Chapter 5

“Drenna’s son?” I heard the mage suddenly whisper. Then he looked at me harder to see something he’d missed. “My god!” He suddenly said. “I remember you when you were just a little one.” Lowering his head, I heard him say. “I’m so sorry about your mother and father. I only heard about it a month after they were gone. Had I known, I might have been able to have done something.”

I stared at the mage with an open mouth, though I wasn’t about to drop my defense; no, I knew better. I had done that with my only friend in school when he tried to take what he could from me. This, of course, seriously pissed me off. The end result was that he was dead, I was alive, and the entire council was now after me and Pops.

I looked hard at the mage before me. I could actually feel his power. Damn, how in the hell was I keeping him at bay. Shit, this one had serious power compared to almost any I had gone against or felt.

“You can release Toman. I know him; he’s ok.” I heard Pops say behind me.

“That’s all well and good, Pops, but I don’t. Hell, he might be a shifter wanting to do a power siphon on me. No, I think I’ll keep it up ‘til he proves who he is.” I told Pops.

“You’re very strong, stronger than I remember your father being at your age. If I wanted to, I could have easily reached you, young man. You can trust me.” The mage said as he moved forward to the edge of my shield.

“No, I don’t think you can, or you would have already!” I almost shouted at him.

The mage’s eyes narrowed as he started forward, waving his whole arm, then with a smile, he moved past my shield! Growling, I gestured toward him, watching as he was pushed back a few steps. The astonished look on his face made me feel smug for a moment, just a moment, and then he was moving forward again, though, as if he was in slow motion.

Growling, I felt like something within me opened like a door, and then he flew backward. Then he was pinned to a tree, struggling to get free. With a growl of his own, he broke free and flew toward me again. Ok, now I was pissed as I felt almost everything within me open up as the mage’s eyes went wide and he took to the ground.

(“ TOMAN! STOP! PLEASE!”) I heard in my head rather forcefully. Turning, I could only stare at the other end of the bubble. Naci was standing there, tears falling from her eyes. (“ Please, Toman, don’t hurt your father. I can feel he is pushing now. If he goes much more, he will be hurt!”)

With a sigh, I turned back to Naci’s father, nodding. I suddenly shut everything off. Falling to the ground, I could feel the almost endless power within me as I tried to close the door I had felt opening. I was breathing hard, and it was far harder to close than to open. A moment later, I felt a soft hand on my back, “Concentrate, Toman, feel it, feel the border, feel it shrink.”

Nodding, I looked within, feeling the opening-closing at a faster rate. Turning toward Naci, I thanked her, and then my mouth hung open. I could feel that her power was almost as high as mine! “You’re a wild magic user also?” I asked.

Naci looked at her father, who was getting off the ground but not happy. When he just shrugged, she looked back at me and nodded. “I am two hundred and fifty years old. I am a little young, but I would still be honored to be your wife, Toman.” Looking at the ground, she refused to look up, waiting for me to answer.

“Before I can answer that, Naci, tell me. Just how old do you think I am?” I asked as I was trying to see her face.

“As strong as you are, I thought you were at least four hundred fifty years old,” Naci told me honestly.

I looked at her, shocked, trying to hold it back. Finally, unable to do so any longer, I started to laugh and mistakenly looked at her again. The serious look on her face really got me laughing as I was falling to the ground.

Reaching out, she socked me in the arm, “I fail to see what’s so damned funny, Toman!” She shouted. Looking around, I saw that Tall Bear looked confused, though Pops was smiling from ear to ear.

Rubbing my arm, I finally stopped looking her in the eyes, “Naci, I am only two hundred years old!”

Looking first at me, then Pops, who was nodding yes, then her father, whose mouth was also hanging open. “One so young with that kind of power. Only my brother Merlin has ever been able to do what you did today! By all that is holy! No wonder the council is after you! You could decimate over half of them before they got to you. Given the chance, you could take them all with more training!”

Naci was also nodding, and then, suddenly, she reached out and laid into my arm again. “Ow! Damn it! What in the hell are you doing!” I shouted.

“That’s for nearly killing my father!” Then she punched me again,” That’s for not telling me! I know you can see my power even with all the dampening I have.” Then she punched me a third time! However, this time, it wasn’t hard at all. “That’s for making me fall in love with you after you saved my life! ARGH! I hate you!” With a growl, she turned and marched out of the bubble determinedly.

Pops was smiling as if he’d been given permission to do anything he wanted to do. Tall Bear was rolling his eyes as he was starting to chuckle. I just stood there watching her recede into the distance. I just shook my head; great, she hated me; I had almost killed her father. She thought I was always looking for the power of others no matter what. Plus, she started loving me after I saved her. What in the hell was I? I stopped, shaking my head. What!?

Tall Bear was helping Pops up as they both had huge grins. Then Pops nudged Tall Bear in the side, pointing to me. “Look, Mordaf, I think he’s just starting to realize what she said.”

“Indeed ah to be young again, knowing so little that one is almost an idiot.” Then they both started to laugh as the mage helped Pops to stand. “It appears, Reg, that your healing power has increased.”

Pops shook his head, pointing to me, “It was Toman. He only has to see once, and then he can do it also.” Pops said, a hint of pride in his voice. “He has shown a level of learning for a few days now. I suggest you be careful, Mordaf. He learns through watching.”

Mordaf’s mouth dropped open, “he has the third sight? Extraordinary! I know of only two others, and one of them takes far longer to learn watching than it appears Toman does. I assume you know of my oldest brother, Merlin?” When Pops nodded, Mordaf only nodded, “I figured you knew of him.” When Pops shook his head, no, Mordaf’s mouth dropped open. “Y ... you actually know my brother?”

“Know? Please! He’s the best friend I have ever had. He was the one to help me through the death of my daughter and her husband.’ Pops said, a tear escaping his eye.

“So Reg, you still don’t recognize me?” Mordaf said. When Pops shook his head no, the mage suddenly changed shape. As he started to regress in age, Pops’ mouth suddenly dropped open as he grabbed the other mage in a bear hug.

“MORDY!” Pops was yelling. “By the great power! I haven’t seen you in over a thousand years!” Mordaf nodded, then shifted quickly back to his original age. Looking over at me, he sighed. “So you can see power, Merlin could do that. I take it you can also shut them off?”

“Yes, I can. Though I don’t find it as pleasurable as others might.” Here, I looked at the blubbering idiot that was behind us. “I also find it distasteful wiping a mind,” I told both of them with disgust. “In his case, though, I have greatly favored both worlds.”

Mordaf was nodding when Pops said, “Ha, that’s nothing. Look at me. Can you tell me anything different?”

Mordaf extended his hand, passing it over Pops, and then HIS mouth hung open. “When in the hell did you develop the ability to feel the power levels of others.” He asked.

“I didn’t,” Pops said. “Toman did it.” Mordaf’s mouth dropped open as he looked at me. Then, even harder. “Good god, son, tell me, how much of my power am I presently able to use?”

I looked at Pops, and this didn’t feel like a good idea. (I’ll leave it up to you, Toman. I trust him with my life; we went to school together, though things were a lot different back then.) Came his thoughts.

“I don’t know you as well as Pops does, and the last time I told someone of my ability, they tried to power siphon me. I pushed back, feeling their heart stop and then explode. I just want to be left alone. unfortunately, I am afraid they will be after me even more after today. I’m not strong enough yet, almost, but not yet. So please forgive me if I am afraid that you might try to siphon me also.” Honestly, I told Mordaf, awaiting his answer to determine how far I could go.

Mordaf thought momentarily, then nodded, “I see your point. Forgive me; I won’t ask again. I just remember that brother could do something like I asked.”