Date: Sat, 26 Jan 2002 12:30:41 -0800 (PST)
From: Really Bigdreamer <reallybigdreamer@yahoo.com>
Subject: Pop Magic Chapter III

Disclaimer: This story is a work of fiction and is
meant to imply anything about any of the celebrities
mentioned, which I am in no affiliated. Also, this
story is not meant for those under age 18 or for those
who find m/m situations uncomfortable.

Author's Note: Sorry that this is so late, but there
are a lot of reasons that it took me so long to do
this. I'm really glad that a few people kept e-mailing
me wondering what had happened, I really appreciated
it. I hope you enjoy this one too, remember to mail
me:

reallybigdreamer@yahoo.com



Previously: Prince Justin of Luthinia was kidnapped
and his father, the king, sent Joshua Chasez, son of
the legendary knight Jonathan Chasez, to rescue him.
Joshua immediately encountered Lance, a sorcerer in
training that has long been a friend of Joshua's.
Before their adventure really began they were attacked
by the unlikely pair of an elf and an ogre named
Christopher and Joseph, respectively. After the pair
was defeated they decided to join Joshua and Lance on
their journey.

Chapter III: Mind Games

"This would make an excellent place to camp for the
night," Joshua said as he strode into a small clearing
off of the road they had been following. He dismounted
and looked at the map. "We're making excellent time...at
this rate we'll be there days ahead of schedule. Thank
goodness we've had no more distractions since we met
the two of you..."

Joseph and Christopher did not reply, but simply stood
there in the clearing, looking around suspiciously.

"What is it?" Lance asked.

"Nothing," Joseph said after a moment's pause.

"Right," Joshua decided to brush it off, "we should
gather firewood and food. Christopher, you guard the
camp and check the surrounding area for twigs. Joseph,
you look around for some larger branches for the fire.
Lance and myself shall try to find us some dinner."

He grabbed a small bow and a quiver of arrows from his
steed and headed into the forest with Lance at his
side. After they were out of earshot of their two
companions Lance immediately brought up their odd
behavior from moments before.

"I don't like it, I think that they sense something
that we cannot," Lance stated and he dropped a few
twigs of berries into a brown sack.

"You are a sorcerer, you can sense such things as
well," Joshua whispered as he moved noiselessly
between the bushes, "and I for one trust your
instincts more than those of our new friends."

"Yes, but they, especially Christopher, are very
in-tuned with the forest, can hear and feel things
that even the most powerful of wizards may miss,"
Lance pointed out. He pulled the strings at the top of
the sack closed and dropped it into the deep, hidden
pockets of his wizard's robes.

Joshua raised his arm, a sign to stay and keep quiet,
as he moved out from behind their place in the bushes
and behind a large tree. He armed the bow and slowly
slid out from behind the tree and pulled back the
string. He lined up with the large, fat rabbit that
was eating some of the same type of berries that Lance
had just gathered. Joshua, an excellent shot, licked
his lips at the perfect shot, but...

"ARGGHHH!" Joseph let out a giant roar as he emerged
on the other side of the tree, less than a foot from
Joshua. The rabbit scurried away as Joseph peered down
with hate-filled eyes at Joshua.

"What are you doing, Joseph?" Joshua shouted as he
stood up from his crouching position. "That would have
made an excellent din -- UFF!"

Joseph slapped Joshua aside like a rag doll and
stormed off after him angrily. Lance, who was hidden
from the ogre's view behind the bushes, immediately
pulled his spellbook from another of his robe's deep
pockets. He quickly turned the pages as the crazed
ogre approached the winded Joshua. Lance quickly read
the spell loudly and clearly in Latin.

A greenish energy swirled around his right hand before
shooting off towards the ogre. Joseph fell to the
ground, chained by invisible magic chains that Lance
had just forged around him.

"What is the meaning of this?" Joshua asked as he got
his feet.  "What has...."

But Joshua was interrupted as Joseph bellowed loudly,
his voice echoing throughout the forest.

"You shall die, Vangra! I'll rip you to pieces with my
own hands!"

"What?" Joshua mumbled confused. "Who is Vangra?"

"Vangra is a thing, not a who," Lance explained. "Very
rare and evil. They stand about the size of a man and
dress totally in black robes to hide their true
appearance. They slowly wander the forest and small
villages killing whomever they find alone. Simply
touching a living being will cause them extreme
torture that the victim may never recover from, a
continued touch will kill. They feed off that death
and suffering."

"But why does Joseph think that I...."

Joseph squired and yanked at his invisible chains.
Lance gasped, clutching his head, and staggered back.

"He is too strong, my spell will not hold him long...we
must find Christopher and see if these hallucinations
have overcome in the past..." Lance explained and the
two set off towards camp.

"AHHH!" Christopher screamed as the two entered the
clearing. "BACK! BACK!!!"

"Christopher it is us...don't you...."

Joshua was against cut off as Joseph stormed up behind
them in a rush of anger. They took off running again
since they needed a plan other than fight and kill
their friends.

"What is going on?" Joshua was more confused that
ever.

"I do not know, but I'm willing to bet there are
powers that I cannot sense at work here..." Lance
answered. "Either a very powerful wizard has masked
his magic from me or there is no magic at all. But
what could affect their minds in such a way other than
magic...some type of potion maybe. No, we would have
seen them drink it. Wait!"

"What?" Joshua asked as he looked between a few shrubs
from the attacking pair.

"I think I may know what's going on..." Lance started to
explain, "it makes perfect sense now! That's why the
two could sense something when we first stopped and I
could not! How come I did think of it before..."

"What is it??" Joshua was getting rather impatient.

"It's so simple, it has to be..." but Lance was cut off
as Joseph stormed into their hiding spot with arms
flailing. He picked up his massive club and looked at
Lance with pure hate in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, friend, but this could not be helped,"
Joshua said as he drew his sword and plunged it into
Joseph's heel. With a roar of pain he took a step back
and began to charge at Joshua now. "I would appreciate
some help..."

He dodged a swipe of the massive club and ran between
Joseph's legs and stopped next to where Lance had
been, but he wasn't there anymore. Joshua began to
search for his missing friend, but he was nowhere to
found. He ran away from the attacking ogre, fearing
the worst for the missing wizard.

"Joshua, I'm right here!" Lance continued to shout,
but he could not be heard, nor seen by anyone. He knew
that something was amiss now and had confirmed his
suspicions. He drew out his spellbook and began to
cast a long and complicated spell.

Joshua turned and began to lunge, dodge, and retreat
as he tried to hold off the mad ogre. Suddenly there
was a flash like lightning and Joshua was pulled high
into the air, hundreds of feet above the ogre and then
he saw...Lance!

"Lance? You hid yourself in the clouds?" Joshua asked,
slightly impressed.

"No, I've been on the ground with you the entire time,
but I must explain quickly for this is a hard spell to
maintain for very long," Lance explained as fears of
the two suddenly falling quickly filled Joshua's head.
"It's imps, it has to be. They use no magic, but when
gathered together they can use some sort of...mind power
to cloud the minds of others. Simple minds, like those
of an ogre or an elf would be easy, but clouding yours
to no long see must force them to be very near, that
is why I brought us up here."

"What can we do?"

"Kill one, that will force them to break their...hold
over you three and they will attack immediately. Be
careful for they are small, though have tiny claws and
fangs."

Joshua could see that Lance was quickly tiring.

"After that I will do all I can...watch for...red
eyes...their eyes glow an evil red..."

The pair began to slowly lower to the ground and when
they reached it Lance seemed to disappear again.
Joshua noticed that Joseph had taken off, but where he
did not know. He rushed into the clearing where they
had set up camp. The horses were still there, but
Christopher was gone. He watched the darkened bushed
that surrounded the camp. With the sun now set and no
fire yet lit red eyes would be easy to spot. He rushed
into the forest and heard a powerful roar.

He spun to see Joseph charging at him. He drew his
sword and prepared to fight back, but then noticed it.
Two red dots in the bushes just past where Joseph had
charged. He pulled the bow out and armed an arrow,
firing into the bushes. There was a loud, high squeal
and the two had to cover their ears in pain. Suddenly
hundreds of red globes fluttered to life as
Christopher scurried out to where Joseph was. The two
looked at Joshua in horror, hadn't they just been
attack a Vangra?

They heard more tiny screams as the imps launched from
their hiding spots all over the place, biting and
clawing at the three. None of them seemed to notice
more rustling in the bushes behind the scene, but they
did soon enough.

A bush exploded in a dazzling light as Lance hovered
inches above the ground, light poured his every part
of his body. The forest for miles must have been lit
up as the imps shrieked in pain and scuttled away as
quick as they possibly could.

"Wh-what happened?" Joseph asked, rubbing his giant
head.

"Imps, it was all imps, but they're nocturnal...my light
spell scared them away, they'll never attack us
again," Lance explained as he stepped forward, still
glowing slightly.

"Why here were they?" Christopher asked. "Never
venture out of their caves to they, too afraid of
light."

"A good question, but I'm afraid whatever did must
have been powerful to scare hundreds of imps from
their homes, which they normally protect with their
lives," Lance began to mull it over in his head.

"A problem for tomorrow," Joshua stated as he walked
back towards their camp, "imps or not, there are still
wolves and a long night for which we need a fire. Let
us go..."



I hope you liked it! Remember to send feedback or
suggestions or cooking recipes or whatever:

reallybigdreamer@yahoo.com

Hope to have Chapter IV out a bit quicker, RBD :)