“Sanka has been with me since the beginning. He’s a better warrior than I am and he is best suited for training with the crystal,” Britt paused. She focused on Max, “And I’ll volunteer Max as well.”
Anders raised his eyebrows and Max said “Britt?”
“That’s an order,” Britt swiftly silenced him. “Kirsten was right in thinking I wanted this assignment for myself, but after learning that I am not suited to use its power, I want you to be there in my place.”
Max nodded respectfully.
“Alright then,” Anders said, stuffing the crystal back into his pocket. “Tell Sanka to meet us outside the Brookside Inn in half an hour. Do you know where that is?”
Britt nodded and again looked at Max as she responded, “Oh, I know where it is. I know all too well.”
“Great,” Anders replied. He nodded to Britt and said, “Kirsten, Max and Evans, follow me.”
As he led them off the ship and onto the dock, he heard Max say to Evans, “I hope you know what you’re getting into. If Tony finds out…”
“He won’t find out,” Evans responded.
Anders led them through the crowd, hoping what he was doing would be for the betterment of their army and would not further divide it. Working their way through the street where people bustled purposefully, he stopped in front of the Brookside Inn. “You three wait for Sanka. I’ll be right back.”
“Where are you going?” Kirsten called to him.
Dashing away, he called over his shoulder, “I’ll be right back.”
Anders jogged to the home where Thomas had been staying. Once on the stoop, he opened the door. To his surprise, Thomas was asleep on the couch.
At the sound of Anders’ entry, Thomas sat up holding the poudrettite crystal out in front of him. Still half asleep, he shouted, “Back! Get back!”
“Thomas, wake up!” Anders said.
“What?! Why are you here? Is something wrong?” Thomas asked, looking beyond Anders out the open door.
“No, Thomas. I need you to come with me.”
Thomas stretched and rubbed a fist into his eye, “What time is it?”
“Nearly noon,” Anders said.
Thomas’ eyes widened, “I didn’t think I would get that much rest, after...” he trailed off.
“Great, you are rested, as am I. Now come with me. I have to show you something,” Anders said, handing Thomas his wool jacket.
Thomas grabbed the coat and put it on as he followed Anders out the door, “Where are we going?”
“To teach you how to fight,” Anders responded as he stepped out into the street.
***
Anders placed two of the crystals on the grove’s forested floor. He glanced to Zahara, who lay with her neck stretched out on the ground in front of her, her eyes droopy and closing. Looking over his small gathering of recruits, he spoke clearly, “Now, I’m aware you all know why you’re here, but I’ll just state it again for formality’s sake. A powerful sorcerer is leading an army of evil and magical creatures toward us and I want you to know how to use magic to defend yourselves. Most of you have seen crystals similar to those I have here. These crystals are special because they allow a non-bonded person to tap the energy stored inside them if the people know how. It’s not a direct use of magic, per se, but it offers you a tool for its use. I have seen one of you tap into a crystal’s energy stores and release them, but my goal is to instruct you to use this tool as well as any other weapon you might gain access to.” Anders noticed that Kirsten was grinning, so he decided to call her out, “Kirsten, can you describe to the others how you were able to use the magic inside the inhabitance crystal?”
Kirsten’s smile shrank. She stood in silence thinking for several moments, then answered, “It, kind of just happened. It’s hard to explain because when I used it last, I kind of blacked out.”
Thinking of how others described her actions in the battle and how she had fought with so much vigor, Anders felt a tinge of worry, I hope she isn’t like me and has trouble controlling her urges to use power.
“Why wouldn’t it work for some of us who’ve tried?” Max asked, looking at the crystal on the ground before them.
“I don’t know?” Anders answered truthfully. “In your case, it could be that because goblins have some access to primitive forms of magic, they require a higher level or purer form of power to be affected.”
“In my case maybe, but what about Britt’s?” Max asked. “She tried to use the crystal in the same way Kirsten had used it, but nothing happened.”
“Could be because she has the right genetics,” Evans said, pointing at Kirsten. “Her cousin is a dragonrider, so they share some of the same DNA.”
Anders shook his head, “I don’t think it works like that. A dragon can choose to bond with anyone, regardless of their family history.”
“It could be because you had the pink sapphire and that one responded to you while you were wearing it?” Thomas said.
“Or the goblin venom changed your chemical make-up and made your body more in tune with magic? Like Anders said, the goblin is a magical being, it could have imparted some of itself into you?” Evans suggested, speaking to Kirsten.
“But that can’t be the reason,” Kirsten said looking back at Evans. “Because I used the crystal before I was bitten as well. Maybe Thomas was right and it’s the sapphire I found in our mother’s things that acts as the conduit. I did have both on me each time I used the crystal’s power.”
“You don’t have it on you now,” Anders said to Kirsten. “Pick up one of the crystals and try to light that branch on fire.”
She looked at the lowest branch on the tree Anders was pointing at, then glanced at Thomas. Thomas nodded and her face tightened. Kirsten stepped forward and reached down to carefully grasp the blue-hued crystal from among the dead leaves matting the forest floor. As she gripped the crystal tightly, it began to glow more brightly in her palm. A half a breath later the entire tree Anders had been pointing at went up in flames. Kirsten jumped back in alarm.
Anders extinguished the tree with his magic and grinned. Facing Kirsten, he said, “Good! That’s a great start. And now we know that it wasn’t the poudrettite crystal that allowed you to wield this crystal’s magic.” He looked to the others and asked, “Who’s next?”
After a moment’s hesitation, Max stepped forward. He bent down and grabbed a second crystal from the ground. Rolling it in his palm, he eyed Anders. Anders nodded, showing Max he was there to support him. While Max readied himself to use the crystal, Anders wondered why it didn’t work for Britt and why it did for Kirsten? He hoped Max would get it on his first try so Anders wouldn’t have to try to explain something he knew little about. When he’d used the crystals’ powers before, it was just as Kirsten explained. It just worked when he tried; he honestly didn’t know why. Zorna had told him about the ancient language, and though that was helpful in using magic, he didn’t know it well enough to teach.
That’s what I’m here for, Tarron’s voice said into his thoughts.
