FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

          Jon-Tom was contemplating his

present situation. He liked this Lanana. Not only was she cute and adorable,

she had the power to help him in ways no one else had been able. His inner

turmoil was now a fraction of what it had been. It wasn't gone, just set into

its proper place. He thought about heading back home, but she had declared that

leaving now would leave a void inside. He had to finish his quest. If he was to

do that, he was going to have to hide himself from Eve. He knew her

well-meaning meddling would likely screw the whole thing up. Since the Plated Folk

were still around in his day, the chances were good that he didn't destroy them

now. So what could he learn from the experience?

He took the precaution of hiding

his mind from her penetrating gaze. There was a chance she'd never recognize it

now after all the reworking of it, but he didn't want to take any chances. The

little ocelot approved. "I can't say what is right and what is wrong, but I do

believe that sometimes you need to do things unaffected by others, even me!"

She cracked a sly smile.

"A little late for that, don't you

think?"

"It's never too late. Blocking your

mind is one thing, but don't you think your human form is a bit recognizable.

If they start asking around, won't you be ratted out?"

"Hmmm. You have a point. I don't

have the ability to transform anymore, but I could whip up something with my

duar. I don't suppose you have any suggestions? Like a nice strong ocelot male

for you to play with?"

"That does sound yummy, but I'm not

interested in becoming with child. Sex can be fun with all types, and since you

can accommodate me in any form you chose, why not pick something you haven't

been before."

"That covers a lot of ground."

"Well, how about something you've

not been before, but is similar to something you've been in the past. Then, you

won't be surprised by its possibilities. What have you been before?"

"As you know, I've been a unicorn,

and a wolf, and a naiad, and a..."

"A wolf huh? They're kind of

interesting, for a canine. But I think they're kind of big for my taste. I'd

prefer a companion of equal size. Could you do a jackal?"

"A jackal? Sure, I suppose so. I've

never met one that I can recall. But then, I'm still getting used to my new memory

arrangement. Who knows what I've seen and what I haven't?"

He sat down and plucked the strings

to his duar. He hardly needed a proper song anymore. The magic was in his head.

Still, he searched for one that seemed outwardly appropriate. One jumped out, a

rather obscure one at that, but one that on the face of it seemed good. What it

was hardly mattered to her or to the magic. She had never heard a single song

from his world, and while there were better ones to promote his home planet,

this one wasn't the worse. The title was good, and if he ignored the lyrics a

bit and concentrated on the magic, it should be fine. He broke into song;

The most familiar room,

Every implement was leading to you,

And your homely sense of disarray,

Never once the same, always rearranged,

But things would never change,

In the scene between the window frame,

Where the jackals preyed on every soul,

Where they tied you to a pole,

And stripped you of your clothes,

I was a dreamer...

                She listened to it intently, obviously liking the

music but confused by the lyrics. Still, it had the desired effect. By the time

the song was done, he was a handsome jackal. Even his clothes had shrunk to his

new proportions.

                "That was an interesting song, though I must admit it

baffled me. I have never heard such strange words before. Did you write it?"

                He was patting himself down. Then his eyes lit up. A

canine body meant having a knot. He rather liked knots. "Write it? No, I didn't

write it. A band from my world called the Villagers wrote it. It's called

"Becoming a Jackal" which is just what I wanted to do. I probably could have

made it work with any song, but I like keeping it in line with my original

magical talent."

                "Well, all I can say is, you're one handsome canine.

And this is from someone who is pretty choosy about whom she hangs around with."

                He was a shorter than before which was OK with him.

His normal height often left him towering over others.

                "So handsome, what does a lady have to do to get a

little action from such a dashing male as yourself?"

                He about choked. "Are you offering, or are you

suggesting that I should make a move?"

                She smiled. "Oh, I don't know Jon-Tom, whatever suits

your fancy!"

                That stopped him dead. "Uh, don't call me that. I

think that I had better go with Aiden Drake. That's been my general go-to name

since I had a little mishap back in Hobarrow."

                "Aiden Drake? A dragon hardly suits you now, I think.

You need something cool and suave to call yourself. It'll hardly matters to the

Plated Folk what your name is, I suppose. 

But I want to call you something that I can remember for the rest of my

life."

                "What, and Jon-Tom isn't good enough?"

                "Yes, but you just said I shouldn't use it. We need

to come up with something else. Hmmmm. You could take my brother's name. He was

killed a few years ago. No one will ever be the wiser."

                "Sounds kind of creepy, me going by your brother's

name. Sounds a bit incestuous too."

                "It was. He was a wonderful lover. But creepy; I

don't think so. You're not him, nor will you ever take his place in my

memories. His name was Hanobos."

                 He thought it

over. The name, the way she pronounced it, sounded familiar. "Hanobos. That's a

nice simple name. I think I could get used to being called that. Will that make

our sex from now on weird?"

                "Any weirder than me lying under a human turned into

a jackal on his way to confront the Plated Folk? Nah! To be honest, I like you

human, but my time with my brother was also time spent with family. Call it

freakish if you want, but I've seen in your mind; remember? Sex with your cubs

is down the same path as me and my brother. I think you have little room to talk."

                Against his better judgment, he tackled her. He knew

she was more flexible and more lithe, but she didn't try to move out of the way. He should have seen

it coming. She grinned as her claws dug into his flesh. "Ok Hanobos. Your first

order of business is to make this girl happy. Until your quest is over, it's

just you and I. Deal?"

                His thoughts went out to Sybeele. She would miss him

while he was gone, but she now carried great power, so he hardly needed to

worry about how she would get along. She seemed better suited to governing the

city than he, and if she had Eve around, between the two of them the world

would be safe for a while. That is, unless he managed to do something stupid

once they passed through the Jo-Troom Gate into the Greendowns. Then he had to

wonder if the gate even stood at this time. There probably had to be something

to keep them at bay. So for now, the world would survive.

                "Deal!" He rolled her over and pinned her down. He

concentrated  his magic to his hand. It

was difficult, but not impossible. He could perform without the assistance of

his duar, but it was much more difficult. He placed his hand against her dress

and watched with satisfaction as it vanished. She cried foul.

                "Hey, who said you could do that?"

                "I

did." In the next instant, his clothing vanished without a trace.

"I happened to like that dress!"

"Me too. Don't you think I can

bring it back when we're done?"

She suddenly got coy. "Done doing

what?"

"This."

He folded her into his arms and

gave her a deep, passionate kiss. Being in such close contact sent shivers up

and down his spine. He didn't know how she did it, only that he liked it. She

could feel his excitement grow in his body even as she could feel it through

his contact. For her the link was often only one way. A few of her former

partners could feel the bond, but even then none so strongly. With him it was

like floating in an endless blue sky. They were two clouds intermeshed with one

another.

That was what was happening with

their bodies. He was as experienced as any lover she had ever taken. He worked

his cock in like the expert he was. She was almost disappointed when it wasn't

his normal one. She should have figured it would change with him. He picked up

on her thoughts and made the proper adjustment. "Never let it be said that I

would purposely disappoint a lover."

She dug in and pulled him in as

close as she could. She then left her body and entered his mind. "From what

I've seen, I don't think it's possible. Do you mind if we make love here in

your head? It seems a nice place to do it now that it's more relaxed."

"I suppose we could, but then why

did you have me change? It seems I could sculpt my intellect and my persona

into anything you might what at any time you might want it."

"Silly man! Our bodies will be

mimicking what we do here. I could have had you change into a bull, and in your

mind I would survive it, only to find my body broken and bloodied. So don't be

stupid if you can help it."

"Stupid? Yes, I can be that at

times. The best way to save me from myself is to get me to shut up."

She sat on his lap and kissed him.

"Shut up dear human."

"As you wish!"

From that moment on they were lost

in each other. For her part, she had never had a lover who was so open, and

open in so many ways. His mind was filled with glorious things, but all she

wanted right now was to feel his embrace. She could also feel a rise underneath

her, coming from a very hot and prominent cock. She had never taken a canine

lover before, and while he didn't qualify as a legitimate one, he was filling

the part quite nicely.

His cock grew right up to greet her

most private area. She knew it was happening in real life too. It wedged up

tight against her slit. She spread her legs even wider pulling her lips apart

and exposing her glistening pink moistness. He slipped in, his head pushing

aside her furry lips. He stopped for a second. She knew right away he was

toying with her. The head of his cock was barely inside. She could feel him

expand it until she winced just a little.

"Is there a point to this exercise?

I am well aware of your ability."

"Being aware and experiencing are

two sides of the same coin. Experience is your best teacher. I was just showing

you what I could offer." She could feel him shrinking.

"Right there will be fine!" She

cooed. His cock was slipping in farther now, and it was filling her up from the

entrance to her deepest, most hidden spot. Thankfully, for the moment, her

position kept her from taking the whole thing. She was a feline. A knot was a

tough thing to take for a non-canine. He knew quite well that what felt good to

a male didn't necessarily feel as good to his partner.

He was therefore surprised when she

pressed down where his knot was. She could tell what he was thinking. "If your

cock is so large I have to complain, then how bad do you think your knot would

be? I'm no fool! All things in proper doses!" In the next instant she forced

herself down, engulfing his right to the hilt. His knot expanded to fill the

void.

Once that happened, they were

locked together until it faded. He didn't know if she knew it or not, but he

could control it. She didn't let on, but she did know. All they needed to do was

to quit thinking. After all, they were essentially making love in his seat of

intelligence; his mind.

Still, I made him think. This was

the first time he had ever made love to a feline as a canine. There was the

whole thing about fighting like cats and dogs, not screwing like them. Funny

thing was, except for the jackal body form, he could have changed his cock at

any time.  He was left to wonder what

they looked like, locked as they were, in their physical forms.

He didn't dwell on it. Right now he

was inside her, tightly wedged by a male canine's best friend. He made several

more adjustments until he was packed in tight. She let out a gasp and a squeak,

but that was as far as she would go. She did open her eyes a crack when she

tried moving. She found herself stuck fast.

"Hey funny boy! I want to make

love, not feel like I landed on a Billy club!"

He winked. "So I'm enthusiastic and

well endowed. Maybe you should let me take over!"

She shook her head. "Oh no! I see

what you're planning. I want to be able to walk to the Gate under my own power.

Having you smash me to bits and then heal me back to normal isn't going to cut

it!"

He sighed. "Oh, it wouldn't be that

bad! I haven't been able to fully get it on with a knot since Orath. Now that

girl could take a knot!"

"Yes, as could your children. So

can I, if you don't get too carried away. I'm not into masochism, but I can

handle myself quite well. So either you behave, or..."

"Or what? You and I are now locked

together."

"Silly man. I know you're being

purposely obtuse, but let me remind you. We are in a dream state, but our

bodies reflect what we do here. Thus, if I want to, I can do this." She

squeezed her muscles, those surrounding his cock, until tears came to his eyes.

"I like your enthusiasm, but let's keep it civil for now. Just because you're

jaded doesn't mean I am. It also doesn't mean I'm not."

He was intrigued. He was going to

have to spend more time with her than he first thought. She was extraordinary

in so many ways. He shrunk his cock down until it was a nice snug fit. She

responded by purring. "That, my handsome man, is what I'm talking about."

They made love until the early

morning hours. At some point their consciousnesses migrated from his mind to

their proper bodies. About an hour after that they were both too tired to

continue and drifted off to sleep. They awoke well after the sun had crossed

the horizon. They made some food and got underway.

Jon-Tom knew they were getting

close when they passed a huge quarry filled with detritus and huge stone

blocks. The Warmlanders had carved out half of a mountain to build the wall. It

was such an ambitious project that in the end, a huge number of blocks were

never moved. Apparently some politician or governor had decided enough was

enough and quit spending money on a necessary project when it was only

half-ways done. Jon-Tom contemplated the stupidity of those in power and kept

walking.

They arrived at the Gate. It was

much smaller than Jon-Tom remembered it. It blocked the pass between the peaks

of Zaryt's Teeth, but it was both thinner and lower than in his day. There was

an encampment where the soldiers that manned the wall lived. They were a

relaxed and happy crowd. Since there had been no sign of an upcoming war with

the Plated Folk, most of them considered this to be a forced vacation from

their regular duties.

Their approached was immediately

noticed, but no one made any attempt to stop them. After all, the wall was more

of a tourist attraction at the moment. Small groups of people came daily to see

the great stone rampart and hear the tales of past wars. There were a few old timers

there, ones who had participated in small skirmishes whenever the Plated Folk

tried to test the wall and its defenses. There had been no major offensive

however in a fairly long time. Alma had participated as a dragon, but she would

never be available to tell her stories. She was now restricted to a single

location until such time as he felt she deserved to be freed.

 The two, the feline and the jackal, climbed

the steps to the top. The view down into the Greenlands was breathtaking. It

was difficult to imagine the place being the scene of so much destruction. It

was full of lush and verdant growth, extending from the base of the wall to as

far as the eye could see. Lanana had never been here before. "Why is it so

green? I was expecting to see nothing but a barren wasteland."

"Every time there's a battle, the

bodies of the fallen Plated Folk are left to rot. The soil here has to be the

richest around. I'm almost surprised someone hasn't tried farming this. Then

again, who would want to risk it?" he explained. Only later was the reason

explained to him.

"That sounds kind of gruesome. I

mean, I don't like the damn bugs and their desire to kill all that is good, but

still. Why doesn't someone bury the bodies?"

"The Warmlanders have enough to do

with their own dead and wounded after each battle. The Plated Folk seem to have

no compassion for the dying. They leave them to lie where they fell."

She shuddered a little, despite the

warm sunlight. "I can't imagine being that unfeeling."

He smiled. She was a wonderful

person, inside and out. She had few expectations from anyone. His cynical

nature found that appealing. People weren't apt to let you down if you didn't

have high ideals for them. She had found him to be exceptional, yet despite

this, she accepted him as a fairly ordinary person. She never asked for favors

that couldn't be granted normally (like the sex) and she never asked to be

treated any better or worse than he would anyone else. Of course, she also knew

his nature. She had a heads-up on how he really was. The fact that he went

above and beyond was his own doing.

They stayed at the wall for a few

days before preparing to go over the edge into the Greendowns. No one knew

their intentions; otherwise there would have been a fuss about it. The only

ones allowed by law to enter those lands were the scouts who patrolled the

region daily. In real life, the guards wouldn't stop anyone from going into the

Greendowns. Anyone wanting to go was probably crazy and a threat to themselves

and those around them. Let the bugs finish them off!

 The day before they planned on leaving, a

patrol came back running at top speed. Whatever it was that had spooked them,

it wasn't good. "Lord Commander! Plated Folk are making their way up the

valley. They will be here in three day's time!"

The commander was perplexed and

peeved. "Why now? And how many?"

"I estimate a good ten thousand

strong sir! We don't have enough troops to protect the wall from so many!" The

scout was nearly in tears. His pants were soiled, and not from riding!

"No we don't. Send a dispatch to

the military governor. Tell him of the impending attack. Tell him to send

whomever he can find. We have weapons for several hundred more hands, but I

doubt it will be enough. I can only hope the wall will hold. With that many

damn bugs, their dead piled in front of the wall will make a ramp for the rest!

We'll be overrun." He dropped down in his chair in defeat.

Jon-Tom coughed. "Commander,

perhaps I can help?"

The normally stoic wolverine looked

up and shook his head. "I can always use a good arm for throwing a spear. Going

down fighting is a far better thing than cowardice."

"That's not what I was thinking of.

You can't get more men here in time; that seems obvious. How about taking a

different route? Why not shore up the Ja-Troom Gate?"

The commander twitched his nose.

"Oh, what an excellent idea! That would only take five times the men we have on

hand. Why didn't I think of that? Tire the men out before the attack!" He went

back to sulking.

Jon-Tom wasn't put off. "I'll tell

you what commander. If you allow me one favor, I'll do it myself."

The wolverine bared his teeth.

"What are you, some kind of nut?" Then he saw the duar as the jackal pulled it

from around his back. "Or something you haven't let on about?"

"I am what I am.  I can reinforce the wall in time for the

onslaught of the insects. Then your men can hold it until such time as extra

troops can arrive."

The wolverine stared at him with narrowed

eyelids. "I don't know who you are, but by the old gods, if you can do it, I'll

give you anything you want."

"Good! Now hand over your two

staffs of authority."

The commander glanced over to the

symbols of his power. "They won't do you a bit of good. They are mere baubles

that some old fools gave me to show my rank and authority. They haven't been

out of my tent in a year. Everyone will follow me, not those gold covered

toys!"

"I don't doubt it. I want them to be

able to place magic into them. I have my own way of doing things. I came here

to cross the wall and to confront the Plated Folk in their own lands. Now it

looks like they are coming to me. I have no desire for bloodshed on either

side, but I will do what I came to do. The staffs will find a good use. If I

put power into both of them, then two people can work on the wall, making the

job faster."

The commander rubbed his head in

confusion. "Oh, just what I need, a wizard. Go! Take the damn things and do

what you will. I can't stop you. But if you can raise the wall higher in three

days time, then I will give you every ounce of gold and silver I own!"

"Keep your money commander. I have

no use for it whatsoever." Jon-Tom picked up the ornate staffs and walked out

of the tent. Lanana followed close behind. "What are you going to do? Turn them

into weapons?"

                He

shook his head. "No. There are enough spears and swords lying around for that.

If I put my power into one of those and it got lost in the shuffle, then it

might get picked up by someone who shouldn't be wielding it. These staffs are

unique and therefore recognizable. They are pretty to look at but useless for

protection."

 "So what are they going to be for?"

"I'm going to use them to move the

old cut blocks from the quarry we passed. Each one will be imbued with power

and attuned for levitating the stones from there to here. It will be tedious,

but I don't want to make this too obviously easy. If they think I can just

damper the severity of the oncoming threat, then I will have done a great

service. I don't want to influence history more than is necessary."

She snickered. "Boy, that' a change

from a short while ago. You were willing to disrupt time itself to achieve your

ends."

"And you showed me the error of my

ways. Now, down to business. In my time the wall was much higher and thicker.

The quarry has hundreds of those multi-ton blocks. I would guess we would be

better put to building the wall higher first."

He sat down and fiddled with his

duar, tuning it. He wanted a song that would evoke the need for power. Having a

song with the word in the title and/or lyrics would be best. The problem was,

he was on short notice and his memories were still falling into place. But

there was one, an oldie of sorts from a remarkable band. His fingers ran over

the instruments dual strings. The distinctive sounds echoed from within the

resonance chamber. He smiled. He had always liked Boston.

He belted out "Higher Power" with

the decibels of a rock concert. Soldiers stared and gaped at the couple as the

music bounced off the nearby mountains. Lenana had her paws over her ears.

Halfway into the song the staffs began glowing, from yellow to orange to red.

By the end of the song there were white hot. If this world had any link to

normal physics, the staffs would have been molten slag. When the music was

done, the colors faded back through the spectrum until both were their normal

gold color.

Lanana refused to touch them. "Are

you sure they work?"

Jon-Tom picked one up. He pointed

it at her and concentrated. She yelped when she rose off the ground. He hoisted

her a good fifteen feet before leaving her to hover. His audience gasped.

Having been attracted by his impromptu rendition of a song not yet written,

they were now being amazed by the results of his magic. He lowered her down,

feet flailing.

"Fine, so they work. Please don't

do that again! I'm afraid of heights!"

"You did ok on the wall!" He was

reveling in the immense power he had built into each one. Wiser yet, he had

given them the ability to regenerate their power from the sun. Solar powered

wands! That meant that when they were done, he could return them to the

commander. They would go back to being useless little emblems of his power

here, but they would still have the potential for greatness.

"Yes, and I had solid stone under

my feet, not thin air!"

He was amused, but was kind enough

to stifle any more comments. They set off towards the quarry. "Jon-Tom, there

are an awful lot of stones to move. Even with two of use, how will we get them

there in time?"

"We may not, but it won't stop us

from trying. I think that if we move them in a stair step pattern; moving

groups of them together over shorter distances, we'll get enough there to raise

the wall by a good ten feet."

"And if the Plated Folk storm over

it anyway? Will you destroy them?"

"I don't know. I guess I'll figure

that out if it happens."

Lanana had to get used to using her

mind to control the wand. It fit in her hand, but just barely. It was an

unusual thing with a cross piece and a loop on the end. It was an old symbol

that signified the right of the commander over life and death. The loop

represented a noose, and the crosspiece the beam to which it was tied. It was

embossed with the sigils of the local rulers who held sway over the army. It

was ugly and gaudy and right now, in her hands, it was getting a greater use

than it was ever intended to have.

His was a flail, an old symbol for

the submission of all those who fell before you. This one would conveniently

lock into one solid staff. It too had the sigils of the local governors. He

used it expertly like a wand to lift the blocks and float them, from his

standing position, to a spot nearly a quarter mile away. She quickly followed

his example and was in no time as adept as he in moving them. When they each

had moved about thirty apiece, they moved up to where they were at now and

moved them again. They made a good team.

Getting them up on the wall was a

little more challenging. The commander demanded that his men stay at their

positions, so placing the blocks without crushing anyone proved alarmingly

dangerous. Still, by the end of the second day, the wall was another twenty

feet higher. The stones weren't locked into place, but they were heavy enough

that they weren't going to be moving on their own.

They spent that night in a private

tent the commander had set aside for their use. The sound that came from their

tent would have attracted a lot of attention in a normal military encampment,

but seeing as this one was semi permanent, females in the form of girl friends

and wives were abundant. The creaking cot and sighs and moans were ignored

except by the loneliest of soldiers.

The next morning there came a shout

from the wall. Everyone, females alike, hastily dressed, grabbing whatever

weapons were closest. There were already piles of spears on the newly elevated

top of the Ja-Troom Gate. With any luck, there would be no need for the swords

and such. Jon-Tom had his duar and his levitation flail. Lanana had hers to.

They might not be too valuable in a battle, but they were better than nothing.

There were a group of Plated Folk

at the front of the line, but as they approached the wall, they moved to the

side. They knew well enough that those closest to enemy were the first to die.

Jon-Tom strained his eyes to get a good look at the group. He figured it would

consist of generals and captains. He saw the colors of the uniforms and assumed

he was correct. Then he paused. One insect was hidden within the folds of a

back robe. A robe had no military rank. That could only mean he was a wizard. A

wizard was always bad news. Something told him that they were probably not

expecting one on this side of the wall.

Jon-Tom pulled out his duar and

cheated. He performed a quick song that improved his vision to that of an eagle.

His eyes could now distinctly see the Plated Folks faces. The robe slipped back

revealed a dark blue, iridescent beetle. Sure enough, his robe had magical

symbols on it and he was fumbling with some jars of powder. His overall shape

and actions reminded Jon-Tom of Clothahump.

Now, it seemed as though it was

fate that had drawn Jon-Tom here, at this time. He dismissed it, remembering

how he had destroyed any hold fate had on this planet. Then he stiffened. That

was a long time into the future. Fate may still be at hand here and now. As it

was, a typical attack on the wall would probably be defendable, but a wizard

might turn the tables. He reported his findings to the commander.

"I hate wizards! No offense sir,

but they are too hard to contend with. It's hard to deflect magic like you do a

spear or an arrow. What do you propose?"

"I suppose the wisest thing would

be to go down and confront him in person. I think it's safe to say that between

the two of us, I'm the stronger wizard."

"You sound confident. You also

sound cocky. You'll be doing nothing for us if you're dead. I'd rather have you

on the wall chucking spears than doing a fool's errand down there on the

Greendowns. But...you will do as you will. You fortified the wall, and for that,

I owe you everything. If you think you can neutralize this threat against which

we have no defense, then do as you see fit."

Lanana latched onto his arm. "We

will do it together!"

"Like hell we will. I know that I

can come through this intact. You have no such assurance!"

"Sure I do. You'll not let me come

to harm. I'm going. Two are always better than one. If nothing else, I can hold

while you punch!"

He knew better than to argue. They

went over the wall, lowered by ropes. They headed down into the depression that

lay before the gate, where the horde of armed insects waited to cut them down.

As a matter of fact, a troop of them were headed their way. Jon-Tom pulled out

his duar and strummed the strings. He wasn't looking to do anything with

finesse. He immediately belted out Ozzy Osborne's Crazy Train. The duar

amplified his voice. The initial "all aboard!" was enough to send the bugs

tumbling in all directions. He kept the song up to discourage the others from

attacking in their stead. The old bat-biter would have been proud!

When he stopped, the insects were in

disarray and immobile. Well, they at least didn't attack him. There was sort of

a hive-mind appearance to them, like someone was controlling their actions. He

looked up to see the beetle wizard standing with his robe pulled back. His head

was cocked as he examined the Warmlander from afar.

His voice was as stiff as a

starched shirt. "So. The warm-bloods knew of our plan. No matter. In a short

time you will be dead. Your noise may scatter my legions, but when I focus

their mind to mine, they will act as one. I, Khepri, the Lord Wizard of the

Plated Folk, hereby decree it. This day will go down as a glorious one!"

Jon-Tom laughed. "And I was told I

was cocky! Well Khepri, prepare to be thoroughly swatted!"

The beetle threw a powder that

coalesced into a giant, carnivorous dragon fly. Unlike the small ones that the

human used to find around ponds, this one was a cross between a true dragon and

a fly. I was three to four feet long and belched fire. It lunged at Jon-Tom. He

sidestepped it and slammed his fist on the top of its head. It hit the ground

out cold, smoke billowing from its mouth.

Khepri hardly waited to see the

results. He made a gesture and created a globe of ball lightning between his

hands. He flung it towards his counterpart. Jon-Tom batted it aside as easily

as he had the dragonfly. The next was fountain of lava that seemed to erupt

from the ground underneath him.  Jon-Tom

grabbed some of it with his new wand and flung it into the air, where he formed

it into a glowing orb. It suddenly shot downwards like a meteor. The wizard

dove to the side just in time. The fireball decimated one of the Plated Folk generals,

leaving nothing but a smoldering husk.

Jon-Tom could have crushed him at

any time, but he didn't want to give a full display of his power. No one needed

to know. Khepri was gearing up for another attack, and Jon-Tom was going to

make it look good. That was when Lanana stepped in beside him. She aimed her

staff at the beetle. He rose off the ground and flew high into the air. Jon-Tom

had just gotten his duar out and was preparing to play a devastating song.

Khepri was speaking some spell, despite his awkward position. Jon-Tom got his

song started. The spell, whatever it was, came flashing down. Jon-Tom

instinctively held the duar up to absorb the blow.

There was a momentary dizziness.

Then the light was gone and he was surrounded by cold nothingness. He tried to

breath, but there was no air. He tried to move, but it was as if his limbs

didn't exist. He couldn't tell where the Greendowns were, where Lanana was, or

what had happened to the wizard. The seconds ticked away. He wasn't certain if

he should be worried or not.  He

recognized time travel by now. The question was; which direction was he going?

As long as it was taking to transpire, it could be anywhere far in the future,

or somewhere far in the past. There was no way of knowing until he came out of

the time vortex. Hopefully, Lana would be close. The other wizard could go to

hell for all he cared.