<html> <body> Metamor Keep: Divine Travails of Rats by Charles Matthias and Ryx Pars I: Disipicio (p) It was strange reading events in reverse order, but he had to find the moment when his sire confessed to his father Charlie's abilities. He knew that was where he would find the answers he sought to what he had seen. He passed over their time in Sondeshara and his sire's trial there, back through the journey by sea and their first stop in Whales and the gift of the mighty vessel whose model sat atop his father's desk. All the while his father made notes on Charlie's progress but no word on adopting him touched those pages. But eventually the voyage began and he found the entry where news of the trip first reached his father's ears. Charlie crouched a little lower as he sat cross-legged reading, one hand grabbing the middle of his tail and pulling at a scraggly hair growing out of it. Sixteenth of May in the year Seven-Hundred-and-Eight Cristos Reckoning, I did not expect to hear news from Charles Matthias so soon after leaving Glen Avery a few days ago. Nor was I expecting the remarkable request that he had a dragon deliver to me this afternoon. Naturally, I accepted. I have been planning to return to Pyralis ever since I left at the end of January, but I was not expecting to begin my journey so soon. But the opportunity is too good to pass up, and it allows me to watch over his eldest boy who has been singularly gifted as I am. My thoughts are confused, so I shall recount what happened from the beginning based on what I was told by the dragon Pharcellus. Earlier this morning Pharcellus, his half-brother Lindsey, and a Sondeckis named Jerome returned from Arabarb. They sought Charles out for the sake of Jerome who is suffering from some sort of beastly curse more monstrous than anything Nasoj inflicted on Metamor; I am not quite clear of the nature of that curse only that its progenitor escaped during recapture of Fjellvidden and the death of the loathsome Calephas and that they sought to transform Jerome into a monster as well. Pharcellus and Lindsey asked Charles if there was anything that could be done for Jerome. Apparently there is nothing Charles can do himself, but there might be something the Sondeckis in Sondeshara can do to help him. The very place that Charles had escaped from so many years ago he now intends to return to in order to aid his friend, and, as Pharcellus tells me, where he expects to face judgment from his clan for his betrayal nine years ago. But he will not be separated from his family again and so intends to bring them along, as well as his student in the Sondecki arts, Garigan. Because, undoubtedly, of my wealth and the ability I share with his eldest son, and no doubt because of our arrangement a few days ago, he has asked if I can join them and help secure sea passage for them down the Sathmore coast, through the Coral Basin, and to the coast of Sondeshara itself. I have never been to the Southlands and have long wondered what that land must be like. If that were my only advantage I would still say yes. But there are so many more reasons to go. I like Charles and will do what I can to protect him and his family along the way. Not to mention all of the contacts I will make on such a voyage which can only strengthen my hand in Pyralis for the years to come. And there is the matter of Charles's eldest, Charles II, though for a child of such simplicity and youth such a name seems far too pretentious. His abilities are already manifesting and he will need help if he is as strong in them as I am. Without another to guide him he could easily be driven to despair and misery, hurting himself and others and not knowing why. This I will not allow. I have already instructed Misanthe to prepare my things for a long journey. There is no point in asking whether she will accompany me or not as I already know that answer. I am indebted to her and fond of her in a way I had not expected but am grateful for. Tomorrow I will begin preparations in earnest. I fear this journey may take us all from Metamor for a year or more. There is much to do! I expect dreams tonight shall be very interesting. An arrangement between his sire and his father? His heart pounded in his chest and he had to steady his hands to keep from tearing the pages in his eagerness to turn them back. This was the first he had heard of such a thing and it had only been concluded a few days before! He read through each entry looking for more details, but the previous two days spoke nothing except tending to affairs in Metamor as he set up his house, hired servants, and played for private audiences. But the entry on the thirteenth, brief as it was, made his heart race even more. Thirteenth of May in the year Seven-Hundred-and-Eight Cristos Reckoning, I am still in shock over the events of last night. I cannot write them down. I do not think I can even speak of them again, for what I saw is simply too fantastic and personal. A deal, brokered and broken. Let it remain as such. I will say no more than that. Charlie ground his incisors together for a moment and lamented that he had not thought to bring one of his chewsticks with him. He took his belt off instead and chewed on the tough leather to work the tension from his incisors. Could the deal be the arrangement that his father had written of only a few days later? The belt pinned tightly between his teeth, he flipped the page. Eleventh of May in the year Seven-Hundred-and-Eight Cristos Reckoning, My visit to Glen Avery has been a pleasant distraction and an agreeable escape from the ever busy court life at Metamor. I have greatly enjoyed my time with Murikeer who is ever eager to show me the new home that the Baron of the Glen has given him in repayment for his numerous services to this woodland realm. He even used his illusions to show me what he will make of his new home and I am impressed with his imagination and ambition. I will be sure to send him some help to bring his vision to life in the months ahead. Perhaps we can find an excuse to bring Elvmere here as well to give him a much needed respite from his cloistered Temple life. I'm sure Murikeer will be happy to show him the wonders of Artela's domain, though I suspect with his bookish ways he is destined to belong to Samekkh. Not much more to add that I did not mention yesterday about life in the Glen. The only thing worth noting is the request that Sir Charles Matthias made of me. It seems that his youngest son died while he was away to the south last year. Murikeer must have mentioned to him about how I once helped to bring Llyn back to him for one night because he has asked for the same thing. He wants to be able to say goodbye. I cannot blame him for his desire but I have warned him that there would be a high price to pay. We will learn tomorrow night what that price will be. Charlie sighed heavily and took his belt from between his teeth. That must have been what the deal was about. But why was his father's entry for the thirteenth so cryptic? What had happened the night of the twelfth? And where was the entry for the twelfth? He flipped the pages back and forth a few times, rubbing them between his fingers to see if there were two pages stuck together but to no avail. His father must not have written anything for that night. With a sigh he closed the journal and returned it to its shelf. Sixteen years ago something had happened between his father and his sire. But if it had anything to do with his adoption he still didn't know. Charlie left his father's study before his curiosity drove him to peruse any other papers. He still had his own duties for the day and this time he would not be late. There would be time to discover more later. ---------- May He bless you and keep you in His grace and love, Charles Matthias </body> </html>