"Choro, deal with that guard," rasped the Wizard.
"But Master..."
"Don't snivel. Kandolus is miles away. My agents are certain of that. With what I've taught you your spells should not alert his apprentices. Now get on with it!"
Choro looped the leash over a branch and stood with his legs braced apart. He took a deep breath and concentrated. From the ground in front of him a low mist arose and moved swiftly across the ground to the sentry box. Within minutes the guard was nodding off, his head lolling against the side of his shelter.
"Adequate," was the Wizard's grudging comment. "Now I will prepare the slut. Since she came here by the gate from her world, she is magically tied to it. With the right spell she will lead us there."
He gave Choro Shemba's leash and made a few brief gestures at her face. Her expression went blank and she rose to her feet and began to walk towards the estate. With Choro holding on for dear life, they followed.
*********
At the main gate to the estate a carriage drew up. Slatrov, who was commanding the guard that night, saluted smartly when he saw Lord Kandolus descend from it.
"Slatrov, good. You know Lord Orthos, this is his son Karrak." Slatrov smartly saluted the young officer. "We believe that there may be some trouble here soon. Thergo has obtained one of our Barbarian Beauties and may attempt..." He broke off as a guard ran up.
"Sir! I'm sorry to interrupt my Lord, but there's trouble on the southern perimeter. One of the guards has been drugged or something..."
"Slatrov, turn out the guards! A full search of the grounds! Karrak, Orthos, come with me!"
***********
Shemba lead the two magicians to a small and undistinguished building at one side of the estate. After magically unlocking the door, they found themselves in a huge room in which naked women lay sleeping on stone slabs.
"This is where he stores his raw material! But where is the gate?"
"Let the slave lead us, Master. She knows!"
The bespelled slave lead them through another door and down a set of stone steps into a cellar. At the far end of it stood an oak door which Shemba went and knelt by. It was carved with strange devices which neither intruder could identify. If they had asked Shemba she would have told them: Computers, aircraft, rockets, the periodic table, everything that symbolized her world of technology and science. But they didn't.
"It's no use, Choro. I can't recognise the runes on the door. I'll take notes on it and then we must destroy it. A shame. I hate to admit it but Kandolus has created a masterpiece of enchantment here."
"I'm flattered, Thergo. I can't say I'll regret destroying you!"
The intruders turned at the sound of the dry voice to see Kandolus standing on the stairs down to the cellar. Karrak stood in front of him sword and shield readied.
Enraged Thergo shrieked: "To the death this time! Choro, take the warrior!"
With a roar Thergo flung a ball of fire across the cellar. Karrak rolled to one side to let it pass and it exploded furiously - two feet before it reached Kandolus. Around the Master Mage a shimmering sphere of energy had arisen and from behind it he threw bolts of lightening at Thergo who hastily raised his own defences. The cellar rang with the sound of explosions and the air between the two mages shimmered with forces beyond human comprehension.
When the apprentice had dropped her leash, the spell binding Shemba had broken and she awoke to find herself kneeling by an oak door with deafening blasts ringing in her ears. Terrified, she turned to face the source of the noise. Behind her she saw the two Master Mages as they circled each other, floating on disks of magical light, and raining blasts of force down on each other's shields.
Then in one corner she saw her Master! Karrak was inching his way towards Choro but the apprentice kept raining down fireballs on him, which the warrior caught on his shield. But they were taking their toll and the shield was blazing merrily. Choro easily dodged out of the way of Karrak's sword.
Seeing her Master in danger, Shemba did not hesitate. She ran the length of the room, ducking down and dodging to avoid the murderous blasts flying between the Mages. Then with a flying leap she landed squarely in the centre of Choro's back. The breath knocked out of her she lay on the stone floor and saw her Master, his face an iron mask, raise his sword above the prone apprentice. With one blow he struck off his enemy's head, which bounced away with a look of surprise on his face. He then knelt and scooped up the fallen slave in his arms.
"Shemba..." He held her close and she felt tears start in her eyes. "You are mine, mine. I will never let you go again."
A horrid shriek made them both look up. A ball of fire had penetrated Thergo's shield and his magician's staff lay on the ground charred and smoking. Kandolus circled on his flying disk, readying to throw the killing blow.
The cornered mage looked around in despair for a way to escape. And saw one. With the last of his reserves of strength he threw himself towards the oak door that guarded the way between the worlds. At a word of command it opened before him. As he flew into the darkness that lay beyond an infuriated Kandolus threw one last fireball at him. It exploded in the doorway and a wave of heat filled the room as the wood of the door charred and shattered. Shemba felt herself slip happily into unconciousness.
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