Two Lands, One World

The Titan's Heart

Back in the village, Claudia and the two mages Lairus and Delmar had failed to get any clues as to where the team might be. "I'm really starting to think this is the wrong town," she said as she and the other two regrouped with her brother and Tellus.

"They couldn't have gone too far ahead," said Delmar.

"Well, you guys have magic can't you just use a locator spell or something?" asked Soren.

The mages frowned. "Magic doesn't always solve your problems," said Lairus. Before he could speak again, they heard the growling stomachs of their prisoners who had been gagged and bound in rope for hours. They hadn't allowed them to eat or drink.

"Just give them some food," said Claudia. "We need them alive,"

Tellus knelt before them. "I'm going to ungag you before you can eat. Don't do anything stupid," he pulled the bundles of cloth out of their mouths. He then fed them some apple slices to please their stomachs.

"Listen you two...they're trying to kidnap..." Gren was gagged again.

"For that you'll get no food or water for another day," said Lairus. He gagged Corvus too.

Something about Gren's desperate face sent tingles up Claudia's spine but she ignored it.

Just then they heard the neighing of a horse. The group turned around and they saw Castor, leading a horse with a tied-up map, who had a sack covering his face.

"Castor, we feared you had lost track of us," said Delmar.

"Who are these?" Castor pointed to Claudia and Soren.

"They're after the children too. And the Moonshadow elf we tried to capture years ago,"

Castor was intrigued.

"And that's not just it..." said Tellus. "We've discovered the children are delivering the newly born dragon prince,"

The former star mage was shocked. "Impossible,"

"So is this your leader?" asked Soren.

"Yes. And our brother who you will do well to respect," warned Lairus. "Who is this?" he gestured to Castor's prisoner. Their frowning lid pulled his prisoner off the horse and pulled the bag off.

"Caldor?" breathed Claudia in shock.

The earth, ocean and sun mage were shocked. "Ihar?" they breathed incuriously.

"Wait you guys know him?" Soren asked.

"How do you know him?' demanded Castor.

"He's the bookseller in our kingdom," explained Claudia. "He's one of your brothers?"

"Yes. Our moon brother. This traitor here has been masquerading as a citizen of your kingdom. He came to Katolis to try and steal your dark magic and secrets,"

Caldor tried to speak back but his gag kept him from shouting out the truth. He saw Gren and Corvus who were eying him in shock. He hoped they still trusted him.

"But he's...Carol's friend," breathed Claudia. For years the kingdom knew how much of a mystery, Caldor was. His collection of books containing magic. And since learning that Caroline had come into possession of a primal stone, she assumed it was Caldor who had given it to her...it was beginning to make sense now.

"Unfortunately, everything your kingdom sees in him is a complete lie," said Castor. "As our moon mage he was rather gifted with deception and being a master of manipulation,"

"We know the group came here but we've found no trace of where they might have gone next," said Tellus.

"Come on. It's obvious they're crossing the sea," Soren tried to boast out.