Toman of the Cherokee 23
Introduction:
Victory
Gwendydd – sister
Morgenau – brother
Morial – brother
Morien – brother
Mordaf – brother – Naci’s father
New Council Members
___________________
Pikon
Corth
Groton
Tydeth
Docal
Clondal – female
Lyndeth – female
Creton
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“I need all of you out here right now!” Ukobach was growling as he concentrated. “We can end the last obstacle to the council ruling the magic dimension forever!”
I looked at Ukobach, almost feeling sorry for him, almost. What he had just said was an impossibility. Many had tried only to be utterly destroyed. It seemed that the amount of power they tried to achieve, was by far much more than their bodies could hold. They had literally burned up from the inside out.
“So, since no one is coming, I guess I get the honor of destroying you. I also have a message for you, though I think it can wait ’til later.” I said as I powered up to almost full power.
“As I said before boy. You are going to die, I will so enjoy taking all your power as my own.” Ukobach boasted to me. Little did he know that I was nowhere near my full power yet.
“You really talk far too much, you know that? Much like a certain tree I remember in the dark range. A place I am sure you’d feel well at home in.” I taunted Ukobach. I had to have him make the first move, so I could gauge what power he had left.
“HA! Here you say that I talk too much. Just to let you know, I am a demon, not a pathetic magical being such as yourself. I am sure that my old master will welcome your soul with open arms. Now, you should do all of us a favor and DIE!” With that Ukobach released a huge ball of energy that I just yawned, caught and fizzled out as if it were nothing.
“Here I thought you were a powerful demon, with that pitiful display I am doubting it now.” I threw in a smirk just to push him even more.
With a huge, growling roar, Ukobach suddenly shifted to his demonic form, as he formed another huge ball of energy. “You feeble piece of human trash! I hope you like my full power as it will be the last you ever see!”
I could see Ukobach had put a lot into it, though not all as I was hoping he would have. Again I stood there as the huge ball was slung my way. Though not that powerful it still had a good punch to it. A punch I felt as soon as I caught it, with it driving me back a few feet.
Shaking my head, I suddenly clapped my hands together making the ball start to grow smaller and smaller. Then I clapped them again, completely extinguishing it.
I look at Ukobach disdainfully, “Is that all? I felt stronger in the dark realm. I can see that destroying you is going to be far too easy.” I then sneered at him, seeing that his anger was finally starting to rise to the surface.
Roaring even louder, Ukobach then launched his self toward me only to bounce off my shield. Then to add insult to injury, I reached out and cuffed him with enough force to knock him back. Ukobach flew ’til he rammed into the front of the council building.
Screaming out into an almost blind rage, Ukobach sprang from the building straight toward me. I remembered almost too late, that a very angry demon was an even more powerful demon.
I had just started to turn, when Ukobach penetrated my defenses, catching my side. I felt my shirt shred as he almost grazed my skin. Shit, had to concentrate, if he hit me I was done for. A scratch was deadly with the highly poisonous toxins on his clawed hands. I wasn’t even sure I had that much power to heal it.
“So,” I heard Ukobach start to laugh. “The boy has actually grown some. Too bad it’s too late to save your worthless human ass!” Ukobach hissed as he made another pass at me barely getting half way through.
Bouncing a few feet from me, I saw that Ukobach was actually surprised. “I’ve grown far more than you think, you pathetic excuse for a demon. Here I thought you said I would be so easy to defeat. Now, you seem to be having doubts. What? Are you afraid of a mere human?” I said taunting him further. I knew I was on dangerous ground, though with the situation as it was, I had no choice.
Ukobach stopped, looking at me, “So you have boy, so you have. Thing is, do you possess enough knowledge to use it before I kill you,” he asked as he started to laugh. “I have heard many of your kind boast as you have, Merlin, is the only one that was true to his word. Well almost, he never did destroy me.”
I smiled back at him, I already knew the answer to that. The thing was, was he going to try to keep winning, when he knew I had him beat? I guess I was about to find out as I released a half powered blast at him.
I saw him smile as it hit, then bounced off his shield. The next, I went up another fourth of my power, this time I saw him actually strain a bit then bounced it away.
I then saw him smile as he looked me up and down. “So the boy has the power of a man now, good, good, I wouldn’t want the nothing power of a child to add to my own. Yours though will do quite nicely!”
He then streaked toward me faster than I thought he could move. As he again penetrated my shields, he was more than half way to me when he was repelled.
Ah, I thought, that was more like it. I needed to lull him into a false sense of security. Then when it was right, I would completely destroy him.
“Not so cocky now are you boy, no matter you’ll be dead soon enough.” Ukobach said with a broad smile as suddenly Pikon appeared.
Ukobach’s smile now broader, nodded to the low council member. Then just as suddenly, Corth appeared an evil smile on his face.
“Ah! As you can see they are coming to the aid of the council leader. After you are dead all this ‘evidence’ you have shown everyone, will be of no consequence.” Ukobach boasted as Groton then Tydeth also appeared.
Oddly enough, I also noticed that they were not doing anything to help Ukobach, which I also found strange. If, as he said, they were coming to his aid, then why weren’t they doing anything?
As I looked closer, I swear I could almost see something familiar about all of them. These four were no problem, even adding their power that I felt was low to Ukobach’s. If the rest of them joined in, then I might have a problem, though as I said they had made not a single move.
Even as I sent another blast at three fourths my power, I was wary to watch the others. This time Ukobach caught my blast, pulling it toward him. Perfect I thought, as I suddenly increased the power the blast contained.
Ukobach started to scream as the blast was slowly eating away at his defenses. Well, with me forcing them upon him he was having a lot more trouble evading the blast.
With a small smile, I pushed harder hearing Ukobach start to scream, then the blast fizzled out.
“Not bad boy, a trick worthy of your small and insignificant power. I will show you true power.” Ukobach was yelling across the area. Turning he saw that Docal then Clondal had also made an appearance.
‘Shit, this was bad,’ I thought, ‘what I was feeling added to his power was almost the equal of my own. I had to end this and Ukobach, if I had any chance of surviving this.’ I was about to send an even more powerful blast at Ukobach when Lyndeth appeared. I blinked as I stared at her, why in the hell was she so familiar?
“Ah! It is good that the council is behind their leader. Together we shall crush him, then we will rule the magical dimension!” With that Ukobach laughed a deep sounding demonic laugh. “Prepare to die boy! Councilors attack!”
I was at the ready, fully powered up, prepared for anything. Then, the most curious thing happened, the seven councilors made a ring around us. All at equal distance with a space left open. It was then that the last of the new councilors appeared, Creton.
Ukobach, an almost giddy look on his face pointed to me, “Kill him utterly!” He was shouting, then he stopped, his mouth dropping open as Creton took the last space the others left. Ukobach started to sputter, as he could only stare at what Creton had in his hands. The heads of the last three council members.
“What have you done?” Ukobach shouted as he advanced upon Creton only to be knocked back by a very familiar shield.
“You are done, one way or another it ends today.” Pikon stated.
“For all the crimes you have committed, judgement has been passed.” Corth’s voice said.
“You will not pass any of us.” Groton hissed.
“Know that today, your reign is finished.” Tydeth spit out.
“For everything, we will see your end.” Docal commented.
“For the endless suffering you have brought to all the families, today you pay.” Clondal said her eyes flashing.
“The sons and daughters that no longer have parents, their debt will be paid,” Lyndeth growled out.
Finally, all turned toward Creton as he spread his hands, then arms. Funny I thought, that was familiar also. “With a pact we seal, no one passes ’til we repeal. Within the circle they must stay, be in dark or brightest day. Til evil is no longer here to terrorize, bringing fear.” Here Creton, then the rest of them turn to stare at Ukobach, “So be it!”
Ukobach started to laugh out loud, almost so much that he was about to fall down. Then his face turned serious as he sneered at all of them. “An eternity capture ring? Please, there would have to be one as powerful as…” Ukobach said as he walked straight toward Creton, then was knocked flat on his ass! Still smirking he again tried only to be pushed back again.
I looked at the seven councilors, “May we take this out of the city?”
They all only turned to look at me with disdain, then nodded. We both appeared in a large field outside the city. I started to fire at Ukobach with several powerful blasts. I heard him scream as I saw that one had been close.
Through the dark billowing smoke, I tried to see what was going on, finally it was going to end. I took a step… Oh, here we are at the beginning or perhaps the end. For me and Ukobach it was most definitely an end. For the rest of the magical dimension, it was most definitely a new beginning.
At least now all the families could go on. Family, ha I thought no real chance of that for me. For my mother though, I could bring back my father. Not so lucky for Naci. God, even saying her name made me feel as if I had been dropped off the end of the world.
An errant blast came ripping out of the smoke bouncing harmlessly off my shield. If I didn’t know better I’d say Ukobach was tiring, though I knew better, I could still wish.
I heard another of Ukobach’s roars, as it started to come closer. Suddenly Ukobach broke from the side of the cloud, in an attempt to blind side me. Making a backhanding motion, I sent him flying into the ground, none too gentle.
Standing up, Ukobach started to snicker. “I know you have control of your wild magic. I also know that you can’t keep up these levels all that long. All I have to do is tire you out, then you are mine!” He then sent a mammoth blast toward me, that I just batted back toward him.
“You really are more of an idiot than I thought. If I have control, I also can only use what I need to. Any first year magical being knows that. I guess it goes to show just how stupid you really are!” I shouted, as I directed another huge blast toward him.
This time, I saw that Ukobach was really struggling with this new blast. I had put more power into it, though I knew it wasn’t enough to destroy him, it would be the start. Screaming in anger, I saw him catch the new blast as it started to move him backwards. Then he screamed louder, as it ate through his shields at an even faster rate.
“NO! This isn’t possible! You were only gone for nearly a year. There is no way that you could have increased this much.” I heard Ukobach yelling.
Laughing, I pushed the blast harder, “I was in the darkness dimension only two weeks. Here though, it was almost a year. I have increased many levels, up to and beyond yours.”
“I am a demon,” Ukobach was shouting angerly. “No magic user has as much power, even you wild magic users!”
“You might want to check my power again,” I told him, then saw that my blast was inching closer. “Oh well, looks like you won’t get the chance.” I said, then sneered at him. “I also have a message from the leader of the dark realm. He said that they await you, that you will pay for the many that were destroyed.”
“You lie! No magic user has ever escaped the dark realm after being there more than a day.” Ukobach was screaming at me, though I wasn’t sure from the strain, or his unbelief at what I had said.
“As a matter of fact,” I told Ukobach, “the leader MADE me leave. It seems that I had destroyed far too many for his liking. Also something about the good in me making him sick? I’m not sure.”
Turning, I saw that the blast had brushed against his side, where the small stump of his arm had been. It was obvious that he’d found a way to regrow without his son. That whole side was now a blackened, charred, mass of burned meat.
Powering up quickly, I was surprised when Ukobach got a blast off at me. As it skirted through my shield, passing by my left arm, I felt it go numb. Damn it! Pissed off I felt the blast double, then triple in size.
Ukobach was screaming louder as I shouted, “Goodbye you pathetic piece of garbage!” Releasing the blast, I saw Ukobach try to get out of the way. Directing it with my still moving arm, it quickly closed the distance to him.
“You won’t defeat me! No magic user ever will.” Ukobach was shouting, even as the blast was steadily eating its way through his shield. “NO! NO!” I heard him shout then nothing, as the blast passed through where he’d been.
I had already made a portal, stepping to it as quickly as I could, when they appeared. “Wait Toman!” Creton was shouting as I shook my head stepping through, slamming it shut. As the portal started to wind back and forth, I was hoping I could survive, when it opened on the other side. Then it opened, as I was falling out, the pain had started to set in as I hit the ground passing out.
Back in the field, the eight councilors shook their heads as they watched my rapid escape. “It appears he is using a see-saw effect with the portal. Even I am having a hard time following him.” Creton stated.
A moment later all of then formed a ring as Creton made a chopping motion. “With this motion we expel, with the destruction of him from hell.”
All of them nodded, then they were all suddenly standing in front of the council chambers. “We need to have replacement council members in here as soon as possible.” Lyndeth stated.
All of them nodded, “We will as soon as this Toman business is finished. Then again, we’ll have to get him to stand still long enough for that.”
“Long enough for what?” A soft female voice stated behind them.
They all turned to see Morganna and a young brown skinned, green eyed, Indian woman holding a baby. Creton nodded, as he turned toward Pikon. “I can only assume that when he contacts you, will be our best chance.”
Pikon was nodding deep in thought. “It might, though I am unsure if we could hold him long enough.”
“I might be able to help with that,” the young Indian woman with the baby said, as her form started to shift.
Pikon was nodding, then turned toward Morganna. “From everything I have heard, he has fulfilled almost all of the promises he made, save for one.”
Morganna’s eyes went wide as she whispered, “His father! I am afraid though that he has no plans to survive that. Even with the power that he has now, I’m not sure it is enough. I just wish he’d stayed a little longer.”
Creton nodded, “I know, though he only knew us as the councilors that Ukobach put in. I am sure that he thought we were all as bad as Ukobach. I am also sure, that he thought that we would destroy him, after he destroyed Ukobach.
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I awoke with a dull throbbing in my left arm. Well, it was, ’til I tried to move. Then it was an excruciating exercise in trying to stay conscious. Looking at my almost useless arm, I tried to heal it finding that most of my power was dulled.
If any one of the councilors came after me, I was toast that was for sure. Finally, I managed to get a little power to start working on it. Problem was though, it was going to take time, something I was in short supply of.
I spent the rest of the day trying off and on to get the healing to take effect. It was getting late into the day, when I finally got it started. All the pain, had almost completely dulled my power to near nothing.
I had finally gotten most of the pain to fade, though my arm was still nearly useless. I knew that I was finally on the way to healing. I almost wished now, that I was better at it than I was. Sighing, not that it really mattered now.
As soon as I brought father back, I was done. There was no point going on, without Naci. God, just thinking her name was like a knife being shoved deep in my heart. Lying down, I had finally been able to summon a mage house, though it was barely holding together. Even as I felt the fatigue and exhaustion start to take me, the tears of losing Naci started.
How I now regretted never telling her that I loved her. I was pretty sure she loved me, though she had been patiently waiting for me to tell her.
I awoke the next day or I thought it was. Reaching out, I could see that it had in fact been two. My arm was now, at least half better, though there was still pain when I tried to move it. Powering up, I put more healing into it feeling it start to get right quite a bit faster.
Another day I thought, then I had to find Pops finishing what I had promised. I then would let the power take me before Merlin’s kin did. Though I am sure they would want to destroy me personally, they would get over it as long as I was dead.
After another day of rest, I was surprised that no one had appeared coming after me. Reaching out I felt Pops in the time of Mordaf’s village. Nodding to myself I had to do this as fast as I could if I was going to save father.
I appeared a ways from the village then reached out pulling Pops to me. He appeared a moment later a huge look of surprise on his face.
“Toman! Thank the power you are still alive. I…” Pops started then quieted when I started to power up far more than I ever had. I saw the shadow of my father as he was drifting close to Pops. A small smile crossed my lips as I brought out the power I had so far.
I felt the power surround father as it started to climb higher and higher. Cursing I saw that the halo was barely starting to form. Nodding to him I opened all the wild power I had feeling it as it rushed to join the other power.
Cursing more, I could see that the halo was almost fading, obviously father had more power than I had thought. Alright I thought as I opened ALL the power I had, this made the halo start to shine far brighter than it had with mother. ‘Good, it was working,’ I thought.
I could see father was finally starting to take solid form, then I felt the power drop a bit. NO! I had to give all as I opened up the last of my power. With huge tears falling down my face I felt my life energy start to feed all the rest that I was expending.
I suddenly felt a small boost, as I turned seeing my mother with her hand on my shoulder. Slightly nodding to her I felt another as I turned to stare into the eyes of… MERLIN!!!?
Both of them released my shoulders a moment later stumbling away. The tears were coming faster as father was finally almost completely solid. Another minute is all I need I thought.
Finally father stepped from the halo as mother struggled to stand and go to him. Dropping my arms that felt like lead weights, I smiled a sad smile as I felt the spell keep going.
Looking at the ground I knew it wouldn’t be long now. I had looked into the restoration spell after the last time I had used it. If I didn’t close off the power, it would consume me. Smiling again, I was fine with it, this way I helped with no one having to deal with me anymore.
Then I heard my mother gasp as did my father, “Toman no! Turn it off, you don’t have to do this!”
Barely able to look up I whispered, “Yes father I do. Let me die doing something good, not the worthless thing that I am. I… it was my fault that Naci died. I never even got the chance to tell her that, I love her. I love her with every fiber of my being, without her I have nothing left, nothing to go on for.”
Then I heard a crying sob of surprise. “You… you love me?”
I turned to see Naci standing there holding a small bundle in her arms.
“Naci,” I whispered feeling the spell trying to draw me in. “It is good you have come to greet me.”
Edging closer, I heard Naci also whisper, “Close it off Toman, close the doors. Please Toman, we need you here, not the other dimension.”
I looked at Naci confused, “I saw you die, there was nothing left.”
“Please Toman,” Naci pleaded as she drew even closer. “Please stay with us, with me.”
Nodding, I was reaching in somehow managing to get one door closed. I could feel the spell’s draw, backing off quite a bit, then it roared back with a vengeance.
I looked at Naci, “I’m afraid I’ve done myself in this time.” I heard myself say.
“Take a deep breath, close the door, it’s the only chance you have. Stay with us, your daughter needs you. I need you.” Naci was saying with a tear strained voice.
Nodding, I pushed with as much as I could. I could feel the door as it slowly, steadily started to close, I almost had it, the pull of the spell was almost gone, though it was still there slightly. I fell to the ground as I started to pant with the effort.
“I thought I could Naci, I’m done there’s nothing left I…” I was whispering. Then I felt Naci reach out to me as she added her strength to mine, finally getting the door closed. Slightly stumbling to me, I felt Naci hold me as tight as she could.
“Please, never do that again, my Toman.” I heard Naci say as darkness took me deep within its embrace.
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Though I am sure I dreamed, I don’t remember any while I was out. I suddenly jerked awake, immediately regretting it. As I lay there the world spinning, I tried to remember where I was, who I was. Then the memories crashed back into my mind.
My god! Naci was alive as was Merlin, I was… I sat up slowly seeing that I was laying on a pallet in the council chambers. After all this I was going to die at the hands of the council.
Looking over I saw Pikon, Corth, Groton, Tydeth, Docal, Clondal, Lyndeth and finally Creton at the head of them.
“Ah! Good you are awake, now we can pass judgement.” Creton said as I lowered my head. If I was to die, it was a small price to pay if the rest of the families were safe. The rest nodded as Lyndeth shifted to Gwendydd. Clondal shimmered into the form of my mother! Docal became Mordaf, Tydeth shifted into Morgenau. Groton shimmered into Morial who still held a wicked smile on his face. Corth became Morien though not the youngest was the weakest.
They all turned toward Pikon who seemed to be having a bit of trouble. Merlin had a perplexed look on his face as he passed a hand over Pikon, then a surprised look came to him. “You’re actually the real Pikon aren’t you?”
When the councilor nodded Merlin started to laugh. A moment later Pops walked in, “Got ya! ‘Bout time too! Been a long time since I got one over on you Merl!” Pops changed to Pikon then back with a smirk at them, then a huge smile at me. “The rest of the real councilors should be here soon.” I could only stare at all of them, that they had taken such a dangerous chance on me. Then I bowed to them all, which led to them bowing to me.
A moment later a rather pissed off Naci, nearly blasted the doors off the council chamber. Scowling at the others her face softened into a look of love when she saw me.
Nodding toward her and the others, I could see that life was about to get extremely interesting. That’s when I saw the look of hunger on Naci’s face. I also saw that she seemed to be staring at my crotch. with a look that could ignite flames. Yes, life was going to get VERY interesting.
