Cyrus and Meza advanced on the Kings Road. They talked about the old times with the princess and Meza's former master, Darthel. Cyrus had a feeling Meza had not been telling him everything. He remembered Meza survived the massacre of the king's court. After the funeral, Meza left the capitol and nobody knew what happened to him. Cyrus did not know what to make of this. Meza was too eager to join with him. It was just too convenient. It seemed planned.

Meza said, "Cyrus, somebody has been following us since the inn."

"What?"

"At first, I thought it was a wolf. But, when we stopped, I saw some men. They are bandits," Meza said.

"What can we do?" he said.

"Can you defend yourself?" Meza said.

"Yes, I can wield this walking stick," he said.

"They have not attacked yet. They are waiting for something. We are close to the capital walls. I think we can make it," Meza said. "See that bush there? When we reach it jump into the shadows."

They moved toward the large shrubbery. When they were hidden from view, Meza grabbed him and pulled him into the darkness. Cyrus felt Meza casting a spell. He saw two figures appear. They were illusions of themselves. They kept on walking up the path. Meza stared behind them trying to seek who was following them. They slid down a ravine. Cyrus saw the men appear. They were dressed in black and green clothes. Each of their faces was grim. Cyrus wanted to run, but Meza held him back. They waited in the shadows. After a few minutes, these bandits passed them. Cyrus sighed in relief when they tracked the illusions.

"Why are they following us?"

Meza said, "It could be that pretty trinket you have around your neck. Do you recognize some of them? They are from the tavern."

"I was foolish back there," Cyrus said.

"No, just naive," Meza said.

"I have a plan. I think if I could find the old Shepherd's trail, we could bypass these bandits and make it to the capital," Meza said.

Meza led him through a series of hills and trees, going almost opposite to the capital. Cyrus was wondering if there was a trail. He realized he didn't know Meza. He remembered the Meza of his youth was a bully, constantly showing off his magic. The afternoon sun descended to the horizon. Meza began to run.

Meza said, "Sorry, but we had to reach this path before nightfall. Can you travel more?"

"Yes, is there something out here?" Cyrus said.

"You do not want to know. Quick, we have to make it to the capital's walls. My illusions stopped an hour ago," Meza said.

Meza started to run again. Cyrus followed as best as he could. The city's walls rose in the distance. The sky faded into the night. They kept on moving, until Meza stopped and peered into the forest.

"Cyrus, the bandits found us."

In front of them stood a group of men, one person was holding a large torch. He was taller and clearly the leader. Meza crouched summoning a spell. He twisted his right hand and nothing happened.

The bandit holding the torch said, "Mage, you cannot cast a spell on us."

The bandit opened his hand. Cyrus saw a round crystal. It was a disarming stone. It nullifies magic. The bandits surrounded them and pushed them to the ground. Cyrus and Meza's hands and ankles were bound with ropes.

"Hurry," the bandit leader said. "Get their money."

"What should we do with them?" a man said.

The leader said, "Leave them. The Trollics will find them."

Meza squirmed and said, "Do not leave us. We will not tell anybody."

The leader said, "Search them. They might be hiding something."

Rough hands grabbed Cyrus. The men search through his tunic and breeches.

"Stop moving," the man said.

The bandit's foul breath made him gag.

"Hold him," the other bandit said.

"What are you hiding?" the foul-breathed man said.

"Nothing," Cyrus said.

"Shut up," the bandit said and spit in his face.

"You think you are better than us," the man said.

Cyrus shook his head no.

The bandit said, "I know your kind. You are those people who never look our way."

"Stop it," the leader said. "We are bandits not by choice but by the emperors taxes and laws."

"Hey, let's get this over with," Meza said.

The leader demanded, "Where is the gold medallion?"

The bandit kept inspecting his clothes and traveling pack. They could not see the medallion hanging around his neck. The disarming stone should have cancelled the charm's magic. Cyrus was amazed and hid his emotions. The bandit next to him got angry and pulled out a long wicked knife.

He said, "Where is it!"

The leader said, "Hurry! The Trollics are coming."

The bandits gave up and took their money, clothes and some of Meza's magical powders.

"Do not leave us," Meza said again.

A bandit came up to Meza and struck him hard in the face. Cyrus could hear the crack of the punch as it landed. Meza slumped and fell unconscious to the ground.

The leader said, "Let's go."

When the bandits disappeared, Cyrus turned toward his side and got to his knees. Cyrus nudged him, but he didn't awaken. He needed to get out of these ropes. He looked around for a jagged rock or boulder. He heard something rustling from behind him.

Cyrus turned toward the noise and saw a small creature appear. The beast was covered in brown coarse hair and walked upright on two legs. Its face was misshapen. The creature sniffed the air, stared at him, and made guttural noises. Something else came through the bushes. It was larger than the small beast. The bigger creature moved in large lumbering steps. Cyrus could not see them until the moonlight shone over the figures. The larger Trollics were a mass of muscle and round knobs. He did not see any heads or arms but a large razor mouth on the creature's chest. The creature snarled.

Something unexpected happened. Cyrus felt cold water pour over him. It was as if a cool summer rain showered around the meadow. The Trollics stopped. Cyrus did not see any water drops. He was puzzled. The cool water turned into searing heat. Glowing fire embers appeared around him. He was not in pain but in ecstasy. He was in complete rapture. He was more alive than he had ever been. He started to float off the ground. The embers changed into glowing spheres. Blue lightning swirled around them. This was real magic. He concentrated and lightning struck the beasts. Power surged through his body. He struck the beasts until they were just charred carcasses. The magic spilled out in waves from him.

He tried to quell the flow, but he couldn't. Magical powers shot around the forest. The ropes holding his legs melted. His arms spread toward the sky. The arcane energies kept shooting around him. The magic, which felt so sweet before, seared his body. He screamed. He smelled something like roast and realized in horror it was his skin. The pain became unbearable. A powerful explosion of magic shot into the sky. He fell to the ground.

•••

Meza awoke. He was still bound with his hands tied. His jaw hurt where he'd been struck. He saw Cyrus kneeling in front of a female alpha Trollic. Meza squirmed and tried to conjure a spell. However, Meza felt magical energies coalesced around Cyrus. All of Meza's thoughts ceased. The arcane energies swirling around Cyrus were so pure and bright. Meza gaped at him with childlike wonder. It was like getting his first kiss.

Suddenly, intense pain reverberated all over his body. His hands were free. Meza shielded his eyes from the magical elements. Cyrus screamed. Meza flew backwards. A convergence of magic exploded outward.

His body ached all over. He was surprised Cyrus was not burned. He started to crawl to him. He stifled an urge to vomit. He saw the scorched remains of the female alpha Trollic. They needed to leave because the creatures would come back. Meza's head swam. Cyrus's power was so strong any mage within miles would get a headache.

The darkness of the night was so dim after the magical display Meza could not see anything. Gradually, his eyes adjusted and saw three cloaked strangers standing in front of them. They faced the prostrate figure of Cyrus. Meza thought it was the bandits again to finish the job.

"Mage, leave this person be," the stranger said.

"Who are you?" Meza said.

"You should remember us from your mystical studies," the stranger said.

"You are the Clandestine mages," he said. He could see the secret runes on the stranger's cloaks.

"We know of you, Meza Walium. We honor your former Master, the wizard Darthel," the Clandestines said. "This person you protect must be eradicated. He is dangerous."

"No," Meza said.

"Why protect him? Do you know what he is?"

Meza stood next to Cyrus. Moonlight shone unearthly light over the clearing. Each Clandestine had dark blue robes underneath their cloaks. Power radiated from them. Meza was no match for these wizards.

He said, "You will die, Meza, just like him."

Meza stood his ground. Something flew between Meza and the Clandestines. The new interloper, dressed in a long black cloak, crouched.

"You," the Clandestine said. A wizard shot a fire spell. Meza ducked and fell prone on the ground. The cloaked interloper dodged the spell, somersaulted toward the nearest Clandestine, and kicked him. The mage was thrown a few yards back.

Cyrus became conscious and said, "Holy demon fire! What's happening here?"

The Clandestine threw spells after the cloaked figure. However, the interloper was faster and dodged their missiles.

"Leave," the cloaked figure said.

Meza assisted Cyrus.

"Should we help?" Cyrus said.

"No," Meza said.

The fight ensued. Flashes of light and magic sizzled in the night. The cloaked figure kicked another Clandestine sending the mage sprawling into the trees. Cyrus and Meza ran down the path, but the Trollics barred their way. Meza summoned a fireball and threw it at the nearest beast. The beast roared in pain.

The beasts closed in, crushing any means of escape. Cyrus was barely standing. Meza sent another missile into the Trollics. The cloaked figure stood before them.

"Who are you?" Meza asked.

"They call me the Shade," the figure said.

The Trollics didn't move. They were afraid of the Shade.

The Shade said, "I will make a path for you."

"What about the Clandestines?" Meza said.

"They are defeated for now," the Shade said. "Follow me."

The Shade started running toward the gathering crowd of Trollics. The Shade threw powder into the air. It exploded sending white brilliance into the darkened path. The creatures scattered. Meza and Cyrus darted through the opening.

They ran to a small dirt path that snaked through the forest. Meza glanced at Cyrus several times. He was keeping up. Pure adrenalin and fear pushed them forward. Ahead, the remains of an abandoned estate appeared through the trees. The Trollics stopped allowing them to slow their maddening pace.

Cyrus said, "Is that the old Rowan Estate?"

Meza said, "It's a cursed place!"

"Nobody will bother you there. You do not have to sleep inside the buildings but just outside the property," the Shade said.

They walked through the broken gate and into an overgrown garden. The place was immense with winding paths and bushes. Statues of gods and demigods dotted the garden. The Shade took them around a large fountain and into a broad field of grass.

"You may rest here and build a fire," the Shade said.

"Where will you go?" Meza said.

"Back."

The Shade disappeared. The rustle of the wind blew through the garden. Cyrus fell to the ground exhausted.

Meza said, "Cyrus wait here while I gather some wood."

When Meza came back, Cyrus was already fast asleep. He built a campfire and sat, gathering his thoughts. This is where the massacre happened. It was an omen, Meza thought. Tonight was a beginning, a starting point for good or evil. He hoped he'd stay alive to watch it play out.

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