A dark terrain filled with dead trees and a grey sky flowed by his sights. John lifted himself into a standing position. He scanned for his group. He was alone. Warm air blew around his face and body. He wondered where he was. He remembered killing the spiders in the caves. Yet, this did not look like the mining cavern.

"Gwen?"

He heard a muffled voice but he could not hear the words. He stood and walked around the area. Dust arose from where he stepped. The sun did not penetrate the dark sky. In the distance, he saw a figure in the shadows. The figure was dressed in black robes. He could not discern who or what it was.

John scanned around the area and decided to talk to the person. Nobody was around and maybe he could get some directions out of here. As he moved closer, the person did not move or stir.

"Hello?" he said.

The wind billowed around the figure's robe. He slowed and came closer.

"You will have three choices at three different times. Your choice will change your life and your destiny."

John said, "Who are you?"

The cloak figure changed into black ash and dispersed in the air. Everything changed into inky blackness.

"John!"

A bright light hit his eye lid. "John wake up!" He opened his eyes.

Marla was close with Garret staring at him. Marla's face was perspiring.

She said, "You were thrashing while I tried to heal you."

"I'm sorry."

"You are fine," she said. "As I can tell. You expended a lot of magic. How do your feel?"

"I'm exhausted and have a slight headache. Where are we?"

John saw a grass with rolling hills and forest. Garret knelt by him and said, "We got out of the mines. The prince's guards carried you out."

He saw his dad talking with his knights. Mitchell came over.

The knight said, "How are you doing? Knight Marshall wanted to know."

John said, "My dad can ask me. But I am fine."

Mitchell nodded his head and walked back to the Knight Marshall. His dad stayed with his remaining knights. John tried to stand but felt a little dizzy and sat back down.

Marla said, "I cannot heal you fully. You need rest."

"Are we close to the royal army?"

Garret said, "I think so, but they have not told us anything. They have been talking since we stopped here."

John saw the prince was talking to his dad, gesturing with his hands and shaking his head. John wondered if there was some type of disagreement.

Garret said, "Just sit back. We will stay here if need be."

John wanted to start traveling but he was too weak. "Gwen?" He said in his mind.

"Yes, I am here."

"Please instruct me. How do I get my magical strength back?"

"You have to meditate." Gwen proceeded to tell him the how the Eriel mages used to bring back their powers.

John closed his eyes and started to calm himself. He fell into a deep trance. He was not awake nor was he asleep. Gwen called it, the thorin, the twilight mind. He concentrated on his magical center. He started to feel better. Gwen said, "I will teach you about the magical elements and how to use them."

"Hello," Marla said, "John are you awake?"

He opened his eyes. The moon was high in the clouds. It was night.

"Yes, I feel much better. I am starved."

She handed him rations and berries. "We cannot start a fire. The knights said we are close to the enemy camp."

"When are we leaving?"

Garret was a few feet away. He said, "It depends. There was some disagreement."

Marla placed her hand over his face. "You are feeling better. I can tell from your aura. You have regained some of your powers."

"Yes, I learned," John almost said Gwen, but he didn't, "by meditating."

Marla gave him a look as if she knew what he almost said.

She said, "Does the Vor'kar teach you how your magic works?"

"Why?"

"That spell you casted."

John held up his hands. "I just knew. I was desperate."

Marla stared at him some more, waiting for another answer. She said, "John, you never showed any aptitude with magic even when the court mages was looking for people with the potential."

"I know. I cannot explain it, myself. I feel Gwen unlock some type of potential in me, way back when we started this journey."

"It is from your heritage as an Eriel. We do not know much about them even when I was instructed by the healers. When we are done, I want to go back to Elindor."

John understood her fascination. He felt the same way, but first they have to finish this journey and was not sure how to proceed. He heard footsteps and he saw the prince and his one remaining body guard coming close to him.

He said, "Your dad is stubborn."

"What have you decided to do?"

"He wants to move along the forest area and skirt around hills. I think we should send out scouts and find out where the black knights army is and then make the shortest route to the royal army. John what do you think we should do?"

In his mind, he was thinking about his dream and the three choices he had to make. This could be one of these choices. He said, "We need to decide where the black knights army is and then decide. That is my opinion."

Garret said, "Sounds like a plan. But what happens if the scouts do not come back."

Brett said, "If the scouts do not come back by tomorrow. We will travel at night and take the Knight Marshall's route. John will you be able to travel by tomorrow.

"Yes, I hope so."

* * *

Two knights were dispatched to scout along the edge of the enemy's camp. John watched as the sun started to move higher into the sky. Another warm day it was becoming, and he sensed some anxiety between his dad and the prince. John almost stood and talked to his dad, but his dad was stubborn like himself was he would not listen to him but only to his own knights.

John moved toward his dad's second-in-command knight Mitchell. He was sitting near the edge of camp looking out into the trees and beyond. He was guarding this side of the group. John walked closer and saw Mitchell turn his way.

"Hello John," Knight Mitchell said while scanning the forest.

"Hi."

They stood in silence for a while.

Knight Mitchell said, "Is there some something I can help you with?"

"I'm not sure why there is so much tension in the air."

"You do not know. When you were sleeping, the Prince and the Knight Marshall had a screaming fight."

"What about?"

"You have to talk to your dad or the prince. I don't know." He turned away signaling the conversation was over.

John started back to his friends, when he stopped. "Knight Mitchell, is everything ok."

"Yes, we will make it to the royal army."

John was not talking about that. He wanted to know how his father was doing. He was not sure how he should ask the knight. John sat next to Marla. "Why didn't you tell me about the fight?"

"I was not sure what happened. They were yelling, and we were not sure what they are arguing about. I thought the ogres will come and find us."

"You should have told me. "

"Well, it happened a couple of hours ago while you were asleep. And I thought it was none of my business."

John looked around. "Where is the Prince?"

"I don't know."

John almost walk toward his dad, but decided against it. He saw Garret standing on a small hill and walked up to him.

"Where is the prince?"

Garret pointed down the slope. Brett was sitting with his eyes closed. His guard stood a few yards away.

"What is he doing?"

"Mediating, I presume like you did."

"Do you know what the fight was about?"

"You heard about it."

"Yes, eventually I was going to find out. What were they fighting about?"

Garret held up his hands. "I am not going to tell you. I think Brett should tell you."

John started downwards into the small plateau. Brett's guard was about to stop him from coming closer, but the prince opened his eyes and motioned for him to come next to him.

John said, "You never told me that you had an argument with my dad."

"He wanted to keep going. He was going to bring you along a makeshift cot, but I wanted to wait and let you rest. We were not sure the extend of your injuries."

"Thanks for looking out for me."

Brett stared off into the sky. "Your dad wanted to get me to the royal army as soon as possible without regard to you. I cannot let that happen."

"I'm sorry for all this. I know you came on this journey for me."

The prince stared hard at him. "We are friends. We help each other."

"I have not forgotten." He looked away for a second.

"John, we have been friends for a long time. I know your character. You are an honorable man. Do not forget that. The next battle will test all of our mettle. Your dad does not see that. But I know, and I am scared."

John had never heard Brett talk in such a manner. John said, "I know prince. I am not sure we will survive a confrontation with the evil mage. But I have to get Gwen back."

"You love her."

"Yes," he said before he knew what he was saying. He was surprised that he did love her. He smiled and thought he felt the essence of Gwen also smile. And knew he was losing time. Gwen's essence did not have to tell him. He had to get the second half of the Vor'kar.

"We will get her back."

"Yes. I am also scared."

He nodded knowing the road ahead lies in more dangers then they have encountered before.

The prince stood. "The scouts are back." John saw what he was looking at. Two knights came running back to camp. The prince started to walk to his dad who was sitting with his men awaiting the scouts to talk to him. He wanted to follow but stopped. He shrugged and stalked back to Marla and Garret. She was crunching on nuts and rations. She smiled at him and placed a traveling cloak around his shoulders.

"I am not cold," he said, "but thank you." He placed the cloak back around her shoulders. A cold wind picked up and ruffled her hair.

Garret said, "I think we are departing." The knights around his dad were packing up. The prince ran up to them. "Hurry, we need to leave. We are closer to the Black knight's army than we believe."

John and his friends packed up their gear and put on their traveling cloaks. The knights waited for them.