"So," Pyria wondered aloud to Auhek. "If this place warps your sense of direction, why should we trust you to lead us?"

Auhek drew an object out of his pack. It was a bone, pure white and dry as the desert. It was a thigh bone. Whether it was from prey or dragon, Fennyr could not tell. 

The femur was carved with many markings and strange runes. Arrows were covering it pointing every way imaginable. 

"This is a freyraq." Auhek smiled proudly. "It'll show us the way to Lok'shire."

Otner leaned forward to look closer at the freyraq. "How is this possible? I've never seen anything like it."

"I've heard of the frayraq."Grali's interest in the strange item instantly doubled at the sound of it's name. "It's said to be extremely rare. The only way you could obtain one is to have it cursed especially for you by a Na'phyn." 

Na'phyn were witchcraft users, said to be makers of potions and summoners of demons.

"And since my father got it from a Na'phyn, and I share his blood, I can use it." Auhek announced.

"How did your father get this?" Grali asked curiously. 

"Well, it's a funny story actually. I was about four or five when-"

"We can discuss the story when we get there." Pyria butted in. Auhek glared at her but knelt to the ground. Spreading the leaves to make a clear patch, he set the bone on the dead grass. 

"A little warning." Auhek turned towards the others. "The beginning of the spell can be a bit... alarming so please don't scream or yelp or... anything. Otherwise, you'll break my concentration." They nodded in acknowledgment. He nodded also and looked back at the frayraq.

Slowly, the black dragon placed one talon on each of the ten arrows, which Fennyr now noticed were roughly in the shape of a dragon paw. 

"Lok'shire." Auhek whispered reverently, closing his eyes. 

A low hum began to emanate from the femur. It grew and grew until it seemed fill the very air. A tingling filled the atmosphere and vibrated Fennyr's scales, yet seemed to stir the marrow in his bones. The frayraq started to glow an eerie, sickly green, the color of disease.

Fennyr shuddered. So this is magic. He thought. The buzz grew louder and louder until everyone's ears were trembling until suddenly, it faltered and disappeared. The glow vanished.

Auhek's eyes opened. He looked down at his talons, a puzzled expression on his snout.

"Was...that supposed to happen?" Otner inquired.

"No." Auhek half-yelled. "Why didn't it work? It's worked every time, why not now?" His eyes grew wider and his voice grew more frantic as he rambled.

"It's okay, maybe it's just old." Azul tried to calm him.

"I doubt it." Grali stated. "Na'phyn magic can last for centuries without..." Her voice trailed off as Azul glared daggers at her.

"Perhaps since you only have half of your father's blood, it only works half the time?" Sulak wondered.

"Maybe." Auhek sighed. His wings drooped and he looked very disappointed that his magic didn't work.

"Try saying something other than 'Lok'shire'." Fennyr suggested. "Maybe it will work better."

Auhek seemed to brighten. "All right, then."   

He laid his claws on the bone once more. "West." He murmured and the air began to hum again. 

The buzz intensified and the femur began to glow again. A supernatural wind blew and leaves spiraled around Auhek and the frayraq. The Banished stared in awe, some in amazement, some in terror, some an odd mixture of both.

The glow of the femur grew and grew, until finally, it turned white and vanished. Auhek had a relieved smile and seemed back to his confident self. He reopened his eyes. Somebody let out a sudden shriek and everyone gawked in shock. 

For instead of the warm amber Auhek's eyes used to be, they had turned the same sickly green as the enchanted bone.  Light seemed to emanate from the eyes and the pupils had completely disappeared. Fennyr couldn't hold Auhek's gaze for long before he had to look away, for a dragon with glowing eyes was terrifying to behold, even if the dragon was a comrade.

Auhek turned to Otner, who started. "What did I say about screaming? You could have just jeopardized our way of finding Lok'shire."

"S-sorry." Otner stammered and seemed to shrink under the emerald gaze. 

Auhek stared for a bit longer, nodded, then started walking away. "Let's go." he ordered without looking back.

"Wait, where are you going?" Azul shouted uncertainly. Auhek stopped and looked at her with the terrible, unnatural, eyes. Azul barely flinched and looked straight into the sickly orbs. 

"You want to get to Lok'shire, right? So let's go. The magic shows me the way." Auhek grinned. 

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Pyria questioned, still unsure of Auhek's motives.

"Do you have a choice?" He asked in return, his smile growing more arrogant. He turned and resumed walking, confidence in his stride, a carefree expression, and those horrible, otherworldly, glowing eyes.

And the Banished followed him, for they all knew the answer to the newcomer's question.

What choice did they have? None.