Once making sure that Penkral was definitely gone, Balthazar and Dave together placed up stronger defensive spells. Dave watched Balthazar put the Grimhold in its place and cast an invisibility spell over it once again. He looked at the bare spot where the Grimhold was standing and he turned to Balthazar.

"Are you sure it's safe?"

"Yes," Balthazar calmly.

"What's with the bird?"

Balthazar stopped, he looked at Dave and then said, "Nothing."

"But you offered to help it."

"Just a mere distraction."

Balthazar was ready to walk away when he slammed into an invisible wall. He turned to see that his apprentice's dragon ring was glowing.

"He said that I should know my enemies," Dave said slowly, "Well if this guy was trying to get the Grimhold then he is my enemy right?"

Balthazar looked at Dave and said, "You are too young to have any personal enemies."

"What about you?"

"I'm over a thousand Dave, anyway, Penkral was merely¼a troubled teenager when I first saw him. There is nothing you need to worry yourself over."

Dave knew that Balthazar was lying, every sorcerer was a bad liar but Dave didn't make a big deal of it. He had his Incantus after all.

That night, Dave stole his Incantus to his dorm and made sure that he was definitely alone. His roommate was out at a party so Dave knew that he was safe. He opened the Incantus to the Recent History chapters and saw the teenager that attacked them that afternoon. Penkral discovers Prime Merlinian and his Master.

Dave flipped the pages and came to the Biographies and went down the alphabetical list until he came to Penkral's name. He turned the page to the one indicated and started to read to himself:

"Penkral, born 1500, son to Mordred who turned him immortal at the age of nine. His mother abandoned him at the age of ten and his father vanished the same year leaving him. He met Likilia when he was fifteen and went into hiding around twenty. Rumoured that he was in Italy but then a Merlinian sorcerer spotted him in Japan and tried to take him out but Penkral killed him and left in fear of another attack from the Merlinian side. Penkral then moved to Canada and stayed there for thirty years and managed to train enough just as a Merlinian enchantress found him in an abandoned subway terminal in Quebec. He then fled to Alaska but was run out by three Merlinians who cornered him on the pier.

'At the age of 170, Penkral met Horvath and teamed with him for a while to take out the Merlinian side. After failing, Penkral fled and returned to his home in Italy and stayed there in hiding.'"

Dave closed the book and he sighed, his opponent was nothing more than a Traveling Sorcerer. He opened the book and ran down the Biographies list until he came to a certain name. Likilia. He turned to page 1589 and then looked to find something shocking. There was no picture of Likilia and no biography. There was only her full name: Likilia Kytuiti Orflosyk.

Odd, Dave thought.

He closed his Incantus and decided that he needed some rest, he would consult Balthazar in the morning.

The next day, Dave arrived at his secret lab earlier than usual and slammed his Incantus on the table drawing attention to Veronica and Balthazar who both jumped at the slam.

"What is this all about?" Balthazar asked.

"You didn't tell me that Penkral was ran out of three different continents."

Balthazar looked at the Incantus and then at Dave and sighed.

"You weren't suppose to take your Incantus home Dave, that is suppose to stay here."

"What is so secret about this guy?"

Balthazar clenched his fists and then said, "You do not need to associate with this boy."

"He's a Traveling Sorcerer."

"A terrible Traveling Sorcerer," Veronica said, "Balthazar you haven't told him?"

Balthazar looked at Veronica but knew that Veronica had officially sided with Dave.

"I'll tell you after training session is done," Balthazar announced and he got up. Dave followed him into the training circle and placed up a defensive shield, preparing to fight.

In the abandoned building off Broadway Penkral sat on the cold floor and waited for Horvath to enter. He heard whipping sounds and then everything was quiet and Penkral knew that Horvath was there.

"You didn't finish them off I see," Horvath said nastily.

Penkral turned and said, "I will kill him when I'm ready."

Horvath took a strong step forward and Penkral backed up.

"Did you know," Horvath started, his eyes bore into the teen, "That in a Korean army your head would be cut off if you stepped back?"

Likilia flew from her perch and landed on Penkral's shoulder, her wings were halfway up and she watched Horvath's every movement. She gave a sharp caw and narrowed in on the sorcerer.

"Still having your pet come to your aid?"

Penkral flinched and gingerly touched Likilia's back before saying, "She isn't my pet."

"Friends?"

"Yeah."

Horvath snorted and then looked at the boy.

"You're a pathetic excuse for a son of Mordred, you know nothing of your father's magic and you will know nothing."

"I tried!" Penkral shouted, "I tried everything you said and still I can't!"

Horvath raised his jeweled cane and the boy flew into the farthest wall where invisible bonds pinned him so he dangled in mid-air. Likilia flew over to his side but everytime she clawed at the invisible bonds, a powerful shock raced through her body making her weak. Penkral struggled against the bonds but he couldn't.

"What would your father think about this?" Horvath sneered, he liked to see the boy wither in pain and hurt.

"SHUT UP!" Penkral shouted, his voice carried through the building and he was sure that people outside could hear him.

Horvath gave him a sickly smile and then said, "You should have killed that whelp of an apprentice when you had the chance. You're nothing but a little weakling and no better than David."

The bonds vanished and Penkral slide to the floor and landed with a thud. Likilia flew over to him in a blink of an eye and perched on his shoulder. She rubbed her head against his and Penkral felt some of his pain subside. He looked up to see Horvath gone and he was alone all over again. Just like he was those many years ago.

Penkral brushed himself off and with shaky legs went over to the basin and peered in. Her saw the water shimmer and a voice echoed from the basin.

"You are nothing but a weakling!" the voice clearly belonged to a woman, "You will never have the talents he had, this is all your fault!"

From the basin came a powerful energy wave that knocked Penkral literally off his feet. But instead of getting up, Penkral laid there on the ground sobbing. His shoulders bounced up and down as violent sobs shook his body as the words of his mother echoed in his ears.