Highfield Academy - Revenge of The Crows
Chapter Thirteen.

Guayangarea, a powerful witch who existed from before Merlin, and who was part demon and had herself been created by life forms far greater and eternal who were cast from existing amongst their kind. Her power was formidable, and only three times in the thousands of years that Merlin had lived, had their paths crossed in acts of war.

Over a thousand years previous from present time Guayangarea had been banished into a far distant dimension, and even then, it had taken all the then Merlin’s knowledge and power combined with that of fifty Royal Fay magicians to accomplish this task, many had died or been injured in the process, but eventually the epic battle was won and Guayangarea was vanquished.

Now her apprentice knelt before her with her head lowered and in submission to her master.

“My Lord I breached their defences and attacked, but Merlin has grown more powerful and intercepted the Rang.”

She paused to allow her master to reflect on her words.

“How did you replace the school and break through its defence this has never been done before?” enquired Guayangarea.

The student not daring to look up remained submissive,

“My Lord it was a chance discovery, I had been looking for a Behemoth to acquire from young and train to my commands, when I felt a disturbance in a nearby dimensional rift. On further investigation, I discovered a sectioned area which was spell bound to seal it from intrusion, and so I waited many days to replace a means of entry, then in time a fairy named Tianna appeared, so I remained cloaked and I entered behind her and immediately hid myself, remaining undetected.”

Guayangarea, listened with interest as her student was talking.

“In time, I attached myself to the essence of two students who were themselves covered completely in Behemoth urine, which as it was it had saved their lives, they had been learning the art of magical defence, and upon their leaving, I followed, unseen and undetected by the school’s defence, as I registered in been one of the students. Once inside the school, it was a matter of remaining undetected, so within the school’s bubble I created a separate dimensional rift and waited for a moment to strike.”

Guayangarea was pleased in her student’s actions, and she extended an arm and touched the student under her chin, lifting her head so she could stare directly into her eyes.

“You please me Shellnack, how did you rid yourself of the stench?” Shellnack smiled, I was not so stupid as to forget first to shield myself in an energy bubble, it was that which was coated leaving me free, but the school certainly stank for some time,” she quietly explained with humidity and respect.

Guayangarea looked at her student,

“I shall read your mind to see what happened and if you left anything out.

As the witch examined the mind of her apprentice she was pleased with the deception and actions taken, but gasp on seeing for herself that Shellnack had been correct, and as she had cast the three Rang’s, Shellnack had immediately started to seal the dimensional rift, but on glancing back at the last moment, only to see the Merlin intercept the Rang and having stopped time.

The smallest fracture of the rift had remained open, but it had not been enough to prevent Shellnack from escaping. The school’s defence had been created to keep intruders out but not from exiting, and this enabled Shellnack to open a second portal and escape.

The Witch released her apprentice,

“You did well arise and return to the realm of the Behemoth’s and capture three new-borns’ and bring them to me, along with what else you can acquire.”

Shellnack’s eyes widened on learning her orders.

“Master even for me, three is more than I can handle, and then to deal with their angry parents at the same time.”

Guayangarea smirk, “Good, you at least are not stupid, take a hundred of our finest warriors with you, some may die, but they can act as a distraction enabling you to retrieve the cargo, yet I leave it to your discretion, now go you have your orders.”

At that Shellnack backed away five paces, bowed and then turned and walked away, while Guayangarea considered what she had seen from within Shellnack’s mind. The moment Merlin had so quickly tapped into his powers, he had momentarily exposed a level of his dominances, and this interested Guayangarea and leaving her wondering just how deep of a well of magic Merlin had at his disposal.

Shellnack approached the Captain of the guards and explained her orders, Captain Willham considered and then interjected.

“If I may Mam, as it is left to your discretion could I humbly suggest only eighty of our finest warriors, and possibly twenty-second-year recruits, they can become the fodder and it will leave more highly trained warriors at our disposal to use at another time.”

Shellnack smiled, “Good thinking Captain you please me, now please go and choose the warriors for this mission as time is critical.”

As the captain gathered his warriors, a thought occurred to Shellnack, she realised the two Behemoth’s observed during Test Five were adults, but they were young adults only just entering their new life and leaving their younger years behind them.

Behemoths were formidable creatures, yet such young were basically stupid and slow in their responses, it was not until full maturity that a true Behemoth became the most feared of all such magical creatures.

This gave her an idea and one which pleased her. Her master had given her full discretion in her actions as long as she retrieved three new-borns’, however, there was nothing stopping her capturing a juvenile of a slightly older Behemoth, that was if she could, also any other creatures which could be trained.

She smiled and formulated a plan, remembering the actions of the two students and in how they had fooled the two Behemoth’s, enabling them to get close and undetected. She led the guards to the dimension where the magical creatures lived, and where she had been on exiting that dimension, as Shellnack had left a back door to enable her to re-enter.

However, she was aware that from within lay the warden Kulet-train, and he was a very powerful adversary and skilled in the use of magic. Discussing a strategy with Captain Willham, they entered and immediately sought refuge in a pocket dimension to hide themselves, which was created by Shellnack.

From within they observed all that evolved below them and in time located a nest of new-born’ Behemoths. Also, more critically the location of Kulet-train, which played a crucial part in their plan.

When the conditions most favourable to Shellnack’s plan were in place, the Captain with some guards lured a host of creatures including the flying reptiles towards the Behemoth’s nest, this enraged the parents and a family of seventeen adults left their young to defend their territory. The screams of pain from injured animals alerted Kulet-train, and he entered the area with caution, and wondering what had angered those in his charge.

Only he was intercepted by entering an unseen trap, and two huge fully mature Behemoths saw him as a threat, while one group fought the selected warriors and magical creatures, the two mature Behemoth’s attacked Kulet-train. His skill was remarkable, and for some twelve minutes he fought bravely for his life, but as additional Gimlets attacked from above the odds were against him and inevitably he died.

While this was happening three new-borns’ were taken back into the dimensional rift and incredibly two juveniles were also captured, along with some strange rock like eggs, but this concerned Shellnack, as it had been by far easier than she had anticipated.

It was on trying to leave the dimension that Shellnack realised Kulet-train had tricked them, and he had called for help and had also activated the areas defence systems before he had confronted them.

Awaiting them was a small army of trained beasts and each had either a rider on their backs or handlers alongside them. Shellnack had only one way in and out and she realised there was no other choice than to confront them and fight for her life.

A leading Fay warrior riding a huge Behemoth spoke,

“Surrender and your lives will be spared, you are outnumbered and stand no chance of escaping, as these creatures alone could kill you, let alone the magical warriors with them.”

It was then it dawned on Shellnack the purpose for this enclosure, it was to enable an army of warriors to acquire additional beast to train and to bring into battle. Captain Willham knew the strength of his warriors and of their unique skills, however, to fight against such overwhelming odds was not bravery, it was utter suicidal folly.

“My Lady if I may, we could defend you, but we are outnumbered by over fifty to one, and that is in Fay warriors alone, without the trained beasts…”

Shellnack cut off his words.

“I have eyes Captain and the odds are very clear even to me, and if it was only these that we face, then I would accept the battle and win, but I can see they are not alone, and to fight against the great Merlin when he is prepared is impossible and suicidal,” she said.

Not only had Merlin arrived, but also Miss Catherine and Miss Winslow and a contingent of warriors led by the twelve Hazel sisters commanded by Jisildrach. Shellnack threw her weapons to the ground and the Captain shouted orders for his troops to disarm and surrender.

Merlin stepped forth from the shadows and spoke.

“A wise leader who knows when to protect those under her authority is to be respected, I congratulate you on that choice.”

Shellnack spoke, “My master taught me well Merlin and even I realise it is better to live and fight another day than to die so needlessly, may I ask how you knew we were here to have such an army already at hand?”

Merlin smiled, “Your attack on the school was ingenious and your only mistake was to have attacked the children before you concentrated your strike at me, I do believe had you used your advantage at that moment and sent the three Rang’s directed at me, then you would have had a 70% chance of succeeding, as it was you wasted your opportunity alerting me to your presence.”

Merlin paused to allow his words to take effect and then continued talking.

“It takes incredible skill to simply replace the schools location let alone gain entry, and to do what you did, and that narrowed it down to a very small cluster of beings all of which one are in alliance with the school and have siblings of their own being educated there, so it was not too difficult to assume with a high level of certainty as to who was behind this attack.”

His words carried power, and as he was speaking another two beings appeared from what had previously been empty space, but not to stand directly beside the great Merlin, but to reinforce the power that he could draw upon, one being the father of a student who had died.

Shellnack realised had she any thoughts of fighting her way to an escape was simply a dream and an impossibility. Without audibly speaking Captain Willham and his troop of warriors found themselves magically bond, and the few wizards among them who tried resisting, found themselves drained of all their powers as it flowed into Merlin.

Only Shellnack witnessed this as she also held incredible magical power, but had to be wise enough to not use it. Shellnack knew now the answer into how Merlin had increased in his powers, and calculated that such an ability used over the thousands of years in which he had been alive, could only mean the hidden well of power was a vast reserve of energy both deeper and wider than any could imagine.

But it was then Shellnack sensed another power which she recognised and she laughed and this confused those before her. In the distant background a huge flock of Crows in the thousands squawked observing all that was happening and giving warning to Shellnack of what was to happen.

“It is you who should fear and surrender to me,” she cried out as she saw her Master Guayangarea, the powerful Witch who appeared from their hiding place, along with a vast army of thousands of her warriors.