Hardwing & Palace of the Stars

by Lady DuCaine

He found his center and was thus ripped from it anew. Has original characters in this story.

Title: Hardwing & Palace of the Stars.
Summary: He found his center and was thus ripped from it anew.
Author: Kaladan Flashblade
Feedback: Constructive reviews alright, flamers can keep their hands silent.
Archive: Archive is okay, if you ask me first.
Rating: PG
Pairing: none.
Main Character(s): The members of the cartoon show The Mighty Ducks and my new characters.
Disclaimer: I'm not making any money out of writing these stories. No harm will come to them. Please don't accuse me of trying to harm them. My co-writer does not wish to take co-credit in helping me write these stories as too many people flamed her in her own stories that she written on this site for the stories as well as me. So I do not mention her because of that fact. If you do not like that, it's your problem, not mine.

Hardwing & Palace of the Stars.

Check sat back as he read the scroll master Tai Quack Do has instructed him to read. It was now just over three years since he became the master's pupil. Before it he had been out of control consumed by his own anger with the world, but now he found himself content. He continued to read, once he was finished the master had instructed him to spend an hour in meditation before he was allowed out with the curfew of being back before sunset. There were other students under the master but they came and went with the seasons, he at least remained a constant.

It was a couple hours later; Check was able to step out of his master's house. The master resided in the port city of Nashu North of the largest port city of Keltor. He took a deep breath; it was the thaw season so there would be no hockey for a few months. It was one thing he liked about the region. The Faldor province was one of the few that experienced the thaw and a short growing season.

He took a list from his pocket and began to walk, there were a few things at the bazaar he needed to pick up for Master Tai Quack Do. He put the list back in his pocket and checked his coin purse for coins, which he found enough to cover what was needed from the bazaar. He started to head away towards the sounds and multiple smells of the bazaar. He knew right where to go to get the items that the master wanted from the bazaar. He ignored the other bazaar criers trying to get him to come to their booth and spend coins there as he headed to the one stand that he always visited when the master required something.

"Check, how is your Master doing? Is he in need or more inks or incense?" Asked the shop keeper.

Check knew the old drake quite well; he was a paper maker by trade, making paper from the reeds during the thaw. Though as business had picked up he also made inks and sold imported candles from the south.

"The master is doing quite well. He sent me to pick up the cases of papers he had ordered, two cases of candles and a pack of quills and a set of inkwells as well as a case of assorted inks."

If it had been any other boys the paper maker would have said that was too much for anyone to carry, Check on the other hand was quite strong and had a mind trained in self discipline. "I've been expecting this order, I'll check in the back to make sure it's all there."

Unknowing to the both of them a shadow was watching them. The shadow watched the young drake get loaded down with the order he took and walked back out of the bazaar towards a home on the hill. He followed the drake till the drake was within the walls of the house. He leapt onto the wall and laid flat against it as he watched the drake enter the house after he took off his boots. He smiled as he wrote something down on a device of some kind in his hand. He got his response to what he wrote and slid down from the top of the wall into the shadows of the house to find where the drake was at.

Check had just finished putting the boxes away when it happened. He wasn't sure what it was but when he regained consciousness it had given him a throbbing headache, not to mention he was chained up in a room which seemed to have other people in it. His first thought was his master was he safe; his second was what was going on. "Hello, what happened to us? Where are they taking us?"

"None of us are sure of where we are being taken, but we do know this is against our wills. I think this is one of those kidnappings I've ready about in the news. They may be black market organ sellers so it's probably safe to assume our days are numbered." A person chained up beside him answered.

Check looked at the binds that were on their arms and found that around each wrist was a cloth. "I do not think we are taken by black market organ sellers."

"What do you mean?" asked one of the other ducks.

"Look at your bindings. They have cloth around our wrists like they don't want the bindings to break our skin or damage it. I think this is something else. I don't know what it is but I do not like the feeling that I am getting." Check stated calmly.

"They could want to sell us as slaves but slavery is outlawed."

Check thought about what the duck stated when another duck spoke up. "The question is where we are and are we still on our home world?"

Check never had the chance to state his mind when the door opened up to reveal five shadows that shadowed the door frame. He wondered who they were and if they were there to get them out of there.

One of them stepped into the light, much to Check's surprise the person was Suscan. He held a clip board and began to inspect the others who were chained up in what Check could discern as a cargo hold.

"The girls are in good health and young enough to be untouched. They will fetch a fair price with madam Ishta. The women are also in good shape." he said as he fondled a couple of them as they struggled to get out of reach with no success. He turned to the wall Check was chained to. "The young drakes are of decent quality as well, you've outdone yourselves men." his eyes focused on Check. "And you are quite the prize boy; you should take comfort that of all the drakes to be sold you are going to be the most profitable."

"I am not a slave to be sold. I am a free duck!" Check snarled, as he used his knee to nail him in the groin area only to be slapped hard on his face.

"You're nothing but a petty Puckworldian, to be captured then sold to the highest bidder. Your kind is no better then packs animals."

Check was speechless at what this person called him. He knew he was not a petty Puckworldian, he was not average either.

The Suscan smiled. "Good you finally figured out your place." he said before walking out of the hold.

"Petty? Pack animals? How dare he call us those things?" One of the ducks stated.

One of the drakes looked at the others and spoke, "I heard rumors of a black market slave traders from around my part of Keltor I never believed the rumors but now I think we were kidnapped by them."

One of the girls slipped out of her manacles, she didn't quite look purely duck. "They're Suscan; they live on a much different level then us; at least that's what my mum told me. They think of us as animals because we do not see the world or the universe as they do. I can't say it's any comfort but in many ways they probably have a point. In class the mere notion of civilization off of Puckworld is laughed at and yet they do business with many civilizations off of Puckworld. Mum told me that we are nothings, nobody's in the galactic view and if anyone wants to survive something like this to submit one's self fully and give up completely one's free will." she said as she slumped down and pulled her knees to her chest and wept.

"I won't do that. I will fight my way free from this and fight them to get back to my master. He must be worried about me by now." Check said. His only thought was to get back to Puckworld and to his master.

"You have a master? You are a slave then?" asked the girl.

"No, my master is a martial artist; I have been studying under him for the last three years." Check stated, calmly.

"I'm not going to fight them, where could I run to in space? Were can any of us go?"

Check realized that he didn't know how to fly a space ship or whatever they were in and most likely they didn't either. He leaned against the cold wall and started to mediate since it was the only thing he could do.

During his meditation something occurred to him. "How is it, girl that you know this much?"

She looked up at him. "My mother is a slave, my father sold me."

"Why did he wish to sell you into slavery?" asked one of the other drakes.

"He had no use for me, my mother is his slave he had no use for two."

"So instead of finding you a husband and trading you off that way, he sold you?"

"Yes," the girl stated.

"But why?"

"I'm part duck, to marry me off to a duck would be a disgrace, and no non duck would willingly have me as a wife. To sell me was the most dignified option."

"I'm sorry," he stated softly.

"It's not your fault, our fates are the same."

"What do you think will happen to me?"

"You are strong; you'll be sold as a hard labor slave."

Check could only wonder what kind of labor will he be put to task by his possible new owners. He could only hope that he gets bought by someone who sets him free. But in the back of his mind, he knew he would probably never see Puckworld again and that fact made him cry.

The girl got off the floor and walked over to him and hugged him as he cried on her offered shoulder. "Who knows there might be one of those people who buy slaves only to let them go free? You can only hope for that, Grin."

"Grin? That's not my name. It's Check Hardwing." Check said.

"Sorry, it was the name written on the tag around your neck."

Grin looked down at the tag; he's had it for as long as he could remember, from what he could remember his parents had given it to him before they had died. He couldn't read it but it did mean a lot to him. "I think it was a nickname that I got from my folks before they died,"

"It's written in Denshu script, your parents must have not been native to Puckworld."

"What is Denshu?" asked Grin, looking at her. "If you know the answer to that question, that is?"

"Denshu is a rim world language."

"Rim world, you mean the outer space?"

"Yes."

"Of which world, is it of?" Grin asked.

"It is the language of the rim worlds; it doesn't come from any one in particular."

"So my parents could have come from any planet in the rim world area."

"Yes, who knows you might find family there."

"I doubt that will save me."

"Probably not, but it's probably why the captain of this ship thought you'd be the most profitable."

Grin frowned so far this girl was only giving him more questions with every one she answered. "I don't want to be a slave; I just want to be free back on Puckworld."

"You and everyone else in this hold, Grin." A drake said to his left.

The girl looked at him and then to the others. "I have accepted my lot in life to be a servant to someone else."

"You were born to be a slave, not us!" snapped one duck.

"It's a horrible fate, but depending on the race of the master will determine the rights a slave has."

"So you might find yourself with a very kind master who will let you have time off to yourself or maybe find yourself with a very hard master who will never let you have time off beyond sleep and meal times." The female stated.

"Basically, yes. All depends on the master you get sold to. Me, I am hoping for a kind master." She replied.

"But what if she get a mean master?" one of the younger girls cried.

"The captain said the young girls are being sold to madam Ishta, from what mum had said madam Ishta buys slave girls to be bond servants. Some of the girls with talents get trained in the entertainers' guild to become ladies of the evening. With Ishta you can earn your freedom."

"But what about the drakes?" one of the younger girls asked. She was worried about them as much as the other girls.

"It depends; it's really up to chance."

"We may get to be a bond servant or a slave to someone." One of the drakes stated. He turned his head towards Grin. "He might get lucky and get bought by someone who wants a bond servant but who knows."

Grin could only hope that he would get bought by someone who would make him into a bond servant as that is one sure way of getting free from the bonds of slavery as he didn't want to think about the other sure way of getting free - he escapes which might result in him getting killed.

It had felt like an eternity in the hold when the ship finally docked and they were herded out into what seem like a huge bazaar with beings that Grin could not even imagine. He noticed that the girls were being looked at by a strange looking female who requested them to turn around for her but some wondered why they were asked to turn for her. She smiled as she walked around many of the girls before she spoke to the captain about them. "They all look good. I'll have them closely inspected privately. But they do look better than the last set you brought. Now tell me about their health?"

"All healthy, the younger ones have not been touched sexually and the older females a possibility." The captain stated, as he looked at her.

"Good, I take your word on that, also I want each of them on a different receipt so that I know their exact value."

"Of course, I know you too well, madam Ishta." He said, as he pulled out a thick pile of paper and handed them to her as she browsed through the receipts, she looked up at each one of the girls before nodded her head.

It took about twenty minutes for her to finish but she bought all of the girls and the women. She had them escorted away by the men she brought with her. "Don't hurt them if they try to run from you. Stun them no bruises or I'll bruise you, if they try to get away."

"Yes, madam Ishta." They stated as they walked the girls and women away from the bazaar.

Madam Ishta turned towards the captain as she handed him a small but heavy looking bag. "I have a guarantee that they are healthy?"

"Of course, I had my doctor scan them for any possible health risks and they are as healthy as you are right now." The captain stated, chuckling. "But you can double check them with your own doctors if you wish."

"That will be done when they get to my place. I will not have sick ducks or ducklings in my business." Madam Ishta stated calmly, before she walked away from them.

Grin made a mental sigh of relief; at least the young girl that had talked with him was going to be alright. The males were headed into a private auditorium in the bazaar for a private showing among the elite; those not purchased would be sold to the general public. As each male was presented without their shirts on and any pants leaving them with their underwear on, Grin wondered what his price would be as he heard the bids go up for some of the males and some didn't get bought.

The captain came to his side. "Now I want you to flex your muscles when you get into the ring as they are your best asset to your prospective owner. I want plenty of high bids on you."

The ships doctor stood beside the captain and looked at the chart. "Starting bid is 50,000 Mina. He's an Albizu breed of Pilgrim, quite rare."

"60,000!" yelled someone from the stands.

Grin flexed his arm muscles.

"65,000!" yelled another from the stands.

Grin turned to face the wall and flexed his back muscles.

"75,000?" yelled the auctioneer, as he looked over the crowd.

"Yup!" yelled one of his men off to the side.

"80,000?"

"Yup!" yelled another of his men in the stands after he noticed one of the people nodding his head.

"350,000 Mina!" Came an almost hypnotic male voice from the back.

The auctioneer nearly dropped his gavel when he heard that bid. He coughed a few times and spoke, "We have a bid of 350,000 Mina. Do I hear 360,000?"

The rest of the room was silent.

The auctioneer was surprised by the lack of voices yelling bids. He raised his gavel. "Going once?" Not a sound. "Going twice?" Not a peep came from the stands. "Sold, sold for 350,000 minas, to the fox in the back!" His gavel made a loud clang against the wood.

Grin noticed that the male who bought him stood up from his spot was a humanoid fox. He never seen a humanoid fox before but heard about the various species that they were about to see from the captain of the ship they were brought in. He felt that he might have a good master but he wasn't sure as he didn't know if he would be nice to him by how much he bought him for. Grin walked off the platform as another male was pushed onto the platform.

Once in the back, the captain came to him thrilled. "I knew you would be a high auction price. Now behave for your new master as he paid plenty for you."

Grin's new master approached the captain and held up the appropriate amount of credit notes. "I would like the receipt in duplicate."

"Of course," The captain stated, as he produced the receipt twice for the fox. He held his hand out as the fox placed the credit notes onto his hand before the receipts was handed over to him. "Enjoy your new slave,"

The fox looked at Grin and turned to the captain. "What is his name?"

"Grin," the captain replied.

The fox nodded as he turned to Grin. "Follow me, Grin."

He did as he was told, but wondered why the receipts were in duplicate.

When they were clear of the bazaar his new master turned and looked at him. "I never expected to see you up for auction; things must have gone down hill for your parents."

"My parents are dead, died when I was a young duckling." Grin stated.

The fox stopped dead in his track. "Dead?"

"That is correct."

"I see, well that does explain a lot, a shame really they were very good people, they named you after your grandfather."

Grin realized that the name he was given was not his true birth name. "You mean that my name Check Hardwing is not my birth name?"

"Sounds like a Puckworld name, though it would make sense since that's where your parents were exiled to."

"Exiled? Why?" asked Grin, looking at him as they walked towards a waiting vehicle.

"I'll explain later."

Grin nodded his head as he entered the vehicle behind his new master. "May I be so bold in asking for your name, master?"

"Don't call me master, my name is Carter Winddancer. I didn't purchase you to be a slave. I did it because your mother would have never forgiven me if I didn't."

"You knew my mother, Master Winddancer?" asked Grin.

"I told you not to call me Master, but the answer to your question is yes. Now be silent and wait till we get home to make more questions," Carter said, as the vehicle took Grin and him to the private shuttle docks of the port station.

"Don't you live here?"

"No, I live on a planet a couple hours from the port, that, you can ask more questions there."

Grin nodded and boarded Carter's personal shuttle. Grin watched the stars from a window during the trip to the planet, he was surprised at hoe fast the shuttle went due to the speed of the stars that flew by.

Once they got to the planet, Carter and he disembarked the shuttle and got into another vehicle and drove to his home. "This will be your home for the time being. I assure you, you will be well treated,"

Grin was surprised by the size of the estate and the warmth of the weather, what had started out as a bad situation had turned into something else.

"You can explore later; Nina probably already has the evening meal prepped."

"Thank you, I am hungry. They didn't feed us on the way to the slave market," Grin bowed to him.

"Don't bow Grin, only slaves and servants do that."

"Am I not one?" as they walked into the house.

"You're not Grin, what I paid was simply what I owed your father. Since both your parents are dead that leaves me as your legal guardian."

"You mean I am a free duck?" asked Grin. He didn't want to get his hopes up and get them dashed by his response.

"That's right, though I do expect you to study under a guild. When I see your parents on the other side I do not wish them to think I did not keep in mind what is best for you."

"Study under a guild?" asked Grin.

"Never heard of the term before?" asked Carter. Grin shook his head. "Well, I'll explain what the guilds are."

"Thank you, Carter."

Carter explained has they headed to the dining room, it didn't take Grin long to catch on. The guilds were like school but they had guaranteed employment after the studies were completed. Grin reflected on his time in the hold, the young girl had mentioned one of them, he silently contemplated how many of the Puckworld girls would go on to being their own masters and have a much better life then on Puckworld. It was easy to see from Carter's explanation that those trained within a guild were the middle to upper class of the known universe.

"I will consider which one will suit me after dinner and my mediation on the subject," Grin stated.

"You mediate?" asked Carter, as they sat down in the dining room.

"Yes, is that not proper?" asked Grin.

"I'm just surprised, there is a meditation garden here; just ask one of the servants to take you there after dinner."

Grin nodded as he looked at the table as the servants came hurrying in carrying plates of food for them to eat.

"So how do you know my parents?"

Carter smiled. "It was 50 years ago, that I first meet your mother, her maiden name was Anita Syth, and she was an accomplished alchemistic fighter that I had hired as a body guard, though after a while she became more of a confidante. I met your father when I commissioned this place to be built. Gander Darkstone, a classically trained mason and architect. You take after him but have your mother's colors. It was an unlikely match but during the construction of this place sparks started to happen between your parents and it soon blossomed into love. At the time I couldn't let your mother go as my main body guard so I kept commissioning things from your father so that both they and I could get what we wanted. Your father got wise to my motives and moved his business to this planet. From there we became friends."

"Why were my parents exiled?"

Carter sighed. "Your mother dared stand up to the ruler of this planet. He was quite the tyrant and wanted to close off the port cities and forbid all who lived on the planet from buying anything from intergalactic traders. Every chance your mother had she'd openly defy it, your father followed suit as did others, but she started it. The ruler exiled your mother to Puckworld, your father went with her, but she had started the momentum for the people to rebel again the ruler. This was about 20 years ago."

"So the tyrant ruler is now gone?" asked Grin.

Carter nodded. "He had been deposed for many years. As for your parents, the last I heard from them was just after you were born, your mother had requested that I make sure your birth be registered with the central galactic registry."

"My folks died two years after I was born. I barely remember what they look like or even sound like," Grin stated.

"Do you know what killed them? Actually even if you do don't tell me, it would ruin the memory of them."

"I do not even know what killed them, they just never showed up at home one afternoon and I was put in foster care. Given the name of Check Hardwing and left it at that." Grin stated.

Carter shook his head. "If I had known, I would have come gotten you and raised you myself. But that's in the past and I'm here. I will take care of you now, Grin,"

Grin nodded, he really needed to meditate on all of this.

"Now, I will see about getting all the guilds names together in a list to see which one will interest you the most. You can set out to find the mediation garden if you wish, Grin, since we are both done eating." Carter said.

"Thank you," Grin said, one of the servants knew what the young drake was looking for and motioned him to follow him out to where the mediation garden was at.

Grin found the mediation garden to be quite perfect as he sat under a tree and mediated about what had occurred that day.

The meditation had helped him arrange his thoughts, it was getting dark when he finally finished and took a walk around the garden. A statue in particular caught his eye, it seemed familiar yet he could not read the inscription.

"Master Darkstone, master Winddancer sent me too see if all was well." came the voice of the girl named Nina.

"Can you read the inscription?"

She nodded. "It says 'Anita Darkstone, hero of the Sudopilis Rebellion.' There is not one person on this planet that does not know that. The lady who brought a century of oppression to its knees,"

"She was my mother," Grin whispered just loud enough to have her hear it.

"She was a great woman."

"I wished that I knew her and my father," Grin said.

"If I may be so bold, but why didn't you know them?" asked Nina.

"They died when I was two years old,"

"At least they made arrangements so that you'd have a good life. Master Winddancer is a good man, a lot of people look to him for guidance."

"They didn't arrange for me to come here. I was sold to Master Winddancer but he set me free to be a free drake living under his roof."

"You are very lucky to have been bought by him. You will like this place," Nina said, as she placed her hand on his arm before she walked away. "Come, I'll show you your parent's portrait. Master Winddancer made sure that they were painted before she was exiled,"

Grin followed her to the location of his parents' portrait was hanging. He stared at the painting and tears came from his eyes. He looked at his parents for the first time in a long time. He had wished that he spent more time with them than the two years that he had.

"They are very beautiful couple," Carter whispered by his side.

"They were indeed. I wished that I knew them better than I did." Grin said softly.

"There was nothing you could have done about it, live your life to the fullest and I'm sure they will be proud of you."

Grin barely turned away from the portrait and asked. "You knew them. Please tell me about them? What they were like?"

"Your mother as a rune could be quite kind and genital but she had a mean streak that would make anyone tremble. When she was mad you knew because it felt like your blood froze. Your father on the other hand was easy going, level headed and very clever, they may be heroes now but back then they were simply people who did their jobs and stood up for what they thought right."

"I guess I have a bit of both of my parents in me." Grin said softly.

"Why is that?" Carter asked.

"I am usually very laid back and level headed but when I am mad; ducks flee from me like they were scared of me." Grin replied.

Carter nodded. "That is a sure sign that you got your mother's temper in you and your father's level headedness. So how easy is it to get you mad?"

"Not easy at all. You have to do something really bad to get me angry and even then you wouldn't know it till I spoke." Grin stated.

"Ah, so you use your voice to voice your anger. I would have thought you would have used your fists." Carter said, looking at him.

Grin shook his head. "Not since I learned to control my temper and just use my voice instead of my fists. Master Tai Quack Do taught me to control my temper and now instead of using my fists to fight with. I use my voice and only as a last resort will I use my fists."

"So tell me about this Master Tai Quack Do? He sounds like he is a martial artist." Carter asked.

Grin and Carter spent the evening talking until late that night when Nina had caught them and shooed them off to bed. Grin laid there in his bed thinking about what he learned as he drifted off to sleep, on his bill was a smile.

The next morning, Nina stepped inside his chamber to wake him only to find his bed empty and made. She looked around the room only to find Grin sitting cross legged in front of the window facing the morning sun. "Grin, breakfast is about to be served."

"Thank you, Nina." Grin said, opening up one of his eyes. "And thanks for sending us to bed; we would have spent all night talking about my parents."

"Well it was late when I found you two talking by your parent's portrait. Anyways, breakfast is about to be served and you better hurry down there." Nina said, as she walked out of the room.

"Nina, you don't act like a servant."

She stopped. "Master Winddancer's family and mine go back generations; my family has always made sure the Winddancer's house runs smoothly."

"And makes sure that the Masters of the house get a good night sleep too?" Grin said with a smile.

"That too," Nina returned his smile before she walked out of the room and headed towards the dining room to let Carter know he was coming.

"That's good. Was he asleep?" asked Carter.

"No, Carter. He was awake, made his bed and was mediating in front of the window when I entered his room. He should be here shortly." Nina stated.

Just as she finished those words, Grin walked into the room. "Morning Carter, Nina." He walked to his seat and sat down in it, picking up the glass of orange looking juice that he had the previous day when they got there and took a sip of it.

"How did you sleep, Grin?" asked Carter.

"Very soundly, I think I fell asleep with a smile on my bill as I woke up with one." Grin replied.

"I'm glad; it makes me happy to talk about your parents as they were great friends." He stated, as he nodded his head slightly. "Nina, they can serve breakfast now,"

Nina nodded as she walked back to the kitchen and a few moments later, they were being served their morning meal.

Carter handed Grin some brochures to look over. "Those are some of the Guilds I think you might be interested in talking with, Grin."

"I'll look them over after breakfast is done and let you know which one I want to talk with," Grin said, as he looked at the leaflets. Out of all of them, Grin had decided that a scholarly approach to his education. The philosophers' guilds seemed to be well rounded dabbling in a bit of everything. It was right after breakfast was over; he spoke up, holding the leaflet from the philosophers' guild. "I think I will talk with them as they are what is closest to what I deal with in my life."

"Very well, Grin, I shall make an appointment with them so you can talk with their head." Carter stated, as he took down a note to call the head of the philosophers' guild about Grin.

"Thank you Carter," Grin said, as he walked out of the room back to his room where he continued to read the leaflet about the new guild he was going to be at.

It was about an hour later; Nina knocked on his door and entered. "Master Grin, Master Winddancer would like to see you in his office. They are here to see you."

Grin turned to look at her. "That was fast. I thought they would take a few days to get here."

"They are on the video screen," Nina informed him.

Grin nodded. "Alright, I'm coming."

Nina waited for him to stand up and walk with her down the corridor to Carter's office where she left him to be with his parents' friend and to talk with the head of the philosophers' guild.

"Ah, Grin. This is the head of the philosophers' guild. He would like to talk with you about your choice in his guild." Carter said, seeing him enter the room.

The being on the screen watched him carefully, and then it posed a question. "Why?"

Grin mulled it over in his head, it could be many things or it could mean one thing or it could mean nothing at all. "Why not?" Grin replied.

The being did what Grin could guess was a smile. "Good answer."

Grin turned to Carter and then back to the being. "Why was that a good answer?"

"It was the entrance question and you answered it correctly. You are someone we would like in our guild." The being replied.

Grin made a slow nod; this was going to be more intense then his training with Master Tai Quack Do.

Carter smiled as he turned his attention to the being on the screen. "When do you wish to have him at the guild?"

"As soon as possible, Grin, if at all possible if not, you have seven turns of the sun on your planet." The being stated.

"He will be ready then. My thanks," Carter replied, as he bowed his head to the being, who did the same before the screen went black. Carter turned to Grin and said, "We have only seven days to spend together or we could take you to the guild today. Which would it be?"

"I'd like to explore this planet for a few days before going to the guild."

"Okay, I'll alert them to expect us in seven turns of our sun." Carter replied, as he turned to his desk and jotted something down on a piece of paper.

"I will go get some things packed and I'll go exploring." Grin stated, as he started to leave the room.

"Wait, I'll go with you and give you a proper tour of my planet," Carter said, as he walked towards him.

"All right," Grin nodded as he headed for his room to gather a few things together.

When Grin reached his room, he realized that he didn't have much of anything to take with him on his journey around the planet, so he took what he had with him. He headed to Carter's office to see him with a small bag around his back. "Is that all you are taking?"

"Yes, it has a few items that you could use as in shirts, shorts and a few pants and I have a few things within it for me as well." Carter replied.

"I should carry the bag." Grin said, as he walked over to him.

"Nah," Carter replied, shooing his hand away. "I'm strong enough to carry it. Now let us be off. We don't have much time left."

Grin nodded, if nothing else he'd learn about the place his parents once called home. He followed Carter out of the house and down the road. They visited placed where his parents once walked or lived and where his father had asked his mother to marry him over again, to where they told Carter that they were being exiled away to a far distance world to where Carter had once caught his parents in the act of making love which embarrassed him greatly. "I still can't go past this place without seeing them making love there. They truly did love each other. Come on, there are more places for you to see."

Grin and Carter spent the next six days and five nights wandering the planet. Letting Grin see the places that his parents spent time at or just to get to know the planet that would have been his home planet.

Carter looked at him as they finished dinner one night looking up into the night's sky. "What are you thinking about, Grin?"

"I feel as though I understand, they are gone, and yet part of them lingers here."

"They lived here and so part of their history is here. This would have been your home world instead of that planet that you were born on." Carter said.

"I miss Puckworld. I want to return there only to get their remains and bring them home where they belong." Grin stated.

"In good time Grin, for now just look forward to your studies."

"I will and thanks for everything," Grin smiled at him and got up to go into his tent and once in the sleeping bag they brought with them fell fast asleep.

Carter just sat there watching him before he too, climbed under his sleeping bag and fell asleep.

The next morning, Carter and Grin was at the space port where the shuttle was waiting at. The ship was docked at a space station hovering around the planet.

"I guess this will be goodbye till I am done with my studies." Grin stated.

"There can always be talks by the video phone and letters if you prefer it that way." Carter reminded him.

"I would have to see if they have video phones near my school if not letters." Grin said, before he hugged Carter. "I'm going to miss you."

"It will be hard but very worth your time. So study hard and believe in yourself," Carter replied. He noticed that the boarding sign was up and it looked like Grin was the only student going to the philosophers' guild from their planet. "Grin, it is time to say farewell is at hand for a short time for your shuttle is boarding now."

Grin gave Carter a hug before he boarded the shuttle. A little over a week ago, his life had taken a drastic twist, was it for the better or was it for the worst. It really didn't matter right now though he'd find out soon enough.

This story is now done.