Carrie frowned. ‘You make it sound like there’s someone else inside you.’
‘That’s how it feels sometimes, I feel like a pawn in some game.’
Paige put her hand on his arm. ‘Are you regretting all this now?’
Alex shook his head. ‘I don’t regret anything, I have my children, and my friends, and I would do it all over again . . . exactly the same.’
Carrie put her arm around him. ‘And your friends will always be there for you.’
Claire’s eyes narrowed. ‘If there are two of you in there, whose idea was it to move us into the mansion?’
Alex smiled. ‘That was mine, and I’m quite pleased with that, the hardest part was the layout of the mansion.’
‘So it was your plan to get us in your mansion all the time?’
‘Not all the time, but after I met a few of you and saw how happy my girls were with you, it was the only answer.’
‘And you thought a big house would do that?’ said Paige.
‘No, but the free bar might.’
‘You shit bag, I’ve drank less since I moved in than I did in the months previous.’
Carrie smiled at him. ‘Are you coming back inside so we can get drunk?’
Alex shrugged. ‘There’s no chance of me getting drunk at the moment, this power won’t let me, even if I drink barrels of it.’
‘Then you can make sure I get home safe.’
Alex had a sudden feeling of dread, as if something terrible was going to happen. ‘I can do that,’ he just about managed to say.’
‘Are you OK?’ said Paige. ‘You’ve gone very pale.’
‘I just remembered Carrie getting drunk on Daralis’s potion,’ Alex lied, while faking a smile. He was holding back the horrible feeling he had, and thought back to what his life was like before he heard the voices for the first time, and the dread disappeared and his smile was genuine.
‘She was well-behaved that night,’ said Claire. ‘Mind you she was unconscious pretty quick.’
Carrie shot her a look. ‘Are we going to swap drunken stories as I have a few about you?’
Claire shrugged. ‘I never said I was always good when I got drunk.’
‘Just keep me out of it,’ said Paige.
‘I will save those stories in case you ever dump me.’
‘They won’t be getting told then.’
‘I remember you head butting a guy once,’ said Alex, and both Carrie and Claire stared at Paige.
‘I was sober when I done that.’
‘Oh yeah, that was unusual thing for you as it was night-time,’ said Alex, and she punched him on the arm.
‘Is everything OK,’ said Torgon, as they returned to the main hall of the castle.
Alex smiled and put his hands up. ‘They were reprimanding me for showing off during the battle.’
‘Showing off? I think not, you fought with great power and skill.’
‘No, they were right I was being a bit cocky.’
Verdan sat forward. ‘Is that so bad? We won the battle, didn’t we?’
‘He’s never cocky, he’s always measured,’ said Carrie. ‘But his reasons were more of kindness than of showmanship.’
‘What reasons were they?’
‘He wanted them to run away so we didn’t kill any more.’
‘It worked, and worked rather well.’
They had a few drinks and returned home. House took a few of the dwarves back to the elf world. Alex went to bed with the feeling of dread he had on the dwarf world, and the darkness he felt began to surround him.
You OK? House asked.
Alex glowed with the golden energy. ‘I’ll be fine, it was just a feeling I had earlier.’
Can I do anything?
‘No, my friend, there’s nothing anyone can do.’
The following morning the small army formed on the dwarf world. They entered the goblin world through the portal which had remained open. The trees were large and dense, the air hot and humid. Creatures watched them, and as House said it was like a tropical jungle. Giant snakes slid past them. Insects as big as birds buzzed about above them, and they were very careful to avoid the huge spider webs. They walked on and saw a goblin sitting by a tree.
‘Have you come to finish us off?’ He said, with some effort. He held his side with pain showing on his face, and looked like he’d given up and was waiting for death.
Alex stood in front of the goblin, who wore tatty clothes which might have been robes once. ‘The dwarves would be in their right as you did invade their world.’
The goblin sighed. ‘We had no choice, he made us do it.’
‘Yeah, I know and he’s the reason we are here. We will harm no others if they keep their distance.’
‘I would gladly help if I wasn’t so injured.’
‘I don’t think your injuries will hinder you that much.’
‘What is happening to me? I feel a strange sensation. The goblin gingerly stood up and tested his leg. ‘What did you do, my leg was badly damaged and I had broken ribs.’
‘We have a friend, so what’s your name?’
‘I am Korzak.’
Torgon folded his arms. ‘Well, Korzak, why should we trust you?’
‘Goblins have changed since you knew us all those years ago. We are not the war mongering savages anymore . . . although some still have habits you would disagree with. We want Dagur gone or dead, as he would’ve had us all killed just so he could play his games.’
Verdan scratched his cheek. ‘Do we need his help?’
Korzak’s ears looked a little bigger than most goblins, and they moved upwards at the question. ‘There’s only one path that will get you out of here, take the wrong one and you could be walking around for weeks. That’s if the plants or creatures a lot fouler than trolls don’t kill you.’
Alex didn’t feel fear in the goblin, only hope. He put a friendly hand on his shoulder. ‘We will follow you.’
All the warriors from the mansion and the fighting gnomes joined them. There were forty elves and fifty dwarves. They walked wearily for nearly an hour with Millie and Kristina putting a shield over their heads to stop the constant dripping from the trees above, and the many smaller insects that thought it would be a good idea to dive bomb them. They were still in the jungle when they came across what looked like a village with twenty shabby wooden buildings, where a few goblin females with children quickly ran inside.
Torgon stood there with a look of surprise on his face. ‘You live as families.’
‘We have done for a while now,’ said Korzak, and frowned. ‘Many of the children you see will be orphans now.’
‘What will happen to them?’ said Alex.
‘Others will take them in.’
Thalion stepped alongside the goblin. ‘You have changed.’
‘Yes, we have what you might class as a city now,’ said Korzak, as two more goblins came into view.
‘What have you done in leading them here?’ said the taller one, with large flappy ears and a long crooked nose.’
‘They are only after Dagur, and will harm none as long as they are left alone,’ Korzak replied. ‘This is Lorcan, the village elder.’
James rubbed his neck with a cloth. ‘Is there any chance Dagur could enchant them while we’re here?’
Lorcan shook his head. ‘He is too far away to do that at the moment.’
‘You know where he is?’ said Alex.
‘From what I know he’s hiding in the mountains with the trolls.’
Alex grimaced. ‘This leaves us with a problem. We could go up there to get him and we know what he’ll do, and if we leave he’ll come back.’
Adair nodded in agreement. ‘We will cast countercharms.’
‘What are those?’ said Lorcan.
‘This,’ said Adair, and touched the three goblins heads in turn while saying a few words.
‘What have you done to me?’ said Lorcan, almost sounding worried.
Adair smiled. ‘Not
much really, but Dagur will never be able to enchant you.’
Alex sighed. ‘This could take a long time.’
‘Too long,’ said Torgon. ‘I could go and get a powerstone to do the same thing.’
Adair nodded approvingly. ‘Yes, that’s a good idea, and it might just work.’
‘OK,’ said Alex. ‘House will take you back while we carry on forward.’
Torgon and Adair vanished to the surprise of the goblins, and the small army moved on with three guides. They came out of the jungle to a rocky terrain and on the right they could see huge lake
‘Never try to cross that water,’ Korzak told them. ‘There’s a giant sea dragon in there.’
James shook his head as he stared at the lake. ‘That’s no sea.’
Korzak smiled. ‘No, and the creature is not a dragon either, but that’s what they call it.’
‘I’m so glad to be out of there,’ said Paige, as they spread out after their confinement of the jungle. The musty dank air did not make it very pleasant to travel through.
‘That would be a horrible place to live,’ said Laxan, ‘It can’t be good for the goblins who are still in there.
Korzak sat on a boulder. ‘The jungle might is not the nicest place to live, but it’s a lot safer for smaller groups than out here.’
Thalion looked back at the jungle. ‘Safe from what?’
‘Trolls and ogres mostly, when they can’t find anything else to eat, but they will only attack smaller groups. We did outnumber them by fifty to one before Dagur turned up.’
‘They have also lost many.’
‘Can we rest for a bit?’ said Carrie, as she leant onto Alex.
Alex stared ahead at the mountains in the distance and to the east. ‘Yeah, we’ll wait for the others, but I’m not sure how far we need to go.’
‘All the way,’ said Carrie.
‘You want to go to the mountains?’
‘Oh, the mountains,’ Carrie shrugged. ‘I don’t mind, and will do whatever you decide.’
‘I’ve just seen the dragon,’ said an excited Roth, as a few of them were watching the lake. ‘It was just like Nessie.’
James pursed his lips, and sat. ‘You’ve seen the Loch Ness Monster?’
Roth shook his head. ‘No, but I’ve heard the rumours and seen pictures in your library.’
‘I wouldn’t stand to close as it does have a long reach,’ Korzak advised, and they backed away as Adair and Torgon reappeared.
‘We have enchanted a couple of these stones,’ said Torgon. ‘One for the Dwarf World in case he tries to use his powers there.’
‘What reach does it have?’ said Alex.
Torgon passed him a stone. ‘Not altogether sure, but it should be placed somewhere central.’
‘Our city is the most central place,’ Korzak added.
Alex thought about it. ‘I can fly around with it first.’
Adair nodded. ‘Yes, that would be best.’
‘I wonder what the trolls will think of Dagur when their spell breaks.’
‘They weren’t enchanted,’ said Korzak. ‘They took it as an opportunity, but they will be upset with him when they find out he can no longer control us.’
‘Good, with him being the most wanted man on four worlds he is running out of places to hide,’ said Alex and flew into the air with the stone.
I don’t like this world, said House, it feels wrong.
‘I think it’s wrong,’ said Alex. ‘The worlds we have seen are like our own split three ways. The elf is the purity of ours, the dwarf world is the industrial part, and this is the evil one.’
Or it could be the stupidity one and there is a much darker world.
‘That’s a comforting thought. How are you with all this, as you can’t have much time for yourself with transporting everyone all the time?’
I am enjoying it . . . there are so many new people. As for moving people around I don’t have to go myself just look to where they want to go and send them.
‘That’s clever, and you seem to have it all sorted,’ said Alex, noticing large groups of goblins below still running. The world had many mountains, but also many fields which were very green. He believed there was hope for civilized life here or even a peaceful one for its inhabitants.
I have tried to make it more efficient, and it does not matter if you are in the mansion, castle, or on the elf world I will hear you. I do not need to put them in a field unless there are many of them.
‘That’s impressive,’ said Alex, as he approached the mountains, there were plenty of large caves with trolls standing there but disappeared when he approached, and replaced with what he believed were their children to the front of the caves. Alex flew on before making his way to the city which didn’t look very big. It did however have plenty of soldiers garrisoned there, and they raised their weapons until one in robes came out shouting at them.
Alex landed in front of the robed goblin. ‘I’m not here to fight, but to give you a gift off the elves.’
‘Why would they give us a gift after what we have done?’
‘Because we know it was Dagur who made your kind attack the dwarf world. With this stone, which you must keep hidden and safe, he will never be able to control any of you here again.’
‘Why would they help us?’ the goblin asked.
‘Would you invade another world if Dagur wasn’t controlling your minds?’
‘No, we are trying to make this a world we can live in without mindless death, and he’s ripping it apart.’
‘Not any more, if he ever approaches you again feel free to do whatever you want to him.’
An armed goblin approached. ‘We will march to the mountains and kill him.’
‘No,’ the robed goblin sighed, ‘have we not lost enough of our kind? I will not let him cause us any more pain.’
Alex nodded. ‘You would only have the same problem I have, as he keeps vanishing when I go after him.’
‘If you knew where he was going you would eventually catch him, I am Zakora.’
‘I am Alex, and why do you say that?’
‘It tires him, and has to rest after he has translocated himself a few times.’
‘That’s interesting indeed and thank you,’ said Alex, and gave him the stone before flying back to the others.
Adair watched as Alex returned. ‘You never went after Dagur then.’
‘No, I thought it pointless plus the trolls put their children at the front of the caves, but I did find something out,’ said Alex, and told them his news.
‘I was wondering about that. I thought he had an amulet, but if he’s using magic it will take a lot of his strength. Be warned, however, to be able to that means he is very powerful.’
‘Maybe, but we now know his weakness, and if I can find a way of following him he will pay for what he has done.’
The elves held another celebration that night, as many dwarves visited their world. Alex, however, was not in the party mood. Doubts had started to enter his mind ever since the deaths of those at the Order. Now more had happened on the dwarf world, and it was hard not to think of. His mind preoccupied with the final destiny, and what it all meant. He slept without dreaming, but his mood was sombre with the thought of the oncoming darkness.
~~~~
Carrie went to bed happy, but when she slept . . . her nightmares began.
This ends book two of Vesta Mansion, Other Worlds. The trilogy comes to a conclusion in book three, The Final Destiny.
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Other Worlds: Vesta Mansion Trilogy - Book Two - Fantasy Page 43
