[ WP ] A modern teenager is transported into a fantasy world , where they are forced into a quest with young witches and wizards their age . Fortunately , they 've got a backpack full of high-tech gizmos to help them along .

`` You think you can beat me? I've lived two hundred years.'' The crusted man looked like he'd lived three hundred. Did he think age was threatening? He was failing spectacularly. My nan was 92, she could n't threaten a toddler to eat an ice cream. `` My powers are beoynd measure, mere mortal.'' 
 
 He started waving his arms around, bringing swirling smoke into-being around himself, glowing with a light that seemed to come from nowhere. 
 
 Honestly, it would probably have been quite impressive to someone who'd never been to see Guns N' Roses play Wembly. Now *that* was how you did a light show. I fished around in my bag, and pulled out a small black cylinder, ignoring his ramblings. 
 
 ``... mere children can not stand against my-'' I shoved my earphones, muffling the rest of his speak. Though I could see him stumble the object clinked onto the marble stone at his feet and rolled to a stop. 
 
 I covered my eyes before the world exploded into light, though I still saw red through my eyelids and a good portion of my arm. Those flash-bangs were really impressive! 
 
 I ripped my earphones out so I could give the signal to my friends, and heard screaming from the idiot'necromancer'. 
 
 `` What is this alchemy? Who gave you such a device? I know of no sorcerer who could create such weapons! Who?'' His voice was hoarse now, and it had the flat loud shout of someone who could n't hear themselves speak. I began to wish I'd left out the earplugs for the blast - then I would n't have to hear his stupid voice either. 
 
 He called his minions into being by flinging out his arms. An action that probably would have been more dramatic if he could open his eyes, stand up straight, and pronounce his `` Rise, those who serve me!'' without sounding like he'd just stumbled drunk out of a heavy metal gig after spending all night standing in front of an amp wall. 
 
 I called my backup with much more modesty, using the bright yellow walki-talki that I'd got for my 12th birthday. `` Guys, just like we practiced.'' Never thought I'd need to use that again, but hey, I quickly found out there was no phone network in the world of Vorolis. 
 
 The zombies seemed to materialize from the ground itself, there was no way they were *actually* digging themselves out of the marble of the floor. And why would a hundred bodies actually be under there? Magic sure was weird. 
 
 I stood there unworried. The distorted voice of Gwenn emanated from within my hand, `` Opening fire!'' 
 
 The bullets ripped through the dead flesh faster than any sword. I was shocked at how quickly Gwenn had moved from a bow to a Barrett M82 50 cal sniper. She liked the precision, and I could see how she placed her shots. Those zombies were left with little for a head. 
 
 Brand struggled at first with the concept of guns. He was the chivalric type. He had a sword. A shield. He wanted to get a good look in people's eyes before he killed them. Apparently, that was more Honorable. Whatever. When he'd got a chance to play with M249 SAW he soon changed his mind. Besides, half these zombies did n't have eyes, let alone souls to feel guilty about. 
 
 He was n't one to place shots carefully. They ripped through dusty flesh and rendered most the zombies immobile before ending them outright. I think I even heard him laughing from the nest we'd built for him up in the ruins. 
 
 I smiled as the Necromancer's eyes bulged. `` This power...'' He stumbled backwards, tripping over the detached limbs of his now dwindling hoard. `` How does one so young gain such power?'' 
 
 With a lot of trips with what I'd begun to start calling `` The Magic Funpack'', if only to myself. Thank god it was my large camping backpack, not my school-bag. Never have fit a 50 cal in that, even broken down. 
 
 I took steps forward, keeping the distance between us constant. `` I've got an uncle in the army. He helped me out.'' 
 
 `` What army? I've destroyed every army in this land.'' He gestured around him. `` He must be a sorcerer beyond measure to gift such abilities!'' 
 
 `` The 3rd Infantry Division might argue that, though actually, they are n't really of this land.'' I kicked a scrambling hand away as I took more steps forwards. `` Besides, he's only a sergeant. And these are pretty standard, um, powers. You should see a M1 Abrams in action, or an F35. Do you know what a laser guided missile is?'' 
 
 He opened his mouth, and closed it again. 
 
 `` You know so little... My world, if they knew about this place... my god. It would be carnage. You do n't know the meaning of war. How many have you killed? What, three battles, I'd estimate a few thousand fell against your undead hoard. You call that a war?'' I laughed bitterly. `` Where I come from, we mechanized war. We made an industry of it. In our last world war sixty one *million* people died. Can you even comprehend that? This place only has a population of a few million as far as I can tell.'' 
 
 `` I-'' His heel caught on a chunk of rubble and he fell backwards. You'd think after two hundred years he'd sweep up his ruined castle. 
 
 `` That war, it was fought against an evil bastard like you.'' I raised my arms. Ultimately, a signal. But hey, I was n't against a bit of drama of my own. 
 
 The wall behind me lit up with a giant image. Thank god Gwenn had managed to sneak around and install the projector in time. 
 
 The image was from world war two. Black and white, but hey, this guy had probably never seen a photograph, and I did n't have long on google to download all this stuff. It showed a battleship, clearly huge compared to the tiny people. It was in the state of exploding, struck by a torpedo. 
 
 A video flicked up, I'd managed to find a video of a test-firing of an A10 warthog. Another, a propaganda video showing tank formations and firing exercises. Missile tests. Rocket launches, hell I even throw in some motor-racing just to say'We do n't only kill things, we also like going dangerously fast, for *fun*'. 
 
 `` We've managed to make killing each other into an art.'' I said, as the last image came up. 
 
 A beach. Ships littering the horizon. 
 
 `` And in the end we created a weapon so destructive we fear to use it.'' 
 
 A mushroom cloud appeared, so far away and so large it seemed in slow motion. 
 
 `` One that could take out a city, a country, from the other side of the planet.'' 
 
 It grew, reaching high into the atmosphere. The necromancer's eyes followed it, fear as prominent as the reflection of a nuclear blast. 
 
 `` The powers I've used against you today are nothing, *nothing* compared to what my world would do if they knew of your existence.'' 
 
 He looked back at me, and I knew I had him. Gwenn and Brand stepped out stand becide me, the cold black of their guns leveled against him. 
 
 I sighed. `` Give yourself up. You might be able to stop arrows, but you ca n't stop lead traveling faster than the speed of sound.'' 
 
 His shoulders sagged, and he looked down. Defeated, at least in spirit.
