Time is another sphere of great importance; while one of the most difficult spheres to undertand it permits us to alter the rate that time flows, to create durations for our magic. Some have said even travel through time, but nobody has returned from trying that. - Antonio Ravnos

Adrian

Nobody is moving, the idiot’s soldiers are just watching.

“Kythia, tell them that if this man is to live they need to amputate and cauterize the wounds.”

She starts talking with some of the horsemen. I don’t think amputation is absolutely required for him to live but it’ll make treatment easier. Unless a healer is involved, then it just makes recovering his legs harder. Do they have a healer here? I think Lysan might be one. She did use a holy symbol for the only spell I saw her cast. K got blood magic healing to work too . . . kind of.

“The noble’s second in command wants to know if we wish for a ride to the camp.”

“Should we go?”

K nods, probably because we do not have the strength to fight them and not lose anyone. “Alright then, but I want to be able to stop if we pass by some places.”

K goes and talks to a man who is wearing some leather armor that is a bit nicer than the others. I turn to Bryan and Abagail.

“We are getting a ride to some other survivors. I think, if we pass by your parents we’ll stop there.”

“Is it safe? You might have just killed their leader.”

“I think so, but keep your weapons ready just in case.”

After a few minutes the soldiers have treated their leader and guide us over to what looks like a wooden palisade constricted between buildings. Where did they get the wood? Even then how did they build this so fast? Either way we are lead in through the front gate, the idiot noble’s soldiers stop outside, on the other side is a street with every lamppost and mailbox pulled out of the side walk.

The cars and trash are gone too. There are a few hundred people here, most of them are wearing clothes from the modern era. Is this a refugee camp? There is no food being passed out nor do these people seem to be willing. I guess they were forced.

Looking over the crowd I recognize the person standing on the one car in sight, Jason. So, this is where he went. He doesn’t seem to be upset, unlike many in the crowd. Some of the soldiers walking around are leading more people here. They start pointing and pushing my group towards that crowd, is this how they treat guests? I’ve been using K as a spokesperson so I look at her, she just shrugs.

I guess we will just join the edge of the crowd. About the time that all the people with modern clothes on are within earshot of Jason he begins to talk, well shout.

“Many of you don’t know what has been going on the past day. Don’t worry about the soldiers that have brought us here. They are the Althaen, they have followed the monsters here from their world to help us.

They may have recruited us as slaves to help with this cause, but it is for our own good! . . .”

What the hell is this? I crippled that idiot so they wouldn’t think of me as a slave. Bryan leans over to me, “what’s he going on about?”

“These people consider anyone who isn’t a noble an unclaimed slave.”

“What! Why didn’t we kill those horsemen then?”

“To many to fight at once, that duel thing was should have made them recognize me as a mage. All mages count as nobles, so anyone I say is with me cannot be enslaved without me saying ok. I suggest trying to get a casting something out of the weird Grey Dream.”

I tune back into Jason’s rant, what am I going to do about this? Will I have to cripple another poor fool?

“. . . great things that we can receive by following them. They are nobles like kings of old, and if we serve them well we may be given the same title!

Don’t worry they are good people, they are only here because they want to help us. Their ancestors once walked among us! They are the people from our tales of places like Camelot and Atlantis! I have been blessed by their grace to be a spokesman for them and help direct us in aiding them.

Now, if everyone will gather into a line so that we may be directed to where we can help the most.”

Jason points to what remains of a courthouse, this is just great. Line up so you can all be good slaves. Well, we won’t be slaves. Why is he helping them? He followed me at the school for safety and left when Bryan made him work. Why would he now be here? He must have met with the Althaen while I was burying Tomas. Are they using him as a puppet? Maybe who would be easier to manipulate than a teenager?

Some soldiers are trying to push us towards the courthouse but K growls at them and they move to less dangerous targets. Jason notices us and begins to walk over. The guards don’t stop him, yep he definitely made a deal with the nobles.

“Adrian, Bryan, nice to see you. I was wondering when Thraen would bring you back. Congratulations we are now all servants to the Althaen. Don’t worry though I make sure you get good jobs like corpse cleaner, I’m in charge of directing labor.”

I want to wipe that smirk of his face, and not just because he is staring at the trio. They are mine, and this punk is a traitorous pig. “Is Thraen the idiot I crippled on my way here? Oh, and we are not slaves I count as a noble under their laws.”

He stops smiling, good “Your lying, hurting a noble means death.”

Does it? Not if you win, the duel is apparently a might makes right type of thing. “You saw what I did back at the school. I’ll threaten people, so why wouldn’t I hurt someone who attacked me? And what do you think about betrayal? I’m sure you tried to sell me, you did, didn’t you?”

And he is now scared. He did try to sell me. Is he selling all of these people to the Althaen? Jason starts telling the soldiers something in that language the trio used to talk to the soldiers earlier. When did he learn to speak it? Was it a spell, or the Grey Dream? K shouts something back at them and they stop advancing. The soldiers and K drew their weapons at some point while I was thinking.

Jason starts to stutter, “Sh She called you her lord in their language. How? When?”

“I told you I count as a noble to them.”

“Kythia, please tell the soldiers to stand down and get a noble who speaks elven.”

She says something to the soldiers, Jason looks even more scared now. She must have added something to it. Whatever, now I just have to wait.

After about an hour of me ignoring Jason’s attempted apologies, slaving traitor, an older man who looks quite upset arrives. He has a slight limp as he walks and is dressed in something similar to a fancy bathrobe, wizard robes? They are blue with decorative patterns in a different shade, a design that I assume is a sigil or crest is embroidered on his left arm.

He says something in Althaen, I’m guessing the name of their nation will also be the name of the language. K responds to him, I don’t know what she said but the old man looks surprised. He turns to me and begins speaking a language I do know.

“I was upset when some soldiers told me some barbarian noble demanded an audience. Now I’m more interested in how you got the last Bloodclaw to say you are her master. Unfortunately for you though you have no standing in . . .”

“All mages are counted as nobles by your own laws.” I raise my hand and open it, I need to do something flashy. I hope enough of the people around here have already seen magic. A small dragon of golden fire appears over my hand. I have it take flight and fly around the small group we are in. The older man stops talking for a moment.

“That is just a cheap trick, I have seen you people’s machines. Moving pictures of people who are not mages doing such tricks. . .”

“I’ve fought some fool noble who challenged my claim over my servants on the way here. That also makes me a noble, my house can and will defend our own.”

I have no idea of that is right but it does seem like something that would fit in their laws.

“Who did you fight?” the older man says giving me a threatening look.

“I don’t know the fool’s name. I don’t speak Althaen, and he didn’t speak any of my languages. I could not ask even if I cared. Kythia what was his name?” They are a prideful people, act arrogant and hope that idiot was from a different house.

“Thraen, my lord”

“There you go the fool’s name was Thraen.”

The older man’s face immediately changes to a smile. Perfect, they are not from the same family.

“So, you are the great mage who spared his life but crippled him. I wanted to meet anyone who could put the Sunchasers in their place. You are right, you are a noble under our laws. Who are the members of your house?”

“Of those present, the elven sisters, Kythia and the two humans behind me. I didn’t see any of my house among the crowd. But if I find one I will take them back. . . Also, this man Jason was a follower of mine but he has abandoned and betrayed me, you may want to be careful what you put him in charge of. He will lie, make promises he cannot keep and sell that which he does not own.”

The older man frowns but nods at my words, “he cannot be trusted then, I will have to find another. You can speak with both us and the people of this land will you do his job?”

“No, I only guide and protect my own people.”

The older man sighs, “I will see that your right to an abode and a place of employment is honored while you are here. But we will have to take some of you supplies in tax.”

I nod, ok that is much better. “Provisions I assume?”

The man nods, “I will set them aside once we are settled then. I assume you are busy with your work?”

“I am, but a fellow noble is more important than overseeing the new slaves”

What is with these people and slaves? I can't stop them so I guess I'll worry about it later.

“If I can get your name in case another problem arises, you may send someone to show me to the abode when it is ready.”

“I am Trían of the house Valthrã, and you are very considerate lord . . .”

“Adrian of house Ravnos.”

I shake the man’s extended hand, and mimic the form of his introduction. I think he whispers something under his breath. Whatever it was it was not a language I know. The trio were startled at my last name as well, why? I have too many questions and not enough answers these last few days. The older man leaves and now we wait around for the abode to be readied.