Over the following weeks, I noticed that the Stolath was not moving as well or as quickly as he had been. I suspected that the temperature changes I had made were weakening the function of his medicine. I did wonder if additional negative side effects would surface over time. It seemed that he only got new medications every three months.

One day, in one of our classes, I went up to the Stolath apologetically. “Master, I have a confession. My electrical abilities may have been overstated previously.”

“What are you talking about, boy?” he asked with an irritated sneer.

I took one of my early chargeable devices from a hidden pocket and showed it to the old man. He squinted down at it. He may not have noticed that he was squinting more since what I did to his medication. I was happily aware of it. I had not expected that the muscles in his eyes were also part of his problem. “I used a device like this to build up a higher voltage charge than I can generate naturally. Overcharging them can also lead to an explosion and fire. Sorry I lied to you.” I was not really sorry to lie to this traitor. I was quite enjoying it. He also seemed to enjoy it. The old man could not quite hold back his tiny smile.

“Well then, we should include that tactic in your training. We can start that next week. By the way, what happens if the device is broken while charged?” he asked.

“The device is very fragile, so it would stop working and may explode.” I could only guess at the point of his question. I was liking the idea of the trap he was setting for himself.

I had already made some decoy devices as well as ones that only carried a minor charge. I would use the decoys that had no function at all for my practice sessions with the master. With any luck, he would play right into my hands. The ones I planned to use to demonstrate the explosion of an overcharged device were designed to make more noise, but produce less fire and explosive damage.

---===+++===---

After class, I got cleaned up and spent some time reviewing the recordings from the cell holding the strange being called Legion. It was written for many hours in UV sensitive ink. It was curious about where I came from and what it was like to be a student. It seemed to favor being seen as male.

He was offering eternal servitude and the secrets of the Arkanumh repeatedly. I also learned from him that some of the culled Drakon young were fed to him. It would seem he could subsist on almost any meat or protein. Vegetable and plant matter were also a minor part of his diet, but what they presented him with was usually barely above compost grade.

My strange new friend drew instructional diagrams for multiple fighting techniques. I could tell that he had been both observant and extremely lonely for a very long time. He even confided to me that I was the first of my kind to communicate with him in fifty-five years.

When I asked Legion about the last person he conversed with. He was vague, but I suspected that my grandfather may have been that person.

I did not feel it was wise to offer anything more than my friendship. I wanted to free him, but the security around Legion was tighter than I wanted to face. I was sure I could get him out in a brutal assault, but getting out clean was not an easy task. The last thing I wanted was to get caught. I finished the conversation by telling him I would see what was possible.

I also tasked some of the tiny devices with watching Sayleah. There was a nagging feeling in my mind that she was not to be trusted, based on what I had learned about Haleth’s family and the obvious connections between them. She was talking with Slatharg Schrudt in private. Her body language betrayed a deeper intimacy than I would have expected. I did have to wonder what Haleth’s involvement had been before his death. It was unfortunate that I could not ask him anymore. This would need to factor into my plans for the future.

Obviously, things seemed to be coming to a crescendo. It was only a matter of time before I would need to put an end to my enemies in the Cloisters.

---===+++===---

A day after my communications with Legion, I was informed that my test with the school’s keystone was going to be scheduled for two months in the future. I would be asked to use a seed pod that was exposed to a keystone for many years in my test. I would be making the attempt to create a portal with the pod while in proximity to the keystone.

Obviously, my enemies would be planning to sabotage my chances in the test. I was not sure how I would overcome that obstacle, but I was determined to do so.