this really necces—?”
“Gatnom! Quiet! You have already pushed your favor to its limit!”
Gatnom backed down. He looked over at Will, who had turned white and was sweating ice water.
“What is your real name?” asked Master Jared.
Will suddenly knew nothing. He couldn’t remember his name, his age, or the last time he had been so nervous. The air stood still and listened, even the seconds that usually quickly tick by slowed to wait on Will’s response.
“My name is Will.”
“Is that your full name?”
“No, no. It’s William Wesley.”
“You have two names?” Master Jared asked.
Gatnom was looking back and forth from Will to Master Jared now.
“Of course.”
“Only the most powerful magi have two names. Are you hiding something?”
“No sir, I swear! In my world, everyone has two names, some three.”
Master Jared turned around, still holding his hand out, and walked within a foot of Will. He had a square jaw and a slightly crooked nose, like it had been broken before, and his eyes were the same brown as wet wood chips, so dark that it was hard to distinguish between retina and pupil. They did not match his pale white skin. Straight dark brown hair slid from his chin to shoulders and down to his back. He wore a snug long sleeved shirt with a short collar, like the collar of a karate gi, but there were no buttons, only knots pushed through small threaded circles. His pants were not tight nor loose, but matched the make a fabric of the shirt. Until now, the dress of the people in Baru had not been strange to Will, having watched lots of movies about pirates and peasants, but Master Jared was dressed more royal.
Master Jared stared Will’s eyes to the ground. “What is the name of your world?“ Master Jared asked. He looked suddenly very curious. “You look the same as us.”
“Everyone in my world looks like this,” Will answered. “It’s called Earth. I live in Americ—”
“Earth, that’s what it was!” Gatnom exclaimed from behind.
“Earth?” Master Jared asked quickly and quietly.
“Yes sir, I’m from Earth.”
“How did you get to Baru?”
Will looked backed at his feet. “My parents were killed. They—”
“Your parents?” Jared interrupted. “What were their names?”
“Eli and Helen,” Will answered. It was hard to say their names, all they had ever been to Will were Mom and Dad.
Master Jared leaned back and looked at Will, his hand was still lifted to his side. “How did you get here?” he asked.
“The letter told me to come.” Will was almost trembling. The tingling was deeper now, inside of his stomach instead of on the skin.
“Letter? What letter?”
Will reached into his bag and took out the crumpled envelope. He felt the same tingling in his hand, like the beginnings of awake in a hand that has been asleep. He handed the letter to Jared, who snatched it away. Jared read silently. When he finished he dropped his hand, and the tingling stopped. He folded the letter into a small square, wrapped it in a cloth from his pocket, and shoved it inside of his cloak.
“You are apparently telling the truth William Wesley, but I must take this to Lord Markus. We must be sure it is not cursed or charmed by the King. Gatnom, you should have thought of this. The King could be using this to track down this camp.”
Gatnom nodded in agreement.
“Be glad you fell here, boy. Had you not, this letter would have led you to your death. Has Gatnom told you who King Mel Masih is?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Are you sure you want to be involved in this?” Master Jared asked.
“Yes sir, I don’t have anything to go back to anyway.”
Jared stared at Will in quiet thought, then he turned to Gatnom. “For now, train him. I must go to Lord Markus immediately. I will send word soon. Until then, no more ceremonies! Understand?”
“Yes Master.”
And with that Master Jared spun, snapping his coat like a whip. One second his was on the floor, the next he
“Gatnom! Quiet! You have already pushed your favor to its limit!”
Gatnom backed down. He looked over at Will, who had turned white and was sweating ice water.
“What is your real name?” asked Master Jared.
Will suddenly knew nothing. He couldn’t remember his name, his age, or the last time he had been so nervous. The air stood still and listened, even the seconds that usually quickly tick by slowed to wait on Will’s response.
“My name is Will.”
“Is that your full name?”
“No, no. It’s William Wesley.”
“You have two names?” Master Jared asked.
Gatnom was looking back and forth from Will to Master Jared now.
“Of course.”
“Only the most powerful magi have two names. Are you hiding something?”
“No sir, I swear! In my world, everyone has two names, some three.”
Master Jared turned around, still holding his hand out, and walked within a foot of Will. He had a square jaw and a slightly crooked nose, like it had been broken before, and his eyes were the same brown as wet wood chips, so dark that it was hard to distinguish between retina and pupil. They did not match his pale white skin. Straight dark brown hair slid from his chin to shoulders and down to his back. He wore a snug long sleeved shirt with a short collar, like the collar of a karate gi, but there were no buttons, only knots pushed through small threaded circles. His pants were not tight nor loose, but matched the make a fabric of the shirt. Until now, the dress of the people in Baru had not been strange to Will, having watched lots of movies about pirates and peasants, but Master Jared was dressed more royal.
Master Jared stared Will’s eyes to the ground. “What is the name of your world?“ Master Jared asked. He looked suddenly very curious. “You look the same as us.”
“Everyone in my world looks like this,” Will answered. “It’s called Earth. I live in Americ—”
“Earth, that’s what it was!” Gatnom exclaimed from behind.
“Earth?” Master Jared asked quickly and quietly.
“Yes sir, I’m from Earth.”
“How did you get to Baru?”
Will looked backed at his feet. “My parents were killed. They—”
“Your parents?” Jared interrupted. “What were their names?”
“Eli and Helen,” Will answered. It was hard to say their names, all they had ever been to Will were Mom and Dad.
Master Jared leaned back and looked at Will, his hand was still lifted to his side. “How did you get here?” he asked.
“The letter told me to come.” Will was almost trembling. The tingling was deeper now, inside of his stomach instead of on the skin.
“Letter? What letter?”
Will reached into his bag and took out the crumpled envelope. He felt the same tingling in his hand, like the beginnings of awake in a hand that has been asleep. He handed the letter to Jared, who snatched it away. Jared read silently. When he finished he dropped his hand, and the tingling stopped. He folded the letter into a small square, wrapped it in a cloth from his pocket, and shoved it inside of his cloak.
“You are apparently telling the truth William Wesley, but I must take this to Lord Markus. We must be sure it is not cursed or charmed by the King. Gatnom, you should have thought of this. The King could be using this to track down this camp.”
Gatnom nodded in agreement.
“Be glad you fell here, boy. Had you not, this letter would have led you to your death. Has Gatnom told you who King Mel Masih is?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Are you sure you want to be involved in this?” Master Jared asked.
“Yes sir, I don’t have anything to go back to anyway.”
Jared stared at Will in quiet thought, then he turned to Gatnom. “For now, train him. I must go to Lord Markus immediately. I will send word soon. Until then, no more ceremonies! Understand?”
“Yes Master.”
And with that Master Jared spun, snapping his coat like a whip. One second his was on the floor, the next he
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