Chapter 2

I shook my head at Naci but still had difficulty accepting that he was a SHE! The whole time, I had thought she was a young teen boy. Then what she had said hit me, MARRIED! What in the hell was she talking about?!

“What in the hell do you mean you are pledged to marry me when you are of age?! I made no such damn pledge! I have half a mind to--” At that moment, I noticed that Naci was starting to cry. Ah, crap, that’s all I need, a weepy female! “What in the hell is wrong!” I almost shouted, my frustration getting the best of me. This, of course, made Naci cringe and withdraw away from me.

“You do not wish to be pledged to me? Do you want to dishonor my father and me like this? I would be subjected to being a mahila ka upayog, bekaar!” She was whispering with a look of horror on her face. “You save my life in such a brave fashion only to reject me. To condemn me to becoming a mahila ka upayog, bekaar.”

Tears were starting to fall faster from her eyes as I was really feeling like shit now. “You misunderstand!” I cried. “I don’t want to make you whatever you just said. I am grateful for your friendship, but I don’t want to be forced to marry you!”

Naci could only stare at me as if I had lost my mind. “Marriage is the most fulfilling thing a human can do! Why are you so against it? You really do want me to be put into a life of being a mahila ka upayog, bekaar!”

“First off, I don’t understand what that is, second--” I started.

In a rush, she angrily shouted, “It is a woman to be used only! By anyone that wishes to! A worthless one! Only good for the pleasure of ALL others. Being the Chief’s daughter, it would be far harder for me. Many would be far more cruel than normal. Many hate father and would take much of that hatred out upon me. Father wouldn’t be able to do anything. Please, Toman!” Naci was begging at my feet. “Please do not make me live that hell!”

Sighing, I knew I was beat even before I started. “Alright, I’ll accept you, though I will not like it in the least!”

Naci’s eyes opened wide as she stared at me. “You are an unused one also!” Bowing low, she stated in a low voice. “I am honored to be your first. What we will give each other goes far beyond any words that can be spoken. I must go,” bowing low to me, she continued, “Toman the fearless.” Then she was gone.

Sighing, I could only shake my head. (So I see you finally found out!) I heard my Pops’ thoughts. (No, I will not reveal that she was there, though she shouldn’t have been. As I said, we must develop our power, always respecting their customs and traditions. I know, I know. I tried to dissuade Tall Bear from this, though I felt that he would have been severely insulted had I pursued it more than I did. By the great divine boy! Here only a few days, and already you are a hero, AND you damn near died!)

(It’s not like I did this on purpose Pops!) I thought back. (Like everything else, it happened! It’s always like this, almost like I am cursed or hexed!)

Pops was quiet for a few moments, then responded. (You may be right, boy. I’ll have to look into it!)

Shaking my head, I couldn’t believe what in the hell was going on. I was pledged to be married to the Chief’s daughter. I had almost been killed by a giant furry animal with claws larger than my hands. I was being hunted by the council, who had issued a death sentence on me ... I was forced to run from my dimension. Oh yeah! Did I mention that I also, for the moment, had two powers? Again, I shook my head. Yeah, I was screwed.

I arose and walked out of the conical hut; I still had trouble remembering its name. I started to walk around looking for my grandfather. Asking a passing male, they grunted, looking me up and down with disgust. Then, they pointed toward a clearing.

Entering the clearing, Pops was hard at work, doing something. Hell, I had absolutely no idea what he was up to. I walked further into the clearing expecting him to say something, but he didn’t ‘til I was almost even with him.

“I thought I said that no one was-- Ah! It’s you, Toman. I am over half done with the bubble. In another few days, we should be able to start on your training.” Pops told me.

I nodded, and then I realized that Pops hadn’t been able to feel me! My god, I thought. Was he using all of his power to create this? Then again, when I first entered the clearing, it hadn’t felt like Pops. So that was what he meant about changing the signature of a person’s power! It also might explain why he hadn’t smacked me around for a bit.

I was flying across the clearing, stopping just short of a tree. Damn! Forgot he could hear me when I was close, no matter what. Sighing, he appeared next to me. “I swear you are going to be the absolute death of me! I love you to death, boy, though this will kill us both. You need to start building your confidence damn quick! You think the others here will just let you walk on them?”

My eyes got wide as I realized what he meant. “So that’s why they were so disgusted by me! I am nothing to them except for the one deed. Though to many of them, it is just that one deed.” I said more to myself than Pops.

Pops’ eyes got wide for a moment, and then he nodded. “So you are using what is in your head for more than something to put a hat on! You might survive then, might!” Pops said, and then he smiled at me. “I will try to teach you as soon as I can. For now, try not to get attacked by a bear again!”

“Bear? So that’s what that furry animal was called.” I said to myself.

“Best you remember that. There are other creatures out there that are not as large but just as deadly. There is another family of animals.” Pops showed me pictures of other furry, smaller but far faster animals. They had long claws, pointed rather than round ears, and growled higher than the bear. It appeared they also hissed. Pops said some were called bobcats, and others, larger ones, were cougars. There was also one like the cougar called a panther.

I shook my head at all the images, good god! It seemed as if it was far more dangerous here than in the magic dimension! I spoke up and told Pops so. He sighed, trying to explain to me that this was life. As with the magic world, there was an order of the strongest to the weakest. Right now, he went on, I was at the very far end, the weaker end. Merlin, on the other hand, was almost at the complete opposite end.

“You mean to tell me Merlin is as strong as I am weak?” I asked Pops.

“Yes, I think you might be able to reasonably say that,” Pops said nonchalantly.

Again, I could only stare at Pops as if he was crazy. I knew that Pops was what was called an average magic user. I thought about it briefly, and then my mouth dropped open! “You are an average magic user, and Merlin was your friend? Merlin is an elite magic user? I thought all elites put their selves above all others?”

Pops’ face suddenly twisted in a mask of rage. “No! The fact that a FEW elite users are that way doesn’t signify that ALL elite users are that way! As A matter of fact, there are only about ten I have ever heard of being that way. I’m afraid that Morgan Le Fay was the worst of the elites that felt that way.”

I started to tremble, but no one in the magic dimension hadn’t heard of her. A long-time bitter enemy of Merlin, I was about to say so when I saw that Pops was shaking his head no. “No? It has been known for years that she was a--” Again, Pops was shaking his head.

“Morgan Le Fay was much like you when she came to Merlin to learn,” Pops related. “As I remember it, I met him not long after that, as you about, drove him to madness with her questions.” Pops looked at me and smirked, “Quite a lot like you are now. She was almost the same level as you are now. Though the council wasn’t riddled by absolute power seekers and fools back then!” Pops’ mask of rage quickly returned. “I intend for you to survive, to find out all that has been done to our family.”

I looked at Pops’ face and took a few steps back. I had no power at the moment; I really didn’t want to get burned by him if he lost control, even for a moment. Pops sensed this and was powering down immediately. “Sorry, Pops, without any power, I feel far more helpless than I was when I was in bed.”

“I’m sorry, Toman. It angers me that no one has been able to prove all they have done to extinguish our family. I want to make sure that you have a chance to correct all the wrongs you have done to us. If nothing else, let the entire magic world know everything they have done.” I looked closer at Pops; there was more going on here than met the eyes. Though I knew getting anything out of Pops was worse than pulling teeth.

Pops sent me back to our house, hut? Hell, I was still unsure of what it was. I’d barely made the inside when the weakness hit me again. Laying down, I was out in no time.

It had to be a few hours later when I jerked awake. Something was wrong, though I couldn’t put my finger on it for my life. Walking through the opening, I saw several males heading into the forest. Following against my better judgment, I ran as fast as I could, barely keeping the group in sight. A few minutes later, I slowed, as did the group, standing in a circle around two other brown-skinned young males.