Sands of Time - 6. Chapter 6

It did not take them very long to get ready to go in the morning, although Mablin and company wanted to be there to see Thane's 'shelter' being brought down to traveling size. They were all shocked that it could almost fit into a pocket. Of course, when told that reducing his shelter cost him the same force as two Expert spells to shrink it and one to enlarge, it sobered them up a bit. The fact that every single one of the children had these shelters stupefied Mablin. He wasn't sure if learning that Thane's was by far the largest and cost the most force was comforting or not.

It was quite the sight as they pulled out. Thane and Lucas rode ahead of the group on their skimmers. Lucas being the outdoorsman extraordinaire and Thane having his Bear Scorpions scouting ahead, with the gargoyle flying above them, made them the obvious point pair.

Mablin's gypsy wagon was next, pulled by a single Moose Camel. The creature stood easily 2.5 meters at the shoulders. They had a single large hump in the middle, but it was not even, so they were not able to be ridden. On their heads sprouted a huge set of antlers that they used well. So dangerous were these huge behemoths, that it took an animal adept to train them.

Then came the three large wagons pulled by a pair of the huge beasts of burden. Malachi's cart was attached to a skimmer that was tied to the final wagon. Malachi himself offered to drive a wagon saying his short legs always made it 'fun' to ride the large skimmers. With Killian and Madelyn driving the other wagons, that left the rest to spread out their own mounts. Mablin had kept an extra horse that Lew was now sitting atop of.

The Orc and Dragonling prisoners were shackled and walking between Mablin's wagon, and the one Madelyn was driving. Right before they left, Gradon had placed a collar on all three. He explained that at times, Mablin dealt with slaves and so instead of having to guard them, he purchased several sets of magical collars that ensured a slave didn't escape. If they got too far away from the 'control' they would start to burn. The further away they got, the worse the pain. It also alerted Mablin when one of the collars was getting too far away. Graden was 'kind' enough to demonstrate on one of the orcs. It did not make it very far before it was on the ground, howling in pain.

When they pulled out, Bruin, Madelyn's Kulkodar, was walking next to them, just to be safe. Finally the two Rhinolings, and the strange colored dragonling were walking behind the final wagon, always close to wherever Syth was.

As they were riding out of the impromptu campsite, Olpha kicked her skimmer up and came abreast of Xavier. "I see you finally pulled your head out of your backside." She said with a chuckle. When his face showed confusion, she motioned towards his right hip on which now rested the scabbard that held the Sword of Seandra.

Xavier sighed, then nodded. "The Sword of Seandra is safer on my hip than it would be anywhere else."

"I am glad you finally saw reason." Garnet said with a rare grin. "At least this way I do not have to beat sense into you… again." He chuckled at the end.

"So the world is finally ending?" Syth quipped, with a chuckle of his own. "Not only does Xavier do the responsible thing, without being told, but then Garnet makes a joke almost worthy of laughing at. I am sure I read about this in one of the prophecy books."

"You may all stop now." Xavier said, the barest of grins belying the tone of his words. "Consider that a royal command."

Syth threw his arms up in the air in a surrender pose as he used his legs to instruct his skimmer, Dark Heart, to back up, then turned and rode towards the front of the caravan, his laughter echoing in the forest as he went.

Throughout the banter, Garnet’s new shadow, Aegir, sat on the pack skimmer taking it all in. His face was an impassive mask as he listened to the exchange while practicing the subtile leg movements his Mentor had shown him this morning to control the Sand Skimmer. No one had said anything about riding Sand Skimmers yesterday. Aegir was beginning to realize that nobody had said anything about a lot of things.

About an hour into the trip, it had started to snow lightly. Looking up at the gray sky and the white flakes falling out of it, Lew finally mustered up the courage to do what he had been putting off for the last day. Making sure he had the package given to him by the leatherworker in the caravan, he moved his horse over next to where Syth had been riding next to the younglings. "Uhhhh…. Earl Sythra…" He began only to get cut off.

"No, not with me." Lew's eyes flew open wide, but the grin on Syth's face showed that he wasn't upset. "If you wish to speak formally to Thane or Xavier, you can start like that, using their title and proper name, but not with me. Just call me Syth at all times please."

"As you wish." Lew said. Already his composure was cracking. His mind kept screaming that he was a nobody, and there is no way he should be advising royalty, especially high royalty.

"Lew." Syth said softly. "Look at me, please."

After a moment, Lew raised his eyes to meet Syth's. The soft smile he saw was enough to make him smile too. Then he chuckled. "You know, none of you are making this any easier."

"Oh?"

"Yes… Royalty are not supposed to be so… likable, and friendly." Syth let out a loud laugh which caused Lew to join him. Behind them they both heard the rhinolings and dragonling chuckle.

"I would say I was sorry, but I am not." Syth finally said after catching his breath. "Anyway, what may I do for you?"

Lew was nervous again as he looked at the package in his hands. This caused Syth to look at it, then speak. "What do you have there?"

"Oh.. umm...well… I got to thinking." Lew stumbled, his eyes locked on the package, hoping it would make things easier. "I… I know of a way that should stop some, if not most of the… problems you will face being… well from being a Drow."

Since he kept his eyes down, he did not see Syth's look grow dark, and his body stiffen. "I see." This had been something Syth was truly concerned about. He needed to avoid bringing extra, and unwanted attention to Xavier, but he also knew he could only endure so much mistreatment before he lost his temper. "And what is this way?"

Lew stared at the bundle for many moments, the horse he was riding slowly plodding along with the rest of the caravan. He was scared beyond his imagination for just having this idea, let alone even thinking about presenting it. There was no way that a royal, even a nice and friendly royal would agree to it. Finally, Lew took a deep breath and, as quickly as he could, unwrapped the parcel, grabbed the gauntlets, and shoved them at Syth, never once raising his eyes.

Syth watched curiously as Lew tore the wrapping off, that curiosity turned dark when he saw what Lew was offering him. It was a good thing that Lew did not look up as the thunderclouds crossed Syth's face. Taking the gauntlets, Syth saw that they did indeed lock. There went his hope that maybe time had changed what gauntlets like this meant.

He took a moment to calm himself, and make sure his face showed nothing. He was thankful that he had a lot of training at schooling his emotional responses. "Please explain your thoughts." Syth said softly.

Lew still had his eyes locked on his lap, his mouth suddenly dry. He moistened his lips a few times before he could talk. "I am unaware of how it was in your time, but in this time a gladiator slave is one that is allowed to go around armed. Very few people will accost a gladiator. Their very presence means their master is very rich. Finally, if you allow Prince Xavier to place his mark upon the gauntlets, it would mark you as a gladiatorial slave for a royal."

Syth was silent for several moments, which prompted Lew to continue. "Without it, even if people believed your signet, you would be treated shamefully. They may wish to strip you to make sure you have been… whipped enough. No guard would stop anything done to you, unless you resist, which would then force them to get involved, against you. I am sorry… Syth, but just your very presence brings danger to our prince. This way though, perhaps it can be minimized."

➿➿➿➿➿

Xavier’s mood had been as gray as the overcast sky for most of the morning. Some of the banter had helped, if only briefly. Everything about this place was wrong, starting with the fact that they were not supposed to be here at all. This was not what his father had intended, and the effort may have even cost him his life. The King was dead. The weight of Sirocco, the Sword of Seandra, hanging on his hip was proof of that.

Sighing inwardly, Xavier nudged his skimmer to drop back a bit. Whether it was right or wrong, they were where they were, and the reality of it was something he had to deal with.

"Sir Mablin." Xavier said as he drew his Sand Skimmer close to Mablin's wagon. "May I be permitted to join you so we could talk?"

"Of course." Mablin said as he slowed the wagon to a stop. Xavier jumped down from his skimmer, said a few words to the beast, then climbed up on the wagon. Mablin almost suggested that he tie the skimmer to the wagon, but decided if Xavier wasn't worried, he shouldn't be either. Besides, if the skimmer were trained for a royal, chances were that it knew to stick close.

Once Xavier was settled, Mablin snapped the reins and caused the massive Moose Camel to resume its slow pace. "What may I do for you?" Mablin asked after a few moments.

"Honestly, I am not sure yet." Xavier replied. His eyes were focused on the snowy road ahead, but his mind was focused on the thoughts of the man sitting next to him. "There is an ongoing discussion in the squad that affects you and your group. Some of us say we need to trust you and the others, while others say we need to be more cautious, for our own safety."

"I see." Mablin responded softly. He could feel for the young Halfelf, he really could. He had spent the entire time, since they left the campground where they had killed the dragon, till now, trying to figure out how he would deal with things, if he was in their shoes. Truth be told, he had not yet come to any conclusion.

The two sat in silence listening to the sounds of the caravan as it made its way down the road. When the silence drew on too long, Mablin sighed and began to speak. "When I was a young lad, my father sometimes allowed me and my best mate Gradon to come on trips with him. This one time, he took us to a town called Black Toed Butte. It is the closest you can get to the Combined Desert Realm due to some strange magical forces that prevent people from porting in or out." Those words made Xavier’s heart skip a beat and he perked up with interest.

"This is where I first saw things like Sand Skimmers, Moose Camels, and some other strange creatures. It was also there that I first saw the desert coverings like your group wears." Mabblin paused and looked over at Xavier. Once the boy met his eyes, Mablin dropped his bomb. "That is also the first time I heard of a city named Sand Garden."

It was as if the sun had suddenly come out from behind the clouds. Xavier felt tears jump to his eyes but he fought them back. "It still stands?"

"Yes it does." Mablin said in a soft comforting voice. "I am sure it looks different from what you remember, but it still stands. It is now part of the Combined Desert Realm, which is controlled by a council of ruling families. It is also interesting to note that two of the families are the Oldsurns, and the Shunrals."

"By the gods…" Xavier breathed out, not able to contain the smile on his face.

After several silent moments, where a smiling Xavier just stared off into space, Mablin broke the silence. "If I may ask…"

"Oh sorry. Of course. And thank you." Xavier said absently, wiping a stray tear off his cheek.

"Where do you fit in?" Mablin asked, then elaborated. "You are a Prince, but the Kingdom of Seandra is one that I have not heard of before."

Xavier took a moment to order his thoughts before he began to weave his tale. The best lies are mostly truth, so he kept this as true as possible, with only a few changes to what was real. "Seandra was a different type of Kingdom than what was common. Sand Garden used to be part of Seandra. The capital of Seandra, also called Seandra, was several thousand kilometers to the north, in what was known as the great Sand Desert..."

"Now, we know it as the Desert of the Dead." Mablin supplied.

"I see. That makes sense actually. However, Seandra was not only a land filled with most of the races, but the Kingdom also encompassed the home land of the Sand Dragons."

"Sand Dragons?" Mablin asked, his Ruinseeker side fully intrigued now.

"Yes, Sand Dragons. According to Lew, they are now an extinct race. While I find that hard to believe, I have no reason to think that Lew, or you for that matter, are being less than truthful." He paused for a few moments before he continued.

"My father was the King of Seandra, and due to my older brother's death, I became the Crown Prince. When the great barrier was shattered, my father attempted to send my friends and I to the city of Battle Garden, North of the Wastelands of Odin. We did not make it there, and somehow we advanced in time by close to eleven thousand years."

Silence reigned for several minutes, till Mablin sighed heavily. "While your story is hard to believe, what my eyes see, makes it impossible not to believe what you have just said. Because of that, while we travel together, I and those under me will keep your secret and even help you as much as we can."

Xavier’s mind felt the truth in the man’s words. "Thank you." When he spoke, a weight was lifted off his shoulders.

"You are welcome. However, please understand that when I or Madelyn or Gradon suggest something, it truly is only to try and help cast attention away from you." Xavier nodded in agreement. "Now if I may ask another question that has been bothering me?"

"Of course." Xavier replied with some trepidation.

"I mean no disrespect, but was your Kingdom primarily Halfelfs?"

"No…"

"So your father was a Halfelf?" Mablin asked, confused, although now Xavier understood where this was going.

He thought quickly and came up with a satisfactory answer. "My father was a Human, my mother an Elf. Normally I would not have been in line for the Crown, but my older brother died, leaving no heir. My father then named me. Had it not been for the war, that may have caused issues. But as it was, no one raised any problems."

"I see." Mablin said, sensing there was more to that story, but not willing to push. "So, let us talk about what I think you will all need to do while we are in Silverton."

➿➿➿➿➿

Lucas had been distracted all morning. The snow had stopped about the same time the little caravan halted for the mid day meal, and now that their lunch break was almost over, he still was no closer to understanding what had happened, or why. As much as he liked to figure things out for himself, he knew he needed to talk to someone else, and the logical person to talk to was Olpha. She was the only choice really, not only because of her knowledge of magic, but also because of the bond they shared. She knew more about him than anyone else.

The look on his face alone was enough to tell Olpha that this wasn't the normal fun loving kid that she fell for. This was the serious side of Lucas that was only reserved for the gravest of situations. At first he didn't say anything, just took her by the arm, and led her away from everyone else. When they were by the side of the road, out of earshot of everyone, but still able to be seen, Lucas stopped, then moved in front of Olpha and wrapped her arms around his chest, while he held onto her hands.

"Something happened last night." He started softly. "Well I do not know when it happened, but last night was the first time I noticed it."

"Noticed what?" She asked after a short time of silence.

Lucas sighed deeply, let go of her hands, and pulled an amulet off from around his neck. She instantly knew what it was. As far as Lucas knew, this was the only thing he had left of his birth mother. He only ever took it off to bathe. No one was ever able to explain what the symbols on the front meant. It was something that Lucas would devote some time to every once in a while.

"I was putting this back on last night when I noticed something new on the back."

Her eyebrows furled as she gently took the amulet from him. For a moment, she realized that this was the first time that she actually handled it. On the front was the symbol that had always been on there. She turned it over and gasped slightly as she saw something new on the back. It was a picture of a woman holding a child. The detail was fantastic and as the amulet moved, it was as if the woman or baby would move with it.

"What… Who is it?" Olpha gasped out, eyes still locked on the amulet.

"It is my mother." Lucas said with an air of absolute certainty, which caused Olpha to gasp again.

Lucas was a royal orphan who was said to have been orphaned after the last surviving member of the ruling family from Battle Garden died in Sand Garden. Very little was said about his mother, since few knew her. The King spoke of her as a nice woman whose family was allied with the Sand Dragons while they were fighting against the Mythlings under Odin's banner. That relationship is why they granted her and her son refuge in Seandra. At the time, Lucas was only a toddler who, until now, remembered nothing of his mother.

"Are you sure?" She asked very softly.

At first he only nodded. When he did speak, it was in a somewhat haunted voice. “When I first saw it, I knew she was my mother. I just knew it. Last night as I dreamt, I saw her and someone who may have been my father rushing from a burning building, fire falling down around them. Next, I saw her and I in Sand Garden talking to the King, and Lord Oldsurn.”

"Wow." Olpha said breathlessly. "I wonder what it means, and why it appeared now."

"I was hoping you would have some ideas."

"IT IS TIME!" Garnet called out, meaning it was time to get back on the road.

"I do not." Olpha sadly admitted as they turned and walked back towards the rest of the caravan. As she gave it back to him, she suggested. "Although, you might talk to Mablin. He is a higher echelon… I believe they call it Expert in this time. Perhaps he may have some thoughts."

"I guess it cannot hurt." Lucas said distractedly as he took the reins to his skimmer and lightly mounted the ten legged steed.

He took his position back at the front, and along with Thane, took off to make sure that nothing bad was waiting for them up ahead. After about a turn of the sand glass, Lucas told Thane that he needed to talk to Mablin. Before Thane could do, or say anything, Lucas had already turned back and was heading towards the caravan.

Once he was seated next to Mablin he took a deep breath then took his amulet off his neck. "Sir Mablin, I was wondering if you had any idea how something could be added to an amulet when I never take it off."

Mablin's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "I do not think I understand what it is you are asking."

"This amulet." He said holding up the large amulet. "I only take it off when I bathe. Last night, when I was putting it back on, I noticed it was different. The last time I took it off was the day we came here when I took a quick bath. I remember clearly that there was nothing in the backside, but now there is."

"That is odd. What is on it now?"

"A picture of my mother and myself when I was a baby. The thing is, I never knew what my mother looked like before, but the moment I saw this, I knew it was her."

"I see." Mablin said slowly as he stroked his mustache. "Would it be okay if I looked at it?"

"Of course." Lucas said but did hesitate before he handed it over.

Mablin took it while handing the reins of the Moose Camel to Lucas. At first he studied the design on the front of the amulet, but was unable to decipher anything from it. He then turned it over. The image he saw seemed familiar, but it took him a moment to remember where he'd seen this before. When he did he sucked in his breath and almost dropped it.

"What is it?" Lucas asked in a fearful voice.

It took a moment before Mablin could respond, the entire time his eyes focused on the amulet. "I apologize, Lucas. I need to ask for some time." He handed the amulet back. "I would like to consult some of my books before I say anything. I think I know what that represents, but I do not wish to give wrong information. May I implore you to wait while I research this?"

He really didn't want to, but he nodded. He put the amulet back on, then jumped down from the wagon. Mablin stopped the wagon then ran to the back. He was in there for a few minutes as Lucas remounted his skimmer. When Mablin emerged from the back of his gypsy wagon he had three large books with him. He jumped back into the driver's seat, and got the wagon moving again. Moments later he was flipping through the pages of a book.

➿➿➿➿➿

"I am truly getting sick of this time." Xavier seethed quietly. He was able to keep the volume of his voice low, but the tone was dark and deadly. "If I could find the person or people that made this possible…" His voice trailed off as he tried to reign in his rage.

"My Prince, please, it is not really that bad." Syth said, hoping to defuse his prince's anger. If anything though, it made it worse.

"It is beyond 'that' bad!" He said, his eyes narrowing to mere slits. "Just the very thought that you would have to….AHHHHH!" He cried as he grabbed at his head. The unexpected pain in his eye was excruciating

"XAVIER!" Both Syth and Garnet cried out as they drew weapons and looked around searching for an attack of some sort. Xavier didn't move. He couldn’t. It was all he could do to just breathe. He sat frozen in the saddle of his skimmer, his hands clutched to the side of his head.

From in front of them, Olpha and Thane came charging, their skimmers kicked up to a full run. They too, had their weapons drawn, looking for something, anything to attack. They rode past Xavier, Garnet and Syth, then circled out setting an out line of defense for the prince. Still Xavier did not move, other than to rock in his saddle.

It was almost three full minutes before Xavier lifted his head. He didn't speak, but he did make some hand motions to let the others know he was okay, as well as that there was no attack.

He reached down and unhooked his water skin, taking a mouthful, swishing it around and spitting it out. He took another mouthful and this time drank. He looked around to see who was around and where everyone was. He noticed that Malachi had stopped his wagon, the rear one and was watching him, weapon in hand. He raised his hand in thanks to his friend, but indicated nothing was wrong. After a moment, Malachi put his axe away, sat back down, and got the wagon moving again.

"What happened?" Garnet asked once Xavier put the waterskin away.

"A Green True died. It was a ways away, but still he was powerful. I saw what killed him, and I am still trying to digest everything else I saw. Please give me a few minutes." Xavier said as he slowly shook his head trying to get everything to make sense.

Garnet looked at Syth and nodded. They both kicked their skimmers into a fast walk, at least until they caught up with the wagons. At the same time they made sure Xavier was between them. Thane and Olpha quickly joined them, Thane in the front, Olpha in the rear, completely enveloping their prince.

It took nearly five minutes before Xavier spoke again. "It was a Green True. The rage and indignation it felt, overpowered almost everything else. It was trapped somehow by the person who killed it. That person was a child. Younger in equivalent years than even you Malachi. A Halfelf, with hair a deeper and darker red then Lucas's with power just radiating off him. I could see the death gifting of two other dragons on this child, one Green, the other Black. Both Greats, but the Black was of immense power." He paused before continuing. "The child calmly walked up to this True and drove a dagger through its eye till the blade reached the brain. That is what I was feeling... "

"By the gods…" Garnet breathed out, shivering in fear, even though he did not know he did it.

"Um, yeah… At least one of the gods anyway. Red hair?" Malachi added.

“You really don’t think…” Garnet whispers

"I am not sure, but I surely do not want to find out." Xavier commented before he shook his head again.

➿➿➿➿➿

Mablin sat, still going through his books. He had figured out the amulet and what it meant, but now he was making absolutely sure that what he thinks to be true is as accurate as he can make it. Absently, he was keeping tabs on the goings on around the evening camp that was being built around the wagons.

Normally he would have kept the trade wagons outside the tent area, save for his gypsy wagon. However, this time he had all four wagons tightly together with the campfire ring being right in the center of the wagon ring. The tents were put up around the outside of the wagons. Not just his party’s, but everyone’s.

He watched as Madelyn and Thane talked while playing with their animals. Although watching the young teen 'playing' with the massive Bear Scorpions concerned Mablin greatly. It was a testament to the skill the Alphar boy had, that he did not get hurt by the highly aggressive creatures.

His mind shifted back to Lucas for a while before he saw Garnet and Aegir deep in conversation. Spread before them was an array of weapons. To Mablin it looked like Garnet was explaining each to the young boy. He couldn't help but smile. He knew exactly which weapon Aegir would gravitate to, and he was right. As soon as Garnet stepped back, waving his hand over the weapons, Aegir immediately picked up the fighting sticks. He picked them up, took a step back, and started to mock fight with them. The boy's movements were smooth and purposeful. It was almost like he was dancing with them. Even Gradon privately talked about the fact that Aegir was extremely good with them, for a ten year old.

Off to the other side of the camp, Mablin watched Syth starting to work with Killian on how to use the Gladius that he had been given. The man was still worried about Killian having such a weapon, but he really did not feel he could keep it from him. He may have only been the equivalent of fourteen but he was very well trained, and now high in the guilds. Of course that presented its own issues, but that was something they would deal with at another time.

While all this was going on, the small dragonling boy was digging a fire pit. The two rhinoling children first hauled over logs for everyone to sit on, then started gathering wood and breaking it up for the fire that evening, all under the watchful eye of Lucas. Meanwhile, Olpha was off dressing the wild boar that one of the Bear Scorpions brought down.

"Would you like me to start that for you?" Mablin asked a short time later. The fire was built, but instead of either of them using a spell to start the fire, Lucas started to dig through his pack.

"No thank you Sir Mablin, I have my fire stones." Lucas said as he pulled out a small leather pouch. He opened it up, and pulled a single small stone out of it. He placed it in the pit under the wood. He pulled another out and placed it a small distance from the first. Then he pulled out a third one, carefully placing it near the other two. Immediately the wood started to smolder and then catch fire. Mablin's eyes went wide when he felt heat coming from the pile of wood, even before it had started to smoke. And when it did catch fire, there was a lot more heat than he expected.

"What was that?" Mablin asked, putting his book down and looking more closely at the rapidly growing fire.

"My fire stones…" Lucas stated as if it should have been self-evident, then went back to work.

"Okay, what exactly are fire stones?" Mablin asked after a lengthy silence.

Lucas threw one more log on the fire then turned and looked at Mablin like he was crazy. "You don't have fire stones? How do you heat anything up?"

"With the fire… of course." Mablin said with complete conviction.

Lucas stared at Mablin for a long moment before he sighed, moved over to one of the logs and sat. "Are you serious?" Lucas asked softly.

"Yes." Mablin responded. "In all my years, and all my travels, I have never heard of fire stones."

Lucas went to his pack and pulled out another small leather pouch. "What I was told was that they were developed long ago by those dwelling in the desert, so they could cook, when there was little to no wood." He pulled out the three stones, one by one, and placed them on the ground a good distance from each other. Each stone was about two and half centimeters across, smooth and black in color. They each had a different rune carved in the polished top, that corresponded with a rune on the pocket in the magical leather case. The only other item in the pouch was a slender iron rod with a wooden handle. That was used to move the stones about when they were too hot to touch.

"I believe it is based on when they were made, but they need to recharge on either the three nights that Lunara shows her full face, or when she hides it. That is why we have two sets." He took two stones and placed them on the ground near to Mablin about 5 centimeters apart. Then took the third stone and handed it to the man.

"They have to be closer than about 25 centimeters before they work. The closer together they are, the hotter they get." he motioned for Mablin to move his hand closer to the other two. "Go ahead… but with caution. I do not advise getting them closer than about ten centimeters apart when one is still in your hand."

Mablin slowly moved his hand closer when suddenly his eyes got wide. "By the gods… he breathed out as he pulled his hand back. His eyes were still wide as he handed the stone back to Lucas. "The possibilities…" he said almost reverently.

Lucas laughed as he started to pick up the stones and put them one by one in the pouch. "Oh yeah. They may have been created for cooking, but people have found a lot of different uses for them. Malachi has two or three sets of larger ones he uses in the forge. From what I understand, Mystics love these things." Lucas finally put the stones away, just as Olpha came over with the boar on a wooden spit.

"I bet." Mablin said as he watched the two go about getting the boar set up, then had the younger of the two rhinolings come over and keep the spit turning. Soon the camp was filled with the wafting smell of cooking meat.

➿➿➿➿➿

"Sir Mablin?" Lucas asked as he held out a plate with cooked meat on it as well as some roasted vegetables.

"Oh thank you." He said putting his book down. He'd been so wrapped up in his reading that he failed to notice that everyone had now found their way to the campfire, and most were eating. He did see that the first spit of boar had been replaced with a second that was currently cooking, the younger Rhinoling still obediently turning the spit.

"Have you figured out whatever it was that you needed to?" Lucas asked quietly.

"I have." Mablin said as he held the boy's eyes. "We can speak privately after we eat."

Lucas looked a little nervous as he glanced around the fire circle. He finally took a deep breath and squared himself to Mablin. "Would you please explain it to everyone at the same time? It will save me from having to try and explain it again myself."

"As you wish." Mablin said and started to eat while organizing his thoughts.

Lucas sat down next to Olpha and brooded for a few moments. Olpha patted him on the leg for support. Lucas looked at her and smiled, then, when he saw Mablin set his plate aside, he stood up. "Can I have everyone's attention please."

Once everyone quieted down and had their eyes on him, he sighed again, not really liking being the center of attention. "For those that do not know, I grew up as a royal orphan in a city called Sand Garden. After I got lucky enough to kill a Great Brass, King Soin'reali brought me to the capital and introduced me to his son and his friends." Had he not had his eyes closed he may have seen the shock from the modern members of the group, while the friends he mentioned smiled at the memory. "I have no memories of my parents, at least till last night."

He pulled the amulet from around his neck and looked at it, both sides. "This amulet is the only thing I have from my mother who escaped to Sand Garden after I was born, but ended up dying there from wounds she suffered as we escaped. For my entire life I have worn this, only taking it off to bathe.

Last night I noticed that it had changed. The back used to be blank. Now it holds an incredibly detailed picture of a woman holding a child." He shook his head as his voice cracked. "I can not explain it, other than to say, I know the woman is my mother.

“I was advised to ask Mablin about it. When I did, he said he needed some time to research it. I just asked if he figured anything out. When he responded he had, he asked if I wanted to hear it in private. I do not, since no matter what he says, I would have to try and repeat it. So if you do not mind, I would ask that he tells all of us at the same time." When no one objected, Lucas turned the floor over to Mablin.

The man stood and moved towards the center of the ring. "I did not actually know Lucas' history till now. However, it does not really change what I have discovered. You need to know what is on the amulet to fully understand. On the front, there are a total of four sigils. One at the top, one on each side, and one in the middle. I was able to identify two of them and I have a good guess about a third.

The back though is truly interesting, especially since it has only recently appeared. The back does indeed show a woman holding a child." He paused as he looked directly at Gradon. "It is something that we have seen before… the one, and only time, we visited Lucas the Lost."

"WHAT?!" Olpha exclaimed incredulously.

"What is this place?" Xavier asked a bit more… civilly.

Lucas just sat there, his mouth opening and closing. Mablin moved over to stand in front of him, but when he spoke, it was loud enough for everyone else to hear. "Lucas the Lost is indeed a town that exists on the fringes of The Wastelands of Odin. There is a legend that swirls around the town, and some nearby caverns. Many believe it, and, since many have tried to plunder the caves, never to be seen again, belief in the legend has grown.

"It is said some 9 thousand or so years ago, a very powerful being hid a weapon of great magical power near the ruins of an old city. He charged the people that lived there to protect the weapon... and to be ready for the return of the only one who could wield that weapon, the only one the weapon would bond with, and the only one worthy enough to possess it."

“It is said even with all the warnings that only one person would be able to reach and wield the weapon, many have tried. It is said that you can look from the entrance of the cavern, and see many undead, wearing ancient weapons and armor, walking around. It is said that only The Lucas, who was Lost, can enter the cave without the magical traps killing him. It is said that only this Lucas can reach the weapon, and only he can touch it without being instantly consumed by the magic within."

Mablin paused, his eyes still locked with Lucas. It took the boy a few moments to form the words that were echoing through his mind. "Who… Who created the caves?"

"He went by many names." Mablin was speaking only to Lucas though all could clearly hear him. "But the one you most likely know him by is Greysac Odinson."

"Oh hells…" Someone said softly.

"On the Amulet, the top is the sigil of Odin, the sigil on the right is that of Greysac. The sigil on the left I do not know, but since it resembles the sigil of Greysac, like his sigil resembles that of Odin, I can speculate it is the sigil of Greysac’s daughter. The middle sigil is more than likely you Lucas, since it also resembles that of the supposed daughter. It means you, if I have read everything correctly, Greysac is your Grandfather, and Odin is your Great Grandfather."

Olpha was the first one to be able to speak a real, sort of rational thought. "Does this mean they will need to re-name the town? I mean if it is him, then Lucas would not be lost anymore…"

Gradon had been in the process of drinking from his mug of ale when Olpha spoke. The result was that most of his mouthful came rushing out of his nose and then a fit of coughing ensued. Laughing at Olpha’s remark, Madelyn was helpfully pounding on her husband’s back.

➿➿➿➿➿

"Hey there." Syth said as he carried three plates with food on them, and stopped in front of where the three children were sitting away from everyone else. All three jumped to their feet when they heard him. He could see in their eyes that they were hungry, but were also disappointed with what was on the plates. Not that they would dare say anything, but Syth saw it in their eyes nonetheless.

"We put another boar on the spit for you three." When their eyes lit up he grinned. "It is almost done. However, I would ask that you three take this food to the prisoners. Worry not, I will follow to make sure they behave themselves. They are in the tent over there." He said nodding to one of the tents.

Once the food was dropped off, the prisoners fed, and the plates returned, Syth led them to where the second spit had been cooling, and left them to eat. "Oh by the way." He said as he turned around, three sets of fearful eyes on him. "The tent next to the one the prisoners are in is for you three. I put the extra furs and blankets in there. I hope it is enough since it is cold." He nodded once more to them, then turned and left to go back to the campfire.

Syth’s stomach churned when he saw Xavier studying him as he sat back down at the fire circle. As soon as he was settled, Xavier stood and cleared his throat.

"Now that Syth has returned, I wish to speak about something that is troubling me, and get everyone's opinion.” He paused, and let his gaze fall on every set of eyes around the circle. “Understand, I am upset that this even needs to be discussed, but I also understand that this is not the time we are from. We are not used to the ways of this place, and things work differently here. I pray that we can find another solution…” Again he paused, making eye contact with everyone before continuing. “...I do not believe I can accept the one that has been offered.

"Okay." Mablin said as he sat up straight, giving Xavier his full attention.

Xavier reached behind the log that he was sitting on and lifted up the gauntlets that Lew had given Syth earlier. "Lew approached Syth earlier today and tried to explain to him that, the only way to minimize his disruption to our group was for him to pretend to be a slave." Just by the way he said it, everyone could tell he was trying to say it as nicely as he could, but his expression and body language made it quite clear that he could see nothing nice in the solution at all. He turned to Lew. “What you have done, speaks to a great friendship. You were the only one looking for a solution to a problem that the rest of us were ignoring. It took even greater courage to actually offer the solution you found. While I do not like that solution, I am grateful for your loyalty and courage. He turned his gaze to everyone else and held the bracers up, "I would like to hear why these are necessary." He then sat back down, and purposefully looked up into the sky.

For a moment Xavier was sitting on his father's lap, in his father's study and in front of a warm fire. He was almost asleep when his father spoke softly. "Your grandfather once held me like this. Of course he was an Orakin at the time, so I was fully engulfed in his lap." His father's booming laugh was comforting to Xavier's ears. "He said that the greatest secret to leading a nation was not to have people around you who always agreed with you. Surround yourself with those who are brave enough to bring their own thoughts to you, and are sure enough that they will fight for those thoughts. Always make sure to listen with an open mind, even if it is something you dislike. There is obviously a reason they brought it up. Find the reason and then if you still disagree with it, fine, but you may find that they had a valid reason, or had information you did not." With those words ringing in his ears, Xavier waited to hear what would be said now.

To say Lew was nervous would be putting it extremely mild. He was about to speak up himself when Gradon did, causing Lew to exhale sharply. "He is correct." The man said then sighed heavily as he stood. "Drow, any Drow will cause attention to be brought to a group. To see one that dares to hold his head high, would be infuriating to most. Rational or not, the truth is Drow are hated by everyone. I have seen Drow stripped down, to make sure they have been whipped enough. Even if they were, they were whipped again, just to make sure they knew their place. I personally have never seen nor heard of a free Drow. If there were such a thing, my guess is they live somewhere far away, where they are accepted. Although I have no idea where that may be."

"I have heard of free Drow living deep within the lands of the Black Dragons." Lew offered meekly. "But that is only a rumor."

"If Syth were to walk into Silverton as a free being, even if he were with this group, I do not know how it would be handled." Mablin spoke softly. "But the one thing I can guarantee is, there would be bloodshed."

"However," Gradon added quickly, seeing that Xavier was about to lose his temper. "By having Syth wear the locking gauntlets, it would mark Syth as a Gladiator Slave. This would allow him to walk around armed. It would be expected of him to safeguard his master. Finally, any insult to Syth, or attack upon his body, would be seen as an attack on his master, allowing him to respond. This will keep all but the most skilled, or stupid, from getting anywhere near him, other than to stare. Adding the fact that there would be a royal seal on the gauntlets would strengthen everything else. In my opinion, Lew came up with an absolutely brilliant solution to a very painful issue."

Xavier’s gauntleted arm slammed into the log he was sitting on, with enough force to make the sound echo through the woods, before he stood. "Brilliant?!" He cried out. "I will not allow one of my closest friends to pretend to be a slave just because it would be.. convenient."

Syth slowly stood up, causing all eyes to go to him. He turned to face Xavier and locked eyes with his close friend. Silence reigned for several moments before he spoke slowly. "My Prince. You already know my mind on this matter, but the words still need to be said. Unless you order me not to, I WILL be wearing the gauntlets. Not because it will be convenient for others, but because it will be better for us, and it will be better for you. I swore an oath that I would do anything… anything, to protect you. If I am required to act the part of a slave to do that, then so be it. I would endure worse if it were asked of me."

The two did not move as they bored into each other's eyes for over a minute, finally Xavier sighed and sat down. "The very thought of this makes my blood boil. I can NOT…"

He was cut off by Garnet who spoke up. "Xavier, they are right. This is the only way to keep us safe and unnoticed."

"But…" Xavier began only to get cut off again.

"No buts." Olpha exclaimed. "This is not your call to make. The thought of it causes me to want to destroy…. Well, anything I could, but it does not change the situation."

"I know… I just.."

"Can do nothing to change it." Lucas interrupted this time. "Which means, no matter how much we hate it, we have to allow him to do it."

Xavier looked ready to argue more when Thane jumped in, although he did not address Xavier, and when he spoke, he did so as a Prince of the Alphar. Looking directly at the newcomers, his words came out in an even and measured tone. "There is something that one must wonder about. How is it, that if the Drow are so vile as to be universally hated, that each of you are able to tolerate Syth’s presence without violence? Do you not share the feelings and attitudes of this age?"

"We do." Madelyn said instantly. "It takes every bit of my willpower to not see Syth and want to attack him. As I get to know him better, it lessens, but we have been taught, conditioned, from birth, to hate and fear the Drow. Our parents tell us stories of the Drow to make us behave."

"I have been told that my mother was planning on selling me to the Drow." Killian said softly. "I actually thought of running away, since dying in the wilderness at the hands of who knows what, would be better than being sent to Under River."

"The guards used ta tell me stories 'bout how dey fighted against da Drow dat came to steal babies. Cause da Drow uses dem to sacrifice to da Demon Lords." Aegir added, causing him to get a hard look from his dad. At the same time, Garnet made a mental note to move speech lessons to the top of Aegir’s to-do list.

Xavier's shoulders sank.

“Alright then,” Mablin sighed. “Who among you will own the Drow?”

“I guess I should be the one.” Xavier said.

“NO!” Gradon and Mablin shouted at the same time. They looked at each other and Gradon shrugged.

“There are no halfbreed royalty, despite that signet ring.” Mablin said. “Speaking of the rings, they need to be covered or removed.” Mablin was looking directly at both Syth and Xavier.

Xavier sighed. He had lost this fight, and he knew it. No matter how much he wanted to rage against the entire idea. He sat there turning the ring on his finger, listening to the crackle of the fire. After a moment, when no one else spoke, he looked around the circle of friends, some old, some new, finally locking eyes with Syth. With a heavy heart, and great misgivings he sighed again, then spoke into the silence, “So be it.”