Ansel had seen the boy. Boy seemed a strange word for him. He was almost a man. He might have been a little lanky and fresh-faced, but his height and build were already almost formed. Ansel wondered how formed the boy’s mind was. Had they waited too long? It didn’t matter, they had agreed to wait until at least his sixteenth year. He was to have a childhood, a chance to grow. They could wait no longer. The ways of the Ancients were said be spreading faster than ever in the kingdom. The time to prepare was now. The time to strike, to fight back was coming fast. The boy was necessary, and he would need to start learning who he really was.

Ansel sat by a tree on the edge of the forest. He took a swig from his canteen, feeling the liquid warm him. Was it usually this cool this time of year? The cold season seem to come earlier and earlier each year, unnoticed by non-magical folk, but magic folk could feel it in their bones. Ansel had the small notion to summon a small fire, but he was too close to the town. The last thing he needed was to draw attention to himself.

He had seen the boy. He knew what he had to do, knew what he had to say, but how would it go over? Would the boy cooperate? Would he try to understand? Ansel didn’t want to take the boy by force. He wanted this boy to come willingly, to grow into whom he needed to be. Ansel stood up and dusted off his pants. The best course of action, he decided, would be to talk to the boy’s caregivers first. For all they had done, they deserved to hear what was going to happen.

He had met them many nights ago. Ansel had just reached his own age of maturity at that time. He was young, but due to his skill, his connections, and mostly because of his own blood line, Ansel had been chosen for the task. Almost sixteen years ago, Ansel had gone to the small cottage by the stable, and talked with the young man and woman.

They were barely adults themselves, but Ansel was told they would be willing. The diviner had been certain. Ansel explained things the best he could, and fortunately, the woman was a believer. She had been told the tales growing up, so she knew. She convinced her husband, though Ansel could tell it wasn’t that hard. Perhaps the man was very smitten with his wife, perhaps the man was just kind, maybe the gods stepped in and helped, or maybe the woman had a touch of enchantress blood in her. Whatever the reason, the couple took the boy and agreed to raise him. They agreed to not let him know who he was.

“Well, better get on with it,” Ansel said to himself. He pushed down his hat lower on his head and walked towards the cottage.

Ansel was greeted at the door by a pretty, plump woman with a pleasant smile. When Ansel looked at her, her smile disappeared.

“You,” she whispered. “Is it time? I didn’t think… Come in, come in.”

The woman seemed dazed. Ansel wondered if she understood what he truly was. If she understood why he looked like he had barely aged from all those years ago. Ansel bowed his head and walked into the small doorway.

“Please sit. Is there anything I can get for you? Would you like a drink or some food?” asked the woman fidgeting with her hands.

“No, no, a place to sit is enough. We haven’t much time. Is the boy expected back soon?”

“Yes,” replied Nora not taking her eyes off of Ansel. “Lessons should be just about over. Though if he walks with Issa, he might take a little longer than usual getting back to the stable.”

“And your husband, is he near? It is better if we talk first.”

“Of course. Let me go fetch him.” Nora seemed hesitant to leave the strange man in her small home. Ansel gave her a small, reassuring smile, and she nodded and darted out her front door.

Ansel looked around the small cottage to find it was tidy, clean, and modest.

What a strange place for a boy like him to grow up, Ansel thought.

It was so different than the places Ansel had grown up. His own family lived in a rather small house. It wasn’t cramped like this one, but it certainly wasn’t as big as Keene Manor. Ansel had spent most of his adolescence residing in Keene Manor. Its kitchen was probably bigger than this whole cottage. To think a boy as important as this one grew up here was hard for Ansel to comprehend. At least the boy was safe and cared for in this tiny home.

Unfortunately, the same could not be said for many people throughout Regventus. Life in this part of The Great Surrounding seemed quiet and safe enough, but throughout the kingdom things were changing. Eventually chaos and destruction would find their way even to this sleepy town. Children in other parts of the kingdom were being taken from their homes to be re-educated in the city. No one was certain what really happened to them.

Ansel had wondered many times if this was the right thing to do. He wondered if this boy was really the answer. He knew he had to trust the Ring of Nine. The diviner had foreseen many things, and she hadn’t been wrong. She said this boy was the one, and he had to trust. He couldn’t back out now.

He had no doubt that something had to be done soon. If they didn’t move ahead within the next season, it was easy to see that things would be too far gone quickly. The way of the Ancients would spread too far. Life in the kingdom would be drastically altered and not for the better. He didn’t need any divination skills to see that for himself. Ansel has seen and heard too much on his travels lately. Magical people had been known to disappear. Rumors of strange questions being asked. Something was happening and soon the kingdom would only grow more dangerous for all.

The door to the cottage opened and Danin walked in, followed by Nora.

“I was hoping it would be a few more years before we had the honor of your visit,” said Danin as soon as he was in the door. “The boy is barely sixteen, hardly a man.”

“We said we would wait sixteen years; it’s been sixteen years.”

“You said at least sixteen years. There has to be more time. Give him until he has reached the age of maturity. It’s only two more years.”

“I’m afraid that’s impossible. We don’t have two years.” said Ansel, gesturing at the two other seats in the room, inviting the couple to sit down as if he was the one who owned the home. They took the other two seats, sitting on the very edge.

“But why?” asked Nora. “Why are you in such a rush? If what you say about the boy is true, there is plenty of time.”

“The kingdom cannot wait. Things aren’t… going well,” said Ansel haltingly.

He didn’t know how much to reveal. He didn’t want to scare the couple, and he didn’t want to start rumors on this side of Regventus. Rumors rarely did any good, in fact they seemed to accelerate the ways of the Ancients.

“Things are different outside of The Great Surrounding.”

“How so,” asked Danin. “The merchants from our second ring have said nothing of any trouble.”

“They see what they want to believe. Look, we had an agreement, sixteen years, and it is time. The boy will come with me today,” said Ansel, getting irritated.

“Today? Surely not. You will have to give him time. He will want to prepare. He has friends and a life here. Have mercy.” said Nora pleadingly.

“I wish there were time for that mercy, but we cannot wait. He will leave with me tonight.” said Ansel. He felt the magic within him swell. He had been in such an awful mood lately. He took a deep, calming breath, willing the magic to stay within him. This couple did not deserve his wrath. They were attached to the boy. That is what he had wanted, wasn’t it? For the boy to be loved, valued?

“I understand this is difficult. The boy must start understanding who he is. There are things he needs to learn. Other folk he needs to meet and be around for this to work. I thought you understood this,” he said looking at Nora.

She closed her eyes and seemed to take a breath to steady herself. She opened her eyes and looked at Ansel. He felt the familiar spark of meeting one with the gift. So, she did have some kind of magic in her blood. Did she have control over it? Did she know herself?

Some people had magic in their blood and never knew of its existence. Sometimes it just manifested itself in small ways like being able to make lucky guesses. Sometimes items would disappear around them to appear in other places. Some had the gift of being able to command a room or calm others down. Some were good apothecaries with that special healing touch. These people were good at attributing these things to happenstance, ordinary skill, and forgetful minds. Non-gifted folk were always good at explaining things away, of finding a way to make all things fit into their normal order of the world.

“Alright, but we want to be there with you. We want to be in the room when you talk with Max. We want to help him to understand, to be able to say goodbye,” said Nora.

Ansel hesitated. He wasn’t sure how much he would have to reveal to the boy to get him to come. He knew that this woman knew some things, if she had really grown up with the stories. To hear the stories was one thing, but to actually hear them confirmed was another thing entirely.

“Let me meet with the boy first. I give you my promise we will not leave until he can meet with both of you.”

“What if he won’t listen to you? What if he won’t go? What if he runs?” asked Danin with a slightly angry tone.

“He will come with me tonight one way or another,” said Ansel, his eyes narrowing.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” asked Danin leaping from his chair. “You may think you own the boy, but we have been the closest thing he has to parents all his life. You will not hurt him.”

Ansel willed himself to stay calm again.

“I would never hurt that boy. He is necessary. His life is much more important than my own life, and I will treat him as such.”

Danin walked around the small room and settled by the fireplace.

“Nora has told me some of the story as you call it. It doesn’t sound like you can guarantee his safety. What kind of life will he have? Here he has stability. He can have a future. What you are offering is a life, probably a short life, full of danger. Why don’t you talk to him, let him stay here a few more years, and he can decide for himself when he reaches the age of maturity? At least he will be safe here a few more years.”

Ansel saw he would have to tell them a little more of the big picture and what was to come.

“I’m afraid no matter where the boy is, at this point he is no longer safe by any means. The way of the Ancients is spreading. It will start to reach here before long. You may not know what that means or what that looks like, but it is coming. If the boy remains here, unprotected, he will not survive once they realize who he is. This boy needs to be amongst those who can hide him, train him, and help him become who he was meant to be,” Ansel said with what he hoped was a tone of finality in his voice. “I will not argue over this any longer. The boy will hear me, and he will leave with me tonight.”

Ansel was not comfortable using magic against those who had no defense. He had no qualms with non-gifted folk, but he had a task, and he would do it with any means necessary. Ansel sat straight in his chair, adjusting his hat. Something at the corner of the room caught his eyes. It was a shadow.

Was he imagining things or was it darker than the other shadows in the room? Was it just a trick of the fire dancing in the fireplace or was there something more sinister about that shadow? Ansel blinked and the shadow seemed to lighten. Whether it was just a shadow or something more, it made Ansel even more anxious to get the boy and leave.

Ansel rubbed his face and then rested his head on his folded hands. After a moment, he looked up over his hands at the man and woman. The man had moved over to stand behind his wife.

“I promise I will do everything in my power to make sure you see the boy again. I will keep you informed on his wellbeing to the best of my ability. I have already sworn to protect this boy with my life, but I will do so again in front of you. I know this boy is important to you. It is not my intention to downplay what you mean to him or him to you, but what is going to happen will affect the whole kingdom. The boy must go.”

Danin looked like he wanted to say something, but Nora put her hand on his and gave a light squeeze. Danin took a deep breath, and his head sagged.

“You better come with me to the stable, that’s where Max will be soon,” said Danin.

Ansel nodded and rose from his chair. “I know this is difficult and it seems harsh, but I’m afraid we will all be in for even more difficult times soon.”

Danin half nodded and left out the door. Ansel followed behind him.

************************************************************************************

In a dark room of the high tower in the Palace of Aurumist, a small man in a dark robe and pure white hair looked out the window. He had sent his shadow spies out to all areas of Regventus. Some had already come back with whispers of plans from those who lived in the forest. They were only whispers at this point, but whispers could become so much more very quickly. He hoped soon more of his shadows would come back with news. He had invested too much time, too much effort for things to fail now. What he wanted most was almost in his grasp, no one would stop him, he would make sure of that.

The door in the room opened slowly.

“Golnar, dinner will be soon. Kedan will expect you. Do you have news for him?” asked Teryn as she flipped her long, light red hair. “He is growing anxious as he has waited long.”

Golnar turned from the window to face the young woman. “I will have news for the young Lord when I have news. He must be patient. He doesn’t even begin to know what it means to wait.”

“Perhaps you can come to dinner and explain that to him?” Teryn asked with a smirk.

“I have no plans to come to dinner. If Lord Kedan wants to speak with me, he can find me here,” replied Golnar turning again to the window.

Teryn left without another word. Golnar knew he would have to endure a visit with the young lord eventually, but right now he had much bigger worries.