Ben found some of them and studied them. It was difficult because his sensing tendrils of Life Energy entwined with Wild Magic was constantly attacked by the corrosive chaos of the Void and had to be renewed. Ben constantly renewed his energies from Rick and the others in order to do so. But despite the unrelenting turmoil Ben managed to create various test spells in the Void and noted which repelled and which attracted Demons.
Repel them or attract them? To Ben the choice was clear. Immediately he put all of the Life Energies of the Apprentice Wizards of Hope into a single clear signal. Long minutes went by.
"THE MASTER DEMON COMES!" warned Eric abruptly, when he received warning from one of the anti-Demon teams. The Master Demon had apparently sensed Ben's signal. "THEY ALL COME!" added Eric in astonishment. "THEY ARE ALL ATTRACTED HERE TO YOUR SIGNALS!" Thousands of Horde Demons large and small stopped their expansion outwards from Hope and turned to race towards the Glen, a gathering, unstoppable wave of Evil, moving with impossible swiftness!
Exhausted teams that had tried to stop them but could only slow their advance now watched in astonishment as the deadly monsters turned towards Hope and retreated much more quickly than they came, many of them even teleporting themselves. High above Hope unnatural towering black clouds erupted with lightning. A half-dozen towns poised on the brink of destruction were saved, but the human and elf witnesses to what was happening felt that the heroes gathered at the Glen faced certain doom! Thousands of Demons were charging towards them!
"DON'T TRY TO STOP THE DEMONS, IGNORE THEM!" came Ben's surprising command to all those gathered around him. "DUCK LOW AND SHIELD!"
The first Horde Demons reached the Glen and leapt above the circle of heroes, where they were swept upward with irresistible force into the formless black of the Void. Dozens more came, then hundreds, all leaping up into the vortex and disappearing into black teeming emptiness!
The Void was their home, Ben had reminded them with his call. The Earth and its Life Energies were a constant irritation and danger to them anyway that they had no need to challenge, not when the comfort of the Void called to them! Above all Ben’s signal imitated Evil; Evil so perfect and strong that it pulled all Demons to it!
By the dozens the Demons yielded to Ben's call and leapt into the rift leading to the Void, until only one towering monster remained. The enraged Master Demon at last stood before Ben and his circle of friends, defiant and angry beyond measure.
Ben had gotten what he wanted from the Void. At his command the Void snapped away along with the twisting funnel of wind that had fed it. The towering spire of Life-Energy encrusted Wild Magic collapsed down into Ben's outreached hand as young Ben broke the circle and stood up to face the nemeses that had killed his parents. Then he had been a small boy. Now he was a full Master Wizard with powers never before achieved by human or elf!
"If I let you escape to the Void you could return and kill more of us," Ben told the creature. "I can't let that happen. You need to die, Demon!"
From the Master Demon’s clawed hands lightning leapt out at Ben and his the circle of friends but was reflected away harmlessly by Ben’s shielding. Then it screamed its defiance and physically charged at Ben. Twenty tons of Evil-animated rock-creature launched itself at Ben and his circle of friends and in a thunderous flash exploded into trillions of bits of inert harmless sand that fell in a heap to the ground. Ben had a new, ultimate weapon against Demons: an instant disruption of Evil stability that caused Evil to instantly decompose into nothingness.
All the Demons were gone, and with them all the nightmares!
****
CHAPTER 20
Peace
"I've been accepted to every college that I applied to!" Claire Jones joyfully told Ben King and Ann Tuttle. The three Apprentice Wizards were sitting on one of the few original surviving patches of green grass in Hope, watching the rapid progress of the Hope High School reconstruction. Federal Government and Wizard powers together were rebuilding Hope at an incredible pace. Thousands of Norms and Wizards and their equipment were involved. After only four months dozens of homes were already repaired or rebuilt, as were roads and utilities.
With the help of Life Energy shaping elves, plant recovery was even swifter: trees, bushes, flowers and grass had been restored within days. Roadsides included trees that already towered high throughout the town!
In only four months more everything was scheduled to be finished and Hope citizens would start to return.
Those that wanted to return! There was a whole new exciting world opening up to Wizards and other para-humans: new opportunities for humanity and especially for those humans with marketable powers. There was such a demand for talented Hope citizens to relocate among Norms it was estimated that only half would return to Hope. However several times as many people with powers wanted to move into Hope. A town that catered to Wizards was appealing to many paranormal humans, especially since Hope was now fully open to werewolves and vampires. Alan Dale was right, there were tens of thousands of people with paranormal powers that had hid themselves from Norms, but were now 'coming out'.
They were welcomed by most Norms. After all, paranormal people had just saved the world! And practically every Norm found out that they knew one or more of the people with powers and never even knew it, including friends and relatives!
"Of course the Norms want you in their schools," Ben told Claire. "You're a brilliant student and a leader among your peers."
"And a genuine heroine of the Demon War," Claire added, "but of course not THE hero."
"The Norms like their exaggerated heroes but in this case their hero worship of Ben is justified," said Ann. "Ben deserves the gratitude of every human and elf."
"I was in the right place at the right time and got lucky," said Ben. "Many people were instrumental in resolving the Demon problem, including both of you. It was many humans and elves all working together that saved us."
"True, but only you have been able to control the Wild Magic that finally defeated Evil and Demons," said Claire. "Not even Rick or Soone have been able to duplicate most of what you have done with Wild Magic."
"Soone is unfortunately past his prime and Rick is only six years old," said Ben. "They will probably both figure it all out eventually. But if they don't maybe that's just as well. I used up most of my collected Wild Magic to produce thousands of Wild Moles to combat most conceivable Evil and Demon emergencies for many years to come. Rog has been sharing my Moles throughout the galaxy. However, due to the strengthening of the elf Great Balance Wards I doubt we'll be troubled with Demons or Evil for a very long time."
"There's enough excitement to suit me without Demons and Evil," said Ann. "Alan and his World Paranormal League are up to their eyeballs in the effort to renormalize how paranormal folks are living openly with Norms. Personally Ben and I are going to restart our High School Apprentice Training here in a few months, though that seems to be a bit silly after our crash-course in fighting Demons and Evil."
“It will be strange,” said Ben. “I will be both a student and teacher. I am slated to teach advanced skills to students of all ages, including qualified vampires and werewolves.”
"Reestablishing a physical High School will be a good thing," said Claire. "Our on-line computer-based High School classes are terrible, in my opinion."
"That's what Sharp says," said Ben. "But although the Hope teaching staff is enlarging to accommodate the flood of new applicants, computer classes will need to become standard to accommodate tens of thousands of paranormal students outside Hope."
"Also the new Hope Council is busy rewriting most Hope town regulations,” noted Claire. “The next couple of years will be tough but what is emerging is incredible for all humans!"
"Not everyone is happy," said Ann. "Wells and his military friends aren't happy that paranormal powers are forbidden for use by militaries.
“Not openly, anyway,” said Ben.
"It was the right decision but I doubt that rule wi
ll be kept for long," said Claire, "and the rule doesn't preclude paranormal power use in police organizations. And of course there are bound to be secret organizations aplenty, both government and private. The potential for both good and evil is huge. Wells is busy helping to manage all that. Such issues will keep coming back to haunt and keep everyone busy."
"The elves are super busy also," said Ben. "Under Jeanine's leadership they are also re-organizing and renewing themselves, and their incredible gardens have been fully restored by Soone and other gardening Gaou. When Rick and the other Apprentice exchange students return next month from Alure no doubt we'll get a full rundown on elf cultural renewal."
"And I'll be part of the next exchange group in June," said Claire. "That's what I've popped in to tell you guys in person. I'll be delaying Earth college indefinitely. Rog invited me to join a group of Wizards from several planets that will regularly visit other worlds. We'll first visit a planet called Tunic."
"Then I hope you don't freak-out over spiders," said Ben. "But make sure you first get a nice tour of Alure. There's nothing quite like seeing your first dragon."
"Rog has promised me a ride on one," said Claire.
"Yes, Rog has become quite the naturalist since his big adventure” said Ben. “Like Soone, he even turned down being on the newly reformed High Council of Alure. Our adventure transformed Rog in a good way. In the new Rog, Soone has a worthy apprentice at last!"
"Where should we go next?" Ann asked Ben, after Claire had popped away. "And which one of us will do the teleporting?"
"I want you to take us to Desolation Glen, Ann," said Ben. "After that you can pop us over to see Mark at the hospital. He has been curing several Norms a day of diseases including cancer. Then I'd like you to pop us to the West Coast to visit the Wolf and Amanda for the early evening."
"How come you are officially the big-shot Earth Master Wizard and Alure Gaou yet I seem to do all the porting?" asked Ann, as she reached out to hold Ben's hand. There was no cloak or shield between them anymore. The rush of thoughts and emotions that they intimately exchanged overwhelmed them for a moment, but they were used to that now. Now and forever!
"I'm saving up my energies to port us both to Alure tonight to visit Soone and the human exchange students," Ben explained. "That's hundreds of light years away, you know! Not that the distance makes very much difference anymore due to the new warded spells set up to aid interplanetary travel."
"OK, Ben, the Glen it is!"
They popped into what for the previous eight years had been an area both dead and deadly. Nursed now by several elves that made use of the font of Life Energy that welled up at its center, the emerging Glen Garden was full of young new trees and flowers. Some of the more exotic looking plants Ben recognized to be from Alure, including a ten-foot sapling that could someday grow to be over a thousand feet tall. With regard to to Earth, the elf 'look but don't touch' rule no longer applied.
Near the center of the Glen rose a ten-foot stone obelisk with engraved metal plaques affixed. Those briefly told of the fount of Life Energy, the Desolation Glen battles, the honored dead including Ben's parents, and the Garden that now grew there. Hundreds of visitors, most Norms from outside Hope, streamed past the obelisk, gawking at it and at visiting elves and human Wizards.
"Someone of great power comes!" abruptly said a garden elf that turned to stare up into the partly-cloudy sky.
High above them an object was gliding down, blue against a pure white background cloud. It was the sprite Sky, unseen since before the Demon War! Dozens of cameras recorded the event as the sprite glided down gracefully to land only a few feet from Ben and Ann.
"Hello, Trouble Bringer and Flame!" she greeted Ben and Ann cheerfully before giving both of the teens a friendly hug. "It has been several months since my visit when you moved back to Hope. Have I missed anything exciting? I notice there are elves here. Are there any elf cookies?"
The End
****
Story Notes
Characters:
- Ben King: Orphan with Wizard/paranormal powers. He was six years old at the opening 'incident', and is 14 years old and entering 9th grade at Hope High School for most of the story.
- Greg and Elaine King: Ben's dead Wizard parents.
- Sky: The sprite friend of Soone.
- Soone: A Gaou (Elf Master Wizard) and-a loner of Alure, friend to Ben and Sky.
- Rog: Soone's seemingly worthless elf apprentice.
- John ‘Moco’ Richards and Amanda: Werewolf and vampire couple and guardians to Ben.
- Tuttles: Red Eric and Elizabeth, Wizard Council members and parents of twins Ann and Mark, Ben's best friends and next-door neighbors.
- Horace Grim: Troy Grim’s father and Hope Wizard Council Chairman.
- Fredrick Kroner: Hope Council Secretariat and friend to Red Eric.
- Carl ‘the Hammer’ Bruger and Sam Putt: leading Attack Wizards of Hope.
- Martha Sharp: Hope HS Vice Principle and advocate of Magic Science.
- Troy Grim: Son of Horace and leader of his gang of bullies, including Frank Marks, Fred Hanes, and John Dwight.
- The Hortegas: Jose, Guinevere, (Norms) and their young son Rick Hortega with powers. New Hope residents.
- Claire Jones: Apprentice Wizard leader; a senior at Hope High School.
- Rogue leaders Alan Dale and Maude Phillips: Highly vilified Rogue Wizards gifted with strong paranormal/magic powers that live somewhere 'out West' far from Hope among the Unaligned.
- Elves include: Council Leader Hemsope, Jeanine the country elf, Rog the apprentice to Soone, and Hancow a master gardener.
- Jewel: Unaligned vampire daughter of Amanda (wife of Moco); wife of Alan Dale.
- Lucian: A long dead elf that along with Soone helped establish Hope and the Hope Council. The much revered mentor of his apprentice Soone.
- Ed Wells, Colonel: Co-Lead of the ELF project. Other ELF Team members include: Dr. George Crane, Physicist and Co-Lead; Dr. Richard Phelps, CDC MD; Dr. Jerry Smith, Biologist; Dr. Marx, Physicist; Major Jake Osborne (Marine)/Unaligned Wizard; John Johnson, CIA/Unaligned Wizard; Ken Wishborne, FBI/Unaligned Wizard; Lieutenant Frank Barns, Marine. Project Pentagon boss: General Winfred Ismith.
Concepts/Things/Terms:
- Aligned: Beings of power registered with Hope and abiding by Hope/Hope Council rules with sworn allegiance to Hope, including Hope citizens and Missionaries.
- Demons: According to the current Hope Council these beings do not exist, but according to legends they are Elemental spawn of the Void that jealously abhor the biological life that arises throughout much of the multiverse. Typically super-powerful including great strength and control of disruptive energies including Evil. Some are said to be deceptive shape-shifters. Most are said to be not very intelligent.
-Elementals: Non-biological beings of raw, wild energies that arise throughout the Multiverse, including especially the Void. Non-biological, non-material life-forms that consist of, manipulate, and feed on energies of various forms. Examples include Demons and sprites. Declared to be fictional by the Hope Council.
- Elf: Disciplined wisdom seeking magic-capable biological race of this universe that abides on the distant planet Alure. For millions of years the elves have maintained ‘order’/the Balance between this universe and others/the Void by opposing Demons and Evil. Declared to be fictional by the Hope Council.
- ELF: (Not an acronym.) Whimsical name of a top secret USA Government project that monitors paranormal humans, with focus on Hope.
- Evaluation: The Hope screening process for the ‘magically gifted' to determine who will become Apprentice Wizards in training at Hope High School. Also used to assess Wizard capabilities and to recommend all official associated classifications/rankings.
- Evil: An elemental substance originating from the Void and used by Demons to disrupt life. Evil is not usually directly perceived by beings of this universe including even the elves of legend who oppose it
. The current official Hope Council view is that Evil does not exist.
- First Rule: Those with paranormal abilities are not to display them such that they are observable by Unaligned Norms, for the existence of humans with paranormal abilities is to be kept secret from Norms. One of several Hope rules strictly enforced in Hope and loosely enforced by Hope even among the unaligned.
- Gaou: Elf Master Wizard.
- Great Balance: A healthy status-que maintained by the galactic spells/wards of elves to prevent Evil from flooding and destroying life in this universe. Elf science long ago concluded that inter-universe rifts enable much magic but also threaten life in individual universes if not limited and controlled. Elves through their powers are said to control Life Energies born of this universe in order to maintain protective wards. In modern times the Hop Council has determined the Great Balance to be a mere folk-tale.
- Hope: A small Eastern USA town ran by the Council of the Aligned Wizards of Hope. A gated community that is a haven for the slowly emerging sub-race of magic-capable humans that are appearing spontaneously world-wide as part of normal evolution. Hope unifies, keeps safe, and controls Wizards.
- Hope Missionaries: Cadre of Hope Wizards that travel the world looking for persons with Wizard-powers, particularly children with emerging powers. These they try to recruit to become Hope citizens, or to at least align themselves with Hope.
- Life Force/Energy: The subtle 'magic' forces that permeate and help animate living things and swirl about this universe, attenuated by various living and non-living beings/structures including the minds of some living creatures including elves and some gifted humans. It is the direct source and media of most paranormal/magic powers/acts and is not detectable by ordinary scientific mechanical measurement devices, but only by other living beings with special 'powers'/sensitivities. Can sometimes interact with/influence Wild Magic.
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