Uurf Ch. 05A

We had breakfast with them, an assortment of dried fruit and honeyed seeds, compacted into a bar. And more of the cookies from the barrel, one for now and one for later.

We said goodbye to the girls, and Davina, she gave Martin a long lingering kiss as they parted

Alice turned and beamed at me as we left, a radiant toothy smile.

Like the duchess's cat, only the smile was important.

Outside we waited a few minutes till a passing taxi picked us up and whisked us away through the city streets and onto the next stage of our quest.

The driver turned. "Holiday or business?" he asked.

"Business," I replied. "Off to Australia."

Magus sighed and shifted, laying back into the corner of the seat. I was content to sit and watch as the sights of suburbia flew past as we drove down 6th avenue. My contentment didn't last long, the day darkened and the ring on my finger started to tingle.

The driver leant forward and looked at the rapidly darkening sky. I turned and looked at Magus, he was sleeping softly, I could see a faint green glow emanating from his ring. I craned my neck looking through the window at the black clouds rolling in, robbing the day of its light.

The tingling grew as the roiling clouds split and lightening forked through the air, the thunder stirred Magus, I heard him mumble and shift his position. The rain hit us, coming down in stair rods as the driver slowed the car, I had an ominous feeling as the ring felt warm and heavy on my finger.

The lightning hit the car, drowning us in light and noise, Magus awoke with a start, our driver sat frozen in his seat whimpering 'Madre De Deos' and repeatedly crossing himself. A second bolt struck, ripping the roof wide and letting the rain flood in.

The green light of my ring was glowing brighter, forming a bubble that expanded to encompass me. I grabbed at Magus, catching his sleeve and dragging him over to my side as I opened the door of the car.

A third bolt struck the car, setting it ablaze as we fled from it, the driver running in the other direction. Magus was running alongside me as we headed over the pavement and up some driveway to the shelter of a clump of trees.

As we splashed our way through the streaming water a dark form started to materialise in front of us.

"Rankakopt," Magus exclaimed as the creature directed a bolt of blue fire at us.

My hand was up creating a shield in front of us but the bolt smashed against my pale green bubble, skittering over it as its fury was spent. My hand curved as I sought to create a power ball to throw back, but instead my fingers straightened and a bright sharp green beam arced out.

The creature roared as it struck him. His body started to glow, at first a dull red then as the beam continued to spear him he brightened to a dazzling white before exploding soundlessly, chunks spinning hither and thither into the torrential rain.

I felt Magus grasp my shoulder from behind, his grip strong enough to give him my attention.

"Magus," I questioned him. "What was that creature, what did you call it?"

I turned to fully face him, the sky beginning to brighten as the rains ceased and the clouds dissolved, the green bubble was dissolving around me as well.

"I'll answer that after you answer me this, how did you defeat it, what magic did you use?" he replied.

"That answer's simple," I said, still feeling the fading tingle in my finger. "The ring did it when I tried to use my magic. It added to my power, channelling it out ten times stronger."

"Didn't your tingle as well?" I asked, remembering the warmth of the one in my pocket.

He shook his head. "Not as much as yours obviously, a slight buzz which I associated with the presence of the Rankakopt, that was the beast you destroyed." He paused to look at me, then take my ring hand and look at that.

Come, he carried on. "We must depart this place, where there are Rankakopt there are sure to be Stobor and Ba Ah Arges, more servants of the Orm, master of the shadows."

His Wand was out, the incantation to open a gate on his lips.

"By the power of the ring I bear may a way to the world of Kallifonai be opened to me."

The hole appeared, hiding the burning taxi from sight. He propelled me through. We were in the familiar hall of his home, deserted as we arrived. I dropped our guises, shucking of the wizard robe and revelled in the freedom restored to my body.

Marcus straightened his robes and shouted out a servants name

We waited moments till I heard the hurried footsteps and a servant appeared from a side door.

"Find Yodla and Myrdlin, tell them I'm back and I need to see them," he commanded him.

He turned and hurried back the way he came. Another appeared at the entrance door to the lounge, at the bottom of the hall.

"Tell Sissy and Macteth we're back," his voice boomed down, commanding her likewise.

He started down as she scurried away, striding determinedly to the lounge and through the door, it too was deserted, I walked to a chair, we had nothing to do but wait on events. The green magic was of far more import than I originally thought.

He went and pulled a wall rope, no doubt frustrated by the importance of the event and the unready state of its reception. He paced back to me.

"The ring has chosen you for this fight," he stated, as I looked up to him where he stopped in front of me, looking down at my hand.

Yodla was the first to arrive and Magus immediately launched into the tale of our encounter, from the moment he woke to the crash of the thunder, the inside of the cab illuminated by the glow of my ring like a green lantern.

Yodla sat by my side as he listened, glancing at me as Magus paused for emphasis, Magus had been inside the bubble, his ring tingling as I defended us. It was a short tale to tell, and had to be repeated for Myrdlin who arrived to late to hear but the finishing words of the thing exploding.

Yodla sat with me as magus was drawn by the entrance of his wife.

"My dear your home," she said delightedly, her arms open to enfold him as she too dainty great strides to meet him.

As she hugged him over his shoulder she said to me as I stood before her. "Sissy is out shopping or something."

Her voice was still full of the happiness of her husband's return, yet disappointing me.

"Few is power given to," he said, drawing my attention.

"Chosen for this fight is the one who handles it best."

I was honoured, but I didn't know what the fight was yet, other than that was powerful magic we both had wielded. My weapon bettering his shield.

"Learned sir, what is this fight we face? Though it sound like a fight half won if we can keep the chicken headless."

"Ah," he nodded. "The whole is divided into the sum."

I sighed, I didn't want philosophical meanderings I needed to know the nature of those who would oppose us.

"Sir," I said respectfully. "What is the nature of the enemies we face, these Rankakopt, and their minions?"

"You're better asking me, tactics is not his forte," a new voice chimed in.

I looked up to catch my first sight of the third wizard, who must have arrived during our absence. He was standing curling his beard as he looked over at us..

"Thank you," I said, relieved that someone recognised my interests.

I stood, Yodla might be knowledgeable in the arts and crafts of magic but this was a learning curve for him as his analysis expanded his understanding.

"Dumbledore, pray tell what is this about?"

"There's a dark side to magic, as we have the Dragons they have the Orm," he started, I listened to his tales of ancient battles that stalemated, this was a bold new attack, taking advantage of the lack of someone wielding the ring.

They'd been complacent, waiting for the ring to choose for them, the good news was the next Rankakopt would be wary to step into the fray till he was sure it wasn't a death trap. We only had to clean out the roots of the network, an apparently more tedious than dangerous.

We would also be rescuing Alice, that news from Magus had excited him, she could be the mother of a new line of magicians. She's a rare and welcome thing, a female who can work magic, I still had her spell in the back of my mind though it was probable broken with the transition to this world. She'd had less than half an hour of the weeks I promised her.

Partway through his monologue refreshments had arrived, and we wandered over and I helped myself, scooping up a plate and piling the delicacies on it. We sat at the edge of the room, oblivious to the rest milling round Magus and his wife.

I sat back as he finished, full of small questions, questions that would be better framed when I digested the facts. Something I needed time to do. Dumbledore left me to my ruminations, going to feed his at the table.

I followed him over, pouring myself a hot drink before retiring to the balcony to enjoy the rest of the day whilst I waited for Sissie's return. From my distant chair I could still hear the low growl of the hubbub, conversations dissolving into tones of voice.

I was dozing in the sun, thinking, Uurf was the most vulnerable outpost, the race was predisposed with its lionisation of valour and bravery, that put people on the gravy train who knew how to exploit it, with culture letting it.

The hubbub swelled momentarily as I saw Sissy making her way to the door. I felt a momentary twinge of guilt as the other girls passed through my thoughts, as she outshone them with her perfection.

I stood, and felt her firm breasts press against me as she hugged me around the waist. Our mouths drew together in a full on lip smacker, soon giving way to a tongue wresting match as she playfully teased me. This was my woman of all time, no diversions from now on.

"Are you hungry? There's a buffet inside, and I could do with another drink."

"And I'm glad to see you to," she complained, then broke out in a smile. "Enjoy yourself without me?"

"Not so much as I'm going to enjoy myself with you tonight," I replied, bringing my hands to the side of her mounds, thumbs caressing across the rise at the bottom.

"Mmm," she sighed, arching her back and thrusting them out more.

I laughed with her.

"And what have you been doing, shopping be high on the list?" I enquired shifting my hands to her waist.

"Only a little bit," she replied, catching my hand and turning to the door. We walked back through, letting her attend to the buffet whilst I sought out Magus to ensure he didn't spill the beans on our nighttimes' escapades.

He readily agreed, asking what I thought we ought to do now. I picked his brains for his ideas and understanding. Learning more from his interpretation of events, and forming a picture of what sort of situation I could expect on the ground.

I finally rejoined Sissy, finding her chatting to Magus's wife. She asked about the excitement over my new talent, I told her of the unlikely tale of my selection as 'the one' for this, though that was symbolic now since the proof was in the victory.

As I launched into the tale, Sissy suggested I tell it in private, so she can question me freely. Nodding her head upwards, where our bedroom was. I stepped back from her, offering my hand and apologising for stealing her away. Macteth just gave me a knowing smile.

We traipse bed-wards, Sissy gaily strolling, stretching our arms as she pulled me along. My cock thickening expectantly, as I once again admired the figure of my wife and true love. She led me through our apartment and as we climbed the stairs I once again saw that delicious upskirt flash of yellow fabric.

She released my hand as we got to the door, and dodged through it when I tried to catch her. I chased her to the bed and we both fell across it, as she tried to dodge one last time. I pulled her roughly to me and fell upon her lips.

Our kiss was passionate; our bodies pressed together, her nipples on my chest, my cock against her abdomen. I let it go on till she was sated, softly relaxing in my arms. She drew her head back.

"So what's this about a monster you fought?" the softness of her question belaying the serious look in her eyes.

"Just some creature from another world out there somewhere, somewhere where they have magical powers like us."

"And it attacked us and I fought back and won, end of story." I finished. Knowing that she would want more.

But to me it was as simple as when the prince attacked me, I had the superior power, my magic stopped him, I'd had to kill the creature which was a step further, but he'd had better weapons to kill me with.

I was hoping my nonchalance would lessen her worries if not her inquisitiveness. I was going to have to go back there; tomorrow I planned on rescuing the girl, things were going to be dynamic as the network started to freewheel like a drunk.

"That's a truth that begs an explanation, were you in no danger then, as with the prince?"

"The ring gave me a shield and a weapon, if I'd faced it with my own magic I might -- no, would have lost." That was the truth she wanted and dreaded, but the fight was over, there was not likely to be another.

She hugged me close for more than a few moments then turned and curled into me, pulling my arm over her as she spooned me. My hand began making small circles, caressing her stomach through the thin top.

She wriggled against me appreciatively, and I expanded the circles till I was brushing over the swell of her mounds.

"I love you," she whispered, turning so her hair brushed my cheek.

My hand slipped over her breast, feeling the swell of her nipple tenting the fabric.

"I love you to." I squeezed her to me with my arm briefly, then let my fingers lightly trip over her nipple.

"Lets get undressed," she commanded. "Get into bed and start properly, I don't need seducing tonight, just love me."

Our lovemaking was sweet, we kissed and stroked, then my hands found her breasts, then my lips. We made love till she'd cum twice and I the once to end it.

We lay there, she told me of the happening whilst we'd been gone, happily regaling one of the funny spots when I stopped her. I planted a big kiss that half startled her before she responded warmly and opened her mouth to me.

"You must tell me more later, my tummy from my last world says its past feeding time. Is there anything to eat?" I asked, half rolling back and straightening.

She straightened too, throwing the covers back and climbing out. I followed, finding my clothes under my feet, where I'd dropped them.

"I think it's somewhere round dinner time," she said with a certain hesitancy. "I'm not hungry yet."

Then, as an afterthought. "There's probably some of the buffet left, they won't shift it till they lay for dinner."

I dressed while she stopped and changed, freshening up first. There was food still on the table, and untouched on plates around the room. I helped myself and was delighted to find the drinks still hot enough to be palatable.

Magus (and family) and Yodla were absent but Myrdlin and Dumbledore were out on the balcony, I gathered a plateful and went to join them while I waited for Sissy. They were talking over the best way to rid Uurf of the remaining Stobers and Ba Ah Arges before the Rankakopt are forced to try to regain control. I gave my opinion that with the power of the rings combined we could defeat the next.

Their preferred option was to blanket the world with a nullifying field, one that 'reprogrammed' the magical field generators to give out a power field instead. If the Rankakopt came back then he would be helpless without power to use too.

Both the Stobor and the Ba Ah Arges were nominally independent and, they wouldn't starve or anything, they were controlled by a set of instructions, weekly for the most but daily for some, those were the ones going to be running on autopilot, only knowing the mission directive

'To cause, support and encourage war and aggression, to strengthen the shift to the shadows'

They would be unable to make any decisions or understand complex situations. Especially the Ba Ah Arges, who were living in shells, an active personality activating the persona of the deceased inhabitant.

The Stobor were distributed among the security services, or independents for any real 'dirty Landry' work. These could understand and go with the flow, only needing instructions 'as and when' these would be the hardest to find, even with the second sight to see them clearly with, the shiny red skin glowing through any disguise.

For some reason I felt myself forced to look round, there, as I turned to see her was Sissy, sitting on a chair watching me through the open door.

"Sissy," I exclaimed, standing and turning to her, walking quickly to cover the distance between us. She stood and held her arms out as I closed in.

"Why were you sitting there?"

"I heard you discussing 'the problem' and I left you be," she replied, her arms wrapped around me.

"There was no need, you could have joined us. We were discussing how best to round up the remnants, more of a police action than anything else," I remarked. "Your input might be beneficial, all of this interplanetary business is to new for me, all these differing worlds, and now a centuries old war."

"Worlds like different kingdoms, where they bow to differing Gods, and live by laws they create." She said wistfully, parting from me and sitting once more.

I took a seat next to her, lazing back into the corner.

"They've all got slightly differing versions of history on the subject," I told her, hushing my voice and glancing out the door to the terrace where they still sat, chewing the cud.

"Shall we sit over in the corner, you know, like in the wine bar. Sit with our backs to the wall." Her voice conspiratorial.

We got up and moved, getting a last hot drink as the maids in their minimalist clothes came to prepare for dinner. She sat on the sofa, angled into the corner with a low table in front of it. I joined her, setting my drink down.

"Sissy," I said with a sigh. "We have blundered into a nest of evil, growing and contaminating a world, we were lucky but woefully unprepared for what we met, Marcus was expecting no more than he thought we could handle from the native population, though he knew it for what it was when we faced it."

I paused for her acknowledgement, seeing the interest on her face as she nodded. "Yes, go on."

"The Rankakopt told them what to do, Ba Ah Arges, are going to be the problem because they need continuous instructions to function and they hold positions of power and influence, when they breakdown the system grinds to a halt as well."

I paused again, her wide shiny eyes upon me.

"We have to extract these people, their like a dying cancer cell going putrid from the centre. Let the system recover and reshuffle itself." I continued. "They've thought up some schemes already. Did you know they can stop magic?"

I wondered for a brief moment if it would stop ring magic as well.

"The thing is," I went on, reaching for my drink. "He has a wizards den where he controls them, if we could find that...."

I left out a lot of implied 'If's', listing only if we could find it, Yodla should be the best to answer that, I'd give that task to one of the others, I wasn't suited to it. If finding it was possible then the other 'Ifs' were manageable.

"Their plans are either to use magic to 'Disappear' them as we find them, many will appear to have gone mad, spouting out of date talking points and the like, it would be a tedious job, give that there are so few capable of performing it."

I paused again, contemplating the other option, make everything ten times harder by killing magic, just in case the big bad wolf comes back, they'll have to compromise with holding it as backup.

Then there was the problem of the Stobor needle in the haystack, hundreds more likely, but they would carry on in basic wait and listen mode till they wore out their shape shifting bodies and died of old age. They'd be a waiting army for anyone holding the Den.