A/N: Just to let you know, I have added a page on my website that deals with character profiles of Jesse and co. If you want some insight to the five of them, I suggest you go check them out. The link to my site is on my bio page. Do leave a comment in the guestbook, either on this story or on the site. Thanks! Enjoy the story, and, as most of my cherished readers are intelligent beings and not blobs on the surface on this planet, you will no doubt notice that this journey is drawing to an end. This chapter will likely be one of the last of "Children".  

lissa james: sad to say, I know only a few words in elvish. I used one of the many sites on the wonderful thing called the Internet to aid me in my writing; just use Yahoo or MSN or something to search for elvish words/phrases, and you should have no problem. And, 'cuse me for saying it, but I think you're the only one who is actually happy about me killing off my beloved characters, save for two.

Clez: call me stupid and sadistic, but I'm not sure which flashback you're talking about. Saying that you're scared of me (yay!) is one of the nicest compliments you could give me. It shows that I thoroughly scared my readers to the bone. Heh. I live for that. [By the way, how did you manage to put the url to your freewebs.com site in your bio? I use freewebs too, but I can't seem to get the link it right.]  

CHAPTER 11

            Skinner ran across the battlefield, dodging Fightening spells not meant for him, trying to move as silently as possible. He was invisible, but he had learned quickly that some of the Orcs they were fighting knew where he was; how, he didn't know, nor was he in mood to find out how.

            Sloane and Vicky had given Nemo co-ordinates, and they had docked just off the coast of Norway. After scaling a mountain in temperatures cold enough to freeze molten lava, Sloane had opened a portal in one of the caves, which had transported them to...somewhere.  Skinner figured it was somewhere else in a different dimension, but he wasn't about to venture any guesses.

            The sky was blue, the grass was green, and the Orcs were there.

            They were on a massive field; more of a plane, surrounded by nothing but grass. There were some rocks in the distance; further back, mere smudges of black to a human eye,  there was a ridge of mountains. They were called the Guardians of the Horizon, and when the sun set or rose, it was a breathtaking sight. On the other side, there was a wide gap between the fields and another similar one. The chasm was big, about thirteen and a half feet across and fifty feet high. A river ran through the bottom of the  chasm, but it was fast-moving and there were jagged rocks both hidden and visible.  The cliff edge itself had many dangers; if one fell, it was more than likely that he would be killed on the way down. If not, then the rocks below would shatter his bones.

            On the opposite side of the chasm, a few kilometers off, there was a fortress, surrounded by a high wall and so many orcs that they were this wall of black.    The grass was no longer green. It was slicked black with orc blood. The battle had raged — League against monster — until they had come to the edge of the cliff and the area around it. Tom had abandoned the original use of his Winschester and was swinging it around, hacking the heads of the Orcs. It was actually quite effective.

            Mina, meanwhile, was bloodthirsty and savage. Orc blood was black, and not to her liking. Some had gotten on her lip, and Mina had tasted a little of it. It tasted like rotten eggs and spoiled milk mixed together. Sloane had warned her not to drink, because the effects were unknown, and Mina didn't want to, anyway.

            Dorian and Nemo were having lots of success as they beheaded and killed dozens of orcs with skill, finesse and weapon. Dorian, especially, looked like he was having fun as he slashed, stabbed and slew. Nemo was a mere blur of blue, black and white as he put his skill in the martial arts to good use. 

            Sloane had cast a spell to ensure she would not burn in the sunlight. After using her vampiric attributes, she had switched to Fightening spells to wipe out dozens of orcs at one go. Allan was next to her, protecting her close-range, the one weakness she had. She had enchanted his gun so that he wouldn't run out of bullets, and he took advantage of that, firing at the orcs who were able to come close enough.

            Hyde was on the rampage, a huge beast amongst the orcs. Their spears, clubs, and other various weaponry hurt him, but it only made him more enraged, and he took it out on them, ripping bodies apart, scattering blood everywhere. He didn't seem to mind, though; he was too busy enjoying his time. If Jekyll let him out more times, he would have a say again, which was something he was dearly hoping for. Hyde didn't like to admit it, but Jekyll's will was strong. Strong enough to suppress him.

            Skinner, meanwhile, was busy fending off orcs with a sword he had picked up from one of the fallen combatants. Vicky flew ahead, swooping down every minute or so to slash at the orcs who came at Skinner with her twin swords, short and engraved with elvish runes. She had finished her firecocks, small portable Molotov cocktails that exploded with more force than anything in that time, some time ago.

            The League and their two allies were vicious; no mercy was given, no orc spared. Vicky finally landed as they regrouped, sweat shining off her brow as Sloane led them off in a run. They had to get to that fortress; the children were there.

            "I thought you said orcs couldn't come out in sunlight!" Tom said, catching up to the fast Sloane.

            "Not in this dimension," Sloane replied. "This is no ordinary place; this is a new dimension altogether. Not all the rules of our world apply here."

            "Sloane, look!" Vicky yelled from above. The vampire glanced upwards, and followed Vicky's pointing finger and gasped. Ahead, near the edge of the cliff, were horses. Beautiful stallions, ranging from white to various shades of brown, black and gray. By the looks of it, the single black horse was the leader of the pack. There were reins already in place, and Sloane glanced at Hyde. He would be able to leap the distance easily enough.

            Sensing their arrival, the horses trotted towards them. There were five horses; Vicky didn't need one, nor did Hyde to cross. Sloane was quick in choosing the black horse, jumping in it and reining it in.

            "Get on, and hurry; we have no time," she ordered. "The eclipse is in forty minutes."

            The Dark Lord's plan was one of great promise; he intended to raise the Gods of Old. The Gods were the stuff of legend, the creators and rulers of Earth. They were buried deep in myth and forgotten over the ages. He needed a eclipse, once thought to be the work of the Gods by the first elves, humans and other species. An eclipse was scheduled within the next forty minutes, and in order to stop the children from being adults, they had to get them out of the enchanted fortress before the Dark Lord had time to initiate the final phase of the spell.

            Once those who could ride the horses were mounted, Skinner having some trouble with his, Sloane reared the horse back a little. The League watched in amazement as the horse leapt over the gap easily. All five riders made it across easily, and Hyde jumped the distance last. Sloane raised the sword she had been carrying as she turned the horse around, to face the orcs intent on killing them.

            Hundreds of orcs against nine determined warriors.

            "And so the game begins," Allan whispered.

        The labyrinth were barely lit, filthy, and smelled of fusty air that had obviously not moved in decades. Moss and other plants of magickal origin clung to the wall, like strong glue to a piece of paper. On the ground, once stone but now half-covered with dirt and mud, there were puddles of brown water. All manners of decidedly disgusting things were scurrying across the ground and sometimes, even swimming in the puddles of varying depth, all filled with the rash of the fortress and the 'city' of orcs above. The roof, at least, seemed to be steady enough. They wouldn't have to worry about it collapsing on their heads.

            Skinner, Tom and Dorian ran through the narrow passageway, looking for the source of he Dark Lord's power. After the bloody battle against the orcs guarding the fortress, they had breached the outer wall and split up to find the children and the source of the Dark Lord's power. The muck was disgusting, even more so to Skinner, who was noticeably bare-footed.

            Dorian didn't seem to mind, and Tom was equally ignorant to the muck spattering the hem of his pants and his shoes. Dorian was in the lead, sword at ready. So far, they hadn't ran into any orcs, and Tom prayed that they wouldn't. His gun had been reloaded and enchanted by a grateful Vicky. Skinner, however, held the sword he had picked up earlier. He had gotten pretty good at using it, and now he knew where to cut and stab for best effect.

            There was a splitting of the corridor, in the shape of a trident. Glancing at each other, in silent agreement, Dorian took the one on the left, Tom the middle and Skinner the right one.

            Tom was at a full-fledged run. His Winchester was battered, but still intact. The weight of an extra sword in the baldric slung across his back was comforting. As he ran further down the corridor, he realized that the walls on either side of him had wisteria growing on them unchecked. Some of the twisted branches and leaves resembled faces, open-mouthed and screaming, twisted in various visages of agony and suffering. Tom suppressed a shudder. It's my imagination working overtime, he thought. This whole day has been freaky. After this, I'm taking a holiday.  He ran for a few more minutes, trying his best to ignore the faces he imagined watching him. He reached a dead end, and turned. His eyes widened and he didn't have time to utter a curse as the demons, the faces in the walls, lunged for him.

            Dorian moved quickly but cautiously, his deadly sword at ready. He alternated between a jog and a walk. In this battle, he had much to lose. His life, for example. He healed much slower than usual, in this dimension. He had taken a cut on his forehead from one of the orcs about four minutes ago, before he and the other two men had come down here. Only now was it healing over. It would take a few more minutes for it to completely heal. If he sustained a slash to the throat or a stab to his heart, it was more than likely he would die before it completely healed. Mina was somewhere up above ground, with Allan and Hyde. Nemo had paired up with Sloane, while Vicky flew alone. Dorian stopped in his tracks. In front of him was a huge gryphon, with the body of an lion but the head and wings of an eagle. It stood at about ten feet tall, the tips of its wings brushing against the ceiling. It saw him and gave a ear-piercing shriek. Dorian threw himself into battle.

            Skinner judged the time left to the eclipse. Seven minutes, he thought. His pace was a jog, which was fast enough for him to move without sacrificing his security. It was a mere estimation, since he didn't have a watch. I have to hurry. He kept jogging, and then he noticed that there was a light shining on the wall of a bend some ways in front of him. He stopped, opting to move slowly. He didn't want to walk into a trap. As he got closer, he pressed himself to the wall, ignoring the uncomfortable squishing of the moss against his back. Slowly, he ascended a flight of stairs that the bend gave way to. At the top, there was a source of light somewhere.

            The sword, floating in mid-air to anyone who didn't know about his gift, was the only marker of his presence.

            He came to the landing and drew back into the shadows of the stairway, forgetting for a moment that he was invisible. He saw Sloane, Mina and Hyde, doing battle with close to fifty orcs. Skinner immediately knew that something important was in the chamber beyond the fighting. To his left was a pair of sprawling oak doors. Sloane glanced in his direction as she used her sword to block an attack of an orc. A subtle head jerk towards the doors sent him running. A screech for high above drew his attention. He looked up, and saw Vicky circling like a vulture, before swooping down and bulldozing her way through a rabble of big orcs. They fell and Mina made fast work of them.  

            Skinner dashed by a roaring Hyde, dodging a fang-baring Mina. Vicky saw the sword he carried, and followed his progress, making sure that some of the orcs that came his way tasted the steel of her twin swords. Skinner finally reached the doors and he pushed an overzealous orc off him with a grunt of effort. Vicky landed, full of grace, and drove one of her sword through the orc's skull.

            "Open the doors," she told him. "Be quick about it. I can only cover you for so long." Sweat beaded her brow, and made her bronze skin shiny. She turned to ward off the orcs. Skinner gave a quick nod and proceeded to pick the big lock when he remembered that he didn't have his tools. Just then, he noticed a sword fragment nearby. It was in a rough triangle, one side blunted, the other thin and small enough to fit into the keyhole in front of him. He picked it up and was careful not to cut his fingers as he carefully unlocked the doors. A soft click and he knew his job was done.

            "Vic — "

            He didn't get to finish his sentence, because Vicky came flying towards him from a blow one of the orcs dealt her. They crashed into the sprawling room, the doors having knocked both of them unconscious had they not been unlocked. They landed in a heap inside the room. From under Vicky's armpit Skinner saw the orcs try to enter the room, but an invisible shield stopped them from coming in. A charm blocked their progress.  

            Vicky and him untangled themselves, and they stood up. The other end of the room was in darkness, and the sounds of the battle raging outside was very muted, to the point where it was non-existent. They spread out. Skinner moved slowly to the Aseyewrn's right. She kept still, not moving. He figured that it was her plan, so he didn't question it.

            The other end of the room suddenly lighted up with the soft rays of torches set into wall mounts, revealing the man who set on a massive throne.

            Vicky's eyes widened in sheer terror.