Robertx5sf

The Squires of
Telisan Keep

Chapters 34-...

34 – Rynil

Tresen put his arm around Rynil's shoulders and leaned in to whisper so that the other boys would not over hear, "I checked with Dren and he is spending the night with Kenton, so you can use Sir Kalrik's room tonight."

Rynil smiled at the good news and put his own arm around Tresen's shoulders. "Thank you, I am in your debt," he whispered to Tresen. Last week Rynil had quietly started asking around to try to find an empty room that he and Mikel could use tonight. He found out that Sir Kalrik, Tresen's Knight, was going to be away visiting his family. So it was just a matter of making sure Tresen did not mind them using the room and that Sir Kalrik's Page, Dren, was not going to be around to ask questions. The boys were not supposed to use the Knight's beds while they were gone, but if no one complained or mentioned it, no one was going to go checking to see where everyone was sleeping, especially the night of a holiday festival.

"Well, about that. I am going to redeem that debt tonight. I will need you to not notice who shares my room with me tonight," whispered Tresen.

"By the Night Hunter, you finally caught your prey? She going to let you fuck her finally?" asked Rynil. He knew that Tresen had his eye on Jenna, one of the young maids.

Tresen blushed and grinned, "Yes."

"Well, do not worry. I will not say anything, and I will let Mikel know the deal. Just make sure you pull out and do not plant your seed in her. If she gets pregnant, someone is going to start asking questions," said Rynil.

Tresen hugged Rynil and whispered, "You be careful too, if Mikel gets pregnant people are really going to want to know what happened tonight!" Both boys started laughing which drew the attention of the boys around them so they broke apart. Rynil could not wait to surprise Mikel with the good news about the room. He knew Mikel did not want to spend the night back in the tower after being confined there for over a month. Spending the night in his room was not an option; what with having to share the room with a moody Page, and knowing that Sir Luken would not approve of him sleeping with Mikel if he saw or heard them.

Rynil's left palm itched; he rubbed it with his right hand. Rynil looked down to the end of the table to try to get Mikel's attention, but Mikel was gone. Mekrin and Grener were laughing. When Mekrin saw Rynil looking in his direction, he smiled at Rynil and made an obscene gesture at him. Rynil jumped up and went to stand over Mekrin. "What did you do to Mikel? Where did he go?" Rynil demanded as he fought against the urge to punch Mekrin.

"Easy there barbarian boy. I did not do anything to Mikel. I just explained how the world works. You are the one that made him go running off while I was still having fun with him. He got upset when he saw you and Tresen snuggling," said Mekrin with a smirk. Grener laughed and repeated the obscene gesture Mekrin had just given Rynil, flicking two fingers at him.

Rynil glared at Mekrin and Grener for a few seconds. He needed to go find Mikel and figure out what poison these two had fed him. He pulled out a few coins from his prize and threw them on the table to cover the cost of the drinks, then headed back to the tournament field. He found Sir Valen still seated in the pavilion, but Mikel was not with him nor anywhere among the crowd that was watching the final fight of the second-year Squires tournament. Next, Rynil stopped and checked in the stables on his way back towards the Keep; none of the grooms had seen Mikel.

Rynil tried to figure out where in the Keep Mikel would go if he was upset and wanted to be alone. His room back in the Tower was an obvious choice, but Rynil guessed that after being confined there for the past month that Mikel would not immediately head back to his room. The only other parts of the Keep that Mikel was familiar with were the latrines, the supply rooms, and the old watch post at the top of one of the turrets of the old keep. When he remembered how they used to go there to talk, Rynil knew that is where Mikel had gone. He ran through the newer sections to get to the old keep then slowed down when he got to the stairs leading up to the top of the turret. When he got about half way up the stairs, he could hear Mikel sobbing.

Mikel was seated in the same spot where they sat to look out over the valley. Rynil walked over and sat down next to him, close but not touching. Mikel did not react to his presence. "What is wrong Mikel? What lies did Mekrin tell you?" asked Rynil.

"He told me the truth; our relationship can't last. Your father will arrange a marriage for you and I will be assigned to the War Mage Colloquium in the capital. You will be either with your family or out serving the King. You will have your wife and a never-ending series of Squires to take care of your needs. Don't try to deny it, I've read enough about Knights and about the War Mages to know Mekrin is right. I was a fool to think we had something special. I am just another boy for you to practice with like you did with Sir Alek after you got done beating me up and you were planning to do with Tresen," explained Mikel. The sadness and hurt in Mikel's voice was a dagger through Rynil's heart.

"Mikel, I love you, not any of the other boys. Yes, I spent the night with Sir Alek after the King's Day feast, but that actually was just training. I will not lie to you Mikel, ever. It was fun but the only reason I approached him was at Sir Alred's behest. He said I should go to him to learn how best to serve Sir Luken. Sir Alek showed me how to take care of Sir Luken when he gets drunk. Sir Alek did it so that I could avoid a beating at that bastard's hands and so that he would not turn to Karl for service if I did not please him. Sir Alek and Karl loved each other and were going to spend their lives together. We can make it work," pleaded Rynil.

"Don't lie to me; you don't love me, you're just horny. Fortunately you won your bet with Tresen and can fuck him tonight," spat Mikel.

"What? I did not make a bet with Tresen. We were whispering because he agreed to let you and me sleep in his Knight's bedroom tonight. Did Mekrin tell you I made a bet with Tresen?" asked Rynil.

"No, he just explained how the bet was what you Squires do, he knew that you had made a bet with me. I'm just another conquest for you to fuck and forget when you leave here and get married," said Mikel, his anger causing him to start raising his voice.

Rynil stared at him for a minute before finally speaking, "Mikel, stop being so stupid. Mekrin must have messed with your head somehow. I did not make a bet with Tresen or anyone but you!"

"Then why were you and Tresen hugging each and whispering?" snarled Mikel.

"I just told you. We were talking about tonight. He has a whole suite to himself. His Knight is away and the Page he shares his bed with, Dren, is going to be spending the night with Page Kenton," explained Rynil.

Mikel interrupted him before he could finish, "so you going to be spending the night in his rooms with him?"

"Well I was planning to spend the night there, but he is going to be busy fucking one of the servant girls. I had hoped that this really cute, smart, nice, funny, and did I mention cute, Squire I know was going to spend the night with me. But, for some reason only the Gods know, this boy does not seem to trust me, instead preferring to trust Mekrin. But I guess I cannot blame him for not trusting me, because there is something I have not told him," said Rynil.

Mikel finally turned to look at Rynil, his anger starting to be replaced by confusion, "Huh?".

"There is part of my dream I have not told you about," said Rynil. He kept staring at his hands as he finally described his complete dream; including about how there was a body of a young man at his feet. That when he had first seen Mikel, he had felt he knew him, and that the morning after he saw him, the dream changed and it was Mikel laying at his feet. His eyes were wet with tears by the time he finished.

"Why didn't you ever tell me this before?" asked Mikel.

Tears slowly started to roll down Rynil's cheeks, "Because I did not want you to worry. You have had too much already to worry about, and I was afraid that you would react like I did. I love you and I could not bear to have you try to push me away, the way I kept trying to push you away. Yet somehow I botched it all up, and here you are upset at me and pushing me away."

Mikel reached over with both hands and cupped Rynil's face, wiping the tears from his cheeks with his thumbs, "I'm sorry Ry. I don't know what I was thinking. I wasn't thinking. At the time everything Mekrin said seemed to make sense. Then when I looked over and saw you and Tresen so close, and it seemed like he was making you so happy, I just lost it. I don't know what came over me."

Rynil reached over and held Mikel's head between his hands, "It is you that makes me that happy Squire Mikel, Son of Marel. I was happy because I was thinking that we would be spending tonight together, in a soft bed, without Sir Luken in the next room, or in your Tower where the walls have eyes. I am sorry I did not tell you sooner about what I was planning, but I did not to disappoint you if I did not find a room for us." He then pulled Mikel to him and kissed the black haired boy. The two boys started with a soft kiss but quickly escalated and their tongues were soon battling for control.

The boys lost track of time as they rolled around on the floor of the watchtower kissing and grinding their bodies against each other. The thick leather of the armor prevented them from getting off, but they were enjoying themselves too much to bother undressing. Mikel broke their kiss and pulled back when he heard the sound of a horn being blown out down at the tournament field.

"The last Squire's tournament is over and the jousting is going to be starting soon," said Rynil. For the last couple of weeks Mikel had frequently mentioned how much he was looking forward to seeing the Knights joust. The last time he had seen jousting was during the spring Renewal Festival when he was six years old. There had been a few Knights passing through their little village and they had but on a jousting exhibition for the locals. Mikel had missed the jousting tournament on King's Day since he had been unconscious after the fight with Rynil.

"Can we go?" asked Mikel. Part of him wanted to go while, part of him wanted to stay here kissing Rynil.

"Yeah, we can do more of this later, in a big soft bed with less clothing on. That is, if you still want to spend tonight with me?" asked Rynil.

"Yes! If you don't mind that I'm an idiot who let Mekrin get to me," replied Mikel. Rynil gave his answer by kissing Mikel. After a couple more minutes of passionate kissing and groping, they finally got up and ran down to watch the jousting tournament.

Mikel enjoyed the tournament and Rynil enjoyed seeing Mikel so excited. Having grown up the son of a Knight these tournaments were something Rynil took for granted. Sir Galrath proved why he was the Lord's Champion as he won the tournament, just as he had on the last King's Day and the King's Day before that. Normally the Lord's Champion would have traveled to participate in a Tournament at the capital or maybe one of the tournaments put on by a Duke, but Rynil told Mikel that Lord Velarik had asked Sir Galreth to remain in Telisan this holiday. The Lord did not want one of the Keep's best fighters to be away while there was still the danger of another demon attack.

The Squires and Pages walked back to the castle after the tournament, loudly describing the highlights of the tournament including when Sir Galreth unhorsed Sir Ulmar in the final joust. Sir Ulmar had somersaulted through the air and crashed to the ground. The impact had knocked the wind out of him. Brother Yoris had attended to him and declared him bruised but otherwise unharmed.

Mikel and Rynil split up when they got back to the Keep so they could clean up and change out of their leather armor and into Squire uniforms. Rynil went to the baths with the rest of the boys while Mikel went to Sir Valen's Tower. There was a lot of horseplay and jostling between the boys as they competed for the limited of hot water. The youngest Pages went straight to the cold pools and jumped in, knowing there was ni hope of them getting any warm water. Rynil was in a hurry so he joined them. Rynil almost felt sorry for the servants that would have to clean up the baths after the almost sixty boys were done with the place.

Rynil noticed that Karl was not with the rest of the boys in the baths. Karl was also not in their room when Rynil returned there after bathing. He made a mental not to try to find Karl at dinner. He wanted to talk to him and see if there was anything he could do to help the boy with his melancholy. Rynil changed into his best pair of dark blue hose and put on a new black tunic with Lord Velarik's coat of arms embroidered in the front with silvery thread. Soft leather shoes and a wide leather belt finished off the outfit. He brushed out his damp blonde hair and spent a few minutes getting it to fall just right. Once he was satisfied with his appearance, he rushed down to the Great Hall to find Mikel.

There was a large feast laid out in the Great Hall for the Knights, Squires, and Pages. The tables were laden with platters of roast meats (pork, beef, mutton, and fowl); fall vegetables, primarily squashes and potatoes; fresh bread; and pitchers of wine, mead, and beer. The men and boys were slowly trickling into the hall but few had seated themselves as they were waiting for the Lord and his advisers to arrive and take their seats at the head table before the feast would officially begin. There was a quartet of minstrels playing music to help entertain the nobles while they waited for the feast to begin.

Rynil went and found seats for Mikel and himself at one of the tables set for the Squires. He stood behind their seats and waited for Mikel to arrive. He spotted the young apprentice wizard as soon as he arrived. Mikel was dressed in black hose, soft black leather shoes, and a black tunic that, like the rest of the Squires and Pages, had Lord Velarik's coat of arms embroidered on the chest, except Mikel's was in red thread. His tunic, also trimmed in red and matched the red belt Mikel was wearing that had a small red pouch hanging from it. The boy's uniform reminded Rynil of the red trimmed black robes of the War Mages. While the armor Mikel wore earlier in the day made him appear more muscular, this outfit emphasized the boy's thin frame. Rynil thought it looked good on the black haired boy. The boy's hair had also been growing out over the last few months and was now nearly down to his shoulders, like the other Squires. However, something seemed different about his appearance; Mikel was carrying himself with more confidence. Mikel looked over at Rynil as soon as he stepped into the crowded hall.

Rynil and Mikel greeted each other with a quick hug. They each complimented the other boy on his appearance and then Rynil asked Mikel to keep an eye out for Karl. He let told Mikel about Karl's poor performance at the tournament and the scolding he received from Sir Luken. When Rynil had finished telling Mikel about Karl, he noticed that the Lord and the rest of the guests at his table had arrived. The Knights, Squires, and Pages all found their seats as Brother Barton rose to offer a prayer to the Warrior; followed by a Priestess of the Temple of the Harvest offering a prayer to thank the Harvest Mother for Her blessing this harvest season. After the Priestess concluded her prayer, she left the Hall. Lord Velarik then rose and offered a toast to the winners of the day's tournaments. Mikel smiled and patted Rynil on the back when Lord Velarik mentioned his name. After all the toasts were done, almost a hundred and sixty men and boys began feasting.

The feast went on several hours as the nobles ate and drank to celebrate the harvest. Rynil and Mikel talked with the other boys seated at their table. Mikel only recognized Squires Tresen and Marton. Rynil introduced Mikel to the other Squires at the table. The talk was mainly of the days tournaments. The drinks flowed freely and many of the boys drank too much. Rynil and Mikel though drank modestly, not wanting to get drunk as they had plans for later in the evening. After eating their fill, many of the men and boys started to get up and mingle, visiting friends at other tables to share drinks and tales. The minstrels, who had been playing softly to provide some background music for the meal, started playing louder as the noise level in the hall rose. Soon the servants started clearing away several of the tables, clearing an area of the Great Hall that could quickly became a dance floor.

Rynil noticed that Tresen had already left to go find Jenna. Rynil put his hand on Mikel's leg and squeezed the boy's thigh, "Now is probably a good time to slip away." Mikel looked around the room and noticed that a few pairs of Squires, Pages, and even Knights were exiting the hall. He reached down and grabbed Rynil's hand, lacing his fingers through Rynil's, "Okay, lead the way." The two boys left the Hall holding hands.

Sir Kalrik's suite was in the same wing of the Keep as Sir Luken's suite. The suite's layout was similar, two bedrooms off a small parlor. The door to Tresen's and Dren's bedroom was closed. Rynil led Mikel into Sir Kalrik's bedroom and closed the door. A lantern on the bedside table lit the room. Rynil grabbed Mikel and pulled him into a hug. Their lips met and they kissed.

Rynil enjoyed kissing Mikel but he wanted more and he could not wait any longer. He reached down and picked Mikel up by the ass. Mikel wrapped his arms around Rynil's chest and his legs around the boy's waist. The blonde boy carried Mikel over to the bed and lay the skinny black haired boy down on the white comforter, "You are so beautiful Mikel; I love you."

"I love you," replied Mikel. Both boys eagerly stripped off their clothes. Mikel pulled a small jar out of the pouch on his belt before tossing the belt down on the floor with the rest of his clothes.

"What is that?" asked Rynil.

"I told Sir Valen what we were going to do tonight and he gave this to me, he said it would help," said Mikel.

"Is it magical?" asked Rynil.

Mikel smiled, "Yes, it is a magic oil that will shrink your dick down so it can enter me without any pain."

"I do not want to hurt you Mikel but is it really necessary to shrink my dick? It will return to normal afterward right?" asked Rynil with a frown.

Mikel laughed, "By the Gods you're gullible. It is just regular oil. I wouldn't want to change your dick. It's perfect, just like the rest of you."

Rynil grabbed the jar of oil from Mikel and pushed him down onto the bed, "roll over onto your stomach." Mikel rolled over, stretched his arms and legs out, and lay on his stomach. Rynil poured some of the oil onto Mikel's back then set the jar on the small table next to the bed. He began by gently rubbing the oil into Mikel's back, and slowly worked his way lower. When he got to his pale butt he poured more oil onto the cheeks and dribbled a little into the crack.

"Relax, I will go slow," said Rynil. He gently started massaging the oil into Mikel's hole, softly caressing Mikel's most sensitive spot. He did not want to hurt Mikel so he spent a long time loosening Mikel up with his fingers.

At first Rynil could feel Mikel's tension, but as Mikel's apprehension slowly faded, Rynil felt Mikel relax an then become more active. Mikel started to writhe on the bed, thrusting back against Rynil's fingers. Mikel finally could not wait any longer, "I'm ready, please, I want this as much as you do. You won't break me."

Rynil pressed his groin on top of Mikel's butt. He kissed the back of Mikel's neck as he used his hand to guide his dick into Mikel's ass. Mikel gasped as Rynil's cock entered him. Rynil stopped, "Sorry."

"It's okay," said Mikel. He concentrated on his sphincter relaxing it even more and pushed back against Rynil, "I love feeling you inside me." Rynil slowly pushed the rest of the way inside then started fucking Mikel with slow deliberate strokes.

After a couple minutes, Rynil stopped and pulled out. He rolled off Mikel on and lay down next to him on his back. "I want you on top facing me so we can kiss," said Rynil. Mikel leaned over and kissed him, then crawled over on top of him and guided Rynil's cock back into him.

They finished in that position, Mikel laying on Rynil's chest, his own cock trapped against the boy's stomach while Rynil thrust up into him. Mikel coated Rynil's stomach while Rynil planted his seed in Mikel. Mikel collapsed on top of Rynil and two continued to kiss while reveling in the feeling of being connected.

The two boys lay next to each other cuddling and kissing for an hour before Rynil grabbed the jar of oil and coated Mikel's cock with it. Then he asked Mikel to lay on his back and sat down on the boy's cock. He grunted briefly as Mikel entered him. There was a bit of pain, but compared to all the bumps and bruises from his weapon training, it was a good pain. It was only temporary and it was only because he was becoming one with Mikel.

In the morning, Rynil fucked Mikel again, this time with Mikel on his back and Rynil on top of him. Mikel wrapped his legs around Rynil's waist and they again kissed each other as they made love. Afterward, Mikel used his magic to clean them up and remove any evidence of their lovemaking from the bed. Rynil did not want to say goodbye, but he knew he needed to get back to his room before Sir Luken woke up.

Rynil returned to Sir Luken's suite, entering quietly so as not wake Sir Luken or Karl. When he opened the door to his and Karl's bedroom, he realized the room was empty and the bed had not been used. Everything was as Rynil had left it when he went to the feast last night, except for Karl's chest, its top was open.

Rynil went over and looked in the chest. There were several Page tunics, hose, a suit of quilted practice armor, and Karl's current reading assignment, The Illustrated History of the Royal House of Selarn from King Alzar to King Azris III. What was not in the chest: Karl's backpack, dagger, boots, and any clothes that were not his Page uniform. Karl had runaway.

Karl hid in the shadows of the alcove. The ten-year-old Page watched as Rynil walked past on his way down to the Great Hall. The boy knew that Rynil would be too busy with the feast and spending time with Mikel to realize he was gone until morning, that would give him at least twelve hours before anyone would realize he was missing. Karl had increasingly felt like he needed to get away from the castle since Alek's death. Everything about the castle and his life reminded him of the young Knight. Karl had already had thoughts about running away when Sir Luken suggested that everyone would be better off he left.

Once Rynil was out of sight, Karl entered Sir Luken's suite and went to their bedroom. He opened his chest and pulled out his backpack. He stuffed it with his trousers and plain tunics, the ones without Lord Velarik's coat of arms embroidered on them. He pulled out his dagger from the bottom of the chest and strapped it onto his belt. He went to the armoire, pulled out an empty waterskin and put it in his pack. He took one last look around the room to see if there was anything else, from here, he needed; there wasn't. He turned, left the room, and headed towards the kitchen.

The kitchen was chaotic as the cooks and servants were busy preparing the feast and rushing plates out to the Great Hall. Karl hid in the confusion by simply staying out of their way and remaining quiet. Finally, he saw his opportunity when a cook set a tray of meat down on a counter and there was no servant there yet to take it to the Hall. Karl swooped in and took the dish as soon as the cook turned his back. He exited the kitchen and found a hiding spot down a hallway on the other side of the kitchen from the Great Hall. He drained as much of the juices off the roast pork then wrapped the meat in one of his spare tunics and put it in the bottom of his backpack.

Getting out of the Keep unseen was easy. There were only a few guards patrolling the castle since most of them were enjoying harvest feasts with their families in town or with their friends at the taverns by the tournament field. Karl filled his waterskin up at the well, and left the castle. He briefly considered going to the stables to get his horse, but decided against it. There was likely to be a groom on duty and he would ask questions. Instead, he headed east, avoiding the tournament field and the town.

Karl made his way to the east road. It was empty as everyone was busy enjoying the High Harvestide celebrations. Karl walked quickly along the road, continuing after sunset and not stopping until the early hours of the morning. He found a spot in a nearby field where he could not been seen from the road. He slept and ate during the day, remaining out of sight, after dark he set out again, heading east.

Karl walked through the night, a waxing crescent moon providing a dim light for his journey. Several times, he thought he heard the sounds of someone or something behind him, but when he stopped and hid, nothing appeared. When dawn started to lighten the sky, he again found a spot, hidden from the road in which to make a cold camp. He ate some of the meat, drank some water, and then went to sleep. In the early afternoon, he woke at the sound of horses passing on the road, but they did not stop. Once the sun went down, he resumed his trek. The boy was not sure where he was heading, other than away from Telisan. Again, he occasionally thought he heard sounds of something following him, but never saw anything. Near dawn he found another hiding place, this one near a small stream. He refilled his waterskin then pulled out the roast pork. It felt strange in his hands as he unwrapped it. He retched and almost vomited when the foul smell of rotting meat struck him. When he uncovered the meat, he saw maggots wriggling through it. He tossed the tunic and rotten meat away into the bushes. Karl was disappointed the meat had gone bad so quickly, he had hoped it would have been good for another few days. He would now need to find a town or a farm where he could buy or steal some food; hopefully no one in the town would be looking for him.

Karl woke the next day an hour or so after noon, his stomach grumbling. Besides being hungry, he was sore from sleeping on the ground for three days in a row. He started to have second thoughts about his decision to run away. He debated what he wanted to do, head back to Telisan or continue. Either way would require finding food, but if he headed back to Telisan, he could do so in the open, without fear of being discovered. It was late afternoon before his growling stomach convinced him to head back towards Telisan, beg forgiveness and hope that the Lord would have mercy on him and not punish him too severely for running away.

Karl had been walking for a couple hours and it was starting to get dark when he heard an eerie howl in the distance. It sounded similar to the howl of a wolf, but had an unnatural note to it. Another howl echoed around him. He could not determine which direction they were coming from. He drew his dagger and continued walking, glancing nervously around him.

Just as the sun was setting, he saw a wisp of smoke that appeared to be moving towards him along the road. When it was about twenty yards in front of him, the smoke coalesced into a black wolf-like creature. Its eyes glowed red and the creature growled at him. Karl turned and ran from the creature. His heart pounding as he ran as fast as he could. He heard the growling of the wolf right behind him. Karl turned his head and looked behind him; the glowing red eyes were almost upon him, then he tripped on an uneven spot in the dirt road and tumbled to the ground.

Karl was sure he was going to die. A bright light suddenly blinded him. When his vision returned he saw a man wearing black robes standing over him. The man appeared to be in his early twenties; he had short black hair and green eyes. The man's face was extremely pale. "Do not worry child, you are safe now," said the man.

Karl looked behind him; there was no sign of the wolf creature. He turned back and looked up at the man, "Are you are War Wizard?"

The man laughed, "No, I am not one of them. My name is Rillion. I heard that creature's howls and came to investigate. It looks like I arrived just in time." He held his hand out to Karl. The boy took it and the man pulled him to his feet.

"What did you do to it?" asked Karl. He was confused, only War Wizards were allowed to use magic.

"I banished it. I hope you are not going to rush off and report me to a Knight. I am just passing through these lands on my way south. It would be a shame if the laws of this land were to punish me for saving your life," said Rillion.

"Thank you for saving me," said Karl. It occurred to him that the man was right; it was stupid for anyone to want to punish Rillion for using magic to save him. Karl did not know why, but he felt like he could trust this stranger. The man looked familiar. He reminded him a little bit of an older version of Mikel, because of the hair color, but there was something more about his face that looked familiar. He was sure he had seen it before somewhere. "I will not report you. I would probably get in trouble myself if I went to the Lord," said Karl.

"Why would you get in trouble?" asked the man.

Karl blurted out the answer without even thinking, "I ran away."

The man reached down and cupped the boy's chin in his hand. He gently turned the boy's head side to side, taking a long look at him. "You are a noble boy, old enough to be in service to a Knight. If you ran away that means you have done more than just that, you deserted your Knight and broke your vows. I can see why you would not be eager to report me. You would be in very serious trouble if they caught you. You could be stripped of your title as Page, disowned by your family, whipped and possible sent to the castle dungeons before eventually being forced into service to the Kingdom, probably as a laborer. No, I do not think you will be turning me in."

Karl shivered in fear. He had not thought through all the consequences of running away. The man put his arm around the boy's shoulders and started leading him down the road. "Do not be afraid, you can travel with me for a bit if you want. I know some less traveled paths that will keep any of the Knights from finding you. I also have enough food and drink for us both. If you want, you can accompany me to Melrath. I have some business to attend to there and a few friends. I am sure one of them could use an apprentice and you could make a new home for yourself, learn a trade, and leave your old life and its troubles behind," offered Rillion.

Karl felt comforted by the man's words. Melrath was a small Kingdom that was on Selarn's southern border. Long ago the two Kingdoms had been enemies, but they had made peace over a century ago. The thought of starting a new life made Karl feel hopeful, "Okay I guess. I do not really have anywhere else to go anyway."

Rillion led the boy to a hidden campsite in a small grove of trees a few minutes walk from the road. There was a bedroll next to a fire. A pheasant was roasting on a spit over the fire. "I had just set up camp here when I heard that creature stalking you. You are just in time to share my dinner with me. Are you hungry?" he asked.

"Yes, very. Thank you," replied Karl as his mouth started watering from the smell of the roasting bird. When the bird was ready, they sat near the fire, ate, drank wine and talked. The man was able to get Karl to tell him the story behind why he ran away. Karl fell asleep on the man's bedroll soon after dinner. In his sleep, Karl felt a familiar presence against his back. An arm wrapped tightly around his chest. "Alek?" asked Karl in confusion.

Karl heard Alek's voice whispering in his ear, "I never got a chance to tell you how much I loved you and to say goodbye."

"I miss you Alek. Why did you have to die?" asked the boy, his voice filled with grief.

"The Warrior God and his Priests sent me to die. They knew there was a demon there and they sacrificed me to save Mikel. In death, I have learned how cruel the Gods are. I am glad you met Rillion. The Gods took the love of his life from him too. Perhaps together the two of you can get revenge. Now go back to sleep," whispered the voice in his ear.

"Goodbye Alek, I love you," said Karl.

"Goodbye Karl, I love you too," replied the voice, then the arm and presence that had held him was gone.

36 – Aymil

Marsella sat down next to Aymil. "He is a quick learner," she said, tilting her head towards the other side of the clearing where Elthan was giving Wilrik an archery lesson.

"Yes," agreed Aymil. He was stretched out on the grass, lying in the sun. The days were getting shorter and Aymil was enjoying the warm day. "Wilrik likes spending time with the elf and learning his ways. It keeps him from having to think about what happened to him. They also share a distaste for the Gods and Demons."

"Hopefully it is not interfering with your healing of the boy. We need to learn what Nazrepon is planning," said the priestess, "I can sense you have been troubled lately, what is wrong?"

He sat up and brushed his shaggy black hair out of his eyes with his hand before turning and looking at the Marsella. "Is what the elf said about the Gods, Demons, and Geodus true?" asked Aymil.

"Some of it, I believe, is true. Did they betray their creator? I don't know. It is not my place to question the Gods or sit in judgment of them. They did fight with the Demons, and both the Gods and Demons no longer reside in our world in their physical forms. The true reasons are likely unknown to us mortals, including the elves. Elthan's people pass down a story where they are noble refugees from a lost utopia destroyed by our Gods. I doubt that version of history is entirely true," explained Marsella.

"But the Demons are the offspring of the Gods. He is right about that," stated Aymil.

"Yes, the first Demons are the spawn of the Gods. Then the first Demons reproduced and gave birth to lesser Demons. Just as my powers are weak compared to yours, so it is with Demons, each generation, further removed from the Gods, gets weaker. But the most powerful of the Demons are the children of the Gods," answered the priestess.

"The Demon that was inside Wilrik, it was one of the lesser Demons; it was not very powerful. But the Demon it served, the one that took him and made him put on that hood, he is one of the first Demons, isn't he?" asked Aymil.

Marsella nodded, "Yes, he is Nazrepon. In Selarn, where Wilrik is from, he is known as the Demon Prince. To the people in your mother's desert tribe, he is known as the Night Terror, and the barbarians of the frozen north refer to him as The Beast."

"In Wilrik's memories I have seen Nazrepon use his powers to manipulate people's thoughts and emotions, enter their dreams, and do all the same things that I can do. Is Nazrepon our brother, a child of the Night Hunter?" asked Aymil.

Marsella sighed, "Yes. He is the spawn of a coupling between the Night Hunter and the Warrior. I do not know for sure, but I believe he was the first of the Demons to be born. He is the most powerful of all the Demons."

"What does he want?" asked Aymil.

"I know it has something to do with the royal house of Selarn, but beyond that, I don't know any more than you do. I suspect Durren knows the why of it, but he has not shared it with me. Neither has the Night Hunter illuminated me. I hope that in Wilrik's memories there is some information that will reveal to us the Demon's goals," said Marsella.

Aymil could sense some doubt in Marsella's feelings. "You do not entirely trust Durren, do you?" he asked, as he watched Wilrik fire more arrows at the target.

"Your powers continue to grow I see. My defenses can no longer keep you out, even when you are not pushing yourself," said the priestess as she avoided answering the question.

"In Wilrik's memories, before Durren brought me north, he overheard the two of you talking. Durren does not want me to save Wilrik just so he can get information, does he? He is testing me to see if I can save someone that has been possessed by a demon. He hopes I can save the person that Nazrepon is possessing," said Aymil, answering his own question.

Again, Marsella patted the frightened boy's leg and sent a wave of love out to him. Aymil did his best to focus on the priestess's support as he tried to suppress his own fear at the thought of what Durren expected of him.

37 – Mikel

Mikel looked up from the book he was reading, a rather boring tome on magical glyphs. The sun in the timepiece on the mantle of the fireplace appeared to be in the same spot as the last time he checked a few pages ago. Rynil said he would be here at noon to escort Mikel to his new work duty. Mikel still did not know what it was yet, all Rynil had told him is that he would take care of it for Mikel. Their work duties were determined by their ranking in the tournament and since Mikel had won his first match against Mekrin, he was now ranked in the middle of the group of first year Squires.

Normally, the Squires all picked their tasks the morning after the Tournament, with the winner getting first choice, then the rest of the boys picking their duties in descending order until the last two boys get stuck cleaning the latrines. After their evening together, Rynil had told Mikel not to worry about his work assignment. He told the apprentice that as First Squire among the first year squires, he would make the arrangements and chose for him. He told Mikel that he would come by at noon today to take him to his work duty. When Mikel had tried to get more information out of him, Rynil had stubbornly refused to tell him anything other than it was a surprise and to trust him.

The young sorcerer returned to his attention to the book and read a couple more pages. Glyphs were hybrid between spells and rituals. They were spells stored in written form that to be activated later. The mage writing the glyph determined the trigger that activated the glyph when he created them and imbued them with their magic. Common triggers things like reading, touching, or passing over the glyph. The sample drawings of the glyphs in the book reminded him of the script the undecipherable language in the book that Durren had given him. Unfortunately, there was no magic imbued in the symbols in that book, Mikel had checked it after first discovering their similarity to glyphs.

Mikel felt something, a presence. He looked up from the book and turned towards the door of the Tower. A second later, there was a knock on the door. Mikel set his book down and rushed to the door. Rynil was waiting outside. The young blonde haired, green-eyed Squire was wearing plain hose and a worn tunic.

Rynil quickly glanced behind him to make sure there was no one else in the hall leading to the Tower, then turned back and gave Mikel a quick kiss. "Greetings Mikel, ready to get to work?" he asked.

"Yes. You going to tell me what I'm doing?" asked Mikel.

"Not yet, but you are overdressed. You must have some old clothes you can wear," said Rynil. Mikel was dressed in his black hose and a black tunic with red trim; the clothes were in immaculate condition.

Mikel grinned, "A mage has no fear of a little dirt. It can't withstand the power of my magic!" boasted Mikel.

Rynil rolled his eyes, "Must be nice not having to ever do laundry."

"When have you ever washed your own clothes noble boy? Is handing it to a servant girl really that hard?" countered Mikel.

Rynil pouted, "Fine, dirty your fancy clothes. We need to be going or we will be late for our work duty." He then turned and started down the hallway.

Mikel closed the door to Sir Valen's Tower and followed him. "Our work duty? How did you manage to arrange that?" he asked.

"I had first choice of work duties, but I chose to pass until it was your turn, then I picked one of the few work duties that requires two people for us. I probably could have gotten you a slightly better assignment, but it would have been by yourself. I figured you would rather do a bit of physical labor that was dirty and smelly, if it was with me, than do something easier by yourself," explained Rynil as he led the way out of the old castle.

Mikel was going to make a sarcastic comment but instead he smiled, reached forward, and squeezed Rynil's shoulders. "Thank you. So what is the duty the winner of the tournament usually gets to take and you passed on to spend time with me?" he asked.

"Working in the kitchen; It is the only other two person task besides cleaning the latrines and the one we have now. You get a lot of extra food to eat when you work in the kitchen, and also, it is warm in winter. So, that usually goes first. Have you ever played Courts and Castles?" asked Rynil.

Mikel sighed, "Of course I've played it. Even us peasants have to do something to pass the time during the winter. Why?"

"Because the Mid-Winter Tournament is a Courts and Castles tournament. It is too cold for fighting and jousting tournaments outside. So, they build a big fire in the Great Hall and we all have Courts and Castles Tournaments. The Knights say the game teaches strategic thinking. It also allows the Squires and Pages that are not as strong as the others to earn a higher rank for a season," explained Rynil.

Mikel was about to make a comment, but Rynil stopped outside the Lord's Stable. "Here we are," said Rynil, "There is a pair of gloves and boots for you over by the door. Welcome to our work duty, mucking out the Lord's Stables."

The two boys exchanged their shoes for hard leather boots, put on the gloves, and then proceeded to start completely cleaning out each stall. Rynil started to try to explain what to do, but Mikel quickly cut him off by reminding the noble boy that he had grown up on a farm and knew how to clean a stable. While the grooms took care of the regular daily cleaning of the stalls, it was the Squires' job to do the more thorough weekly cleaning. Unfortunately the grooms were still present in the stables, moving the horses around and doing various other tasks, so Mikel was not able to use his magic to do all the work. Not that Mikel minded, it almost made him feel normal again, and he got to spend the time with Rynil.

"So, any sign of Karl?" asked Mikel as they finished cleaning the last stall.

"No, the trackers and hounds picked up his scent, but lost it after a couple days. He was heading east and then just seemed to vanish. It was the Demon Prince, I am sure of it," stated Rynil.

"The Demon Prince? He is just an old wives' tale. A story mothers use to frighten children. 'Be good or the Demon Prince will come in the middle of the night and take you away,'" said Mikel.

Rynil stopped working and just stared at Mikel in disbelief. "What?" asked Mikel when he noticed the Rynil's look.

"You of all people should know it is not just some old wives' tale. Whom do you think it was that tried to take you and got Wilrik by mistake? Who do you think turned Wilrik into a Demon?" asked Rynil.

"I figured it was just some Demon. I didn't think the Demon Prince really existed," said Mikel defensively.

"Sometimes you miss obvious things and it is not just because you are an ignorant peasant," teased Rynil.

"At least this ignorant peasant no longer smells of horse dung", smirked Mikel, as he snapped his fingers and was instantly clean.

Rynil pouted, "Not if I can help it," he said right before tackling Mikel into a pile of the fresh hay. The two boys wrestled and groped each other as they rolled around in the fresh straw, only breaking apart when a groom led a horse into the stall. Mikel again cast his cantrip, this time cleaning them both off.

Their work duty done, the boys said their goodbyes. Mikel made his way back towards the Tower. As he returned to thinking about his study of glyphs, Rynil's teasing echoed in his mind, 'Sometimes you miss obvious things'.

38 – Rynil

"Rynil, the Lord wants to see you," called out Page Telgan. The first-year Page had been serving Lord Velarik ever since Sir Alek's death.

"Thank you Tel, do I have time to go to my room and change out of my work clothes or does he wish to see me immediately?" asked Rynil.

"Um, I just finished moving your stuff to my room in the Lord's wing. I guess it is our room now, so it will be hard to change first," said the boy.

Rynil suppressed a laugh, "Tel, does the Lord wish to see me so he can tell me I am moving rooms?"

"Oh, I guess I was not supposed to tell you that," said Telgan, blushing.

"I am sure it will be fine Tel," said Rynil as he ruffled the boy's brown hair playfully.

The two boys made their way to through the keep and to the eastern section where the Lord's suite of rooms was located. As they approached the door, it opened and Sir Luken walked out, he was still limping slightly and using a cane. He stopped for a moment and glared at Rynil before continuing. The two boys stepped to the side, bowed their heads and said, "Sir" as he passed.

Rynil and Telgan entered the Lord's wing of the Keep and proceeded to the main living area where Lord Velarik was sitting in a chair looking at a map laying on a table in front of him. Sir Valen sat on a couch on the other side of the table from the Lord.

Lord Velarik looked up as the boys stopped just outside the room, "Ah, thank you Page. Can you go to the kitchen and fetch us some cheese and a loaf of bread?"

"Yes My Lord," said Page Telgan, as he gave a quick bow then turned and hurried to do as the Lord bid.

"Squire Rynil, please come in," said Lord Velarik.

"Yes, My Lord," responded Rynil. He entered the room, stopping at the end of the table where he bowed to the Lord.

"I am officially releasing you from your oath to Sir Luken. Will you serve as my Squire and swear the oath of fealty?" asked Lord Velarik.

"Yes My Lord," said Rynil dropping to one knee.

"Squire Rynil, son of Tyvin Wolfe, do you swear to loyally serve King Azris and me, with honor, with devotion, with courage, and with obedience?" asked Lord Velarik.

"I do My Lord," said Rynil.

"By the authority of King Azris, you are now my Squire. You may rise. I have had your possessions moved from Sir Luken's suite to mine. You will share a room with Page Telgan," said the Lord.

Rynil stood up, "Thank you My Lord." He decided against telling the Lord that the young Page had already let that bit of news slip out.

"I was going to make this change earlier, but I decided to consult with your father before making it official. His consent arrived this morning," said Lord Velarik.

"I wish you had removed Page Karl from Sir Luken's service before the tournament, as I advised. Perhaps if you had listened to me, the boy would still be here," said the Sir Valen before adding a perfunctory, "My Lord."

The Squire had told Lord Velarik about the incident between Sir Luken and Karl that he had overheard on the day of the tournament. He had gone to the Lord immediately after he discovered that Karl was missing. When Lord Velarik asked why Rynil did not first report Karl's disappearance to Sir Luken, Rynil told the Lord about the incident.

"My Lord, if I may ask who will take care of Sir Luken now?" asked Rynil.

"Sir Galreth will see that the castles servants take care of tending to Sir Luken's rooms. The man can look after himself since he has proven unable to proper look after his charges. Speaking of looking after Pages, you will be responsible for supervising Telgan. It will be difficult for me to make adequate time for your education, so i will need your help with his," said the Lord.

"Yes My Lord, I hope I can do a better job of looking out for him than I did with Page Karl," said Rynil. He felt a little dizzy and swayed a bit.

"Do not blame yourself lad. It was not your fault. You tried several times to warn me that something was troubling the boy but I was too slow to act," replied the Lord.

Rynil barely heard Lord Velarik's words. The room dimmed around him and he felt tired. The room began to spin as he collapsed to the floor. Lord Velarik and Sir Valen rushed over to Rynil. The wizard cast a spell, holding his hand over the boy.

"What is wrong with him?" asked Lord Velarik.

"Something has happened to Squire Mikel," said Sir Valen.

39 – Mikel

Mikel picked the book Durren had given him up off the bookshelf. He sat down at the table and turned it over in his hands. He opened it and flipped through the pages, recalling Durren's comment that he could read the book when he was ready. Mikel had thought that Durren meant someday he would learn a spell that would enable him to read the strange script, but Rynil's comment about missing the obvious made him realize what Durren meant; he would be able to read the book when his sorcery had awakened.

The strange characters in the book were not a language, but glyphs, not yet imbued with magic. There had to be some way to establish a connection with them and activate them with his magic. He turned to the last page, the blank page that gave him a headache when he examined it with the prism. He ran his fingers of the paper and pushed out with his mind, channeling his magic into the page. The book began to feel warm in his hands. He could sense a connection open between the book and his mind. He kept pushing with his mind, pouring magical energy into the book as he turned it over in his hands and looked at the cover. It took considerable effort for Mikel to channel energy into the book. It required more energy than the amount he was used to pulling for the simple spells he had learned. The more energy he tried to pull from the plane of magic, the harder it was.

The symbols on the cover began to glow with a golden light. While he could not read them, he somehow knew what they meant, 'The True History of the Demon Prince of Selarn'. He opened the front cover; the symbols inside were glowing with the same golden light. Their brightness increased and they grew bigger. Soon the entire page was glowing as the symbols merged with each other. The world around him began to grow blurry as images inside the glowing light began to come into focus. His vision narrowed, then there was a flash of light and everything went dark.

When his vision returned, Mikel was following along behind a man walking down an alley. Mikel could still feel the book in his hands and he could tell he was still seated in his chair in Sir Valen's Tower, but in his vision, he was moving. He could look around at different details but he when he tried turning his head, the vision did not move. Mikel realized that he was inside an illusion created by his magic powering the symbols of the book. He continued to channel his energy into the book.

The man in front of him stopped at an unmarked wooden door at the end of the alley and rapped on the door with his knuckles in a pattern, two, one, two, and one. Mikel studied the man from behind. He was slender and stood about five feet eight inches[1.75m] tall. Mikel could not see his face, but he the man had shoulder length brown hair. He was wearing brown leather pants and an undyed wool shirt. He also had a worn lute case strapped to his back. Mikel guessed that he was following Durren.

An eye slit slid open in the door. Mikel could see a pair of eyes give Durren a quick look before glancing around to survey the alley. A gruff male voice grunted from behind the door, "What?"

"I'm here to see Gren about a job. I'm a friend of Jojik's," answered the man. Mikel recognized Durren's voice even though he sounded younger.

"If you're a friend of Jojik's, prove it," challenged the man.

Durren laughed, "You must be Bek. Jojik told me I'd be able to smell your putrid breath as soon as I entered the alley."

The panel slid closed and the door opened. A large burly man in his late thirties stood in the doorway and motioned for Durren to enter. "How is that old bugger? Been too long since he's been in back in town," said the man.

"He's dead, died about two months ago. The rest of the troupe and I buried him on a small hill just south of the Great Forest near the north fork of the Green River," said Durren as he walked past the man and entered the dimly lit hallway behind the door with Mikel following along behind him. There was a hint of sadness in his voice as he spoke of Jojik.

"That's a shame, I always enjoyed the old man's visits. Gren's downstairs tending bar," said the man as he closed and barred the door. A single lantern hung from the ceiling providing a dim light in the hallway. Mikel could see five other doors in the dimly lit hallway, two on each side and one opposite the door they just entered. Durren looked at the doors then turned back around to the man and gave him a questioning look. Mikel was surprised by Durren's appearance, it was not just the voice that was younger; Durren appeared to be about sixteen. He also had a small scar on his chin and his nose was slightly crooked. "Opposite door," said the man, pointing down the hall as he sat down on a stool that was next to the door. There was a crossbow leaning against the wall next to the stool.

"Thank you," said Durren. He headed down the hallway to the far door. The door was unlocked; Durren opened it and walked down the stairs. The stairs led down to large tavern in the basement of the building.

The tavern was dimly lit and had only a few customers due to it still being before noon. There was a bar on the wall opposite the stairs, flanked by an open doorway into a kitchen on left side and a small stage on in the corner on the right side. There were small alcoves with soft cushioned chairs and small tables lining the rest of the room. The alcoves had curtains that the occupants could close to provide some privacy. Tables and chairs dominated the floor of the rest of the tavern. Several lanterns hung on the wall between the alcoves providing the underground tavern its light.

Durren approached the bar stopping next to an elderly patron who was talking to a middle aged man behind the bar. "Pardon me for interrupting, but are you Gren? Jojik told me to find you if I was ever in the capital and needed work. He was my mentor until he passed away a couple months ago," explained Durren.

"Yeah, I'm Gren," replied the man behind the bar.

The older man gave Durren an appraising look and smiled, "You can interrupt me whenever you want boy." He turned and winked at Gren, "Hire the lad Gren and I'd love to see more of him around here." He picked up his mug and took a seat at one of the tables on the other side of the room.

Gren smirked at the man and then turned back to Durren. "What happened to Jojik, his age finally catch up to him or did some father do him in for corrupting his son?" asked the tavern owner.

"It was age, his heart finally gave out on him," answered Durren.

"Time takes us all eventually. So you were his apprentice. It's a shame I already have a minstrel staff and I don't need another. But, you are fairly attractive and I am always in need of new server boys. There is good coin in the tips being a server, more than you'd make playing music, especially if you're willing to provide some private services to the patrons," offered Gren.

Mikel began to feel the strain of continuing to channel magical energy into the book to power the illusion created by the symbols. It briefly crossed his mind that he should take a break but he was determined to learn more. The book was supposed to be the history of the Demon Prince, however so far it had just showed Durren's arrival at some tavern in the capital. Mikel wanted to have at least some useful information to tell to Rynil about the Demon. Thinking about Rynil seemed to give him some more strength and made the channeling of energy into the book easier.

Durren took the lute case off his back and set it on the bar. "If you would just give me a chance I am sure you would find that I could make you more coin by performing than by working as a whore," said Durren. As he was talking, he started to lightly tap out a beat on the top of the lute case, "I am sure Jojik was the most talented performer you ever saw and he taught me everything he knew before I started showing him what the power music can really do."

Mikel could see that Durren was using magic, channeled through the rhythm created by his tapping on the lute. The bard was influencing Gren's mind with the magic. Gren nodded, convinced of the logic of the bard's words. "Hmm, I might be able to give you a couple shifts to give you a chance to prove yourself," he said.

"Thank you. I would not require much in the way of pay, I would work for tips, meals, and a place to sleep. Surely that is fair and I can talk with your current minstrel to coordinate our schedules," offered Durren, continuing to tap out a subtle beat on the lute case.

"That sounds fair," replied Gren, fully under the influence of Durren's magic.

The vision became blurry and soon Mikel was not able to make out any details. Then it started to come back into focus. The tavern was more crowded and through the magic of the book, Mikel knew it was now nighttime. All of the patrons were men. They ranged in age from their late teens to well into their sixties. There were a few customers that appeared to be prosperous merchants, based on their fine clothes and smattering of gold jewelry, but the majority of the men appeared to be of average means. Mikel did not see anyone wearing any noble symbols or coats-of-arms.

Several young men and older teens were working as serving boys, delivering drinks and food. They were topless and had loose fitting pants made of overlapping pieces of silk that had strategically placed gaps between the layers, allowing patrons to slip a hand inside to get a feel of the boys' merchandise.

Durren sat on a stool on the stage. He was humming along to a festive tune he was playing on his lute. Again Mikel could feel the magic in Durren's music. It was making everyone in the tavern feel happier and more generous.

Mikel started feeling dizzy and struggled to continue channeling energy into the book. He was exhausted and the reserve of energy he had drawn on, after thinking about Rynil, ran out. He collapsed, unconscious and the book fell from his hands, breaking the connection.

When Mikel woke up, he was lying on his sleeping pad in his room. He had a headache and was mentally exhausted. He had not done more than flex his muscles and stretch a bit by the time Sir Valen arrived a few minutes later trailed by a tray loaded with fruit and a pitcher of water. The unseen servant set the tray down next to Mikel while Sir Valen took a seat on the pad.

"I am glad to see you are awake. I had feared you might be unconscious for several more days. Let me have a look at you," said the wizard as he leaned over and looked at Mikel's eyes.

"What happened Master?" asked Mikel.

"You over exerted yourself. You also managed to reach out and draw power from Squire Rynil. Most impressive, you seem to have a talent for pulling energy," said Sir Valen. He patted the boy's shoulder, "Do not worry, Squire Rynil is fine. He recovered quickly and was even able to resume his training yesterday."

"How was I able to draw power from Rynil?" asked Mikel.

"Remember back when you first became my Squire, you offered to perform all the duties usually offered by a Squire to a Knight and I declined. I told you that if two people share a very close bond that it can present an opening through their defenses that their enemies could exploit. Well, you share a very close bond with Rynil and I sense that recently you have become even closer, exchanging parts of yourself with each other. Well, you used that bond to draw power from him. A subconscious part of you discovered that link and realized it would be easier for you to draw power through him," explained Sir Valen.

"Yes, I thought about Rynil and it took less effort. Why is that?" asked Mikel.

"Because I made it harder for you to draw energy the normal way. One of the defenses I put in place, after you drew too much energy into yourself and almost destroyed the Keep, was to put up barriers to your pulling magic directly from the plane of magic. You can pull small amounts normally but the more you try to pull the more resistance the defenses create. You had almost exhausted your own energies by fighting against these defenses when you found the easier path created by your bond with Rynil. After you depleted his energies you no longer had any of your own and your burnt yourself out. It will take a few days to recover, but you will be fine," said Sir Valen.

"I'm sorry Master, I was so focused on the vision from Durren's book that I wasn't paying attention to anything else," apologized Mikel.

"That is common with powerful illusions, particularly ones created by someone as powerful as Durren. Part of what makes them seem so real is that they divert your attention away from reality. Congratulations on figuring out how to work that book by the way," said the wizard.

"Thank you Master. Although I was not able to make much progress with it before I passed out. Have you read the book?" asked Mikel. He was hoping that perhaps Sir Valen could tell him why the story of the Demon Prince starts with Durren's getting a job performing in a tavern.

"I am not able to use that book. It requires the power of a sorcerer to reveal its story. The War Mages have some knowledge about the Demon Prince, but I believe you will be better served by learning the story from Durren, as he sees fit to tell it. There have always been many questions about exactly what happened when the Demon first appeared and Durren has never chosen to confide the answer to those questions to me," said Sir Valen.

Mikel sighed, "It will take me forever to get through the book."

Sir Valen smiled, "Well, if you tell me beforehand, I can remove the barriers I have put up around you, so you will find it far less taxing next time. Maybe this will teach you a lesson about playing with magical items without first talking to me. This could have all been avoided if you had talked to me before you started playing with that book yesterday."

"Sorry Master, I will remember next time," said Mikel.

"I doubt it," said Sir Valen, causing them both to laugh.