Chapter 12
“Before we begin the Q&A, Meeka, break out the water. I’m parched.”
Meeka looked towards Cage and noticed his exhaustion as his breathing remained heavy. She remembered she didn’t leave the pack as it came off her shoulder. She handed over his half filled container, he took off the stopper and downed all that remained without taking a single breath till empty. He had sweat beading all over his flesh she noticed before the water container emptied and he let out a satisfied gust of air.
Everyone sat quietly and waited for him, but Cage noticed something nearby in the thick grass. “No way!” He then shakily managed to stand and stumble several feet to his left. His words put everyone on alert until he exclaimed “It is Miner’s lettuce!” He exclaimed and knelt down in a hidden patch. All of them watched him curiously as he swiftly picked hundreds of the three to four inch plants. It took a minute to collect two large handfuls before returning to sit at Meeka’s side. “Sorry about that. My stomach got the better of me and these are impossible for me to resist since I first tried them a few years ago. They aren’t very common where I lived or were easy to come by.” He popped one plant in his mouth and felt a burst of liquid and a hint of sweetness.
“How do you know such a plant isn’t poisonous?” Megdline wondered.
“If I don’t know about it I won’t eat it. Besides I know quite a lot about plants since they make up the bulk of my diet.”
“May I try one?” Meeka asked and received a few dozen of the soft plant life. She ate one and blinked in surprise. “They are good.”
“Once, they save me from dehydration.” He grinned and ate a few more.
It didn’t take long to consume all that had been collected, but the food and water lessened the headache and the accumulated exhaustion. Meeka still had some water remaining and she offered it to Megdline and Frill who both shook their heads, but Cage didn’t refuse and finished it off. He then said “Sorry for making you wait, but I needed it.”
“It is quite understandable. It might not have seemed like it before, but Frill and I are usually very patient. I wish we would have met differently, but today’s circumstances weren’t the best to be properly first introduced. It was not necessary for you to have intervened, but we are grateful. If it were a normal woman I would be most grateful for saving me.”
“I didn’t ask for you to be grateful.” Megdline smirked at such cheekiness.
“Why did you kill those men without hesitation? You didn’t give them a chance?”
Cage smiled while looking into her older, deep grey eyes. “Beside’s the fun? Hmm… because they had every sign that they were going to kill you regardless if you gave them your money. You saw them and they had the look of not wanting to be known by anyone. Men like those won’t be missed. My question, what spell were you about to use before I fired off one of my own?”
She smiled kindly. “I was simply trying to snap the string that held the bolt ready. Under such tension, I was trying to make the string snap and smack the men by their own weapons. It would have used far less power, so if it happens again, try to be more subtle. Now it is my turn. The bandits, what if they were good men and only down on their luck? What if they had families?”
“That is always the question ‘what if’ and the answer is simple. If they were good men they wouldn’t resort to thievery or coming after an old woman as a group. They should keep trying to pick themselves up, not bring others down. And as for their families, I really don’t care. They would be better off without them. If they were going to rob and kill you, what makes you think they don’t beat on their family as well if they can’t realize their own inadequacies.”
Megdline’s brow twitched as she considered his words and didn’t disagree with his logic. “Did you call me an old woman?”
He grinned. “Do you like granny better?”
Frill began to hiss a laugh till Megdline lightly smacked his furry side. “Don’t laugh. It isn’t funny.” Frill made the same noise, only louder. “You’re incorrigible.”
Cage looked to the feline. “Now, what questions did you have?”
His gold eyes turned to hers for translation. “He has three so I will ask in order. Fist you said you’ve done magic for only a few short months. How did you learn about such a gift?”
“The first time it occurred I didn’t realize what actually happened. I was having a hard time making a fire with flint. When I got angry and anxious I said a word and a large spark jumped from the rocks and into the bundle I made. I was so tired already and even the spark made me pass out for a few seconds. The next time it happened was awhile later and I almost impaled myself on a stick, but somehow I made it move and passed out again. I woke up later and said a few words just to make sure I wasn’t crazy and I did magic once more. When I realized I had magic I stopped doing it.”
“Why?” The older woman wondered.
“Because I felt too weak at the time and I had something else to do. About two months later I felt much stronger and the magic drain didn’t wear me out as fast. I began doing a few small things to get an idea and a handle on this new skill. Recently I learned I don’t need to say words to do magic.”
“Let me stop you right there. Cage, what you said is true for basic magic. That is because your thoughts don’t need to stray to accomplish a focused task, like manipulation. But for complex, and long spells you will need words and writing to structure and refine the specific quality of spells. For these complicated spells, words are needed so that a stray thought doesn’t corrupt what you desire. Some are so complex they take days or even weeks before a desired effect even shows signs of working. Don’t you know this?”
“No, I don’t. Everything I learned I’ve done by myself without guidance.”
Frill looked to her and meowed. “Right. He says I’ll explain, but wants his questions answered first. You made a phrase he is curious about. ‘First living mage.’ He wants to know if you’ve spoken to spirits or ghosts?”
Still feeling her wedge in his mind for the truth made it impossible to lie, but not as much he had to explain in detail. “Twice have spirits come to me.”
Megdline paled and leaned away while Frill stood and stood like a barrier between Cage and her and he felt magic at work and knew Frill was doing it. She asked “Are you a necromancer practitioner?”
“A what?” Cage tilted his head to the woman.
“You’re not lying… Let me ask this. What did you do to the spirits?”
“We talked. I never saw a spirit before and it scared me at first, but I never did anything to them. What is a necromancer practitioner?”
Frill relaxed when hearing this and meowed to her. “Yes, I’m still making him tell the truth. He truly doesn’t know about magic though he is a grown man and says he has just discovered magic all on his own… Cage, how did you summon the spirits?”
“That’s the thing, I didn’t. They came to me.”
“You must have quite the potential if spirits come seeking you and you can see them. If you want to know, a necromancer is a title for mages who forcibly summon, use or warp a person’s departed spirit for their own twisted ends. It is extremely rare for a spirit to visit someone and speak, but you say two have already visited? All reports say the spirits who visit were a mage at one time and can manipulate their spirit because they once had control of their magic and knew how to cast spells. I must know what they said and who they are.”
Cage shook his head. “The second spirit I believe wanted me to keep her identity secret and the first is too integrated in my story to reveal because of our agreement, Megdline.”
She laid her staff across her legs and crossed her arms to harrumph. Frill looked at her with impatient meaning and it made her sigh. “Frill’s last request is to taste your saliva.”
Cage leaned back in surprise and wasn’t even close to what the question might have been. It was so unorthodox and unexpected he couldn’t respond for a few seconds. “Why would he want to taste my saliv
a?”
“As a test.” She stated as if it should be obvious.
“For what? What would he learn by my saliva?”
Her grey eyes narrowed and his ears flicked. “After he decides, I’ll explain. What does it matter what he does with it? You’ll always make more and is completely painless.”
Quickly he thought and came up with “For all I know you can somehow use the DNA in my saliva to use magic against me in some way I don’t yet know about. Perhaps you can locate me or use it to create something to kill me in my own ignorance. I don’t know either of you so how can I trust you aren’t going to trick me or do something harmful.”
“Are you sure you’re a novice of magic? You seem to know more than you let on.”
“Just because I’m new to all this doesn’t mean I don’t know how to think of different possibilities or methods that magic might be used against me.”
Megdline pondered many things about the truly odd person she sat before and knew out of all she had ever met she had never come across someone even close to him. After a few silent minutes of deliberation she placed her hands together and said “Cage, I’m about to do a word and mind binding spell for only this situation. The way it works is thus, I will set conditions upon myself that will allow you to be aware should I break my vow. You will feel my magic as I believe you are capable of sensing and will also have all of your thoughts turn to me. You will then know I am not to be trusted and should get on your guard for any likely encounters I might be forced to send against you. I too do not know you, but as a show of good faith I’ll do this since you are an intriguing individual.
“First and foremost I and Frill vow to never use your saliva in any way to do you or anyone near your heart any harm. And secondly I will see to it you have a proper teacher of good standing to make sure you are taught correctly so that you do not make a mistake that could cost unintentional lives because of honest and innocent ignorance. Will you agree to these binding vows?”
“I do.” As he said that he watched as a golden light surrounded her hands.
She pulled her hands apart to say “To finalize the spell we must put our hands together.” She held her hands out and he reached over Frill to press his open palms with her smaller hands. The golden glow spread from her hands and encompassed his. His hands grew warm for but a moment before the glow vanished. She took her hands away and began stroking Frill’s thick and soft coat.
He pulled his hands back to look at them, finding nothing had really happened except a weak feeling that buried itself deep in the back of his mind that reinforced she meant what she said. A small touch of her magic also implanted itself to make the other aspect of her spell warn him if any treachery came from her.
In response to the spell that they wouldn’t harm him, Cage put a finger in his mouth and held it out. Frill pulled away from being petted and used his rough, cat tongue to lick the moistened finger. He immediately shook from his whiskers to tail and it made all the hair on his body stand on end. His gold eyes flew wide, as if shocked.
“Uh…” Was all Cage could say from such a strange reaction.
Frill looked back and began chatting like a bird quickly and Megdline looked down with confusion. She cautiously met Cage’s own confused expression. “May I have a taste myself?”
He dipped his finger again and offered it. She leaned forward and stuck out her own tongue to taste and the moment his saliva hit her taste buds her eyes flew open. She pulled away and shook her head to say “Whoa…”
“It’s very sweet isn’t it? Like pure sugar.” Meeka commented with a rosy smile as she felt a sense of satisfaction in their reactions.
Megdline stared in shock at the young man, the woman then to Frill as he too stared, but only at Cage. She looked to the woman and commanded. “Let me taste yours as well.”
Meeka’s smile vanished, but she did so and the woman licked the tip of her finger as well, but didn’t react half as much. Frill began speaking to gain her attention, but she shot him a withering look that made him go silent.
The group waited silently for ten agonizing minutes. Each one tried to coax her into talking, but her look said she’d talk once she finished thinking. She then gave Cage a hard look, but one that had a small bit of fear and curiosity hidden beneath. “The closest I’ve tasted is husband’s. Such pure mana…”
“I’ve heard the spirits say that word before. What does it mean?” He asked.
“Cage, allow me to explain something first. You want to know what magic is correct?” He nodded and didn’t interrupt. “First you must understand that I have never heard of a full grown man using magic on his own in adulthood because mages are almost always discovered as small children who can do things that commoners cannot, like making light when they are scared of the dark or breaking things several feet away in a tantrum. The oldest child-mage to be taught magic was thirteen. That is what I can remember at least. The first thing a child learns is what magic means.
“Magic is true understanding and the application through use of mana. Mana is the innate power that fuels magic. The mind shapes the fuel to do the desired effect. All living things have mana, but for some, their mana is too weak to ever do even the simplest of spells, without outside help. For Frill and I it is also a never ending subject, for the only end to magic is the imagination of the individual. Spells range in mana requirements compared with the result and distance of the target of said spell. And a person’s quality of mana can be tested by taste. The sweeter the taste, the higher quality of a person’s mana which also means the greater potential for stronger magics the individual can sustain or create.”
“So you are saying I have this mana stuff inside me and it has made my saliva sweet?”
“That is exactly what I’m saying.” She declared in a monotone.
“Thank goodness. After what Meeka said I grew worried I somehow became a diabetic and my natural insulin had made my spit sweeter. I’d hate to be here if that were the case.”
Meeka looked to him with anxiety, but before she could ask Megdline spoke. “What do you mean? And where did you learn of the substance that keeps our blood sugar in check?”
He smiled. “In a minute, I still have a few more questions.”
“Ask quickly. I haven’t been this impatient since I was first taught magic with
Frill as a kitten.”
“Where does this mana come from and what is it made of? Don’t be afraid to use jargon if you need to.”
She nodded and her short black hair blew around from a breeze. “Mana isn’t made or can be seen. Like the wind, it cannot be seen, but its effects are shown by trees and grass. It can be harnessed like the windmill does with the wind. It is a part of life and the driving force we use to survive by.”
“But if that is true, why do we have bio-electricity?”
Megdline began to stare again as he said another unexpected word she hadn’t heard in many years. “What do you know of this?”
“Bio-electricity is a chemical reaction derived from our cells communicating with each other. It is fueled by the foods we eat and sustained by what we drink. It also survives by the air we breathe which is made of a combination of oxygen, nitrogen and other life giving elements. Our nerves send signals to our brain which gives us awareness and our brain sends signals through the chemical exchange that allows us to make our bodies move as we please. Our minds work by our awareness, subconscious or involuntary nerves. Our hearts beat on their own whether we will them to or not. It is an automatic aspect our mind tells the muscle to keep beating or if our body is craving more oxygen, to beat faster so the air we breathe can circulate through our starving cells.
“But to my knowledge we have nothing in our bodies called Mana.”
Meeka looked to the woman. “Did you understand anything of what he just said?”
She swallowed dryly. “Indeed I do and my truth spell is still effecting him. He has knowledge he should not have from our lands. I now believe he knows mo
re than even I do about the subject of human anatomy. He probably knows more healing methods than any non-mage healer as well.” Cage simply grinned.
“My mother said something quite similar, but if you believe him I won’t be any more skeptical.”
“I’ll see if I’m not wrong. Cage, when I say a word, point somewhere on your body nearest to the spot. Diaphragm?” Cage drew an outline just beneath his ribcage in the same pattern as the muscle. “Pancreas? Kidney?”
“Right or left?”
“Left.” He leaned down and pointed. “How many chambers in the heart?” He replied ‘four.’ “Cerebrum? Scapula? Femur?” She named a dozen more places and got nothing wrong. “It is true he know exactly what he is talking about.”
“Now about mana, where does it come from? We don’t have it back where I’m from.”
“I cannot say because I do not know myself. It is just as part of our life force just as the biological parts.”
“If that is true, can I die if I do a spell which is too taxing?”
“Yes and no. Since your mana is tied to you alone it will do as you will, just like walking. The more mana you exert the more fatigued you become, but so long as you are in control of a spell, you will not die. When you do too much or use too much of your inner strength, another term for mana, you will become unconscious like you did earlier and awaken when your mana recovers enough to wake.” Before he could smile at such wonderful news she added “But you can die if someone links a spell of their own to you. It will drain you of all your life whether you are aware or not so be extremely careful. The best thing to do is to somehow unhook the spell with one of your own and get closer so the drain isn’t sucking you from further away. Remember, distance and drain go hand in hand.”
Cage filed that away in a priority memory to never forget. He then asked “About my mana you tasted, what was wrong with it to make both you and Frill so anxious and worried?”
Frill gave her a serious nod and Cage knew the Familiar might not speak coherently for others, but he fully understood everything that went on. She said “Neither of us have tasted mana so potently sweet before. It was like licking raw, undiluted sugar.”
“And that means?” He coaxed while not trying to anger either.
“It means that your potential is of equal or greater quality than a first class sorcerer.” Meeka gasped and looked to Cage in a whole new light.
“If it isn’t impolite, what might you be?”
“I am a second class sorceress. And for all mages we are distinguished by our skill. We mages usually tell others of our class, especially to warn off would be thieves or lesser spell casters who wish to overstep their class. You do not need to worry about lying about your class because a harmless spell is placed on all child-mages that prevent us from saying our class isn’t what we say it is.”
“So I can say I’m a third class wizard, but you can’t?”
“Since you were able to say that as a question with my lying spell, you weren’t spelled against saying that. You are one intriguing individual… Hold on! How do you know of mage classes?” She looked to Meeka who shook her head.
“As part of a bargain, a spirit explained the seven levels from magician to first class sorcerer or sorceress. But she didn’t tell me my class, but inferred I was quite powerful.”
Meeka laid a hand on his arm. “When was this? You told me about the first spirit, but what happened with the second.”
He stared into her warm blue eyes. “It was right after we almost went too far together and I ran out. It happened as I swam in the lake where we first met.”
Before she could respond, Megdline asked “Do you have any more questions before you reveal where it is you came from?”
“You said magic is understanding? What kinds of things must I avoid or will kill me if I tried because of my own knowledge? I get the feeling it might take some time for you to find me a tutor who can explain the do’s and don’ts and I don’t have time to wait since I’m busy at the moment.”
“You are quite right. First class sorcerers are the only ones who decide what teachers get which student to train. In this, it might take more time than usual since there are few of the first class that can possibly teach one with your quality of mana. Especially since you are already an adult with vast knowledge already at your disposal. Your mana recovery rate is also impressive.”
“It doesn’t feel like it to me?” he said while rubbing his eye and yawning.
“Believe me when I say this. A person already worn out of mana and not of the first or second sorcerer class and did what you did will take no less than eight hours to even open their eyes. A magician would have killed themselves with the display you didn’t hesitate to use. With practice, you will most likely get stronger.
“As to your request, it would take years to explain all the hazards magic is capable of to the wielder. I must ask you never become a necromancer because it is the most frowned upon, and for the weak minded, impossible to resist once you do it a few times. They turn spirits into cruel and twisted ghosts who can possess those without magical protection. It is a cruel and insufferable practice…”
Coldly, Cage stated “Don’t worry about that. The dead should be at peace and if I ever come across a necromancer, only one of us will walk away. What else?”
“Until your more confident in the infinite ways to use magic, I would caution against manipulating life of any kind. Some mages become addicted to manipulating their own bodies to make unintended alterations to themselves. Do not even try any form of time travel because it is impossible for practicality. Theory states it would take all of the universe’s mana to even send a flea one second back in time. That being said the universe would die, but it still wouldn’t work since no one can harness the universe’s infinite amount of mana. All who have tried, died. It would behoove you to also not attempt giving or breaking a gift or curse on another because most mages who try, end up dying because a deeper spell within the gift will attack the one who attempts. Most times a deep spell links to the person and drains their mana like I explained to you before and turns the person into a husk. Only do something if you know exactly what it is you are doing, everything about the target magic and how to live through it…” She saw Cage and Meeka shared a sad look. “What is it?”
Meeka answered. “A curse was placed on me when I was but a year old.”
Megdline’s expression reddened slightly, but her tone remained the same. “Who did that to you child? And what is this curse?”
“My parents know, but I think magic is involved because they cannot speak of it at all. And as for my curse, anytime someone touches their flesh to my lips I freeze them. I have no control over it.”
“Poor child… that means you can never…”
Meeka shook her head as she smiled. “Actually there is a way because Cage is the first to survive.”
“Tell me how it is you survived the un-survivable? Many years ago a sorcerer returned to Twilight and told us of a baby, who I assume is you, and for several months hundreds of mages, including myself, went through our entire archive, but still could not even find a reference to such a cruel spell. It must have been beyond ancient or something never before seen. Please tell me.”
“I can say it nearly killed me and took several days to even wake up. But this is what I did.” He explained it and both mage and Familiar gained thoughtful looks as he explained. He ended saying “I was desperate and had to try something.”
Megdline said “You must indeed have great strength to feel every cell and set them on fire just to combat the ice. It took me fifty two years to be capable of such delicate work.”
“But you barely look that old.” He commented and she laughed.
Meeka quickly said “Cage, don’t let someone’s looks fool you. Mages are known for being long lived. You cannot tell if they are fifty or three thousand.”
“Really?” He gained a thoughtful look of his own. “Does that mean you slow down cellul
ar division?”
The woman shook her head. “Your knowledge is frightening, but on this I can say no. It takes years to feel out every cell and cast a complex spell to prevent cellular degradation. And the stronger the person’s mana the longer a person might live. Sorcerers and sorceresses tend to live far longer than usual because of the quality of our mana. And don’t even try to guess my age. A woman never reveals all her secrets.” She laughed lightly. “Now may I witness your proof that her spell can no longer harm you?”
He leaned over and Meeka gladly kissed his cheek. Megdline felt the tingle of magic rise slightly and used her own to sense what is occurring. By the time Meeka pulled away the older mage said “Remarkable. It’s not really that your curse can’t activate, it already has, but it cannot find a hold on him… like trying to walk on an oiled marble floor. I thought it was a spell than cannot work twice on the same person, but it cannot figure a way to insert itself in his mana.”
“Like building an immunity against a disease?” Cage wondered.
“That is a better analogy. Yes, her curse feeds on mana like a disease and changes it to ice, but since you actually survived your mana remembers that magic and resists it without trying. It is strange, but unlike immunity to a virus or bacteria, even in your weakened mana’s condition it repels her curse completely. If it were your constitution and you were weakened, a disease would find a hold. I cannot see her lips ever harming you.”
“That I already knew, but it feels good that someone can help put it in words.”
“I have a question?” Meeka asked and heard Frill actually sigh and shake his furry head.
“What is it?” Megdline asked kindly.
“Well… you tasted my saliva and I wanted to know what you discovered.”
“Ah, well that I was more ready for.” She chuckled. “I was glad you were here because I was afraid my senses might have been off like Frill’s. Your mana has a delicate sweetness like a magician’s should. And as I can surmise from reports years ago, you become unconscious because only a tiny portion of your mana remains to keep you alive. That curse is nasty when on the receiving end and is more complex than anything I’ve tried to break myself. But the amount of inner strength left behind, after activation, also makes you fast to recover since the spell is all consuming of your strength. How long does it take to recover now that you’re grown?”
“About fifteen or so minutes.”
“Sounds right.” She then moved her grey eyes between the good looking couple. “Now no more questions till I hear where you come from.”
“I have one left before I explain.” Cage calmly interjected. “Can you make an illusion showing all the planets of this solar system?”
“I can, but how is it important?”
“Show me yours and I’ll show you mine.”
“You’re saying you come from another world!?” She asked breathlessly.
“I am.” He answered truthfully and she knew then why he had been so determined to have his questions asked first. She understood he was manipulating and setting her up to actually believe him at this time. Megdline knew she would have scoffed if he said it outright at the beginning, but after speaking and learning what he knew she believed.
Megdline didn’t wait long to learn more about this individual. She grabbed her staff and opened her other hand and brought forth an image she learned so long ago.
Centered around a single sun were several planets within a two foot diameter. Cage stood on his knees to look down at the illusion of this different solar system. He then began speaking, but to himself as he studied the almost alive representation. “One white star, but looks yellow because of the atmosphere… one, two, three… eleven planets. One large gas giant between here and the outer asteroid belt to keep this planet well protected from asteroids and meteors like Jupiter. This planet is fourth from the star and looks a lot like my world except the landmasses are all wrong and the moon is closer, but of same size to take any deadly space shrapnel that might be deadly here otherwise. Between this world and the gas giant is a planet like Saturn, but has two rings… the remaining five are smaller and one seems made of ice like Neptune… hmm this system is different, but not by very much.” He leaned back after memorizing everything. “How many days does it take for one full year’s revolution? Hours in a day?”
She stopped the magic to explain. “Three hundred and sixty eight days make up a year and each day is twenty three hours fifty eight minutes and fifty nine seconds if you want to be accurate. We say twenty four to keep the numbers even. Every one hundred and seventeen years we have New Day to make up for the time we overlook every day.
“Thank you for that, Granny. Now I don’t feel so lost. And as promised…”
Cage stretched out his palm like she had and remembered his teachings in astronomy. He remembered a computerized 3D image and used it to form the illusion and have the planets rotate in elapsed time, but in an accurate way. He surprised himself as the illusion looked more perfect and lifelike than what he figured. All of the moons even circled their planets properly and precisely. Megdline let the comment slide as she and Frill both came closer for a better look. Cage lowered his hand to the ground for Frill to not need to stretch his neck. Even Meeka crawled over and stared, but not with half the intensity as the other mage and familiar. He then kept his left hand still as he pointed with his right. “Our stars or suns are actually very similar if not identical. These two small planets are Mercury and Venus. This is my world we’ll come back to. Behind it is Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune, Uranus and Pluto. But recently Pluto has been demoted. Let me know when you’ve seen enough.”
Meeka simply stared, but the other two were looking for any irregularities that might be false. Everything to them wasn’t some imagination or idea. The illusion was far too realistic and complex. Eventually the older woman said she had seen plenty and wished for a larger view of his planet. He made everything else disappear except his planet. “This is where I’m from. We call the planet, Earth.”
Three sets of eyes turn to him and begin laughing or purring in a humorous way. “Did I say something funny?”
Meeka said “Your planet is another name for Dirt? Planet Dirt? Here that is considered funny!”
“Why?”
Megdline caught her breath and tried speaking, but couldn’t stop laughing and it made the others begin again. “We’re sorry, but to call a whole planet Earth is just redundant. This world is called Raliea. Meaning birthplace of man in Draconian. Couldn’t your people have given it a new name, one with a nice sound?”
“That is just the way things are. There are so many languages there and so many bullheaded people it would be impossible to make a proper agreement to change something so simple as a name.” They quieted down and he made Earth the size of a beach ball that spun slowly on its tilted access. He began pointing out different places and stopped the rotation and zoomed in on Florida, but couldn’t make it get any closer to show city streets and whatnot. “This is where I’m from, but I cannot hold the image for any longer since my mana supply isn’t full yet.” He made the image vanish. “Three hundred and sixty five days and a quarter make up our year. Twenty four hours make up a day and every four years we have Leap Year to also have a day like your New Day.”
“That was a remarkable conjuring.” The woman commented.
“A what?”
“Conjuring. It is the use of magic to make something from nothing. It might have been an illusion, but it was greatly detailed. Only a sharp mind could have done as you just demonstrated. I am still curious about your world not having magic when the other confirmed worlds with life do. Your world must be further away than any we’ve encountered through our use of magic.”
“Back on Earth, magic is nothing more than a myth or something unexplainable happening. Religion is finally being picked apart though many foolishly believe in a deity. We don’t have magic, but we do have science. Knowledge is available to all if someone wants to seek i
t. In the past two centuries humans have gained more knowledge than in any other time period and is becoming smarter thanks to the ease and sophistication of technology. Yes, there are some things kept private to protect certain things, but overall knowledge can be gained quite easily these days. We know how to cure many diseases and have killed off several strains of viruses. We inoculate to keep from getting deathly sick or immunize to protect from crippling diseases and can save many lives from once thought mortal wounds.”
Meeka sat much closer to Megdline and Frill as they listened openly as he started his life story all over again and paused to described things. To them it was like hearing a children’s tale, but as he spoke they realized just how real Earth and her peoples are. Frill wanted to hear more about technology, But Cage knew if even half of his military or mechanical knowledge were to become known this peaceful and quaint world would become just like the hellhole he left far behind. He was polite in saying “My knowledge would only bring ruin to this world.”
Megdline replied “Isn’t sharing knowledge something all should know?”
He shook his head. “If that is true, why does this magical world hold things like anatomy like a guarded secret. Your knowledge of the healing arts are far more than Meeka’s and it isn’t even your specialty while it is hers. Don’t preach to me about hording knowledge when this land can’t even reconnect a severed limb without the help of a mage from what I’ve been told. I will freely give out medical knowhow and the cures I know about and even treatment options not of magical nature, but technology, military tactics and weapon knowledge will never part from these lips. My world is slowly dying because of foolish mistakes and people who don’t want to change or clean up their own mess. I’ll not see this place become a coffin for life. I’ve already fallen in love with this world, the good and the bad. And I don’t care if the whole magic nation turns against me for keeping my knowledge because I have a good damn reason for it. You can believe me or not, I don’t care, but never try to make me talk because I’d rather die than have thousands upon thousands to billions die because of what I know. There might be a magic way to get me to talk, but whoever tries will either have to kill me or die in the attempt. Am I understood?”
Megdline knew she was more skilled and even Frill could kill him at the moment, but she knew he meant every word and would be a dangerous enemy if she fought him at his best. She also knew he wasn’t rebuking her, but the system other mages have created. Meeka smiled at his overwhelming confidence.
When the older woman spoke she understood he didn’t seem to be angry, simply stating a personal fact. “If there is no magic in your world, who summoned you here?”
Cage smiled as he made a fist and turned the grinning skulls in their direction. “These brought me here and healed me so I could walk again, but this part comes later in the story. Let me get back to after I wound up paralyzed…” Like he did for Meeka, he explained his need to exact justice outside the law since even if he went public it wouldn’t have made any difference. Megdline began to understand why Cage is the way he is and was beyond surprised he never gave up fighting against what the world had done to him. He got to the part of being taken from Earth and transported here and had been healed, but only of scars and damaged tissues, not atrophied muscles. She only made him pause two times to get clarification on certain things. He told of his first encounter with wolves and showed the nearly noticeable scars on his left shoulder. They sat with rapt attention and Meeka listened just as intently as the first time, but without any skepticism. When he got to the part of nearly being impaled he said “When I realized magic is real I felt a strange tingle on my back and made mirrors to see why I felt something that I never sensed before. As I looked I found this symbol on my back.”
He turned around to show off his mark. “I never had a tattoo in my life before coming here to Raliea. Do you know why that is?”
Frill began chatting and his partner translated. “He wants to know if you know what the loop signifies.”
“Where I’m from, it is the symbol of infinity. There is no end or beginning, just a never ending cycle.”
“He says very good and it is the same here as well. Cage, the symbol on your back signifies you as a mage. Nearly all markings are centered on the back. Look at the tiny freckle-like dot at the corner of Meeka’s mouth.” Meeka blinked before touching the only freckle on her flawless face. “Since the mark on her is so small and doesn’t have a distinctive shape because it was placed upon her. Real mages are marked by whatever happened in their life. It is a unique marking for the individual and the larger it is the more mana they seem to have. It is similar to tasting the quality of mana, but as the mark grows it showed the strength of the person. Right now yours is the size of a second class wizards, but in time it will grow and be displayed as to how dangerous you really are. Meeka’s I’m afraid, will never grow since she cannot control her mana because of the curse.”
Meeka asked “What does your mark look like?”
Megdline stood and turned her back to everyone. She loosened her robe and made the upper half fall down her shoulders, revealing a golden cat with flaming eyes standing dominantly on her entire back. It looked just like Frill, but colored all gold. The image was stoic and calm of expression. When she moved her arms the ears over the shoulder blades almost made the image look alive. “Frill and I have been together since I was a child and he a kitten. My life revolves around him and as proof my mark grew to a stunning likeness of him. Most mage familiars have that effect on their partner.” She then covered herself and returned to her earlier position. “Continue.”
In a few minutes he said “When I felt physically strong and knew a few spells I returned as the draw grew all consuming back to the waterfall and found a cave. I followed it and came upon a simple, but amazing cavern made perfectly symmetrical. In the middle of the room stood two pedestals. One held a huge crystal for some reason and beside that one swam these.” He showed his arms and odd boots. “Not long after is when I met my first spirit. He began speaking, but I could not understand him. Using a simple communication method he had me put on these strange gauntlets and boots. They had the weirdest feeling like fine silk and soft flesh. Well I put them on and when each were attached I felt an intense pain and burning that felt to have lasted hours, but only a few seconds passed. Then I could suddenly understand what the spirit said. He explained that the gauntlets and boots were now forever part of me and that they altered my mind to speak the language I’m speaking in. It sounds English to me, but without these I probably wouldn’t be able to speak to you as I am now.”
“The spells you speak of are far more complex than I’ve ever attempted. To know an entire language in so brief a moment, to heal and even summon you are beyond anything I’ve ever known. Do you mind if I try a spell to see how the gauntlets adhere to your skin.”
“Be my guest.” The woman began speaking under her breath as she worked magic and concluded her judgment in a minute’s time. “I went a little further in my search than I intended for simple curiosity. I learned that your gauntlets truly are your skin and behave exactly the same. It is harder than any metal I can think of and if it somehow gets cut it will heal just like skin would without any adverse effects. I’ve never heard of such magic. Also I learned your physiology is exactly as human as we are, but I don’t understand why because different planets evolve different species that wouldn’t have anything common with a different world. This situation is quite puzzling. There are so many things that are inconsistent, but you are living proof of another human evolution grown on a different planet… I won’t ask about the second spirit, but this first one seemed to know all about your armguards. Was he the creator? May I know his name?”
“Yes, and yes. He didn’t give me the sense he didn’t want his name known. He was quite proud the gauntlets selected me after several thousand long years. He said his name was Ceembura, first class sorcerer.”
“I’ve never heard of him in my s
tudies, but it makes sense. Only a sorcerer of the highest order could have made such complex creations and designed spells that survived for thousands of years.”
“You would know better than I. Before he disappeared he said the island belonged to him and as the inheritor of these gauntlets I now own the island.”
“And which island might this be?”
Cage took out the map and pointed to say “This is my island. Cage Island.”
Megdline became serious. “You came from here?” He nodded. “How? That island it completely forbidden and a deathtrap for anything trying to approach. There is even a story of a dragon dying just trying to land on it…”
“Think about it if you were in Ceembura’s mind. You just made your final, greatest masterpiece and needed to hide it until they found a wieldier. Wouldn’t you set up measures to safeguard such a treasure from the unworthy. That island naturally is a deathtrap for any boat trying to make land. I wouldn’t doubt there would be ways to protect it from intruders from above. The immense amount of power the crystal gave off leads me to believe it protected that whole island from unwanted intruders.”
There came a lull in the conversation till Megdline saw a twinkle reflect off one of the skull’s eyes. It got her attention. “Cage, did that Ceembura tell you what those eyes were made from? Crystal or some form of it?”
“He said they were black diamonds, why?”
She gasped slightly and asked “May I take a closer look?”
“Sure, but know they are just as attached to me as the gauntlets themselves.”
Cage offered his right hand and she took it to look much more closely, then shut her eyes while using magic. “They’re real…” She said breathlessly. “Four actual, flawless black diamonds… empty, but untouched…” She let go. “Cage, those have to be the most valuable gems in the whole world. I’ve never seen a black diamond any larger than a half of a grain of rice… yet here you have four greater than anything I ever dreamed of viewing. It would be in your interest to not tell others about these gems. They have more value than you know.”
“Point taken. The last thing I need is for thieves and robbers coming after me because of my arms.”
“See to it. Now finish this tale.”
For the next two hours he retold the entire story, but didn’t say he shattered the crystal because he wanted others to think it was still dangerous to get near and only he knew how to get on and off safely. Meeka spoke a few times to add her personal perspective in the progressing story. Eventually they reached the part about the wyrm attack and this made Frill the most interested while Meeka shuddered a few times. “And that brings us to the here and now. You can remove the truth spell now.”
She obliged with a kind, motherly smile as the pressure disappeared and he sighed. Frill began to speak and everyone sat silently. “That would be most wise, My Friend. Cage, Meeka, he says you have a wonderful way of telling a story and engaging us and hopes your journey is less adventurous than recently and we agree to give payment for such an unforgettable meeting and lesson.”
She turned to Meeka who shook her head. “I don’t really need anything.”
Megdline turned to Cage. He knew what he lacked more than anyone else and knew if he kept making the same mistakes it wouldn’t be long before one becomes fatal. “Actually I need two things after meeting you. Is it alright if I can get two?”
Frill nodded and licked his paw unconcerned. Megdline said “Since Meeka doesn’t want anything I don’t see why not. What are they?”
He crossed his arms to think of how he needs to word his requests. “I know magic can heal, because I can walk again. What I need to learn is how to do it myself. It might save my life or someone else’s. I need to do it without making a mistake because I’m so new to all this. I know all about the body, but what if I try healing a simple cut and it makes things worse.”
“Cage, Cage, Cage…” She shook her head of short and straight black hair. “Healing is one of the first things children are taught. Even without all of your book knowledge, your body naturally heals all wounds unless it is too much to handle and you die. You so easily conjured your solar system which proves you have tremendous focus. Healing is far easier than that, but it takes slightly more mana. Just picture the wound closing and if you are really unused to it say ‘Heal’ or if you are really trying something complex, word it like this if a person has cancer or a tumor ‘Break down the cells of the ones who are causing harm to the bodily system and extract the particles to be sweat out.’ Healing is quite easy, it will be for you too with your pure mana.”
“What about severed limbs? Could I grow something that had been cut off?”
“Yes, but it will shorten a non-mage’s lifespan because of the rapid cell division. It would be much wiser to find the limb, and if is still in good condition, reattach them as if nothing happened. Many years ago it happened to me and I put my leg back on and couldn’t feel any difference. But do not heal yourself if you catch a cold unless you fear it might claim you. Allow your body to fight it naturally so it doesn’t weaken. Go ahead and heal that cut on your cheek.”
He felt better after the several hours of rest and conversation to conjure a mirror to see what he was doing. Cage concentrated on the semi-deep cut and said “Heal.” A soft blue light covered the wound like an outstretched caterpillar. An intense itch was hard to resist scratching and when the magic ran its course the line of blue disappeared to reveal a thin pink line of new skin that hadn’t tanned. He felt the spot and grinned as nothing felt wrong. Everything worked right, the first time. “Oh this is SWEET!”
The three also smiled in his successful excitement.
“And what is this second request?”
He set his eyes of Frill. “I do not enjoy passing out every time I overdo magic. It leaves me vulnerable to an attack I wouldn’t be capable of defending against. Frill, you are one dangerous puss.” The large cat barred his teeth in a grin. “I didn’t even consider you a real threat till you knocked me on my ass and didn’t let me breathe. I don’t know what else you are capable of, but I need a familiar who can watch my back like you do for, Granny. Where can I find one for myself? Do men even have familiars?”
Frill dipped his head in a serious look. Megdline cleared her throat, not liking his nickname for her, but not scolding him. “Yes, men have Familiars. And you just stated the primary reason we mages require familiars. In most unfortunate situations where a mage has to use magic offensively their Familiar gives them the time needed to cast. Familiar magic also has limits for they can only advance their natural talents. Frill’s strength increases with weight, as do most Familiars. In a magical battle between two or more mages their Familiar fights other Familiars while their partner keeps their focus on the enemy.”
“Do Familiars die?”
“Good question, but no. Not unless their Summoner dies. Familiars are animals, just as we humans are, but when a mage summons their life companion a bond is made linking the life of the caster to the Familiar. So long as the mage lives, the Familiar can be squished flat, roasted to ash or pulled limb from limb. The mage sends mana to their Familiar and the creature heals without any damage. Usually when Frill fights a battle I know he cannot win, I dull his pain receptors so he doesn’t feel so much pain it breaks my heart.” Frill sighed and looked up at her to speak. “I am not making it sound like it happens often. I had to do it only thrice and you know why I did it. Would you have I rather let you feel all that pain to protect your pride?” Frill batted his paw dismissively. “Yeah, I thought you’d remember those times.” She looked back up. “Sorry about that… Where was I again? Oh right Familiars… only you will be able to usually understand them, unless you are a second class sorcerer or above. Some of the more powerful Familiars can speak human language. And the last things you need to know is their powers vary little, like Frill they have increased speed and strength. The being reflect their owners and you don’t just find a Familiar. You summon them. You o
nly get one that will be yours for as long as you live. Even if you are separated by vast distances and you need them you can summon them whenever you want. It is quite rare for mage and Familiar to part company for long though they are connected forevermore.”
“It makes me want to have one too.” Meeka said.
“Sorry child, but no commoner or magician to my knowledge can summon their Familiar.”
“Oh.” She looked down in embarrassment.
“How do I go about summoning my Familiar?” Cage asked to end the silence.
“You must think the word Familiar while making a chant. It is a momentous time in all a mage’s life to get a being that will be theirs forever. The chant is the call to the being that responds to the words and accepts the mage’s life force to replace their own for immortality as the cost of protecting the summoner from all who would dare do harm. You cannot think the words for summoning. It has to come from the depths of your heart. Cage, still your mind and search for the chant woven into you for the one being destined to be yours.”
All sounds seemed to go dead silent as he closed his eyes and took up a meditative sitting position with crossed legs, his hands open and the backs resting comfortably on his knees. It had been weeks since he had done this to calm himself and everything began to vanish and turn black. Never had he had dreams and the old man said that was why he could find a calm center so fast. All vanished as he searched for a chant not of his personal thoughts, but one of his very being. Cage had never searched for something like this, but before he even realized it he understood a profound chant that he spoke within his mind that made him feel strong and invincible. But he said it again and felt it wasn’t actually for him.
It is for another to hear.
Without opening his eyes Cage felt himself stand. Megdline and the others stood as well when he only sat for a few seconds. Far too fast for most. Cage turned around to stare at an open area before him. Like she explained he thought the word ‘Familiar!’ and opened his mouth.
“I beckon for the one who sits upon the ancient throne! Come forth and face any who try to usurp the forgotten kingdom you alone rule and destroy them into nothingness. Power and strength is forever at your call, but as long as you protect others you shall never fall. Alone you shall never be, so long as you are part of me. Darkness and light we are, to balance life both near and far. COME!!!”
Cage called in a deep resonating voice filled with more command and power than Megdline or Frill had ever heard before in a chant. Meeka stood in awe for his voice was usually deep for a man, but the chant sounded like it came from another realm as it held an all consuming draw that pulled everything to Cage.
The gentle breeze changed into a tempest as the clouds grew dark, fat and angry overhead. The wind threatened to knock over them all and trees alike, except for Cage who didn’t move or have any appearance the wind even ruffled his hair. Twenty yards away appeared an small ball of inky blackness that flattened vertically like a wall that slowly grew in size in a oval. Meeka dropped to her knees before the wind could pick her up and toss her far away. She shrieked “What’s happening!?” and yet she couldn’t hear even her own voice over the violent winds howling in her ears.
Suddenly all noises stopped and Meeka looked around to see the entire area still looked violent. She glanced up to her left and saw Megdline calmly gripping her staff and the gem in the top giving off a golden glow. The elder mage erected a barrier to protect the three of them from the unexpected onslaught, leaving Cage alone since he didn’t appear effected. She slowly stood on shaky legs, watching Frill’s tail whipping back and forth while yowling dangerously. “Megdline, what is happening? Is this normal for summoning a Familiar?”
“It certainly is not, Child. Now hush, I must bear witness.” The intense focus of the woman silenced Meeka and all of them could do nothing except watch.
A subtle movement in the growing darkness of the clouds caught Meeka’s eye as she also watched the flat, oval wall of black expand from about a foot to three in agonizing slowness. “Megdline, look at Cage’s back!”
The woman’s grey eyes shifted from the wall to his back to see the sign of infinity looked to develop thorns that soon turned to lines that began to make what look like a growing chain. Two new loops seemed to curve slightly as if making a circle that would encompass his whole back. She began watching Cage’s back and the barrier so as to not forget any detail.
Cage felt a draw on his mana unlike anything ever felt before. It frightened him, but he knew he needed the being he felt connect to on the other side of the black wall before him. He could feel something had accepted him without bias or hostility. It became difficult to even breathe as something moved in the center of the blackness. It began to swirl like a whirlpool, only on its side. Colors began filling the blackness as the central spin of the oval divide blurred an object. Blues, white and blacks swirled and grew. As the barrier reached over six feet in height the swirl slowed and formed what looked like a giant circle. But when a wall of white lowered for only a fraction of a second Cage realized he was looking at a gigantic eye as large as himself. The iris was an azure blue like the sky and a head size pupil stared right at him and seemed pleased and joyous. When Cage felt his strength dropping, the gigantic eye narrowed with a white lid. It seemed to know Cage was weakening by the second and couldn’t maintain the summoning. It gained an irritated look before the eye vanished and what looked like an ivory claw at thick as a pine tree’s trunk appeared. Then a piercing shrill roar like the sound of an great eagle came through the portal so loudly the ground shook like an earthquake and one so frightening it made Cage trip over himself in fear and as his focus slipped his exhaustion became unconsciousness as his mana could not pour any more into making the barrier any bigger. The portal loudly snapped like a rubber band as Cage passed out. Without him feeding the opening, the spell and the wind died down to what it once was and the violent clouds slowly began to weaken.
After the piercing shrill that put fear into all living beings passed on, all that remained in its wake was dead silence. Megdline sensed the worst is over and dropped the invisible barrier. The three looked at each other with dumfounded expressions and Meeka unfroze first to hurry to Cage’s side as he lay sprawled on his back with his head to the side. Clouds kept the sunlight from fully shining in and helped the area seem more comfortable. She felt and knew he still lived. Meeka finally asked “What just happened?”
Megdline and Frill cautiously stepped forward to look more closely at him. “Meeka, roll him on his side. I need to look at his back.”
She did so and exclaimed “Is my vision deceiving me or is the mark regressing back to its original shape?”
“You are not being deceived. I too saw something earlier when he fought off the bandits. Never in my life have I seen a mark grow or shrink like that. The mark should be permanent as it grows, not retract…” Meeka was about to repeat herself but got an answer of sorts. “I will only comment on what I saw once, so wait till he wakes. Frill, come with me, we need to discuss the situation and figure how to proceed.” The cat followed, looking like a hairball who had been truly frightened.
Close to an hour later, Cage stirred with a stronger headache than before just as the sun began to set. He shut his eyes tight because of the headache and groaned. The noise alerted the others and they came closer. Meeka was the one to softly caress his face and the touch helped to bring him around faster. His mouth and throat were completely dry and his body felt weighed down by lead. He could think of one thing “Water.” He asked hoarsely.
“I’ve got it right here.” She said while grabbing a full cylinder. Meeka picked up his head and laid it on her lap. She carefully tipped the lip to pour in a few needed drops to wet his mouth. Over the next few minutes nearly half of the content found their way in his stomach. “Megdline cleaned the water like you do so take as much as you want. Frill helped me find edible fruit and flowers since I told them you are a vegetarian.”
Cage turned his head on her soft legs while struggling to avoid her breasts that threatened to suffocate him. “Thanks, Granny. You too, Frill. Can I have a minute to eat?”
“We aren’t leaving till you recover properly.” Megdline vowed. “We’ve all already eaten our fill. All this is yours.” She gestured to an overflowing bowl of berries and edible plants.
With Meeka’s aid Cage sat up, but she moved behind and kept her arms around him, for he needed the support. He popped a few sweet berries in his mouth, trusting that they weren’t poisonous because he couldn’t focus enough to care as his hunger overrode rational thought. In three minutes the bowl became empty, but Megdline brought another full bowl out of nowhere and his mind was too preoccupied with eating all that had been given to him. As the last of the meal disappeared he leaned back, forgetting Meeka sat directly behind him. He didn’t have the strength to move away as he felt himself being enveloped in her embrace. Softness and tenderness from Meeka’s very presence cradled him. He felt more relaxed as her breasts supported his shoulders and he lay his head beside hers. Cage felt her smile on his cheek and her arms wound around his neck like silk. When he finally got truly comfortable he asked “What did I do wrong? And what the hell was that thing?”
Frill moved and crawled in Megdline’s lap to begin purring as she stroked his back. “Cage, I’ve never seen anything like that. You are a true enigma. I don’t know if it is because of your age, mana quality or being from another world, but in all my years I have never encountered anyone like you.”
“What was it I failed to summon? That eye was as tall as me. Was it a dragon’s eye or something?”
She shook her head and looked between the two. “It was definitely not a dragon’s eye, but I’ve seen some elder dragons with eyes that large. Their eyes are slit like a cats. What we saw had a circular pupil. I have never seen or heard of an eye like that and one so big. I’ve never witnessed a first class sorcerer summon a Familiar before so I don’t rightly know what happened here. I’ve never heard of a summoning failing once you know the chant to call one forth. It didn’t take anything from me when Frill came through the portal. I clearly saw you connect to that creature as it looked right at you.”
“I’m not sure what your attempt was like, but the draw of my summoning was far too much to get any larger. I too felt a connection when the eye saw me, but I don’t feel anything now. I think it sensed I couldn’t make the hole big enough to fit through and roared to make me stop trying to kill myself.”
“Very likely. A Familiar’s greatest duty is the safety of its master. I just cannot understand how it didn’t come through on its own after it acknowledged you.” She nodded. “You must understand I am obliged to report this to the Magical Council. Catching just a glimpse of the Familiar we witnessed makes you a serious threat, should you chose to attack. If one day you have the strength to fully pull it through I can’t even begin to imagine what the two of you would be capable of.”
“Granny, I understand and trust me, I’m just as freaked. I didn’t know what I would get on the other side, but it certainly wasn’t that! You think I don’t underestimate what it will take to feed something that large. I’m not sure I’ll try again, but I did like the feeling. If you didn’t make a report about me I’d call you a coward. If I summon something like that while you summon someone like Frill, I’d be pissing my pants as well. Do what you have to, but remind whomever rules this council I will treat them as they treat me. If they want to see me I’ll talk, but if they do come at me with hostility I’ll be sure to summon that huge critter right in front of them. Will you relay that as well?”
“I will put it more delicately, but yes I will. Rest now, I’ll make sure nothing will bother us to let you rest. You have no need to fear this night while I am around.” Megdline smiled.
“Thanks, Granny.” He said and his head instantly dropped back on Meeka’s soft shoulder. Meeka’s deep blue eyes widened until she heard a deep snore.
She chuckled “That was sure quick.” As she leaned back and took herself out from beneath and laid him on the bedroll. She cupped his cheek and kissed his forehead. “Sleep well.”
“Meeka?” Megdline called for her attention as she stood and Frill jumped off. “Listen to me carefully. I can tell he cannot hear our conversation so do not tell him of this. I need you to keep an eye on him at all times. Right now I am stronger and have no fear, but if he recovers just like the highest order sorcerer, I have little doubt he is, he’ll surpass my most powerful ones in a very short time. But he is also without a guardian to protect him. For the time being you must protect him as a Familiar. Personally, I believe he is destined for great things.”
“Me too.” She said while running her fingers through his thick brown hair.
“I have no doubt the council will act quickly after seeing what I have witnessed. You know the dangers of this world better than he so guide him. Will you do what you can to keep him alive?”
“I promise to do my best. If you haven’t noticed, he is very capable of doing things himself.”
“That he is.” The sorceress and familiar laughed lightly. “You better also get some rest. I believe you will have ground to cover.”
“Thank you.” She said to both as she lay beside Cage.
“This is the most fun we’ve had in years. It is we who should thank you. Good night, Meeka.”