NOTE: Another chapter off the press! cackles This one's slightly shorter than the ones I've had so far, but for a good reason. Enjoy!

Chapter 10

A Knock on Both Doors

Arram sat on his bed, filled with the utmost concentration. All he needed was focus and he could master what the voice had taught him…

No, no, no, the voice had scolded, When I told you to concentrate, you concentrate. I don't want to hear any other thoughts in your head.

"I forget you're in my head in the first place," Arram muttered, "It's as if you're talking beside me, Numair."

Forget it. Just continue.

So, again, face scrunched up in concentration, the sorcerer reached inside himself. A light knock could be heard from the end of his room, but Arram ignored it for now. He was searching through his Gift, trying to pull up the power that the voice had told him to unleash. Down he went, to the depths of his soul, and into the black flames pouring into every vein.

The sorcerer could hear the sound of a bird further ahead. It was calling to Arram, pulling him in deeper, trying to engulf him in his own Gift. The bird's call became clearer and the closer he delved into his powers the more solid the sound became. Once he arrived within five feet of the sound, a bird materialized. A black hawk watched Arram intently, waiting for the sorcerer to take the next step.

Don't be afraid of it, reach out to the bird, was what the voice told him. It trusts you, so don't let it down.

Arram came closer to the hawk, reaching out to its beak as he kept the bird's eye contact. Closer, closer, and once his hand made contact with the beak, his surroundings started to swirl. The hawk spread its wings and leaped towards the sorcerer, melding with him.

No steady movements. You're going to have to get used to the feeling.

Arram opened his eyes. He was sprawled about on his bed. However, the strangest feeling came over him, and he tried to get up, only to be met with a dilemma. Where were his hands? And why on earth was his eyesight sharper than before?

In his mind, he could hear the voice chuckle. Welcome to the world of shapeshifting, Arram Draper.

Shapeshifting? Oh, no. Arram scrambled up again, hearing the rustling of feathers. He finally got up and approached his mirror, only to see the black hawk staring back at him. The sorcerer jumped back. He tried to ask the voice what on earth was done to him, but only the hawk's screeching came out.

Apparently, that's one of your specialties. It's a pretty neat trick, turning into an animal. Lots of spying can be done.

But I don't want to be a spy! was Arram's reply. How do I turn back!

Again, the sorcerer could feel the voice's amusement. The same way you turned into a hawk, you dolt. Just reach inside yourself again and find your Gift. It's not that hard, you know. If I had been given this kind of specialty, I would have been able to do it.

Arram's feathers bristled. Show off.

Again, Arram reached inside himself and found his Gift. It was now like a fountain welling up, filling every pore. The hawk in him gave another small screech and feathers were replaced with flesh. His concentration broke as the knocking on the door became louder. When Arram came back from being a hawk, he found himself completely naked. His clothes were at the side, repercussions of becoming a hawk and not being able to fit into his robes. The sorcerer muttered to himself as he hurriedly threw his clothes back on and answered the door.

---

Gary silently sulked as he followed Jon and George through the town marketplace and into the palace grounds. He hadn't wanted to sneak in as a merchant and then unexpectedly waylay some soldiers so they can enter without hassle. That wasn't what he signed up for when he decided to follow the king into Carthak.

"Leave it to Jon to go through things in the complicated fashion," the duke of Naxen muttered to himself, looking around cautiously. "You'd think by now that he's grown a brain."

George's walk was brisk, a merchant in a hurry to sell some goods. The king of Tortall followed in a slower pace as the much more laid back partner. And, lagging behind, dragging the cart of goods, was Gary. He had protested, saying that the smell of the food would distract him. George and Jon laughed it off and continued with their plans, ignoring the distraught Gary. It was no use when those two made up their minds.

Once they reached the palace courtyard, a group of slaves welcomed them, inspecting their wagon and allowing them passage inside. Soldiers watched the merchants enter with no hint of suspicion, deeming them harmless. The baron of Pirate's Swoop grinned under his cloak. He didn't think entering was that easy.

Jonathan watched his sides, taking in the castle surroundings. He had seen plentiful amount of rooms in the palace, perhaps even more than that of his own castle in Corus. The king jotted all the information down in his head and continued to silently follow George. Gary also looked around in amazement. "So…this is the famed palace of Carthak…"

"Halt," a soldier stopped George ahead. "You're not allowed to go any further. If you're selling, our castle buyer will get to you in a few minutes' time."

"Sir," George bowed. "We'll just be placin' these goods here, then. My comrade and I shall be back by nightfall to pick up what's left."

The soldier pointed at Gary. "He will be staying then?"

"Yes, sir," George continued, still with his head bowed. "We have other businesses in town, and we wouldn't want the customers waitin'."

"Okay, so be it, then," the soldier watched Gary as he started to unload the cart.

George and Jon walked out to the back, scanning more of the area. The former King of Thieves searched for Alanna's room, and found it immediately. The robed men were still there, pacing the balcony back and forth. There didn't seem to be any movement inside, but perhaps Alanna and Buri were not near the balcony. His Sight could sense Alanna's aura, so there was no doubt she was still there. The question now was how to spring her out of there without the soldiers in the front and the wizards at the back noticing. It was a job for Arram Draper, he guessed.

The former King of Thieves motioned to Jon. "Can you use your Gift to cause a distraction up there?"

"And create a risk on getting caught?" Jon asked incredulously. "I thought you wanted to be more careful, George."

There was silence. The king of Tortall sighed. "Fine. Have it your way."

Blue flames erupted from Jon's fingers, escalating towards Alanna's balcony. Once it reached the balcony, the blue color of Jon's Gift ebbed away, making his magic invisible. The air around him shimmered with his Gift, as the king concentrated on turning attention to the balcony. Jon whispered the words, "So mote it be" to end his spell, and he waited.

A slight yelp emerged from the balcony, startling George. Thinking quickly, he grabbed a pale Jon away from the open area and plastered himself near the walls. Jon followed the baron's example. Beside them, the two could hear the sound of clanging, as soldiers approached the area. George nodded to Jon, and the king grinned. With surprise in their hands, the two friends jumped right in front of the running soldiers and knocked them unconscious. Another stopped in his tracks and turned back, only to be ambushed by the disgruntled Gary and his wooden cart. While the baron of Pirate's Swoop and the king of Tortall were congratulating themselves for a sneaky job well done, Gary had continued to glare at the mess they made.

"This Arram had better be worth it, if I had to endure all of…of this just to get to him," was Gary's statement, as he waved his arm in the air. "I thought I'd talk about weather with these people, but they refused to consort with merchants! The nerve! Can't a man get any practical conversation around here!"

"That is not the biggest of your worries, Gary," George chuckled. "Come on, put one of those armors on, we need to get out of here."

---

Alanna bolted out of her calm reverie as she heard the yelping of three wizards out on her balcony. She looked at Buri, who was ahead in her thoughts and who had sprinted quickly out the window to see what the matter was. The wizards guarding Alanna were more or less distracted. Somehow, a specter came upon them and started wreaking havoc, since all three seem to be protecting themselves and keeping the balcony guarded from outside attack.

The K'mir looked at Alanna, a triumphant expression on her face. "Quick, Alanna, they're fighting off something. Do you think somebody knows we're here?"

"What aura? Do you see the color of the Gift?" the Lioness jumped and pushed Buri out of the way. She grabbed her pendant and watched as blue flames emanated from the invisible specter. The lady knight jumped with absolute shock. "No!"

"What? Whose magic is it?"

The lady knight groaned and whispered softly. "Jon…why couldn't you just stay at home?"

"Wh—what!" Buri became speechless after that. The king of Tortall? In Carthak? It was turning out to be a very strange adventure indeed.

Alanna lost no time. She barged out at the balcony and rushed to see who was creating the commotion. Instead, two of the wizards tried to hold her back, but the lady knight was able to glimpse the passing of a Carthaki-clad soldier with coal-black hair. She frowned, and looked at the specter that was causing so much trouble. A crow fluttered past, swerving away so it wouldn't get entangled in the magic. Instead of trying to jump down from the balcony, the purple-eyed knight rushed back into her room and bolted the windows shut. If the wizards won't cooperate, then she won't tell them how to break Jon's simple illusion.

Buri was still dazed on Alanna's bed. She was still in awe that the king of Tortall would find Alanna's situation important enough for him to actually risk capture and enter into enemy territory. "Jon in Carthak…what was Thayet thinking! Allowing him to come here…"

"Never mind that now," the Lioness replied, distracted. "They're coming in. We should get ready for their coming in and barging on us."

And they were right, for there was a loud knocking on their door.