~~~(Caleb)~~~

Jennifer called me up a little bit ago and asked if I could meet her for lunch. Walking into the restaurant, it isn't difficult for me to notice a few things out of place. Such as Grant sitting right next to her, even if he's in jeans and a tee. Casual restaurant, casual clothes.

I'm in uniform dress, though. I'm supposed to be meeting a group of cadets for something. Some big thing or other. I can afford the airship ride, if they leave without me.

They'll probably stay for me.

"Hey, Caleb," Jennifer says as I slide into the booth with them. "I hope you don't mind that Grant is here."

"No."

"Thanks, Caleb," Grant picks up his coffee. "It is good to see that you are doing well."

"So when are you two getting married?" I ask as Grant starts to take a sip of his coffee.

He chokes on it, and spends about a minute trying to breathe normally again.

"You said that on purpose," he says.

"Said what?"

"You knew I was going to choke," he says. "You said that then to make me choke."

"I am offended that you would think that I would do such a thing."

"Sure," he says. "I read the reports on you, Caleb. You have a tendency to do things like that for your amusement."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"How did you know we were going to say that?" Jennifer asks.

"The ring."

She looks at her hand.

"I'm not wearing it," she says. "We were going to leave it off until after you were told."

"His Ability," Grant says. "Allows him to sense the objects around him. He probably detected it in your pocket."

That, and I've known for awhile they were going to get married. I'm not an idiot, and she made it clear when she talked to me on the phone and in her letters that it was bound to happen. Both of them here to talk to me only told me that.

That, and they probably wanted him to be here for this. She has to be here, legally.

"We figured," Grant says. "That we would have our wedding while you were on your two-week vacation after you finish training."

"I'll be busy," I say. "Sorry."

"Busy?" Grant looks confused. "You have two weeks free from any missions and duties-"

"I have a mission," I state. "My team and I will be leaving immediately after training ends to complete it."

"They can't possibly know about-"

"We may also," I continue. "Require additional time off after, free of any duties. There is something requiring immediate attention, and delaying it past that vacation would cause another Calamity."

"I can't tell if you're serious or joking," Grant says. "And knowing what I know from your files, it could be either."

"I'm serious," I say. "The same circumstances that caused the Great Calamity two hundred and some-odd years ago are occurring again. If I do not stop it, then it will happen. The absolute latest I can go on the mission, according to the Moon, is that vacation period."

"The Moon?" Grant asks.

"He talks to me," I say. "Well, he did, before he was kidnapped. He gave me an emergency message during basic, then hasn't talked since. Hasn't been able to muster up the power to contact me. I'm working on it."

If only Nikvar could stop being lazy and work faster.

I'm working as fast as I can!

Hush.

I can hear everything that goes through your mind, Lus.

Just be glad you can't hear everyone unless you tune in. Tauiu is currently singing to a dolphin the proper mating process.

It's never been around others before! It has no idea how to actually reproduce, and is really confused!

And so you're singing to it?

Yes!

Wait, what's going on?

Tau apparently sings about dolphin sex.

The fuck?

Watch your language.

Sorry, Lus!

Thanks.

You know, if we all keep tuning in like this, it's likely Father will figure it out.

Do you think Father remembers Nik and me?

It's likely he's the reason history got rewritten.

Do you think that, however he did it, he found out about Adam?

Well, he only just discovered Mukura last week, so…

Do we know for sure that Father knows about him?

Dude, there's no way in the fucking 'verse he doesn't, after those two boys went at it.

Language.

Sorry, Lus!

And he already reprimanded me for that, too.

Speaking of Adam, have any of you managed to locate him yet?

No!

Nope!

Sorry!

Haven't!

Unfortunately not!

Even I can't detect him.

We need to find him.

We know!

I disconnect them from the group, so that they are only tapped into me again. They all complain about that and tell me that they'll work harder to find him. We need to find him and end him before Teacher learns of him.

"Caleb?" Grant asks, and I blink a few times, remembering where I am and what I'm doing. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I nod. "Just talking with the voices in my head."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"They're not my voices," I say. "I hear voices, and they tell me things. Did you know that, over in the Eastern African Empire, there's currently an ice storm? It's never cold there, yet the snow is staying, and no one knows why. One of the voices is currently there. He's probably going to stop the blizzard before it ends, he says-"

I finish explaining, and Grant and Jennifer just stare at me.

"What did you just say?" Jennifer asks, and I repeat it.

"Caleb?" Grant says.

"Yes?"

"You weren't speaking English."

"I wasn't?"

"No," he says, and I say it, listening.

"Huh," I say. "I actually explained it pretty simply, but human brains aren't capable of processing the level of terms and the language itself. There isn't a translation into English, but that language has things that don't translate into any language."

"What language was that?" Grant asks.

"It isn't the oldest there is."

"I have so many questions right now."

"I know your engagement," I say. "Isn't the only reason you're here. Does it have to do with my birth mother, who is sitting four booths behind me?"

They look at each other, then Jennifer looks past me, holds up a hand, and gestures for the woman to come over. Grant moves to sit beside me as she takes her seat.

My biological mother has long, wavy brown hair, dark green eyes, and almost flawless skin. She has a small scar on her left jaw, a slim, pale line along the line of her jaw, but most wouldn't notice it. It's about an inch and a half long, so not something most would ignore.

The reason most don't notice is because she's an Enchantress. Not quite the same as Jared's mother, with her powers of mind manipulation, an Enchantress is an entirely different creature.

Enchanters and Enchantresses aren't Gifted, but actual magicians with an innate ability. They have no issue using magic, like Gifted do, and their mana isn't on reserve for their powers as Enchanters and Enchantresses.

She can compel men and women alike to do her bidding or confess their darkest secrets. Judging by her level of power, she's a powerful one. A very powerful Enchantress, actually, though my earlier scan determines that she did nothing to Grant or Jennifer.

No wonder she's the one who got pregnant.

My biological mother is a Mother Enchantress, and she's sitting right in front of me.

I've never detected a trace of Enchanter power within me. That's interesting.

Oh! There it is!

Wait, you didn't know you were an Enchanter?

I thought you knew you had it. That explains sooo much.

Y'all shut up.

No!

That was all six of them. ONLY TWO OF YOU TALKED!

"I never thought I'd be in front of Tabitha Coleman," I tell her. "This is quite interesting."

"You know me?" She asks.

"You're one of the five Mother Enchantresses," I confirm. "Of course I know who you are."

"He's talking in front of someone new," Grant looks at me. "He's in a mood."

"The voices are annoying me," I tell him.

"Who is Tabitha Coleman?" He asks.

"My biological mother."

"Did you know she was?"

"No."

"Then who is she?"

"The woman sitting across from you," I say. "Do you need more help?"

"One of the five most powerful Enchantresses in the world," Tabitha says, looking at me. "We don't often advertise who we are, and I'm one of the lesser-known ones. How did you know who I am?"

"I make it a habit to know all who all of the powerful mortals are," I say. "Plus, I read the file the Council of Dreams has on you. I'm surprised Grant hasn't."

Grant sighs, letting his head hang forward for a moment before looking at me.

"What got eaten this time?"

"What makes you think someone ate something?"

"You get like this," he says. "Whenever someone ate something of yours. What did they eat, and who did it?"

"I don't know who did it," I answer. "And he ate biscuits."

"Biscuits?" Grant asks.

"I stuck them in a little container," I say. "Designed to preserve them, enchanted by myself. I woke up this morning, and they were gone. The container was there. They stole my cookies before. I haven't caught them yet. One of these days, I'm going to find out who's stealing my food."

"Okay," Grant looks back to Tabitha. "I'm surprised I haven't heard of something like a Mother Enchantress before, would you mind telling me how that happened?"

"The Council's forces," she explains. "Are most heavily active on this continent and two others. We tend to attract attention, as do all Enchantresses and Enchanters, and prefer to stay out of the way of the Council's strong areas. We do, occasionally, work with you, but for the most part, we're left to our own devices, and run our own areas."

"The Council actually has them designated," I tell Grant. "Were you to be anywhere near one of those areas for a mission, you'd probably be warned of it. Tabitha lives in Aisrli, and keeps the Enchanters and Enchantresses in that area under control."

She's also smoking hot.

Very hot.

Did you guys really just tap in again?

Yep!

Absolutely!

You're in front of a Mother Enchantress, can you honestly tell me you didn't expect this?

You guys need to behave.

"If you didn't know who she was," Jennifer says. "How did you know she was your biological mother?"

"I'm in your mind at all times."

Well, not since I reverted back from being my kid self, but was when I walked in here, just in case. They were both thinking about Tabitha, and she was thinking about me. It took almost no time at all to sift through their thoughts to determine she was my birth mother.

"That's kind of creepy," the two women say.

"I haven't told them the full extent of your powers," Grant leans over a little bit.

"Ah," I say, then look at Jennifer and Tabitha. "I am the single most powerful Gifted and magician in the world, putting aside Teacher and the Sage, both of whom are full-fledged dragons."

"Your dad is a dragon?" Grant asks in shock.

"And I've now bound every person who heard that so they can't reveal it," I smile at him. "Thank you, for sharing that."

"The Sage is your father?" Jennifer asks as Tabitha asks, "Your father's a dragon?"

"The Sage is a dragon?" They both ask.

Are you glad you put up that barrier?

Shut up, Nikvar.

I found a dragon's egg. Do you think Father knows about it?

Shut up.

Seriously, though! You know he's keeping track of all dragons here.

How did you even find an egg that isn't guarded by another dragon?

I'm more in-tune with my draconic nature than you are. It wasn't hard. Plus, I'm actually near it. It's an ancient egg. I'm going to incubate it.

Don't give me details.

"He's not answering," Grant says as I tell them that I'm trying to have a conversation here. "Getting answers out of Caleb, Tabitha, is about as easy as… well, that explains it."

"Yeah," Jennifer nods. "That would definitely explain it."

Tabitha looks confused.

"Dragons," I say, and everyone looks at me. "They were thinking about dragons, Tabitha. Grant was going to say that getting answers out of me is about as easy as getting an answer out of dragons. I'm sixty-three percent dragon, so it makes sense that you'd see similarities."

They all stare at me.

"I'm thirty-seven percent human," I shrug. "Also, Tabitha, you're fourteen percent dragon. I inherited most of my draconic power from my father."

I decided that they won't remember any of this after this conversation ends.

Jerk.

You could at least let someone remember.

How about the cat that's staring at you through the window?

Actually, that's a tiger.

Why is there a tiger sitting outside the window?

I look out the window, and sure enough, there's a tiger sitting there, staring right at me through the glass.

Well, that's interesting.

"Is there anything you wanted to know?" I look back at Tabitha, pretending I didn't see the tiger sitting there, staring at me.

It knows I did, though.

Bad kitty.

"So many things," she says. "And so many more, now that I've spoken with you and these two for a few minutes."

"Where would you like to start?"

"I have no idea."

"For an Enchantress?" I ask. "That's impressive. Am I that enchanting?"

She gives me a smile that says she thinks I'm a smart-aleck, and I give her a questioning look in return. Maybe I am a smart-aleck, but I can still play it after being told they know.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"He's nothing like you told me," Tabitha tells Jennifer. "You told me he was quiet and shy, and rarely talked, if ever."

"Training," Grant tells her. "He made some close friends, and opened up a bit. There have been a few incidents, and Caleb's opened up. A fair few of them have been classified by the Council, so if you'd like to know, you'd have to go through them."

"I thought it odd," she says. "When I attempted to locate Caleb, that what few details I could glean were classified, and that I had to go through the Council in order to even find out he was alive. Of course, hearing his file was classified told me he was, but you get the idea of how secure information about him is. Is there any reason I can ask?"

Grant doesn't respond, and Jennifer shrugs, saying she doesn't know.

"Wow," Grant looks at me. "You blab it out to people left and right, but when your own mother asks, you don't?"

"Jennifer's my mother," I say. "Tabitha just got impregnated by a dragon without her knowledge or consent, or even contact with it."

"How did you-"

"Know that you got pregnant without the deed?" I ask. "My father's a dragon. Just accept it for what it is, especially since my familiars are a Rift Wolf, a phoenix, and a unicorn."

"Seriously?" She asks, and I nod. "What's next, a dragon?"

"And now he's going to get one," Grant groans.

"I'm sixty-three percent dragon," I say. "Do you really think I'd make one my familiar?"

"Yes," he says. "You would do exactly that, just to see if you could."

If this egg hatches, it's all yours.

Are you sitting on it?

I'm currently cuddling it. It's bedtime for me, so I'm nesting.

Please leave the group tap before you sleep, no one wants to hear you snoring.

That wasn't me, that was the dog you heard last time. Don't forget that I was awake during some of the snoring.

Some.

It was the dog. None of us snore.

"The voices?" Grant asks.

"They talk to me all the time," I tell him. "I try to tell them to go away, but they can't. I can't even tune them out. Sometimes, they hold entire conversations with themselves. I feel like I'm going crazy, when this happens."

Maybe you have gone crazy?

I have half a mind to throw the six of you into the Battle Board.

NOT AGAIN!

All six of them quiet down after yelling that.

"Did your eyes just flash violet?" Tabitha asks me.

"They do that when I use heavy magics," I say. "Though they also do it on occasion on their own."

"Which was it this time?" Grant asks.

"So did you have any questions for me?" I ask. "Grant wishes to know some stuff about a mission I've assigned myself, to do after training ends."

Tabitha nods, beginning to ask questions, and the four of us talk for over two hours. The tiger remains there the entire time, watching me. People look at it curiously, but no one does or says anything to it.

This is a town filled with Superhumans and magicians. Something like that isn't really out of the ordinary, and even if they felt unsafe by its presence, there are guards everywhere.

When Tabitha finally satisfies her curiosity, she asks if we would be able to meet again sometime, possibly with the family. I tell her that she'll need to get into touch with Grant and Jennifer, so that they can see if I'm available or on a mission, and go from there. Then, she leaves.

I thought she'd never leave!

Did you see the size of those boobs?

Man, Enchanters and Enchantresses are the luckiest guys and gals in the world. Natural looks, gifted where it counts, killer intelligence, and a magical charm that draws people in to them.

"Why is there a tiger staring at you?" Jennifer asks.

"One thing we've learned," Grant slides out of the booth to return to Jennifer's side. "Is to not ask questions, where Caleb's concerned."

"Yet you're about to do just that," I say.

"You're really upset about these biscuits, aren't you?"

"They were garlic and cheese biscuits."

Yes, I'm pouting. Deal with it. I really wanted to eat those.

Figured out who ate them, by the way. It was a guy named Eric Shawn. He ate your cookies, too.

Thanks, Tauiu.

No problem. Why didn't you ask me the first time?

"You really love those," Jennifer says.

"I finally figured out your recipe."

She stares at me.

"So what's the mission you've assigned yourself?" Grant asks. "How are you stopping another Calamity?"

"By disrupting their plans," I answer. "They're doing the same thing done two hundred and some years ago that began the Great Calamity in pursuit of personal power gain, for the same reason. I can stop it. The absolute latest that I'm able to do that without destroying the world would be right after training finishes."

That is, unless whatever happened to change the past didn't change the timeline set for that. Something is different, and it's bothering me.

And it's not the tiger.

That's Sammy.

"You're sure?" Grant asks.

"Mostly."

"I can authorize leave for you," he says. "Make it another mission. I'd just need details."

"I'm not at liberty to discuss them."

No one would approve a mission based on the word of a boy, even if he's the Sage's son and has proven himself to be far more knowledgeable than he shares. I'll need to track down Jeremy, see if he can tell me the proper timeline on this, since I cannot contact the Moon again.

All attempts fail, and even Nikvar fails to create a connection. It's frustrating me, but I can still sense his power. Now that I've awakened a fair bit, from how I was when training began, I can think with a calmer, more focused mind. Flex my powers in ways I couldn't before, sense things I could make neither heads nor tails of before.

All of that allows me to know the Moon is still around, his power is weak, and yet at the same time, I cannot sense his location, and nor can I contact him.

It's so frustrating.

I really, really, really want to feel his pure light on me again, that cool, comforting glow with his presence filling it. Only he and Kieran have ever made me feel truly safe, and Kieran…

I'm sorry, Caleb. I wasn't able to get there in time.

It wasn't your fault, Nikvar. You weren't aware that was happening, and was just doing what you normally do. There's a reason I don't really communicate with you six often. It sucks that I can't block you from my thoughts, after accidentally turning myself into a kid.

I still think it has to do with what you did to Alkran, rather than the reverting.

It's a shame I couldn't downgrade it from Ruins. Do any of you remember what I went in there for? I can't remember anything about my trip in there at all.

They all tell me they don't, as I hadn't told them and could block them out back then, so they weren't always hearing my thoughts and receiving my sensory input. If only we could figure it out. I checked my ring, too, and there's nothing in any of its dimensions.

Well, I didn't check the one, but I never stick anything in there.

I did find a random goblin in one of them. He called himself Bar and stuck to me. He claims we've met in the past, which only further confirms that someone screwed with the past. He claims that I had to kill Tommy, and when I did, I took his Gift into me, just like I did with the Elemental Quartet, giving the brothers' powers to the remaining two.

Yet I don't have Perception.

None of this makes any sense. Kilmar himself is confused, and my brothers have no idea what happened, or how it did. We don't remember everything, but we remember bits and pieces, and we are positive Teacher did something to cause the past to change.

But what? And how? The Dragons of Creation would never do something like that, there are too many things at risk. They're the only beings I know of with that power.

However, if Teacher was able to do that, then he likely found out about certain things. We got lucky with Mukura, but if he discovered Adam, too…

That would be a problem.

That's why they're seeking him out, instead of investigating how Teacher altered the past and made it the actual past.

"Caleb," Grant says, and I look at him. "You didn't hear a word of what I said, did you?"

"I heard you," I say. "I just wasn't paying attention. You taught me a few years ago that there's a difference between hearing and listening."

He takes a few moments to respond to that.

"What can you tell me about the mission?" He asks. "Other than that it's to stop a second Calamity?"

"The Moon needs my help," I tell him. "My team is also needed. I, alone, won't be powerful enough. I'll need my team."

Don't continue that line of thought. If Father is listening, he'd hear you say it.

I'm not an idiot, Nikvar. You know Father will be absurdly pissed if he discovers I'm planning on entering the Temple of the Dragon King as soon as it's available for me to enter. He'll do everything he can to stop me from entering there.

I really want to see if going in there will let me break these binds on my draconic nature. I already got set back in my level of power by that change in history. Some of the seals reformed during it, and a new one appeared.

Teacher is aware that these seals make me a little bit different, doesn't he? Things that can affect me without them cannot affect me with them. And he accidentally added another seal on me.

Unless he got scared I was going to be more powerful than him, and got a little nervous by having that much power in a boy. Then I can understand him doing that, and will need some choice words with him.

After I deal with the tiger.

"You tuned us out again, didn't you?" Grant asks.

"Just thinking about things," I tell him. "I'm doing something after I stop the next Calamity that's going to really upset Teacher."

"You're going to do something that upsets a dragon?" Jennifer asks. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"He'll get over it," I tell her. "Just like he's going to get over Mukura."

You knew I was listening in, didn't you?

Heya, Garis.

Garis is a falcon Teacher contracted as a familiar. An Aether Falcon. They're a rare species, and powerful, but not close to any of my familiars. Just old.

Who are you talking to, and why are you projecting it to me?

I have an audience. Now shoo, before I set you aflame.

As if you'd-kree!

Garis leaves.

Heh. Sweet little Caleb, setting aflame the familiars of one of the most powerful beings in existence. You're a brave one. He's gone, by the way.

I know.

"He's probably," I say. "Going to spend a little while wondering how much I've changed recently. I just set one of his familiars aflame for listening in on us."

They both stare at me.

"It's like I'm looking at a different person," Jennifer comments.

"Yeah," Grant says. "I have had that same reaction a few times since he started training."

"It's just a reminder," Jennifer smiles. "That all the boys and girls in my care grow up eventually. Caleb's the first I haven't seen the changes for as they happen, and it's so strange to me."

"Caleb's in the habit of freezing people who are annoying him," Grant says. "Not literally, just a simple halting spell, to make them stop moving until he's ready to deal with them. Or gone. He also runs people in circles when they try to get answers, or blatantly ignores questions. There was this one time-"

"Were you two wanting me for anything else?" I ask. "I'm supposed to be going to the skyport, to catch an airship. Actually, I've probably missed it already. I'll just catch another one, to meet up with everyone."

"I had them delay it by six hours," Grant says. "So you've still got about four hours before you need to be there."

"Thanks," I say. "Anything else?"

"No," he answers. "Thanks for meeting with us."

"See you," I slide out of the booth and leave.

The tiger follows me, and I lead it into an abandoned area nearby, then climb up onto a dumpster, sitting on it with my legs hanging over the edge. The tiger sits down, looking up at me.

"Hi, Sammy."

Caleb!

"How are you?"

I'm good! It's so good to see you again! I couldn't believe it, when I caught your scent! You've gotten so much bigger!

"So have you," I tell him. "You're a full-grown tiger, now. How come you're still in that form?"

You know why he is, why are you asking him that?

Shut up, Nikrav.

Just saying, since you can read his magics.

I'm sick, Caleb. I last longer in this form than in my normal form. I contracted estratis about five years ago. I've stuck to this tiger form for the last three years, to prolong my life. That, along cycling my aura, has really helped me.

"How did you survive the massacre?"

I'm not sure. I felt a power akin to yours, then found myself halfway across the world. It made my fur stand on end! It was like yours, but it also felt all scary! I was so scared! I've never been that scared before! Well, other than while we were all being eaten and killed, but I was growling and swiping left and right! And then suddenly, that feeling of power hit me, and I was so scared!

"That was probably me," I tell him. "Sorry. As you heard, I'm more dragon than human. When I flexed my powers back then, it was probably tapping into that draconic side. I can't do it at will, but have confirmed that it resulted in several of us surviving. Tommy survived, but he's dead, now. He tried to kill me. Jeremy's alive. He's in town, actually. Kieran was alive, but he got bested by a more powerful Perception."

Wasn't Jon the Perception?

"Yeah," I nod. "Apparently, when I saw Jon die, I flexed Reality in such a way that it fed his power into Kieran, giving Kieran all his power. Supposedly, I did that with Tommy, but I can't sense his legacy within me. I'm so glad you're alive, Sammy."

I won't be for long. I don't think I have more than a few months left. I'm really happy I got to see you again, though! You were always my favorite! Jeremy's alive?

"Yeah," I nod. "I've been avoiding going to him. He knows where I am, but hasn't come to talk to me, so he's probably as nervous to see me again as I am to see him again. Would you like me to take you to him?"

Yeah!

That doesn't surprise me, seeing how close they were before. They, like all of us, held a bond akin to brotherhood. They were a part of my crew, though. Them, Kieran, Jon, and a couple of others. Not many left of the tightest crew.

Caleb?

"Yeah?"

Um… I have something to ask you.

"Sure."

Can you shapeshift? I've heard you're a powerful magician, in addition to a Superhuman.

"No, I can't," I shake my head. "It's one of the few magics I can't access. Some of my powers are bound up, and while I can do most things, so long as I have the magic for it, shapeshifting magic isn't something that's normal for someone to possess. Until the six Ancient Seals on me are broken, I won't be able to shapeshift."

I'm not sure how many tigers you've talked to, Sammy drops his head, his ears flattening against his head. But estratis is really, really painful. It's awful, and I just want to escape. Then I remembered that I survived it, and thought that maybe others did, too… but it's so painful, Caleb. It's so painful, and it's hard to bear. I don't know if I can make it the next few months.

Sammy's crying, now.

It's so painful, Caleb. I'm so happy I found you, and I wanna see Jeremy again, too. It's a shame I can't meet Kieran again, I bet he was so cool.

"He was," I nod. "Had… something, something big not happened, I would've been here to protect him, I would've been able to stop him. The Perception's power wouldn't have worked on me, and I could've ended him. My Reality Marbles are absolute, and he wouldn't have been able to escape them or my notice."

Sammy and I are silent for several minutes, before he sighs, lying down with his head on his paws, his eyes closed.

Could you do it?

"Do what?" I ask.

Take my powers into yourself, Cay, he answers. It's so painful. Could you… could you end it, for me, and take my powers into you? I don't want to keep going like this. If you don't want to, I'll try to stick it out to the end. But it's so hard, Caleb, and I don't want to go through this pain anymore.

"You… want me to kill you?" I ask, and he starts sobbing.

It's just so hard, Caleb! It's so hard to live with this much pain! If I weren't able to take on a tiger's form, I wouldn't have ever contracted estratis, but because I'm a Transmuter who can turn into a tiger, I did! I was human when I contracted it, too! It's just so hard, Cay! It's so painful!

If I killed Tommy, it would have been out of necessity, survival. For Sammy… could I do that? Would I be able to? He's in so much pain, he's being honest with me.

"Do you want to meet Jeremy again, first?"

You will?

"I can try," I slide off the dumpster, crouching and putting a hand on his head. "But I'm not sure I can, especially since you're a good kitty."

Kitty?

"I don't like cats," I nod. "But kitties like you are okay."

I'm a tiger… oh, right. I'm used to other people. Do you have any doggies around?

"Kilmar."

Who? He asks as Kilmar materializes beside us from my summon. Um… that's a big doggy.

"Isn't he?" I ask, looking at Kilmar. "Do you know any cures for estratis?"

"No," Kilmar answers.

His voices sounds so strange, in my head.

"He's a good doggy."

"Rift Wolves aren't even mortal, Caleb. And you still call me a doggy."

"You're a doggy," I say. "Just like Sammy's a kitty."

I scratch behind Sammy's ears.

"You can go, Kilmar."

Kilmar huffs, but leaves.

The collective knowledge between my brothers and myself, and whatever this strange source of knowledge we have is, contains nothing about a cure for estratis, and examining how it works using my magical senses fails to give me any insight.

I've looked into estratis before, since I know you like tigers. I've yet to figure out a way to heal it.

I know, I just thought that maybe I could figure something out, after seeing it in person. This sucks.

"Would you like to see Jeremy again?" I ask.

I'd love to, Cay. I wanna see Jeremy again.

"Let's go," I stand and start walking, and he stands and follows me.

Forty-five minutes later, we arrive at a motel. I knock on the door, but there's no response.

It sounds like he's sleeping.

"He is," I say. "Just figured I'd see about knocking, first."

I open the door, letting Sammy in before entering, myself, then close the door.

Jeremy is sleeping on top of the covers in his boxers, his patch resting on the nightstand, along with several stacks of cards.

Aren't these the ones you made him? Sammy says from the nightstand, looking at one of the stacks.

I nod, surprised that Jeremy still has them. I walk over and look through them. They're old and faded, but still usable and in decent condition. He uses them for serious readings of the future, the ones he needs a lot of power for.

What was that for?

"What was what for?" I ask softly.

You just shifted, as if registering something. You used to do it all the time when we were little.

"Nothing to worry about."

I've send this happen a few times, a slight shift that isn't. Kieran likely noticed it a few times, but never said anything to me. It happens too fast for me to catch, almost as if it doesn't happen at all. The only thing I can really think of to cause that, I only know of one person alive in my life who would be able to, but he probably-

Well, Sammy and Jeremy are both still alive, Tommy used to be, Kieran used to be. I guess Todd could be, too, then. It would certain explain these shifts. I didn't have access to the level of magical senses that I do now back then, which would explain why I never felt this sensation then.

He's waking up.

I look over at Jeremy. Sammy's sitting by the bed, now, looking at him. When he wakes, he stares at us, looking completely confused, his body shrouding in aura and filling the room with as much as he can muster without damaging anything.

"Who are you?" He frowns. "And how can you resist my aura?"

"I've always been able to," I say. "So has Sammy here."

"Sammy?" He asks, then looks at the tiger. "Sammy," he looks back at me, looking me up and down. "Caleb!"

He launches himself at me, wrapping his arms around me in a hug.

"I'm sorry I haven't come talked to you," he says quietly. "I've wanted to so bad, but… it's hard."

"Yeah," I say. "Sammy misses you, too."

"Yeah," Jeremy releases me and looks at Sammy. "Why aren't you coming out of that form?"

It'll accelerate my death. In human form, I probably only have a few hours left. This way, I have a few months, I think. I don't want to risk having less time, or I'd turn back to human and hug.

Jeremy sits down and wraps his arms around Sammy, who then puts a paw over his shoulder and against his back.

"This works," Jeremy says. "How are you dying?"

"He has estratis," I explain, sitting on the other bed in the room. "Contracted it about five years ago, he said. Only found out I was alive today, and found me while I was meeting the woman who ran the orphanage I lived in after the massacre."

"I've missed you guys so much," Jeremy looks at me, releasing Sammy and sitting with his back against the bed, Sammy lying down and resting his head on Jeremy's lap. "So much."

"I've missed all of you," I say. "Sorry for not coming to visit sooner, Jere, I just…"

"I know," he sighs. "Same here. I've seen the others in your team, though only gave prophecies to Flame and Kieran. They're the only ones I actually talked with, though Brooks was there when I gave Flame his. Their prophecies kind of scared me. I was going to leave, but then wanted to talk to you about them. How are they?"

"They're okay," I say. "Flame, Brooks, and Jared are still training, though I know Brooks and Jared were called for the same training thing I was. Not sure what Flame's doing right now, since he's in the GMDF. If I tapped into my Passive Territory for a moment, I could find out. They're doing well."

"And Kieran?"

"Dead."

"What?" He asks. "Setting the impossibility of that aside, there isn't a reason in the world you'd kill him."

"I killed him?" I ask.

"The prophecy," he nods. "Each of your teammates will be killed by the person they love the most, and they will all be killed by the same person. It didn't show me who, but when I talked with Kieran, I got the sense that he loved you more than anyone. But even if you had killed him, there's no way he's had time for all the things I saw, when I did his reading. First off, I definitely saw him in the Temple of the Dragon King, and-"

"But he's dead," I say. "One of my brothers saw him die right in front of him."

"Who?"

"Biological," I say.

"Oh, the dragon boys."

"Yeah," I nod. "Nikvar saw him die right in front of him. Even said he… that's not right."

"What?" Jeremy asks.

"Kieran," I say. "Was more powerful with light than he was with shadows."

"Yeah, just like when we were younger," Jeremy puts a hand on Sammy's head, scratching behind his ears. "Why?"

"Nikvar, you're absolutely positive that," I say. "While he turned to his element in the way of the dragons who die, it was shadows he turned to?"

Positive.

"Dragons?" Jeremy asks.

Cay smells like dragons. I've smelled them before, up north. They mostly ignored me.

"I have draconic heritage," I nod. "So does the rest of my team, Kieran included. Certain types of dragons – particularly elemental ones – will turn to their elements when they died. Kieran did the same thing, only he turned to shadows. He should've turned to the one he was strongest with, even if he wasn't using his light powers very often."

We sit in silence at that.

What the hell happened to Kieran? He died before he should have, by someone who isn't the one to kill him, and faded into an element he shouldn't have. Setting aside whatever it was Teacher did, if Kieran was alive, I'd know for sure, and resurrection isn't possible, which means that the change to history didn't undo his death, and no one else did, either.

No one could have.

So what happened to Kieran?

Especially since he can't possibly have been in the Temple of the Dragon King. It isn't time for it to be available yet.

This doesn't make any sense.

There it is again, that sense. I was prepared for it, though, and caught a glimpse of the person doing it.

Todd's definitely alive, and he's in town.

"We-" Jeremy stops talking as I reach my hand out, and a moment later, someone appears in my grip, yelping. "What did you just do?"

"Magic," I answer. "I pulled him from where he was."

"Who the hell are you three?" Todd takes several steps away the moment I release his jacket. "I will…"

He frowns, looking between the three of us, then focusing on me, his gaze hateful as a spear of aura forms in his hand.

"How did you disconnect me from my Gift?"

"Magic," I answer. "Your aura is as powerful as ever, Todd. That's Sammy with his head on a lap. You can figure out who the two of us are yourself."

"What are you-" he cuts himself off, looking between Jeremy and me, his eyes flicking to the cards a few times before settling on Jeremy and his heterochromatic eyes, particularly the silver one.

Specials tend to have unusual eyes, either when using their Gift, like Todd and me, or at all times, like with Jeremy's silver eye.

"Jeremy," Todd relaxes, just a smidgen, but then looks at me. "But who are you?"

"Seriously?" Jeremy asks at the same time Sammy does.

"What?" Todd asks.

Jeremy stares at him with a 'you're an idiot' expression.

"Wait a second," Todd says. "I thought Gifted couldn't use magic? Especially powerful Gifted, such as Creators?"

"It's a bit more complicated than that," I tell him. "Are you really resorting to thieving?"

"I do what I must to survive," he says, his spear fading away. So glad he's not going to fight me. "I met one of your friends."

"You did?"

"Brooks."

"How did that go?"

"It didn't," he answers. "Someone fucked with time. Brooks and I never met, but I remember everything, for some reason. I was completely unaffected when it happened. It spanned several days, but it felt weird, seeing things just suddenly shift like that."

He's still on guard, even knowing it's us. What's he been through, to put him so on guard, even around people he considers brothers still?

Oh.

Oh, wow. That's… that's a lot.

"Are you in my head?" He looks at me.

"Why do you think that?"

"Your face," he and Jeremy both answer. "Your pupils always take on a slight tinge of violet to them, when you're sifting through someone's mind."

"It's barely perceptible," Jeremy says. "We only caught on to it at the academy because you did it so often. What was in his mind?"

"No!" Todd protests.

"I wasn't going to share the really bad stuff," I say. "That would be mean."

All three of them stare at me intently.

"What?"

"That's something you would do."

"Not to my brothers!"

Jeremy and Sammy laugh, and Todd smiles just a tad. I pat the bed next to me.

"Come on and sit down," I say. "It's been awhile since we've gathered. Most of us thought the others were dead. It'd be even funnier if there was a fifth in the city right now."

Actually, let me see if there is.

I tap into my Passive Territory, using my magic to filter through everyone within range, pushing it as far as it will expand to cover the entire city. I feel myself grin, and they all give me wondering looks.

"There are three more."

I reach out, grabbing and pulling one of them, throwing him onto the bed behind Jeremy. Then, before he can react, grab another, tossing him over my shoulder onto the bed I'm sitting on. Then, before either of them have reacted, reach out and grab the third, dropping him on the ground in front of me.

"The remaining members of the gang!" I tell them. "They're alive! If only Kieran, Jon, and Tommy were still around, we'd be a complete set!"

"Kieran, Jon, and Tommy?" The one on the ground looks up at me. "Caleb!"