Chapter 9

Go continued to regard the bauble suspiciously. Lucy repeated her question. "What is it?"

"It's a piece of the Mirror of Ages," Master Go began. "Long ago, Paladins of Fi created artifacts that were permanently tuned to The Way and could be used by anyone. The Mirror of Ages allowed the user to see any place in the world they so desired. It was broken. Now all it shows is the location of the shards until it is restored." Suddenly, Go became deathly serious. "Never unwrap that shard, Jim. The soldiers who attacked you, who gave you your scars, are searching for that shard. It must be taken across the sea to the Isle of Alder. There it can be destroyed and the Dynasty can never use it against us."

Jim nodded soberly and returned the shard to his pocket.

"Which reminds me, Lucy, your mother wanted you to have this when you were old enough, but your uncle wouldn't allow it." Go rummaged through an old chest and drew out a thin stone. It wasn't much to look at, so when Lucy handled it, it just felt like a cold bit of rock. "It was you mother's Way Stone. It is the weapon of a Cleric of Fi. The stone will take on the form of any matter you require of it." Lucy didn't see the metamorphosis, but when she looked again, the stone had taken the shape of a small dove.

Go looked at the stone dove and smiled. "You must learn how to follow The Way if you are to come with me to the Isle of Alder."

A light of hope shined inside of Lucy with the prospect of leaving her dead-end life as a slave-owning plantation farmer. She wanted this. Her heart desired adventure. But that light was rapidly extinguished by the tyrannical voice of conscience. "I don't know... I mean, Alder? That's so far away. The slaver's are near by. We can get Cecil's injury healed, and buy a couple of horses from them. Then you and Jim can go barter passage on a ship or something."

"I need your help, Lucy. Jim needs your help. I'm getting too old to do this alone."

"I've got work to do here. I can't leave. I wish I could help, but there's nothing I can do." Lucy spent more time convincing herself than trying to convince Go.

"You must do what you feel is right, of course." Go drifted back into his own thoughts. Lucy didn't feel very good about this.

Originally posted on 5/18/13 at empowernetwork (dit) com/leewhittaker/?p=109

For a sneak peak at Chapter 10, go to empowernetwork (dit) com/leewhittaker/?p=115