John was looking straight ahead. He saw something reflecting sunlight in the distance. He realized it was the Morden just about to enter the opposite end of the forest. His eyes seemed to be as keen as Avelan’s, as the edge of the forest was two miles away. “The men are coming,” he shouted. “I can see them.”

Avelan looked, and he too could see them.

By this time, everyone could see the Witches as they came closer. They could also see that they were riding broomsticks. This offended some of the older members of the Wizard’s Council, for they had banned Wizards from using broomsticks, which they deemed too dangerous. But the younger Wizards found it fascinating, for the law was passed just before their time, so it was to them a rare treat.

As the Witches came into plain view, they sped up and now were coming in to land. When they had landed, the Council of the Four Races greeted them. There were two Wicca’s and three Warlocks.

The Warlock ambassador, Lenwer, then spoke to the Witches in their own language, which greatly pleased them.

“Thank you for that greeting” said one of the Wicca’s, who seemed to be the leader of the five. But she spoke in the common tongue for all to hear.

John (who had climbed down from the balcony) and Helen recognized the Wicca and the Warlock standing next to her as their friends Joan and Harry. “I am Saren,” said the Wicca. “And this is my husband, Henkot. Our other companions are Kerfuz, Senom, and my niece, Molnet,” she said as she pointed them out. They all nodded at each other one after the other.

“Don’t you think your niece a little young to go?” said Lenwer looking to the girl before him.

“Trust me when I say that she’s one of the most talented Wicca’s I have ever known,” said Saren, who then saw Helen and John staring blankly at both her and her husband. “Hello,” she said to them.

John couldn't believe his eyes. He looked at his wife and by the look on her face, she must have felt the same way he did.

The Wizard King turned his gaze back to the two people he had thought were their friends, “All this time you pretended to be our friends, and what you were really doing was spying on us," said John to Saren. He shot a stern look at the witch and then her husband in turn.

“We sent them with no intention of spying, John,” said the Grand Wizard. “Delsani and I did, however, ask the Council of Witchcraft to lend us two of their people stationed in the Normal World to befriend you and help you. We knew that you would be alone. We only wanted you to have friends to turn to, in case you fell on hard times, that’s all. We had no intentions to spy.”

“We didn’t want to lie to you,” said Henkot. “We had no choice. We couldn’t disobey the Council of Witchcraft out of fear that they might have taken our licenses, which would mean that we could not go back to the Normal World.

“We didn’t know you back then. To us you were just a mission, but through the years that changed, and now the both of you are our closest and most trusted friends.”

We hope that you’ll forgive us,” said Saren. “We never spied on either of you. The only time we told them anything about you was when Delsani told us who you really were.”

John was calmer now, but still angry. He glanced at Helen as if to look for support, but she just stood there silent. The truth was she didn’t care that they had lied; she was just happy that they were there.

“We should have been informed of this,” said Galfad angrily. Galfad was the Council member who persuaded the other members to sign a petition to expel John from the order, to feed the personal hatred that he felt toward him.

“But we didn’t want you to know,” said Delsani with a certain amount of satisfaction in his voice. “That was why we asked for two Witches rather than two Wizards.”

Galfad looked furiously at Delsani, but said nothing.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

For things had changed in the Wizard world. The power that the Council once held had been handed back to the Grand Wizard, which was as it used to be in the old days. The reason for the change was because the Wizards lost confidence in the Council after a few bad decisions, the worst, of course, being that they all signed the petition that got rid of their future King, though they didn’t know that at that time.

Numerous complaints from members of the Wizards Council still loyal to deputy Grand Wizard, Galfad (to give him his full title) followed, but were soon shot down by Jaucal and his own loyalists. After the short debate, the Witches were asked to trade in their broomsticks for horses, and they were more than pleased to do so.

An hour after the Dwarves had marched in, the Men made their extraordinary appearance in the thousands. First came the drummers, then the flag bearers, the archers, the foot soldiers, and lastly the cavalry, all wearing neatly polished suits of armour. There armour was silver, as were their helmets, and it was like the knights of the old stories. At the top of their helms were short, red-feathered blooms that curved a little near the tip. And just above the slits for their eyes was the emblem of yellow flames surrounding a green sun, which was also on their breastplates, only larger. On their gauntlets were spikes at the knuckles. Their elbows also had one large spike each. Their shoulders each had a plate with a red line running along their edge, and sitting on top were three small spikes. Their knees held one spike each, as did the tips of their shoes. They were truly a magnificent sight to be seen, even without their King, for he had sent his youngest son to lead his troops. The youngster, to be truthful, had only ever fought small skirmishes rather than any large battles, though to be fair he had won every one he had ever taken part in.

One might wonder why the Wizards and Witches didn’t just Phaze them all to their destination. The main reason was that Phazes can be detected, and although there is a fair chance that they would be successful. The Grand Wizard deemed it too risky. Not mention the Men and Dwarves, who were none too pleased with that idea and were not afraid to voice their opinions. So for secrecy and to keep the peace, they were going the old-fashioned way.

Before John got on to his horse he gave Helen a letter.

“Hold on to this,” he said. “Only read it if I don’t make it back.”

Helen could not believe what her ears were hearing. Never before had she heard him speak of his possible death.

“I don’t need it,” she said, “because you’re coming back.”

John threw his arms around her, and she embraced him in return with a peck on the lips and then the cheek.

“I don’t know when I’ll be back,” said John.

Helen nodded but said nothing. John’s words had unnerved her wholly.

They set off as soon as all were ready. Those on horses walked them, to keep in line with the infantry and all of the Dwarves on foot. They went on for the remaining hours of the day, which were long and sometimes seemed never-ending. They only stopped a few times here and there too let their foot soldiers and horses rest for very brief periods of time.

They went on into the early hours of the following day and had reached the border of the lands of Opredanas. They would soon be entering the land of Humrock, were the old tunes can be heard far and wide within the borders of that land, hummed by those chosen humming rocks of century’s past.

“Can’t we go around Humrock, Delsani?” asked Eiaten hastily.

“No,” replied Delsani flatly. “To do so would double the time of our journey, and time is something that we cannot afford to waste.”

“Don’t worry, Eiaten,” said one of the Elves. “If you like we shall sing you a song.”

“That is something that I for one could do without,” Eiaten grumbled.

John and most of the Elves laughed, for their keen hearing had heard his words.

They had just past the thin border between the two lands and they could already hear the rocks humming ahead. They were at least halfway through and set up a small temporary camp to rest for what was left of the twilight hours.

The Elves, Wizards, Witches, Men, and even Dwarves were all enjoying the tunes. The Elves were singing as the Elf, Tuberel, said they would. Some of the Wizards were singing lightly, so they could not be heard over the Elves, for the Elf voices were loud and fair, especially compared to the voices of most of their companions.

“What’s the matter, Eiaten?” shouted Tuberel. “Can you not sing and be merry?”

“I can indeed,” replied the Dwarf lord. “However, I have put my mind to other more important things. Besides, if we put down our guard, you could put a spell on us and we would not even know it.”

Suddenly the singing stopped, for word of the insult spread like wildfire.

“I see,” said the Elf, “We’re not good enough to sing with but good enough to fight and perhaps even die with.” Tuberel said this without the look or sound of offence in anyway. In fact, he was still laughing. “If I were you, my dear Dwarf, I would sleep with one eye open. For I am sure you have offended at least a few of these good people, and they may decide to bewitch you to share your voice with the rest of us. So for all our sakes, please be careful.”

Suddenly all of the Elves, Wizards, Witches, and Men burst into fits of pure laughter when Tuberel had finished.

Eiaten, on the other hand, was furious with the Elf. The rest of the Dwarves looked worried, as they thought that the Elf spoke true. And the last thing that they wanted was for Eiaten to be under any sort of wicked spell.