Eric gulped, feeling a sudden stab of fear at the dangerous look in Enri’s eyes. The Captain was leaning across the desk, his fists planted upon the surface, glaring without blinking. He frantically searched his memory, not sure what he could know that constituted a threat to the Royal Family. He was just a normal guard, wasn’t he? What could he know that even mattered to them? Hadn’t it just been confirmed that he knew nothing about Rainhall’s illegal action?

Then he remembered that he didn’t belong in this world. He’d been summoned by Samuel, presumably without consulting the officials of the city. Of course, it had to be regarded as a threat. An unknown world, not to mention someone from that world being brought over to intervene in some future event? Of course that could be construed as a potential threat to the Queen. But Samuel had made it clear that he had to keep his identity a secret.

“I…” He began nervously, keenly aware of how dangerous his situation was. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t have any secrets that could endanger the Queen.”

“The spell says otherwise,” Enri replied at once, nearly speaking over him, even as another wash of cold hit Eric. “This entire room is enchanted with Zone of Truth. When you speak a lie, I know.”

Another surge of fear racked his spine, and he jumped to his feet in nerves. This was a mistake. The instant he’d moved, Enri had as well. With a deadly whisper of steel on leather, the Captain’s weapon was out and leveled at Eric’s throat. He froze at once, staring down the glittering length of the blade, into the burning blue eyes across from him. The message was clear. Move, and you die.

“I’m telling the truth!” He spluttered, trying not to move his jaw too much. “I have no intention of harming the Queen or the realm! I’m not even interested in breaking the law!”

There was no wash of cold with this statement, as it was perfectly true. If there was ever a reason to avoid even the thought of such nefarious things, it was the deadly skill of those who protected the safety of the country and its ruler. Enri’s eyes widened fractionally as he studied Eric. The spell, whatever it was, had clearly not gone off, signaling that he was being honest. He stared into Enri’s eyes, determined to make himself seem innocent, to avoid being skewered by the slender blade.

Curiously, Enri was not looking at him directly. Rather, his eyes had shifted just over his shoulder, staring at the door. They widened the tiniest bit, then immediately went back to a suspicious stare. He glanced back at Eric, then to the door, and back again. He seemed to be thinking over some new thought that had occurred to him and doing it very quickly.

“How do you know Samuel Bragg?” Enri asked, withdrawing the blade an inch to allow him room to breathe. “Are you really just a common Guard?”

“Samuel?” Eric asked, hesitating for a fraction of a second. “How do you know-”

But he got no further, as the door burst open. Enri twitched visibly, and Eric threw himself to the side, certain that Enri was about to strike him down. But Enri made no attempt to move the weapon. In fact, the blade was stuck in place, and it looked as though he was making a real effort to try and move it, to no avail. Bewildered, Eric glanced towards the open door, just in time to see Samuel Bragg stepping swiftly across the threshold.

For the first time since his arrival to Ahya, he was relieved to see the Archmage. Raw power radiated around Samuel, rolling in waves up and down his body, licking the air around him. The room suddenly felt a few degrees colder. Strangely, though he expected Enri to summon some kind of power himself, he made no attempt to do so. Samuel’s presence filled the room like a cloud, even making Enri look slightly nervous.

“Lord Bragg,” Enri said through gritted teeth, straining to move his weapon. “Will you please release my weapon?”

“If you promise not to attack me or Eric,” Samuel said. After a moment, he nodded. “Thank you.”

Whatever spell Samuel had used seemed to fade, and Enri yanked his weapon back, slamming it into its sheath. “I had no intention of attacking.”

“Forgive me,” Samuel said dryly. “But the sight of you holding a weapon to my friend’s throat is not a comforting sight.”

Enri seemed slightly flustered. “Zone of Truth marked his words as a lie. Then he moved as if to flee. My reaction was appropriate.”

“I never said it wasn’t,” Samuel replied with a slight bob of his head. He glanced behind him to see half a dozen men, weapons brandished, eyeing him uncertainly. “Dismiss these men, and I will explain everything to you. But I assure you, you won’t want these men hearing what I have to say.”

Enri looked as though he didn’t think much of that idea for a moment, but gave the men a dismissive gesture. They hesitated but complied. Samuel’s left hand moved ever so slightly away from the hilt of his own sword, and the men seemed relieved. They gave Enri a silent nod, then moved back to their original positions. Smiling in quiet satisfaction, Samuel closed the door again. Then he conjured a comfortable-looking chair out of thin air and sat himself in it.

“Right,” he said, as if this was just a friendly lunch chat. “Sit down, young Enri. This will take a while to explain.”

And it did take a while. Nearly two hours had elapsed before Samuel finally finished his explanation. Enri sat behind the desk, his face slightly pale, listening silently as Samuel had told him just how Eric had come to be in Ahya, why he’d been summoned, and his purpose here. Throughout the entire story, Samuel gave no sign of cold washing over him. Not that that told much, Eric thought, watching the mage closely. Either he was telling the truth, or he was immune to the spell’s effects.

“He’s from another world?” Enri finally asked. “Arcana asked you to bring him here?”

“Not him specifically,” Samuel corrected him. “Just someone like him. He was the best of the choices I could find.”

Eric took some small comfort in that, but couldn’t help jumping into the conversation if only to remind them that he was there. “Sorry, Captain. Samuel told me to keep it a secret, so I didn’t want to tell you.”

Enri’s blue eyes swiveled to him, and he let out a sigh. Then he put his head into his hands. “I don’t blame you for your reticence, Eric. But I must say, this is unprecedented. I thought I’d heard the most bizarre thing in my youth, but this blows that out of the water.”

In spite of himself, Eric wondered what Enri was talking about. Sensing his question, Samuel answered it. “Enri is not just Captain of the Queen’s Guard and the military, Eric. He is also Paragon of Ahya.”

Paragon was a synonym for Master, Eric thought. Though it also indicated a person who stood as a representative for something. So Enri was a representative for the world? That sounded like a superhero, he thought with half a snort. Enri raised an eyebrow at the reaction, and he quickly offered an apologetic gesture. Samuel seemed amused at the byplay.

“He is quite the legend, even if he is new,” Samuel explained. “Due to his close connection with Ahya, he is trustworthy.”

Well, thought Eric wryly, that was already made perfectly clear when you told him my secret. He studied Enri with new interest now, wondering just how he earned that title. As he’d noticed earlier, he didn’t look any older than twenty-five to twenty-eight. Perhaps he was like Samuel, he thought, so powerful that he aged more slowly. Samuel appeared, after all, to be younger than both of them. But there was no denying the power and wisdom that both of them had.

“Right,” Enri said, with the air of a man seeking the ordinary. “So you’re an outworlder. You may not be a direct threat to my cousin, but you’re still a danger. If it weren’t for Samuel, I’d imprison you now, until I could be sure of your loyalty.”

“Well, thanks for that,” Eric said, sinking into his chair slightly. “But I’d rather go back to my normal job if it’s all the same.”

“Why are you working as a common Guard within the Guild?” Enri asked him. “Surely your time would be better spent learning all that you could from a master.”

“I’m trying to do that now,” Eric pointed out. “I’m trying my hardest to pass Master Tokugawa’s test. But Samuel told me I should just try to settle into Ahya like a normal person so that I don’t draw attention or get myself killed. I was already kidnapped by the Rajlen family. I don’t want to have to deal with that kind of thing again anytime soon.”

“That’s more than fair,” Samuel commented. “Well, Enri, there you have it. But please, don’t make any mention of this to your cousin. It truly is best if this remains secret.”

“Who all have you told?” Enri asked, returning his gaze to the Archmage.

“Ry, M, Grimr, and now you,” Samuel said crisply. “Nobody else knows.”

“You told Grimr? I don’t imagine he’d care much, but why him?”

“He’s the only person I know who’s successfully traveled to another world and back.”

Enri let out a low whistle at the answer, turning to stare out the window of the office. He tapped his gloved fingers against the desk for a short while, the reinforced tips of his fingers making a dull clack with each impact. After what felt like an eternity, he let out a sigh and nodded. “Very well, Samuel. Your advice has never led me astray, so I’ll trust you on this. But please, don’t let it get too far out of hand. Also, I don’t want to know anything about this impending danger until it’s time to deal with it.”

“Not a bad idea,” Samuel said jovially, rising to his feet. With a flick of his hand, the chair vanished. “Well then. I assume Eric is dismissed? He looks dead tired. He should get down some of Mandra’s cooking, and turn in for the night soon.”

Eric waved a hand tiredly. “Yes, you’re free to go. You’re also free to continue searching for work. Report either to Sergeant Moran or the Guild to do so.”

“Thank you, sir,” Eric said formally, bowing his head as he followed Samuel out of the room. Once the door had closed behind them, he stared in awe at Samuel. “How did you know I was there?”

“M told me,” the Archmage replied simply. “She seems to have taken an interest in you.”

“Great,” Eric grumbled. “You’re all working behind the scenes, preparing for this coming disaster, not sharing news with me. I’d like to go just one week without being kidnapped or threatened, honestly.”

Samuel chuckled, which did nothing to improve his sour mood. “Don’t be too harsh on Enri. He’s got the weight of prophecy and expectation on his shoulders. He bears it well.”

“How did you get control of his weapon like that?” Eric asked. “Is that some kind of magic I could learn?”

“It was not a spell,” Samuel answered. “It is an Ancient blade, a relic of Ahya. As an Ancient myself, I can render it harmless if I need to.”

Eric gaped, then decided to ignore that obvious rabbit hole. “Well, thanks for coming to save me again. Hopefully, that’s the last time it’s needed.”

“Hopefully,” Samuel agreed. They were at the entrance to the military building now, and he gave Eric a friendly wave. “Well, my wife is expecting my return, and Elena wants to show off a new potion she made. Enjoy your evening.”

And without another word, he disappeared from view, leaving Eric alone at the edge of the training fields, feeling hopelessly lost after the rapid pace of events.