Jim paced the length of the workshop. "While we wait for Stuart and Krel to fix that taco truck, we need to figure out what everyone else's visions mean."

"Hate ta break it to ya, but I don't think mine means anything," said NotEnrique as he fiddled with the Akiridion communicator Jim had left on the worktable.

"But it has to." Jim passed the same shelf of books for the tenth time. "Everything since the battle with the Titans has been a puzzle piece. We just don't know what the big picture is."

Barbara stopped Jim's pacing. "You're going to wear a track in the floor. Sit." She pulled over a wooden chair.

"Thanks, Mom, but walking helps me think." He took out the amulet and recited its inscription. "For the good of all, Daylight is mine to command." Glowing blue armor materialized around Jim and snapped into place, covering him in a silver shell, amulet over his heart.

Excalibur flashed to his hand. He angled the blade so it mirrored his face. The scar that ran through one eyebrow and over the opposite cheek was still there. Blue eyes stormed with the temptation to demand an answer of Kronisphere.

But that wouldn't help. The sphere had been helpful, yes, but it had yet to provide many straight answers.

"We need to go through every detail of what we've seen. Douxie, let's start with you."

Four hours later, as the sun set, Jim—sans his armor—and the rest of the group at Camelot trudged out of the workshop, having discovered nothing new.

The Akiridion communicator chimed.

"Stuart," Jim said. "El Guerito good to go?"

"In the best shape of her life," Stuart said. "Which is surprising, considering she was crunched under a Titan not two weeks ago. And she flies, just like you asked. Eli helped with the design." He adjusted the view.

Eli Pepperjack waved from the other side of the room. "Hey, Jim."

Krel's hand obscured the view before the Akiridion butted into the conversation. "My sister told us everything. We will keep this Legend Seeker busy as long as you need. The second she crosses the town line, we will be ready. We can meet you somewhere to get Excalibur."

"Come to the canals," said Jim. "We have to visit Trollmarket, anyway."

"We'll be there," said Krel before he hung up for Stuart.

Claire pulled open a shadow portal. "All aboard for Trollmarket."

NotEnrique was the first through, followed by everyone else.

Excalibur in hand, Jim shouldered his backpack and prepared to step through the portal when a snippet of what he'd seen in Kronisphere flashed to mind.

Hadn't Stuart and Eli been talking about designs for El Guerito in it?

His hand itched to look into the sphere again to confirm.

But there was no time for that just now, so he stepped through the portal.

At the bridge, Jim planted Excalibur's tip on the ground and laid both hands atop the hilt, waiting for Stuart, Krel, and Eli to arrive.

A quiet thrum traveled up Jim's arms as Excalibur hummed for the first time since it delivered Nari's message to him and Claire.

Anonwyn is a cryptic one, isn't she? Merlin's voice filled Jim's head, and he almost dropped Excalibur.

He gripped the sword in both hands, blade down so as not to alarm his mom and his friends. No one seemed to notice the change, or the voice.

Heed her guidance. What fraction of her knowledge she imparts is of more value than you can imagine.

Fifteen minutes of silence later, El Guerito swooped down from the road and landed in the canal under the bridge. A snippet of "La Cucaracha" belted from the horn as Stuart honked to—unnecessarily—announce their arrival.

Jim handed Excalibur to Krel. "Call us if you see Newberry before we do."

"Ten-four," said Eli from the back.

"Think we'll hang out here until she comes back," said Stuart. "Only way into Arcadia right now is over this bridge."

"Thanks for this," Jim said. "And be careful."

"Will do," said Krel as he carefully held Excalibur.

Claire drew an arch in the bridge base with her horngazel, and everyone not in El Guerito strode through the magic door and into Trollmarket.

They took the stairs quickly.

"Last time I was here, Walt had to fly me out," Barbara said.

They reached the bottom of the stairs just as Blinky and AAARRRGGHH! appeared around a chunk of broken stone.

"Master Jim." Blinky hurried to the stairs and clapped Jim's shoulder. "You've come back."

"I need your help, Blink. Kronisphere's shown all of us different things, and we can't make sense of them. Plus, there's a Legend Seeker who's probably on her way back here as we speak," said Jim.

"Great Gorgus! You must tell us what has happened." Blinky ushered them all back to his home where they sat around Blinky's study table.

When everyone had recounted their experiences with the Chronosphere, Blinky sagged in his chair. "By Deya's Grace… I do not know enough about Merlin to comment on Douxie's vision, but I believe I can offer some insight into Claire's. Morgana told you to weep, did she not?"

Claire nodded.

"And what happened when last you wept?"

"It was when Jim turned to stone. I cried so hard, and then…" Claire took Jim's hand. "The statue of him crumbled, and he walked out of the remains, alive."

"If Master Jim's experiences with the Chronosphere are to be trusted, and he witnessed our lost comrades walking amongst us again, perhaps you, Claire, will have a hand in their restoration," Blinky said.

"But why was Nari with Morgana in my vision?" said Claire.

"That, I cannot hope to decipher," Blinky said.

"But I can." Dictatious stumbled in from another room, two hands trailing the wall, and the other two out in front of him to keep from running into anything. "You foolish humans are forgetting something. Nari is the guardian of life magic, is she not? I've read tales of her actions that span centuries past. Are you so witless as to think this is the first time Nari has met Death?"

The room went silent.

Dictatious chuckled. "Then let me tell you a story."