It was nearly a quarter cycle before Bennett returned. He came straight out to his father, “They tested my mana, my blood, and questioned me about where we were from. I sense no hostile intent. Though they took my Kasnerville association documents. They are waiting on the rest.”

Alaphon raised an eyebrow. “So you were treated well if evasively. Stole only the documentation of what they claim is a former city. And want the rest of us to proceed through this screening immediately. I assume you told them we were from the town I mentioned? Did they ask you about our cargo or our reason for coming?”

Sandoron started to walk back towards his grandfather in the rear of the caravan to get his opinion on the attitude of the town when he felt something at his hand. Looking down he held a note. “What?” he muttered looking it over and unfolding it.

Bennett has been manipulated magically. Do not speak of this and do not trust him. Get him away from Alaphon and give the old man this note. He will know what to do.

He swore, he knew this handwriting… He turned around again heading back for the front wagon. “Hey Bennett can you help me? We put my bag in one of the carts in the rear but I think we piled stuff on top of it. You were in charge of packing right?” he called out.

Bennett turned, looking at him blankly before shaking his head and jumping off the wagon. “Yeah, but it’s not covered it should be on the wagon with you rode on in the rear…” he said with an annoyed tone.

“Can you find it for me? I looked but I couldn’t find it anywhere on top.”

Bennett shrugged saying “Sure why not.” Before jogging down toward the last wagon. Where his grandfather… wasn’t sitting? Where had the old man gone?

Sandoron shook his head, sidling up to Alaphon “Hey, found this note thought you should see it. I recognized the handwriting.” he whispered.

Alaphon took the note reading it quickly before it burst into white flames and smoke, his knuckles turning white. “Thank you boy. And good work with the bag.” He glanced back to the rear wagon where Bennett had already unloaded everything and was scratching his head.

“You find it?” Alaphon shouted back.

“No, It’s not here. It may have fallen off.” Bennett replied.

“Well, you’ve already unloaded it why don’t you turn it around and take a light and fast ride back and see if you can find it. You were responsible for ensuring everything was loaded and secured after all.”

Bennett threw an annoyed look at his father and Sandoron “Yeah, sure. Sando, you coming with me?”

Alaphon shook his head putting his hand on Sandoron’s shoulder. “No, “ he smiled. “Who would clean up the mess you made looking for his pack then?”

Sandoron swore the old man chuckled. He grimaced leaning in “What will sending him back alone do?”

Alaphon did chuckle, “You see your grandpa anywhere? Crafty old devil’s still on the wagon with your pack tucked away.” He touched his nose. “We’ve played games like this before me and your grandparents.”

“You’ll have to tell me about them, they won’t talk about the time before they adopted me.”

Alaphon opened his mouth to continue but quickly turned away grimacing. He turned back with a kitchen knife in his hand.

“Is that… Blood?!?” Sandoron exclaimed. “Why was that… oddly familiar.. Knife out where you could cut yourself?” he asked with growing concern.”

“Uh, yeah, it’s ok just a scratch. And poor planning I was preparing to get lunch ready when Bennett came out.”

“Right… So about those stories?”

“Stories will have to wait. I should tend to this cut first.” Alaphon aid stepping off the wagon and heading down the side of the caravan.

Sandoron decided to ignore the deep cut on the side of the seat where Alaphon’s hand had been, and the amount of blood the ‘small’ cut had left there.

—

Kasner wondered to himself how he got into situations like this at his age. He was in the fetal position holding to his grandson’s bag hiding under a wagon seat chanting “ton em ees”

He’d been hunched on the wagon wrapped in a cloak of obfuscation until Aelene had given Sando that note. When he saw it appear he knew things were taking a turn so he decided to hide. He was glad his and Sando’s bag were under the seat when he heard Alaphon send his eldest back to look for it. He wasn’t sure what was going on but he was pretty confident the boy shouldn’t find the bag too easily.

When they started talking about going back to look for it he knew something was quite wrong with the boy. He took a breath and got ready for a less than enjoyable ride while they made their way away from town.

Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

It was a painful half cycle before they rolled to a stop. Bennett climbing off the wagon. Kasner risked a look to see why they had stopped. In the middle of the road was a dirt covered bag. This one black instead of green like the one he was holding onto.

“Paralyze him and seal his senses he has been implanted with instructions and the truth hidden from him.” Aelene whispered from the side of the wagon.

“ezylarap ton esnes” he shouts popping out and pointing at Bennett who stops mid step, tumbling backwards.

“Ouch!” he rubs his head Aelene just smacked.

“You know better than that, don’t hurt the boy you should have cast something to catch him as well old fool.”

“Well, whats done is done, let’s get this geas off of him”

Kasner hopped off the wagon heading to the prone form of the eldest boy and began chanting waving his fingers over him.

“Hmm, not simple brainwashing. Compulsions, Vows…” he grimaced. “You let them torture him? Alaphon will not be pleased.”

“Aelene it as no worse than anything we’d do to each other any night, I assumed he may enjoy it thinking back on it later.” She shrugged.

He tugged on his beard a blush forming. “Right… Anyway, this is no simple matter. Hob Goblin magic, woven with some sort of divine contract. They had to get him to agree to some of this. Dispelling it will require a priest or paladin in good standing.”

—

The guards on the gate were getting antsy. “You best be send’n in the next soon. We won’t wait all day.”

Alaphon shook his head “We’ve lost some of the luggage, I sent my eldest back to look for it. It couldn’t have fallen off far we stopped an hour before we saw the city to check everything over. Most likely someone forgot to pack it back up.”

Sandoron looked at the older man. “What are we going to do if they lose their patience?”

“We take cover and hold out for your grandparents to get back.”

“Yeah… About that… Why is grandmother here and how did she give me a note without my seeing her?”

Alaphon didn’t answer, rubbing his bandaged hand.

“If we’re attacked we’ll circle the wagons and take cover in the middle. My kids all know the protocol, but if I whistle three times you jump on this wagon and keep your head down until we stop again then roll off to the inside of the circle.”

As they waited Sandoron couldn’t help but think on his life with his grandparents. There was more to them than he ever imagined. What other secrets were they hiding from him? They say hindsight is more clear than the now and he wondered he’d missed in the moment.

There was that nonsense with his sheet and the orb and mill. What had they really been doing there? That orb looked a lot like the things his grandparents and Alaphon had picked up in the armory. If his grandfather had made it, would it make sense for him to have three more hidden in the armory that were only for the eldest of their family to wield? Alaphon had been like an uncle to him over the years but he didn’t think he was related to either of his grandparents but he realized he’d never been told how they met or grew so close.

“Alaphon… Something weird is going on. And you know more than you are saying don’t you?”

Alaphon shifted on his seat.

“The armory… Those orbs… The attack on the town… The timing, we were headed to town for me to get more experience because of an orb very similar to the ones you and my grandparents took from the armory. Before we could get there the town was up in flames and apparently rebelling with some green guy we’ve never seen before.”

Alaphon glanced around nervously at the mention of the orbs.

“Listen, Sando, your grandparents are good people. Very good people. There are things they don’t think you are ready to know.” He subconsciously rubbed his hand again. “I won’t betray their trust but for now I will say some of the things we shouldn’t speak on in public.” He glanced up towards the gates just in time for an arrow to thud into the wagon next to them.

“Shit!” he whistled three times shrilly. “Sando down now!”

Sandoron ducked down behind the bench grabbing on as the wagon rocked into motion.

“Defensive circle, we don’t know if they brought any more into the woods. We hold for Bennett’s return. Anyone shooting at us is a fair kill. Do not allow stray shots past the walls there are likely innocents on the other side.” Alaphon roared before he began yelling once more. “Gods Hear Me. Shield Your Flock. I Alaphon Your Faithful Champion Beseech You.” As he finished golden light flared between them and the town.

The wagons came to a halt, all facing inward in a circle with the animals in the center. Each wagon had someone leap out swing the rear wall of the wagon open letting the contents spill out but forming a circle of wood around those in the center.

Sandoron rolled out of the wagon into the circle grabbing his cudgel as he went.

“Shannon!” Alaphon shouted. “Take the ones on the top of the wall nearest the ballistae. We don’t need anyone getting the bright idea to shoot siege equipment at us.”

She nodded, taking cover behind on the the wagon walls and popping up with a shortbow to take a long shot that looked impossible with a bow that small.

“Vern, get us some cover.” The second eldest son nodded briskly reaching into a bandoleer across his chest striking the fuse sticking from some tubes before lobbing them between the wagons and town. A few moments later a cloud of red smoke drifted between the town and the wagons obscuring things.

“Good choice, Aelene will definitely pick up on that.”

There was a sound of something falling to the ground and some shouting from the town.

“Well they realized the barrier is there. Won’t be long before they have casters on the walls.” Alaphon grunted.

“Listen up, the situation is worse than we expected. The town is not just in open rebellion. Bennett… Well he’ll be fine the old goats won’t let anything these fools did to him do him permanent harm. But they definitely have casters, the green guy is probably Goblin ilk of some kind. But they wouldn’t be moving on their own.” He shot a look at Sandoron “Things are complicated and I can’t say everything I’d like however there is war brewing and this is an early salvo.”

War? Why would anyone starting a war start with a little city in the middle of nowhere? Did this have something to do with his grandparents and what they had been hiding? Gramps had said the wards in the house could hold off an army, the hidden armory… Things were spiraling faster than he could keep up with.

Alaphon continued “Once the oldest of our party return we will lay seige on the town. We will recapture it in the old goat’s name and set things to right. We don’t have an army but neither do they or we’d already be surrounded.

“What!” Sandoron stood open mouthed starting at Alaphon “You mean we’re going to capture a town with thirty foot stone walls? With 26 people?”

Alaphon and the rest of the party ignored him. Most were nodding like their father/grandfather had said the most obvious thing and hadn’t just suggested capturing a town.