Dance of Magic - The Books of Beginning [1]

38. The March Begins

Emma shoved past a group of King Robbie's dwarves, trying to lead Michael and Wilamena to the weapons room, which Gabriel had quietly pointed out to her after they had all first arrived. The heavy door was unlocked and flung open, as it was currently being used to arm everyone for war against the Dire Magnus's ghost army.

Slipping into the room, Emma purposefully made her way to where King Robbie and Dena we're handing out weapons. She saw several of their allies had already been armed; Captain Anton had several quivers of arrows strapped to his back, Master Chu twirled a staff in his hand, and King Robbie was decked out in full armor with two axes strapped to his back. 

Currently, he was handing a sword to Clare, who's face showed nothing but determination as she accepted it. Emma hid her smile. She liked this fierce side of her mother. She wished she could see it more often.

Richard, on the other hand, looked completely out of place as an elf woman passed him his own sword. He held it out in the correct grip, but seemed awkward. If it wasn't such an inappropriate time, Emma would have laughed.

"Um, Emma, do you really think they're going to give us weapons? Especially after we snuck out?" Michael questioned.

Emma nodded optimistically, "Dena will."

Wilamena looked confident and hopeful, while Michael had his doubts. But all of them wanted to fight - not because they liked battle (Wilamena was a pacifist and Michael was often terrified of the fight) but because they refused to let their friends fight and die in their place. These children may have been young and tragic, but nature had shaped them into heroes and they would play that role well.

Emma strode over purposely to Dena, igniting the looks her parents gave her, "Dena, I hate to interrupt you, but we need weapons if we're going to fight."

"Well - Pym said you children should stay safe. But both Gabriel and Abigail said you will fight no matter what so helping you is the best way to protect you. And I trust them a lot more than Pym, no offense to him," Dena replied.

"So..." Wilamena trailed off.

Dena twisted one of the daggers she was adding to her already huge arsenal, "it means it's time to get you three weaponry."

Richard and Clare exchanged looks but didn't protest. Though they hated to do so, they had learned it was best to let their children take the lead in this fight.

Dena was examining a few swords, while Emma bounced on her toes, drawn to the shine of the blades. But before one of those weapons could reach the girl's hand, an elven scout cafe charging into the room, "Commander Dena! The ghost army has begun advancing. It happened out of no where, they just stopped waiting for us and began swarming the city."

"Shit," Dena replied, striding over time the elf, "it's just like Rourke to try and take us by surprise. Emma, I'm sorry, but I have to go gather my people. Dr. Algernon, Ms. Von Klappen, please get everyone else armed and then join the battle. We're going to have to move fast."

And with those orders, the warrior woman broke into a sprint, off to command the forces of light to war. Everyone who had finished gathering their weapons followed, including King Robbie, Captain Anton, and Abigail. The Wibberly parents exchanged looks, deciding if they should go yet as well, or wait until their children were armed.

Eventually, Clare decided she wanted to take action, "Kids, I'm going to fight. Listen to the adults and I suppose I'll see you on the battlefield. Hopefully we can quickly put an end to this."

Emma gave her mother a sharp nod. Clare nodded back, and for once they weren't a daughter with trust issues and an overprotective mother. They were warrior women in arms.

Richard looked hesitant for a moment, then followed Clare, bidding the children a quick goodbye as they lined up to receive their weapons.

Neither Magda von Klappen nor Hugo Algernon looked happy to be arming the children, but seeing the looks in Emma and Wilamena's eyes, they did not protest. Instead, Emma was given a short sword, lighter and more manageable than the weapons Gabriel and Dena used.

Von Klappen stared at the blade with a haughty distaste, "are you sure you know how to use that?"

"Gabriel has been texting me swordplay," Emma said defensively. In truth, she wasn't sure how helpful the sword would be to her, but she felt the feeling of being armed comforting.

Meanwhile, Wilamena was being outfitted with a pair of stills to knives, good for the close fighting she could do with her grace and talent for dancing around an enemy. She tucked them into the belt that wound around her tunic, head held high with pride. As for Michael, he had been given a dagger, which he had dutifully tucked into a sheath. He didn't feel very confident in his abilities with it, but he would do his best for his friends and family.

Once the trio was ready, Hugo Algernon took a final look at them and grunted, "don't be acting like a buck of mush-brains out on that battlefield. Michael, Emma, your Richard and Clare's kids, and that means you got smarts. Use them and don't act like your head is full of cabbage."

No one was sure how to respond except for Michael, who thanked Dr. Algernon for the advice, which he had found kind in its own way. Hugo merely nodded and said, "I'll finish getting von Klappen and these chuckleheads armed. You go and show Rourke that his battle planning skills are a load of rubbish." Then he took a swig from a flask the children we're almost positive he wasn't supposed to have right before battle, but they didn't call him out on it. 

Instead, they turned and raced down the halls of the Rose Citadel, following a quartet of heavily armored dwarves. They emerged from the safety of the shining building onto the fields of war.

The ghosts were already doing their best to wreak havoc across Loris. Smoke trailed from  the beach, where they had lit trees and shrubbery aflame, and people cowered in their houses or in shelters the magical council had set up as specters that grinned as they broke things and chased the heroes swooped through the sky. Emma and Michael could feel the ground shake from the use of magic and a ways away they could see Master Chu battling two of the wicked living sorcerers the Dire Magnus had recruited to his cause.

The screams of screechers filled the air, mingling with the woosh of the elves arrows and the battle cries of the dwarves. It was loud and chaotic, just like the first war Michael and Emma had fought in. Only this time, they had a lot less people on their side, and a lot less control over the magic within them.

A war had begun alright, but there would be no marching in straight lines today. Michael hopes beyond hope that Kate and Rafe were able to destroy the Dire Magnus before this turned into nothin but bloodshed and loss.

A/N: On the bright side, Emma has a sword now. On the downside, a war has broken out and our faves are gonna have to fight for their lives.