Chapter 3

"Why is she staring at James the way she is?" Sandra asked.

"I did not know this was possible. She is bonding with James, I can feel it happening," Beth responded.

As Beth and Sandra stood watching a light formed above James' heart. It grew in intensity until it shot out as a beam. The beam connected the two hearts of the newly bonded pair. Unlike with Beth this new bond caused James to feel like he was being electrocuted. Electricity was running up and down his skin.

Beth had never seen this happen before. How could someone bond with more than one type of mage? Just who and what is this James? These questions were running through Beth's mind as she watched her bond mate. Or should she say bond mates? Now that James had started bonding with someone else, she didn't know whether or not she should be jealous?

All of a sudden the Griffin Mage fell to one knee, saying,

"My Lord, I pledge myself to your service, I have been waiting for you all my life."

James responded, saying "You are accepted into my service. Arise, and join your sister wife."

"It's been a long time Beth. I hope we can get along, as we both serve our Lord."

"It is my most humble wish for that to be the case, Samantha. Let me introduce you to our Lord. This is James and his mother Sandra. My Lord this is the Griffin Mage Samantha Caldwell."

"Please call me Sam, My Lord. Please come in and sit down? Too what do I owe this most magical occasion?"

"We have come because my mother is also a Griffin Mage, and needs someone to teach her how to cast your type of spells."

"Why have you not been trained before? And wouldn't you need training as well."

"It would be faster to explain if you read one of our minds," James said.

Sam got up, and walked across to where James was sitting. She leaned in and pressed her forehead to his. She was suddenly bombarded with information about things she that were totally unknown to her. She saw James in middle school getting picked on about his height. She also saw how sad not having a father had made him. She saw how he felt when he heard his mother crying at night.

"So! You and your mother are not from this dimension. How did you get here?"

"We don't know. We just sort of woke up in the middle of a field not far from here," James replied.

"We should take them to see the council in Argos city. The council should have a way of finding out how they got here. Or at least they should know about two untrained mages."

"I had already planned on taking them to see the council. We are just waiting until I can train James in some spells, first. I had a hunch that Sandra was brought for a reason. When I tested this theory, I discovered that she was a Griffin Mage, so we came here."

"So what do we do now?" Sam asked.

"First I would like for you to train my mother in spell craft for Griffin Mages. I would also like you to come with us, when we head for Argos."

"Based on what I saw when you two bonded, I think that you should try the Griffin Mage spells, too James" Beth said.

"You know that a single mage cannot use spells from more than one style," said Sam.

"I do. But I don't think that will apply to James. When you two bonded he was throwing off sparks like a Griffin Mage."

"How is that possible? He shouldn't have natural control over two elements," Sam said. (Most mages have to learn to control the other elements. Each mage type has one element where they are strongest.)

"I don't know, but we will figure it out, later. Right now we need to see if it is actually true. Do you have a practice room set up here?"

"Yes, I do a lot of spell research. So I need the space to work. Follow me and I will show you where it is."

As one the group got up and followed Sam. She led them to a door that looked like it went out the backside of the house. When they opened the door they found an area twice the size of the town. It looked like the hollow between two mountains. As they entered the room, James and his mother looked on in awe at the beauty of the scene before them. Looking out across the valley Sam turned to James and said.

"I'm going to give you a simple spell. Let's set up some targets, and see if you can cast it. We will use a spell that uses our natural element, which is lightning. The spell that I want you to cast, is the lightning strike spell. The words for it are fulgur percusserit," (Lightning strike in Latin)

"You need to focus on the target, and summon the lightning from deep inside you. Raise your hand and point at the target. If this works you should throw lightning from your hand."

James focused his thoughts on finding the lightning power inside him. No matter what he did he couldn't seem to feel it. Then he remembered, Beth said he was sparking during the second bonding. Focusing his thoughts on the bonding, James felt a spark of something new. Tracing this feeling back to the source, James found this new power. He grabbed a hold of the power he found there, brought it forward, repeated the spell, and released the power into the spell.

"Fulgur percusserit."

A bolt of lightning the size of his arm exploded from James. The group of women looked on as the bolt completely fried not only the target, but also the land-scape all around the target. Astonished Sam turns to James.

"You definitely have the natural ability for lightning! My goddess if this room wasn't here we would have to re-land scape the hill side." Tuning to Beth she said.

"Do you think he will be able to use the other elements as well?"

"I don't know. It is hard to imagine him getting any stronger, as it is. I don't know of anyone who has mastered all of the elements. We should probably test him to see if he can. Do you know any of the other languages needed for the spells?" Beth asked.

"I don't. But there are two mages in each town. So we should be able to find someone to teach him. Now why don't we see what Sandra can do?

"Now I'm going to give you the words to the spell that James used. I want you to try and cast it. You need to focus on the target, and release the power that resides inside of you. Bring forth the power. Say the words fulgur percusserit, and cast the spell."

Sandra walked over to the target area. She looked out at the targets. She focused on the one she chose. She reached deep within her, found the power residing there. She said the spell.

"Fulgur percusserit"

As soon as the words escaped her lips a bolt of lightning arched across to the target. This bolt wasn't as large as the one James had produced. It was just enough to destroy the target. When the spell was complete, Sandra felt as if she was being electrocuted. Seeing this Sam told her.

"That will happen when you master spells to the point of being able to use them at will."

"But this is not what I felt when I mastered a fire spell," stated James.

"For each type of mage, the sensation is different. It coincides with the element of the mage," Beth said.

"So what do we do now?" Sandra asked.

"Well we will give each of you a book of spells. For the next two weeks I want each of you to study the spells in the books. When we leave, we will take others with us so you can study them as well. When you need to practice the spell you can use either the room here, or the one at my house. We also need to pick up the clothes you ordered earlier," Beth said.

"You are more than welcome to stay here for the second half," Sam said.

"Thank you, but we already promised that we would be back to pick up the clothes today," James said.

"Well you could pick them up and return here. If you wished to do so it would be welcomed."

"Well it is closer to here than it is to my house. Also this way both of us would be able to spend time with James."

"Good, then it is settled. You three will go get the clothes. I will come with you as I will need clothes for traveling."

"You don't have to do that," James stated.

"I know, but I want to come with you on your trip. It is only right that we get to know each other. Seeing as we will be spending a very long time together, I think it would be wise."

They left the house and headed for Mildred's clothing shop. As they walked they talked about the preparations they would need to make for the trip. When they got to Mildred's shop they went inside. Upon seeing them Mildred said.

"I know you said that you would be back, but I didn't expect you to bring Sam with you."

"It is a long story, but Sam will be traveling with us for a while. She came to get some clothes for traveling," Beth said.

"I have the clothes you ordered earlier ready. I will need to get Sam's measurements so I can get started on her clothes. I assume you will want them to be ready when you come to pick up the rest."

"Yes, that will be fine," Sam said.

They spent a few more minutes talking to Mildred, and then decided it was time to head home. As they made their way back to Sam's house they came across a scene that appalled James. Two men were trying to rape a girl that looked no older that James.

James couldn't understand how something like this could happen out in the open. The biggest problem he has was nobody was doing anything to stop it. He turned to Beth and asked. "How come nobody is trying to save her?"

"People just don't feel they should be the ones to get involved," Beth said.

"I will not let them get away with this, even if they kill me I have to know I tried to help."