickly. “Weall!” he shouted, and a large wall appeared in front of them. There was a loud yell from the crowd, but it was soon drowned out from the thickness of the wall.
   Carly threw herself into Tyler’s arms, and he pulled Kyla into the hug. “How are you still alive?” Carly asked him. “I’ll explain later, we don’t have time right now,” Tyler replied. Oliver put his hand on Brendon’s shoulder, and they all walked inside together. They only got a few feet when a few secret servicemen stopped them. “Wait, who are these people, and why are you bringing more people here. The White House is not serving as a shelter for you people!” one of the men shouted.
   Tyler raised his wand at the man and said, “This is my family, it would be unwise for you to stand in my way.” The man looked at him, then at Oliver and said, “You’re going to allow him to threaten us?! You are supposed to be helping us!!” “I wouldn’t be foolish enough to think that there was any way I could stop him if he decided to turn on us,” Oliver replied calmly.
   The man opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He stepped aside, and Oliver led them down a hallway. He opened a door to the left, and walked into the Oval Office. Everyone else followed him in. Sitting at the desk was the Magic Prime Minister, and the President of the United States. They both looked up, confused by what they saw.
   “Oliver, what is the meaning of this. They are Wanderers!” Alfred said. “No, they’re not. They are family,” Tyler replied. The President and Alfred both looked at him in shock. “My daughter and her friend have both turned their backs on the Wanderers,” Tyler explained. “Ah, yes, the ones who are not dangerous. Yet they managed to slip through the other Wanderers,” the President said.
   “That was some clever thinking on my part Mr. President,” Kayla said to him. He looked into her eyes, and opened his mouth to argue. “How do we know…” “Look! We’re got a war on your doorstep, and you want to argue whether or not his family is dangerous. We need to plan on what to do. We’re impossibly outnumbered here!” Oliver shouted, cutting him off. The President glared at him, but the Prime Minister placed a hand on his shoulder.
   “He is right. We need to formulate a plan, or else we are sitting ducks,” Alfred said calmly. “Are we?” Tyler asked, with a smile on his face. Everyone stared at him, not sure what to think. “Alright, I’ll bite. How the hell are we NOT outnumbered?!” Alfred asked him. “It’s simple. I call in a favor,” Tyler replied. Oliver suddenly understood what Tyler meant.
   “You’re going to call in the elves aren’t you?” Oliver asked him. The smile on Tyler’s face grew, and he nodded. “I would call the Yetis, but I don’t know if that is necessary this fight,” Tyler replied. Oliver nodded, and said, “The elves should be sufficient enough. Once they get here, we’ll blast our way through the wall, and take them out.”
   Everyone nodded, and then waited in the hall as Tyler summoned the elves. Slowly the small hallway became crowded with hundreds of elves, and they were forced to spread out through the entire White House. Tyler was busy trying to spread the word around of the battle plan. It took Tyler quite some time to find Gretchen, but he finally did after an hour of looking.
   “Gretchen has found more elves sir, more that want to stand and fight,” Gretchen said, looking very proud of himself. “Thank you so much Gretchen. I am forever in your debt,” Tyler replied. The elf beamed at him, and scurried away to continue spreading the battle plan. Sighing in relief, Tyler walked to the kitchen where the others were eating. He sat down between Carly and Kayla, and began to eat as well.
   They all sat and ate in silence, fully aware of what they were about to get into. Alfred had joined them, followed by Oliver, who looked flushed and dejected. Tyler had a suspicion that they just had an argument. Alfred sighed loudly, and said, “I have made the decision that the two young ones cannot fight with us. It would be far to dangerous for children.”
   Tyler rose to his feet quickly to object, but Oliver held a hand to quiet him. “I’m not changing my mind, so arguing is senseless,” Alfred said matter-of-factly. “It would be reckless not to include them, Minister,” Tyler said calmly as possible. “Be that as it may, I see no other option. They have Wanderer marks. We cannot trust them just yet,” Alfred replied. “Trust them? They’re my children! If you don’t trust them, you don’t trust my words,” Tyler exclaimed loudly.
   “Well put,” Alfred began. “You’re off the force. I don’t want you or your family outside with us either,” he finished. There was an uproar in the kitchen. Dishes flew to the floor, shattering, and peoples voices were indistinct through all the shouting. “You’re making a mistake in throwing his entire family off. We need him and his wife at least!” Oliver shouted over everyone.
   “No! We cannot trust them yet. They can earn our trust by staying here, and waiting for the fighting to end!” Alfred said in a tone that said the conversation was over. “Sir. You’ve just condemned all of us to death,” Oliver said grimly. “You will fight for us. You still work for me, Mr. Thomas,” Alfred said as he walked out of the room.
   “That man is a fool. Oliver, you can’t seriously be thinking about fighting for him still!” Tyler yelled at Oliver. “What choice do I have?!” Oliver shouted back. “Gee, I don’t know. Don’t fight!” said Tyler even louder. “Oliver, going out there without us is suicide and you know it,” Tyler said, calming himself. He watched Oliver closely. His eyes were blank as he said, “It’s my duty. I must.”
   “You don’t owe these people anything! I’m not going to watch you kill yourself!” Tyler screamed, getting in Oliver’s face. Oliver continued to stare blankly ahead. Tyler grabbed Oliver’s shoulders and said, “Oliver, are you listening to me?!” No answer came from him. Tyler took a step back, unsure of what to say. “You guys should… You guys should stay in here where it’s safe,” Oliver said absentmindedly as he walked out of the kitchen.
   Tyler stood, rooted to the spot. He slowly turned and looked at Carly, who had tears slowly falling down her face. “What do we do?” he asked. “We have to fight. We can’t let him die, not after all he’s done for us,” Carly replied. Tyler nodded, and then looked at Kayla and Brendon. They were both watching him, very interested.
   “You guys ready for this?” Tyler asked them. They both nodded, and Brendon said, “Of course. We wouldn’t have been the youngest Wanderers ever if we didn’t know how to fight, would we?” Tyler smiled, and said, “Good enough for me. Shall we get ready?” They all left the kitchen together, and made their way to the entrance hall of the building.
   Alfred saw them coming and said, “You’re not fighting.” Tyler glared at him. “Not for you no, we fight for Oliver,” he said defiantly. Alfred looked taken aback, but couldn’t find any words to fight back with. He walked away, furious, but he gave up. Oliver simply gave them a weak smile. “It’ll be alright man, we’ve got elves to help. They don’t stand a chance,” Tyler said reassuringly.
   The doors opened, and they all made their way outside, protected by the large wall. Tyler turned to Gretchen and said, “Wait for my signal, alright.” The elf nodded, then went back inside, closing the door behind him. The entire staircase was full of Warloc’s, all waiting to fight, watching as the wall slowly cracked.
   “Well what are we waiting for?” Tyler asked. “Explodere!” he shouted, and the wall exploded, sending large chunks of wall towards the Wanderers. Before all the dust settled, Tyler felt someone arrive at his side. He turned to face the newcomer, and smiled at his sister. “You didn’t think I’d let you fight alone did you little brother?” Danielle said with a smile on her face.
   The dust finally settled, and the sight startled them. The Wanderers were all almost gone. “Get one before their gone so we can question them!” Alfred yelled. Tyler broke into a run, easily outrunning everyone else. He stopped at the first Wanderer he got to, and tackled him. He put his wand in the Wanderers face and said, “Don’t try anything. You are outnumbered now.” The man started laughing uncontrollably.
   Tyler hit him with his fist, and said, “WHAT?!” The man looked up at him and said, “You’re all going to die.” Tyler looked at him confused, then quickly jumped off the man as the person drew his wand. Prepared to fight, Tyler watched the man closely, but the man pointed his wand at himself and said, “Deatrus.” The lifeless body fell to the ground, and Tyler started to worry.
   What could be so terrible that it’d cause someone to take their own life? Tyler looked around, and noticed as all the Warloc’s started backing away, slowly at first, but increasing their speed. Tyler noticed the ground shaking, and he looked into the distance, and his eyes widened with fear. “You have to be kidding me,” he breathed as he started running back towards the White House.
   He got to the steps, and bolted up them. “What the hell is it?” Danielle asked, fear strong in her voice. “Not it, them. What the hell are they?” Tyler said. Oliver was looking through a pair of binoculars. He lowered them slowly, and looked very grim. “There are all sorts of creatures out there. Giants, Big Foots, Ghouls, Banshees. You name it they got it,” Olive said, his voice shaking. “What do we do?” Alfred asked.
   “What do you mean, ‘What do we do’? We fight of course,” Tyler said. “Are you kidding me!? You said not fighting with you would be suicide. I’m beginning to think fighting WITH you is suicide,” Alfred replied. Everyone looked at Tyler, waiting for his response. He pointed his wand at himself and said, “Communicatus. Mickel, we need you. Lots of people, Yetis, and elves are going to die. But there is no other way. Any other creature you can find to join our cause would be helpful at this point.” A blur flew away from them, as Tyler’s message made its way to the Yetis.
   “I suppose we could wait here for them. But I think it would be much better if we went down into the street, that way if we have to retreat, we can fortify ourselves in the White House,” Oliver said. “I agree,” Tyler and Danielle said at the same time. It was settled, they were going to wait for them in the street, impossibly outnumbered, and incredibly hopeless.
   “I will call on our allies across the ocean, and ask for their help. From every continent we may get help,” Alfred said. He quickly sent a message to every continent with known Warlocs. Slowly, one by one, Warlocs of every different nationality arrived, and prepared to fight. The sight was one to behold. Something Tyler thought could be in record books. The multitude of Warlocs that showed up was without a doubt the largest Tyler had ever seen.
   Tyler opened the door to the White House and looked at Gretchen and said, “My friend, there has been a change of plans. We have a huge fight ahead of us, we are greatly outmanned. If you fight with us, a good number of elves will die. I leave the choice to you and your people. Should you choose not to fight, I will understand. Farewell, my friend.” Gretchen eyed him closely and said, “We fight.” Tyler nodded, and threw the door open.
   Every one of them made their way to the street, human and elf alike, united with one cause. They organized themselves into a large formation, and waited. The ground started to shake as the enemy drew nearer, and everyone’s heart began to race. “Isn’t this normally where someone gives a heroic speech?” Oliver said, laughing slightly. Everyone looked at the Prime Minister, who was pale white. He didn’t say anything, and Tyler stepped forward, then turned to face everyone.
   “Ladies, gentlemen, and elves. We all stand here today, different in race, species and nationality. But I assure you, we stand and fight as one. We are all from different countries, with different ideas, different views, but we share a common enemy! If that enemy destroys one of us, surely he will destroy us all. Protect the person standing next to you, behind you, and in front of you. Warlocs, elves! Stand united today, fight as one!” Tyler shouted.
   The crowd erupted in applause. They all started cheering, “Fight united!” Those two words, seemed to fill everyone with hope. Things didn’t seem as if they were all about to come to an end. Even with the massive army of creatures before them, they all had hope. They all had something the enemy didn’t, they all had each other.
   The hideous beasts were now mere yards away, and all movement stopped. Everyone, human and creature alike stood frozen for a few moments. Tyler looked at all the creatures. There were several he didn’t recognize. Some were more terrifying than anything he’d ever seen before. The ones that scared him the most were the cloaked ones. That’s what they were called. They wore cloaks, and no one new their true appearance. But they wielded a magic that was next to unstoppable.
   It seemed as if they would stand there, facing each other forever. The ghouls attacked first, moving swiftly and dangerously, they were followed closely by banshees. “Dissipate!” Kayla yelled. The jinx flew through the oncoming ghouls, and hit one of the banshees in the face. It quickly dissolved into ash. “Repulso!” a few people shouted as the ghouls got closer. Tyler ran into the battle, and started firing as many jinxes at a time as he could.
   He was trying to reach the cloaked ones before they decided to attack, but a ghoul hit him hard in the shoulder. He was knocked back a few feet, and landed on his back. Ghouls were on him in an instant. He tried with all his might to shake them off, but it wasn’t working. He felt something hit him hard, and he was forced to roll onto his side. He looked and saw a ghoul fighting the other ones. “Brendon?” Tyler whispered to himself.
   He realized that the battle had ensued closer to him than he thought. He looked around and saw everyone fighting off ghouls and banshees. In a matter of minutes, the banshees and ghouls were dead. Brendon stood his ground, keeping his distance from everyone else. Tyler had feared what happened next.
   A single cloaked one made its way towards them, but stopped about ten yards away. “Everyone get back!” Tyler bellowed. Slowly people started running away as a bright light seemed to grow at the core of the cloaked one. It very slowly opened its cloak, and a bright light flew rapidly out of it. The ball of light hit part of the crowd, causing a massive explosion. People were sent flying through the air, Tyler included. “Protectus!” he said, aiming at the ground. He bounced up, and landed on his feet.
   He looked at the small crater left in the ground from the force of the blast, and he aimed his wand and said, “Internus Explodere!” The force that left his wand threw him off his feet. He got up, and watched as the force hit the cloaked one. It keeled over, and let out an odd sound. Almost a whisper, but amplified. Tyler felt wind rushing towards the creature, and finally it exploded. The power of the explosion was more than it caused on its own, but the creature was dead.
   Tyler was pleased to see that he found a way to destroy them, as the other cloaked ones made their way to the battlefield. “Do an internal exploding jinx! It will kill them!” Tyler bellowed to the Warlocs. “Tyler look out!” Oliver shouted at him. Tyler turned around, and froze in place. A giants hand was quickly descending on him, and it would only be a matter of seconds until he was part of the pavement.

Chapter Sixteen
A House Divided

   Tyler closed his eyes and waited for the large fist to crush him, but it never came. He opened an eye, and saw three Yetis holding the hand up. “Rrrun Tylerrr!” The Yeti growled. Tyler ran as quick as his feet would carry him, and noticed as the Yetis finally arrived. They all ran for the giants. There were far more than Tyler had ever seen. Tyler’s attention was drawn towards the skies, as he saw a bunch of large birds flying towards them. One landed right next to him, and lowered its head, as if expecting Tyler to climb on.
   Tyler looked at the bird, and realized it was anything but. It had the head and wings of an eagle, even its front feet were eagle talons. But its chest looked more like fur, and the backend of it was that of a lion. It was a griffon. Tyler climbed on, and wrapped an arm around its neck. It took off into the air, and he saw that several others were doing the same thing with other Warlocs. Other griffons were carrying large boulders.
   Tyler looked at the ground and saw Wanderers releasing some fierce looking animal loose. He recognized it as a minotaur. He had never known they actually existed. A few griffons let their boulders go, and Tyler watched as they crushed some of the monsters. Suddenly, Tyler’s griffon dove for the ground, and got close enough for him to use his wand. “Explodere! Perediciun!” Tyler shouted, using the most destructive jinxes he could think of.
   The griffon swooped back into the air, causing Tyler to clutch harder to the creatures fur. He heard a loud roar, followed by a loud crash. He looked over his shoulder and watched as the Yetis were breaking a giant apart. The elves were doing there part, blasting Wanderers back, and keeping the minotaurs from hurting anyone while the empty griffons were getting more boulders. Tyler realized that his griffon was leading a long pack of them, all of which had Warlocs on their backs.
   Once again, the griffon made its way to the ground, diving at a rapid rate. Tyler held on tightly, focusing his aim on a group of Wanderers. “Fortificatio Dissipate!” he yelled. The blast hit the center of the group, and they all disintegrated within seconds. “Nice one Tyler!” Oliver shouted from griffon next to him. Tyler looked over at him and smiled. They were once again rising into the air.
   The battle raged on like this until night fell. It appeared to be a mutual thing to stop fighting as the sun went down. Everyone returned to their respective sides of the battlefield, and was able to sleep one more night. The White House was alive that night. Nobody wanted to sleep, as everyone was busy talking about the fight that took place.
   “I want to know where the Yetis got the griffons,” Tyler said loudly, trying to hear himself over the crowd of people. “You told him to find any other creature that’d be willing to join us… Maybe they were the only other ones,” Oliver said. “Yeah, I certainly hope not. You realize that tonight may be giving them a chance to get more supporters, right?” Tyler said.
   Oliver walked around rubbing his chin. “Yeah, I’ve considered that. If they are, why don’t we?” he said, with a smile growing on his face. “What other creature could you possibly think of that would be willing to help us?” Tyler asked. “Shape shifters,” Oliver said simply. Tyler started laughing.
   “You can’t be serious, Shape shifters are uncontrollable. There is no way they’d listen. They’d just as soon kill us as they would help us,” Tyler replied. “You never know. They could help, maybe we could end this sooner. They could give us another helping hand, we can never have to much help,” Oliver said calmly. Tyler looked at him for a moment and realized he was serious.
   “Alright, how do we find them?” Tyler said, giving up argument. “I’ve already located a colony of them. Not large, but they should be enough,” Oliver replied. “We should leave now,” he added. Tyler nodded, then left to tell Carly where they were going. She had the same reaction he did when he told her they were going to talk to shape shifters.
   “They cant be trusted, as soon as you turn to leave, they’ll kill you,” she argued. “I know they could. Which is why we aren’t taking any risks. We’ll protect ourselves, I promise. We’ll be back at sunup. Hopefully before the battle starts again,” Tyler explained. She nodded finally, and they hugged. Tyler met back up with Oliver, who had all the things they’d need ready. “Lets get this jump over with. This will easily be the longest teleportation we’ve done, you may want to prepare yourself,” Oliver explained. “Let’s just get this over with,” Tyler replied. “Transporasis,” Oliver said as soon as Tyler grabbed his arm.
   They were sucked into the worst pressure Tyler had ever experienced. The pain was more intense and excruciating than he’d ever felt. He felt himself starting to black out, and finally after a few minutes of this, they were released from it. They both hit the ground hard, trying to catch their breath. “What happened? Why didn’t we land on our feet?” Tyler said, gasping for air.
   “It’s not like I planned it that way, it’s just how we came out of the transportation,” Oliver replied. “You sure you know the proper way to do it?” Tyler said with a smile on his face. They chuckled slightly, and look around. They were surrounded by a large group of people, all who were glaring at them. “You better have a damn good speech planned for these guys,” Tyler said, his smile fading fast. Oliver gulped slightly, and took a step forward.
   “Do not move!” a member of the group shouted. Oliver froze, looking slightly alarmed, but he held his composure. They looked around, none of the faces seemed mildly happy to see them. Oliver took a few deep breaths, put his hands up, and stepped forward.
   “I wish no harm on you,” he said. “We don’t like outsiders!” One of them yelled. He had a heavy Scottish accent. Tyler was very aware of his surroundings, taking in every movement the shape shifters made. Looking for exit, only to find that there seemed to be none. They were in some sort of large tunnel. “Silence,” one of the shape shifters said. He had a quieter, more calm voice. He stepped into the light, and looked closely at Tyler.
   He had shining blue eyes and blonde hair. He was taller than Tyler by almost a foot. The man was very muscular, which was surprising for having such a quiet voice. They stared at each other for a long minute, and finally the shape shifter spoke again.
   “You’re Tyler Moore. What are you doing here? Last I heard, you had some big fight at the nations capitol. Now, the only reason that I can think that could bring you away from that, is you need our help. Am I right?” the man said.
   “Yes, you are right. I am Tyler Moore, and I am in need of your help. My family, friends, the entire world really is counting on the fact that I can stop Walden. However, if we don’t win this battle, there will be no way I can do that. Walden will try and suppress you if he gains power, and he will do what he can to control you. If you fight with us, by our side, we can stop him,” Tyler explained.
   The shape shifters rustled slightly, and the blonde man looked down at him. “You speak of fighting along side you as if you would be in control of us. This does not make us happy, you see, we are in control of ourselves. My name is Trevor, and I will not fight for someone,” he replied.
   Tyler looked at him, then rethought his plan. “Very well, what if I was to ask you to fight united with us, to stand as one?” Tyler said. Trevor considered what Tyler had just said, and he turned to face the other shape shifters. They all had the same look of willingness on their faces, but then Trevor turned to face Tyler. His face had suddenly changed, and he looked fierce and angry. Tyler and Oliver both took a step back, slightly alarmed.
   “You see Tyler, I cannot trust you, because there has already been someone here warning us of you! He told us how you would enslave us and make us work for you! Just like you did with the elves and Yetis!” Trevor shouted. Tyler looked confused, and said, “Who was here? I would never do such a thing! I have told them all it is their choice, and if they chose to leave, they were more than welcome to!”
   Trevor glared at him for a long time, then said, “The one who came to warn us of these things said he knew you personally. He called himself Tanner.” The words caught Tyler off guard. He took a step back, and looked at Oliver, who looked just as shocked as he did. There was silence for a good long time.
   The shape shifters all watched, and still looked like they wanted to help. Tyler had a sudden sense that they were lying. A sinking feeling set in his stomach as he just had a terrible thought. “He’s still here, isn’t he Trevor?” Tyler said. Trevor slowly turned and faced him, his face full of surprise.
   The silence that followed the question only lasted a minute. It was shattered by the clapping of hands. Tyler and Oliver turned in the direction of the sound, and saw Tanner walking towards them. “Very good father. I must say, I was amazed that you were able to figure this out on your own. I was beginning to worry I’d have to kill you with your back turned,” Tanner said with an evil smile on his face.
   Tyler looked at him, waiting for the attack, but it never came. Instead Tanner kept going with his monologue. “You see, Walden had, oh how to put this, ‘felt’ that you had left. He had an idea that you were going to go get more help. He could only guess that the only help you’d be able to get, if any, would be from the shape shifters.
   “So he sent me to head you off. He wanted me to assassinate you, to cut off hope from all the others fighting ‘united’ as you call it. Did you think your clever disguise as Johnny Watts would have really kept you hidden? Well, that doesn’t matter now. I suppose that now, I follow through with Walden’s orders. Good bye, once and for all, father,” Tanner said. As he finished, he withdrew his wand.
   Tyler pushed Oliver out of the way, and held his wand high, waiting for the jinx. They started walking in a circle, never taking their eyes off each other. The shape shifters had stepped back, watching from a distance. “Deatrus!” Tanner screamed. “Disarment!” Tyler shouted at the same time.
   The jinxes collided, causing an explosion. The brightness of the blast cause Tyler to temporarily lose his sight. He stumbled around, listening as closely as he could for Tanner. He slowed his breathing so he could here better. Tanner yelled loudly, and started firing jinxes in every direction. His eye sight was gone too.
   Tyler felt a rush of hot air pass by his face. He got lower to the ground, and slowly his eye sight came back. After a few more moments, his sight was fully restored, as was Tanners. “Rocorpus!” Tyler shouted, aiming his wand at Tanner. He watched as Tanner went flying through the air, and then landed on his back.
   Tyler ran over to him, and kicked his wand out of his hand. He put his wand in Tanner’s face and said, “I should kill you mercilessly right now, like you tried to do to me. Luckily for you, I have some morals. Get up, grab your wand and fight me.” Tanner looked confused, but got up and grabbed his wand.
   Tyler backed up, and readied himself. Tanner still had a look of confusion on his face, but aimed his wand regardless. “Expulso!” he yelled. Tyler felt like something hit him in the face, and he was sent flying backwards. He got up quickly, and yelled “Disarment!” at the same time Tanner yelled “Deatrus”. This time the jinxes hit, and bounced back to the person who sent them.
   Tyler got knocked off his feet and lost his wand. He heard Tanner scream, and then he slowly got to his feet. He looked over at where his son was, and saw him lying on the ground. Tyler looked around, and Oliver was looking at him, eyes wide. He slowly walked over to Tyler, and then knelt behind him.
   “Is he… Dead?” Oliver asked. Tyler nodded and said, “Killed by his own jinx.” Tyler bent down, and picked up Tanner’s wand, and closed his lifeless eyes. He walked away from his dead son, and found Trevor. Trevor was looking down on him with a look of understanding in his eyes.
   “Will you fight along side us, as equals? You’ve just witnessed what Walden can do. He can cause dissention between families. If he can turn my son against me, surely he can turn you against each other. I urge you to consider these words, a house divided against itself can’t stand. I am offering you a chance at freedom. A chance to escape oppression, with no strings attached. All I ask is that you stand with us. Stand as one, fight united. Will you help us?” Tyler asked him. Trevor looked at him for quite a long time, and then turned to face the other shape shifters.

   “Everybody remember what Tyler said yesterday! Stand as one, and fight united!” Carly yelled as the battle was about to start. She looked at the enemy, and was startled at how they had seemed to grow overnight. “Where is Tyler? Why isn’t he here fighting with us today?” Several people asked.
   Carly had not been able to answer, because she truly did not know if he was coming back. “I certainly hope things worked for him,” She said to Danielle. Danielle looked at her and said, “Trust him. He would never abandon his family. If they don’t help, he will be back. He’s a little late, it’s probably a good thing.”
   “I guess you’re right,” Carly replied. They both stood in the formation, along with the elves, Yetis, and griffons. The battle broke out as both sides ran at each other. Jinxes flew in every direction, as did the weird magic that came from the creatures of the enemy. After only a few moment of battle, Carly found herself face to face with a minotaur. It swung one of its bulky arms at her, hitting her in the stomach. The force of the blow knocked the wind out of her, and made her fall to her hands and knees.
   The minotaur kicked Carly hard in the face with one of its hoofed feet. She fell on to her side, and grabbed her face. The pain was severe, and she rolled onto her back. Blood ran down her face, and she could taste it in her mouth. She looked up at the beast as it grabbed one of the boulders left from the night before.
   She watched as it struggled to step over her. It raised the boulder high over its head, and preparing to drop it on her. Time seemed to slow down as she readied herself for death. She looked at the battle taking place all around her. She watched as Kayla fought off three ghouls at once. She watched elves die, as well as Warlocs. If this was how her life was destined to be from now on, she was ok with dying.
   Carly looked back up at the minotaur, and took a deep breath. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a large creature slammed into the minotaur. The two beasts fell to the ground, and Carly closed her eyes, expecting the boulder to hit her. When it never happened, she opened her eyes, and saw it hovering over her.
   She looked to her left and saw Tyler standing with his wand aimed at the boulder. He then made a throwing motion in the opposite direction, and the boulder flew through the air, hitting a giant in the face. Tyler leaned down and helped her up, then stared at the two beast that were fighting on the ground.
   The minotaur was pinned on the ground, and the other creature bit it’s neck. The creature then grabbed the minotaur’s head, and broke its neck. It let go of the minotaur and stood up. It was a good two feet taller than Tyler and Carly. It looked like a very hairy man with the face of a wolf. It had long claws on its paw like hands, and razor sharp teeth. It’s fur was blonde.
   “Thank you Trevor,” Tyler said. Carly looked up at him confused, then she let out a scream as hundreds more of the wolf-like creatures rushed past them. “Shape shifters,” Tyler explained. Understanding shown on Carly’s face as she watched at how fast the shape shifters flew through the crowd. “Their werewolves,” Carly said, still amazed at the sight.
   “No, they are shape shifters. Werewolves don’t look anything like this. Werewolves are taller and skinnier, and actually walk on all fours,” Tyler said. They looked on as Trevor attacked on of the cloaked ones. The fight was brilliant. Trevor moved so swiftly and effortlessly, it was understandable why Walden didn’t want them to join Tyler.
   The enemy started retreating, terrified by the new threat. The Warlocs, elves, Yetis, and shape shifters all cheered. They all started making their way back to the White House, laughing and whooping all the way back. The shape shifters had all changed back into their human form, and Trevor made his way to Tyler.
   Tyler looked at him, and bowed his head slightly. “Thank you Trevor, we owe you more than we can repay. I will keep to my word. You don’t have to stay, you can come and go as you please,” he said. Trevor bowed slightly back to him and said, “We will stay and help. It is obvious that you need it here. Walden is also our enemy. As you said, we stand united.”
   Trevor left their company as they got closer to the White House. Just before they got inside there was large tremor in the ground. Everyone struggled to stay standing, and Tyler looked around to see what caused it. In the middle of the street, a good two hundred yards away, stood Walden. He looked furious and menacing. People screamed and ran up the stairs.
   “I seek a word with Tyler Moore!” Walden’s voice sounded over the screams. Everyone turned their heads to see him. He was holding a white flag, and was watching them all intently. “You have one hour before I attack the President to come speak to me,” Walden said. Tyler understood that Walden was serious, and he ran up the steps, pushing his way through the crowd. Finally he got inside, with Carly and Kayla right behind him.
   They found Oliver quickly, who had a very alarmed look on his face. “I need to talk to Alfred, now!” Tyler said. Oliver looked at him and said, “He’s dead. He died in battle today.” Tyler looked at him, stunned. “That means you’re in charge Oliver,” Tyler replied. Oliver nodded his head, and sat down against the wall. “Oliver, I need to go talk to him. But I’m not going out without protection,” Tyler said.
   Oliver looked up at him and said, “I’ll go, as well as five other guards. Any volunteers?” Oliver asked the large crowd of people who were standing in the hallway. “I will go,” said a man with black hair that came down over his eyes. He had a thick Bulgarian accent. “As will I,” Trevor said, looking at Tyler, who nodded at him. Mickel caught Tyler’s eye while looking in the window, and he nodded at him. “Mickel will also join us,” said Tyler, speaking for the Yeti.
   “I need two more volunteers. If I don’t get them, I will volunteer you,” Oliver said to the crowd. “I will go,” Kayla said. “No, you and your mother are staying here. I will not risk your lives for mine,” Tyler replied. Kayla looked taken aback, but didn’t say anything else. “Then I will go,” Brendon said. Him and Tyler stared at each other for a moment, and then Tyler agreed. “I too will go,” piped a small squeaky voice. Gretchen made his way through the crowd, and stood at Tyler’s feet. “Very well. Let’s go see what he has to say. Remember, Tyler is important. He must live,” Oliver said. They all made their way to the door, ready to face Walden.

Chapter Seventeen
The Alliance

   Tyler’s heart was racing as they made their way down the steps of the White House. Walden was standing in the middle of the street, still holding the white flag. Tyler wished that time would slow down, but the walk to him went by much faster than he would’ve liked. Within a few seconds they were standing face to face, mere feet away from the man that threatened their existence.
   Walden looked at them with an unreadable face. Tyler wasn’t sure what to make of the situation, but was alert as always. “What is it you want Walden?” Oliver demanded. Walden frowned at him and said, “Well it certainly has nothing to do with you, Mr. Thomas.” Everyone looked at each other, and then Tyler stepped forward.
   “What do you want with me Walden?” he asked. Walden looked at him as if he was appraising him. “You see, since you have killed your son, I need a replacement. I am here to call a truce, if you come and join me. I’ve already seen it happen. I have a future seer of my own you see, and this person has told me that they have seen you joining me. Why not skip a few years of hardship?” Walden explained.
   Tyler looked at him with a look of extreme doubt. “No, I don’t think I will join you. I never will. You are out of control, and you need to be stopped,” Tyler replied. Walden’s face changed. He now looked terrifying and dangerous. He dropped the white flag and said, “Very well. Then I will take away everything you love, until you yourself change into… Something like me. Starting with your sister. Deatrus!”
   Tyler turned in the direction the jinx flew, and saw Danielle. She was running for them from the White House, and the jinx hit her in the stomach. He watched the life leave her eyes as she fell to the ground. Her body tumbled down the stairs, and came to a stop at the street. Tyler let a roaring scream out as he sprinted towards her. He fell to his knees besides her, weeping.
   Tyler looked up at Walden, and his hatred for him grew even stronger. “Kill him!” He yelled. Trevor quickly changed into his wolf-like form, and Walden looked more terrified than Tyler had ever seen him. Just before Trevor grabbed Walden, a jinx hit him and sent him flying through the air. The jinx seemed to have been sent multiple times, because now Tyler was very alone. Oliver was the only one left when Tyler looked around to see who sent it.
   “Oliver, what are you doing?” Tyler asked incredulously. “Well, I guess I should tell you now, shouldn’t I?” Oliver said. He waved his wand over his face, and it slowly dissolved. What was left in it’s place brought Tyler to his knees. “Tanner? How?” he asked. Tanner chuckled, and twirled Oliver’s wand in his fingers.
   “It is quite clever, if I do say so myself. When we fought in the cave, I intended for our jinxes to collide. While you were struggling to get your eye sight back, I performed the psykhe jinx on Oliver. Then, I cast a jinx of myself, giving me his appearance, and him mine. That is why he looked so confused when you used Rocorpus on him. He didn’t know what was going on.
   “Since I still had him under the psykhe jinx, I made him cast the death jinx at you, and it panned out perfectly. You reacted just as I knew you would, killing your best friend. I have been with you, as Oliver since then,” Tanner explained. He was still smiling, and so was Walden. “Yes, it was very good of you, my young follower. Now, if you don’t mind standing aside, I am going to kill your father,” he said. Tanner obeyed, and watched Walden step in front of Tyler.
   Tyler prepared himself. He discretely had his wand aimed at Walden, and just before Walden cast his jinx at him, Tyler said, “Rocorpus! Komatos!” He quickly rolled away from Tanners stunning jinx, and watched Walden fly through the air unconscious. Tyler jumped to his feet and faced Tanner, who looked afraid.
   “This time there will be no mistakes son, no disadvantages. You think you’re better than me, prove it by killing your old man,” Tyler said menacingly. Tanner took a deep breath and said, “Ro-Rocorpus!” Tyler deflected the jinx with ease and said, “VALENCE!” The jinx hit Tanner hard, and he started screaming. Tyler lifted the jinx as soon as Tanner hit the ground.
   Tanner pointed his wand at Tyler and said, “Expulso.” The jinx was muttered so half-heartedly that Tyler just stepped out of the way. “Come on Tanner, you’re losing. Don’t you want to kill your dad?!” Tyler screamed at him. “FIGHT ME! TORTRIS!” Tyler yelled. Tanner screamed and started convulsing on the ground. Tyler didn’t care though, he was letting his hate flow through him.
   “Tyler, Tyler. Remember who you are,” Jordan’s voice whispered through the air. Tyler lifted the jinx and looked around. Nothing was moving at all. It was as if time had been frozen. Tyler took a step towards Tanner, and noticed how pained his face looked. Remorse suddenly overtook him, and he fell to his knees. Tears flowed freely down his face as the past years emotion made its way out of him.
   All the things he bottled inside of him, he was letting out. All the pain, the suffering and the loss. He was letting it all go with every tear that fell. After a few moments of this, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see who it was, and fell back in shock.
   “Jordan!? What is going on?” Tyler said. Jordan looked at him with a smile and said, “I’m here to remind you of who you are. You are not a killer. You are a good person Tyler. You must not give in to your hate. You used to only kill in self defense, and now you kill as if its some kind of fun game. If you are not careful, you will turn into Walden just as his seer predicted. His seer never predicted me coming though.
   “You need to get back to fighting for people, and not for the thrill of fighting. Get back to protecting people because it’s the right thing to do. I know you can do this, now go prove me right.” As soon as the words were over, Jordan disappeared and life resumed. Tanner was breathing heavily on the ground, moaning slightly. Tyler went to his side, and helped him stand.
   “Come on son. I wont hurt you,” he said. Tanner looked at him, confused. “What? I don’t understand. You had the perfect opportunity to kill me, and you didn’t. Why are you letting me live?” he said. Tyler looked at him, and said, “Because. I am not a killer Tanner. I love you son, I could never kill you.” Tanner looked at him. He was thinking about this, because he had never heard anything like this before.
   “Tanner, I must apologize. I feel it is my fault that you went down the wrong path. If I had treated you fairly, and with more respect, I think you may be fighting by my side today, instead of as an enemy,” Tyler said. Tanner’s eyes started to fill with tears, and he buried his head in Tyler’s shoulder. Tyler let him cry, and didn’t move until he did. “Dad, I want to come home,” Tanner said.
   Tyler smiled at him, and said, “Of course son. You are more than welcome.” They both smiled, and started to walk to the White House together. “Don’t think you’re leaving so easily, Tanner,” Walden’s voice said from behind them. Tyler turned and looked at Walden. He had his wand aimed at him.
   “You leave, and your father dies now,” Walden said. “Tanner, go to the White House. I’ll be O.K. Trust me. I know what I’m doing,” Tyler said to Tanner. He started backing away slowly, as did Tyler. “So be it then,” said Walden. He flourished his wand and yelled, “Deatrus!” The jinx flew right for Tyler, but Tanner yelled and jumped in front of him. The spell hit Tanner, knocking him into Tyler. He caught him, and fell to the ground.
   Tyler aimed his wand at Walden and screamed, “Transporasis!” Walden’s face looked surprised as he disappeared. Tyler lay Tanner on the ground, and looked at him. He looked just like he was sleeping, and Tyler had wished that he was. He let himself cry, and was very aware that he was doing so when Trevor and the others who had volunteered to protect him showed back up.
   “What happened?” Trevor asked. “Walden is gone for now, Oliver is dead. So is my son,” Tyler replied through his tears. “Come along friend, let’s get you inside,” Trevor said. Tyler reluctantly got to his knees, and followed them to the White House. Brendon made his to Tyler’s side, and opened the doors for him. When they got inside, Tyler put his hands in his face and cried some more.
   He sat down on a chair in the hallway, and felt Brendon sit next to him. He looked over at him, and Brendon looked back for a moment, and then looked away. “Can I ask you something?” he asked. “Yeah, sure,” Tyler replied. “Do you know why I left the Wanderers?” asked Brendon, looking back at Tyler. “No. No I don’t, isn’t it because you got bit by the ghoul?” Tyler asked.
   Brendon shook his head, then said, “No, that was just the final straw. I left because they made my Dad kill my brother. He didn’t want to be a part of the Wanderers, and so Walden marked him a traitor, and made my Dad kill him. I didn’t want to be like that, and I didn’t want anything to do with them. Getting bit by the ghoul just gave me an excuse,” Brendon explained. Tyler looked at him, and then said, “Why are you telling me this?”
   “Because,” said Brendon. “You made a decision today. You could’ve killed Tanner, but you showed mercy. You could not kill your own family. You made the same decision that I made so long ago. To not wanting to have anything to do with the Wanderers. By choosing to show mercy, you’ve proven that you will never be like Walden. You know how to show compassion, and emotion. That makes you wise, and very strong. I admire that, and I am, as odd as this sounds, proud of you.” Brendon got up after he finished speaking and left Tyler to his thoughts.
   Tyler looked around at all the people, and realized how things had changed since last night. People who were smiling and laughing yesterday, were seemingly sullen and downtrodden. Tyler watched as Brendon made his way down the hall, and sat down next to Kayla. She put her head on his shoulder, and let a few tears roll down her cheek. He looked at Carly as she was cleaning her own wounds, and watched as she walked over to him.
   She sat down, put a hand on his cheek, and looked into his eyes. “I still can’t believe you’re alive. How did you do it? You said you would explain when we had time. I think we have some right now,” she said. Tyler kissed the palm of her hand and said, “O.K. I had an extra wand in my pocket at the wedding. I transported myself to my parents house at the same time he did the explodere jinx. It was a little trick I learned from an old friend.
   “I stayed in hiding until I knew I could come out. Once Oliver made it into the White House, I knew he’d need help. I didn’t want to expose who I really was until Tanner was dead, but clearly my disguise wasn’t that thought out.” He looked into her eyes, waiting for some kind of response. She rested her head on his shoulder again and whispered, “I knew you were rather cunning.”
   She smiled up at him, then kissed his cheek. “Mr. Moore?” said a man dressed in a nice black suit. Tyler looked up at him, and said, “I see the secret service is still intact. I’m guessing the President is still alive?” The man nodded, “Yes. He is requesting to see you.” Tyler looked closely at the man, then agreed to go. Carly followed them down the hallway. They took a left, then they walked into the Oval Office.
   The President was looking out one of the windows, with his hands in his pockets, sleeves rolled up, and tie loosened. He turned slightly and nodded at the secret servicemen, who left the room. “I expect you are wondering by now why I have asked you in here?” he asked. “Yes,” replied Tyler.
   The President turned to face him, and said, “Alfred Andrews is dead. As I’ve learned, so is Oliver Thomas.” Those words stung Tyler in a way he didn’t expect. To hear those words put that way almost made it complete. As if not saying it kept him alive somehow. “Which means that the magic people are in need of a new Prime Minister,” continued the President.
   “You want me to take the job?” Tyler asked, snapping back to reality. “Well, yes. You are quite possibly the only one who can stop Walden. You are the most experienced it seems. I need an advisor, and your people need a leader,” replied the President. Tyler thought about it for a moment, and then said, “O.K. I’ll do it. But I need some free reign if I’m taking Walden down, people could get hurt, and I don’t want to be blamed for it. Mr. President,” he added.
   “That sounds reasonable. So be it then. You are, as of this moment, the magical Prime Minister. I suppose we should be on first name terms now. You can call me Kevin,” said the President. “Alright. Please, tell the secret service boys to call me Tyler. Mr. Moore just sounds like I’m ancient,” Tyler replied. “Will do. I have a meeting right now to speak to other world leaders about the recent update. I would advise you to do the same seeing as all the magic leaders seem to be here,” Kevin said. Tyler nodded, and then took Carly’s hand and walked out of the room.
   “Are you sure this is a good idea?” she asked him. “I’m pretty sure I know what I’m doing. He’s right, we do need a leader of some kind. As of right now at least, it seems as if I’m the best candidate,” replied Tyler. Carly didn’t say anything else about it. Tyler pointed his wand at his throat and said, “Decibails. Attention Magical leaders. If you could meet with out on the lawn, I’d appreciate it. See you in five minutes.”
   Tyler made his way to the back lawn, and waited as a small group slowly started to form. Tyler recognized one of them as the Bulgarian who volunteered to help him. By his side was a small woman with shoulder length black hair. She appeared to be hiding behind him, afraid to be seen. The others, Tyler didn’t recognize.
   “Thank you all for meeting me out here. The President of the United States has just appointed me as the new Magical Prime Minister. So, I thought it would be a good idea to introduce myself to all of you. My name is…” Tyler said, “Tyler Moore,” said a man with a British accent, cutting Tyler off. “Yes, that is who I am, and you are?” Tyler replied.
   “My name is Christopher Black. The direct advisor to the Prime Minister of Great Britain,” replied the man. “Very well, thank you Mr. Black. I met you earlier today, but I didn’t get a name,” Tyler said to the Bulgarian. “My name is Endryu Nykoli. This is my seer. She told me you vould become the Prime Minister, vhich is vhy I sought to protect you,” said Nykoli.
   “Your speak English very well, sir,” Tyler replied with a polite bow. Endryu bowed back to him. They continued introductions like this. From France there was Jacques Bonaparte, “No relation to Napoleon,” he reassured. From Russia there was Vlademir Tarasov. Germany also had its own Prime Minister, her name was Aalina Schulze. She was very kind, with long blonde hair, and dazzling blue eyes.
   “Now that introductions have been made, I suggest we make an alliance. To stand as one, to fight united. We live as equals from here on out. We all have a common enemy. We all know who that is. I propose we form a group of elite duelers, they will be used for the highest matters of national and world security. They will assist in the direct capture and fighting of Walden,” Tyler said.
   All the leaders looked at one another, and nodded. “I second zee motion,” said Jacques. “Then it is settled. On this day, the Sentry Security Unit is formed. We will start training them as soon as we all return to our homelands. This war, is far from over. I sense that Walden is building an army as well,” said Schulze.
   “I agree, which is why we must make haste, and begin training immediately. I think we have ended the battle here for now. We shall keep each other posted with messages every week. This first official meeting, is adjourned,” Tyler replied. He watched as his new allies rose from their seats, and all transported themselves back to their home towns. He looked at the back door to the White House and saw Trevor leaning against the frame.
   “That was beautiful,” he said, pretending to wipe a tear from his eye. “Thanks,” replied Tyler. They stood in silence for a moment, and then Tyler said, “Look, you guys helped us out in such way that we can never repay you. You can leave now if you wish.” Trevor started chuckling, and said, “No. You don’t just have an alliance with your magic friends, but also the creatures who have helped you the past few days. I spoke with the Yetis, elves, and griffons today. We all stand with you and the Alliance.”
   Tyler looked at him in amazement. “Thank you. You are a good friend Trevor, I can tell that already,” he said. Trevor nodded, and then went into the house. Tyler took one last look at the horizon, and thought, ‘Somewhere out there, Walden is building his army, just like us. Aalina was right, this war is far from over.’

Chapter Eighteen
The Disease

   Tyler found his family and told them what was going on. “The President has given us a really nice house only a couple blocks away, so we should be fine there,” Tyler explained. “We’ll go get our things then,” Kayla said. Her, Brendon, and Carly all went to get there things, and were back within minutes. Trevor approached them slowly, and then said, “I’d like to stay with you, if you’ll permit me.” “Of course, I don’t think that’ll be a problem,” replied Tyler.
   They left the White House, and then transported to the house that Kevin had prepared for them. They walked in to find the house had already been completely furnished, and their cupboards full of food. Tyler shut the blinds out of habit, and then sat down on the couch. He looked around, observing the room.
   It was nice and small. The walls were a light blue, and the couch was a black cloth. There was a large screen television on the wall, and the window was rather large. There was a hallway that led to the bedrooms, and an open doorway that led to the kitchen. All in all a very nice house. Tyler took off his shoes, kissed Carly on the cheek, and then went into one of the bedrooms.
   He got himself comfortably in bed, and looked around the room. It was definitely the master bedroom, with another flat screen television on the wall. There was a walk in closet, and a bathroom with a large ornate Jacuzzi tub. Even the bed was more comfortable than any bed he’d ever been on.
   Suddenly he was in front of the White House, walking towards a girl who’s back was turned on him. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and it seemed to glimmer in the sunlight. She was wearing jeans and a black wool coat. There was snow on the ground, but Tyler wasn’t cold.
   “Excuse me. Can you tell me where I am?” Tyler said. He was shocked at the sound of his own voice. It was muffled, and barely audible. The girl ignored him, and kept facing the opposite direction. “Hello! Can you hear me?!” Tyler yelled. More silence as the snow fell around them. Tyler tried to walk in front of the girl, but as soon as he got to her side, he was behind her again. As if something was pushing him backwards.
   The girl withdrew her wand, and her stance told Tyler she was terrified. Tyler pulled out his own wand and waited. He wasn’t sure what was coming, or who was coming, but he could tell it wasn’t a friendly person. He got closer to her, and he no sooner took a step and there was a flash of Golden light. The girl stumbled backwards and fell to the ground at Tyler’s feet. His heart was shattered, and his world was as good as over. Carly lay on the ground before him, the light in her eyes was gone.
   Tyler sank to his knees, unable to take his eyes off of his wife. He screamed as loud and hard as he could, and still the sound was muffled. He looked up to see who had done this, and his eyes widened. He suddenly realized he had dropped his wand and was very vulnerable.
   Walden was slowly walking towards him. Smiling his evil twisted smile, he pointed his wand at Tyler. Before he could do anything, Tyler was convulsing on the ground. It was a moment before he realized that he could hear himself properly again, and instead of being on snow covered ground, he was in a bed.
   “Tyler, Tyler wake up. It’s alright, you were having a dream,” Carly said, leaning over him. His eyes snapped open, and he looked up at her. “Oh my God, are you O.K.?” she asked him. “Why? Am I hot or something?” Tyler asked. “No. No not at all, you’re freezing. It feels like you’ve been out in the snow for hours,” Carly replied. Tyler looked at her with fear in his eyes.
   “What’s wrong?” Carly asked him. “I think I just had another vision,” Tyler breathed. “What was it?” she replied. “You were in it. Walden, he um. We were at the White House, it was snowing. Your back was facing me, and there was a flash of light. Walden killed you,” Tyler explained, revisiting the vision. Carly’s face looked worried, but she didn’t say anything. They sat in silence, and Tyler felt like there was something she wasn’t saying.
   “What’s wrong?” Tyler asked her. “Kayla told me she had a nightmare the other night. It was the same thing that you just described to me,” she replied. Tyler looked at her, then quickly got out of bed. He opened the curtains, and took a step back. It was already snowing outside, which meant that this vision could be much closer than they expected.
   “We don’t have much time,” Tyler said. He opened the bedroom door and standing there was a woman who looked terrifying. She was as tall as Tyler with tangled black hair. She looked at him with such hatred it startled him. Her eyes were pitch black and cold. Tyler took a step back and reached for his wand.
   The woman grabbed him on either side of his head, and he screamed loudly. Carly turned to see what was going on just as Tyler collapsed on the ground. Carly picked her wand up off of the night stand and said, “Deatrus!” The jinx hit the lady, and she flew into the wall. Carly slowly walked over to her, never lowering her wand, keeping a close eye on the motionless body.
   Just as she approached the woman’s body, it looked at her, eyes black as night, and growled. It was such a menacing sound that Carly stumbled backwards in shock. The woman was up and gone faster than Carly could blink. She sat on the floor of the hallway in awe of what she had just seen for a moment. She snapped herself out of it, and kneeled next to Tyler.
   He was still breathing, but wasn’t waking up. Trevor looked down the hallway, and then quickly walked towards them. He knelt down next to Carly and said, “What happened?” “I’m not sure, he opened the door and there was a woman there. She grabbed his head, and he collapsed… I killed her. I used the death jinx on her and she got up and left like nothing happened,” Carly explained.
   Trevor picked Tyler up and carried him to the bed. He set him down gently, then left the room. He returned a few minutes later with a large box. Kayla and Brendon followed closely behind him with a large bowl of water, and several rags. Carly backed against the wall as Trevor set down his box and put his ear to Tyler’s chest.
   “This woman. Did she have black eyes and a mess of hair?” Trevor asked continuing to mess with his box. Carly was unable to answer, unaware of what was going on. “Carly, I need you to tell me what she looked like,” Trevor said, now looking directly at her. Carly physically shook herself, and then took a deep breath.
   “She had black eyes, very black eyes. Her hair was just a tangled mess. She was as tall as Tyler. What does that have to do with anything?” She said. Trevor opened his box, and Carly saw a bunch of surgical instruments. “Kayla, Brendon, I need you to leave the room,” Trevor said. Kayla and Brendon both left looking very confused. Carly closed the door behind her, and tried to fight off the feeling that she was about to receive bad news.
   “What is going on?” she asked. Trevor put his head in his hands, then stood up. Turning to face her, he said, “That woman is extremely dangerous. Her name is Sandra Wright. At a young age she became ill, and went to some of the greatest doctors. No one could figure out what was wrong with her.
   “Her parents went to visit her on the day she was supposed to die. After they hugged her, she grabbed their heads in a final, more personal embrace. They died a few days later. She however, did not. The doctors did an autopsy on her parents, and discovered something disturbing. When she touched their heads, a sort of shock was sent through their body.
   “The shock carried several barb-like substances. As it traveled through the body, it slowly destroyed every system. They attempted to restrain her and keep her quarantined. Their efforts, however, were in vain. She escaped flawlessly, and has been working with Walden ever since.
Walden uses her as his highest tool for assassination. If a target proves to be difficult to catch or kill, he sends her. The reason your spell didn‘t affect her is because she doesn‘t have life in her to kill. She‘s what you might call a zombie.” As he finished, Carly felt her knees giving out on her, and so she steadied herself on the dresser.
   She looked around, and then over at Trevor with tears building in her eyes. “Are you telling me that he is going to die in a few days? Because of her?” Carly asked, hardly able to hold back her emotion. Trevor looked down, then back at her. “Not in a few days no. I was one of the doctors trying to keep her contained. I have created a serum that delays the effects of what she does. It will extend his life by weeks, maybe more than a month and a half, if we‘re lucky,” he replied.
   Carly sat on the ground, then said, “Give it to him.” Trevor nodded, and immediately turned to his box. He reached in, pulled out a long needle, and a vial of a clear liquid. He extracted some into the syringe, and slowly pushed it into Tyler’s chest. He pressed down on the plunger, then pulled out the needle.
   Trevor grabbed a rag, dipped it in the water, rung it out, and then began wiping the sweat off of Tyler’s face. Carly sat next to him, and took said, “I’ll take over from here.” Trevor looked at her then nodded. He got up and left the room. She continued to brush the rag across his face, looking at him with great intent.
   After a few moments, he slowly opened his eyes, and looked into Carly’s. “What happened?” he asked. She fought back tears, and then kissed his cheek. “You were attacked. Walden sent an assassin to finish you. That’s who that lady was,” she replied. “So, I’m guessing that since I’m alive, she didn’t succeed, right?” Tyler asked. A tear escaped Carly’s eye, and she put a hand on his cheek.
   “No. She still succeeded. She attacked you exactly as she planned too. Trevor saved you,” she said to him. He looked confused, and Carly hoped he wouldn’t ask. “Well, what did he do? If she attacked just as she planned, I should be dead,” he mused. Carly looked at him, and then told him what Trevor had told her.
   About how if it wasn’t for the serum, he would be dead much sooner. That he only had a limited time left to live, and it was most likely that instead of days it’d be weeks. He looked very calm for having been told that he only had a few weeks left to live. He pulled Carly into a hug, and held her close.
   “We’ll figure something out,” Tyler said. “How can you say that?” was her reply. Tyler looked at her, wiped her tears away and said, “Because I know we will. We always do.” She didn’t say anything more, and they sat there for only a moment longer. Tyler kissed her cheek, and then got out of bed.
   He walked out of their room, and into the living room where the others were. He walked over to Trevor and shook his hand. “Thank you. I owe you my life,” Tyler said. Trevor gave him a small bow, and Tyler then turned to Kayla and Brendon. “We need to talk,” he said. Kayla looked at him, then at Brendon. He sat down in a chair across from them, and looked at them in silence for a moment.
   He told them what happened, and that he didn’t have much time. Kayla cried into Brendon’s shoulder as Tyler explained the situation. After he finished, he let it sink in for a moment. Somehow he was at peace with it. He walked over and gave Kayla a hug, and she cried some more. He looked at Brendon, who’s face still looked alarmed. Brendon looked back at him, and they stared at each other for a moment.
   Tyler was silently trying to tell Brendon that he was to look after her once he was gone. He must have understood, because after a few moments of looking at each other, he nodded. Tyler got to his feet and said, “I have something I need to take care of. The President needs to know, as do all our allies. I’ll be back hopefully before the nights over. I may be there all night, so don’t wait up for me.”
   He grabbed his jacket, and walked out the door of the house. “Transporasis,” he said, with his wand aimed at himself. He appeared on the steps of the White House and made his way up them. He walked through the doors, down a couple of hallway, and walked right into the oval office. Kevin looked up from his desk, and looked surprised to see him.
   “What can I do for you Tyler?” he asked. Tyler sat down in a chair and said, “I don’t have much time left to live. Within a few weeks, maybe a month, I’m going to be dead. Walden sent an assassin to attack me. She found me and succeeded, sort of. If it wasn’t for Trevor, I would be dead in a few days. He had some medicine that is keeping me alive. But rest assured I will be dead long before my term is over.”
   Kevin looked at him with disbelief clear on his face. “So, what can I do for you then Tyler?” he asked. “Just listen to my final wishes, and make sure that they are followed through,” replied Tyler. “Very well. Do you want to do that now?” Kevin asked, pulling out a piece of paper. “If we can, I would like to,” Tyler said.
   “Go ahead,” Kevin said, with a pen in hand. “I’d like my replacement to be my daughter. I think that she would be the best fit. If that isn’t manageable then I want protection for my family. Everything I have goes to my daughter, unless my wife is still alive by then. I expect that the both of our lives are going to be cut short. Aside from that, I don’t have much else, that should do,” he said.
   Kevin finished writing and then said, “I think we can do that. I’m sorry to hear of your misfortunes, and I pray that things get better for your family.” Tyler nodded at him, and then walked to the backyard of the White House. He sent a message to all the world leaders, and within minutes, they were all there.
   “Why have you called us here?” Black said. “Because I have some news, I’d watch your tone, my patience is already run thin today,” replied Tyler. Black looked taken aback, but didn’t say anything. “Vhat is the news, Mr. Moore?” Endryu asked. They all got silent and looked at Tyler.
   “In a few weeks, I will no longer hold this position. Not by choice, but by something that was unforeseen,” he explained. “Could you perhaps enlighten us. What event could remove you from this position?” asked Schulze. “Death could,” replied Tyler. There was a sense of unease as he said this. “How does one predict zeir own death?” Bonaparte asked.
   “By being diseased. I was attacked earlier today by an assassin hired by Walden. She gave me a disease that could have killed me within days. Thanks to a friend, I have gotten an extension. Within weeks though, I will be dead. I had a vision this same day that my wife is going to be killed by Walden. So, needless to say this has been a trying day,” Tyler explained.
   They all looked at him with compassion in their eyes. Schulze walked up to him and hugged him. Nykoli shook his hand, as did Black and Bonaparte. “Who will be taking your place then,” asked Black. “My daughter will be. She is the best candidate I think,” Tyler said. They all nodded. “Very vell. Ve vill do our best to keep her protected,” said Nykoli. “Agreed,” the others said in unison.
   They all stayed and talked about how things were going in their countries, and talked about defense plans. After several hours, Tyler was bidding them all farewell. He looked at his watch and realized it was almost sunrise. He walked through the White House, and started making his way down the steps.
   The realization of what was happening suddenly hit him. The realization that he was going to die much sooner than he had ever planned hit him, and he fell to his knees in tears. He wiped his tears away, and got to his feet. He took a few deep breathes before pulling out his wand and saying, “Transporasis.”
   He was back in his living room, and everyone was still asleep. As quietly as he could, he took his jacket and shoes off, then made his way into his bedroom. Carly was still sleeping as he silently closed the door. He changed into his pajamas, and crawled into bed. Within minutes, he fell asleep.

Chapter Nineteen
The Parent’s End

   The next week went by with obvious changes in Tyler. He had lost a substantial amount of weight because every time he ate something, he threw it back up. The disease had taken a turn for the worst and it was obvious that he only had, at the most, two weeks left. Trevor had done all that he could to make Tyler comfortable. Tyler was reminded of Oliver with the way that Trevor was looking out for him.
   As he looked at the IV in his arm, he was reminded of when Oliver had stolen one from a hospital to keep his nutrients up. The situation was different now, but it was being used for the same reason. Tyler felt very week, and had trouble doing things on his own. Everyone had been very helpful. More helpful than Tyler could thank them for.
   “Dad, stop saying thank you. I’m willing to help, you don’t have to say it every time I bring you water,” Kayla said one day after Tyler thanked her for the umpteenth time. “I’m sorry, I just want you all to know how grateful I am,” he replied. Kayla looked at him lovingly and said, “I already know Dad. I love you.” She leaned in and hugged him. Things carried on this way through the whole week.
   They all watched helpless as Tyler’s body started shutting down. They had feared he was going to die one day when he wasn’t waking up. He slept for twenty-four hours before he finally did, and everyone was relieved to see that he was still alive. He forced himself to move on his own, refusing to become completely dependant on everyone else. It was painful to take just a few steps, but he managed to get himself where he needed to go.
   By the second week of the disease, he was never left unattended. Someone was always in the same room as him, (Trevor volunteered to help with the bathroom issues, seeing as he used to be a doctor) and he was almost always asleep. Carly almost never left his side, and was often asleep next to him.
   Brendon came into Tyler’s bedroom once, and sat in on the chair next to the bed. He looked at Tyler for quite some time, but he remained asleep. Brendon got up to leave, but when he got to the door, Tyler said, “Don’t leave just yet. I want to talk to you.” Brendon turned to look at him, and was surprised to see him sitting up.
   He made his way back over and sat back down in the chair. Tyler looked at him for a little bit, and then said, “Kayla loves you, you know?” Brendon was taken aback by the question, and looked at him in surprise. “What makes you say that?” he asked. Tyler laughed weakly.
   “The way she looks at you, I can tell. Plus, she kind of told me the other day. She was in here taking care of me. She thought I was asleep, and she told me. If she knew I was telling you she’d kill me,” Tyler explained. “So then, why are you telling me?” Brendon asked. Tyler got very serious and looked at him.
   “I’m telling you because I’m not going to be here to look after her much longer. She’s going to need you. You’re going to have to look after her after I’m gone. Can you do that for me Brendon?” Tyler said. Brendon looked at him with a look of gratefulness. “Of course I will. I promise I will take care of her until there is no breath left in me,” he replied. Tyler reached his hand over feebly, and said, “Shake on it.” Brendon shook his hand, and Tyler fell back asleep.
   Brendon quietly got to his feet and left the room. He walked into the living room, and leaned against the wall looking at Kayla. After a few minutes, she noticed him staring at her and said, “What?” He smiled at her and said, “It’s nothing. Just something your dad told me.” He walked over and sat on the couch, and she turned to face him.
   “What did he tell you?” she asked. “It was nothing, it’s between him and me,” he replied. “Oh come on, just tell me,” Kayla said. “I can’t,” said Brendon. “Why not?” Kayla asked. “Because he told me that you would kill him if he told me,” replied Brendon. “Well, tell me what it was, and I’ll tell you if he’s right,” she said. Brendon sighed, and then said, “He told me that you told him that you love me. Is that true?”
   Kayla looked at him, slightly surprised, and said, “I… I thought he was…” She wasn’t able to say much else, and Brendon put a hand on her chin and said, “Hey, calm down. Are you afraid that I’m going to say I don’t love you back?” She looked into his eyes, with tears starting to build in hers.
   “I was worried that you wouldn’t want to get involved. I thought, maybe you wouldn’t because you didn’t want to risk anything with you being part ghoul and all. But I’m not worried about that, it really doesn’t bother me,” she replied. He chuckled to himself and said, “Well it does worry me, but it wont stop me from loving you any less.” They hugged each other, and then watched the television.
   Carly walked into the living room from the kitchen with a sandwich. She sat down in the chair next to them and said, “So, is the cat out of the bag now?” Kayla and Brendon looked at her confused. “Oh come on, Kayla told Tyler, Brendon told me. We were both just waiting for you two to say it to each other. Is it out of the bag now?” Carly explained. Kayla blushed and nodded, and Carly said, “Good. I’m glad to hear that you two aren’t hiding emotions any more.”
   They sat in silence for a few hours, watching whatever happened to be on, then Carly yawned and said, “About bed time, isn’t it?” She got to her feet and went into her bedroom and was asleep in minutes. “I’ll see you in the morning,” Kayla said, getting to her feet and heading to her bedroom. Brendon nodded, and got comfortable on the couch. Within minutes, everyone in the house was asleep.

   Kayla was walking in front of the White House, there was lots of snow on the ground but she wasn’t cold. She saw Carly standing a few yards away from her, so she made her way over to her. When she got there she said, “Mom, what’s going on?” Her voice was very muffled, and Carly didn’t react at all.
   Carly pulled out her wand, looking suddenly alarmed. Kayla looked in front of them and was frozen in fear at the sight of Walden. He had his wand aimed and said, “Deatrus!” The jinx hit Carly and she flew back a few feet, landing by Tyler. Tyler dropped to his knees, screaming loudly. Kayla noticed that he dropped his wand, as Walden slowly approached him.
   Walden aimed his wand at Tyler, but before he could do anything Tyler grabbed his wand and yelled, “Deatrus!” The jinx hit Walden, and his face looked very surprised. There was a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth, and he fell to the ground, dead in the snow. She looked back at Tyler, who was clutching his chest.
   He started convulsing, and then after a few moments, he stopped. Kayla slowly walked towards him, and looked down at him. His eyes were open, but he wasn’t breathing. She looked closer as some sort of black liquid poured out of his mouth. It seemed that the disease had finished its job. Kayla sank to her knees, mourning both of her parents.
   “Kayla,” she heard Tyler’s voice call. She looked around but he was nowhere to be found. She got to her feet with her wand out, ready for whatever happened. “Kayla, wake up,” Tyler’s voice said again. She jumped awake, sitting up in bed. Tyler was sitting in a chair at the end of her bed. She rubbed her eyes, letting them adjust to the brightness.
   “Dad, what are you doing in here?” she asked. “You had a vision, didn’t you. Just now,” he asked. “Yeah, how did you know?” Kayla replied. “Because I had one two weeks ago, before I got sick,” he explained. “I’m just going to guess that you saw your mother get killed?” Tyler said. Kayla nodded, but didn’t make eye contact.
   “Did you see more?” Tyler asked, noticing her avoidance. She nodded, but still avoiding his eyes. “I saw you die. The disease had finished its job, and right after Mom died, you killed Walden, and then you fell to the ground, and died,” Kayla explained. Tyler looked at her, with his eyes wide. “Carly dies, the same day I do? She only has about a week left then. I wasn’t planning for this,” he said, more to himself than her.
   “Dad, I’m not ready for this. I’m not ready to lose both of my parents,” Kayla said. Tyler rubbed his chin and said, “It seems like you don’t have much of a choice. These visions are never wrong, and seeing as I only have a little under a week left, its just a matter of time left.” Kayla looked at him with tears in her eyes.
   “What am I going to do with out my parents?” she asked. Tyler was unable to answer her. After a moment, he said, “I have a favor to ask you. After I die, I want you to take over my position as the Magic Prime Minister. I’ve already spoke to Kevin, it’s been arranged. The other Magical world leaders agreed to it, and promised to look after you, and to make sure that you are given the help you’ll need. Also, I must ask that you keep Brendon close. He cares about you, and it would be wise to keep him as a friend, if not more.”
   Kayla looked at him through the tears in her eyes, and nodded. “O.K. I can do that. I will do my best,” she said. Tyler gave her a little smile and then yawned. “I need some sleep. I will see you in the morning,” he said, getting up from his chair to leave the room. Kayla lay back down and stared at the ceiling.
   She certainly wasn’t ready for the things that lie ahead in the near future. But it was as Tyler said, she didn’t have much of a choice. The visions always happened, no matter what. There would be no way she could save them. As these thoughts plagued her mind, she drifted into a restless sleep, that would be broken several more times throughout the night.
   Carly woke early the next day. She was restless and nervous that Tyler’s end was so near. She still had no idea that her end was so close at hand. She started making herself some breakfast when Kayla walked into the kitchen. As soon as she saw Carly standing at the counter, she wiped the tears off of her face. Carly noticed and stopped what she was doing.
   “Are you O.K.?” she asked. Kayla nodded and sat down at the table. “You sure? You don’t look it. Can I get you something to eat?” Carly asked. “No thanks, I’m not very hungry,” she replied. “Oh, alright,” replied Carly, slightly taken aback. She continued what she was doing, and then sat at the table and ate her breakfast. They sat in an awkward silence that seemed to fill the room. Kayla was resting her head on her arms, and Carly kept sneaking glances at her.
   After Carly finished her breakfast, she cleaned her bowl, then said, “Would you go see if your dad would like anything please?” Kayla got up before Carly finished asking the question. She seem glad to be away from people. After a few moments of washing her bowl, Carly heard a scuffling of feet. She turned and saw Kayla standing in the door way, tears running down her cheeks.
   “Dad won’t wake up,” She breathed. Carly looked at her, heart sinking. ‘No, it can’t be today,” Carly thought to herself. She quickly made her way to their bedroom, and when she got there she threw the door open. Carly walked over to Tyler, and tried to wake him up. But he wouldn’t move.
   She checked to see if he was still breathing, which he was, and then shook his shoulder gently. He still wouldn’t wake up. She started to get worried, and began pacing the bedroom. After a few moments of doing this, Trevor walked into the room. He looked at Tyler, then walked over and starting checking him out.
   He opened one of Tyler’s eyes, and shone a light into it. Trevor sighed, then stood up. He turned to face Carly, who was standing in the corner with a look of worry on her face. “He’s in a coma,” Trevor said. They looked at each other for a while before Carly said anything.
   She walked over to the side of the bed, and looked down at Tyler. “Will he wake back up?” Carly asked. Trevor looked at her for a moment, and then said, “No. I don’t think he will.” There was a thickening silence in the room following those words. Carly felt tears building up, and she said, “Thank you Trevor, but now if you don’t mind, I would like some time alone with him.” Trevor nodded, and walked out of the room.
   Carly broke down and started crying. She couldn’t take much more of it. She knew this day was coming, but it still took her by surprise. If felt like everything was closing in around her, as if the walls were shrinking. She stayed frozen against the bed, letting her tears fall freely. She couldn’t move, and didn’t want to move.
   After an hour or so, Carly couldn’t handle it anymore. She had a sudden urge to get out and just get away for a while. She got up, put on a coat, then went into Kayla’s room. Kayla looked up at her and said, “Are you going somewhere?” Carly looked around, and then said, “Yeah. Your fathers condition isn’t looking to good right now. I’m just going to go to the White House and talk with Kevin and the other leaders. Let them know what’s going on and all.”
   Kayla got to her feet, put on a coat, then turned to face Carly. “I’m going with you. Dad decided that after he was gone, he wanted me to take his place. I think I should meet them,” Kayla said. Carly looked like she might protest, but then consented to let her come along. They walked into the living room together, then linked hands. “Transporasis,” Kayla said.
   After a few brief moments of the unpleasant travel, they arrived on the steps of the White House. There was a thick covering of snow on the ground as they walked up to the doors. They walked in, and made their way to the oval office. After they knocked on the door, they walked into Kevin’s office, and stopped in their tracks.
   Kevin’s body lay dead and broken on the floor in front of them. Sitting at his desk was a very pleased looking Walden. He looked up at them and said, “Ah, right on cue. I see Tyler isn’t with you. Not doing well, I presume?” He started chuckling as he slowly got to his feet. He stepped in front of the desk, so all that stood between them and him was Kevin.
   “You see, I planned on killing him myself, but he is quite the fighter. So eager to resist death, and so I sent my best weapon. An assassin who, just by touching you, sends a disease coursing through your body. She did succeed, and even with Trevor’s little antidote, he will still die.” Walden said.
   Carly and Kayla both had their wands in their hands, but neither were expecting what Walden did next. “Expulso!” he shouted. They were both sent backwards through the wall, and before they hit the ground, Carly aimed her wand at Kayla and said, “Transporasis!” Kayla was sent back into the crushing darkness of the jinx, and a moment later landed on the living room floor of their home. “Damn it!” she yelled loudly. She got to her feet, and ran into her parents bedroom where Tyler lay still asleep.
   ‘Please let this work,’ she thought to herself. She pointed her wand at Tyler and said, “Wacian.” His eyes slowly opened, and he looked up at her. “What’s going on?” he said feebly. She got to his side, and started helping him out of bed. “Mom’s in trouble. I think our vision is about to become a reality. Walden is at the White House, and he killed Kevin.” Kayla explained.
   At these words, Tyler lifted himself out of bed, and seemed to gain his strength back. He grabbed a coat, not realizing it was the one he wore in his vision, and grabbed his wand. They linked hands, and transported themselves to the White House. They looked around, and realized they were in the oval office. Tyler looked down and saw Kevin lying on the ground, and this seemed to give him more strength.
   “Come on,” Tyler said, walking in the direction of the front doors. As soon as they opened them, Tyler started running. A hundred yards or so from the steps of the White House, stood Carly. He ran as fast as he could, leaving a terrified Kayla at the door. Within minutes, he was almost at Carly’s side. He started walking, and slowly got closer.
   Tyler slowed his breathing, and listened carefully for any sound of Walden. He got closer, and then Carly pulled out her wand. Tyler broke into a run again, and just as he got to her, he saw a flash of golden light. “No!” he yelled. Carly stumbled backwards, and then fell at his feet. Tyler dropped to his knees, and started to cry. He screamed loudly, and held Carly’s lifeless body in his arms. He looked up and saw Walden staring down at him.
   Kayla pointed her wand at herself and said, “Transporasis.” After only a second of darkness, she appeared next to Tyler. Walden had his wand aimed for Tyler’s chest, and just like in the vision, Tyler had dropped his wand. “Dad, pick up your wand!” she yelled. Tyler rolled and grabbed it up out of the snow, and just as Walden was about to jinx him, he yelled, “Deatrus!”
   Walden’s face twitched slightly, as he fell to the ground. Kayla watched, and then turned to look at Tyler. He lowered his wand, and then started convulsing on the ground. Kayla knew that any minute he would stop, and both her parents would be gone. He wasn’t stopping though, he kept convulsing, and she couldn’t figure out why. Why had he not died already?
   She saw Brendon appear on the other side of Tyler, and he pointed his wand at him and said, “Deatrus.” Tyler stopped moving immediately. “No!!” Kayla yelled, dropping to her knees. “Why did you do that?! I trusted you!” she yelled and Brendon. He walked over to her, and knelt beside her. “He asked me to do it. After you told him about your vision, he asked me to do it so you wouldn’t have to watch him suffer,” he explained.
   She let her tears flow freely, and he held her. They sat in the snow together for a long time, mourning the loss of her parents. After an hour, they got to their feet, and walked to the White House. They climbed the stairs in silence, and then walked into the oval office. Kayla noticed a piece of paper sitting on top of it, and so she walked over to it.
   She picked up the piece of paper, and it read: “To Kevin, the President of the United States. I have sent my assassin, the same one I sent to Tyler Moore, to all the other Magic World Leaders. Then, to finish our deal, I will be coming with your fake body, to make it appear that you are dead. Our plan is flawless, and is underway. In a few moments, our great assassin will be along to escort you to safety. It has been my honor to serve you, my master. Signed, Walden Edwards.”
   Kayla crumpled the paper up, and then sent a message to all the other Magic World Leaders. She told them all that Tyler was dead, and that the President was conspiring with Walden, who was also dead. Also that she had suspected that Kevin was also a Warloc, possibly worse than Walden. She asked that they all come so they can talk about defense plans. After she did this, she sat in the chair and waited.

Chapter Twenty
Exiled

   Kayla waited anxiously, as Brendon paced around the room. After a few moments of waiting, there was a small pop, followed by a knock on the door. Brendon and Kayla both pulled out their wands. Kayla got up from the chair, and slowly walked over to the door.
   “Who is it?” She asked. “My name is Aalina Schulze. I am the magic leader from Germany. I got your message Kayla. You can trust me,” came a small voice. Kayla opened the door just enough to see on the other side. After seeing that Aalina was alone, she opened the door, and beckoned her inside. Brendon closed the door behind them, and kept his wand out.
   “Where are the others?” Aalina asked. “You’re the first to show up,” Kayla replied. She looked up at the newcomer, and realized just how worried she looked. There was another, louder knock on the door, and Brendon tightened his grip on his wand. Aalina withdrew hers as well, and had it trained on the door. It was all white, and perfectly straight.
   Brendon slowly opened the door, and in walked Endryu Nykoli. He looked like he had just been in a fight. He sat down in a chair, and took a deep breath. His wand was still in his hand, and Kayla took notice of it. It was rounded at the end of the handle, which was very gnarled. The rest of it was fairly straight, with slight chips in it. The wood was a dark color, almost black.
   “What happened?” Kayla asked him. He looked up at her and said, “Quite a bit different from your father. A more direct approach to things. This is no problem, I like direct approaches. The assassin got to me, and luckily, your message distracted her long enough for me to escape,” Endryu explained.
   “That’s good to hear she failed with you at least. Have you had any word from any of the others?” Aalina asked. He shook his head, then wiped the sweat from his face. “Well, you two are safe for now. Let’s hope the others are as fortunate,” Kayla said. They all nodded, and waited in silence.
   It seemed as though a few hours had gone by when the silence was broken in the hallway. Everyone was on their feet instantly, wands aimed at the door. Brendon pressed an ear against the door, listening intently. “I can’t tell what’s going on,” he said. Kayla moved him aside, and opened the door the tiniest crack.
   She saw ten warlocs fighting off one person. She couldn’t tell who he or she was because they were dressed in a trench coat with a hood covering their head. But they were relentless. After a moment or so, the warloc fled. It appeared as if he disintegrated, and it reminded Kayla of a spell Oliver had once shown her. She closed the door, and said, “It’s ok, just our security doing its job.”
   Before she sat back down, a pop sounded inside the room, and a body fell to the floor with a note attached to it. “Oh my God. It’s Black,” Aalina said. Endryu knelt next to him and felt his pulse. “He’s dead,” he said. He grabbed the note, and then stood to his feet. He read in silence for a moment, and then handed the note to Kayla, who read it aloud.
   “To the remaining Sentry Security Unit. By now, I’m sure you’ve learned that I am not the defenseless president I led the entire world to believe. I am, in fact, the Warloc who trained Walden. I send this message to you today to tell you that this is the premature end to your little organization. Right now, I am on my way to assist my assassin in the murder of Vlademir Tarasov. After we have done so, my assassin will be returning to kill the rest of you. Preferably, starting with Tyler’s daughter.
   “Putting up a fight would be so unwise. There is no one who can defeat her, and she will destroy your “government”. I suppose that Tyler was correct in that Walden was assembling an army, and I know you had all decided to do so as well. However, today will put an end to that before it can even begin. Goodbye, old friends.
Kevin”
   Kayla looked up at them, and they all looked worried. “Ve need to act fast,” Endryu said. “I agree, but what are we going to do?” Kayla asked. “We promised your father to look after you after he was gone, and we will stick to that promise,” Aalina said. “I couldn’t agree more,” came a new voice.
   They all turned to see who had joined them, and in the corner of the room stood Jacques. His wand was still out as well, it was very elegant looking. More fancy than any wand Kayla had ever seen. “Good to see you survived,” Kayla said. He looked very grim, and said, “I wouldn’t be so sure. You see, before I was able to get away, zee assassin got to me. I suppose I have been eenfected,” he explained.
   Kayla looked at him. “Then, I think I know what you’re here for,” she said. Everyone looked at her, and she looked at Brendon. “My dad asked the same of you,” Kayla told him. Understanding shown across his face, as he stepped closer to her. “If you think I want to die, then you are right. I’d rather die by the hand of a Warloc than some disease,” Jacques said.
   Brendon nodded at him, as Jacques threw his wand to the floor. “I am ready,” he said. Brendon raised his wand and said, “Deatrus.” Aalina gasped at what she just saw, as Jacques fell to the floor. “How could you do that?” she asked him. Brendon simply looked at her. “When you’ve been through, and seen what I’ve seen, it’s not too hard to do,” he replied.
   There was a knock on the door, and then it was thrust open. Trevor came stumbling in, slamming it shut behind him. He was out of breathe, and held himself up by holding onto the back of a chair. “Trevor? Are you alright?” Kayla asked. “No. Sandra showed up at your home. I was still there, and she remembered me. I’m afraid she followed me here,” he explained. “Then it appears the fight is here much sooner than we had planned,” Kayla replied.
   They all looked very worried, and just before they walked out of the room, another body appeared. It was Vlademir. He was dead, with a note that read, “Goodbye.” They all walked out of the office, and into the crowded hallway. The crowd let them pass, as they made their way to the front doors. They looked out one of the windows, and saw Sandra running up the stairs.
   Kayla was filled with an intense anger, and she threw the door open and yelled, “Expulso!” The jinx flew and hit Sandra in the head. She was sent flying through the air, but landed on her feet and continued running. “Rocorpus!” Brendon shouted. The jinx hit her, and she flipped backwards through the air, and landed on her back. Kayla ran for her, and Aalina yelled, “Kayla no!!”
   Everyone ran after her, but she was faster. Kayla reached her, and just as she did, Sandra grabbed her, and flipped her up and over her. Before she hit the ground, Kayla shot a stunning jinx at Sandra, but missed. She landed on her back, and groaned in pain. As she rolled over, she heard Endryu yell, “Valence!”
   The jinx hit Sandra, and she fell to the ground right in front of Kayla. She got to her feet, and held aimed her wand at her face. “I should kill you,” she said. “Go ahead!” Sandra spat at her. “You know it wont work. Your mother tried it. Where is your mother? She dead?” she continued, laughing. Kayla kicked her in the face, breaking her nose. Sandra went from laughing to groaning, and she clutched her nose.
   “Kayla, don’t do it. You aren’t a murderer,” Aalina said. Kayla looked at her and said, “She killed my dad.” Aalina looked at her, and said in a consoling voice, “I know. Don’t kill her in revenge, other wise it will be the same as murder.” Kayla loosened her grip on her wand, and lowered it. Sandra started laughing hysterically, and got to her feet. She reached for the nearest person, who was Endryu.
   Before she got to him, someone shouted, “Decaput!” Sandra’s face looked shocked, and as she stumbled backwards, her head fell to the ground. She was, at last, dead and unable to hurt anyone again. Endryu breathed a sigh of relief as everyone looked to see who had done it. Every body had lowered their wands though, and Kayla turned around. She saw the same person she saw in the White House hallway. Whoever it was, was still wearing the trench coat and hood.
   Just as she was about to say something, he disappeared, as though he had disintegrated. “Who was that?” Kayla asked. “I don’t know, but it’s obvious he doesn’t vant to be seen,” replied Endryu. “I don’t think that is our biggest concern right now Kayla,” Brendon said, nodding in the other direction.
   Kayla turned around, and her eyes widened at what she saw. Heading towards them was what appeared to be the entire Washington D.C. police force. Leading them was Kevin, dressed in his nicest suit. They all immediately stowed their wands away. After a few moments, they were only ten yards away.
   “Surrender now, or we will be forced to fire on you,” Kevin called to them. “What is the charge for?” Kayla yelled back at him. “For the murder of Sandra White, who had no defense against magic of any kind. The truce between Warlocs and humans is over. All Warlocs are here by named outlaws. Since we witnessed you kill that women, if you don’t come quietly, and unarmed, we will be forced to kill you,” replied Kevin.
   Kayla looked at Aalina and Endryu for some kind of help, but they all looked worried. Suddenly everything stopped moving, as Kayla looked around. Everyone seemed frozen in place. She noticed someone holding her arm, and when she looked at who it was, she gasped. It was the person in the trench coat.
   “What is going on?” she asked, wrenching her arm free of the mysterious person. “I have frozen your enemies so you may escape,” he said in a very raspy voice, as he touched the others. Aalina, as well as everyone else looked confused. “For my own safety, I’m afraid I cannot tell you who I am, only that I am a friend. Grab each other’s hands,” he said. They all did so, and Kayla realized what was going on.
   He aimed his wand at them, and Kayla swore she recognized it, and then he said, “Transporasis!” They were all sucked into a crushing blackness that seemed to last forever. After a long while, they suddenly arrived in what appeared to be a destroyed building. There was lots of debris everywhere, and the lights seemed to be flickering.
   Kayla looked around to see where she was, but didn’t recognize anything. Aalina started walking towards what appeared to be a monument of some sort. “Any idea who Quinten Jenson or Jen Hayes are?” she asked. “None,” replied Kayla. She looked at the pictures, but didn’t recognize either of them. Endryu looked at the pictures, but he didn’t recognize them either. Trevor was looking around at the rest of the store when he said, “It looks like it’s been abandoned for several years.”
   Kayla looked around as well and noticed all the tents, and makeshift rooms. She admired all the security gadgets that seemed homemade. “What do you think this place is?” Kayla asked. “This is where your father defended several people before this happened,” a voice said from behind them.
   Everyone turned to face the voice, all with wands raised. “Calm down, calm down, I mean you no harm. Our little cloaked friend told us you would be coming. He seemed to know that the exile of us warlocs was coming. He had us all gather here. This was the first defense area of this war. It was started when Wanderer’s attacked this store late one night. Your father, Tyler Moore, defended this place quite spectacularly.
   “Unfortunately, Walden had forces at his advantage we hadn’t predicted. That Giant did quite a bit of damage on this place. Luckily, we were able to salvage it and keep it alive as an outpost for warlocs who are supposed to be dead, or missing,” the woman explained, stepping into the light. Her hair was long and blonde, and she had blue eyes.
   “My name is Cadence Andrews. I am the daughter of Alfred Andrews. I have been here since his death,” she explained. Kayla looked around, and was amazed at what she saw. Several people started walking out of the rooms and tents. She felt in awe at the fact that this is where it all started for her dad.
   “Actually no, this isn’t where your father got started. He had to grow up to you know? He actually turned from magic for a long time. But that is another story for another day. You all need to talk about what you’re going to do from here. I’ll leave you to it,” Cadence said, as if she had read Kayla’s mind.
   “So what do we do?” Aalina said. “We stay in exile,” Kayla replied. “You mean do nothing?” Endryu asked. “No, not do nothing. But plan, and we’re not going to do much good if we’re all together. If we split up, they’ll have a lesser chance of finding all of us. I say we all go to our respective countries, and form several places like this. Like safe houses for warlocs. God knows they’re going to be looking for us. If we keep us all hidden as well as possible, the more of a chance we have at surviving.” Kayla said.
   “I think that sounds like a sound plan. I vill leave for Bulgaria at once,” Endryu said. “Alright, keep us posted on things that happen in your countries,” replied Kayla. He pointed his wand at himself and muttered, “Transporasis.” Kayla turned to Aalina, and suggested she do the same thing.
   “Keep yourself safe, and keep me updated, alright?” Kayla said. Aalina nodded, and then hugged her. She too, pointed her wand at herself, and said, “Transporasis.” Kayla walked back over to Brendon and Trevor. Brendon looked at her, with his hair slightly matted to his face with sweat. “I guess this is our lives for the next however many years,” she said. He smiled at her and said, “I’m glad it’s with you. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
   They found Cadence a few feet away, and walked over to her. “We’ve decided to stay. Trevor as well,” Kayla said. “That’s great to hear. We’ll get you all a couple rooms, and some food. Just know that Wanderers do show up every now and then. It makes for a nice little practice fight,” Cadence replied. “That’s alright, fighting is something we’re used to by now,” Brendon said. They all laughed as they made their way through the store.
   Cadence had shown them to their rooms, and they settled in. As Kayla lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, she tried to prepare herself for the life that lay ahead of her. She had no idea to how losing her parents would affect her, or if she’d ever see Aalina or Endryu again. She looked over at Brendon, and silently agreed with what he said. She was glad that she was able to be with him at least.
   Of all the uncertainties that lay ahead of her, she was positive of one thing. Her life would never be quiet and dull again. She knew that nothing would be normal or carefree for an unforeseen amount of time. Deep down, she wished that she could lose her powers, and just live a normal life. But normal was nothing she had ever known. It was something that she had dreamed of, but knew could never happen. What lie ahead, she would never be able to prepare herself for.







   Epilogue

   It’s been two years since The President of the United States had declared all warlocs exiled and outlawed. Warlocs all over the world have gone into hiding in several well hidden safe houses. One of these people was Kayla Moore. A teenage girl who had lost both her parents, and before her people were exiled, was named Magical Prime Minister for America.
   She lived in one of the first safe houses ever designated. It was where her father, Tyler Moore, had defended humans as well as warlocs against the tyrant Walden. She had brown hair with blonde streaks, and with a natural purple streak. She was tall for her age, and was slender. Her best friend was Brendon. He was her age, with black hair and blue eyes. He was only slightly taller than her, and a bit stocky.
   It had been months since she heard from Aalina Schulze. A German woman who was at one time, the magical leader in her country. Being forced into exile changed that. It had been even longer since she heard from Endryu Nykoli. He was the Bulgarian leader of magic. She had hoped that they were alright, but with the strict control of warlocs, it was unlikely.
   Kayla had been walking through the building that was their safe house, nodding politely as people acknowledged her. She had never gotten used to the fact that her last name was famous. She stopped in her absentminded walking when a cloudy image of her friend Cadence Andrews appeared in front of her.
   “On my way back. We got attacked by some of the herders. We were lucky to get out of there. ETA five…” The message was cut short, and the cloudy image replaced with the real Cadence Andrews. She had long blonde hair, and dazzling blue eyes. She was the daughter of the first Magical Prime Minister.
   “What happened?” Kayla asked her, helping her off her knees. “We were attacked. Several of the herders showed up, and they had help from Kevin’s Sentry Unit. They were good at their magic, I’ve never seen anything like it,” she explained. “Of course their good. They were selected to be the best warlocs ever. My dad came up with the idea,” Kayla replied.
   “They got a tracer on me. They should be here any minute,” Cadence said. Kayla looked at her, fear growing inside her. “How many?” she asked. “I’d say fifty or so,” replied Cadence. Kayla turned and ran to her room. She found Brendon sitting on the bed, he looked up at her and recognized the worry on her face. “What’s wrong?” he asked, standing up. “Wanderers, about fifty of them. All using the cover of the Sentry Security Unit,” she explained.
   “How do we fight that many?” Brendon asked, fear striking him. “You can’t. Not without help,” said a familiar voice. A voice with a British accent. Kayla turned, and gasped at who she saw standing in the corner. It was a man wearing a trench coat. She had seen him before, just before they got exiled. He pulled the hood back, finally showing his face. “I think you’ll remember me,” he said. Kayla nodded and said, “Oliver Thomas.”

Random Musings

Sunday, March 20, 2011

The Phobos Chronicles

Monday, March 7, 2011

Book One of the Warlocs Series: Rise of the Wanderers