Thomas Gown's connection to a group of powerful wizards who lived thousands of years ago is finally revealed, and he learns that he may be able to save his world and his civilisation, along with others beyond number, from a threat that will manifest...
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When Thomas regained consciousness he was lying in a soft, comfortable bed, with cool sheets of linen tucked up under his chin.
He lay there for some time, luxuriating in comfort, allowing his thoughts to wander wherever they wanted while he drifted slowly towards full wakefulness, vaguely aware of a cool hand stroking his own. It was Lirenna's hand of course, he knew that, but his half asleep brain puzzled, in a distracted sort of way, why it felt as though she were sitting on a chair beside the bed, instead of in bed with him.
Thoughts of Lirenna brought to mind disturbing memories of the demi shae stabbing herself, of lying limp in his arms while her life's blood poured out of the terrible wound, but that had just been a dream, a nightmare. It hadn't really happened. He relaxed in relief, allowing himself to sink back into full sleep while savouring the delightful feel of her soft, cool fingers stroking his palm.
The memories came back to him all in one terrible instant. It hadn't been a dream! It had really happened! Lenny! He was instantly fully awake and sitting up in bed, crying out her name in fear, but her tiny hands were on his chest, pushing him gently back down.
"It's alright," she purred soothingly. "I'm fine. We're both fine."
"Lenny!" cried Thomas in joy and delight, staring up into her face and holding her arms, squeezing tight. "You're okay! Thank the Gods! I was so scared..."
"You gave us a nasty scare as well," the demi shae replied, smiling with relief. "I was up and about as soon as as I’d finished teleporting home, but your injuries were terrible. Your poor hands..."
Thomas looked at his hands, remembering the agony as they burned. The skin blistering and cracking open. They looked okay now, though, and he flexed his fingers experimentally, testing to make sure they were still as nimble and dextrous as they'd always been. He touched his side, under the arm, where the Garusian wizard's spell had hit him, but there was no longer any wound. He felt fine, in fact. Just a little tired.
"How's the ship?" he asked.
"Still on its way back to Kronos, to be patched up," said Lirenna. "It's still months away from getting back, but a team of moon trogs have teleported aboard to give it a looking over. They say the damage is a lot worse than it was after the blight attack. They're worried its main structural skeleton might have been weakened. Prup says it'll be laid up in its cradle for five months at least, being repaired. They say that if that third ship had hit us, it would have torn us apart. You saved all our lives."
"Saturn did," said Thomas, though. "I failed. I couldn't stop the ship..."
"Saturn couldn't have finished the job if you hadn't started it. That battle with the last Garusian wizard was almost the end of him. His heart, Tim says. He says that another battle like that will likely kill him. His days as a warrior wizard are over."
