“I see there’s only one of you,” she said, feeling her blood heat for combat. A trick like that wasn’t for beginners.īut he had picked the wrong person to follow. If he had followed her æther trail through the Blind Eternities, he must be very skilled. “And you won’t live long enough to be sorry you resisted.” “I’m not going to ask again,” he warned her. This stranger, she realized with a hot flood of surprise, must have come from Kephalai. No one on Regatha knew about the scroll unless one of the monks had renounced his vows and become loose-lipped. Ĭhandra had only just returned to this plane, and her comings and goings at the monastery passed without fanfare. She could sense his intrusion into her thoughts. “Give me the scroll,” said the stranger, “and no one gets hurt.”Ĭhandra’s attention was immediately drawn to the cold, cerulean intensity of his eyes, glowing in the shadow of his cowled cloak. Recognizing her tone, the boy turned and ran, seeking the safety of the stone halls of the monastery and the presence of others. “Chandra Nalaar, give me that scroll!” he said, his tone as much a demand as the words. She turned to look at whatever had captured his attention and shot to her feet when she saw a tall, menacing stranger standing at one end of the room. “Chandra.” Brannon was looking past her, his eyes wide with alarm. “Yes,” he said eagerly, “let’s look at it. The monks in the monastery’s scriptorium were very interested in the scroll, enough that young Brannon was curious about it too. Chandra might not be able to interpret its meaning on her own, but she was curious enough to want another look. Its origin was utterly mysterious, and it had been fiercely protected on Kephalai. The scroll was said to be unique, the only record of a fire spell more powerful than any known. Once back on Regatha, she had handed the scroll over to the monks at Keral Keep. She had looked at the scroll before, but that was on a plane called Kephalai where she had “liberated” it from the Sanctum of the Stars. It was easier for most people to accept lies than to understand what it meant to move back and forth among the infinite planes of reality. “Far away.” Chandra was used to dodging questions about her travels throughout the Multiverse. The two of them were in a common room at Keral Keep, a place of learning and study for the fire mages of Regatha.īrannon asked, “Where did you get the scroll?” “I can’t read it, but the monks will tell me what is says.” “That’s right,” Chandra said, sitting next to Brannon. “I heard it has strange writing that only a few of the monks can read,” the boy said.
“The brothers are done with their work, so I thought I’d take a look at it, see what all the excitement is about.” “Yes, it is.” Chandra Nalaar smiled at the ginger-headed boy as she held out the scroll, neatly rolled up and encased in an ancient leather sheath. I s that the scroll the monks are talking about?” Brannon asked.