I grab Rachael's hand on instinct and teleport us to just outside Gladeton, the next city over. I can feel it gathering, the air rumblings with magical energy.

"What is that?"

"An invasion,"

"Alex, you are going to have to explain more,"

"Spider demons don't just attack alone, they bring their brood, their eggs,"

I look around seeing the red rift, it is still growing but it will begin soon. Please have more of us come, these crossings are brutal. I look around and slowly people are starting to appear, I spot my mother and she gives me a nod. We can do this.

"Are all these people witches?"

"Witches, warlocks, mages, necromancers, whatever title applies to them they felt it too. Every single person here is here to fight, don't bother expanding your realm, the strongest person will do it."

"Any idea who that will be?"

"I would have expected my mother to be a likely candidate but the old man to her left seems to be incredibly powerful,"

"Is that a walking frame?"

"Likely, remember the more you train the stronger you become, if he started young enough he might be the most powerful caster in the country... he feels like a spiritualist that's rare,"

"Anything I need to know about all this?"

"Stay back, even I am not that strong here, we are the support, not the main fighters,"

It is almost wordless between the others, I see a few people with apprentices but almost everyone here is fully trained. Finally, the old man lifts and brings his walking frame down with a bit of force and his realm expands over all of us with a crushing force but in seconds he grants us access, the rift is forced slightly smaller but expands more before finally the first spider demon appears. I wish I could say that was the main threat but multiple appear rapidly after bringing white egg sacks placing them down as they moved towards anyone they can.

"Fire magic Rachael, spiders are weak to it, try and burn the egg sacks,"

"Got it," She starts muttering under her breath and I just raise my hands, and jets of fire shoot forth to the center. A lot of others are using fire but I see skeletal minions, earth golems, and finally, the bound spirits connected by chains to the old man, they rush through the spider demons exploding them from within, guts flying everywhere. Rachael can no longer hold her stomach and vomits.

"Sorry but we are defenders of this realm, we have to be here," I try and focus on the eggs that are starting to hatch, they can have hundreds of tiny spider demons appearing so I hit it with everything I have starting to feel a bit drained.

"Magic transfer" I feel the hands on my back and the flow of magic from Rachael, I am glad I taught her that spell and the fire from my hands increases in size a little, the screeches of the tiny spider demons as they burn fills the air. The numbers don't seem to be decreasing but the rift is starting to shrink, not too many reinforcements left.

A scream, someone on the opposite side has been hit, the spider demon already eating their flesh. My mother appears and in an instant, the demon is in pieces, all burning. She grabs the arm of the person and their apprentice teleporting them away a bit before closing the gap with her full force. I can already feel the magic of Rachael starting to be too drained and I break the connection by stepping to the side.

"Take it easy you are almost out,"

"I can keep going,"

"No, save it in case something gets close," She obeys but I can tell she is conflicted, it could have easily been one of us that got hurt. The bound spirits are incredible, any enemy they touch just explode. Without them and the one controlling them, this would have gone a lot worse. The energy thickens, I can feel it. I guess the old man is giving it his all and his power forces the shrinking rift shut and grants us a final burst of energy.

I grab Rachael's arm and pull her to my side to join me in a final burst of magic, the flames flowing from us using me as a focus that blasts through the last of the eggs and it is only a few more moments till the last invader is dead. I collapse down taking it easy and Rachael joins me.

"Are they all like that Alex?"

"We had a strong group so it seems only one injury, the necromancer seems to be healing his injuries as best he can,"

"The necromancer is?"

"Magic over death can also delay death and slightly remove it, full revival is almost impossible without so many things happening that it is best just to say it is impossible,"

"Alex, Rachael, how are you holding up?" Seems my mother has appeared to check on us.

"Is it always this disgusting?"

"I am ok mum,"

"Most apprentices struggle with their first time Rachael, there is no shame in vomiting or being injured. You didn't run and you supported my daughter. You will make a fine witch one day,"

"Thank-" Rachael just drops it there, my mother is already gone.

"Looks like they are deciding how to split up the remaining silk,"

"Are trophies normal?"

"When you feel it you will understand trust me,"

It is amazing watching the old man just teleport around as if it is nothing, at times it seems he is in multiple places at once, he appears before us in a moment and is already gone somewhere else leaving a small bit of silk in front of us.

"Give it a feel Rachael," She picks it up and instantly brings it to her cheek.

"This is amazing, without a doubt the best thing I have ever felt,"

"Enough for a scarf each maybe,"

"I thought you said this was a thankless job without pay,"

"It is, this is effectively plunder but it just as possible it could have been destroyed and a one way trip to the hells,"

A man's voice booms across the realm bind. "A victory, all those with apprentices leave, we will handle the cleanup,"

"Time to head home Rachael,"

"Please tell me these invasions are rare,"

"These invasions are rare,"

"You are lying aren't you?"

"They are rare enough that we won't see too many but this is likely a weekly thing for an invasion to happen somewhere on Earth and often people die from it,"

I grab her hand and we are gone, leaving the blood-soaked battlefield behind.