Chapter 43

Dusty and James inspected the room.

It was homey, and it was obvious that some of the decorations had a woman’s touch. While it was clean and tidy, something suggested that the room wasn’t used often.

The man came back into view but stood in the doorway to the other room. He seemed to be debating something, but he stayed silent. The whistle of steam said the water was ready, and he turned back into the kitchen.

He came back several minutes later carrying a tray with a battered, well-loved teapot, three mismatched cups, a bowl containing honey and a small jug of cream. He placed the tray on the table between them.

“Sorry, I don’t know how you like your tea or even if you like our tea. Please help yourselves if you wish to try it.”

He poured tea into his own cup and placed the pot so Dusty could take it next. Dusty sniffed near the steam and then filled hers and then James’ cup. They both tasted the hot liquid before deciding what was required to make it to their taste.

They generally drank their tea black, and they both happily took another sip of the beverage they had been served and settled back into the lounge.

“Very nice. I’ll have to see if we can purchase some before we leave, Dusty,” James said happily and took another sip.

The other man frowned. “Dusty? That is an odd name, even for a wizard.”

Dusty chuckled, “My dad says that I’m good at getting into dust-ups, so I was well named. That’s a fight where we are from. My mother said that I was born with a cloud of red-dust hair and brown-dust skin, so she called me Dusty.”

The man nodded. “I see. To be honest, I think it suits you. Your colouring is unique and very appealing. If you were to remain here, I know of several people who would desire to get closer to you. Your husband is also striking. Gail said that I would know you two as soon as I set eyes on you both.”

James nodded, “Gail was worried that we were asking questions about your magical ability, I take it, Demetri.”

Somehow, he wasn’t surprised that James had guessed his name. “So, what do you know about us?” Demetri asked.

“Very little. My guess is that the races that came here were Shifters, Grandteli and Genteli,” James replied.

Demetri nodded. He was surprised that they knew as much as that.

Dusty then said, “You do know that you are not alone, don’t you? We know of three other planets where your people made it to, in this arm of the galaxy. The one we come from was one of them, but there were also other races of people on our planet. We call it Earth.”

“Some of the people of your ancestor’s races were absorbed into the local races over the tens of thousands of years they interacted. Some who tried to stay pure were able to leave, and they went to another planet.”

“People from our planet found them again recently, but they had no wizards. They now have a Queen and several Lord Wizards and live on two planets in their star system. They called the first planet, Utopia and the second, Harmony.”

“Another planet was also found when a man from Earth accidentally ended up on it. He is now a Regent Wizard, but we don’t know how to contact them. A man he met came through a portal, but he ended up on Harmony, not Earth.”

“Some of our people have a fear of magical beings. People like James and I are not common on Earth. Queen Lee says that we are throw-backs like her and Regent Storm.”

Demetri absorbed this information before saying, “We have been here about eight hundred of the local years. A year here is about three-quarters of a year on the ancestors’ planet. Our history books say that the ship that landed here had people who were escaping a catastrophe.”

“One of the six planets of the Keltrians had been scorched. The Empresses tried to split the two red suns from the small blue one that was going to blow up. One of the suns and its planets did indeed shift through time and space.”

“I read that they were far enough away that the blue sun wouldn’t damage that system anymore. Unfortunately, the two habitable planets that were left behind were still in great danger. Our ancestors come from the planet called Tri.”

“The people fled by any means they could find. Only five hundred people on their ship lived to arrive here. They were lucky in that this planet had been seeded with many of the popular plants from home and some of the animals.”

“They had brought the means to regenerate livestock, but from the accounts I have read, they were very lean years until they could live off the land and the livestock they raised. More people died during this time.”

“Our people don’t generally have a lot of children because of our long lives and the fact that the home planets had restrictions. It was hard for the people who arrived to have as many children as they could.”

“Those without magical items can easily live two hundred of the rotations of this planet. Those with them can live two or three times that if they wish. Unfortunately, we had few magical items to claim.”

“We have had to rely on those strong enough to use the abilities that they were born with. Those who were able to claim one of the twenty-one sacred items became our ruling class.”