Sands of Time - 13. Chapter 13

Slowly, he woke. After years in the orphanage and with his other training, he allowed nothing to show that he was awake as he took stock of his situation, his surroundings, and most importantly, what he remembered.

He remembered illusions and some weird spell that almost destroyed the tree he was hiding in. He remembered falling. He remembered the branches, then… Nothing but weird dreams of being picked up by the illusionary dragon.

Now? Now, he was in a bed more comfortable than he ever remembered. It was like being swallowed by a cloud. A blanket, a soft blanket, covered him… Not the scratchy kind he was used to. And a pillow, an actual pillow that wasn’t lumpy. He was naked, but that didn’t bother him in the slightest. He was warm, especially with the soft blanket making contact with his skin.

He heard someone in the room, large, judging by the heaviness of the footfalls, but he still dared not open his eyes. Someone said something. It sounded like a female, not that he understood the language. He smelled meat cooking, good meat. Fresh meat. Spiced meat. Something he’d only had twice in his life. That alone almost made him ‘wake up fully,’ but not yet.

They must have healed him ‘cause he didn’t hurt. Even the blister that had been on his left heel was gone, which meant magical healing. He almost gasped with that realization. No one would waste magical healing for someone they didn’t know, especially an orphan kid. Even the Watch wouldn’t waste it… Unless it were life-threatening, and then only enough to stabilize. After that, you healed naturally.

A door opened, which meant he was in a building, and another large being entered, judging by the sounds. He guessed these must be the two Illorc kids he saw. He did wonder why the merchant would leave this group of kids here with only one adult. Yes, she was a teaching-level animal adept, but they had to be worried about other dragons finding out what happened and wanting revenge.

He stayed still for a while longer as the two talked in a language he did not understand; finally, though, it was his bladder that demanded he move. He let out a low moan as he moved his body slowly, making sure that everything was working. The two voices stopped talking and moved towards where he lay. He gently stretched everything out, then slowly opened his eyes and saw two figures standing over him. ‘Boy, they’re a lot bigger up close,’ he thought to himself. “I need to pee.”

✶✶✶✶✶
 

Madelyn smiled as she saw Garnet leave Malachi’s forge. The smile on the large boy’s face and the silk-wrapped package meant that whatever Malachi had created overnight had pleased him and was probably done with the same skill as his other two creations. She nodded her head as she saw him walk into Olpha’s hut before she turned her attention back to her students.

“I know it’s hard to wait,” Madelyn said as she looked at Sigvat, who was on the ground petting his new dog. The dog had not left Sigvat’s side since he woke up from Thane’s healing. That act alone made Madelyn realize that Thane wasn’t as ornery as he pretended. At least when it came to animals. “But be patient… It takes time to truly bond with a pet.”

Sigvat nodded while gently petting the dog's head. “Have you decided on a name for him yet?” She asked gently. She so wanted to reach down and scratch the dog behind his floppy ears but knew better. That action would confuse the dog. For now, everything had to be done by Sigvat or Thane when treating the dog.

“Uh-huh.” Sigvat grinned. “I’s callin' him Quake. Cause Prince Thane say he gonna be big! Dat ‘kay?”

“Mine is be name Mefrin, cause dat what he is.” Grima offered with a smile.

Madelyn grinned and nodded. “Those sound like fine names.”

As she watched the two play, she couldn’t help but smile. Watching the bond form between a budding Animal Adept, and their first pet was always inspirational. A pet's unconditional love was a beautiful thing to watch develop. She looked over to see Grima playing with her new puppy. While she wasn’t an Animal Adept, she was still trying to emulate what her brother was doing. In truth, she felt sorry for both of these kids. While they were both bigger and stronger than any being she had ever seen before, well, except for Garnet, they were both very young, and had a life of nothing but suffering so far. Maybe she was just getting soft. Looking over, she saw the Seandran kids and started to understand why.

Then she saw something else, and another part of her kicked in. “Keep working at it, and remember, the treats should be used sparingly. We don’t want them to get fat.” She said to the two Rhinolings before she turned and walked to where the others were seated around the campfire. As she got closer, she felt the tensions rise as they all looked up at her and saw where her focus was.

“Xavier?” She asked gently, causing the boy to raise his eyes and pierce her with a look that spoke of pain and torment. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Syth give an almost imperceptible shake of his head, warning her not to, but she had no choice. The maternal part of her felt a connection with these kids and a need to help. While holding his eyes, she sat down opposite him. The silent conversation between the two took almost no time at all but was profound in depth.

The silence stretched to almost a full minute before Syth sighed deeply. “He had another nightmare last night.”

She already knew something was wrong, and frankly, she did not need to know the details; whatever they were, she was sure they were horrid. She spoke softly, never breaking eye contact with Xavier, as if no one else was there but the two of them. “These nightmares bother you because you are the leader, the King. It bothers you because you think that it shows weakness.” Before he broke eye contact and looked down, she saw the tears well up. Not tears of fear or pain, but shame.

She slowly moved down to be on her knees in front of him, not allowing him to withdraw back into himself. “Xavier…” Her teacher's voice was gone. Her Trained being voice was gone. She spoke to him as only a mother could. “I know very little about what you went through before your father sent you here. Frankly, I do not care to know more. What I know keeps me up at night already. The nightmares you are having are NOT a sign of weakness, not a sign that you can not bear the awesome weight that has been thrust upon you, but of your character, heart, and love of Seandra.

“I have met rulers before, but none of them strike me as being someone who genuinely cares about the people around them. They need those people, so they will do their best to protect them sometimes. However, most often, it’s not out of an altruistic intent but just self-preservation. What I have seen from you in the short time since you saved us from that dragon has shown me that good people do exist… All of you.” She paused for a moment to look around and meet eyes with those who were there.

She began again when her eyes met back with Xavier’s. “I have seen more caring and strength exhibited from your small group than I have ever seen in my life.” She looked over to where her son, Aegir, was practicing with the staff that Malachi had made for him.

“To be honest, I would not have been able to truly understand how you do what you do till I was heavy with Aegir. He taught me something that I never knew about before, and frankly, without learning about true, unconditional love, I would not be able to understand what I am seeing from you.”

She sighed, then chuckled as she stood up and moved back to her original seat. She didn’t have to look to know that all eyes were still on her. She sat and held his eyes for another moment before she spoke again.

“Your nightmares are NOT a sign of weakness, or cowardness, or an indication that you are not a good leader. The nightmares are proof that you ARE the right person to rule. Let them fuel your passions, let the nightmares remind you WHY you fight as hard as you do, and by the Gods, do not let them make you doubt yourself, your family, or your friends.”

While tears freely flowed from his eyes, the self-doubt was fading, being replaced by strength and determination that he was on the right path. He gave her a hard nod and a smile before he picked up his almost forgotten plate of food and started to eat wordlessly while letting the tears continue to flow.

✶✶✶✶✶
 

Lew and Kilian stepped out of a small shop and into the street. “What in the world are you going to do with all of those? You bought everything they had in there.”

Killian grinned at the large bag of sweet sticks he’d just purchased. “Except for the ones I share with everyone else, I intend to eat them!” he laughed. “Uncle Mablin especially likes the Pig Root flavor, but he’s fond of the Sour Grouse Berry ones too.”

“I think you’ll get fat if you’re not careful…” Lew paused when he saw someone up ahead.

“Is that?” Lew asked more to himself, but Killian overheard.

“Huh?” the boy asked, but it fell on deaf ears as Lew was already moving through the crowded street. They had already met up with Mablin, heard the man’s plan, and told him where they had camped. Now, in the dwindling daylight, they were making their way to where they had been told the Pantherling Elder stayed.

“Grandmother?” Lew asked loudly, just as Killian caught back up to him.

In front of him, a cloaked figure slowly turned while pulling back her hood. Inside was the graying, furred face of an aged Pantherling female. She looked confused for a moment before her face broke into a grin. “Lew?” She asked around a grinning maw of sharp teeth. “What is my favorite little mouser doing here, my boy?” Before Lew could respond, she held up a hand that stopped several hooded figures. “Relax!” she barked.

“I came in search of getting a message to the Clan Elders,” Lew responded. “What are you doing here?”

“Being searched for, I guess.” She said with a wicked look as she busted out laughing.

Lew was stunned while Killian laughed with her and a few others close by. His laugh was enough to get her attention. “And who might you be? I figured I better ask since it does not appear as if Lew will be able to speak for a bit.”

Killian saw the guild pins on her collar and gave a low bow. “Master,” he started as was befitting her Master echelon Mage pin, sitting next to the Ruinseeker pin. “My name is Killian. I am just a humble companion of your Grandson.”

“HA!” The elderly pantherling cried out. “That is an answer borne of many years of merchant training. Let me guess, you hail from a family of merchants?”

“Not really, ma’am,” Killian said with a grin. “My adoptive uncle is a merchant.”

“Well, it sounds like there is a story there. What is his name? Perhaps I know of him.”

“Sir Mablin, ma’am.” Killian proclaimed with pride

“Sir Mablin, you say,” she replied with a cock of her head. “As in the merchant that brought in several wagons worth of dragon remains?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Killian replied, which brought an appraising look from the Pantherling.

“And you were a part of the battle?” Killian nodded, causing her look to shift to Lew, who shook his head.

“I was incapacitated shortly before the dragon appeared.”

“I see… Interesting.” She looked around momentarily, then opened her arms to indicate they should move off the street. “I would like to hear more; let us go to the Inn I am staying at. This sounds like a tale that requires some drinks. And maybe a saucer of milk for Lew… I’ve lost track of how old he is.”

✶✶✶✶✶
 

The boy was intrigued; he wasn’t able to understand them at first, but after they both activated some sort of magical item they wore, he heard them speaking in Northman. Then came a physical exam by the female, who was obviously a healthman. Oddly, she did not ask about anything other than how he was feeling if certain things worked properly, and if he was in any pain. When she was done, she offered him a smile, “My name is Olpha. If you need anything, just call out. Then she packed her kit up and left the room. Now, he was left with the larger of the two, the male.

Moving a chair over, the large Illorc sat down across from the boy and smiled. “My name is Garnet.”

Strange name, but the boy copied the smile and slowly rose so he was seated on the edge of the bed. “I’m Hontel.” Now that he was seated, he looked around the room and saw it was indeed a bed chamber. He was surprised to see his gear was there, but it seemed intact, including his weapons. The clothes he had been wearing were nowhere to be seen, but he did see a set of much nicer clothing sitting on a dresser.

“I am sure you have many questions.” Garnet started. “Olpha said that you may move around the room if you wish and dress if you would like. She does recommend that you stay here and rest till tomorrow; however, you can do as you wish as long as you feel up to it.”

Hontel studied the boy for a moment, never having seen an Illorc that looked… pleasant. Of course, he only knew one from his orphanage and had only seen a handful of others, but still, he’d never seen one with a pleasant expression or look about them before.

He slowly stood, not in the least bothered by the fact that he was naked, and paused for a moment, making sure everything worked. Once he was sure he was steady, he slowly moved over to the pile of clothing. “Is this for me?” He asked hesitantly as he looked down at it, shocked to see that next to his guild pins, his watch pin was sitting on the top of the pile of clothing.

Garnet smiled and spoke to Hontel’s back. “Yes, it is. I apologize, but in our haste to treat you, we destroyed what you had been wearing. One of my friends, Lucas, is close to your size, so he volunteered to give you some of his clothing.”

“I see,” Hontel said absently as he ran his hand over the softest loin cloth he had ever felt. He picked up the pins and put them to the side so he could lift the loin cloth.

Garnet slowly rose to his feet. “How about I go get you some food? I am sure you are hungry by now.”

“That’d be great. My stomach is a bit empty. Thank you,” Hontel said, still holding the loin cloth and not looking up as Garnet stepped out of the room.

Hontel was fully dressed and sitting on the edge of the bed, looking around the room, when Garnet knocked softly before entering. “This is nice, much nicer than I would have thought possible out here in the forest,” Hontel remarked with a sweeping arm indicating the room.

“Thank you,” Garnet handed the bowl of stew over, then moved back to the seat he had earlier. “Olpha says you should eat slowly; if you want more later, we have plenty.” Thankfully, Hontel did not reply around the mouthful of stew but nodded in agreement.

When the boy was done eating, Garnet smiled and spoke. “I know you have a lot of questions…” He trailed off, inviting the boy to ask those questions.

“I do,” He chuckled. “I guess my first one would be, do you know what happened to my Holy Symbol?”

Garnet beamed as he got to his feet. “As a matter of fact, I do.” He moved over to the desk Olpha had been using to lay out her healthman supplies, picked up the silk-wrapped package Malachi had given him this morning, and slipped it into his tunic. “First,” Garnet started as he turned around. “Please know I meant absolutely no disrespect. I, too, am a Channeler to the God of Freedom and Tricks,” as he took the few steps needed to get to the bed, he pulled out the holy symbol from under his tunic.

“As I was the one who caused your injuries, I felt the best recompense was to have this made for you.” Garnet handed the silk-wrapped package to Hontel, then re-took his seat

Hontel looked confused, not just about the silk-wrapped parcel but also about him being the reason he got hurt. Yes, the Illusion was startling, but it was whoever cast that wicked spell that was responsible. However, he would hold off asking about such things for now.

Hontel stared at the silk wrapping for a moment, gently stroking it. Never before had he seen silk being used simply to cover something. He looked up at Garnet, who simply nodded to him. Carefully, Hontel unwrapped it and gasped when he saw what was inside. His eyes shot up to Garnet, who again nodded. Hontel lifted the new holy symbol free of the silk with trembling fingers. “I… I… can’t accept this. It must be worth hundreds or even thousands of silver!”

It was indeed a holy symbol of Rovnar, but it was also easily the most beautiful and extravagant thing he’d ever seen. The chain was made of white gold, which was attached to the pummel of the dagger. The dagger itself was made of a single piece of platinum. The hilt, though, was encrusted with crushed black diamonds. At the same time, the blade itself was beautifully encrusted with crushed ruby. The crossguard was a single small piece of emerald. The oval backing of the blade was also made of white gold, causing both the ruby and black diamond to sparkle.

“Yes, you can,” Garnet said with a slight chuckle. “I blessed it this morning, and Malachi is certainly someone I would not refuse a piece of work from. He can get quite… cranky if you do.”

“I… I...” Hontel had no idea what to say. He lifted the chain and settled it around his neck. He instantly could tell it was indeed blessed but by someone very close to Rovnar. At least closer to Rovnar than the Priests in Junsac. He did notice something very odd about it, though, and about Garnet’s as well. Neither had Rovnar’s holy number of 13 in the dagger hilt.

Just as Hontel was about to ask about the difference, Garnet interrupted his thoughts by asking a question. “I was wondering. What does the Barony Watch want with our humble group?”

Garnet was pleased to see the boy was totally flustered now. Syth had been right; starting out with the Holy Symbol had flustered the boy, and now directly asking about the Watch made him even more so. Garnet was interested to see how long it took for the boy to get himself back under control. A group of spies needs to train their operatives better.

“Uhhh…” Hontel began, “We were worried about why a Dragon was inside the Kingdom’s borders, especially being a green. Of course, then we wanted to know about the group that killed it with shockingly few losses.”

“Ahhhh… I see,” Garnet said with a smile. “I assume this is not normal for this kingdom?”

“NO!” Hontel cried out, the shock of the question throwing him for a loop.

“Hmmm. Obviously, we are not from here.” Garnet began laying out the cover story that they had come up with. “We hail from the city of Scorpion Falls, residing within the Combined Desert Realm. My close friend, Thane’s father, is a wealthy Merchant who apprenticed his son to Merchant and Expert Mage Sir Mablin. Thane was able to convince Sir Mablin to allow all of us to join him so that we could learn under not only his tutelage but also that of Teachers Gradon and Madelyn.”

“Wow,” Hontel said as Garnet took a breath.

“I do wonder, though…” Garnet cocked his head sideways but smiled to try and make the boy more comfortable. “I mean absolutely no disrespect, but I must wonder why the Watch would send someone who barely has passed into the… Primary Echelon in the Swordsman Field?”

“I… uhh… well.” Hontel stuttered before squaring his shoulders. “With the wars going on, we are stretched very thin. I volunteered to come.”

“You volunteered?” Garnet asked, feigning shock. He wanted to know more about the wars, but first, he wanted to know about the boy here and if he was a danger to Xavier. “Even with how dangerous it could be. You just said that your reports reveal that we killed the true dragon with very minor losses. That means we must be a very dangerous group. Yet you volunteered, even knowing this?”

Hontel squared his shoulders and met Garnet's eyes. “Yes,” he replied simply, then elaborated. “As you said, you could be a danger to our Kingdom. When I found out that no one else could come, I volunteered. They almost didn’t allow me because of how young I am, but there was no one else. I finally convinced them to let me come.”

Garnet smiled broadly and slapped his thighs as he rose. “Your courage and tenacity will serve you well.” He reached out his hand to Hontel, who hesitantly took it. “Well met Hontel! It is an honor to have you in our camp.” He released the boy's hand with a nod. “I shall leave you now, as Olpha told me to make this short. Perhaps tomorrow, if you are feeling up to it, I can introduce you to the rest of our group. However, you really should rest.” Hontel nodded. In fact, he felt stiff, sore, overwhelmed, and very tired. Garnet got to the door, then turned and, with a humorless smile, added. “Of course, rest will wait till after you have made your report.” Then he was gone.

✶✶✶✶✶
 

Olpha was waiting outside with another bowl of stew and another waterskin when Garnet left her cottage. “You want him to sleep through the night?” she asked softly.

He took a moment to consider, then nodded. “As long as you do not feel it would harm him.”

“Not at all. It will do him good,” she answered with a smile. “Under different circumstances, I would do so without asking.”

Letting out a good-natured laugh, Garnet nodded to Olpha and then moved to where everyone else was gathered, preparing for dinner.

“Well?” Syth asked as Garnet sat.

“You were right,” Garnet responded with a smile. “Using the Holy Symbol and bringing up the Watch was enough to keep him off balance. I am sure he said more than he intended.”

“What are your thoughts?” Xavier asked with a frown.

Garnet growled softly as he shifted on his log seat. “He was not sent, really. They learned about the Green in their lands and the group that killed it. The Watch would have liked to investigate, but they are short-handed. According to Hontel, wars involving this kingdom are going on, which has the Watch stretched thin. So he volunteered to seek us out and learn about us.”

“He volunteered?” Thane asked with an arched eyebrow.

“The boy has guts… I will give him that.” Malachi grunted with a hint of admiration.

“Is he a danger?” Syth asked his hand on the pouch that holds his magical bow.

“It is impossible to be certain,” Garnet said with a shake of his head. “By himself, certainly not. However, I get the distinct impression that If this Watch were to deem us as dangerous, the other members may very well pose a threat to us.”

Madelyn had kept silent until then but felt she needed to speak up. “Eagleonia has been at war with the Black Dragons for a while now. That is the ‘war’ he was speaking of. But I do agree with you. If this Hontel were to report us as a threat to the realm, they would send members that are not a simple Primary Step 2 Swordsman.”

“One time I was walking ‘round Junsac.” Aegir bubbled. “And I saw this hooded... Well, I’s guess he was a Dragonling. I never saw his face, but the tail… but anyways, he was wearing…” Aegir’s voice dropped as he looked around quickly. “He was wearing a Legendary Sorcerer Pin right next to his Watch pin.”

Madelyn nodded but held her tongue. Unless she was asked, the kids were in charge. She would guide them, but only if asked. Like it or not, as Mablin said, ‘These kids will do what they want to. All we can do is guide them or leave if it looks too dangerous.’

“I still do not see why killing a young True causes such agitation,” Thane remarked, which got disbelieving stares from Aegir and Madelyn both.

Thane and Malachi started to laugh at their looks when they heard, “ARRRRGH!” And saw Garnet had suddenly screamed and stumbled forward. The halfling prisoner also screamed and fell over. Xavier, though, dropped to the ground, like a sack of flour, and thrashed around, clawing at his neck like he was suffocating.

Syth rocketed to his feet while pulling and extending his bow. Half a breath later, he had an arrow knocked and was scanning, looking for some type of enemy. Malachi turned his back to Xavier, an ax in each hand, ready for a fight.

“Amakiir to the air! Suiadan protect Xavier.” Thane ordered loudly while drawing both his scimitar and mace. He also faced away from Xavier, knowing his animals were already doing as ordered.

Lucas vaulted over the fire pit, landing with one leg on either side of Xavier, both hands pulsating with magic waiting to be loosed. At the same time, Olpha slammed out of her hut, a modified battle ax in each hand. She stopped for the briefest of moments to find where the danger was. Not seeing any, she sprinted across the forest floor to take up a position that had Xavier protected on all fronts.

Later on, when Madelyn told her husband Gradon what had happened, he would be even more impressed with the children’s training than he already was. For now, though, she drew her mace and instinctively searched out Aegir. What she saw impressed her.

Not only was the newly minted Primary-level Spirit Warrior not cowering, but he was standing with his back towards Garnet, his new staff held firmly in his hands. At some point, he had ordered the blades to extend. He, too, was standing there looking for a fight from whatever it was that hurt his Mentor. Even Sigvat and Grima were looking around, ready for trouble.

“Dragon… death!” Garnet was able to squeeze out as he was doubled over. “Big… Powerful… Far to the south… And west.”

While this relaxed the group slightly, they still held position and waited till Garnet recovered. When he finally reached his feet, he motioned for Malachi to help the halfling-disguised Warrior Dragon back to a seated position and ensured his bindings were still tight.

“All I know for sure is that it was a White. Near to father’s level of power.” Garnet breathed out. Olpha, Lucas, and Syth realized how overwhelmed Garnet must have been. He rarely referred to his and Xavier’s father as father. It was either the King or maybe Xavier’s father.

Once he had recovered enough, he noted everyone's posture and position and nodded approvingly. Aegir was rewarded with a rare toothy smile and a ruffle of the boy’s hair. “Good lad.” was all Garnet said. One would have thought that the lad's face might split with the grin he wore.

It only took a couple of seconds more before Xavier could speak again. He had to wash his mouth several times with a waterskin before forcing his throat to form words. “A white…” he croaked out before taking more water. “Their Prince… Weraweld.”

“WERAWELD!” The Halfling exclaimed. “Some non-dragon being was actually able to kill the greatest White since the Mythling Wars?”

Xavier nodded gravely. “It died trying to hold its breath… Looking up at a red-headed Halfelf wearing black armor.” He paused and looked at Garnet. “It was the same halfelf child I saw that killed the Green True by driving a dagger through its eye.”

“Wait, what!” The halfling cried out.

Syth moved to gag the prisoner, but Xavier stopped him. “Syth wait.” Xavier rose and moved around the bear scorpion that was still guarding him, then over to stand in front of the Halfling. Even though he was bound with his hands behind his back, Garnet and Syth were flanking Xavier, and Olpha moved into position behind the diminutive prisoner.

“Yes,” Xavier began slowly. “It was roughly ten days ago. I felt the death a good distance to the north. He was a powerful True; however, I did not get his name. The same red-headed Halfelf killed him by plunging a dagger through his eye.”

“And yet, somehow, this same child could travel from the north to a place far to the south and west?” Madelyn asked.

“Yes…” Xavier said while running a hand through his hair. “We will have to keep our ears open for more information about this red-headed Halfelf. But for now, let us eat.” He smiled ruefully. “Gods know what the next bit of excitement might be.”

✶✶✶✶✶
 

“BUURRRPP!” Echoed throughout the camp, causing the kids to snicker and Madelyn to look disapprovingly at Malachi. “My compliments to the chef, dear lady.” Malachi giggled. Even the halfling was snickering while the two Rhinolings were doubled over in full gales of laughter.

Quake was hesitantly licking Sigvat while the boy laughed till he suddenly perked up, looked at the trail, whimpered, and quickly moved behind Sigvat.

“Well, THAT was certainly NOT the welcome back I expected!” Killian called from the woodline. Everyone laughed harder as Malachi blushed red. However, the laughter stopped as Killian and Lew rode in, leading a small group of people. At the head of the new group was an elderly female Pantherling. Riding beside her was a distinguished-looking Silver Dragonling driving a good-sized wagon. An obvious group of 6 Pantherling guards rode behind them.

“I do apologize, Elder Kameko,” Lew said with a toothy grin. “They are normally better behaved than this, and I promise, they do have rather well-developed manners… When they choose to use them.”

Everyone around the campfire scrambled to their feet as the riders drew closer. “I would certainly hope so,” Kameko groused. “The idea that my favorite grandchild would swear himself to a being that… crass… would simply break my heart.”

Xavier blanched pale, and his heart started to sink. “Elder… I… I am sorry…”

“Save it, boy.” She interrupted but was now grinning. “While Lew did not ask it, nor did he know it was coming, I decided to repay you for all the times you have rendered him speechless.”

“Grandmother!” Lew cried out, completely scandalized. Xavier, meanwhile, was doing his best interpretation of a fish, his mouth opening and closing, yet no sound came out.

Garnet surprised everyone by barking out laughter that drew all attention to him. His eyes were glued to Xavier, and his hysterics were uncontrollable, which rapidly infected the others.

Xavier quickly closed his mouth, shooting an annoyed look at Garnet before he strode towards Lew and the Elder as they were dismounting. “My sincerest apologies, Elder. I am unsure what mental illness has befallen my companions, but I pray you heed them no mind. Besides, their importance is rather, well, limited.”

“LIMITED!” Thane roared with indignation. “Just because you may be a king does not make….” he was cut off by a large six-fingered hand firmly clamping over his mouth.

“Choose your next words carefully… Before I decide to make sure you are never able to sire children,” Olpha said softly yet loudly enough for everyone to hear.

“Ohhhhh…” Lucas cooed. “Is she not the best!” He asked dreamily of no one in particular.

“Okay, children…” Madelyn sighed deeply. “Perhaps it would be best to greet our guests properly before they decide it is safer away from here?”

“Sorry,” they all intoned as Olpha dropped her hand. However, every one of them was still smiling.

Xavier motioned for Lew to introduce the group, so he stepped forward and spoke clearly. “King Psyen-Raysyn’Xavier Seandra, I would like to introduce you to Elder Kameko of the Southern Highlands Clan.” Xavier nodded his head in acknowledgment of an equal, which the Elder returned. Thane copied Xavier while the remaining Seandrians gave a shallow half-bow from the waist.

Kameko was a student of history, and what she saw fell in line with what Lew had told her, no matter how unbelievable it was. Of course, it would take much more than this to convince her, but it was a good start. “Thank you, Your Highness. If it pleases you, allow me to introduce Sir Styadan.”

Xavier nodded to the tall Dragonling, then swept his arm towards the fire pit. “Would you care to sit by the fire? I fear there is a bit of a chill to the evening.” She nodded, so they all moved towards the ring, where he motioned for her to sit at the spot closest to the fire and away from the smoke, where he usually sat. The Silver Dragonling, Sir Styadan, chose a spot next to the Elder and settled in.

“Would you care for some refreshment?” When they both nodded, he turned towards Lucas, who nodded and turned. He then turned to Garnet. “Would you mind having Aegir, with Sigvat and Grima, attend to the guards? Make sure he knows to get them food and drink if they want and tend to their mounts and weapons, as is proper.”

“Of course, it will be good practice,” Garnet said.

While Xavier was dealing with that, Kameko and Styadan were both looking around the encampment with interest. When Xavier returned his attention to them, she was waiting with a question. “Please forgive me, but. Well, Lew told us that you had managed to capture a Warrior Green.”

“Yes.“ Xavier said and knew he was about to get some answers. “He is sitting there.” Xavier pointed to where the Halfling sat a short way away, still bound.

“Excuse me?” She said while spinning and looking at Lew.

Sir Styadan, though, leaned forward, hissing in agitation. “Is this some sort of joke?”

“I assure you, sir, it is not!” Lew said as he stepped over to Kameko. “Grandmother. I told you there would be some things that you would find hard to believe but are true; this is one of them.”

The two Pantherlings kept eye contact for several seconds before Xavier’s soft voice filled the area. “While we have other options to prove the veracity of our claims, an even easier solution has presented itself. He turned and looked at Sir Styadan. “Scan his mind.” Both Styadan and Kameko gasped in shock. “Yes, I know you are a Mindmaster… As am I. Please scan his mind. There is no way to mistake a Dragon's mind for that of a Halfling's.”

Sir Styadan looked to Elder Kameko for direction. After a brief hesitation, she nodded. He took a deep breath and looked past everyone to the Halfling, who was starting to fidget. It took less than a heartbeat before Styadan gasped in absolute shock and almost fell backward off the log he sat on. “How… what… I… It can’t be!”

“Are you saying they are telling the truth?” Kameko demanded.

Styadan took a moment to compose himself, including taking the offered mug of Ale from Lucas and downing it in one go before he looked at Kameko and nodded. “I do not know how it can be so, but I can tell you, as surely as my scales are still attached to me and are silver, that the Halfling sitting over there is indeed a Green Warrior Dragon.” Now, it was Kameko’s turn to drain her mug.

“Do you know what this means?” Styadan said softly after a few minutes of thought. “If he is truly a green…” his eyes went wide and shot to Xavier. “No disrespecting your Highness, I will take you at your word from now on. However, if this one can change his…”

“Skin…” Xavier supplied. “That is the word that Dragons favored in the past.”

“Skin… I… Yes… I see.” He drained his recently refilled mug, and Lucas couldn’t help but grin as he walked over to fill it again. Styadan never even noticed. “If he can change his skin like this… A dragon could infiltrate anywhere… And go completely unnoticed.”

“I suspect they already have,” Xavier said softly, causing both Kameko and Styadan to look at him sharply. “I have found out that he knows there are others in your city of Silverton but only knows of two of them.

“It seems the Greens are as treacherous now as they were in our time. This is also why I asked Lew to summon you. Since before the time we left, the Silvers and the Pantherlings have had a special relationship. It was my hope that Lew could attract someone with enough weight to get this one to your Prince as swiftly as possible.”

“Why yes… Yes. We must get this information to Prince Milan as quickly as possible.” Styadan said with quick bobs of his head.

“How is it that you were able to identify and capture this one?” Kameko asked while looking as if it were the first time she was seeing Xavier.

“If you know what you are looking for, you can make a very good guess. However, you would need a Mindmaster or another Dragon to verify it. In his case, he came as a thief in the night and was caught by my Shaman wards. When we saw the color of his eyes, I scanned his mind and verified that he was indeed a Dragon. The rest of the information I obtained came from… Shall we say… Interesting questioning techniques.” Xavier smiled as he took a sip of his ale. “Lucas? I fear our guest’s mugs are empty again.”

Kameko missed the amused look on Lucas’ face as he stood and retrieved the pitcher. Moving to Styadan, he filled the Dragonlings mug, waited as he emptied it, and then filled it again.

Meanwhile, Kameko was lost in Xavier’s eyes. The rotating kaleidoscopes of multi-colored sand consumed her, threatening to pull her in. It wasn’t until Lucas cleared his throat that she could pull herself free from Xavier’s gaze. When she looked back, he was looking off in the distance.

Meanwhile, Styadan was reaching out with his mind. He had noticed Xavier’s eyes as soon as the boy had mentioned that the eyes could give a clue. He then noticed that the large male Illorc had the same shifting-colored eyes. Closing his eyes, he reached out, first to the half-elf, and found… Nothing. He ended up having to open his eyes again, just to make sure the boy was still there. Very rarely had the dragonling been blocked from not only reading surface thoughts but also from even knowing someone was there.

Next, he tried the Illorc, but again he was blocked. One by one he tried again on everyone present. He quickly found Kameko, Madelyn, young Aegir, and Killian too. However, as far as his mind was concerned, none of the others were there.

When he arrived, he had not believed a group of children could have captured a dragon, but then he knew the halfling could not possibly be a dragon. He was proven wrong on both accounts. He had not believed this boy could be a king. Firstly, he was a child, and second, a halfelf had never been royalty anywhere. Add onto all of this that somehow he was being blocked, and he no longer doubted anything this group might say. Xavier looked his way and smiled knowingly before he turned back to Kameko and met her eyes again.

This time, though, before she got lost in them, he spoke softly. “If you have a question, please feel free to ask it.”

She quickly looked away and took a long drink from her mug, which Lucas immediately refilled before he went to sit. Her eyes found Malachi, and she cleared her throat before speaking. “Were you the one that created the sword for my Grandson?”

“Now, why would ya think that?” Malachi politely asked. His ease of slipping back to his Garm diction made Xavier grin. Yes, they were playing with this pair, but it was harmless fun.

She stuttered her response, a bit flustered now. “Well…” she paused to clear her throat. “Well, he had said that someone in this group made it, and, as I recognized the Battleforge mark, well, mostly, I had assumed it was you.”

Before Malachi could respond, Olpha spoke up. “Malachi! Give the poor lady a break. Between you and Xavier, I swear you are trying to break her mind.”

“Why do you always have to take ALL the fun out of things?” Malachi bellowed jovially. When he turned back to Kameko, he was wearing a soft, friendly smile. “Aye, I and one other had that honor,” Malachi said with an innocent grin. “Perhaps I could interest you in a tour of my forge?”

Thankful for the ability to let certain things settle in her head for a while, she nodded and stood up. When she rose, so did everyone else. As she followed the young Garm towards the forge, she couldn’t help but ask. “You have been here for a while?”

“Only a few days,” Malachi answered as he opened the door and motioned her to enter.

Just before the door closed, Xavier heard her ask another question that would leave her with even more questions. “When did you have time to build these structures?”

✶✶✶✶✶
 

“Sir Styadan?” The Dragonling looked over to see Xavier looking at him. “Perhaps it is time for us to have a conversation?” Something was wrong. It took him a moment, but then he realized what it was; Xavier’s mouth did not move when he spoke. “That is correct; I am speaking directly to your mind.”

“How?” He breathed softly. In his mind, he finished his statement, ‘powerful is this child?!’

Xavier’s smile faded as his face took on a mask of confusion. “You mean you do not know about… well I have always just called it my mental landscape or mindscape. Different people use different names.”

Sir Styadan shook his head in confusion, causing Xavier to sigh. “Have you not ever linked minds with another Mindmaster?”

“No,” he replied, glad to be speaking about something he sort of knew about. “Only the most powerful of Mindmasters are able to do that.”

Xavier looked confused, first at him, then at his cloak clasp where he wore his guild pins, then over to Madelyn, and back to the man again. “Perhaps I need Teacher Madelyn to explain the Modern Guild Pins again. Are you not an Expert, Step two?”

“I am,” Styadan replied bewildered.

“My instructor taught me about this right after I returned from my Skilled Testing. If I have correctly translated that to the current time, that should be close to your Teaching Echelon.” Xavier paused momentarily, looking up furiously, trying to convert the system he knew to this modern one. In doing so, he missed Styadan's slack-jawed reaction to his proclamation.

Xavier looked over at Madelyn for confirmation. “Did we not discuss it and conclude that I should be equivalent to a Teaching Echelon, Step 2?”

“Yes, Xavier, we did,” Madelyn responded with a slight frown. “However, do you remember the rest of that conversation?”

Xavier’s brow furrowed before his eyes shot open wide, and he snapped his neck around to see Styadan still sitting there with his mouth open. The young Halfelf hung his head slightly and muttered, “That I should keep that to myself…”

“And why is that?” Madelyn gently prompted.

“Because I am far too young to be at such an Echelon.”

He lifted his head and smiled sheepishly at Styadan, then looked at Lucas and nodded. Lucas jumped to his feet, retrieved the pitcher, and offered to fill their mugs. After everyone drank, some drank more than others, Xavier spoke again.

“I offer my apologies, Sir Styadan. I was just surprised that you would not consider yourself powerful enough to be taught how to do a mind link. Perhaps, if you would allow, I could repay you by showing you? It is not difficult to do once you learn the trick of it.”

When Styadan nodded, Xavier grinned and leaned forward excitedly. He rarely got to teach an adult how to do something. “Okay, first, you need to reach out and touch my mind.”

Styadan frowned as he shook his head. “I can not. When I tried to touch your mind before, I couldn’t even find you.”

“Oh, by Entropic’s whip!” Xavier cursed as he reached down and touched the ring on his left pinky finger and closed his eyes. A moment later, he opened them and looked sheepishly at Styadan. “Again, I apologize. I forgot about my ring. It’s one of my father’s security measures.”

Instead of thinking about the fact this child had a ring that made him invisible to a Mindmaster, Styadan simply nodded and closed his eyes. This time, he met Xavier’s mind, and his eyes flew open. While he thought it was a possibility, the overwhelming realization that this boy was indeed a dragon and not just any dragon still shook him deeply.

✶✶✶✶✶
 

Early the next morning, as they were getting ready to depart with the prisoner, Kameko looked at Xavier appraisingly. “I must say, in the few hours I have been able to speak to you and your group, you are certainly a plethora of contradictions.”

“Oh? Why do you say that, Elder?” Xavier replied with a cock of his head.

She couldn’t help but chuckle at the innocently confused look on the boy's face. “Right, there is one that is chief among them. Lew told me that you did not like to use the honorifics unless it was in a courtly setting.” Xavier nodded in agreement. “Yet, he also said that you would use my title as Clan Elder and not my Guild Rank honorific, which most would use.”

Xavier chuckled and nodded. “Lew does seem to be learning about us quickly. I assume you would like to know why?”

“If you would not mind sharing.” She answered.

“Absolutely! I would not mind sharing at all, especially since the reasons are related.” Xavier raised his eyes to the sky for a moment and noted that it would soon be dawn. He ran a hand through his long, sandy brown hair. “As for not using Courtly honorifics, well… we are in the field. If we had to bother ourselves with ritual and pomp, we would never get anything done… Nor would we ever have any fun.”

“Okay,” Kameko replied with understanding and a bit of amusement.

“As for using your title, well, frankly, you are an adult, a respected adult, and I am not an adult. For me to address you any other way would be disrespectful. I may be of royal blood, but does that mean I am better than others, especially those who have risen through the ranks of their people to be given such a great responsibility as a Clan Elder?

“I shudder to think of what my father would have done as punishment to me if he found out. I know this much; the punishment would have bypassed any whipping boy I had.” They both laughed, but Xavier actually did shudder.

Kameko turned a bit serious as she looked from Xavier to Lew and back again. “I am glad my Grandson has found such an honorable group to travel with.” Xavier nodded in thanks, but she shook her head slightly. “However, I fear for him as well, as you do not strike me as the type of person to stay out of danger.”

“I do try.” Xavier laughed.

“But not very successfully… This is why I have decided to tell you what I know about the wars that are going on. I feel you will be drawn into them, especially with your actions of sending the prisoner with us. In this case, forewarned is to be forearmed.”

“Well then, let me add to your suspicions.” Xavier half smiled as he withdrew a letter from under his robes. “I would ask that you personally hand this to Prince Milan or his trusted adviser once the Prince learns of the prisoner.” He paused as he pulled out a large dragon horn. “I would also ask that you give him this. As a Mindmaster, he should be able to glean some knowledge of the former owner. This is one of the Horns from the True we killed. He hailed from somewhere known as Bloody Rock.”

Kameko gasped as she took the horn. “I will make sure he gets both. He will certainly be interested in the Horn, as Bloody Rock is the epicenter of the current war.” Xavier cocked his head to the side again and waited to see if she would elaborate.

“Most of what I have heard is rumor and conjecture. However, to our north, the town of Slome is one of the larger settlements on the Silver Spine Plateau, above the Silver Spine Mountains. Not far from there is a place called Bloody Rock, which gets its name from the high iron content in those hills.” She paused and took a deep breath before she continued.

“I do not truly believe this next part, but it comes from more than one source. It is believed that a group of children who were taking a trip into the hills from their school stumbled upon ancient ruins deep inside the caves. While lost in there, it is said that this group of children managed to kill not only a Great Green Female but also the King of the Blacks.”

Xavier felt his knees go weak and had to lean against a tree to keep his footing. Concerned, Garnet rushed over, only to have Xavier shake his head. “I am fine,” He said to Garnet, then looked at Kameko. “Please continue.”

“Well, it is said that the death of these two Great Dragons may have ignited a new era of The Dragon Wars.” She finished with a shake of her head.

“I must ask. If you know, was the child that was the most instrumental in their deaths a Red-Haired Halfelf?” Xavier closed his eyes when Kameko gasped.

“How did you know?” She asked but did not let him answer. “Yes. The name I have heard is Kandric. They call him Premier Kandric.”

Garnet gasped while Xavier felt his stomach drop to his knees. This was one person he never wanted to meet.