The Magical Legacy

ROSS 15

MAC PAIDIN MANOR, DUBLIN, IRELAND - PRESENT DAY

Arthur Loyal entered the mansion and dashed immediately toward the kitchens. Opening the pantry door, he stepped inside and located several canvas shopping bags, and began filling them with food-stuffs. He grabbed loaves of crusty bread, boxes of crackers, blocks of cheese, sticks of summer sausage, a tube of brown mustard, and some dried fruit. He grabbed some tins of canned fish with pop-top lids, and others of chili. He devoted an entire bag to bottles of wine, and another to water. Then he lugged all the bags to the main foyer and set them on the floor by the massive entry door.

Next, he moved into Sir Edward's den and unlocked the large glass-front cabinet. He withdrew several weapons, and some boxes of ammunition, then stuffed them into a special case. He was carrying the case out of the den, to place it next to the other bags when he heard movement upstairs that stopped him cold in his tracks.

Slowly, he bent over, set the case down on the floor, and opened it. Grabbing one of the items from the case, he moved, furtively, to the grand staircase and hugged the inner wall, sliding his way up each step.

A door banged open above him, and he inhaled sharply. Tiptoeing cautiously, he was almost to the upper landing when he heard a voice -

"Father! Arthur! I'm home!"

That was young Master Ross's voice! The butler thought, as he dropped his arms to his sides, and dashed the rest of the way up the stairs.

"Oh, my gosh! Master Ross!" Arthur burst around the corner to the upper hallway and halted, briefly, when the two of them glimpsed one another. Then Ross broke into a run, dashing forward into his friend's open embrace. Ross wrapped his arms around the butler's waist and squeezed tight.

"I can't believe it's you, Master Ross!" Arthur looked down to the chestnut brown hair atop the young boy's head, and placed a warm hand there, comfortingly.

"Arthur! You have no idea how happy I am to be home!" Ross exclaimed. "You wouldn't believe what I've been through these last few days." Ross sniffled, and pulled away from the embrace to look up into the steady, reliable face of his long-time friend.

Arthur held the boy away from his body, both hands on his shoulders at arm's length. "Your father is going to be so relieved!" He exclaimed. "We have been so worried!" Then the butler's eyes flew open. "Oh, goodness! Your father!" He grabbed Ross by the hand and pulled him toward the staircase. "He's out in the forest...at that stone formation." Arthur uttered, tugging the boy along behind him.

"Wait!" Ross pulled his hand away and stopped in the middle of the stairs. "What do you mean, he's at the stone formation?" Ross had a shocked and concerned look on his face.

"I'm only here to gather items for our expedition to Blarjord!" The butler exclaimed. "We figured out that structure is a portal to the demon realm." Arthur shook his head back and forth. "Your father is out there with a shaman and some woman who is from that world. She was going to help us by activating that portal so we could go after you."

"Oh, nooo..." Ross whispered. "Father knows about the portal, and Blarjord. Does he also know about Valdis and Inez?" Ross asked, dipping his chin.

"Inez?" Arthur scrunched his eyebrows together tightly. "Your sister?? What has she to do with any of this??" Arthur asked, accusingly. Then, "Nevermind! We need to go tell your father you're back. Come with me."

Ross followed the butler as they ran out the front door and jumped into the black Mercedes. Squealing down the gravel drive, Arthur came to an abrupt stop at the side of the road at the edge of the forest, and threw open the driver's side door. Simultaneously, Ross shoved open the passenger's side and together they ran into the woods.

"Sir Edward!" Arthur yelled at the top of his lungs, as he ran into the forest. "Sir Edward! It's Master Ross! He's home!"

Ross raced past the butler, heading straight for the rock house. When he reached the dirt path he halted. There was his father, just standing there, staring at him.

"Ross?" He asked, pulling the cap from off his head.

"Ross!! You're home! Oh, thank God. You're home!" Edward bent over, placing both hands on his thighs as Ross bolted for his dad.

Ross threw his arms around his father, as Edward stood up again, wrapping his son in a powerful embrace. Tears were streaming down the older man's face, as he looked up to gaze into Arthur's eyes.

"He's home." They both nodded their heads and blinked hard.

Edward inhaled deeply and held his son tight.