“Excellent work, Samuel. Let’s take a break for now.”

Samuel reluctantly let his guard drop, and relaxed, watching Edri drift away through a haze. Learning to defend himself against mental attacks was exhausting. Each time Edri locked onto his mind, his vision was blurred, and there was an incredible, debilitating pressure as if his head was going to implode. Of course, Edri was taking it easy on him, not using lethal force so as to help him learn. That didn’t make it any less painful, he thought.

At once, he felt another presence touch his mind. Inka. After each bout of mental combat, she connected to Samuel to heal the damage that Edri had done, and give him a little boost of mental clarity. The haze that dominated his vision cleared, as did his mind, and he gave her a quiet word of gratitude. She smiled warmly up at him, then drifted away as well. Samuel lowered himself until he was on the ground, and summoned his notebook. He’d been recording all the details of his training into it so that he could reference the book if his memory was affected again.

Knarlick’s attack would be much worse than this, he reminded himself, scratching a few new lines into his notebook. He would use his full force right away, in an attempt to crush Samuel’s mind and render him incapable of defending himself. All so that he could gain Arcana’s favor. Perhaps the most troubling aspect for Samuel was the uncertainty of it all. Would Arcana accept Knarlick as his champion if he were to kill Samuel? Would Arcana even be strong enough to bestow his power onto another person? The god had several followers now, of course, but the bulk of his essence was still carried by his current champion. If that faded, he might die.

Irritated by the sudden dangerous turn that his life had taken, Samuel closed his notebook with a snap and banished it. Edri and Inka were having a quiet discussion with some other Enari a fair distance away. He briefly considered going over and joining them but decided against it. Instead, he let himself be consumed by his thoughts, to think through each new problem he faced. It was an activity he hadn’t done in quite a while, mostly because his life had become so hectic. Perhaps he should put a little more emphasis on meditation in the near future, he thought.

Strangely, the thought occurred to him that he could use some advice from Grimr. In the early years of his life, he’d hung on the Ancient’s every word, of course. Grimr was wise after his thousands of years in the world. The survivor of countless battles, shaper of so much of the world, and now a God to boot, he had a lot of sage advice for Samuel when he was troubled. Of course, that advice was always layered under confusing riddles and platitudes, he thought with a snort. But this was all moot, as he had no way of contacting Grimr while in the Ethereal Plane. Or did he?

Samuel shot to his feet, his face twisting into a thoughtful frown. A few yards away, Inka noticed his sudden movement and glanced over curiously, though he didn’t notice. It had only just occurred to him, but Ancients had their unique way of contacting each other via projection. Samuel had used this to his benefit on a handful of other occasions, of course, when he’d faced a difficult decision. Could the same effect be possible if he were here? Edri had said that this plane was part of the same world. It was worth a try, he thought.

“Grimr,” he said, his voice soft and tentative. “Grimr, can you hear me?”

At once, and to his great relief, the scene around him faded away, replaced with a new one. He was on the crest of a large hill, overlooking a stretch of shoreline. There were many soldiers camped there, perhaps a thousand strong. Grimr flinched at his sudden appearance and whirled around to stare at him with wide eyes. His hand formed a fist, and the bone dagger he used to fight appeared clutched in it.

“Samuel!” He exclaimed, his voice a quiet hiss. “By the Mother, you frightened me.”

Now that he recognized his surprise visitor, he relinquished the grip on his weapon, which vanished. Samuel raised an eyebrow at him. “I’ve never known you to be so jumpy, Grimr. Getting lax in your old age, are you?”

“I’ll show you lax,” the Ancient growled at once. Then he frowned. “What is wrong with you? You seem different.”

“Do I?” Samuel asked, looking down at his projected form. He couldn’t spot any differences. “I should be more or less the same as I was in our last meeting.”

“Your image is blurry,” Grimr said bluntly. “And your essence has changed. You’re… less physical now.”

Samuel couldn’t begin to comprehend what that meant. Deciding it best not to delve into the subject, he offered his quick explanation. “I’m in the Ethereal Plane.”

That got Grimr’s interest at once. His eyes narrowed. “Did you arrive by accident again?”

Samuel shook his head, which didn’t seem to surprise his friend. Grimr smirked. “Of course, you’d be the first to discover how to get there on purpose.”

“I didn’t,” Samuel corrected him. “Raveonic taught me the spell. He said I was the best to learn the mysteries of the plane.”

“Ah, yes,” Grimr said, his smirk broadening into a full grin that showed his sharp teeth. “I’d heard that the old man had summoned you. Tell me, what do you think of him?”

Samuel twisted his face, trying to think of the words. “He’s both exactly what I believed him to be, and not at all what I expected.”

Grimr let out a laugh, then cut the sound off at once with a nervous glance at the camped men. They were less than three hundred yards away, and he wanted to stay quiet. “Yes, he has that effect. But we’re getting away from ourselves. Why have you contacted me?”

“I need advice,” Samuel said predictably. He jerked his head towards the body of troops. “I need to know more about Stephen Knarlick. I take it those are his men?”

“Yes. I’m doing Shigeru a favor and keeping an eye on them. They’ll be ready to march tomorrow. Rainhall plans to intercept them at Murgan’s feet.”

Samuel turned in place to look inland. The massive mountain was visible even from here, perhaps four days’ march away. “Are you sure that’s wise? What if Tiamat returns to her nest?”

“You’ve heard of that, have you? Well, I’m afraid that’s exactly what will happen.”

“So then,” Samuel began, but Grimr cut him off with a meaningful look. “The decision wasn’t yours, and you’re not allowed to intervene.”

Grimr nodded, not saying anything just yet. He stared out at the ocean, which dominated the horizon, stretching beyond what they could see. So much of the world existed beyond that body of water, but only the sturdiest of vessels could strike out at foreign lands. The small Ancient let out a morose sigh, shook his head, then turned away from the army camped below him.

“You will have to take part in this fight, Samuel.” He said quietly. “Since I cannot interfere, you’re my best option. You may be the only Ancient who is not bound to a purpose that takes you away from the interest of the country.”

“I’m surprised you’re so invested. As long as they don’t harm the wilds, you shouldn’t have an issue, right?”

“I may be getting soft,” Grimr said with a grimace. “But Shigeru’s love of the mortal people has rubbed off on me a bit. Or perhaps I just care because I owe him.”

Samuel regarded Grimr in silence, seemingly without his realizing it. He wondered if the Ancient ever grew weary with the weight of his responsibility, not to mention the restrictions that it put on him. If it weren’t for his purpose, he could move freely and do as he pleased. He could probably destroy the army below them without issue and put an end to the war forevermore. But their enemy was cunning and would make every effort not to provoke the wilds.

“I’m learning how to defend myself against him,” Samuel assured his friend. “He learned a great deal from the Enari. They’re the people of this Plane. I have to learn what I can if I’m to stand a chance against him. But worry not, I’ll be here for this battle.”

“I know you will,” Grimr said. His voice was unusually soft. “You’re a great warrior, Samuel. Your hand is swift, and your mind keen. There could be no better Champion for Isip’s will.”

Samuel flushed slightly at the praise, not to mention the sincerity of the words. He could tell that Grimr knew of Knarlick’s intentions, or rather his goal in hunting Samuel. His next words confirmed this. “I cannot allow another to take your place. If he kills you, I will end him.”

“That won’t be in contradiction to your purpose?”

“It will be in service to it,” Grimr said. “Knarlick possessing Isip’s power, stolen from you by force, will be a threat to the balance. I’d have no choice but to hunt him, and there is no place in the world in which he could hide from me.”

“He could enter the Ethereal Plane,” Samuel said. Grimr nodded his agreement of that. “Let me teach you the basics of what I know. It may be useful information.”

“You don’t have enough time to teach me that as you are now.”

“True,” Samuel agreed. “But I’ve learned a new kind of magic. Just trust me.”

He reached out with his mind to touch Grimr’s. Strangely, despite the apparent distance between them, he reached Grimr almost instantly. Perhaps distance didn’t matter when it came to linking minds between Ancients, he thought. Grimr’s mind was like an iron wall when he first made contact, then he was allowed access. As quickly as he could, he shared all the memories he’d gained while training, from arriving on the island to the moment right before he made contact.

Grimr’s eyes widened at the strange sensation, and he looked as though he was doing some very quick thinking. Samuel knew that expression well and knew that Grimr had grasped everything he’d shared quickly. The Ancient smirked. “Interesting. To think that I could enter all along if only I’d used the right words.”

“That’s the problem I keep coming across,” Samuel agreed with a short laugh. “Anyway, I should get back. I’m in the middle of training to strengthen my mind.”

Grimr nodded his acceptance of the farewell but had one thing to add. “A fair trade, before you leave.”

“I think you’ve helped me far more than I have you,” Samuel said. “But sure. What is it?”

“For your mental training. Don’t tackle it head-on. That’s not your style.”

The connection dissolved before Samuel could say anything or ask what Grimr meant, but for once, he didn’t need to. He opened his eyes slowly, blinking away the strange sense of disorientation that always followed his projections. To his surprise, both Edri and Inka were sitting before him. Inka looked concerned, Edri impatient and annoyed. They both gave a little start as Samuel suddenly opened his eyes and looked at them. Edri shot to his feet.

“What were you doing?” He asked, his tone exasperated. “Inka has been worried sick. You’ve been sitting there for hours!”

“Hours?” Samuel asked, blinking in confusion. “But that only took me a few minutes. I was just contacting one of my friends.”

“You can speak to people outside the plane?” Edri asked, completely distracted from his annoyance. “I didn’t think that was possible.”

“I’m sure it’s not normally possible.” Samuel rose to his feet, noticing with faint surprise that his knees were indeed stiff as if he’d been sitting still for many hours. “But Grimr and I are both Ancient. We have our way of communicating.”

“Can you teach it?’ Inka asked, also getting to her feet. “To Edri and I, I mean.”

Samuel shook his head slowly. “Sorry. It’s part of the magic that you can’t learn. Only Ancients can use it, and we’re born with the ability. Well, most of us.”

He didn’t add that he’d been remade as an Ancient, which made him unique. It didn’t seem like a pertinent detail just then. But Edri’s face cleared as he made a connection. “Like your Laban spell.”

It was odd to hear his unique trait referred to by the word he used, Samuel thought. “Yes.”

Edri shrugged it off, moving to another train of thought faster than Samuel expected. “Oh well. Your explanation makes sense. I thought you were having a dream about meeting a human child. Did you learn anything else about Knarlick?”

“Not really,” Samuel said. Again, he didn’t mention that he was Knarlick’s ultimate target, nor the reason for why he was on the hunt. “It seems you’re my best bet in preparing for my fight with him. Shall we continue?”

His apparent eagerness seemed to take Edri by surprise. The tall thin Enari looked at him with slightly narrowed eyes. “Are you sure? We can do it later after you’ve had some time to rest.”

“No,” Samuel said firmly. “And this time, don’t take it easy on me. I need the full effect, or I won’t grow.”

“Fine. But I won’t attempt to harm you. I’ll force you to kneel, and no further.”

“That’s fine,” Samuel said, adjusting the tie on his robe slightly. “Let’s get to it.”

At once, Samuel felt Edri’s mind slam into his own. It was a deliberate force, and his influence clamped down like a crushing vice. Samuel tried to push back with all his might, but he couldn’t budge Edri’s grip. He could feel his resistance breaking down. Then, in less than ten seconds, Samuel was on his knees, and Edri’s mind was retreating.

“I thought you might have learned a new trick,” the Enari said. He sounded like he regretted his action. “But that was nothing new.”

“I do have a new trick,” Samuel gasped, drooping forward to put one hand on the ground to steady himself. “I can handle this. Do it again.”

“We can give it a-”

“Again!” Samuel barked, using the tone that he always used on his students when one of them wasn’t getting to business as quickly as he liked. It was also the tone he used on trainees under him to whip them into action. It had the desired effect he wanted, as he saw Edri’s eyes narrow, and felt his mind encroaching once more. “Good.”

Samuel pushed himself to his feet as Edri began his attack once more, and resisted the urge to kneel once more. Grimr’s words came to him again as he felt the clamp of Edri’s powerful mind. That's not your style. He was right, of course. Samuel avoided using brute force whenever possible, relying instead on his quick wits and ability to redirect. In this case, the answer was simple, he thought. He pushed back with his mind again, just enough to stall Edri, then willed himself to slip away and to the side. Edri’s grip slackened, and he seemed to glance off of Samuel’s sudden defense. In the fraction of time, before he could latch on, Samuel reached out with his mind, clamping down on Edri where he stood.

Edri’s eyes widened in surprise at the sudden attack, then they narrowed in concentration. He threw Samuel off easily. But Samuel wasn’t done. He came to the attack again, this time from a different angle. He didn’t try to force Edri into submission. Instead, he continued to change his direction of attack, slamming into Edri’s mind with as much force as he could muster. His friend reacted almost exactly as he’d expected, giving up on attacking completely to defend himself. With a little flick of his hand, Samuel directed what focus he could towards a spell. The chaos behind Edri surged forward at once, knocking the Enari’s legs out from underneath him.

Samuel was across the gap between them in a flash, pinning Edri down with Ki, one hand extended. He didn’t know when it had appeared, but he was grinning from ear to ear. “I think that does the trick.”

Edri had frozen at the sudden attack, his instinct telling him that he was doomed. But as his reason caught up to him, he blinked and pushed Samuel off of him. Samuel waited patiently for him to rise to his feet once more and collect himself, still grinning. Edri looked down at his feet as if wondering what had caused him to trip. It was bound to be a new experience for him, being so skilled in moving around Chaos. Finally, he glanced back up to survey Samuel with his head tilted.

“You didn’t win the mental fight,” he pointed out. “If given enough time, I could have worn you out, and you would be defeated.”

“True,” Samuel agreed. “But my goal isn’t to beat you or Knarlick. I just need to survive long enough to use magic.”

“You’re confident that you can defeat him in a magic duel?” Inka asked. She ignored her brother’s state of mild shock and touched Samuel’s shoulder, forcing him to look down into her warm eyes. “He was a very powerful mage.”

“He might be powerful,” Samuel admitted. “He might be the strongest mortal mage ever to exist. But I’m not a mortal mage, and I know I can win if it comes to magic.”