Page 65 of Charmed

Stone knew he had to give them up. If he didn’t, Elric would probably take his back and they’d be right where they started. They were wasting precious time. And as much as he realized that he couldn’t give the gems back to King Helix anymore, he also knew that if he didn’t, he’d be giving up a wife, a position at court, and most of all his security back on Taelgonoth. It was a bitter poison either way.

“Here, take them,” he said, dropping them into Persimmon’s hand. “But if and when that portal opens, I want you far from it, Persimmon. Do you understand? Aithrod and I will pull Rancor and Filip through it and then you close it fast behind us before Sethor and his army can get through.”

“How will I know when to open it again so you can come back?” she asked.

“You’re not going to do that,” said Stone sadly, the words breaking his heart, but it was something that needed to be done. “Once we’re through, do not ever open the portal to Taelgonoth again. I mean it, Persimmon.”

“What are you saying?” asked Persimmon, taking the gems from Stone. “If I don’t open the portal again, how will you return?”

“We’re staying there and not returning,” said Stone, nodding at Aithrod. “Taelgonoth is our home, not Mura. You belong here.”

“Nay, I don’t belong here,” she said. “Stone, I don’t want you to leave me.”

“Here comes Zann and his brothers,” announced Lira, taking their attention.

“They’re coming,” shouted Rhys, riding faster than his brothers atop his war horse.

“Hurry, Persimmon. You’ve got to learn how to open the portal quickly. Aithrod, let’s get into position to surprise them.” Stone gave her a kiss on the forehead, and ran off to hide with Aithrod. Fang followed.

“You’re going to have to go inside the cave to do it,” Elric told her. “You need to be where the portal opened last time to make sure you’re not opening a different portal entirely.”

“Inside the cave?” asked Persimmon. “But I thought there were nasty gnomes in there.”

“There are,” said Lira. “Father, how will we hold them back?”

“Leave that to me.” Elric zipped away, and returned riding on the back of Fang. Fang barked and tried to buck him off but without success.

“Let’s go. Follow me,” shouted the elf, leading the way inside the cave from the back of the dog.

As promised, Elric distracted the gnomes, which gave Persimmon and Lira the chance to get inside the cave without being noticed or attacked.

“Over there,” yelled Elric, pointing to where the portal had appeared last time. Then, he took off once again atop Fang, with all the gnomes chasing him with their picks and axes pointed at them.

“I hope they don’t get hurt,” said Persimmon, pulling the first stone out of the pouch. She had added Stone’s gems to the bag along with those that her father held.

“I think they’ll be fine,” Lira told her. “Quickly, I hear King Sethor and his army approaching. Try the gems.”

The first gemstone she held did nothing to open the portal, but she screamed when her feet left the ground and she started to float around the cave.

“Oh, my!” exclaimed Lira. “Put it down and try another one. Quickly.”

She slipped the first stone into her pocket and pulled another out of the bag. The next one she picked up seemed to do nothing either so she put it back and tried three more. Still, no portal appeared. “I don’t understand it,” said Persimmon. “None of these gems are doing anything.”

“Don’t be so sure about that.” Lira nodded and Persimmon turned around to find a huge pile of food and several barrels of what looked like wine behind her. The gnomes spotted it and were all over it, climbing to the top of the stack.

“Well, at least we know we won’t go hungry or thirsty.”

“Fast, try a few more,” urged Lira.

“I will.” She picked up another one and it glowed pink. “How pretty,” said Persimmon, getting lost in the colors of the stone.

“Persimmon? Where are you?” Lira looked around the cave.

“I’m standing right next to you,” said Persimmon.

“Where? I can’t see you.”

“Oh, I must be invisible.” Persimmon giggled, having fun with these new powers. She threw the stone into her pocket and plucked another from the bag.