The Stones of Magic

by A.W.Chrystalis

  Chapter 14

  Mach stood in the corner of the now familiar clearing. The night was clear and beautiful, the stars above glowed brightly and the twin moons of light and dark shone through the canopy of trees to the north, the two globes of light gracefully circling around each other in an eternal dance in the ballroom of the heavens above. His sudden appearance among the nocturnal animals went unnoticed, two foxes in particular lay just a few feet from him but did not wake from their slumber. He was a wraith among the living.

  This time, he looked around carefully and tried to remember as many details as he could. He wanted, he needed, to know where this was. He could see the hut he had visited before in his visions across a clearing. If it was near his hometown or if it was elsewhere in the world, he intended to locate this exact spot. He remembered his father telling him how some of the trees that grew near Selane were so unusual. That some of them were rare and didn't grow naturally in this part of the world. Slowly, he searched the branches for the leaves that best identified those trees.

  Long, slender strips of leaf hung high in the branches not too far from him. They were hard to see through the dense covering of flat leafed branches, but by the moons' light, he was able to pick them out. Their trunks looked like that of any other tree, and they grew apart from each other but close to other tree species.

  This was it. This was the sign he needed. He remembered them now. Though he could not tell where he was exactly, he knew this to be the forest outside of Madtu and west of Selane.

  Nothing reacted to him when he took the first step into the clearing toward the hidden hut on the other side. He knew this place well enough now. If only he could figure out precisely where this was among the forests outside of his home, he would be able to pinpoint where this hut was located. Then he could move to rescue his mother the moment he got back home.

  A twig snapped on the other side of the clearing as a man went about his chores. There, kneeling in the shadows of the leafy trees was the man caring for his injured mother. The carcasses of two rabbits were slung across his shoulder. In his hand, he held a woven basket, in the other was a bag made of woven straw. The quickly fading streams of scattered light penetrating the mesh of green tree branches made the man look all the more mysterious.

  Without thinking, Mach's ‘body’ instinctively approached the hut without making a sound. A moment later, the man stood up to stretch and turned around to walk back toward his home. Mach took this opportunity and slipped past the man as he reached through the vines covering the walls and opened the door. He had strolled into the building before the man had even taken a single step inside. His last glance outside the door before it was closed he held onto to desperately. I will find this place again.

  The hut was darker than he had expected, though it was eerily familiar as it resembled his own home in Selane. It had but a single room, but it was spacious enough to contain several beds. He watched as the man briskly walked to the small kitchen table and laid the rabbits on a cutting board.

  The man then went over to a chair where he casually placed the basket and the bag before making his way through the darkness to the fireplace in the corner and began to start a fire. The soft glow of a fire illuminated the hut and he searched the room for his mother. Her bed had been moved away from the corner, now it sat directly under the window, where, when the curtains were drawn, it would give her a good view of the grassy lands and the heavens above.

  Mach noticed that the room was cleaner and less cluttered than it had been the last time he had visited. It looked as though the man had been hard at work to make this place more home-like, or at least a little more comfortable to live in. One thing instantly caught his eye like a flash of lightning. On the table beside his mother’s bed stood a frame of wood where a single picture lay within the wooden borders. He moved closer and looked closely at it.

  It was a picture of him from more than ten years ago, with his face smiling right through the page. His father stood beside him with the same childish grin and his mother stood just barely in the photo and was nearly covered by the decorative frame. Her hands were on her hips and he could remember the grimace on her face at the sight of her two boys. He remembered that day well.

  It was the last time he had seen his father alive. The day had been bright and warm, the cloudless sky sparkling like a blue diamond. He and his father had gone into the forests in the outskirts of the city for survival training, although at that time, he had thought of it more like a game of cat and mouse with the beasts of the woods.

  Dan had always said that the days they spent in the woods would one day help him in real life. But on that day, Mach had not cared. All that mattered to him was that he was able to play with his father for an entire day before he left on another one of his trips. In retrospect, he realized just how right his father had been.

  They had spent that entire day from dawn until dusk out in the forest. He had surprised himself and his father as well by winning a few of the games they had played. The overwhelming sense of elation rushed through him when his father told him that he had not allowed any of the wins. That everything he had done that day was of his own merit.

  His father had always said that the only way to learn was to lose and only through trial and error did one learn what was truly needed. A person can never learn and grow by winning every time.

  And damned if I haven’t lost, or rather been lost. I am sorry mother.

  Dirty, tired, and worn out, the two had plodded home as the second sun was dipping below the horizon. One of their neighbors had come rushing out gleeful over a present he had received from a family member back east in Sedan. It had apparently been all the rage in the Empire and his family had wanted him to have one.

  As the neighbor explained, the present he had received was called a ‘capture’. Somehow, with a peculiar kind of paper, anyone could use this device to imprint any image onto what was known as a photograph, a much smaller version of a portrait and far quicker to create. When he had explained it to Mach and his father, the both of them got just as excited as the neighbor had been. For his very first use of it, the man wanted to take a photograph of the two of them. A picture of the famous Dan Derune, master mapmaker, and his son would be a wonderful thing to have.

  Father and son were coated with dirt and grime was smeared all over their faces and bodies. They were completely filthy but they were unexplainably giddy. And at that moment, Mach's mother came out of the house and saw what state the two were in, and began yelling at the pair. Without stopping to comprehend the situation around her, his mother stepped into view of the capture. A moment later, she had gripped the two boys by their ears. However, it was already too late. The capture of the two boys would forever be seen with grime all over.

  That was a day that he would remember for the rest of his life. It was the only photograph that his whole family had ever had taken. And for that, it was a priceless treasure and keepsake that must always be cherished. A few years later, Mach's mother had insisted that they have more photographs done, both traditionally and with the capture their neighbor owned. But, they never came out in the same way without his father around. That particular photograph was his mother’s favorite, and here it was, resting by her side. If he had needed confirmation still of who this was laying in the bed, well, here it was.

  Tears filled his eyes as he looked at his mother. He realized then that all this time he had felt like the victim, as though he had been the only one affected in the aftermath of Rubious' attack. That only he suffered from the loss of comfortable lifestyle and everything that he cared about. He felt ashamed of himself and angry that he could possibly have forgotten about all the other people that had lived in Selane. All those people were probably experiencing similar events, desperately searching for missing family members in vain, or mourning their dead. And even worse, here laid his mother with no one to give her company or reassurance other than a single man she had never met before and a single simple photo
graph.

  The sound of a knife cutting through something soft jolted him out of his brooding. He turned around to find the man beside the cutting board, chopping some kind of plant into small pieces that could easily be safely fed to a newborn child. He recognized that plant from near Madtu. Another sign. He watched the man as he moved over to the fireplace and carefully emptied the cutting board of the pile of soggy greens into a small kettle that sat over the fire. The water inside was already at a full boil.

  The man's activities, quiet as they were, were enough to rouse Mach's mother from her dreams. As she began to stir, the man turned to her with a kind and gentle smile on his face. “Don’t worry, milady. I found some Sheppard’s herbs nearby. It'll ease the pain a little and allow you to sleep more peacefully. I hope that it will also increase your appetite. You need to eat if you plan on getting out of here and finding that son of yours.”

  The man returned to the cutting board and began to clean the rabbits he had brought with him. Mach turned his eyes back to his mother, who now was staring through the crack in the curtains.

  A weak moan escaped his mother's lips as he moved closer to her and stood beside her bed. Her face was twisted with pain and sadness. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to help her in any way that he could. He would slit his own wrists if it would help her.

  Slowly he reached out to her and placed his hand on her forehead. Looking down at the fragile form of his once strong mother broke his heart. “If there is anyone listening, anyone at all, hear my plea,” Mach said aloud. He no longer cared about heaven or hell, good or evil. There had to be someone out there that could help. “Hear my plea, I beg of you, heal her wounds. Protect her from the pain and suffering that has befallen her. Give her the strength to live. Take it from me if you must, only help her.”

  Mach closed his eyes and concentrated with all his might on calling out for help. He would not leave her here alone in such pain. He could not do that, even if it meant leaving behind his body. He would give it all to her if he must.

  He could almost feel her head beneath his hand. A strange sensation shot through his chest and spread through his body. Through his eyelids, he could see a blue green light shinning before him. Not daring to open his eyes in fear that the light before him would flee, he focused his thoughts and directed it to heal his mother's wounds and remove her pain. His heart began to race as though he had been running for miles, and his breathing sped up as though he had just finished a particularly hard sparring match with Sehto. He felt his own strength begin to leave his body at an alarming rate.

  Slowly, he opened his eyes and witnessed something extraordinary. Before him lay his mother, her body radiating with light. His hand, which he had placed on her head, also radiated with warmth and light and it tingled as he felt his strength flow through his body and into her. It glowed faintly with the soft blue light he had seen when his eyes were closed. He really could feel her skin beneath his fingers.

  He looked into the eyes of his mother, and she stared back into his. Tears gathered in her eyes as mother and child gazed longingly at each other, and he knew at that moment that she had seen him before and could see him now. Her hand rose to caress his face.

  He turned his head to look at the man, who now stood staring at him, his blade frozen in mid-air, inches above a piece of rabbit meat. The man’s jaw hung wide open as the two made eye contact. Shock and fear overcame the man as he took a tentative step away from the mysterious child who had suddenly appeared in his home and performed such a magical feat.

  Everything blurred for a moment and a feeling of vertigo swept over him. He was now sitting up in his cot, breathing heavily and unable to catch his breath. He felt drained of every last ounce of energy and disoriented as his mind struggled to process what he thought he had just seen. He felt like he was going to throw up. His stomach was a violent twister of emotions. Everything spun around wildly despite his stationary position and best efforts to steady himself. He could not seem to grasp his current situation or what had he had just experienced and he nearly fell out of his cot.

  Rubbing the palms of his hands into his eyes to try to clear the silhouette of the images that still flashed before him, he stiffened suddenly as he began to realize what he had just done.

  Sehto lay on the other end of the room in a corner, obviously asleep. So was Mendoll, laying motionless on his back in the other corner. Bastra sat in front of the door, the quiet sentinel guarding them all. Without him, the entire party would be vulnerable to nimble-handed thieves or vicious murderers or any other shady characters lurking around during the restless nights of Tuindreg. His snore was louder than anyone else.

  However, Miatsu was wide-awake and sat only inches from him, the imp’s small eyes concentrating on Mach, telling him that he knew what he had done. He fell back in his cot and curled up uncomfortably, trying to clear his mind. Hours passed, or perhaps just a few minutes had gone by, he had lost all sense of time, until a dreamless sleep swept over him.

  He woke well after the final sunrise, his head throbbing and feeling like he had not eaten in several days. Mendoll was the only one remaining in the room, standing pensively at the window. The Mage started to speak without taking his eyes away from the sky. “Miatsu said you needed a little more sleep, but he was none too specific as to why. He just said that you had a restless night,” Mendoll said kindly with what sounded like a touch of concern in his voice. The old and wizened Mage tilted his head enough to look at him, but did not move otherwise. The Mage’s eyes seemed to burn through his feigned calm, but Mendoll had an air of gentle kindness at the same time. “Care to elaborate?”

  At first, he thought him to be angry, but after a moment of staring wordlessly at each other, he could see the concern and worry embedded in the Mage's eyes. Those were the eyes of a compassionate man who would have been a great father, and Mach could not deny that he felt as if Mendoll could be his father. Or given Mendoll's age, perhaps more like a grandfather.

  He almost spilled everything to him at that moment. He held his tongue despite his longing and confusion. This was not the time to reveal that he was certain he possessed any kind of ability. Besides, he still couldn't quite comprehend what he had accomplished, but maybe with Miatsu's help he may just be able to uncover the true extent of his Power. “Just dreamt about my mother.” He said instead. It was not a lie, just a partial truth. He did not feel that the others deserved to be lied to, but he did not want them to know everything just yet. Perhaps later, but not now.

  Mendoll looked into Mach’s eyes for a few moments and shrugged. “Well, no harm done. We just finished getting all the supplies anyways. The shop we needed was closed when we arrived last night,” A teasing grin formed on Mendoll’s face. “We are ready to leave, as soon as you get out of bed.”

  He practically leapt out of bed in his hurry to get ready. This was the last length of their journey. After this, he would convince the others to drop him off at the remains of Selane and he would begin his search for his mother. He could not wait to get started. Before the second hour after the final sun had risen, he was already dressed and exiting through the eastern gates of Tuindreg with his companions.

  The low, flat land that the city stood on quickly gave way to high rolling hills that in turn became small mountains. As far as he could tell, the city sat on the only flat piece of land on the island, surrounded and protected by natural geological formations. A path cut through the hills and mountains. A small stream that could be crossed in a few steps divided the length of the path in half. At least they would have no shortage of drinking water as they trekked deeper into the unknown lands ahead. He had gotten used to the forested lands they had visited, but with little to no trees in sight it made him a little reluctant to continue.

  He felt a nervous about entering such an area for another reason. He had always heard of unexpected rockslides trapping and killing unwary travelers. As they entered the first section of hills, he voiced his concerns
but Mendoll grimly shook his head. “This is the only way through. No other path leads to our destination. All others lead right back to the sea. Don’t worry though, we obtained reports from the city office this morning. There has been little to no incidents here for ages.” That did little to rest the unease in Mach’s mind. He was sure that they would be crushed under a ton of rocks before they reached their destination.

  The day was glum and sunless. Dark grey clouds loomed low overhead and the smell of rain hung heavy in the air, adding to the burden of nagging concern he already felt weighing down on him. He felt unsure and a little apprehensive, certain that he was forgetting something important, something extremely important. There was a light cool wind slithering around the travelers' legs as they advanced up the mountainside path, urging sedentary leaves on the floor to scratch at the intruders as they forced their way further up the path. It even felt like it was going to rain and every now and then, a brilliant streak of lightning would burst from the clouds and jet across the sky just over the mountains, though, he would never hear the clap of thunder that always accompanies a flash of lightning.

  Trees became more abundant as they continued on the path, though still scarce. High up on the cliffs and ledges they sprouted, uncaring about whether or not they would fall. The trees did not grow anywhere as thickly as the ones that grew on the island the group last visited, but it was enough to kindle a feeling of longing. He thought of the cliffs he used to dive off into the open sea back home in Selane, and the trees he used to nimbly climb.

  Birds darted from one tree to another, each squawking out their warnings to the passersby who had so rudely disturbed their natural serenity and isolation. Others seemed to be trying to attract mates as they circled the sky and swooped down close to the earth only to return to their companions high up in the sky. Every now and then, a small animal would skirt out from under a dark crevice and into another. Though the land here was steep, it certainly fostered a stunning variety of life.

  He was lost in thought for a good portion of their trip. Something was needling him at the back of his mind, but he could not seem to narrow it down. It wasn't until they finally stopped for the night that it came to him. Mach suddenly turned around to face Miatsu and asked, “Miatsu, your father, what's his real name? I know that you call him The Nameless One, but that can't be accurate. Can it?”

  Miatsu smiled thoughtfully at him. “Father has no name. When he made us, he not have one. Only you four have seen him in ages and ages. Never had he asked of us to call him by another.”

  He found that to be quite curious. He just couldn't comprehend why someone or something did not want a name of its own. Even creatures like these forest imps, if that is what they really were, had names. Then you have something as powerful as this Nameless One. Well then, even the Goddess of Life had a name, Kriasta the life bringer. It was just so strange to him that there was someone out there that did not want to be known by a particular name or title.

  “Thinking hard?” Sehto's voice drifted over to him from behind. He had kept his voice low so only Mach could hear him. “You look like you're trying to figure out the meaning of life or something.”

  “Just thinking,” was all he could reply.

  Bastra flew off to check on their progress as everyone else set camp. It did not take long for him to return with good news. If Mendoll’s prediction was correct, before mid-morning the next day they should arrive at their destination. They had made it more than half way to the temple already. Rumor had it that the temple was supposedly the home of the Guardian of Tuindreg, but no one knew precisely what kind of creature it was. Perhaps it was some kind of beast that was once said to protect the town. Or maybe merely a fantasy of the people. It was a myth as far as he knew, but it was a good one nonetheless. Its mere presence helped to uphold what little law existed in the city, and for that, it was an irreplaceable rumor.

  They set camp just outside a narrow steep canyon in a small cove-like opening. The path ahead was only wide enough for them to go through single file, but it cut low enough below the crest of the canyon wall that if there was a rockslide, they could climb up and over it. He imagined two Gargoyle’s the size of Bastra trying to force themselves between the canyon walls at the same time and he could not help but chuckle softly.

  Apparently, the little imp found it amusing as well, for Miatsu began to chuckle a moment later. He had not even felt the imp's presence in his mind. The two laughing had the effect of causing the others to look at them with one of the most peculiar expressions he had ever remembered receiving, which only served to fuel their laughter all the more. They burst out laughing even harder until it became difficult to breathe. Miatsu was rolling on the floor unable to stop the fits of laughter that had seized his body.

  With camp set and their meal slowly cooking over an open flame, Mach felt the sudden need to be alone. Sneaking away from camp was easy enough, Sehto had curled up in his sleep wrap and Mendoll and Bastra were deep in discussion over politics of some sort. Surprisingly, however, Miatsu was nowhere to be seen. For the first time since he left Selane, he intended to enjoy the serene night sky alone.

  The sky was clear and beautiful, the clouds from earlier had long since passed by. The yellow moon known as the moon of storms was rising in the east while the twin moons were setting to the southeast. He remembered nights like this one back home, when he would lay back on a patch of grass and watch as everything in the sky floated by. He did the same now, laying back with a sigh.

  He began to pick out shapes among the stars with his mind. A game of connect the dots that his father had played with him many times in the past. All manner of creatures could be created up in the heavens with a decent imagination: rabbits, wolves, rabbits chasing wolves. He could even see dragons and hydras battling for dominance over the carcass of some unknown animal.

  He smiled wistfully to himself as he made out a ship sailing over the bottomless waters of the sea. The smell of the sea infiltrated his nose and once again, he longed to be back home during those peaceful times before the attack had changed everything. He remembered how he used to sit on the hills at night, peering through the trees at the great skies and seas beyond his home. Imagining he was out there among the waves on some great adventure. Now, he was out here and it was not at all how he had once fancifully imagined it would be.

  He glanced back to the starry ship in the sky. Its massive sails seemed to be waving in the wind. He could almost envision the soft bobbing motion it would have in calm seas. He yawned and stretched, laying here and doing this felt good. The night air was not cold at all, nor was it too hot. The stone beneath him was warm from the day’s balmy air. In fact, it was the perfect temperature for him to sleep in. He knew that he really should return to camp and to the others before they began to worry.

  His eyes unfocused for a moment but he forced them to back onto the sailing ship. His eyelids were so very heavy. The ship was mesmerizing, the way it moved about in front of him. He thought he could even see the tiny people running around the deck, ensuring that the ship stayed in perfect shape. And the Captain at the helm. Indeed, he could almost see it. He closed his eyes and allowed the pure blackness to envelop him in sleep's gentle embrace.

  He stood on the deck of a ship, the stars alight with blue above him, twinkling as if they were winking at him specifically. The moon of storms shone brightly behind him. Above, small clouds briefly blocked out the moonlight before moving on or dissipating into the darkness.

  He stood next to the man at the helm. Judging by the shape of his hat and his perfectly tailored clothing, he surely must be the Captain. He looked to be a jolly man, perhaps as old as Mendoll, or perhaps just a little younger. In the soft glow of the torches, he could see the man's brown beard was beginning to grey, his long hair was tied behind him in a tail. It too had a generous amount of grey to it.

  “Captain, how much longer until we reach the island?” A familiar voice came from behind him. Mach closed his ey
es and prayed it was not who he thought it was.

  “You wanted the southern island, correct?” the Captain asked, his tone was one that told him the man wasn’t truly paying too much attention. “If so, then I would guess by early morning, or mid-day perhaps. Won't be long now. Why don't you rest a bit more?”

  “I have wasted too much time already, if there was any way to speed this thing up, I would gladly do it. The sooner we get there the better,” the hidden man said. Mach turned around slowly, silently continuing to pray that it was not him. However, standing in the blackness of the doorway's shadow, he opened his eyes and managed to identify the form of King Rubious. He was slouching against the wall, his hand clutching his ribs.

  “I assure you, Milord,” the Captain spoke clearly and did not stutter, but with a slight hint of fear. “Unless you have Mages or something to speed the wind on, there is nothing that can be done. Even throwing everything from the ship to lighten her would do no good. We just can't go any faster.”

  Rubious took a step out of the door and into the moonlight. He looked horrible. The injuries he had sustained were terrible, his skin still raw and partially blackened from his ordeal. Though he was holding his ribs in agony, he walked menacingly toward the Captain and straightened his back appearing to be much taller than he actually was. Despite his sunken eyes from sleepless nights, the vicious sneer that overshadowed all his other features proved he was just as dangerous as before. ”I'd throw you all overboard if I thought it would help. Just get us there quickly. I want to be at Tuindreg as quick as possible.”

  The captain turned to Rubious. “Very well, milord. And in case you think of it again, no it won't do any good to throw us all overboard. I tried it once before with this very ship. It doesn’t work to well at all.”

  Mach stared at the Captain in disbelief. Was that old man telling the truth? Had he really thrown his own men overboard in an attempt to make his ship sail faster? That was just insane! What kind of people were they up against?

  As he stared in horror at the men he was surrounded by, he suddenly gasped when the Captain's conversation finally registered in his mind. Southern island! They would be in Tuindreg…by mid-day tomorrow? Rubious nodded that he had heard the Captain and turned to go back below deck.

  This was a serious problem. All this time, he and his traveling companions had been counting on Rubious taking the same course he had laid out on the map they had stolen. But now, they were going to find themselves facing him with no way out. If they turned back now, they would encounter him at the port. If they continued on, they would surely have no other choice but to go through his army to get back to the Raven.

  This dilemma overwhelmed him. Should he tell the others about what he was Seeing? Would they believe him? If he told them about the visions they probably would, but that would mean placing a lot of trust in them and he did not know whether or not he should. Was he ready for this? Was he left with any choice?

  “They already know.” Mach flinched with so much force that it felt like his brain jolted against his skull. A voice as heavenly as anything he had ever heard echoed from out of the waters and all around him. No one seemed to have noticed it. It was as though the Seas and the skies were talking to him at once, each one with a different tone, each one in perfect harmony with the other.

  He shook his head to try and clear his mind. Perhaps he had imagined the voice. It was entirely possible, the stress of the last few weeks could finally be getting the better of him.

  “They already know about your Sight, my child.” As suddenly as he had been standing on the ship, everything vanished into darkness. He was no longer anywhere he would have called earth. Glittering stars surrounded him, close enough that he felt he could reach out and touch them if he dared. Thick clouds of mist rolled by in every direction, each one as though it were alive and moved with purpose. If heaven truly existed, this must surely be it.

  The voice rang out again, and the very stars themselves seemed to resonate with the sound. “Your friends have untold trust in you, child. They know things about you that you have yet to learn, things that you may never learn in your entire life.”

  He watched as the form of a woman took shape a few feet from him. Perhaps it was more than a woman, he thought he could see…he wasn’t sure what it was that he was seeing. He couldn’t believe any of it. He saw both shadow and mist, both light and dark, heaven and hell. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever laid eyes on, yet he was afraid to look upon her. She never took the full form of a human. There were things about her that resembled a bit of every race he had ever heard of, and some that he had not. They were all separate, though they also seemed to blend seamlessly in utter perfection. She was, for lack of better words, perfect.

  The stars behind her shifted with her slightest movements. Some were drawn to her and began to encircle her form, others moved away. He had no idea what to do. He was frozen where he stood, he could do nothing but look at the woman, if one could call such a magnificent creature something as mundane as a “woman”.

  Her voice came now to his ears as much as it did to his mind. “Standing there is good enough, my child. All I wish is for you to listen. Then you may decide what to do.” She said as a feeling of ease washed over him with every word she spoke. Her long black hair flowed down her back, endlessly swaying in the nothingness they were surrounded by. “All four of them believe in you. Each one has sworn a silent oath to protect you, though each one has done so for a different reason from the rest. They, like you, despise the way the world looks at people of magic. They wish on everything they hold dear that they will one day find a way to bring the Mages out of the Damnation laid upon them so long ago. As do I, I pray every day that passes, just as the Priests and priestesses of a once proud Order.

  “The Mage and his companion, the Gargoyle known as Bastra, both go to extraordinary lengths to protect those that come to light as Mages. Often, they have lied and killed to protect them, as they will do for you. I know what is in your heart, child. You fear to be known. You fear the consequences of being an entity of Magic. But do not fear the ones you travel with. Each one will give their life to protect you, and each one that comes to your side will as well. Trust those that your heart tells you to trust and you will not be wronged. Do not fear the powers given to you. The Power within you is more a part of your life than you may possibly think.”

  His emotions welled up by this revelation. He remembered Sehto speaking of such things, but he never took it to heart. But this, well whoever this was, every fiber of his being told him that he could trust her. He had the sudden urge to kneel before her in worship. There it is again, the connection I feel with the Guardians and Mendoll when the Mage performs his magic. But this was deeper than that, far deeper than all them put together, it was almost as though this woman was his mother...

  “No child, she lives as we speak now. I am not who you think I am. One day you will know, but not now. Now, you must sleep. When you wake in the morning, give them the trust they deserve and that you desire to give. Tell them of the coming danger and together you will decide what path is right to take. Now, sleep.”

  Her voice faded out, though it never left him. It was as though her words to him were now a part of him, and forever more she would be with him and by his side. She moved toward him, not quite walking, not quite flying, and reached a hand out to him. He could feel her warmth and protectiveness and that was the calming balm to his worries. She loved him, he felt that deep down, she loved him as only a mother could. He closed his eyes to that protectiveness and the reassurance he felt.

  He felt a hand press on his head and a feeling of complete contentment and relaxation washed through him.