Sands of Time - 10. Chapter 10

Xavier tried to rest in his tent, but his mind raced over the facts that he knew to be true. His Father was dead. Hell, everyone he had ever known, save those with him, were long dead. The tears that that one fact alone brought threatened to spill again, but he angrily wiped his eyes and sniffled, fighting back the urge to cry.

Outside, the wind gently blew the cold air around. They had discussed well into the night what they could do now that it was agreed that, no matter how hard they tried, there was no way they could go into Silverton and not mess everything up. This was something that really grated on his nerves. But infuriating or not, it was the truth.

After several turns of sandglass, they all agreed to find their beds for the night; Xavier was still trying to process everything he had learned with everything he knew. Could the world have fallen so much? Did his father know where and when he was sending them? Did parents really SELL their children? That last one really threatened to send him to the dark place that he did not want to go to.

Suddenly his attention was pulled to the sound of a small bell. No one else could have heard it since it came from one of the wards he had placed around the camp, just as he had since the first night they arrived in this strange time and bewildering place.

Xavier slowly pulled off his covers and grabbed for his knife. Slipping it behind the waistband of his underclothes, he stepped out of the tent and made a large show of stretching, complete with a loud yawn. He turned slightly and stretched out an arm towards the area that had been tripped, then let his arms drop. This ‘production’ was a signal to his friends who were on night watch that one of his wards had been tripped.

Lucas looked up at him with wide eyes but quickly nodded as he picked up on Xavier’s signal for where the intruder was. He also heard soft movement coming from the tent he shared with Olpha, as well as the tent that Garnet and now Aegir were in.

Lucas turned to Killian, who was also on watch and spoke just a bit louder than needed, hoping to cover the noise of the movement in the tents. “Xavier is a bit out of sorts when he wakes up in the middle of the night. Too much mead last night I guess. Speaking of which, I feel the need to relieve myself as well.” Lucas stood and then turned to look down at Killian. “Stay here and keep an eye out. I’ll be back in a while.”

Then he lowered his voice to the point that Killian barely heard him. “We have an intruder. When the others come out, let them know the ward was tripped to the north by northwest.” Lucas didn’t wait for an answer, just picked up his axehammer, threw it over his shoulder, and walked straight west and into the woods.

Once in the woods, he paused and concentrated, allowing his outdoorsman skills to take over. Cocking his head to one side he silently listened for what the woods were trying to tell him. After a brief moment, he slowly and without making a sound angled towards where the intruder should be.

Just over halfway there, he heard the sound of someone walking on the trail, trying to be quiet. With a feral grin, Lucas moved a bit quicker so as to get behind the brigand. He shadowed the smallish humanoid for a few meters before it reached the far side of the wagons.

The intruder seemed to stop and stare at the skull of the green dragon which is all the time that was needed to spring the trap. From behind the left wagon, Olpha stepped out, both her battle axes at the ready. Right behind her was Xavier. To the right was Garnet with his large Kopesh held at the ready, followed by Syth, his bow ready, with an arrow knocked.

The figure turned quickly around to run, taking two steps before its eyes fell on Lucas who was standing there, grinning, holding his ax hammer across his hands. The Halfling looked down and said something that had to be a curse, then lifted his hands up apparently in surrender.

Then in the blink of an eye, he dropped to the ground and tried to roll under the wagon and escape that way. The would-be thief was quick but Garnet was quicker, grabbing him by the ankle, dragging him back, and then hoisting him up in the air. Garnet looked at the thrashing halfling. “Well well well… What do we have here?”

Xavier stared in bewilderment at the thrashing creature in Garnet’s grip. As he watched, the intruder’s head came into contact with one of Garnet’s knees and went limp. Xavier looked at Garnet and then back at the unconscious intruder. “That is an excellent question.”

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Xavier sat bolt upright, gasping for breath and covered in sweat. His eyes were wide open and his heart was racing but the dream that had caused all this turmoil was gone. He shook his head trying to clear it and recall what the dream had been about, but there was nothing. Getting out of bed he reached for the water skin and took a long satisfying draw. Looking around the darkened tent, he realized that the sandglass would turn two and a half more times before the first hint of dawn, and decided to go back to bed. Maybe he would have the dream again, and this time remember what it was. Dream again he did, but still he could not remember what it was about.

When he exited his tent, he was not in good spirits. He got very little sleep, and what he did get was troubled. He may not have remembered what the dream was about, but he knew it was intense. The first thing his eyes found was the prisoner. The halfling’s brief contact with Garnet’s knee had left an impressive bruise on the side of his face, and one of his bright green eyes was swollen shut. Out of everything they faced right now, this creature had the potential to be the most troublesome.

He spotted Syth, completely covered in his desert robes, standing right behind the tied-up halfling and nodded to himself in satisfaction as he saw the magical collar that Mablin used for the other prisoners around its neck. ‘That makes things easier.’

Xavier spied Malachi returning from the woods where he no doubt had just relieved himself and motioned him over. The discussion was brief and when Malachi moved off, Xavier found himself a comfortable place to sit away from the fire ring, but still in sight of the prisoner, and waited.

A short time later, Malachi approached the prisoner with a plate of food, and a water skin. With a motion and a few words to Syth, the halfling had his bindings released, save for the magical collar. Malachi set the food and drink in front of him and then went back to fill another plate, which he brought back, and sat down across from the halfling.

When Malachi started to speak, Xavier closed his eyes and concentrated, using his Mind Master talents to skim the surface thoughts of the halfling as Malachi questioned him. He was extremely careful not to dig into his mind at all, as that would give him away. That's why Malachi was asking specific questions in specific ways so as to make the person think of the answer even if he did not verbalize anything. Xavier was once again thankful for his Mind Master trainers, and the intensity in which they taught him.

Time held no meaning for Xavier while he was skimming the prisoner's mind. His concentration was so deep it would require someone to physically rouse him if something needed his attention. When he opened his eyes again he was mildly surprised to see Lew a few feet in front of him, bow in hand, watching for any trouble. Seeing Garnet nearby as well, was expected and made sense. Garnet knew how hard he was having to concentrate, and made sure he was protected.

“Lew?” Xavier asked in a tired voice, causing the Pantherling to jump slightly. “Would you mind asking the rest to join me, while you take over guard duty? Please make sure he is properly restrained, and do not, under any circumstances, release the collar around his neck.”

Lew’s eyes raised a bit in surprise but nodded, and quickly moved away. He watched as Lew spoke to Syth and Malachi, who then retied the Halfling's wrists before they moved over to speak with Xavier, gathering Thane, Olfa, and Lucas in the process.

Once they were all assembled, Xavier sighed and wiped his hands down his face. He then took a moment to meet the eyes of each of his friends before he spoke. “If someone were to tell me what I am about to tell you, I would call them a liar, but I have confirmed it no less than three times. That Halfling… is a shifted Green Dragon.” He paused as his face took on a look of total confusion while he spoke the next part. “A WARRIOR Dragon.”

Garnet’s head snapped around to look at the Halfling hard for several seconds while the rest softly objected to what Xavier said. Finally, he sighed and nodded. “It should not be, but it is.”

“Why would anyone ever want to teach a Warrior how to shift?” Olpha asked in utter shock.

“I do not know,” Xavier said with a shake of his head. “Perhaps they are doing the unthinkable, and simply teaching anyone.” He paused as a frown crossed his face as he took a deep breath.

“I do know he was here to gather the horns of the True we fell. They are concerned that, if made into rings, they may imbue knowledge that they do not wish to be shared. I do not know what that knowledge is, but it is about some place called Bloody Rock, somewhere to the North. I also know he is very upset because, by being captured he will not be able to collect his reward. The right to Fly a Legendary Echelon Green Warrior female.”

“Bloody Rock?” Syth asked softly. “That is where the Rhinolings say they are from.”

Xavier considered for only a few seconds before he looked at Garnet and Olpha. “Get those horns.”

He got a stern nod from both before they quickly moved off.

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It took Mablin longer than normal to exit his wagon that morning. Not only had they been up later than usual discussing their plans, but those plans necessitated his writing three letters to merchants he knew in Silverton. Their new plan was to have Lew and Killian ride into Silverton, deliver the letters, and see if any or all were interested in the dragon parts he had for sale. If they were, then they would send their own guards out to escort Mablin, Gradon, and Madelyn in. If they were not, then Lew and Killian were to go to the local hiring hall and secure guards that would escort them in. Either way, Mablin was not about to travel through the slums without guards.

When he exited the wagon, he was greeted by nods from people busily working around the camp. The sole exception was Syth who was standing near an unknown bruised and battered Halfling, who was manacled, stripped down to his loincloth, and had a locking collar strapped to his neck. The small figure was seated on one of the logs by the campfire, and barely even looked up when Mablin exited the wagon.

He stretched, reminding himself he was still nursing a rather severe injury, the slight grimace that crossed his face was all he would allow anyone to see of it though. “What’s this?” He asked, pointing at a nearly naked halfling sitting by the fire as Gradon made it close to him.

“Thief,” Gradon said with a grunt. “They caught him sniffing around the wagons.”

“It is still alive?” Mablin asked in disgust. One policy he always had was, that on the road, thieves were killed, not captured. They were harder to hold, and frankly, the reputation helped keep other thieves from trying. It was a lesson he learned from his father.

“Xavier was rather insistent that they would guard the prisoner, and would take full responsibility for it,” Gradon responded, confusion and disgust evident in his voice.

Mablin sighed with frustration as his hand traveled through his long lock of graying hair. He really couldn't tell the Prince… no actually, the King, no. So instead, he just shook his head and shrugged. “Whatever, I cannot deal with that…” They were interrupted by a Panther’s scream that came from the general direction of the road. Lew looked up and immediately picked up his bow. “Nimbi has spotted people on the road.”

Over by where Madelyn and Thane were working with the Bear Scorpions, Thane moved to Amakiir’s side, patted him on the side, and spoke softly to him. “Fly, then let me borrow your sight, my friend.” Madelyn cocked her head to the side in question as Amakiir pushed against Thane for a second, then took three bounding steps before unfurling his wings and taking flight.

“Thane?” Madelyn asked, but Thane held up a hand to silence her. He needed to stay focused on what he was doing.

A moment later, she saw his eyes change from the crystal blue they usually were, to a black darker than pure obsidian. Shortly after that, his head tilted slightly downward. “I count fifteen guards, and one man dressed much like you do, Sir Mablin,” Thane said loud enough for others to hear. “They do not have weapons drawn, however all but the lead man are certainly guards… There are no banners being flown though.” After another moment he spoke. “They are coming this way.” He closed his eyes and shook his head, and when he opened them back up, they were his normal blue.

“How… What?” Madelyn stammered, Lew stood there with his mouth agape, while Mablin stared at him and softly spoke, “So the rumors are true…”

“Animal Magic…” Thane said as if it should have been obvious. He would have said more, but a loud voice hailed them from around the bend.

“Merchant Mablin! We come to you with an offer!”

It took Mablin a second before he cleared his throat, and called out. “You may enter the camp.”

Xavier motioned to Syth who quickly took the prisoner out of sight. The others casually took up defensive positions around the camp. He then schooled his emotions so he could try and read the newcomers.

The first one to enter his vision was a richly dressed, at least by today’s standards, human man with a large grin, and an even larger mustache that stuck out several inches to either side of his face. Next came the guards, and he had to fight off the sneer on his face as he saw 2 of the guards were half-orcs. The rest were a combination of mostly humans, with some half-elves, one full-blooded elf, and a rare, to him, half-dwarf, and one Bronze Dragonling.

The man made his way directly to Mablin with only three of the guards at his back, while the rest stayed behind, dismounted, and allowed their mounts time to rest and pick at the meager offerings buried under the snow.

Xavier just watched as Mablin greeted the man with a handshake. They spoke for a moment before he called Thane over. Both Lew and Madelyn looked annoyed at this development because they had questions of their own for the prince, but they could not do anything. Nor could he. Not sensing any danger, he slowly made his way over to his two new, and very stunned friends.

“Do you know what he did?” Madelyn asked in a soft voice.

“You mean watching through Amakiir’s eyes?” Xavier asked, slightly confused.

“He can do that? Is that what he was doing?” Madelyn asked wide-eyed.

“How?” Lew squeaked out.

Xavier sighed as he thought about yet more knowledge that had been lost. “He said it’s called Animal Magic. Not being an Animal Adept or a Druid, I do not know how it is done, so you will have to ask him.” he paused as he looked over to where Thane was watching the two men converse and shrugged. “…After Mablin has finished his negotiations, I assume.”

The next half turn of the sandglass passed agonizingly slowly for the two animal lovers, as they alternated between petting and softly talking to their animals while looking longingly at Thane. It was almost enough to make Xavier grin as he watched.

Finally, the man and Mablin shook hands, then the man shook Thane’s hand while giving Gradon a simple nod. The four men then walked back towards their horses and seemed to wait there while Mablin, Gradon, and Thane talked. After another few minutes, the three broke up, and Thane moved towards Xavier while Mablin waved for Jameson and the dismounted guards to move over to the wagons that would be going into Silverton...

“The man’s name is Jameson.” Thane began softly. “He represents a large consortium in Silverton. He came out here to see if he could cut a deal with Mablin before anyone else could. Smart on his part, since Mablin has agreed to hear what the group has to say before he tries to sell to anyone else. Mablin and Gradon will be heading into Silverton with the wagons and prisoners.” He paused and looked at Madelyn and Lew with a shake of his head. “He mentioned that you would want to stay out here with us.” She eagerly nodded her head.

Thane just shook his head as he looked back at Xavier. “When Mablin said it may take up to a week before they returned, I told him that we would find a good place to camp, then send word through Lew and Killian, as to where we will be camping.”

Xavier was quiet for a moment before he nodded. “Good idea. We will send Lucas and Syth out to scout for an area for us, but I want to wait until our visitors have left before anyone leaves camp. Then, until they find one, we will remain where we are… As a war camp. I’ll get the others together and let them know what’s going on.”

Thane nodded and turned to leave when Madelyn spoke up. “Uhhh… Thane?” Xavier smiled softly as he turned and walked away, not being noticed by either Madelyn or Lew. “About animal magic…” he heard before he was too far away. He smiled to himself, Thane would be occupied for a while. He went on his way and set about the task at hand. He had orders to give, and a camp to rearrange.”

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“Close your eyes,” Thane said in a soft voice. To his right sat Lew, with Nimbi lying next to him, his paw gently stroking her fur. To his left, Madelyn sat with Faelwen behind her, snuggling as well as she could, and Bruin stayed out in front of her, his back pressed up against her legs.

Thane was totally unaware that just around the corner of the tent, and completely out of sight he had a third student. Sigvat, the young nine-year-old equivalent animal adept trainee, was intently listening to every word Thane said as he protectively cupped a tiny creature in his hands. “Now deep inside yourself in that ball of magic that represents your power. You should have been taught how to reach that during your training, yes?”

They both nodded, without opening their eyes. Unseen by anyone else, Sigvat remembered the things his mother had taught him, and he nodded too.

“Good, now dive deeper into the magic. Deeper where you find the primal rage and love that makes it possible for you to connect with animals. Find the part of the magic that is where the bond exists… That lets you and the animal connect on a level only an animal adept or druid can achieve.”

Thane looked at both and saw they were struggling to find it. It’s as if they never had to do this before, which really made him both sad and angry. Finding the balls of magic inside of him that represented his animals was one of the things that brought him the most comfort and joy. Deep down, in a place Thane would not even allow himself to know, he was insecure. Not surprising after the way his family treated him. However, having the ability to feel, in a way that can not be faked, the unconditional love and commitment his animal friends gave him made him whole. Made him stronger than he otherwise would be. As for Madelyn and Lew, they did not have that. Nor did their animals. As they were about to discover, that love and commitment were a two-way street.

“Look deeper if you have it, but it is there. You could not have bonded with your friend without it.” Thane said softly after a few moments of silence.

The moment Bruin’s head shot up and he stared at Madelyn, softly cooing, Thane knew she had found it. “Good, keep hold of it, do not let it go.” While he was speaking, he saw Nimbi also jump slightly and start to purr. Seeing their reactions made Thane a bit sad as it confirmed that these two had never done this before, but also excited as he would be able to share this with them.

“Good… good, both of you. Now, just hold onto it, and get to know it. This is the piece of your animal's essence that has bonded with your own magic. Truly feel and understand the depth of the connection between you and your animal.” The smile he saw on Madelyn’s face, combined with the tears that fell from her eyes, told him more than anything else that she understood.

“Now for the fun part,” Thane said with a grin they could not see. “I want you to take a small part of that magic, a very small part of it, and separate it from the rest. Raise your hand when you have done it.” It wasn’t long before first Madelyn and then Lew raised a single hand. He knew Madelyn would have an easier time with this, not simply because she was a teacher, as compared to Lew’s secondary, but also, because Animal Adepts have always had an easier time with this magic.

“Very good… Very good indeed.” Thane praised softly. “Now take that small part and bring it to your eyes. Do not open your eyes yet, but bring that magic there.” He grinned as he saw them do the same thing that everyone he ever saw doing this in training did, including himself. They raised one of their hands to their eyes entirely unnecessarily. “Good, now, once you have the magic over your eyes, release it, then open your eyes.”

Both Madelyn and Lew gasped as they opened their eyes. Of course, they didn’t need to open them, as they were not looking out of their own eyes at the moment. They turned their heads, and nothing happened until their pet turned theirs.

Softly, Thane gave his last command as he stood. “Keep practicing this for a bit, then ask your pets to slowly walk around so you can get used to seeing as they see while they are moving.” Before Thane could say anything else, a sudden loud outburst in the camp broke everyone’s concentration.

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Aegir stood to one side where his mentor had told him to stay put. He was giggling at the activity around the wagons and especially where the Moosecamels were kept. It was obvious that the guards had never hitched anything as cantankerous and contrary as a Moosecammel. Even Malachi was chuckling where he stood beside his wagon, both feet firmly planted on the ground, hammer in hand, determined to make sure that no one mistook his wagon as part of Mablin’s merchandise.

Garnet, Gradon, and even Mablin, injured though he was, had waded into the thick of it, trying to bring order to the chaos. Aegir was especially impressed with their ability to outswear any of the guards as one by one, the resisting draft animals found themselves harnessed to a wagon. Xavier was only vaguely aware of the noise from where he stood with Lucas discussing possible directions to scout for a new campsite once Mablin and the caravan were on their way to Silverton. Suddenly, every head in the camp snapped toward the wagons when they heard Mablin shout.

“BY ALL THE GODS! THEY ARE GONE!! WE’VE BEEN ROBBED!!!” Xavier guessed in an instant what the problem was as he watched the enraged merchant storm in his direction.

“WHERE IS HE? I WANT THAT DAMN THIEF!! I WILL HAVE HIS HIDE, AND THEN I WILL TAKE SLICES UNTIL HE TELLS ME WHERE THEY ARE!!! I WANT THEM BACK, AND I WANT THEM NOW!!!!”

Purple-faced and feeling the pain in his chest, Mablin came to a stop fifteen paces away when Lew appeared directly in front of Xavier; his bow was drawn to his cheek, and he was ready to release an arrow. Syth flew out of Lucas and Olpha’s tent, leaving her to guard their prisoner. His bow was at the ready also. Gradon, Garnet, and Aegir were just a few paces behind Mablin. Xavier saw the red fletching on Lew’s arrow and sprang into action. If he released it, everyone was in danger.

“Lew. Stay your hand! Lower your weapon. There is no danger here.” He focused on his still-injured friend next. “Lower your weapon, too. There is no need for it.” He waited till Syth nodded, then he stepped around Lew and walked up to Mablin. “Sir Mablin. My deepest apologies… I assume this is about the horns?” Mablin glared at Xavier and said nothing but nodded. “This is all my doing. They were removed by my order, and I have not had the chance to confer with you about why they were taken. Be assured they are safe.” Mablin was still agitated, but the color in his face had faded from purple to red. Still, it was obvious that he was in pain.

Xavier looked at Syth. “Send Olpha out here.” Syth disappeared into the tent, and moments later, Olpha came out. “Sir Mablin is in pain and needs your assistance.” She nodded and went back into the tent, reappearing moments later with a small leather pouch. Xavier turned to Gradon. “Let’s find a place for Sir Mablin to sit down so we can talk.”

A few minutes later, Xavier and Mablin were sitting next to each other at the fire circle. Xavier looked at everyone that had gathered around, and with a slight motion of his head, everyone took the hint and wandered off to resume whatever they had been doing before all the excitement. All except Lew, that is. He backed up far enough that his pantherling ears could not hear whatever was said but close enough to protect his prince if the need arose. All that remained around the fire circle were Mablin, Gradon, Olpha, and Xavier.

“Here, drink this,” Olpha said as she put a small cup in Mablin’s hands. “It will relieve the pain.” Mablin took the cup and gulped the contents down, then made a sour face. “Yeah, it tastes pretty bad, but it works. Now sip at this. It tastes a lot better. The two work together and will help you relax a bit.”

He took the warm mug and sniffed it cautiously before sipping. A small smile came to his face. It really did taste good. After a second sip, the bad taste from the first potion was gone. “Thank You Olpha. This one is a lot better.” She just nodded, then stepped back where she could keep an eye on him for a while. The smile disappeared behind a frown as he turned his attention to Xavier. “You should have said something before I made such an ass of myself.”

Xavier’s gaze dropped to his boots for a moment. He was still a kid, and an adult had just scolded him, and he knew Mablin was right. He looked up.”You are right, of course; I really should have told you… But with everything going on this morning… Well, there just was not a chance to do it. I am sorry for the distress this has caused, and I hope I will be forgiven?” Xavier watched Mablin’s face as he waited for a reply.

Mabin’s frown slowly disappeared. “Well, I suppose it really could not be helped… And perhaps I did overreact just a bit… And no real harm has been done. So, we shall not speak of it again.” He smiled ruefully, and Xavier returned the smile.

“I was concerned about the magic that the horns hold.” Xavier paused. “As you know, they hold the secret of how a dragon died, and I was concerned that if they fell into the wrong hands… Well, it could lead someone we would rather not have to deal with, right to us.” Both Xavier and Mablin knew that this was true, but it was only a half-truth. Xavier continued speaking before Mablin could say anything.

Xavier reached for his coin pouch. “Perhaps I can make amends. Would you do me the honor of becoming your first paying customer this morning?” Perhaps we can strike a deal.” Mablin watched in amazement as platinum coins spilled out into Xavier’s hand. “I will pay you ten platinum for the horns with no questions asked till you return… Or… If you must, I will pay three and spend the rest of the day answering any questions you may have about the dragon’s horns…”

Mablin’s mind raced as he considered what Xavier was saying… and offering. The merchant in him knew that just three of those coins were worth nearly twice what the horns could bring in Silverton. But ten platinum in one day and no questions? His curiosity peaked like an itch that demanded scratching. He always said knowledge is power, for they can take everything from you but what you know. However, it was clear that there was something the halfelf did not want to talk about. He knew these children from a distant past had secrets. After seeing the spell pages Syth was working on sorting out, he knew they had secrets they didn’t even know they had. But… ten platinum… And it was only yesterday that he touched his first platinum. Then, another thought struck him. He was wasting time, and the morning was burning away. He needed to get to Silverton. His curiosity would have to wait. But he also did not need to let Xavier know this. He was a merchant, and this was his game.

“You play a somewhat dangerous game, my lord. Bartering with a person on the verge of becoming a merchant prince is a good way to lose much of your coin.” His words were a warning, but his easy smile made Xavier know he was not only warning Xavier but also trying to teach him a lesson. “Here is my counteroffer. I will refrain from asking any questions now and take seven coins. However, when I return, I would like you to answer any and ALL questions I may have, and not just about the horns. In return, I will do as Olpha suggested and see if there is a mage powerful enough to gate us to Lucas the Lost. I will also pay for our transport.”

Xavier was quietly thoughtful for many moments before he spoke again. “How long do you think it would take us to get there without a Gate spell?”

Mablin considered for a moment before answering. “Well, seeing as I plan to add a few more wagons, as well as hire drivers and more guards, I would say it would take us the better part of a moon, perhaps a bit longer. Add onto that, that we will be technically within the Wastelands of Odin once we leave Leer’s Crossing, which could add more time since that is a dangerous area.”

Xavier glanced over to Gradon, who was nodding in agreement even before Xavier looked at him. “Five Platinum and I will answer anything that is mine to tell. If you have questions for the others, they may answer them IF they choose, but if it is mine to tell, I shall.”

Mablin thought for a moment before he nodded. “Deal.”

Xavier closed his eyes as he offered up a prayer to Dawnbreaker in the language of the old ones before he opened his eyes again, this time though there was strength and fire in those eyes. He nodded as he held out his hand to Mablin. “I feel we have no choice but to trust you, even with some of our most intimate secrets.”

Mablin took his wrist, feeling the five platinum coins, and shook. He tried to pull back, but Xavier held fast. “I pray that I have not made a bad decision, for if I or my companions were to be betrayed, know that I would make even the likes of Frexla jealous with my retribution.” He held Mablin’s eyes as well as his wrist for a few moments, making sure his words had the desired effect.

Just as Mablin’s eyes started to harden, Xavier released his hand and smiled, trying to defuse the tension. Gradon chuckled. “Like there was ever any doubt. You hit him in the coin purse, and he went down for the count.” Mablin just laughed as he felt the weight of five platinum coins in his hand. Half a turn of the sandglass later, everyone that was staying behind watched as Mablin and Gradon, along with Jameson, led the caravan around a bend in the road and disappeared from sight.

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Off in the distance and high in a tree, the small being that had followed Jameson and his guards watched as the caravan moved off toward Silverton. He also saw that it looked like the others, who had remained behind, were starting to pack to move. This certainly was an odd grouping. He couldn’t make out many of the details from this position, but some of them seemed to be dressed most oddly… and what in the name of all the gods are those ten-legged lizard-looking things?

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Thane shook his head as he turned and looked around the new camp. It was still early afternoon, and everyone was still moving around, putting the finishing touches on their new campsite, or following other pursuits. Off to the side, he saw Garnet and Aegir heading off into the woods. Over by the prisoner, Syth was keeping guard, not that he needed to since both Amakiir and Suiadan were ‘playing’ right nearby and also keeping an eye on the halfling. Lucas and Killian were chatting at the campfire, probably talking about magic.

Olpha and Malachi were in their respective cottages. It was decided that those would be the only cottages set up since Malachi needed to do some forge work, and Lucas and Olpha needed her little scriptorium workshop to do some page copying.

Thane was a little annoyed that Xavier did not allow him to set up his own cottage, as it was easily the most comfortable, but he had to agree that there wasn’t room in this clearing. Speaking of Xavier, the young royal in his halfelf skin, waved him over to where he sat next to where they had the sand skimmers picketed.

He changed direction and met up with his friend a few steps later. “I need you to be ready in case there is trouble.”

“Trouble?” Thane asked, looking around for any sign of a problem.

“No, we are truly alone out here. However, Garnet just took Aegir off to take the lad's first trip into the spirit realm.”

“Already?” Thane asked with wide eyes.

“Yes,” Xavier said with a grin. “I personally have never seen Garnet speak so highly of a student. Not that he’s ever had one before, but you know he used to help out with Captain Idril, the Captain of the palace guard.”

“High praise indeed.” Thane nodded his head.

“Not that Aegir would ever know,” Xavier said with a laugh, then his face grew serious. “The problem is, once in the spirit realm, Garnet will not be able to hide his true form, so we must be ready for when they emerge. There is no telling how the lad will react.”

“Especially with the fact that those in this time seem to have never had to deal with dragons the way those from our time did,” Thane commented.

“Exactly.”

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Malachi was happy. He was even whistling as he donned his heavy apron and spread out the tools he would need. The fact that the first forging that he would be doing at this time was working with Drow Soul Steel just made him happier. Most people dreaded having to work with the black metal that only the Drow knew where to mine the ore. It was one of the hardest of the special metals to work. Only Eldwar and Mythmetal were more difficult to work with. It was the challenge that made Malachi happy.

Of course, there was always a chance that Malachi could destroy some or all of the Soul Steel he was going to be working with, but that was part of the challenge. He used a long rod to push the fire stones closer together so they would emit the heat needed to melt down the pieces of the Khopesh that Garnet had given him to use.

Once he was ready, he moved to where the naked blade of the Khopesh sat on the large anvil. He had already removed the pommel and was ready to break it into smaller chunks that would fit into his crucibles. He looked at the blade for a long moment, then pulled out his pendant of Golan and kissed it while sending up a prayer to his primary deity. It only made sense that Golan would be Malachi’s primary god as he was the god of Craftsmanship. He said another prayer to Dresden, the god of mining and metal, asking for his guidance in smithing this very rare and brutal metal.

After a deep, calming breath, he started a low-pitched chant. He briefly remembered the first time he had heard this song, while he was still a very young lad, not even out of his nappies. His father and the other master smiths would sing this while they worked. It was less a song and more a way to help time the hammer strikes, the amount of time the blade would be left in the oils to quench it. It was a hymn to the gods, and to the smiths that came before. The chant is what focused his mind on the metal that he was working with. All else faded away as he sang.

Knowing it would take some time for the metal to reach the liquid state, he went about setting up the anvil and setting out his tools on the bench next to it. He filled up his quenching bucket and made sure the windows were all open. It may be cold outside, but it would be hot in his little cottage quickly.

He ignored small things like the passage of time, but he did make sure to drink water. When he saw the Soul Steel was ready, he took a long draw off the waterskin, then, with a grin, used the long holding tool to pick up the first crucible and, slowly, carefully pour it into the ingot mold.

Once it cooled a little, he turned the ingot mold over and dropped out his first bit of Soul Steel. He didn’t even look as he reached behind him, his hand quickly finding the grip of his favorite heavy hammer. He let out a sigh of pure contentment as the hammer struck the black, malleable metal, causing sparks to erupt from under his hammer. The hammer struck in time with the chant that came from deep within him. As his hammer beat on the metal, and the chant was drawn from his very soul, he suddenly returned to his home. He held his father's hand, looking down for the first time at the magical forge deep within the bowels of the Iron Fortress.

Time meant nothing to him as time and again he folded the metal, hammering the two pieces into one, then reheated it and folded it again and again before pushing it towards its final shape.

He barely looked up as he heard another voice join his chant. This one was much deeper than his own and had almost a purr to it. Stepping out of a swirling portal, a large Pantherling from the spirit realm moved next to him, pouring out the same amount of Soul Steel as Malachi had done. The Pantherling was well-built and wore the apron as if he were born with it. He opened his hand, and a hammer appeared in it; Malachi could tell it was well-used.

Obviously, one of the gods had heard his prayer and sent this apparition. In his trance-like state, everything felt that all was as it should be. Suddenly, the forge was a cacophony of sounds as two hammers beat the Soul Steel into their desired shape.

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“This will do very well,” Garnet said as he stopped and looked around at the small clearing they were in. They were not too far from the rest of the camp, easily within voice range, but far enough away that there would not be anything to distract his charge, not even the bell-like hammering coming from Malachi’s forge.

He looked down at the boy and smiled a toothless smile. The boy, he knew, wanted nothing more than to ask what they would be doing, especially since Garnet had told him to wear his armor and nothing else, including weapons. Finally, Aegir couldn’t contain himself any longer. “Mentor?” He said in a soft, almost pleading voice.

“Come stand in front of me,” Garnet ordered, and Aegir did as he was bid. A week ago, a creature as large as Garnet telling him to come close would have scared him out of his wits, but he had learned much more about Garnet than many would realize. Garnet was tough, demanding, and brokered no-nonsense, but he would never knowingly hurt the boy. With this in mind, Aegir quickly moved to stand within arms reach of his Mentor.

Garnet put a hand on each of the young boy’s shoulders, his six-fingered Orakin hands easily covering the boy’s diminutive shoulders. He then turned the boy around and pulled him back into himself. The boy’s head barely crested Garnet’s beltline. They stayed like that for a few moments before he spoke.

“I have been extremely pleased with your progress.” He said, causing the boy below him to stiffen a bit but grin wildly. When Garnet continued to talk, Aegir heard, for the first time, the real Garnet, not the ornery mentor he usually dealt with.

“As you know, I have never mentored anyone before but had thought about it. You are the youngling that I had always hoped to guide. While I do not consider myself to be a teacher, I have come to learn that this time, I would be considered one by this time’s standards. As such, I have decided that I could do no less than teach you as I feel a Teacher would.” Again, Garnet felt Aegir Stiffen in shock and excitement over the words being spoken. Garnet couldn’t help but chuckle.

“You may learn to regret the excitement and happiness you feel now since my role as a Teacher will be much more… intense… than my role as a Mentor.” Aegir felt a small amount of trepidation at those words but also a large amount of excitement at knowing that, no matter how bad Garnet could be, Aegir would be the better for it. A surprising amount of maturity for a boy who only recently attained double digits in age.

“So, as your teacher,” Garnet spoke again, “My first official act is to inform you that after today’s lesson, you will no longer be in the Preparation Echelon but entering fully into the Training Echelon. Or, if I understand the new system properly, you are moving out of your Training Time and into the Primary Echelon.”

“Really?” Aegir couldn’t help himself as he spun around, looking up at Garnet with wide eyes.

“Yes, Aegir… really. Since the day you agreed to come under my tutelage, you have worked more tirelessly than even I did in my Preparation time, which I thought to be impossible. However, the hardest part that you have had to face will come today.” Garnet turned the grinning boy back around. “I want you to look around closely. I want you to feel the nature around you; I want you to think about every rock, every tree, every snowflake that is lying on the ground.” His words took on a hypnotic tone as he spoke. “Think about every living creature that may be around here right now, even those you can not see.” He waited almost a full minute while he felt Aegir turning his head from side to side. “Good; now close your eyes, and do not open them again until I tell you.” Garnet sighed, then pushed both himself and Aegir into the Spirit Realm.

✶✶✶✶✶

Xavier sighed as he wiped the tears from his eyes. In his lap sat the letter his father had written to him before they were sent forward in time. His father's words answered many questions but also left one very large question unanswered. His father stated that he was only powerful enough to send them forward fifty to one hundred years, even with his death gift added to the power, so how did they end up eleven THOUSAND years in the future?

His thoughts floated back to the story his father told him, the story about how and why his great-grandfather founded Seandra.

Early on in the Mythling wars, his great-grandfather and the King of the Sands threw his weight behind Odin. While not technically a Mythling or Mythlet, Odin’s power rivaled any one, perhaps any two of them. That made him a dangerous target to those trying to control as much of the world as possible. The Mythlings, who would soon become the demon lords, targeted him mercilessly, destroying whatever holdings they could and those that followed him.

The Mythlets, the soon-to-be Gods, did not help him all that much because they were worried about him being a threat to their power as well.

The Old Ones aided him as well as his allies like the Sand Dragons, but in the end, it wasn’t enough. Odin’s last stand was one of the largest battles in recorded history. It lasted years and destroyed untold tracts of land. Odin never conceded defeat, he simply told his troops to stand down, and he left. No one, as far as Xavier was told, knew where he went… not even Odin’s eldest son Greysac. However, before he left, Odin instructed Xavier’s great-grandfather to use his old holdings as a new homeland for the Sands, since their original homeland had been destroyed.

According to Xavier’s father, his grandfather had looked around and saw many different races he had fought side by side with and decided then and there that the Sands would break tradition. They would open up the Homeland to anyone who agreed to fall under the rule of the Sand Dragons.

This expanded group of warriors, along with the help of the Temple Guardians of Dawnbreaker, were able to clear out what became the Seandran kingdom of all the evil that had been brought about to destroy Odin. Once the area was cleared, they combined their magics to create the jewel of the Seandrian Kingdom, the city built into the mountain… the city of Seandra. Xavier’s home, at least it once was.

Now though… Now, he has a new home. Maybe not a specific place yet but indeed, a new time. No amount of self-pity or self-doubt would change this. He could find a place to cower and simply try to live his life, or he could do as his father commanded and try to retake and rebuild Seandra. He may not have the Seandrans that had been sent with his mother and the wealth from his father’s hoard, but he had his friends, old and new.

They would have to be enough.

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Killian sat by himself, simply looking at things with his ‘magic sense.’ He was starting to learn how to see the magic in everything. It was always in motion, sometimes a simple ebb and flow that would gently drift upward or slowly sink. At other times it would swirl in sparkling, colorful eddies as if driven by some unfelt breeze. It was beautiful, terrifying, and comforting all at the same time. He realized that was impossible, but it’s what he felt.

He knew how to create items out of nothing more than magic, but he never watched as he did it. Never before had he seen the magic in the air around him flow towards him, into him, and then out from his hand, becoming whatever it was he wanted to make. Just that tiny, simple thing that Lucas taught him opened up so many possibilities that he never even imagined before.

His eyes fell on the people he was starting to get to know. He loved watching the magic flow in and out of them. Malachi had the least amount, but it was also very sharp. Syth and Thane had the next largest amount of magic flowing around them, and while it was very similar to each other, there were also marked differences.

Garnet had much more magic flowing in and out and all around him. He and Xavier both had magic that seemed to reach out to everything around them, almost forming an outline or shadow of something much larger… Almost, but not quite. Killian couldn’t understand it.

Then there was Lucas. He had the most apparent shades of color flowing in, about, and out of him. It was almost hypnotic to watch, and Killian sometimes found himself lost in the swirls around his new friend.

Speaking of Lucas, he heard the boy chuckle behind him, so he reluctantly let go of the magic sight and allowed his normal sense of sight to return. “I remember moons sitting in the central garden of my home city of Sand Garden, simply doing what you were just doing.”

“It’s almost addictive.” Killian sighed, and he looked around, but not letting his magic sight take over again. Lucas sighed as he slid down a tree to sit at its base.

“Not almost,” he said earnestly, which caused Killian to look at Lucas and see the seriousness in the normally humor-filled face. That alone caused Killian to sober up, turn to face his friend, and wait to see what had caused this departure in the boy’s normal behavior. “If I were to ask you what your current echelon and step is, would you answer me truthfully?”

“Of course,” Killian answered instantly, then lowered his voice so only Lucas could hear. “I am Teaching Step 5.” As soon as he started to answer, Lucas was shaking his head. “What?” Killian asked in confusion.

When you killed the Dragon, you were just entering into the Secondary Echelon. When he gifted you, he gave you knowledge, which I do not think you have tried to discover yet. Probably because you did not know about it. However, his power also pushed you into the Teaching Echelon, just the barest step away from Expert.” He paused as he started to see comprehension build on Killian’s face. “The fight with the bandits was barely enough to push you over the edge, but push you it did.”

“You mean I’s be Expert?” Lucas said nothing about the slip in language while he simply nodded.

“You are a higher Echelon than I am,” Lucas said with a grin that slowly faded. “But with that great amount of magic power, doorways of magic that you can barely conceive become available to you.” Leaning forward, knowing he had the lad’s attention. “Not only can you test someone, once you learn all the different tastes, you can now take that magic and rearrange it in someone… Changing their field.”

“What?” He shouted as he quickly leaned back against the tree. “That ain’t possible!” He said, just slightly softer.

“Yes, Killian, it is,” Lucas replied softly. “If you wish, ask Garnet. From what I understand, he was a Shaman, just as Xavier is. However, when he was asked to be Xavier’s bonded brother and sworn protector, he asked King Soin'reali, to reshape his magic into that of a Spirit Warrior so that he and Xavier could become more cohesive as a unit. Not only did his father agree to it, but the King himself performed the ceremony needed.”

Killian’s face was awash with awe at the very thought of that. “How?” he whispered almost breathlessly.

“I am not yet powerful enough to do it, nor do I have anywhere near the control needed, but it is much like how you make any sort of tool. You pull the magic from the air and form it into what you want. Once you learn to truly sense the different tastes of the different fields, you will be able to pull the magic out of someone and remake it the way you want it to be, like you do when you make a spear or staff. Then, you simply push it back into the person. It does deplete the overall amount of magic the person has in them, but with hard work and dedication, that can be overcome.”

“Wow,” Lucas said in an almost dream-like state.

“There is a dark side to this as well that you must know about,” Lucas said and waited as Killian again became serious. “What would happen to a person if you were to take their magic out of them, and instead of reshaping it, you absorbed it into yourself, leaving them void of any and all magic?”

The sheer horror that grew slowly on Killian’s face as his thoughts ran away with him was enough to let Lucas know that his friend was starting to truly realize the amount of power he had within him. “I… I don’t think the person could survive… That is truly a dark use of magic!”

“Yes, it most certainly is… I see you have just realized some of the more twisted uses of your newfound power,” Lucas said.

“Lucas, I do have a question, though.”

“Ask, and I will try to answer.”

“When I look at everyone's aura, I see some amazing things. Yours is different, but I really want to know what I’m seeing when I look at Garnet and Xavier. They seem to have the most power, but it seems to be surrounding something much bigger than they are.” Killian looked deep into Lucas’s eyes. “What am I seeing?”

Lucas studied Killian till he saw the boy start to squirm. He knew that, with Garnet taking Aegir into the spirit realm, the secret would be soon released. He had gotten permission from Xavier, if Lucas felt Killian could handle it, to share the secret. Finally, when Killian really started to fidget and regret asking the question, Lucas responded with one word that would change Killian’s life forever.

“Dragons.”

✶✶✶✶✶

The small being was a bit closer now, having quietly worked his way in closer and closer, trying to learn all he could about this weird group of kids. He almost revealed himself when he finally saw the one close enough to realize that it was indeed a Drow. Not only was it armed and armored, he was laughing with the others as if he were part of the group. He was also the one who primarily stood guard over the obvious Halfling Prisoner. Once again, he wondered why they would have a prisoner who needed such close watching. He really needed to hear what they were saying, but he dared not get too close. Even with all the magic he was given, he was hard-pressed to keep the menagerie of dangerous animals in the camp from noticing him. He definitely did not want to risk being discovered.

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