The Mage and the Druid

Daniel had a hard time believing what he was reading. Well, more than usually, that is. The text seemed more wild and shifting than its normal dance, the script varied more than as if it was written by its normal four authors, and his focus did far less to clarify the formulas than it normally did. No matter, he was almost done. His nightmare darts and dream poisons were all stable, he was just finishing his last project: a black iron shadow dagger that was particularly hard to manifest.

“You know this is a bad idea.”

“Maybe, old man, but you know you can’t stop me. There,” Daniel finished, closed the book, and turned to face his interlocutor. His magic done, the barn’s dim faded away in the noontide sunshine. They stood in silence staring at one another as two men often do when they cannot agree on some obvious truth.

The weight of the old man’s experience made him yield before the stubbornness of the younger one’s idealism. “I wish I could go with you.”

Daniel followed his elder’s example. “I do too.” A bit more silence until Daniel said, “You know, Hector, maybe, maybe Uncle Lee is still alive.”

“Ha! Nothing could kill him less he want it to. The only question I have is where he put the other half of that damned book.”

Daniel was a bit uneasy at the mention of the Book of Dreams. “I, Hector, I need to say…”

Daniel couldn’t finish the thought, but Hector caught his drift. “Are you insane? You know better than anyone what it can do!” Hector raised his voice, and a faint red glow fell on his arms as he stepped forward and waved them about, “how many times have you almost killed half the people in the outlands? How many times have you almost been possessed by the shadow and the dark? How, how many times, How many times do I have to loose you to forces I don’t, that no one understands?”

“That’s the thing, I understand it. At least enough to know that the Book of Dreams needs to be made whole, not destroyed.”

Hector had cooled once again, the fire had left him. “I trust you. I have to, but I do trust you anyway.” He even let a smile break his somber air. “Let Jonathon deal with you, maybe the good captain can whip you into shape.”

Daniel laughed. “I wonder...oh nevermind”

“Ah, you wonder?”

“Well, fine, I wonder if Sara is still, still ok.”

“Jonathon Lee would not let anyone hurt his daughter.”

“I wouldn’t mind seeing them again.”

“Don’t look for them too much Daniel, not when you are playing with fire. Hell, you are fire, those near you are bound to get burned.”

“You are right, Hector.” Daniel had finished packing, his tools of dark were ready to travel, he cast about for something to keep the two of them together. “You know, old man, she might, well, there’s no reason to think…”

The old man waved off the end of Daniel’s thought. “No, no. She cursed me when I left, and I have been too long gone for ‘sorry’ to mean anything. My only solace is I left her too soon for loneliness to burden her.” That was it, nothing more to say, no other reason for Daniel to stay. “Young man, whatever happens, do not forget who you are is far more important than who your father is.”

“You have long since replaced him as my father, Hector.”

“Go on, get, before I embarrass myself.”

Daniel grinned, slung his pack across his shoulder. “Too late for that, old man.” he said as he turned and was gone.

Hector sniffed begrudgingly and wiped away a tear. “Too late indeed, Dreamwalker.”