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Ketala, Ardnius, and Kodri sat away from the fire, gathered around So'qure. The elder sighed. "Some teacher I am. This is the first time I've actually sat down with just you three."

"It isn't your fault. I mean, we are caught in the middle of a conflict." Kodri replied.

"Where did…your last teacher leave off?" He asked quietly.

'She was in the midst of teaching us about rare herbs and their properties, as well as where to find them and what to look for.' Ardnius answered.

So'qure nodded. "A very important lesson. Especially for potion brewing. Unfortunately, we don't have the necessary time for those lessons." He rubbed his chin. "Combat is already adequate, but your still a bit sloppy. Fortunately, we can work on that while on the move. What level did you reach in terms of magic?"

'We made it to the final circle.' Ketala answered. 'But we never got…the…chance…' She broke off.

So'qure squeezed her shoulder. "Don't hold it in." He looked at the other two. "Never hold it in. Grieve for those we have lost. Bottling it in will only cause the wounds to fester, not heal. Even I still shed tears. I lost many good students. As well as family of my own."

Ardnius smirked. 'With all due respect, I don't think it wise for me to just let it all out.'

So'qure laughed. "Yes, I daresay you're right!" His eyes glimmered with excitement. "But just think of what you could do. Such power, unleashed, it could crumble a mountain to dust!" His expression grew grim and serious. "Or you could destroy civilization as we know it." He gazed around their little circle. "You three hold that kind of power. For good or ill, you three hold the power to shape the world as you see fit. The day is coming when your powers will awaken fully. And I want you to be ready for it. Now, let's begin."

Switch smirked as reentered the camp, carrying what appeared to be a large sapling, and a few branches. Eyil and Amora frowned at him, puzzled, from where they were cuddling by the fire. They watched as he took one of his daggers from his cloak and began to whittle on the sapling. "What are you doing?"

Switch smiled, not looking up from his work. "Making a bow. So'qure requested it for Ketala. Said that though magic was good to know, it wouldn't hurt to have something to fall back on. And I completely agree with him."

Eyil eyed the soon-to-be-bow. "Your good with those knives of yours."

"Knives, swords, halberds, axes, shields, bow and arrows, staff, to name a few. However, I prefer knives. And sword. I learned the art of the bow from a dear friend of mine, long ago." He replied. "But these knives, are very special to me. Made them myself."

Amora chuckled. "You are the living definition of a wizard."

Switch smiled at her. "I was born with a greater aptitude for magic. Been learning ever since." His face fell, turning back to his work. "And I've paid every price."

The wolf's ears drooped. "I'm sorry. I didn't intend to bring up anything unpleasant."

"Nonsense." He replied. "No matter how powerful you may be, or become, there will always be consequences to your actions, and in terms of magic, a price. It's the path I chose, and it's the path I walk."

"What you told them in Hanar…it really was a warning wasn't it?" She asked quietly.

Switch shrugged. "Not really, but if you wish to take it as one, you're welcome to it. It was more of a fact."

Eyil frowned. "But how? As far as I know…"

"Tracking spell. But I already took the initiative to cancel it out." The wizard replied.

Amora stared at him. "So…she knew where I was…all this time?"

"More or less. Although in this case, I'd say more." Switch replied, taking several types of string from his cloak. He held them up to the firelight, examining them. Nodding, he left one out and tucked the rest back into the folds of his cloak.

"Where does it all go?" Amora wondered aloud.

"Oh, here and there." Switch chuckled. His expression changed. "Someone dear to me gave me this cloak. But that was a different time, and we were different people." He stretched out the string and strung the newly made bow. He stood and drew the string all the way back, then carefully released the tension. He nodded in satisfaction. "Yes, that'll do very nicely." There was a sound like a scream, and a brilliant ball of light came shooting towards them. Switch casually threw out a hand and caught it. The dragons came running over.

'Is everyone…' Ketala began, but Switch cut off her off.

"Hmm, perfectly stable. Nicely formed." He pointed to several points of the sphere. "Might want to check pronunciation. Any inconsistency would cause flaws. Flaws that could take a simple light sphere like this, " he chucked it at a boulder far off to his left, "explode like that." He finished as the boulder vanished in explosive light. He rubbed his chin. "Not bad really. Might come in handy at some point. So'qure?" He asked.

The elder dragonborn chuckled and nodded. "Why don't you show them how it's done?"

Switch smiled. "My pleasure." He held his hands directly before his chest, one on top of the other, palms facing each other. Energy swirled about in a spherical pattern between his palms. He threw them above his head, flinging his hands apart. The sphere shot into the sky and ignited into a brilliant, shining ball of light. Raising his right palm, the sphere gently lowered down until it hovered an inch above his palm. He held it out to Ketala, who raised a palm to take it.

'It's so bright…why doesn't it harm our eyes?' She asked.

"Because what you hold in your palm is light from the Currents themselves." He smiled.

Her eyes widened. Her brother and Ardnius stepped closer, as Amora and Eyil approached. Amora blinked back tears. "It's so…soothing."

Switch sat back down and began work whittling on the branches. Reaching into his cloak, he pulled out a few feathers. The feathers were large and multicolored. So'qure's eyes widened when he glanced at them. "Those feathers….they're…they're amphithere feathers…."

Switch looked up in surprise. "You know of the amphithere?"

So'qure nodded. "In my travels, when I was younger, I once saw one." He stared into the sphere, reaching out to it. "I've never seen anything so majestic…so…free."

Switch finished the last arrow and yawned. Taking a leather quiver, he carefully placed the arrows within it. He picked up the now unstrung bow, and he handed them all to Ketala. Fortunately, she had handed the sphere to Ardnius, and she took the bundle with surprise. 'Thank you…' She glanced at So'qure.

The mage looked it over with admiration. "You made this in just an hour?"

Switch yawned again. "I'm wiped. See you in the morning." He turned and headed to a spot just outside the firelight.

As they settled in for the night, Kodri went and sat next to Ardnius, who was taking first watch. "I've been thinking."

Ardnius raised an eyebrow, despite the fact that Kodri wouldn't see it. 'Oh?'

"About Jerome." Kodri continued. He sensed his friend stiffen, and glance the swirl of emotion run through his aura. "Something doesn't quite…add up."

'I think I've been thinking over the same thing. Was the trap set for us, or was it set for So'qure?'

"Exactly. We're young, still developing our powers and abilities. So'qure is old and experienced. Were the Slayers just using us to draw him out?"

'I'm not sure. However, I do not believe that they fully knew the extent of what we are. I mean…'

"Yes. We are destined to be the Triumvirate. The Three. Nations will fear us. People will revere us." He shook his head. "I even have trouble believing. How can anyone expect us to live up to such a thing? We are called to be the best. The wisest. The strongest. How can we possibly hope to achieve it?"

'Simple. We be ourselves. We respect the laws of those around us. We help people, wherever and however we can. At the same time, we live separate from them. Unafraid to do what they fear to do themselves. It isn't about reverence, fear, or respect. It's about us following our dreams: a better world.'

Kodri chuckled and shook his head. "Ah, of course. Lead by example. Carry out an action, and others will be inspired to follow." His smile faded. "So do we really intend to defy the Council?"

'A bit late for that.' Ardnius chuckled now. 'We sent the grand master of the Slayers running like dog with its tale between its legs. Still….I can't help but wonder…'

"…what Jerome's true intentions are? I agree. He taught us everything he knew. How to fight. How to be strong. But why do that if he was simply going to turn on us?"

Ardnius shrugged and pulled his broadsword into his lap, checking its edge. 'Only time can answer that question. Good or ill, we will wait and see.' He glanced back and smiled. 'In the meantime, let's just worry about our current mission.'

"You're not scared that a powerful sorceress is chasing us?"

'Why should I be? We have Switch.'

"I don't trust Switch! His aura is too shifty; I can never get a clear reading! I can't tell a thing about him! And have you talked to Ketala about him? I have. She is just as confused. The elements seem to swirl about him, but they don't every say anything about him."

'He's not just a wizard.' Ardnius said. 'He holds himself like a warrior, and at times, speaks like a sage. He confuses us all. But I believe he means us no harm. He may have his own agendas, but I can't help but feel that he can be trusted, at least partially. He's certainly no friend of the sorceress.'

"The enemy of my enemy is my friend." Kodri sighed. "Fine. I may not trust him, but I trust you and Ketala. She mostly said the same thing, you know."

Ardnius glanced at his friend. 'If she agrees with me, then I'll stick with it.'

The blind man turned. "You'd change your standpoint if she said otherwise?"

Ardnius frowned. 'And you wouldn't?'

Kodri stiffened, but finally nodded. "Point made and taken. I often don't fully think through my sister's power."

'I don't think any of us do, yet. And she doesn't always speak what she knows. She keeps things from us, but I know she means well.' Ardnius replied.

Kodri frowned. "You think that she should tell us everything she knows?"

Ardnius sighed. 'Ignorance is bliss. Sometimes not knowing is better than knowing.'

Kodri nodded and yawned. "I'm going to get some sleep. Who knows what So'qure will throw at us tomorrow."