***Read, comment, and/or vote on what you read so far. Thanks :)***

Silas leans down to pick up the parchment. "You're okay?"

I stare not at Silas, but to a blank area. Stunned my elbows slump, I feel my balance losing. I speedily plop down on one of the metal stools. My hands hold onto both knees, I bend slightly down. Is it odd or what.

The story about the boy who saw himself as The Raver, all those things he experienced was exactly the same I done. Baffled beyond belief, I try to hold my head up. My hand leans in-between my lower lip and chin. Confusion reigns through my mind.

My whole life has been this quagmire.

I thought this story was created thousands of years ago. This recluse mage author rumored to be still hiding in the place, he written this fable. Whyte must have known about me to predict this. He probably knew all these horrifying things that did happened in my life so far, was going to happen. And no one could prevent what was eventually coming true.

Looking back at Silas, I let him know how similar the fable sounds like some of the events I faced. I tell him the comparisons, the dark day to the fire. The lives of three to my parents and—what I thought was my sister being the third dead body, was now revealed to be the senior family maid, Unda. The other comparison is what some of the malefics has been calling me, Harbinger. It mentioned that exactly to the fable. The albatross to the family curse Merissa have yet to tell me about. There are more, yet Silas doubts that.

"The fable was created many years ago. Mr. Whyte intended the story to be imaginary."

I would hope it still is, yet the way the story has been read felt like I was recollecting my life in parchment form. But the only one, who would divulge in the fable's origins, is the mage author himself. I think it's best to find Mr. Whyte. He could've been an oracle or something. I tell this to Silas, but he doesn't want to believe it. He tells me Whyte has been a recluse for years. Nobody knows where he dwells.

"I got this feeling. I'm the inspiration of The Raver."

Silas laughs. I get upset and push him. "This isn't a joke." Silas tells me to calm down, that we may never know the true origin. But I pursue him about Whyte's rumors. Silas has to know some place the reclusive could be. Silas bends his head down and can't figure it out.

"I know I'm asking a lot from you, but I think..."

"Can't give you the answer you need." Silas states.

"But you have to know at least where he is. He has something that I want."

In a strange way, Tal predicted all of this. He knew about me not having a true home, and that I'm full of tragedies. My parents and some close friends being gone. How a mage can predicted these events thousands of years ago. How that figure knew all of this was to happen to me.

And there could be more, I don't know about. I have to find out from the mage. I need his location.

Silas leans his head down, as he looks like he's cogitating. He looks back at me. Suddenly shifting his head left, he mumbles some words. I can't hear him straight and concise.

But it sound like this, "Shucks if Lance was here."

I pause in shock. This is the first time any one of the Shadowhawks members mentioned his name. I then hear a forceful voice, "Don't dare speak that name!"

We both turn to see Terra coming down the stairs. I quickly stand up, my eyes transfixed on her. I'm thrilled to see her back, but I then notice she's the only one.

"Any progress finding Emmet and The Orre?"

Terra shakes her head.

Glancing back at those screens, Emmet was tracking Raudan. Maybe Raudan is involved somehow. I hope not. I don't want to see any more friends in his crosshairs. Silas then ask about Icarus and Camille, and why they aren't with her.

"They're still around Dawning, just checking the sewer lanes." She replies.

I heard about those sewer lanes, underneath the city of Dawning. It's not pretty. Almost most of West and South Dawning inhabitants work there, because it's a massive interconnected system. It needs an army to oversee the daily check-ins. Sundays are the only time the workers take the day off. Must be good for the other magihunters to do their search, not having people asking them why they are there.

"They should be okay right." Silas asks.

"Don't worry about them, they're Camille and Icarus. They'll let me know if there's anything breaking." She says.

But she overheard us talking about a mage author. I look to Silas as he gives her the name, Tal Whyte. That he written this fable called The Raver. But I let her know, I read the story. And I sense in an unusual way, the story the mage written is based on my life. Silas explains the fable has been treated as a mage's childhood story, and Whyte wrote it thousands of years ago.

"I still don't know why it has to connect to Naven. It would to me, because..." Silas then shuts up, not saying anything more. I can sense his hesitation. He almost opens up.

Terra walks to him. I stare at Silas, he needs to tell her. Silas then shakes his head, and tells Terra. "I mean we need to find the connection. We need to find Tal Whyte."

"So how are we going to do it?"

She poses a good one. The Orre is missing along with Emmet. The Orre would've loved to help us, but then I got another idea floating in my head. The one person who already helped us found Anita.

The Gentleman

I let them know about it. Silas looks cautious as Terra refuses to do it. She doesn't like him.

The Gentleman did lead us to my girlfriend. But it was an eventual lost cause.

"We could find him." Terra says.

Silas replies reluctantly, "The author has been a recluse since he written the said fable."

"How you knew this...from the Orre." She mentions.

"No from my home."

"Wait, Topaz." Terra looks confused.

I can see Silas' face. He's showing an awkward expression. Is like he's ready to break his silence, let her know he's a mage. Embrace whatever consequence is given to him once Emmet comes back. However, I glance at his unsteadiness.

He's not ready.

"Tal Whyte could be hard to find, so I'm with Naven in this. We should consult with The Gentleman."

"Please." She states.

Suddenly a voice comes out of nowhere. I then hear the sound of a stick clicking on the hard floor. I turn to see he's here. The Man with the Cane.

The Gentleman holds tight on his cane with both hands over the canetop. He stands there, so proper and calm in his polish stance.

"It looks like you want to find a fable author."

"Guess, you been eavesdropping on our conversations." She says.

"The Pentacle didn't want me to intervene unless..." The Gentleman tries to complete his statement before I finish it for him.

"Reflects the greater purpose."

The Gentleman nods.

"I don't." Terra keeps shaking her head. I can sense the rejection coming from her eyes.

"What's wrong? I didn't earn your trust after I gave you the location of Ms. Belladon." He then turns to me. "My condolences by the way. I had no idea."

Yeah, I bet he didn't. He and that group he called The Pentacle. Nonetheless, I accept his sympathy and thank him. Without any more consulting, I tell The Gentleman to help us find Mr. Whyte.

"What are you doing?" Terra asks me upset.

Before I can reply, The Gentleman tells us he can and will find this recluse. And if he does, he'll help us find our missing mentors.

"Terra, I know this is tough, but Naven's right." Silas says, "Who else can we try?"

I see her having a hard time to decide, but seeing that Emmet and The Orre could be in danger. And every help is needed, she agrees. "Do it." She orders The Gentleman.

He nods. He closes his eyes and begins to twirl his mustache. Silas whispers to me that he hates seeing The Gentleman doing that, but he does groom it well in his mystic persona. I never doubted The Gentleman's abilities.

Hopefully it'll work again.

After a few minutes, The Gentleman then opens up his eyes. "The reclusive Tal Whyte is living in the south part of Ferrum."

I'm a bit surprised. I heard about that colony like Topaz has a weak security and allow mages to do their magic. But unlike Ferrum and Topaz, other colonies are trying to follow suite to do some similar restrictions as Dawning is with its anti-magic act.

I remembered from classes, Ferrum is located in the central part of Neomerica. It would take four hours to get there with the harpies because of the speed. I can just borrow a harpy and travel half of Neomerica in two days.

"Okay, we're going to Ferrum." Terra looks to The Gentleman. "But you promised you will help locate our mentors."

"Ms. Jude, I'm a man of my word. I will honor it." He then leaves us with this, "The Pentacle will be watching."

And then he disappears like a blink of an eye. He gets mysterious everytime I see him, I then turn to her.

"This better be worth it." Terra states walking to her harpy. I see Silas getting prepped.

I realize her focus is on trying to find Emmet and The Orre, but Terra's sacrificing some time to help me and Silas find this author. Preparing for the unexpected, I wonder why I'm getting this feeling when I go see this Mr. Whyte.

I won't get the veracity I need.

***

We ride a few more yards until we see Ferrum, the glimpse of a poor-looking colony. It looks so dirtied; some people inside the colony are only wearing worn-out clothes. Some don't look bathed for days. It's a place with tons of mud brick houses.

I understand after the war, many Neomericans who didn't fled to Dawning, traverse elsewhere; some looking for homes while some built them. This is one of the most poverty-stricken colonies out there, their defense is useless. Malefics would easily destroy this place. I heard from stories back in school, that the mages who dwell here can only use their magic to provide the scarce food and fire that supports them.

Looking around in the Outerlands, the vast land most of it barren while other parts are still nurtured with trees and water. But any living plant or animal is a hundred of miles away from here. Being near their outskirts only but the dust and rocky cracks in the ground, no wonder Ferrum is poor.

We park our harpies by the side of the slim gate door. All of us armor prepped, we enter the colony's exterior foyer and explore further down. We eventually walk right into the colony's marketplace. It seems large, but it's being centered by a round well. Probably the only source of water for them. In another hour, I might need to go there and get some water. I can feel my throat scratchy a bit. A lot of the colonians—adults and children with patchy-clothes and skin so ashy in dirt—bypass us, going on their lives. Some glance at us, wondering who we are.

"Where to now?" Silas asks.

Terra looks one way. Silas stands there still confused. As for me, I notice an elderly female rocking back on a chair, sitting close to her mud brick home, knitting pieces of fabric. I walk close to her.

"Hello, madam."

"Hello to you." She says in a preppy voice. "You must be new here."

I see her checking out my attire, the armor parts and underneath it are my olive green, sleeveless shirt, gray cargo pants, and boots. I know this isn't a typical outwear she sees every day. I look around seeing others in this colony going their way. I look back at the elderly female. I let her know why I'm here.

"Can you point me to the reclusive mage?"

The lady just smiles, as she continues knitting. She hasn't responded. I worry she won't tell me. However, as if she wants me to succeed in my task. She moves her left pinky finger, and points towards the southeast location. I thank her as I inform Terra and Silas we should head in that direction.

Traveling for almost ten minutes we almost feel jaded. During that time, we bypass several mud brick houses. Colonians walking close to their homes. And as we reach all the way, I look up to see a mud brick hut above a hill.

We're getting there, that has to be it.

We trek up the steep hill. After another minute, we make it to the top. We look around the mud brick house; almost look so fragile from the outside. Cracks are showing through the exterior walls. I head to the wood door, I knock several times.

"Mr. Whyte, I know you're there." I turn to see Terra and Silas right by me. I hope they wonder the same thing. I keep knocking. "I know you written the story. I'm not a fan."

After waiting another minute, "If you want to know, my name is Naven Blackvale. Do you hear me, Mr. Whyte? My name is Naven Blackvale!"

I don't hear anything back. This is weird. I turn to see the others again; they don't like what is going on.

"Give it another try." Terra says.

I place my fist to the door, ready to knock again. But I then hear Silas.

"He may not be inside."

"He has to be."

I just have that feeling, he's in there. He could be sleeping. And then I can hear the clanky sound of the door, as if something is terribly wrong here. Not. I glance back at the others. They begin to arm themselves with caution. Silas carefully holds his palm on one of his daggers while Terra twists her left bowgun just in case. They both nod at me.

The door opens in a weird way. We don't see anyone holding it. I react surprised. And then I hear a deep voice.

"Come in, my boy."

I glance one more time at the others. Silas nods at me again, as he holds on tight to his dagger. Terra grins and nods at me twice. Taking that as a go ahead, we slowly enter.

Inside this hut-like house, there are tons of old books, parchment papers everywhere, cauldron with a fire flickering at the bottom, smoke simmering out of the pot. Don't want to dream what he's cooking in there. As this whole, small interior is toppled with books and papers. Then in the center is the backside of a short man sitting on a stool. We only see the shade blocking his sight.

I assume that could be Mr. Whyte's son, and we just missed the man. However, he couldn't have any children. The figure swiftly turns around revealing himself. The glimmer of sunlight shines down on the only pothole-like window. Viewing him, I'm stunned.

The short man is actually a creature; beady yellow eyes, bluish-grey skin, with receding white hair. I see sharp fingers, his ears pointed. He's dressed with a ruby-colored vest, baggy pants, and shoeless.

What in the world.

"Welcome, strangers." He grins and then focuses on me. "Welcome, Naven."

I stand still confused. And then my eyes veer to Silas as he mumbles the word Gremdaunt. I ask him what that is. And the short figure reveals to us, that's who he is. I look dumbfounded.

"The other boy is right. I'm a Gremdaunt."

Silas resumes, telling me that Gremdaunts are gremlin-like malefics. They are clever, dangerous tricksters. They like to hide and strike without cause.

"What happened to Tal Whyte?" Terra asks.

"The man who's Tal Whyte is not a mage." He says.

"Meaning what? He's dead."

The Gremdaunt laughs and tells her, "Hardly my dear. The Tal Whyte you know is nothing more than a persona."

I look astounded as the Gremdaunt confirms his real name is Talaus. And then as he smiles, I notice the many sharp teeth. I'm totally lost, giving off a hazy stare.

He was supposed to be a mage who wrote the fable. But Whyte is nothing more than a fraud. He's a malefic under disguise. Talaus is the author. He wrote The Raver. How can that creature predict my life? I focus back on the Gremdaunt.

And there's Talaus smiling and looking at me.

"I had this feeling, I would see you here. The old man was right."

I lost my train of thought, wondering he expected this.

All these years, he knew I will come. But then he mentioned this other guy. I wanted to know who this old man is.

Talaus simpers, "He told me back then to tell you now. You already know who."

I pause stunned. Yeah, he's right I do know.

The Orre