her before I can do anything else."
Eliar nodded. "Of course. We'll leave tomorrow. I'll probably need to go into Rianza anyway, to research the dark cloud in Fay's story."
Tavis turned around, his eyes wary. "I thought you said you didn't know where she was."
"I only said I hadn't been in touch with her. She's an advisor to the Crown Prince. Has been for a year and a half now." Fay could hear the pride in his voice over what his favorite granddaughter had become. She also heard a thread of worry that she didn't understand. "We'll travel there together. I still know people at court, for all that I've been retired. I should be able to get you in to see her, especially if she knows it's not me she's meeting with."
Tavis nodded and went over to his rucksack. He started rummaging through it, though Fay didn't think he was looking for anything in particular. Eliar looked between the two of them, then said to her, "You know, I think the two of you should stick together if you can. It might be good for both of you. I thought you worked well together out there."
She frowned at the remark, hearing the push to choose a partner in it. Wanting to change the subject, she said, "You called that thing a vygazza. Are you sure about that?"
Eliar nodded. "I've studied the ancient lore, and it fit the description exactly, though I believe this is the first time one has been seen in living memory, if ever."
"But they're supposed to be trapped behind the Flame Veil. How can a such a thing be in our world?"
He pursed his lips for a moment. "That I'm not certain of and it's not something I'd care to speculate on. Be assured, it will be part of my research when we get to Rianza. My own book collection here is nothing compared to either the Imperial or Academy libraries, let alone the Council's archives. I miss them all. They were like old friends. It will be good to see them again."
Fay smiled at the familiar phrase. This man had truly left his mark on Ganson, who frequently referred to libraries he had consulted often as his old friends. Eliar raised his voice a little and said "Now, let's have some food and go to bed. We have a journey to start in the morning."
After they had eaten, Eliar offered Fay his bed, arguing that he didn't sleep much at his advanced age and had books to check as well. Tavis curled up on the floor not far from the bed, next to the fireplace, as it was the only clear spot large enough for him in the small cabin. Fay didn't think she could sleep with all the things going in circles in her mind, but then Eliar began to hum and she drifted away.
Chapter 7
When Fay opened her eyes, she realized almost immediately that something was different about the dream. She wasn't sure if it was wrong though. The blond man was standing on the edge of the pool of light that had no source and he was smiling at her as always, but it looked a little forced and uncertain to her. His eyes darted to something behind her. She turned and gasped. Tavis was there. Except she realized that he wasn't. Unlike the man with the blond curls, he didn't move, and everything about him was faint and ghostly. But what was even so faded an image of him doing in this dream, she wondered.
As she pondered this, she heard the man behind her, now only steps away. "Come away from him, Faylanna. He can't understand. He's not like us."
She didn't turn though. She wanted to figure out what was going on. She took a step toward Tavis' image. Behind her, the blond man said more urgently, "Don't do that. I need you, my sweet, I told you. It should be you and I. It must be. Come to me."
Fay looked over her shoulder at his pleading face and the hand that was extended to her. "But, I don't understand. Why is he here?"
He tilted his head. "You really don't, do you? They did their work better than I expected it seems. Perhaps I don't need to worry."
"Who did what work?" she asked, confused. Did he ever speak plainly, she wondered with a touch of
Eliar nodded. "Of course. We'll leave tomorrow. I'll probably need to go into Rianza anyway, to research the dark cloud in Fay's story."
Tavis turned around, his eyes wary. "I thought you said you didn't know where she was."
"I only said I hadn't been in touch with her. She's an advisor to the Crown Prince. Has been for a year and a half now." Fay could hear the pride in his voice over what his favorite granddaughter had become. She also heard a thread of worry that she didn't understand. "We'll travel there together. I still know people at court, for all that I've been retired. I should be able to get you in to see her, especially if she knows it's not me she's meeting with."
Tavis nodded and went over to his rucksack. He started rummaging through it, though Fay didn't think he was looking for anything in particular. Eliar looked between the two of them, then said to her, "You know, I think the two of you should stick together if you can. It might be good for both of you. I thought you worked well together out there."
She frowned at the remark, hearing the push to choose a partner in it. Wanting to change the subject, she said, "You called that thing a vygazza. Are you sure about that?"
Eliar nodded. "I've studied the ancient lore, and it fit the description exactly, though I believe this is the first time one has been seen in living memory, if ever."
"But they're supposed to be trapped behind the Flame Veil. How can a such a thing be in our world?"
He pursed his lips for a moment. "That I'm not certain of and it's not something I'd care to speculate on. Be assured, it will be part of my research when we get to Rianza. My own book collection here is nothing compared to either the Imperial or Academy libraries, let alone the Council's archives. I miss them all. They were like old friends. It will be good to see them again."
Fay smiled at the familiar phrase. This man had truly left his mark on Ganson, who frequently referred to libraries he had consulted often as his old friends. Eliar raised his voice a little and said "Now, let's have some food and go to bed. We have a journey to start in the morning."
After they had eaten, Eliar offered Fay his bed, arguing that he didn't sleep much at his advanced age and had books to check as well. Tavis curled up on the floor not far from the bed, next to the fireplace, as it was the only clear spot large enough for him in the small cabin. Fay didn't think she could sleep with all the things going in circles in her mind, but then Eliar began to hum and she drifted away.
Chapter 7
When Fay opened her eyes, she realized almost immediately that something was different about the dream. She wasn't sure if it was wrong though. The blond man was standing on the edge of the pool of light that had no source and he was smiling at her as always, but it looked a little forced and uncertain to her. His eyes darted to something behind her. She turned and gasped. Tavis was there. Except she realized that he wasn't. Unlike the man with the blond curls, he didn't move, and everything about him was faint and ghostly. But what was even so faded an image of him doing in this dream, she wondered.
As she pondered this, she heard the man behind her, now only steps away. "Come away from him, Faylanna. He can't understand. He's not like us."
She didn't turn though. She wanted to figure out what was going on. She took a step toward Tavis' image. Behind her, the blond man said more urgently, "Don't do that. I need you, my sweet, I told you. It should be you and I. It must be. Come to me."
Fay looked over her shoulder at his pleading face and the hand that was extended to her. "But, I don't understand. Why is he here?"
He tilted his head. "You really don't, do you? They did their work better than I expected it seems. Perhaps I don't need to worry."
"Who did what work?" she asked, confused. Did he ever speak plainly, she wondered with a touch of
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