The Hunter in Black: The Visit

The Hunter in Black: The Visit

Dark hooves churned the earth as horse and rider closed the long distance between themselves and their quarry. The gap was still considerable, but not insurmountable, and they were gaining. The hunter’s eyes pierced the distance for miles ahead.

He could not see the Destroyer, but he could feel it. And he could sense its fear. After its long years of captivity, the bane of all humanity on Aeonith would not want to be caught again. The hunter knew the creature would kill everyone and everything on Aeonith to stay free. He could not let that happen, not again.

The sun disappeared behind the tall trees of a small forest. The failing light of dusk cast the woods in an eerie red glow. Trees on either side of the road seemed to close in, as if trying to bar the way forward. There were not enough trees in all of Aeonith to deter the hunter. His black cloak swirled behind him as his mount surged forward. She sensed his urgency, and shared it as well.

The moon’s pale illumination made the night seem even more ominous. The atmosphere had little effect on the hunter; he was himself a creature of the night. His friend slowed their progress, however, and the hunter began to sense in her a growing trepidation. A small grin formed on his lips, though he knew she’d be unable to see it from her vantage point.

“Not getting scared, are we?” The hunter asked, trying to keep the sarcasm out of his voice and having little luck. Silence filled the air, but the hunter heard her answer clearly. He laughed out loud, hardily and gregariously. “Fair enough.” He answered to the night.

Stallia slowed her gait to a halt. A narrow wooden bridge suddenly appeared in the moonlight across a wide chasm. The wood looked incredibly old, the planks and rails covered with long cracks and dark spots that seemed filled with age and rot. The bridge looked wobbly and unstable, yet this was their path. It was far too wide for even Stallia to jump across. The hunter regarded the crossing for a moment longer before urging his friend forward.

As Stallia began toward the rickety bridge, a low rustling sound suddenly emerged from underneath. The hunter’s friend halted as a dark shape loomed large in the night before them from beneath the old bridge. The figure was tall and wide, and the hunter marveled at the sight of this strange creature as the moonlight displayed its features.

It was vaguely man-shaped, a head, arms and legs ending in something resembling hands and feet. The similarities ended there, however. The creature was well over man-sized at nearly eight feet or more. Green mottled skin covered its body in a sickly membrane that made it appear diseased all over. Large, black eyes peered out above a long, pointed nose. The arms and legs of this gangly creature appeared weak, but the hunter knew better. The trolls of Aeonith were known to be fearsome creatures indeed.

“Well, well, what have we here, ey? Someone about to cross my bridge? They’ll have to pay the toll, they will. So, how much gold are my customers paying for crossing my bridge ey?”

The hunter studied the troll for a moment, wondering if the creature was being facetious, or was actually allowing him to determine the charge.

“I’m sorry, good sir, but we carry no coin of this world. If we cannot cross without payment, I suppose we must find another way. Good night to you.”

“Wait!” The troll responded loudly, taking both the hunter and his friend off-guard. The hunter suddenly hoped he was not about to need his weapon. “Wait, please. I’m sorry if I startled you. I don’t see other people very often. I didn’t mean to frighten you. If you need to cross the bridge, go ahead, I won’t stop you. But I would ask for something, if you don’t mind. It won’t  cost you anything but time.”

The hunter felt it unnecessary to inform the troll he hadn’t actually frightened them at all. The troll’s sudden change from belligerent to concession did cause the hunter some small concern. He was intrigued as well, by both the troll’s offer and the creature’s new tone of voice.

“And what would you ask of us, my friend?” The hunter asked.

“Come to my house, for a short visit. Just a few moments of your time.”

The troll’s expression had gone from harassing to nearly forlorn. His black eyes were narrow and piercing when he first jumped out from beneath the bridge, but now were soft and pleading. The creature’s intelligence also seemed unusual for its kind. Though the hunter would have to admit he’d met few of the creature’s kin in his time on Aeonith, those he had encountered seemed more interested in clubbing him and eating his bones than engaging him in conversation. This troll was an enigma indeed.

“Very well.” The hunter answered after a moment of deliberation. “Though we have very few moments to spare.”

The troll’s expression changed immediately, from gloomy to cheerful in a matter of a second. His smile was somewhat disconcerting, not from any particular malevolence, but merely because it seemed so out of place on the large, green-skinned monster.

“Oh, wonderful. My home is not far at all. Please, come this way.”

The troll motioned into the forest and immediately set off into the woods.

The hunter regarded the troll curiously.

“Yes, he is a rather strange individual.” The hunter remarked, to seemingly no one in particular.

The hunter and his constant companion followed the troll deep into the small forest. The creature seemed to know its way instinctively. The hunter was also surprised at how light on its feet the troll seemed to be. One might expect such a large creature to lumber through the forest knocking things down and making all kinds of noise. Yet this monster walked almost delicately, taking great care to watch its steps.

At last the procession came to small house nestled between two huge trees. Again the hunter was surprised. The yard outside the home was relatively free of debris, and a small path led to the tall doorway that would be just tall enough to allow the creature entrance. The house was constructed of well-made wooden planks put together in neat fashion. The roof appeared to be made of large oak branches cut to match one another and laid side by side. The troll opened the door, turning back to wave the hunter inside.

The black-clad hunter slid off his friend, patting her head gently.

“I’ll admit, he’s got my curiosity raised. Don’t worry, we won’t be long.”

The hunter smiled to his companion and disappeared into the troll’s home.

The inside of the dwelling was as surprisingly neat as the outside. Furnishings were sparse, yet those appointments were obviously well-kept. A careful look about the front room of the dwelling showed nothing out of the ordinary, until the hunter noticed a small bookcase near one wall. Books were the last thing the hunter would have thought to find in a troll’s house. The troll suddenly appeared from behind a doorway.

“Would you like something to eat, or drink?”

“No, thank you.” The hunter replied politely.

“Very well. Please sit down a moment.” The troll motioned to one of two tall chairs nearby. The hunter sat down and suddenly felt silly. The huge chair dwarfed him, making the hunter feel as though he might be a child who’d just sat down in his father’s chair. The troll sat opposite the hunter, smiling brightly.

“So,” the troll began, “what brings you to these woods? Not many pass through here these days.”

The hunter suddenly sensed an ulterior motive from his host. The frightening thought that his quarry had affected this creature in a manner similar to the villagers from Ostracar leapt into his mind. He hadn’t detected the villager’s hostility, a fact that still concerned him greatly.

“Just passing through, really.” The hunter answered warily. “I’m curious, did you build this house yourself?”

“Yes I did, actually.” The troll replied with a proud smile. “One of my finer accomplishment’s I think. Built this furniture as well. Took a lot of time, but I think it was well worth the effort.”

“Indeed it was,” the hunter replied, “Both have quite fine workmanship.”

The hunter waited awkwardly for the troll to continue their conversation. The creature did little more than regard him with his bright smile.

“Have you always lived in this forest?” The hunter asked at last.

“Oh yes, it’s a wonderful place. It does get lonely sometimes, though. No one else around, you know. And there isn’t likely to be either, seems no one wants to live near a troll.”

The hunter felt a pang of grief at the troll’s loneliness. This creature was quite different than most of its kin, and seemed highly intelligent.

“Perhaps if you didn’t jump out at strangers from beneath bridges.” The hunter smiled, hoping the troll would understand he was merely joking.

The troll smiled back, a small, desolate grin that bespoke of his true feelings.

“Yes, I can be somewhat, forward, I guess. It’s in my nature, I suppose. I do my best not to be intimidating, but it seems I fail more often than I succeed. Being eight feet tall and green doesn’t seem to help either. But you don’t seem scared or nervous at all. May I ask why?”

Careful here, the hunter thought. Was it truly the creature asking, or was he being influenced by something else?

“You’re not as frightening as you seem to think you are.” The hunter replied. “In addition to not surprising your guests, might I suggest you engage them in conversation a few moments.”

The troll leaned toward the hunter at that, listening intently. It seemed they may have arrived at the troll’s purpose.

“What else can I do? Please, anything that could help?”

The hunter’s concern about the possibility that the destroyer had influenced his host began to fall away. The troll seemed genuinely concerned about the hunter’s advice. The hunter, however, had run out of friendly advice: he wasn’t exactly an expert on human welcoming rituals. He was merely relating what he’d seen others do.

“Just be kind and courteous, and the rest will come with time. Be patient. In my experience humans change their opinions very slowly, so it will take time for them to accept that you’re different from your more uncouth brethren.”

The troll lifted an eyebrow at the hunter. Apparently he hadn’t missed the hunter’s referral to human beings as if he were not one himself. The troll seemed ready to expound on that discovery, but let it go instead.

“Okay, I’ll try.” The troll paused a moment, then tried to change the subject. “So, where are you two heading, if I may ask?”

The hunter hesitated in his response, gauging again whether this poor creature was under the influence of the hunter’s adversary.

“We’re on our way east. Where, I cannot say. I am sorry.”

“Oh, that’s okay.” The troll responded thoughtfully. “No problem. You look like you might be on a secret mission, black clothes and all. And there’s something else about you too, something I can’t quite put my finger on…” The troll faded out as he stared right through the hunter, suddenly lost in thought. The hunter brought him back quickly.

“Thank you very much for your hospitality, but we really must be going now.” The hunter slowly stood up. The troll’s expression immediately changed, anxiety replacing contentment.

“Must you?” the troll replied hesitantly. “Very well, I won’t keep you in any longer.”

The hunter smiled, bowling slightly to his new companion. The troll suddenly leapt forward as the hunter turned to leave, holding tightly onto his black-clad shoulder.

“Wait. Don’t leave just yet. I would like to offer you a gift, for stopping by and for your helpful advice.”

“That isn’t necessary.” The hunter replied. “I was quite glad for the respite.”

“It is necessary. Maybe it’s just me trying too hard to be friendly, but it would mean so much if you would accept my offer.”

The hunter smiled even wider at the troll’s attempt to be courteous. He was tempted just then to tell the troll who he really was, and in that light gifts were not necessary. The hunter stopped short, however. There was no need in putting this hospitable creature further in harm’s way by giving him information that might come back to haunt him someday.

“Very well, my friend. I shall gladly accept your gift.”

The troll veritably beamed happiness at that, his smile spreading from ear to ear. The lumbering creature walked over to a large chest near the far wall. After rummaging through its mysterious contents for a moment, the troll suddenly withdrew a small oak twig. He stood and offered it to the hunter, still beaming his grateful smile.

“Here it is, take it with my compliments.” The troll began. “I know it’s just a twig, but it’s magical. It glows white every full moon. I have no idea why, and it doesn’t seem to be good for anything, but it looks pretty when it glows. I take it out on full moons, actually. But, now I want you to have it. Maybe it can light your way on some dark night when the full moon is out.” The troll paused a moment, shaking his head at his own foolishness. “Except that the night isn’t that dark when the moon is full, is it?” The troll laughed at that, then continued. “Oh well, it’s yours. Thank you again for everything, for taking time with me and your helpful advice. I’ll take it to heart. If you happen to come this way again sometime, please feel free to stop by.”

The hunter took the gift his host offered, and returned the creature’s exaggerated grin.

“Indeed I shall, my friend.”

The hunter bowed again as the troll moved to open the door for his guest. Evening was giving way to night, and the hunter still had much ground to cover. He leapt up on his friend’s back, looking down at his host in parting.

“Thank you again for your hospitality.”

“No thank you, good sir.” The troll replied. “You’ve brought me much joy, and for that I am most grateful. Please take care, and remember to stop by if you’re in this neck of the woods.”

“I shall indeed.” The hunter nodded his goodbye, and he and Stallia returned to the hunt for their quarry. The troll remained in the hunter’s mind for most of the evening, however. A most unusual creature among unusual creatures. Should he prevail in his hunt, the hunter resolved to return one day and revisit the troll. In the hunter’s long time on Aeonith, the troll was actually one of the most hospitable people he’d ever met.

The Destroyer had made good distance against his pursuers, but not good enough. The hunter’s sharp eyes could still see him clearly across the vast distance. Soon they were again galloping at full-speed, the hunter determined to catch his quarry this time, or at last die trying.

A Day to Remeber Part Two

      Rynn woke up just a few minutes later, and slowly stood up and looked around. He quickly surmised he was not in the field anymore. Stam was nowhere to be found, and neither was anyone else. The ground was covered in a strange mist that completely obscured it from view. He knelt down to see if he could clear the mist away but it was just too thick. He put a cautious hand to the ground to see what it felt like, but the sensation was strange. He could feel no dirt, or ground, but he was clearly outside, as he could see the sun. He did notice however, when he looked up at the sky at that moment, that the clouds were gone. At that point he stood up and took in his surroundings. The first thing he noticed was how the wind had picked up. It had been howling since he woke up, and hadn't let up in the slightest. And even though the sun was overhead, the day seemed strangely dim. As Rynn looked out, he suddenly noticed a building in the distance. He couldn't be sure, but from where he stood it looked almost like a castle. For a long time he didn't move at all, not really knowing what to do. After awhile, he mustered his courage and began walking toward the castle in the distance. He still seemed very tired, and no matter how deep he breathed, he couldn't seem to get enough air. He walked very slowly, partly because he had too, and partly because he wasn't sure he really wanted to get closer to that castle. But since it was the only place he could see, he felt like he didn't have any choice.

            After walking for what seemed like hours, Rynn had to sit down. It seemed to him that he hadn't gotten any closer to the castle, it looked as far away as ever. He was breathing heavily, as if he had ran the entire time, when in fact he had walked as slowly as he could. He was looking up at the sky, in the direction of the castle, when he noticed something in the air above it.  It was small, but seemed to be steadily getting bigger. As it got closer to him, he saw that it seemed to be an animal, not a bird. It did have large wings, but it looked like it had an man's head and an animal's body, with four legs dangling beneath it. As it grew nearer, Rynn thought it almost looked like a lion with wings. Then all of a sudden, Rynn realized it was flying right toward him. He fell flat on his face, hoping the mist that still covered the ground would be deep enough to hide his body. For a few moments he heard nothing except the wind, which was still blowing and hadn't let up the entire time he had been there. Then he heard the sound of wings flapping.  The sound drew closer nad closer, and then heard and soft thud, and the wings stopped. For a long moment, all heard was the wind again. He dared not look up. After what seemed like forever, he heard a deep resounding voice, and his heart sank.

            "Get up boy." the voice said, and Rynn  immediately stood up. After he was on his feet, he looked slowly up at his addresser. It was the strangest creature Rynn had ever seen. It did indeed have the body of a lion,as it had appeared in the distance, with huge batlike wings, And while the head and face of the creature did have a distinctively feline grace, it was the face of a man. It looked like a middle aged man, with a long black beard, and mostache. It had piercing blue eyes that seemed to be reading his thoughts. And it may have been, considering what it said next.

            "Don't be afraid boy. I am sure you got here by accident, as no one as young as you could get here on purpose. What's your name boy?"

            Rynn couldn't answer, his throat was dry and he was more frightened than he had ever been in his life. Although he had heard stories about fantastic creatures like this for all of his life, they had usually been told by traveling minstrels or drunken men wandering around the village. His parents and others had always told him not to pay heed to such tales from men like that, as they were likely just making things up. But here was one of those fantastic creatures now, standing in front of him, asking him his name. He just stood there looking at the creature, unable to move or speak. At length, the creature began to look annoyed at Rynn's silence. It spoke again.

            "I'm sure you have a name boy. What is it. I dislike calling people by vague references, like boy, but if you don't tell me what you're called I'll have no choice. Well ?"

            At this point, Rynn actually wanted to tell the creature his name, but he simply couldn't get his mouth to move. As if sensing his predicament, the creature spoke again.

            "Would it help if you knew my name first? You may call me Shagon. I am a manticore. You may not have heard of my race. There are few of us left."

            As strange as it seemed, hearing the creature say it's own name did in fact help Rynn force his mouth to finally move. Even then, all he got out was one word.

            "Rynn". He immediately looked down after he said his name, he had no idea why.

            "Rynn," the creature replied, "Very well, Rynn. You should not be here Rynn, and the masters of this place will want to know how you got here, why you are here, and what you intend to do now that you are here. I advise you to tell them the truth in every question they ask you, for these masters are very powerful, and it is an easy thing for them to see if a little boy is lying. If you have no bad intent, and you do not try to decieve them, I believe the masters will let you go free. Now we must go to them."

            Shagon the manticore approached young Rynn and took him up in one of his huge paws. He spread his wings out and with a huge flap leaped into the air. Rynn's breath, what little he had left, fled his body when he went up into the air. He closed his eyes tight so he wouldn't see how high up in the air he was. After a few minutes however, Rynn's curiosity overcame his fear and he opened his eyes and looked around at where he was. At first he was very disoriented, what he saw below him made no sense at all. But as he continued to look around, he realized just where he had ended up. He was up in the sky, on top of a cloud!! As the manticore rose higher he could see the length and breadth of the cloud, it was huge, and sitting right in the middle was the castle he had seen in the distance. It was toward this castle that they were now going, and it was fast approaching. As they drew nearer, Rynn could make out more details. It was made of a pure white stone, the very  same color as the cloud itself. It was built in the shape of a square, with a tall tower at each corner. As they neared the castle Rynn could make out a huge building in the courtyard, another round tower, similar to the ones on the corners but much wider, and taller. As they approached the great castle, Shagon veered toward one of the towers on the corners. He flapped his wings to slow down their glode, and landed gently on a small balcony that went all around the top of the tower. This balcony barely held the great flying beast, but there was plenty of room for a small boy. Shagon put Rynn down near a doorway into the tower, and folded his wings to his body.

            "Here we wait for the masters." Shagon told him.

            It wasn't long before Rynn heard faint footsteps coming toward them. For mor than a minute Rynn heard them coming, but the sound never rose above a whisper. Then suddenly two tall men in stark white robes emerged quickly from the doorway. Rynn fell back a step and might have fallen off if the balcony had not had a 3 foot high wall surrounding it. Then men both had long white hair and beards, and both seemed long in years. They were not equal in height however, as one of them seemed nearly half a foot taller than the other. Both of them seemed not to notice the manticore at all, but stared down at Rynn. Neither of them spoke for a long time, and Rynn began to wonder if Shagon had told him the truth about these masters letting him go if he was honest. Finally, the taller one, without moving his head or taking his gaze off of Rynn spoke to the manticore.

            "That will be all for now Shagon. You may go, but be on hand in case we need you."

            At that last part, the shorter man seemed to clear his throat somewhat, as if scoffing at what the taller one had said. After Shagon had flown off, the taller one spoke again.

            "I am Prevnevron, Fifth  Archmage of the Council. What is your name boy?"

            Unlike his encounter with Shagon, Rynn's mouth was not paralyzed now, for whatever reason, and his answer came out almost instantly.

            "Rynn, sir"

            The shorter man seemed to lean in just a bit closer to Rynn when he said his name, and then made the same noise he had made earlier, when the taller on ehad told Shagon to stay close.

            "Rynn," Prevnevron paused after repeating his name, as if considering it for some reason. Soon though, he continued, "And what brings you to my castle in the sky Rynn? "

            Again, Rynn found the he answered the archmage just as soon as his question was asked. And Rynn told him everything. He was playing with Stam, about following the rider, all about his curiosity in seeing him disappear, everything. As he spoke he seemed to talking faster and faster, as if  he couldn't tell his story quick enough. When he got to the part about Shagon flying him to the castle, Prevnevron held up his hand and said,  "Enough. I see."

            Both men stood for along time, not saying anything. Then, Prevnevron turned to look at the other man, and they began speaking as if Rynn wasn't even standing there.

            "Well, as you can see he's telling the truth," Prevnevron  began, "and I can detect no outside influence on him at all. Do you?"

            The shorter man, who had never said his name, stood silently for a moment, his gaze still fixed on Rynn. In a moment, he finally turned his head to look at Prevnevron and spoke.

            "It doesn't matter if he's here by accident or by design. It only matters that he is here now and there's only one thing to be done about it. You know what it is and you'd better have the spine to do it. And if you don't, you know I do."

            "Your compassion knows no bounds, does it Stavlon?" Prevnevron began, "I am always so pleased when I see how good and kind your heart is." The sarcasm dripping off that last statement from the tall one was obvious, even to Rynn. Rynn was just a small boy of eleven, but even he could tell that there was an almost palpable hatred coming off the shorter man, Stavlon, and it was now directed at both of them. Stavlon shouted a quick  'Bah' and then turned around and went back through the doorway, and started down the stairs. Rynn looked up at Prevnevron, who was looking down at Rynn with a concerned look. He soon spoke, "Down the stairs Rynn, were going to have to decide what to do with you."

            Rynn suddenly became terrified, his grew wide and he almost shouted " The man-lion said I could go  home if I told the truth! Your not going to hurt me are you? I'm so sorry I trespassed. I won't do it again and I won't tell anyone I was ever here. Please please!".

            Prevnevron felt a wave of sympathy for the boy, but he knew how his fellow archamges felt about their privacy on the cloud. Prevnevron had a plan in mind, he just hoped he could convince his superiors. For now, he tried to calm little Rynn down.

            "No one's going to hurt you Rynn, just calm down. Now go with me and we'll get this all straightend out." He pointed toward the stairs and urged Rynn to start walking.

            Rynn took a few tentative steps, then stopped for just a minute. He felt Prevnevron's gaze on him, and he started down the stairs again. They seemed to go on for miles as he slowly descended them, and minutes later they emerged on the ground floor from another doorway at the base of the tower. Here in the courtyard the ground was no longer misty. There was a thick, green grass everywhere, brighter than any Rynn had ever seen. He stopped for just a moment to look around, but Prevnevron pointed to the large building in the middle and ushered him toward it.

            The large building in the center of the courtyard had a huge metal door on one side, and as they approached it the door opened, seemingly on it's own. Rynn and Prevnevron walked slowly through it into a huge room. On either side, a staircase wound up along the sides of the tower to a second floor high above the ground. Ahead of them, in the middle of the huge room, was a huge stone chair. One either side of the chair stood three men, all with long white hair and beards in the same fashion as Prevnevron's. All of them see med to Rynn to be of middle or late age, and they all wore the same look of concern that Prevevron had when Rynn had first seen him. As they approached the stone chair, Rynn could see some of them had the same look of disdain that Stavlon had had on his face. Suddenly Rynn's fear began to rise agian.

            Sitting in the chair was a very, very old man. He seemed much older than any of the other men, his face was gaunt, and his skin appeared extremely thin. As they drew near the chair, Rynn could clearly see the veins underneath in his face and hands. No one said anything for a moment, then finally the old man in the chair leaned forward, gazing intently at little Rynn as he spoke.

            "Well well, what do we have here, a little trespasser it seems. The last time someone came up here uninvited, we through him off the side. Hehe, I think the cloud was over a volcano at the time, hehe, what do you think of that ey?? hehe". The old man hinted faintly at a cruel smile.

            Suddenly Prevnevron spoke,"Yes I agree. This boy does indeed present a grave threat to this council and should be dealt with accordingly."

            The old man's smile quickly turned to anger,"Watch your tongue, upstart. I could have you both thrown off the side." Suddenly the old man's demeanor changed again, as if trying to regain his composure. He sat for just a minute as if regarding Rynn, then he looked behind him at Prevnevron and addressed him.

            "So, what does the vaunted Fifth Archmage have to say about this intruder?" the old man was clearly sneering at this point.

            "He is innocent of any malice, nor is he any kind of outside agent, I am sure."

            The old man in the chair seemed unconvinced.

            "Is that right? You're completely sure? Well, it's not as if the great Prevnevron has ever been wrong." At this the old man's sneer seemed to get even worse. "Still,  we of this council cannot take any chances, even with a small boy, do you deny this, Fifth Archmage?"

            "No I do not deny it, but I cannot believe this council would sentence this innocent child to death for something no fault of his own."

            The old man's voice rose slightly,"O no of course, why we should just reveal ourselves to the world to save the life of this whelp. You are a fool, Fifth Archmage, you have not the courage to be a wizard of this council, and it is by the grace of my predecessor only that you stay here, much less stay alive.!" The old man stopped abruptly again, and tried to regain his composure. It was a few moments before he spoke again.

            "Very well, Fifth Archmage, if he is not to be killed, what shall we do with him? The secrecy of this council is your sworn duty, how will you protect it and still save this boy's life?"

            Prevnevron wasted no time with his response, as if he already had it prepared," I shall erase his memory of this day. He shall remember nothing of this, for as long as he lives."

            The old man stared at Prevnevron for a long time before he responded, regarding him almost as if  he were seeing him for the first time, clearly this was not an answer he was expecting. Still, a small grin crossed his face.

            "And you are sure this will work? He will never remember where he has been, or who we are? For the rest of his life?"

            "I am."

            Again, the old man stared at Prevnevron for long time, finally, he said "So be it."

            Suddenly, an angry voice came crying out over the balcony of the second floor. It was Stavron, the man Rynn had seen with Prevnevron when he arrived at the tower. " I do not believe this. You can't possibly believe that preposterous lie. That old fool can't erase anyone's memory any more than I can." Stavlon began to walk down the stairs toward them. "Has this council gone mad? It's clear what has to be done. Let us simply do it and get on."

            Anger shown once again in the face of the old man in the chair. But this time he was able to regain his composure before he spoke.

            "Silence. You do not have the right to speak on this floor, and if you continue to disobey our rules you will not have the right to speak at all, anywhere."

            Stavlon stopped at that, halfway down the stairs. He looked first at Prevnevron, then at Rynn, and finally at the old man in the chair. Then he turned and returned up the stairs. The old man turned  his attention back to Prevnevron and Rynn.

            "Very well, Fifth Archmage, you may go. Wipe the boy's memory, our secrecy is in your hands." The venom dripping off the old man's last words was almost palpable.

            Prevnevron bowed slightly, then ushered Rynn out of the chamber. They took a few steps outside, and then Prevnevron put a hand on Rynn's shoulder and stopped him. Rynn looked up at him, scared. Prevnevron tried to smile gently at him, but it really didn't work. So he tried to say something comforting, "Don't worry Rynn, you're going to be fine,  you just won't remember anything that  happened today. That's all."

            After a moment, Rynn finally managed to ask a question, "Why does that man not like me?"

            Prevnevron felt his heart sink at this, and he answered as best he could,

            "It's isn't you he dislikes boy, it's me. We have had some very bad disagreements lately, and I have not, how shall I put this, done what he wanted. And that has made him very angry with me. Do you understand?"

            "Not really," Rynn started, "Why does he..."

            Prevnevron cut him off before he could ask anything else, "No more questions, Rynn. The less you know the better. Even though you won't remember today, you shouldn't hear or see anything you don't need too. Here, Shagon is coming.

            Rynn looked up and saw the manticore flying down toward them. He grabbed Rynn in one of his great paws and Prevnevron climbed on his back. When they were ready, Shagon lept into the air and flew up, and then back to where Rynn had first appeared on the cloud. Rynn could see that the sun was beginning to set, and he suddenly wondered if anything had happened to Stam. Soon they were on the ground in the spot where Rynn had appeared. When Shagon had released Rynn, and as Prevnevron was climbing down, Rynn asked,

            "What about Stam, will you have to make him forget too?"

            A sudden look of concern crossed Prevnevron's face, as he asked "Who is Stam?"

            He's my best friend, we were playing together when I found myself here.

            Prevnevron looked over at Shagon, who looked back as if knowing what question was about to  be asked.

            "There were no other trespassers, my lord" Shagon said, "I have scoured the cloud three times now."

            Prevnevron looked back at Rynn,"Did he see you dispappear?" he asked.

            Rynn looked down,"He might have, I don't know. He was with me when I started to feel dizzy."

            Prevnevron said nothing for a long time, looking first at the ground, then ot Shagon, then Rynn. At last, he spoke,

            "Well, I think not. At the most all he would have seen is you disappearing, and when you return you won't be able to tell him anything, because you won't remember anything. Are you ready?"

            Rynn felt scared again, "I guess, will it hurt?"

            "A little," Prevnevron replied, and then he reached out and touched Rynn's forehead. Rynn yelled out in pain and then crumpled to the ground, unconcious. Prevnevron looked over at Shagon with a pained look, and Shagon shook his head, and closed his eyes. Prevenvron frowned, and felt his heart become very heavy with what he had to do. He wondered at that moment if what he had heard about the Council really was true? Either way, he had to do this now to save the boy's life. He began to slowly incant short, powerful magic words, and trace strange patterns into the air. Soon his finger glowed with a faint blue glow and as moved his finger in the air, a slight blue trail would appear after it. Then, he reached down and touched the back of Rynn's head with his finger, and Rynn, still unconcious, screamed in pain. Prevnevron heard a voice utter an angry syllable, and he knew it was Shagon, disapproving. When Rynn's cry had died away, Prevnevron stood up, and looked around. Shagon turned back around to look at him, and both of them nearly had tears in thier eyes. Prevnevron made another gesture, and Rynn disappeared. He walked over and climbed up on Shagon's back. As the great beast prepared to leap into the air, Prevnevron said, "No, take me to temple first. Then we'll return to the castle."

            Shagon turned his head slightly to ask a question,"Will they let the boy live?"

            "I don't know, and I don't like not knowing. Come on", was his reply.           

            Rynn slowly opened his eyes. At first, he couldn't see anything, but he knew he was in a field because he could smell the hay. Then heard a familiar voice, "RYNN!!!" It was Stam. Slowly Rynn tried to get up, but he was so weak he could barely make it to his knees. Suddenly he felt someone grabbing his side and trying to help him up. Rynn blinked his eyes a few times and things slowly began to come into focus. He was in a field, and it was getting dark, but he had no idea how he got there. He looked over at Stam, who had the most frightened look on his face.

            "Where did you go Rynn? You've been gone for hours? You were standing there and you just disappeared." Stam's voice was shaking. "C'mon we've got to get home, tell me what happened while you were gone.." Stam started to walk them towards home. It was a few minutes before Rynn was able to gather enough of his senses to be able to speak.

            "How did I get here?" was all he could muster, and Stam looked at him incredulously.

            "We were looking for that rider and you just disappeared. Don't you remember? It was just a few hours ago.

            "Rider? What?" Rynn was clearly confused. Stam wanted to question him more, but somehow he knew that Rynn wouldn't be able to tell him anything. So , as the sun set, Stam took his best friend home.