XIV

Fighting With More Power

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"Witch Amanda?" The Juniors asked with one thing on their mind.

"How did you know my name?" Amanda asked and opened the door as wide as possible. "Come in, children."

Beside the widely opened door, a group of steady chairs were ready. Amanda made them sit on those clean chairs. The house looks a simple hut on the outside but it is well maintained on the inside. Amanda gave them a cup of tea for each of them.

"Thank you," William said.

"Can you tell me the names of each of you?" Amanda asked then sat on one of the chairs opposite to the children's.

"I'm Tom," Tom said. "I know you wouldn't care but I am the youngest."

"My name is Elise."

"Lance."

"William's my name."

"I am Sally and this is Amy," Sally said and looked at Amy who is just beside her.

"Amy, the shape of your face is like Queen Ellen's," Amanda commented.

"I am her daughter," Amy said.

"Your Majesty, I welcome you," Amanda smiled. "But why are you and your friends dressed in armors?"

"We are the team of General Phillip of Portland Goldens," Amy explained. "We are the youngest team and this is our second quest – to find Wizard Sheloin. General Phillip does not really want to send us on a difficult mission like this but we convinced him. Someday, I'm hoping that I will also lead a quest on finding my father."

"I see," Amanda reacted. "I guess I'll tell my story."

Amanda took a sip on her teacup and breathed.

"Now, here's the story," Amanda began. "I was captured by the Kininvas when Sheloin and I were on a hunt for an ingredient. They used me to track Queen Ellen but they can't make me talk. They brought me to different places I don't even know and used me like an old map. I was still a young lady when they did that to me."

"Until one day, I decided to escape. I ran from them and luckily, I succeed. But those days were sad, I starved and got tired for days until someone adopted me. She became my friend but she was also captured like me. She owns this house and I'm left here . . . alone."

Amanda paused and corrected her posture.

"I am sure that there is at least one team assigned by the Portland Goldens to find me but they are still not able to know that I am free from the Kininvas," Amanda ended. "I saw many men, not just Kininvas. I am thinking they are the Generals of the mastermind."

"Why didn't you go back to Portland Goldens?" Amy asked holding Amanda's hand and her bow on the other.

"It was too far. I don't even have a horse, camel or anything to ride on," she replied.

"You can make a portal to us," Elise said.

"Witches and Wizards aren't able to make a portal," Amanda explained briefly.

"You mean, you have a power different from us, Portal Soldiers?" Sally asked.

"Yes," she answered. "Sheloin and I are pure Sorcerers."

"It means you can help us finding Wizard Sheloin?" Lance asked.

"I'm too old to go on a journey," she said.

"You can use some spells, incantations, charms, enchantments – whatever you call them – to make you younger even just for a while or . . . weeks . . . or days, right?" Elise suggested.

"Genius!" Amanda commented. "I seem to have forgotten that incantation Sheloin told me. I'll try remembering it."

Amanda looked down, trying to remember the incantation. The Juniors gave her time to remember. They all have their teacups empty when Amanda spoke.

"Ovi . . . " Amanda started speaking inexplicable words.

Afterwards, Amanda ran out of their sight and entered her bedroom. The Juniors waited for her to come out and face them with a younger face. The door opened slowly and they saw a ravishing lady. She still looked old as an adult but she's really stronger. They had a heavy meal before going to the journey.

"Some random realization hit me," Amy said to Amanda and her teammates. She patted Airie's head and climbed Airie's back.

"What is it?" William asked.

"If Amanda just ran away from another base of Kininvas without any horse or camel, it means, a small Kininva base is just nearby," Amy expounded. "Am I right, Amanda?"

"It's not too near here but I know the place where they hid me," Amanda replied.

They left the house and started to follow Amanda's directions. Amanda rode with Amy. An hour passed and they saw a group of Kininvas.

Not too many Kininvas were going to attack them. Lance, Elise, and Sally went down the horses to fight physically.

"Amanda, ride on the horse of Elise," Amy said and she saw Amanda move down Airie's back. Amanda has her feet on the ground and found it hard to go up the horse Amy suggested. Amy looked at Elise, Sally, and Lance.

Lance just simply froze all the Kininvas he encounters with just a swing of his sword. Sally turns her opponents into ash effortlessly. Elise has two Kininvas surrounding her but before Amy could help her by shooting an arrow, Elise already succeeded. Tom and William kept on shooting the other Kininvas trying to come near their teammates. Amy looked around once more and realized she had not helped because all of her teammates did their best.

Amanda was still having a hard time climbing the horse because of a Kininva, pulling her left leg downwards. The Kininva has no weapons but is strong.

"Amy, help!" Amanda screamed.

Amy heard it and glanced at Amanda. She jumped down Airie and her bow turned into cutlass as she falls. Amy stabbed the Kininva from behind and it fell onto the ground. The Kininvas were all defeated.

"I'd like to rest," Tom requested and sat on the grass leisurely.

The rest, including Amanda, who jumped down Elise' horse, imitated Tom's act and talked for a while.

"We encountered Kininvas here so probably, we are almost there," Elise said.

"You are right," Amanda smiled at Elise. "We can easily—"

Because everyone's guard is down, Amanda was caught by two armed Kininvas from behind. The Juniors actively stood but the Kininvas ran away.

"Vinn fer—" Amanda's incantation failed when the Kininva on her right covered her mouth by its hand. When the Kininva removed its hand off of Amanda's mouth, an offbeat tape is attached to her mouth and is preventing her from speaking. Just by that, a tape was placed. What a tricky technology of James.

"Hey!" Sally, who was making her horse run on a breakneck speed, yelled and sent small fire balls toward the Kininvas gripping on Amanda's arms. The fire balls successfully reached each bottom of the Kininvas but it just flinched slightly. The next thing was the Kininvas floated away with the use of their rocket shoes until they were out of sight.

"I really hate the technology of the wickedly scampish Kininvas of mischief!" Sally screamed and threw a medium sized fireball from her sword to the ground. Although it's a funny thought that Sally imitated the words of the fish pond owner, it is spine-chilling to hear Sally scream in anger.

"No," Amy whispered and made Airie stop from running.

"Amy, come on. We need to move. We need to find their base. Let's go," Lance encouraged Amy as he turned the head of his horse back to Amy.

"Right. Thank you for always encouraging me. You're really my best friend," Amy smiled sweetly at Lance and called out for everyone. "Come one, Juniors! We can do this."

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"Mem me mo!" Amanda screamed underneath the tape on her mouth.

"No, we'll not!" the Kininva said in a monotonous-as-usual-voice.

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