Kaen could feel Aldric’s and Herb’s gaze even though Pammon was lounging on the floor of the cave behind both men.

Each had sat there mulling over the news of what had happened to the elves and tried to consider what it might mean for Ebonmount and others.

“This spell that he cast at you when you fought and missed… was it a wand?” Aldric asked.

Shrugging, Kaen picked up his cup and sipped the watered-down wine. “I honestly don’t know. Hess had mentioned it, and after hearing how many Fiola had used in the defense of her cave, I had wondered, but is it even possible for him to have that many? How long would one take?”

Herb grunted as Aldric looked at the short man beside him. A scowl was set on Herb’s usually cheerful face, and he was rubbing his head again, more hair missing over the last few years from this habit he had acquired since becoming the head of the adventurer's hall.

“We have to remember that what we know about Stioks is limited, but he is the strongest mage in all the lands that I am aware of. Before he became who we all know him as now, his family was powerful and a long line of adventurers. When the guild banished him officially due to some tests he had conducted on his own, there might have only been one close to his power, and now… Selmah is never going to be able to help beyond teaching.”

Bending down, Herb grabbed his small backpack near him and dug out a piece of paper and a pen. He started sketching a few things as Aldric leaned over to watch.

“Now what I’m drawing is…” Herb’s voice trailed off as he looked up at Kaen and realized his mistake. “Ahh… uh… can Pammon come look at what I’m doing so you can see? The visualization helps a lot.”

Kaen chuckled and nodded, and a sigh came from across the cave as Pammon left the spot he had between Amaranth and Glynnis, moving to peer down at the paper Herb was drawing on.

“Sorry… I got excited and forgot,” Herb stated as he bent over the paper and made a few more marks. “Now look here. This wand is set on a pedestal like the one we have in the adventurers guild with the crystal sphere. I’ve marked these four spots around it where mages would stand and pour magic into the item. With a wand, it’s different than most other items, and I know Hess told you a little bit about the process, but the limiting part of a wand is here.”

Herb put his finger next to a small diamond shape he drew inside what had to be a wand.

“The crystal that is used for the wand is critical. Only certain types work, and most are small because finding them and forging them takes time and money… when the wand is used up, the crystal shatters, turning the piece of wood or metal into scrap.

“I know the wand Fiola must have used, and when I say it was considered one of the priciest wands the elves had, know that it was. Its gem inside was larger and purer than most found in centuries. The spell that was used in it had been infused by a mage with power on par with what Stioks was most likely at within the last few years.”

Moving his finger to the next set of drawings, Herb grunted and anded a few arrows pointing from his four circles that represented the mages.

“Each of these mages has to maintain a steady stream of power infusement to the crystal at all times. If someone falters or stops, then that wand is finished. What usually happens is most wands are one-shot wonders. With four mages, you can comfortably keep this going for a while, each of them funneling power inside the gem indefinitely. You can rotate mages as long as there are always at least two, adding a steady stream of power.”

Aldric rubbed his eyes as he squeezed them shut. He had seen the schematics and knew how this worked, but hearing someone explain it again reminded him why he left that business to someone else within the kingdom.

Kaen was enthralled, considering what this might mean for what he could make or what he might face.

“Here though is the problem…” Herb said with a sigh as he flipped the paper over and began drawing again.

Kaen watched through Pammon’s eyes and felt the worry that came from his dragon when both of them realized what Herb was drawing.

Stioks is using a dragon to empower wands…

Aldric leaned forward, his face showing the concern he now had as he, too, knew what Herb was drawing.

As the man sat back and tapped the pen against the paper, he frowned even more before sighing. “I’m afraid Stioks must be using one or both of his dragons to help with this process. As you know,” Herb pointed at Pammon, looking down at them, “a dragon has a far greater supply of mana and power well beyond what you and I do. They can infuse that wand at a greater rate and with two dragons and every caster Stioks can summon, including himself…”

Herb’s voice trailed off, and only the sound of the wind across the cave's opening could be heard.

“How strong could that make a wand?” Kaen asked. He licked his lips, concerned with the answer he might have seen firsthand.

“I’m talking about things that haven’t happened in a thousand years,” replied Herb. “Dragons have been unwilling for lots of reasons to do this. Imagine someone with an endless supply of dragons and a crystal of a decent size. The power that wand could have could…”

“Destroy a kingdom,” Aldric stated, finishing off where Herb had stopped. “It would appear we might need to start working on some of our own.”

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Herb shrugged. “We have a few in the vault. Each only has a single use and is nowhere near the power of what Stioks could possibly possess. To create anything like what he might have would require…” Herb’s eyes drifted over to Pammon and the two female dragons who were feigning to be asleep.

I’m not sure how I feel about being used to make a weapon like that… if it gets into the wrong hands…

Kaen nodded, understanding Pammon’s reservations about this task.

“I can’t say they would be on board, and I’m sure you can imagine why, but how long would it take to make something as powerful as what I described if you had a dragon's help?”

Herb leaned over and began writing some numbers on the paper. He glanced up at Pammon and then turned toward Kaen.

“This is a personal question, but if I may, how much Mana do you and Pammon both have?”

Kaen smirked, and a groan came from Pammon.

“Is this a bad request?” Herb asked, looking back and forth between Pammon and Kaen.

Shaking his head from side to side, Kaen blew a raspberry.

Are you ok if I look?

Fine… I will not share all mine, but you may tell them I have over three thousand. Do not make this a habit again. We both know what that will lead to.

I haven’t looked in years, and you know how hard it was for me not to look when I hit forty on archery the other day.

Yes, I know. Now, answer his question so we may understand his thoughts.

[ Simple Status Check ]

Kaen Marshell - Adolescent

Age - 23

HP - 2765/2765 (28%)

MP - 589/589 (28%)

STR - 49 (28%)

CON - 54 (28%)

DEX - 52 (28%)

INT - 46 (28%)

WIS - 40 (28%)

“Sorry,” Kaen said after finally responding. “We don’t share this, and I haven’t looked in years for different reasons, but Pammon has over three thousand, and I am over five hundred.”

Aldric and Herb’s eyes went wide, and each cleared their throats as they glanced at the other momentarily.

“Th… three thousand?” Herb asked, his voice cracking.

“That is what he said.”

“And you’re above five hundred?”

Kaen chuckled, hearing the doubt in Herb’s voice. “Yes. I mean, I’m almost six hundred bu–”

“Holy dwarf balls,” Herb cursed, sputtering as he stared at Kaen. “I… I can’t remember the last time I heard of someone being above five hundred and you say that so casually.”

Motioning with his finger at Pammon, Kaen grinned. “Blame him. Most of that is from him.”

Both men nodded slowly, and Herb, after closing his eyes and shaking his head for a few seconds, bent over and began writing numbers.

Kaen watched the formula the man was working on, and he could almost understand it. Although many things didn’t make sense, he could start to see where Herb was going with it.

That number there is the required mana for each rank, isn’t it?

Kaen smiled and nodded.

Yes, and the other one, I believe, is the potency, and I think there are charges in the column he is writing.

[ 1 Intelligence gained ]

What was that?

Kaen began to cough and covered his mouth as he did.

Both men looked at him, and Kaen waved their concern for his sudden fit.

I… I just gained a point of intelligence…

Well, I expect you to not act like an eggling after knowing you have gotten smarter…

A thrum came from Pammon, and both men turned to glance at Pammon and then back at Kaen.

“What are we missing?” Aldric asked, a slight smirk on his face. “Obviously, it’s something.”

“I’m not sure you really want to know,” Kaen declared. “If Hess was here, I’d gladly tell him, but you two might think I’m being a braggart.”

He couldn’t see how Aldric scrunched his eyebrows and stared at him. The king scratched his stubble on his chin and then leaned back in his chair.

“You gained a stat increase, didn’t you?”

Kaen snorted and nodded. “I did… how did you figure it out?”

“I’d like to say I’m smart and understand what Herb is writing, but if you didn’t and just figured it out… combined with what I know about you and Hess and the competition he joked about over the years between you two, it just makes sense.”

Herb mumbled under his breath about damn dragon riders before continuing his work.

“I guess we won’t make Herb use six hundred since that would mess up all of his work so far,” joked Aldric as he put his hands behind his head and relaxed, waiting for Herb’s final results.

“Maybe six months… a wand with one charge could be done in three and two charges in six months… three charges would require a year.”

Kaen glanced at the numbers that Herb had circled and the final column he put side by side.

“So based on that possibility and the fact we have given Stioks three years to prepare…”

“We’re in a lot of trouble,” Herb replied. “If he managed to get ahold of three gems worthy of the spell you mentioned, he could have three wands with three charges each. That also means–”

“There could be even more that have been produced before then,” Kaen declared as he interrupted Herb. Scratching his beard, Kaen felt a weight pressing down on him but wouldn’t give in. No matter the odds, they had to win. He had to win.

“So what do you two want to do to help against this knowledge?”

Both men looked at Kaen and didn’t answer.

“What can we do?” Herb asked. “We are behind, and there is no way we could compete with that kind of power or speed unless all three of your dragons decided to help.”

Pammon growled, and Herb winced slightly.

“They won’t help, but that doesn’t mean you can’t start working on something else. There are mages here; even a wand or two might mean the difference when whatever we fight takes place. Someday, we all know that we must march on Luthaelia, and when we do, you will need whatever help you can get.”

Aldric stood up suddenly, catching Herb off guard.

“He’s right. I’ll head home right now and get my royal court working on something. Expect an answer from me within a few days.”

Kaen nodded and stood up, holding out his hand and giving a goodbye shake to Aldric.

Herb grabbed his paper and pen and stuffed them into his backpack. “I’ll work up some ideas as well… perhaps in a few days, I might have an answer,” he said, his voice not conveying the same sense of surety as Aldric’s had.

“Good. Now Pammon and I will take you both back. I need to get a few things done as well.”