“For the last time Darius, there is no spell to craft a delicious homecooked meal. The costs of researching such a thing would be astronomical.” The Professor said, throwing a glare at Darius. “Maybe if Tobian gets his packwick ability high enough, he can store a Chef and full kitchen, but until then, its dry rations.”

Both Tobian and Darius’s stomaches rumbled on cue. Tobian pulled out a bit of jerky and bit off a chunk to chew. With a slight smile, he glanced at Tristan, who was watching the conversation.

“Believe me, if there was a divine way to offer such meals, we would have done it,” Tristan said with a shake of her head.

A slight sound of a couple of leaves breaking was the only warning for Tobian. He spun around, hand on a sword, and confronted whoever snuck up on him. His heart skipped a few beats as the dead eyes of a large rabbit stared back at him.

Before he could swing with his sword, the rabbit disappeared behind Sirah, and she laughed. “Sorry you guys were so distracted. Good idea with the dead leaves, but put them a little further away next time so you have more warning.”

“Did you find the entrance?” The Professor said. The old mage tilted his head and looked behind Sirah.

Tobian looked also, allowing his vision to slip into the magical spectrum. No magical portal appeared in his view. With a sigh, he turned to look back at Sirah to get her answer. Behind Sirah was a thick cloud of magic as if someone with great power had wandered back and forth. Guessing it was someone in the group, or maybe there was an invisible follower, he turned around, allowing his gaze to linger and locate where the magical trail led.

”The door is open, I can’t tell…” Sirah’s voice drifted through the fog of magical auras.

Tobian focused on the lingering aura meandered back and forth from a nearby group of trees. Following the same path he’d taken when he had gathered and spread the leaves. Fear of something following him crept into Tobian’s mind. He quickly took two steps forward and spun around.

No invisible follower or stalker. Only the lingering aura of something powerful and the rest of the group looking at him.

“Tobian, are you ok?” Tristan said. She quickly glanced around as she assessed the danger.

“Yeah, I uh,” Tobian stumbled as he realized the magical aura was something on his person. “There’s something magical… something powerful, and I’m trying to figure it out.” Tobian quickly pulled his backpack and stepped away from it. The aura was still with him.

“Should we be worried?” Darius said.

“I don’t think so,” Tobian said.

“Darius, Sirah, and Tristan, go check the door and make sure there is no note or something to indicate who’s there. Maybe check to see if they are in the first room or two. I’ll stay with Tobian, and we’ll figure this out.” The Professor ended his statement by waving a finger between him and Tobain. He reached into a pocket and pulled out some goggles that he placed over his own glasses. The wizard looked around and nodded. “A lot of magic…” When his eyes rested upon Tobian, the glass on the goggles turned black. “What the,” the Professor said as he ripped off his goggles and looked at Tobian.

This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

“What, what happened?” Tobian said. He glanced down at himself, and a shining white light emanated from a sword he was carrying on his waist. Tobian quickly undid his belt, dropping the sword and a couple of bags to the ground. Three quick steps, and he was standing behind the Professor. “Is it cursed?”

“It is not cursed. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have been able to drop it or would have held reservations about it.” The Professor said. He removed a ring from a finger, then pulled out a tiny quill. He tapped them together, knelt, tapped the sword with the quill, and dropped it to the ground. The quill balanced on its tip but did not move.

After a long minute, the quill stood upright and fell into the dirt. The Professor picked up the quill and placed it back into an inner pocket.

“Well, it isn’t intelligent, thankfully.” The Professor said. “You can carry it, isn’t this from that room you found?”

“Yes, but if you guys want it, or…” Tobian said. “I can get another sword; I’m sure I have one somewhere.”

“No need, hang onto it and keep practicing with Darius. When we get to Shuma, we can have the scholars divine its purpose and abilities, but until then, it isn’t cursed nor intelligent, so it should be fine.”

“But it’s power, more than anything else I’ve seen. It even makes Tristan look dim, and she’s the highest I’ve seen. Like this leaves a trail behind us,” Tobian looked back the way they’d come, crossing a large plain before they got to the small grove of trees surrounding the stone monolith in the center. “Tristan’s aura fades after a minute; this lasts for hours.”

Tobian reached a hand into the magical backpack; he thought of a tarp they’d stored there for when it rains. A thick chunk of canvas appeared in his hand. He pulled it out, unwrapped the large fifteen-by-fifteen-foot tarp, and placed the sword in the middle. Carefully, he wrapped it in the tarp, covering it under multiple layers, then picking it up, he walked over to a spot where the aura had not been.

At first, the tarp looked like it would block the aura. Tobian’s hopes rose, then fell as he saw the magical emanations slowly diffusing through the canvas. Tobian set the bundle down and pulled off a backpack.

“I know swords can tear magical bags from the inside, but if we have it wrapped in the tarp,” Tobian said as he lifted the large bundle to stuff inside a magical backpack.

“Stop,” The Professor said. The air vibrated at his command.

Tobian stopped moving altogether, even having to force himself to breathe.

“We don’t know what putting it inside an extra-dimensional space will do.” The Professor said. “Just hang onto it until we get to Shuma; we’ll figure it out there.”

“Darius could hold it,” Tobian said without thinking. He remembered Darius carrying a single sword, but he never used it, and he seemed to prefer the axe or hammer over it.

“Darius wouldn’t carry it; he has burdens of his own. Tristan wouldn’t either.”

“How about you, Professor?” Tobian lifted the bundle and presented it to the wizard.

“I don’t know if it would affect my magic, nor would I want some creature that got close to pulling it when I’m focused on a spell.” The Professor sighed and shook his head. “Tobian, it won't hurt you; just hang on it for now; who knows, with its magic, if you have to use it, it could save your life.”

Tobias sighed and carefully unwrapped the sword from the tarp. He set the sword down on the ground and held out two corners of the canvas to the Professor. Together, they folded the tarp and put it back into a backpack. Tobian picked up the sword and his belt, putting everything back where they had been.

The Professor gave a reassuring pat on Tobian’s shoulder. “Your ability to detect magic has exceeded almost every detection spell I have. I must use a powerful magical item to get close to your ability. Keep practicing it; you have far exceeded your father’s skill.”

“What did Pa do for you guys during the war?” Tobian said.

“He helped us track demons using his magical sight. If we ever go to war again, we’ll need ya.”