by L. Itram and Ben Yackley Main * Story * Setting * Cast * Illustrations * About * Comment

Chapter 10: The "Final" Challenge (Posted on 1/25/03 )

Kai and Luen sat by the campfire as the others slept. It had been a long, dull day of hiking. After the labyrinth they had seen no further sign of challenges, guardians, or even other adventurers, just miles and miles of narrow winding trails. The face of the mountain was almost as much a maze as the interior, and the group had been forced to backtrack more than once.

Luen leaned back and puffed on his pipe. It was his turn on watch but he didn't expect any trouble; the other adventurers were no doubt far ahead of them by now and the fire would deter any wild animals. Kai was awake as well, keeping Luen company and sorting through the plants he had gathered during the interminable climb.

"This is really something," he said, reviewing the notes in his research journal. "Some of these I've never seen before except as powders. And even the regular old mountain plants have completely new strains here."

Luen picked up a sprig and examined it. "Looks rather grey to me."

"They're all silver, haven't you noticed? I suspect it's chroma-induced but I'll have to run some tests after the featherglass fills up again."

Luen shrugged. "I figured they were just dead." He put the plant down and picked up his pipe again, "Anyway, everything living has chroma in it, right?"

"True, but some have more than others." He shrugged. "Can't do much right now, though."

Luen grinned. "Lemme know if there's anything smokeable in that collection."

"I really don't think you'll want to smoke these, Luen. Not if they're filled with grey chroma."

"Good point."

They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes, then the conversation meandered to other topics.

"Can I ask you something?" said Kai, after they'd exchanged a few horror stories about their first days in Featherglass.

"Shoot."

"Are you -- I mean, you don't really seem to act like a typical Naluan."

Luen grinned. "What, you mean quoting the Prophets every other sentence? Performing ritual ablutions? That sort of thing?"

"Well, I wasn't going to phrase it like that, obviously. But I haven't seen you do much in the way of rituals apart from that twice-daily bath of yours."

"That's not a ritual," Luen paused to suck on his pipe. "Or no more so than that daily drink of yours." He pointed a thumb at Kai's canteen, sitting on top of his luggage.

"But I don't -- " Kai paused, "Oh, that's right. You're used to living in water."

"Or near water," Luen agreed, "And I'm not used to suffocating or dehydrating."

There was a pause.

"But no," said Luen, "to answer your question, I'm not much of a Naluan. But neither are you, so we're even."

"You didn't really act like one," said Kai with a faint grin. "But you have the Chalice symbol on your forehead, so I wondered.."

"Yeah?"

"Well, I thought only monks did."

"So you thought maybe I was a monk, huh?" Luen sighed, "Kai, my family was crazy. Pious to the point of fanaticism, and that's what I grew up with. I, however, was a rebellious kid who never liked following orders -- from them, from the priests, or from Nalu himself."

Kai just nodded encouragingly. He could certainly believe that.

"So my parents decided I needed a little reminder of who I was supposed to be. They branded this thing into my forehead so I'd be reminded -- every time I look in a mirror -- of where I came from and who I 'really' am."

"Ouch."

"Like I said, they were crazy."

"But you never had it removed?"

"I can't." Luen held up a hand, "Yeah, I know there's plenty of people around Featherglass making a living off removing tattoos and minor scars. But this isn't a tattoo, it's a permanent brand. I don't know what sort of magic they used; I was just a kid and didn't really care, but it doesn't come off."

"Man, they were really serious about it."

"Like you wouldn't believe."

"So..." asked Kai after another pause, "What religion are you?"

"I'm not."

"You're an atheist?" Kai looked about as surprised as if Luen had claimed he was a willow tree.

"Nah, atheists are people who don't want to face the fact that there might be someone on the playground who's bigger than them. I'm not blind. But," he continued, "if there's one thing I learned from working with maginaria it's that they and gods are basically the same thing -- just bigger and more annoying. Gods expect complete obedience and they don't do anything for you even when you ask nicely. Gimme a spirit I can bargain with any day."

"I...guess that's a rational way to look at things," said Kai slowly.

Luen took the pipe out of his mouth and stared at Kai, trying to read his expression in the dim light. "Hey," he said finally, "don't get me wrong. I don't have anything against other peoples' religions ... just so long as I don't have to join in. You grew up on Ertset, right? You a Samselite?"

"Yeah," said Kai slowly, only slightly mollified by Luen's explanation. "We don't really have gods, though."

"That's right, sun worshippers, huh?"

Kai nodded.

"See, that makes more sense to me. You don't hear people going on about holy texts the sun wrote or telling other people the sun is going to punish them if they don't do this, that or the other thing."

"Well, no," agreed Kai with a grin. "That'd be rather silly. We mostly give thanks for what we've already been given. Maybe you should come with me to a service sometime, Luen. They're a lot nicer than the descriptions you've been giving me."

"Thanks but no thanks, Kai. No offense, but I'm not sure I'm really the thankful type."

Kai couldn't really argue with that, and it didn't seem polite to agree. He turned back to labeling plants and Luen returned to his pipe. All was quiet save the crackle of the fire and the faint sound of pages turning. Suddenly Kai stopped, ears perked. "Luen," he whispered. "Did you hear that?"

Luen took his pipe out of his mouth and listened. "I don't hear anything..."

"Sounded like a tiny dog or -- there, did you hear that?"

Luen shook his head.

Yip! Yip!

"That I definitely heard."

"It's a lot louder," agreed Kai.

"We'd better wake the others. Just because it sounds small doesn't mean it is."

"Eh? Luen, will ye quit shaking me? I'm awake already!"

Luen shushed Viola. "There's something roaming around the camp," he said quietly. "And we're not sure what it is."

Yip!

Viola groaned. "Ye wake me 'cuz yer scared o' foxes?"

"Luen," Kai hissed, "I can't wake Kinto."

Luen groaned. "Fine, let him be. If it's something dangerous he'll wake up when it starts chewing on his tail." He reached for his chalice and turned to face the darkness. Behind him was the sound of Viola unsheathing her sword. As his eyes adjusted to the shadows he could make out faint, slightly lighter patches moving toward him. "Looks like there's more than one of --" Before he could finish his sentence, something furry leapt out of the darkness, straight at his throat.

Luen attempted to dodge out of the way and Kai instinctively dived for cover. Viola tossed her sword aside, realizing that she would have little chance of hitting the creature without hurting Luen, and tackled the pair. Her bare hands dug into soft black and white fur, then suddenly her vision blurred and a wave of dizziness swept over her.

Kai, from his vantage behind a tree, saw Luen fall back, something small and dark latched onto his chest. He saw Viola toss her sword aside and grab at whatever it was, then a faint shimmer, like a large soap bubble, followed by Viola falling to her knees, clutching her head with all four hands. Luen toppled over, unbalanced by the sudden shift in weight, and the small black thing bounced around his prone body. Kai left his hiding place to race after it.

"Ugh, me 'ead. Luen, ye still alive?"

Luen sat up. "I'm okay apart from a few scratches. What hit you?"

"I have nae idea, but I'm better now." She slowly rose to her feet, offering Luen a hand. "What happened to tha -- "

"Puppy," said Kai.

"What?" asked Luen.

"It was just a lost puppy," he explained, holding it up. The creature squirmed and wiggled in his strong grasp but couldn't quite reach his fingers with its teeth. It did indeed resemble a small dog or wolf cub, covered in a checkerboard pattern of black and white fur. But, in the place where its eyes should have been, there were merely a pair of empty sockets through which ran a bent -- triangular, almost -- ring. Every so often that same faint shimmer appeared around it.

Luen stared at it in shock. "It can't be..."

"Looks familiar, dunnit?" agreed Viola.

"Nhaal," whispered Luen in amazement. "I knew it was after me."

"But it canna be tha same one, Luen. We saw Nhaal destroyed. 'Twas consumed back in Tenthys."

"But look at it, Viola. It's black and white now. The Tenthys maginaria must have spit it back out again. They can do that."

Kai frowned. "You're saying it's a maginaria? But it's still just a puppy. Nothing to be afraid of."

Viola remembered her sudden dizziness -- and Nhaal's destructive powers. "Kai, that puppy is easily capable of killing ye."

Kai looked down at the irate maginaria, just as another transparent bubble appeared. "Ack!" His grip loosened on the creature, which immediately launched itself at Luen again.

"Gah! Kai, help me hold it still!" shouted Luen, scrabbling at the squirming ball of fur.

"Nnnngh..."

"Kinto?" Viola turned away from the wrestling trio and sat down next to Kinto. "We tried ta wake ye but -- what's wrong?"

Kinto buried his head in his hands. "Viola. I need to head back home, to Tximist. Now."

"I'm sure 'twas just another trick o' tha guardian. Another bad dream."

"No. This wasn't a dream. This was a message. From Uxul. She wants me t'go back to Tximist right away ... and she sounds real mad." He lifted his head; his eyes were wet with tears of both sadness and pain. Kinto stared into the distance blankly for a moment. Then, "Viola?"

"Aye?"

"What th'heck are they doing?"

Viola followed his gaze. "Oh. We were ambushed by a baby Nhaal. They're tryin' ta contain it. We tried ta wake ye but..."

Kinto nodded. "Th'message was too important t'interrupt. She says I've let her down, big time -- blowin' up Tenthys an' everythin'. And she wants me t'go back and -- and -- Viola, she's right. I went off with huge ideas in my head but I haven't been able t'do anythin'. All I've done is slow everyone down. She's right. I failed. And you were right, too. I'm not s'prised y'left us back then."

Viola winced inwardly as Kinto echoed all the thoughts she'd had that day. Of course she'd been right, but she couldn't say that to him. "Kinto...we're so very near tha shard. Ye don't plan ta give up now, do ye?"

"I'm not tellin' you guys t'give up. You'd probably go faster without me anyway. And I have t'go back."

"Can ye wait a few days? Just until we get tha shard, then ye can go wherever ye need. I'm sure tha Dean will understand if ye don't come back with us after."

Kinto sighed.

Viola forced an encouraging smile onto her face though inwardly part of her was complaining at having to be the sympathetic shoulder while the other two were off playing with puppies. "Yer part o' tha team, Kinto. Besides which, Kai is twice as slow as ye'll ever be. I had ta travel with him, remember?"

Kinto didn't look fooled, but he nodded. "I'll stay 'til we get th'shard. As soon as we get back t'Estevas, though, I'm headin' out on my own."

"We did it!" Kai strode toward the group, a checkered crystal held victoriously in one hand.

"I'll take care of that," said Luen, snatching the crystal away and storing it in his pouch. "I'm just glad that thing is safe and contained."

"So now what?" asked Kai.

Viola glanced at Kinto. "I don't know about ye three but I'm in no mood ta' go back ta sleep. I vote we get an early start and catch up ta tha others afore they find that Shard."

Two mazes, three invisible barriers and a set of sliding blocks later, the four were approaching the final stretch. Or so they assumed, since, as Kai pointed out, "We're running out of mountain." The town of Estevas was far below them, half hidden by the folds of the landscape. Above lay more rocks and the path, which curved sharply around a corner. They turned that corner and ran into company.

"What is your choice?"

The path ducked back into the mountain, widening into a miniature valley that narrowed again as it cut between two cliffs. Directly in front of them in the center of that valley was another group of adventurers: the Levendish boy with the sword, the white-clad Vadhan girl and a burly Manaqi sporting twin fighting daggers. But their attention was not on the competition approaching from behind; they were busy dealing with the creature that blocked the path in front of them.

"You won't stop me, you stupid snakes! I have prevailed over all your traps and defeated your wiles. I can take on all three of you! Once you are gone, I will take the Shard and use it to regain Justice for --" The girl tugged on his sleeve. "What?!"

"I think that's only one stupid snake."

"Oh..."

The three-headed creature looked from one to the other in bemusement. The snakes were, in fact, its necks, sprouting from a stout lizardlike body covered in shimmering silvery scales. The middle of each of each of its necks and its tail, as well as the midsection of its body, had a crystalline appearance, and would have been completely transparent if not for the tiny currents of light coursing back and forth in complex weaving patterns.

The fighter recovered quickly. "One or many, you will not defeat us! Stand back, Reini, I don't want you getting hurt! C'mon, Archos!" The boy hefted his sword and stepped toward the maginaria, followed closely by his companion.

"In case you've forgotten, Zeph," shouted Reini after him, "I'm the one who'll have to put you back together at the end of all this. Archos, help me out here!"

"Sorry, kid. I signed on with him, not you. He promised to help me free my brother; until then I'm just followin' orders."

"You people drive me crazy," muttered Reini.

Zeph didn't answer, he was already sprinting toward the maginaria, sword drawn. "For justice!!" His companion followed close behind, making do without a battle cry.

The maginaria didn't flinch. It lifted its center head, the two side ones moving downward and out to form a neat symmetrical triangle. To an attacker facing it head on, the exposed chest presented a perfect target.

"One who does not pass the last challenge..." said the left head, tracking the swordsman.

"...will not reach the Shard." said the right, doing likewise.

"He's gonna kill it," whispered Kai in shock.

Three mouths opened, exhaling fog at the sprinting swordsman. "You chose wrongly," chided the center head. As if that were a cue, three arrows of purple light sped out of the mountain, passing through the maginaria's heads and out the open mouths into the Levendish boy, who promptly vanished. His follower skidded to a halt, but one of the little purple arrows had remained behind. It performed a neat ninety-degree turn and the field of battle was left empty save for Reini, the maginaria, and a few stray wisps of fog and purple sparks.

Reini slithered toward the creature, hands clenched into fists. "What have you done to him?" she screamed.

"He chose wrongly," repeated the center head.

"Those who do not pass the final challenge must start from the beginning," explained the right.

"You mean he's back in Estevas?" interrupted the girl.

"...yes," said the left head, a bit bewildered at having its line stolen. "At the sunrise gate."

"Maybe that will teach him to think before he acts," smirked Reini.

"He has no memory of this encounter," said the center head, trying a different tactic.

"I think I know what that thing is," hissed Luen to the others. "It's a trigger maginaria -- and a big one at that."

"What?" asked Reini to the maginaria.

"What?" asked Kai to Luen.

"Foreknowledge of the answer eliminates any challenge," explained the left.

"And the Shard can only be given to one who passes all challenges," added the right.

"So how come I'm still here? I already know what the wrong answer is."

"You would not have chosen that answer," explained the left.

"Therefore you have gained no knowledge," added the right.

"Trigger spell, Kai." Luen quickly explained. "Say you want to set up a spell that will go off when someone opens a door. Or one that will only activate itself when a particular person is near it. A trigger maginaria checks to see if certain conditions are matched and then sets off another spell."

The center neck stretched to its full length as the creature glared down at Reini. "What is your choice?"

She looked back, thoughtful. "My choice? What if I could get the shard for him...? I think I know how." she mused. "And that's why we came here in the first place. And I've been all but useless so far." She sighed. "Useless little tag-along. If I could do something important for once -- and what could be more important than getting the tool he's been seeking to punish the so-called evil lord who destroyed his village?"

The snake-heads leaned over the Vadhan girl, watching intently as she tried to reason out the situation. Faint wisps of fog curled around the pair.

"So...a smart maginaria, then?" asked Kai, eyes glued to the scene in front of them.

"But he's down there," fretted Reini. "And ... how would I explain it? How would I feel if I'd been on a quest that meant everything to me and then someone came and said 'I solved your problem. Go home now.' Pretty darn useless, that's how."

The left and right heads exchanged glances. They weren't quite following this new logic.

"Logical," corrected Luen, "not necessarily smart. Though I'm betting that one is no idiot itself."

Reini continued, oblivious to the stares from her audience. "But I can't go back empty-handed. But, on the other hand, it's Zeph's quest, not mine, right? The only reason I came after this silly thing in the first place was because he needed it. It's the only thing that keeps him going, so I can't take it away from him, and it's only important to me because of him. If it weren't for Zeph I'd probably be ... well, I'd probably be back home learning to weave. Bleh. But is that the only reason I follow him, 'cause it's better than being back home? If it were just me, right now, where would I be? What would I be doing?" She paused. "I dunno, but I wouldn't be standing on a mountain having an existential crisis. He doesn't need me, not really. He's strong, he's good looking, there's plenty of other girls who'd be happy to patch him up. He doesn't need me and I don't need that shard." She glared up at the snake. "So there."

"So this type o' maginaria calls in its friends when tha conditions are met," paraphrased Viola. "That explains all tha different forms o' spells we've had ta pass."

"And th'puzzles," agreed Kinto.

The left and right head exchanged glances again. "If one passes all of the challenges...?" asked one. "Fallacious," responded the other. The central head simply nodded. There was no fog this time, just the three purple arrows and suddenly the ground was empty. The central head turned and looked at the four mages. "Next."

"Uh, guys?" Kai nodded toward the maginaria. "It's our turn." They stepped forward into the space formerly occupied by Reini.

"So this is the final challenge, huh?" said Kinto, who had been oddly silent for most of the trek.

The heads examined each of them in turn. "One here does not seek the Shard."

"Aye, we've been through this already. 'Tis --"

"That one," they announced in unison.

Luen found himself surrounded by snaky faces.

"What!?" asked four surprised mages.

"Luen? But he's got th'same reason as th'rest 'f us."

"Or does he...?" asked Viola.

"Look, if I didn't want my magehood, would I be here?"

The maginaria backed away. "That one speaks truth."

"There, see?" Luen straightened his collar. "Now, what's the final challenge? We haven't got all day."

The right head nodded at the narrow path leading into the mountain. "The Shard lies beyond."

"Presumably behind another puzzle?" added Viola. The maginaria was silent.

"Okay, let's go then." Luen led the way.

"Wait!"

"Come on, Kai. One more puzzle won't kill you."

"This doesn't sound right. You saw what it did to the previous party. So why would it just let us pass?"

"Iff," said the left head.

"Huh?"

"A name," explained the right.

"Oh. Sorry." Kai continued. "Why would Iff just let us past?"

"Because we didn't attack, of course. That was just plain stupid; people who run around swinging swords at everything always get in trouble."

"He has a point, Luen," said Viola. "Sword-boy made tha wrong choice, remember?" She glanced at Iff out of the corner of her eye, but if the maginaria had any more scruples about 'prior information', it wasn't showing them. "Mebbe tha Shard is o'er there, but tha final challenge is right here."

"I'm not blowin' this one up," grumbled Kinto.

Luen turned around and regarded the maginaria, then his companions. "I get it. You yourself are the final challenge."

The heads nodded -- it was almost a synchronized bow. "The logical answer," said the left one.

There was a brief silence as the four remaining finalists looked at each other. The previous challenges had ranged from simple to mind-bending but an obvious - logical - goal had always presented itself. Even for the writing on the wall the type of solution, if not the actual answer, had been apparent.

Finally Luen shrugged. "Since we are being logical today, there's a simple answer." He hefted his chalice and slotted a capture crystal in. "Iff, you're probably bored on this mountain. And hungry, too, I'd imagine. I think you need a vacation." He raised his arm and took aim. "Don't you agree?" The central head lifted, he two side ones moving downward and out to form a neat symmetrical triangle.

"Wait!"

Four heads turned. "Now what is it, Kai?"

"You're making the same mistake as that kid."

"It won't feel a thing, I promise."

Kai shook his head. "I mean you're going about things the same way. Iff could send you back to square one before you'd finished pulling the trigger. Grey maginaria work with logic, right? There's nothing logical about a duel."

"Duels are inherently logical," chided Iff's central head.

"If one is standing..." said the right head.

"Then one wins," added the left. "If one is not..."

"Then one loses," finished the right.

"And you're still here," concluded Kai. "So obviously the people who tried that didn't win." He looked at Luen, "You gave me an idea, though. I think I can handle this."

"Ye can?" Viola gave voice to three bewildered stares.

"Iff," Kai turned back to the maginaria. "Why are you protecting the Shard?"

The three heads smiled. A fog rose out of the ground, surrounding the five of them in an impenetrable grey blanket.

The scene fades again.

"So when the Shard collapsed the mine," said Kai as they re-materialized in the little valley, "you used the adventurers as your new food source."

"Kai, ye could ha' put it slightly differently," Viola chided.

Iff nodded in triplicate.

"But if the Shard were ever to be taken..."

"The shard," explained the center head, "is the prize. Without a prize," added the left head, "the challenge is worthless. Therefore," concluded the right, "the prize cannot be removed."

"A very touching story," said Luen, "But other people will come looking even if we go away empty-handed." He glanced down the trail.

"The others have failed the challenges," said the left head.

"Everyone we saw this morning?" asked Kinto.

Three nods in unison.

"Therefore," said the right, "you are the last today."

Luen hmphed. "I still say --"

"That there's a simple answer," interrupted Kai.

Six pairs of eyes turned toward him. He ignored them and stepped toward the guardian. "Iff, you're a powerful maginaria. So powerful that none have been able to defeat you."

The heads nodded slightly.

"But you're also really big, which means you need as much chroma as you can get just to survive. And that chroma comes from the people who try and solve your puzzles so they can get the shard. I don't want to starve you..."

The heads lifted.

"But we need that Shard too."

"By your own logic..." said the left head.

"...you cannot have the shard," concluded the right.

"But you need the adventurers, not the Shard."

"The Shard brings the adventurers," said the right.

"The adventurers bring chroma," said the center.

"Chroma brings life," said the left.

"The Shard is not the only thing that will bring adventurers," Kai pointed out.

"The Shard is a unique artifact," said the right head, puzzled.

"What can replace that which is unique?" added the left.

"Something equally unique and even more valuable: the guardian," answered Kai.

Iff exchanged glances with itself.

"You're over two thousand years old, aren't you? Mages would come from all over in hopes of gaining you as a companion." Kai nodded in Luen's direction. "He certainly wanted to."

He took a deep breath and continued. "But obviously you won't leave with just anyone. A maginaria as logical and intelligent as you would only work with an equally logical and intelligent mage -- and one with his or her own natural source of grey chroma."

Iff nodded slowly. "What is the benefit of changing the prize?"

"Well, you wouldn't have people running at you with swords, for one. You'd have a different sort of adventurer -- one who is willing to play by your rules for the sake of your knowledge and power instead of one who is only going through the challenges because they can't find a way around them."

"In other words," said Luen dryly, "You'd be replacing brainless sword-swingers with actual intelligent puzzle-solvers."

"Exactly!"

"Your reasoning is intricate," said the center head, obviously impressed.

"But is it unflawed?" asked the left.

"Think about it for a bit," said Kai. "We're not going anywhere." He motioned his companions away from Iff, back toward their previous observation post.

"Y'think it'll buy it?" asked Kinto quietly.

"It makes sense to me," said Kai. "It wants people who think, right?"

"An' we get tha shard," added Viola. "That reminds me. What is this business 'bout ye not wantin' tha shard, Luen?"

Luen looked around at the others. "Uh. Well --"

A cold breeze blew past them. They turned to see Iff, no longer in thought, waiting for them.

"Mustn't keep the guardian waiting," Luen said quickly and hurried back to hear the decision.

"Well?" asked Kai.

"Your logic is unflawed," said the center head.

"The shard is not necessary," added the right.

"You have solved all the challenges," added the left.

"Therefore," concluded the center, "the shard is yours."

It lifted its head into a triangle formation again. Before the four could react, they were surrounded by tiny shafts of glowing purple. Suddenly the scenery changed.

"That was tha neatest teleportation I've e'er seen," marveled Viola.

"Iff is working with the experts," said Luen.

They were inside a small natural room, reinforced at various points with wooden beams. Four exits led off in opposite directions but three of them were blocked with rubble.

"Are we in the mine?" asked Kai.

Iff lifted one of the larger boulders blocking a tunnel, revealing a small, pale object nestled into a little alcove behind.

"Tha shard!" exclaimed Viola.

"The shard is yours."

Viola stepped forward, then paused and gestured to Kai. "Ye may do tha honors, Kai."

Kai knelt down and picked up the stone. It was as long as his hand, but skinny enough that his fingers touched his thumb when he grasped it. It was the same pale blue as the one the mages had seen in Almanaque - so light it was almost perfectly clear - and, just like the other, one of the ends was perfectly smooth. "Hard to believe this little thing is a real Shard of Heaven... It's a lot lighter than it looks," he said, returning to the group and handing it to Viola, who carefully tucked it away in her bag.

Iff nodded toward the remaining tunnel. "The exit."

"Thank you, Iff," said Kai as they stepped out of the sunrise gate into the dim twilight.

"You are to be thanked," said one of the heads from out of the gloom. "I await the next visitor." It bent its necks toward the now-closed doorway and opened three mouths. A cold fog hid the arch from sight; when it cleared a carefully written inscription covered most of the stone:

"Good idea, putting the proclamation on the front door," said Luen. "Now let's go home."

The people of Estevas welcomed any excuse for a party and Luen and Kinto were already celebrities. Few people believed they had actually found the Shard of Heaven, though some were willing to concede that the small object Viola held up as evidence might have been a chip off the real thing. Kai had copied the announcement off the main entrance and Luen read it to the crowd. There were a few disappointed faces - the Levendish boy, Zeph, among them - as many had come for money rather than glory, but a number of mages and scholars perked up at the mention of an ancient grey maginaria willing to share its wisdom and magic.

Kinto mingled among the party-goers. He was taking the midnight carriage back to the port and from there a ship home. Since he knew he'd miss the big reception in Featherglass, he felt he at least deserved to enjoy the party here. He stopped at the sound of a familiar voice.

" -- so cheer up, okay?"

"Yeah, I guess. But if I hadn't overslept, I coulda been the one with the shard! I mean, the monster couldn't have been that tough if those four took it down! Now the only thing on the mountain is some stupid maginaria!"

He slipped past the bar, snagging a beer along the way. Just as he'd suspected, it was the Levendish boy and his Vadhan friend.

"Well ... " she said, as if thinking very carefully.

He lifted his chin off his hand. "What?"

"It's just a rumor but ... I did hear there were a couple of other shards on Tximist."

"Really? Well, what are we waiting for! There's a carriage that leaves tonight, right? I'll go pack!" He leapt to his feet.

"Zeph?" The soft tone of her voice stopped him immediately.

"Huh?"

"I think I'll sit this one out if you don't mind."

"What?! But I thought we were doing this together! You were going to help me avenge my village and I would help you find your real parents!"

"I know ... but I'm not built for all this fighting and rushing around. It's better if I wait. Come back to the city of Udhala after you've defeated the evil lord. I'll wait for you there."

He looked down at her, determination etched across every inch of his face. He took her hands in his. "I will! I'll return, though it take ten years! And it probably will!" And with that, he was gone, elbowing his way past Kinto and out of the tavern.

Kinto squeezed into the newly vacated seat. "Uh -- " he suddenly remembered Iff's words about removing all knowledge of the puzzles.

She beamed at him. "Hi, Mister I-Don't-Know-Why-I'm-Here. I guess you got that shard after all."

"Name's Kinto. I wasn't sure you'd r'member me."

"Reini." She shook his hand. "I remember the whole thing. I think the snake took pity on me or something."

"So what're you gonna do now?"

She shrugged. "I'm thinking of staying here for a few months. I need a vacation."

"Here? Not 'xactly th'place I woulda picked fer a delicate girl who can't handle fightin'."

"Oh, you heard that?" She grinned impishly. "He's the one I need a vacation from, to tell the truth. You're right, though. I'm a healer, not a fighter. But I bet they're short on those here. Maybe I'll join another adventuring party eventually; I really do want to find out who my real parents were. In a few years I'll drop by home and see if Zeph has left a message. And, who knows? Maybe I'll come back here someday and try the mountain again. What about you?"

"Me? Oh, I'm headin' home tonight. Tximist. They -- " he nodded at Luen and Viola, who were having a slightly drunk debate over the relative merits of red and blue chroma " -- are gonna take th'Shard back to th'Dean, but I gotta see my family first."

Reini smiled. "Good luck, Kinto. And who knows? Maybe we'll meet again. Stranger things have happened."

"Well, that's that," said Luen as they returned to the inn. "Now we finally go back and get our degrees."

"Ye don't seem too worried 'bout Kinto," commented Viola. "He said ye were climbin' tha walls when I left."

"Kinto can take care of himself." Luen fumbled with the room key. "Not to say that you couldn't, but in this case we know where he's going and when he'll be back."

"What are you going to do after you get your magehoods?" asked Kai.

"I hadna really thought about it," Viola admitted. "Perhaps do a bit o' travelling."

"Not me," said Luen. "I'm going to find me a nice place with a pool and stay there until I'm soaked through. Plenty of time to figure out plans after that. You?"

"I'm still a student, remember? But I think this project was quite a success -- they might even let me skip the rest of my intros."

"Ye don't mind havin' ta go back ta school?"

"Not really. I'm doing what I enjoy." Kai unlocked the other door. "Right now, though, I could use a good night's rest. And tomorrow we head back. Hard to believe it's all over."

Luen awoke to a knocking on his door.

"I'm coming, I'm coming. That better not be the Estevas guards here to arrest us."

In fact, it was Viola. She handed him a letter. "Found it under our door this mornin'."

Now we're even, read the note. Signed, Auli Alcandor

"...Gone?" asked Luen, as the color began to drain from his face. Viola nodded.

And somewhere, the Shard's new owner grinned. Finally. It's mine again.