Prologue

Visiting the Oracle of Nix was no small thing. The infamous fortune teller has made many prophesies affecting the lives of people far and wide. One such prophesy declared the return of the exiled king after the appearance of a rare rusty crescent moon. His son, little Prince Dracon prayed in the temple after receiving a letter from his mother, the Queen of Blythe, announcing she is getting married during the Winter Solstice celebrations and wishes his presence at the ceremony. The rusty crescent moon had appeared after the harvest moon and now Dracon’s guardian feared for his safety believing his mother wishes to stop the prophesy from coming true. His father would use every enchantment to protect his son from danger, and thus reveal himself. It is told that the queen has magical spies that could be anywhere so few are brave enough to speak about her exiled husband. The courier bringing the letter believed the prince’s education with the priest and priestess has come to an end. Dracon will be joining the army and complete his education to be king. His caretaker and distant cousin, Priestess Dinah, replied Dracon needed time to form a proper escort and will arrive the day before the ceremony. She thanked the queen for the offer of her brother bringing Dracon by sea, but Dinah feared pirates would attack them. Dinah believed her priestess daughter married to a god would be enough of an escort. She lives in the temple next to the Oracle and in that will give him time to consult the famous oracle to see into his future before arriving in the capital. The courier left with Dinah’s letter that morning. Dracon prayed at the temple for protection and guidance to the oracle deep in a haunted forest and guarded by a great wizard called The Hermit. Once a law had been passed by an emperor forbidding anyone from using The Hermit’s real name and now it has been forgotten.

Soon a feather fell down upon the altar in front of him. He failed to see or hear a bird the feather came from. Next a candle next to the altar extinguished. Then the burning sage he laid on the altar of the river god burst into a great flame reaching beyond the height of his head. Only magic can make such a fuss out of a fire. Silence filled the temple and Dracon asked if the river god Alani wished to speak to him. Nothing. Then a phantom appeared in the corner of his eye and he followed it behind the stone statue. A cool breeze blew in the room and Dracon soon felt a prick upon his cheek.

“Father, it that you? Cousin Dinah says you know magic and can hide from the great magicians in the kingdom.” inquires Dracon and turns around to touch something with his foot.

On the floor, lay a bronze helmet. He placed the helmet on and returned to his caregiver. Nobody greeted him as he walked down the street and arrived home to Priestess Dinah cooking their evening meal. He grabbed an apple and Dinah screamed. She held up her magic wand and cursed his father for startling her. He removed the helmet to explain it appeared in the temple. She said it was a gift from his father, King Jason. Only The Hermit possessed a helmet that made the wearer disappear and King Jason used it to escape assassination years ago. The king was nearly assassinated by his wife Jopria and went into hiding when Dracon was a baby. Rumors flew he was under the protection of The Hermit, who had trained many wizards and warriors since his banishment. Dinah’s daughter Ophelia was one of his pupils and ended up marrying his son. He asked if his father came by often since she assumed the invisible spirit was him. She replied with a slight nod and waved her wand to close the shutters. She whispered that the queen’s spies can also be anywhere from birds to mice so they must be careful about they say of him. Dracon said a feather fell out of nowhere in the temple, he must have taken form as a bird to give him the helmet. As he fed the chickens before the evening meal, he thought a crow sitting on the roof was watching him to watch it fly away. Later, as he prepared to sleep, he gazed at the half moon and thanked his father for the gift. He settled into bed and dreamed of the Haunted Forest. He awoke later to the hoot of an owl and sat by the window wondering if he could see the phantom his father had become. He fell asleep on the window sill and stirred upon cold fingers touching his face.

“I waited for you,” yawned Dracon and opened his eyes to view a dark figure wearing a cloak.

“I know,” answered a voice in the darkness as a shadow lifted Dracon into its arms.

“May I light a candle?” asked Dracon sitting upon his bed.

“No, Dracon. No one must see us together. You are in danger here. Your mother has sent spies to find me. Listen to me, my son. Her vengeance drips with anguish and intends to harm you on your way to the capital to make me come out of hiding to protect you. You must leave in the morning. Take comrades with you on the way to the oracle.” warned his father before disappearing in the night air.

“Yes, father.” whispered Dracon as he falls back asleep. “May I please see your face, just this once.”

“Very well, my son.” spoke the phantom who removed his hood to reveal an exhausted man with wavy hair and a trimmed beard in dim moonlight. “Now go to sleep. I won’t be that far away.”

The rooster crows and Dracon is awakened by his distant cousin Dinah. Today is the big day he leaves for the oracle. Dracon eats his morning meal of porridge. He informs the priest and priestess his wish to invite friends on his journey. He walks to his friend Homer’s house first. Homer is the elf merchant’s son who has traveled with his family following rivers throughout the land. His father sailed far and wide selling the village’s linen fabrics to mermaids along the sea coast and nomads along lakes. Twice a year he goes to the capital Illium and sells his wares in the stone marketplace. He returns with boats full of treasure from all over the world. His side of the river is called Whitefield from all the cloth spread out to bleach it in the sunlight. The merchant would be arriving from the capital soon to complete the harvest. His mother agrees to the adventure and starts packing food. Homer grabs his weapons of knives, bow, arrow bag, and axe. He knew where The Haunted Forest was located from visiting the mountain villages with his family. Dracon’s next visit is his friend Alaric on the edge of human village Adar who had been adopted by the human innkeeper and found watering the horses in the barn. His adopted father agreed to the journey and began packing food. Homer brought a horse and sat upon a saddlecloth with red fringe. He strapped their supplies to the horse. Alaric’s weapons were sharpened on the whetstone by the inn’s front door. They all gather at the temple of the river god Alani to pray for a good journey. Prince Dracon feeling like a man he would soon become daydreams during the prayers. He thought Alaric was a strange name for this orphaned human peasant he found giving out alms to the poor. Alaric was a common elf name from the heroic elf that fought in The Elf War. Perhaps, he was half-elf like Homer.

“Your father will be watching you inside your shadows,” comforts Dinah grasping Dracon’s shoulder disturbing his thoughts.

The boys leave with excitement of traveling by themselves for the first time. They follow a tributary creek leading into the swamps heading towards the mountains. They find a group of ogres cutting grasses to make baskets and ask for an escort out of the swamps in exchange for a blue stone. The dark hairy giants covered in deer leather walk the travelers through the islands of grass soaked in river water. They pass ogre boys carving up hares and ogre girls scraping clay into jars. They walk past the marshes into the wheat fields of the werewolves. The boys could hear the female werewolves singing as they processed the flax strands into linen. At this time of day, there was no danger of getting attacked. They spot a man with dark hair in linen clothes adding the finishing touches to his boat and decide to rest by the creek. Homer’s horse refuses to come near the werewolf so they rest further downstream. The boys eat their midday meal of bread and fruit. Homer leaves to speak to the werewolf about their harvested wheat bundled everywhere and asked if he would be in the harvest games. The werewolf answered he was planning to race his boat in the games. Homer shared about helping build a boat with his brother for the games, complete with a triangle sail. He convinces the werewolf to row his friends north while he follows with his horse. He gives the werewolf a crystal for his service. They traveled to the northern border of the werewolf lands, then departed. They continued on towards the grassy hills where many centaurs live with their goat herds. They are special hills made of sandstone and only grasses can grow there. Some say the hills were created when griffins fell from the sky as the mermaids defeated them with large spears. There are human villages too who erect buildings on top of hills. They stopped at a human temple and met a priest who was certain there was a spirit following them in the shape of a crow. Dracon said it might be his father King Jason. The priest gasped to whisper not to speak the king’s name for it might bring evil spirits from the others who wish him harm. The priest shared his bread and water with the travelers. Soon they were in sight of the mountains capped with snow that never melts. Birds don’t even fly that high. They meet human nomads Homer is familiar with on their way to the human city Litsy on the coast. They trade a shell bead for cheese and fresh milk. The sun began to set and the boys joined the nomad camp for the night. Dracon never walked so far in his short life. Along the creek, Homer strikes a flint arrow against his iron knife to create a campfire. The children gather around the shaman to hear a story about the beginning of the world as cattle moan in the distance.

“In the beginning, there was nothing. Darkness without the sun horses and land was far beneath the primordial sea. But then, a cosmic horse came and hit the primordial sea. The volcano god Gwyn awoke beneath the water to grow stronger and bolder to reach the surface. He breathed the salty air and fish were made from the sea spray. From his hair, fire horses spurted out to boil the water and make rain clouds. Land rose to the surface and cooled into sand to make ice horses whose hoof prints gave birth to the stars. Alone, the god Gwyn got busy creating a wife to keep him company. His wife, Lotan, lain down beside her husband gave birth to all plants and whose heartbeat gives us flowing rivers. The fish were happy spreading throughout the world. Soon another god, Alano the Creator, was born from a rock sitting in a shallow pool when volcano lava from Gwyn hit the pool. Alano created more children to help control the weather, tides, and movements of the stars. Alano lifted his daughter Alma up to make the heavens where the fire horses and ice horses run across her robes and not harm the fragile plants. He made the earth god Eridu who breathed life into the animals molded from soil and rocks. He made the sky god Andos to control the rain clouds so the plants and animals could prosper. He created the sea god Elexi who made mermaids to care for the fish and sea creatures. Soon the sea and land became too full of life making the animals starve, but never died. Alano emptied a volcano of its lava and gave an afterlife to the land creatures. Alano then made a daughter called Isis to watch over the dead. She made banshees who ride flying horses from fiery mountains to collect the dead souls and bring them to the afterlife. They say many caves often lead to the afterlife. Isis also made demons to guard the afterlife and keep the souls from leaving. A magician can summon one to collect a soul of their enemy. His father Gwyn dwelling beneath the fiery mountains forever in an embrace with his Lotan is the afterlife god of sea creatures called the Happy Sea.

Next the creatures prayed to the gods for help with the heaven horses running amok giving unstable seasons of drought and floods. Some land became desert when fire horses galloped too close to burn the plants. Some land became covered in glaciers when the ice horses pranced too close to freeze the soil. Alano grabbed a lightning bolt to create the sun goddess Petrie who drives a gold chariot pulled by fire horses during the day and the moon goddess Seline driving a silver chariot pulled by ice horses during the night. Next he grabbed a ray of sunlight to create wisdom goddess Athena and then grabbed a moon beam to create fate goddess Anastia so the creatures would know the will of the gods answering their prayers. The world was happy and gods gave stable seasons to prosper in. The earth god Eridu made humans from dust and gave his blood to give them life. In repayment, humans must sacrifice blood to appease the gods when they are angry. Such anger has arisen and the humans saw dark times while gods and goddesses fought with each other.”

Homer begged to tell the story of the first elves. “Elves were made from clay and the god Eridu breathed life into them. His daughter, the sorcery goddess Dora, taught them to make prayer crystals and sacrifice plants in a fire to send prayers to the gods. They lived to the north in great forested coastal mountains that provided food and shelter. They fished with spears, gathered plants, and lived in caves. Great giants called Titans roamed the forest eating leaves off trees dropping berries and nuts to the elves. These elves were very tall and wore leather clothes from hairy elephants and capes of griffin feathers. It was a good life for the first elves. And then, a great sun horse fell from the sky. It shined brighter than the dawn leaving a tail of white clouds behind it. It hit the forest in a rage of burning rocks and great winds knocking the birds from the sky. Terrified elves stumbled to caves as the earth shook in a fury, shortly followed by animals seeking shelter. They prayed to the gods for aid. The reason for the sun horse was that the sky god Andos and his wife sun goddess Petrie were fighting. The sun horse was meant to hurt Andos, but missed. The fires burned their forest to ashes and the elves had to leave their home. They followed the animals migrating down the coast until they found more mountains. They were named the Olin Mountains after the shaman who followed a dragon to find them. After the falling of the second sun, the world became cooler and colder until it snowed all the time. The Ice World had come. They said it was the reign of the ice goddess Ymira who rode in a sleigh pulled by elk with giant antlers. Great rivers of ice came down from the mountains covering all the valleys and again, the elves left their homeland. They travel further down the grasslands into Doggerland where they found food in the coastal marshes.

The great hairy elephants and Titans suffered without food to disappear from Lotan forever. Wolves hungry for a meal joined in elf hunts and became allies. Elf dogs often choose their own ally to become only their pet. A fawn who had survived the second sun was made a god and taught the elves to gather seeds and dig up roots. The agriculture god blessed the elves’ gardens of Doggerland. They learned to store food underground in pine needle baskets. Along the coastal marshes, elves lived as they did before gathering food and fishing in streams. They learned from hunt goddess Diana to pull bark from trees to make the first bark boats to search for food upon the great water. Elves found islands and trade partners across the sea. No caves except in the coastal mountains, so they created the first bark covered lodges. Elves learned to sail the North Sea to find Titania where many great beasts survived the Ice World, including the lost Titans and great hairy elephants. Many generations would pass before the snow melted when the new god Idun planted golden apples that bring renewed youth. As the snows melted, the elves met their first humans from the north called Varrika which is where Lotan’s Dark Mountains connect to Titania. They traded with the elves along the rivers and learned to sail the seas. The humans spread across Lotan creating villages along rivers. The elves learned to worship the wine god Talin and learned of animal servants. Elves do not believe in animal servants and allow any pet to roam free. To enslave an animal would upset their chitzu, their guardian spirit often in the shape of animal. The humans with their horses and cattle, the centaurs with their goats, fauns with their sheep, and elves with their dogs prospered in the 3rd world.

Elves returned to the melted Olin Mountains and rebuilt temples along cave openings that preserved the old cave temples of the 2nd World elves. Homer viewed one old cave covered in paintings of griffins and huge elk in the village of Oakleigh. The elves learned to sail the seas further than before to reach the South Sea lands where humans came from. Many humans who left their homeland to live with us in this 4th world brought copper tools and stone buildings. But sadly, Doggerland was drowned in a great sea wave and the coastal mountains became islands. The elf Luwain was hunting in the marshes when the great sea wave came. He nearly drowned and was saved by the mermaid Adah who was swept inland from the wave. They found a floating tree and Luwain climbed onto it. Adah guided the tree toward the new coast swimming by many drowned creatures and driftwood. Reaching the new coast, Luwain erected a temple and named his home Ashleigh. Adah married Luwain and elves who survived on the coastal mountains called Mermaid Islands came to trade with them. That is why the elves protect the mermaids who come to land to give birth, to honor Adah’s love for Luwain.”

At the end of the story, the boys prepared their blankets and went off to sleep. The next morning meal of cheese and ground squirrel, they set out again. They walk through the grassland hills with the mountains in sight. They stopped at a bend in the river where they found a muskrat village. There must be food here. The animals quickly hid in their burrows not wanting to be the next meal. Alaric found rice grass and made fire to boil it. Dracon asked for a story from Alaric who is from an unknown village. He recited a tale of Queen Jopria’s brother’s arrival.

“Several years after Princess Jopria arrived to marry Grand Prince Jason, nomads began attacking villages near her home city of Ashur in the South Sea. No one knew what they wanted; nomads hold wealth in livestock and not with villagers’ meager possessions. Her father, the King of Ashur, found his city under siege. The mud brick wall fell and the city set aflame. People ran in the streets looking for an escape. Prince Grigor left his older brother and father defending their city from the raiders to guide the royal princesses to the harbor boat sheds where the refugees boarded a ship to sail to Blythe. Queen Jopria took them in and gave her brother an estate close to his nephew Dracon. They arrived on a ship and walked to the ruins of a fallen fortress. A war between feuding brothers both longing to be the new lord destroyed the city and people scattered about the land. The family stayed at a carpenter’s house while the city was restored to its former glory. He had ships built to trade and built a great temple to worship the sea god Elexi. Artisans of every kind came to live in Wynnfield and peasants celebrated festivals inside the new city walls. His father helped build the great statue of Elexi supported by a wood frame and gold plates formed the statue on the top. Soon, Prince Grigor became a terrible lord. His high taxes starved the peasants as much as forbidding peasants to hunt in times of famine. He gathered warriors to attack neighbor estates and those lords attacked their village. We prayed for a hero who never came. Then one day, he was fishing with his father in the woodlands. Prince Grigor came with his warriors and hung his father for poaching fish. He had been hiding in the rushes so Grigor failed to spot him. He walked home in the dark to inform his mother of his father’s death. His brother and he cut his father down to bury him near the river. His mother encouraged him to leave the village after his younger brother died from winter fever. She would say he left to be an apprentice in the city. He traveled through many towns when he met Dracon at the temple passing out alms.”

On the third day, the boys reach the forested hills on the edge of the mountains and Homer said the village Oakleigh was to the east. To the west was the Haunted Forest. They follow a creek to a bridge where they met a troll. He looked like a short old man wrapped in fur. His thin gray hair reached his large nose. He forbade them to cross the bridge unless they give him payment of meat. Alaric handed over a rabbit he had shot and the troll accepted the payment. Suddenly, a centaur appeared on a hill with bow drawn and an arrow to hit the back of the troll. The centaur cheered he shot the troll that killed five of their goats the night before. He thanked Alaric for bringing the creature out from the darkness and rewarded him with a share of the troll’s hair twisted into a bracelet. Centaurs who are half horse and half man brought them to their camp. They come to the river bend on the edge of the woodlands to trade with mermaids and elves. Centaurs raise goats in the hills and plant vineyards along rivers to make wine. They harvest hay in the autumn and settle in sandstone wall lodges for the winter. This centaur was busy harvesting the grapes for wine. After observing the primitive bow of Alaric, a centaur made a face of disappointment. Alaric declared he made it himself following directions from Homer’s father. He practiced with flint arrow tips until he can afford iron ones. The centaur showed his bow covered in etchings praying to the gods for success. His bow was highly curved and shorter than Alaric’s. He noticed it was three wood pieces glued together to make it stronger. He brought out a bow he made the year before and sitting in storage as demanded by the gods. He could sell it to him for thirty gemstones or shells. Alaric did not have that much. The centaur returned his pathetic bow. The boys remained for a meal inside a lodge before setting off again, they wanted to reach the forest before night fell. The centaurs asked if they were going to the Oracle of Nix. The boys assured them that they were. The leader declared their shaman announced the month before that a future king would cross their path after the harvest moon. Dracon replied the shaman was correct.

The shaman was summoned and gave a talisman in the form of the leather pouch sewn shut smelling of sage. He chanted a prayer to keep the boy king safe from harm and protect his father, the exiled king, who walks his country like a phantom in the night. The shaman said the king revealed himself once to announce a great firestorm was coming across the hills and saved the villagers. Dracon thanked the centaurs for their hospitality and continued on toward the forest. They crossed the bridge again and heard a cat meowing. Curious, Alaric peeked into the dark shadows and spied two small children with a small woman weeping. They laid a cape over the body of the dead troll. The female asked the boys to lay her husband in the water so he may journey to the afterlife. They picked up the troll and gently set him down in the water and watched the body sink as the cape floated. Alaric gave the woman his braid of hair the centaur gave him. She held it to her face and wiped her tears her with it. Soon, they were not alone. A warm breeze blew in the darkness and a tall man under a fur cloak stood next to them. He was covered in leather clothes along with a bronze helmet. His curly black beard hid his face and he failed to introduce himself, but drew his bronze sword to circle it in the water.

“Your husband’s soul felt your tears and disagrees with your sorrow. I shall give him back to you, the only way I can.” whispered the war god Eris and god of the vampires.

A hand reached out of creek and the dead troll rose out to embrace his family. His eyes were black and glowed in the coming dusk. Eris asked to send Prince Alaric the Great his regards and disappeared in a flash of fire. Dracon declared they needed to leave. The trolls nodded their heads and the boys stepped in the orange dusky light. They walked through the brush and thorny vines. The horse became restless and fearful. Dracon begun to notice a large golden eagle soaring in circles above their heads. Ignoring the bird, Homer grabbed some apples off a tree. The boys munch the treat as they begin to hear a waterfall in the distance. The horse refused to eat the apples and Homer wondered what is wrong. Alaric voiced his fear that magic was being used nearby. Thicker trees appeared and leaves crinkle under their feet. More golden eagles appeared and Dracon wonders if they should be worried. Soon the eagles broke formation and swooped down to the boys to scratch their heads. The boys fought them off as they run for the shaded forest. Dracon placed on his invisible helmet and fired arrows unseen. Homer firing all his arrows, tripped on a rock and two eagles land on him. Pecking and scratching his linen clothes off, the eagles whistled through their beaks. More birds descend. Alaric is lifted and then dropped to break his ankle. Homer’s horse fled into the dark forest. Homer swung his battle axe to remove the birds from Alaric. Suddenly, a bright light flashed from the shade trees and the eagles explode into feathers. Looking for their benefactor, the boys found beautiful women with golden hair and white robes riding unicorns out of the forest shadows. Dracon removed his helmet.

“Queen Lilith of the Narva Mermaids welcomes you to the Haunted Forest! We have been expecting you!” shouted one of the women.

Thank you,” whispered Homer getting off the ground.

The boys looked at each other in confusion.

“You know King Jason, Majesties?” asked Alaric lying on the ground.

The unicorns surrounded the boys.

“Never speak his name outside the forest. It is not safe. Come with us.” said a mermaid leaning forward on her unicorn.

The boys are lifted and carried into the confines of the forest. As they ride, a mermaid with a golden crown encrusted with sapphires and holding a golden harpoon begun to speak.

“Yes we know King Jason. He is safe here because the inhabitants devote their allegiance to The Wizard. His magic protects us all.”

“The Wizard?” asked Dracon.

“He has many names; Son of the Dragon, The Hermit, Prince Alaric the Great. He is a great and powerful wizard who is not to be trifled with.” declareed Queen Lilith.

“Could he fix my ankle for I cannot walk?” begged Alaric.

The unicorns stopped at the sound of whistling in the wind.

“Your ankle is well now. This is as far as we take you. The Wizard is down the path by Aurora Falls.” said Queen Lilith.

“Farewell Majesties,” said the boys as they wave to the mermaids.

The mermaids nodded their heads and ride off. With dusk falling and fireflies appearing, the boys hurried down the path. They found an old elf drawing water from the river near a waterfall whistling a merry tune. Reaching a footbridge, they waved mist away to meet a tall creature with a stag’s head in a man’s body.

“You seek The Oracle of Nix, do you not? I am Prince Eurick.” spoke the creature.

A wolf rushed over to investigate the visitors sniffing impatiently at their boots.

“Calm yourself, Grecken. We have guests.” greeted the old elf lugging his pail of water.

He poured the bucket into a cauldron hanging over a fire. He then offered vegetable stew from another cauldron sitting in the ashes of the firepit.

“Your wolf is staring at me,” declared Dracon holding his stew.

“He is just glad to meet you. Your father has told us much about you.” explained The Hermit. “Grecken, the trunk for our guests!”

“Is my father here? I have seen him in the shape of a crow and a phantom.” asked Dracon.

“Yes, he is here. He takes the shape of many animals so nobody will recognize him. I taught him very well.” answered the old elf.

Grecken pulls out a trunk with his teeth from the bushes concealing a leather door to a bark covered lodge. The Hermit grabs three robes for the boys. Grecken positions itself next to Dracon. Once the water boils, Prince Eurick and The Hermit wash their wounds before rubbing on a minty salve. The sun set, stars and a dim crescent moon greet the world. Crickets chirp and owls hoot in dark forest. Their scratches dressed, The Hermit lights a pipe and blows smoke circles.

“My Lovely always adored the odor of pipe grass. I never really cared for it.” began The Hermit breaking the silence of the guests around the campfire.

“You will walk up the mountain tomorrow to visit the priestess at the Temple of Eris. She received a message from your cousin Dinah to be your guard on your journey to the capital city Illium.” announced the deer man Eurick.

“Yes, the temple is located at the cave of death where banshees enter the underworld taking dead souls to the afterlife.” inquired Alaric.

“You heard the stories about the Oracle of Nix demanding a sacrifice of an object that has never breathed life.” replied Eurick.

“Yes, our village recites the tales during festivals. By the way, Eris sends his regards when he made a vampire out of a troll.” explaind Homer.

“Did he now? Curious.” reacted The Hermit.

“Yes, curious. I’m curious too. Is it true that Eris impregnated the priestess Tatiana the Great and giving her special powers to banish that elf witch to Titania?” asked Homer.

“Yes, he impregnated my aunt which caused his wife Iris to toss him into a volcano and met his next wife. Why are you curious?” retorted The Hermit.

“Oh, I wondered because my sister married an elf whose family claims to be descendents of Eris through Tatiana’s son Leander.” answered Homer.

“Ah, then your nephews and nieces are in fact descendents of Eris. No wonder he sends his regard to me.” replied The Hermit.

Dracon began to stroke the fur of Grecken the wolf and the wolf rolled onto its back to slowly change into a man.

“Father?” asked Dracon.

“Hello, my son. I told you I wouldn’t be far away. Sorry, I can only reveal myself in darkness.”

“You should have your magic helmet back now,” said Dracon.

“Thank you, I found it very useful.” replied King Jason.

“Was that you who made the eagles explode into feathers?” asked Dracon.

“No, that was Queen Lilith. I told her magicians were attacking you.” answered Jason.

Queen Lilith said The Wizard is a powerful wizard not to be trifled with.” declared Homer.

“Did she now?” answers The Hermit.

“If you are so great as your legends, why are you not defeating the enemies of my father?” replies Dracon.

“It is not my place to defeat enemies of your father. It is my place to protect him. When he is ready, he will defeat them.” replied The Hermit.

“I don’t understand,” complains Dracon.

“You will someday,” advises The Hermit.

“Will you tell us a story? I’m most eager to hear about My Lovely who loves pipe grass.” interrupts Alaric.

“Very well. A story I shall tell.” replied The Hermit.