There was a strange tension and anticipation in the inn room. The sun hadn't even risen and the whole room seemed blurred at the edges in the eyes of the group, many of whom had only just been woken there as Kay dashed from door to door. The subject of discussion, Fristad, was subdued: his eyes gazed downward, his expression remained flat, and his arms were tied behind his back. Shadow stood behind Fristad, her form still rippling with energy, ready to retaliate at a moment's notice should her captive attempt anything, while Warnado watched Fristad closely from a slightly further distance.
Kay shuffled his feet slightly and straightened his back, experimenting in his mind the right balance between emotional sincerity and cautionary restraint.
"My friends," Kay began, "we've established without a shadow of a doubt the identity of the Dreamweaver. With some additional help from Steve, Jennifer, and Shadow, we were able to catch the Dreamweaver attempting to harm Amanda, restrain him, and prevent him from doing further damage. The identity of the Dreamweaver is Fristad…" Kay gestured toward the arm-tied Fristad.
"I knew it," Destiny said with a mix of anger and satisfaction. "I hope he gets what he deserves."
"What would you propose? And what exactly would that accomplish?" Tyron asked. "Inducing nightmares on someone is definitely wrong, but we need to realize we're setting a precedent."
Destiny stepped forward. "Do you have any-"
"Perhaps we should consider the risks first?" Steve suggested. "I think Kay has more he wants to say."
Destiny stepped back. The flash of anger faded from her face, replaced with a more restrained irritation.
"I realize it's not easy to accept that a member of our group could betray our trust by committing these hostile acts," Kay said. "Also, allowing Fristad to remain a member of our group confers a certain level of risk that we won't be taking lightly. At the same time, there's the Tower to consider. Exiling Fristad from the group introduces the risk of him becoming the Entity's test subject again, and possibly his abilities being used against us. On the other hand, his actions so far certainly don't deserve severe punishment, and he's proven to be helpful to the group at times…"
Kay gestured toward Fristad.
"We've found a means to restrain Fristad in such a way that makes him unable to use his magic and therefore renders him much less dangerous, while still allowing him to do most of the things he usually does. We propose that this be considered as part of his punishment."
"For what period of time do you propose Fristad be unable to use his magic?" Astro asked.
Shadow responded, "He claims his magic comes from a sentient book with malicious intent. We need to verify that's true, and if that's the case, figure out if the book can be safely disabled or reasoned with. From that point, we can decide if it's wise to continue to let Fristad to use his powers."
Astro nodded reluctantly. "I suppose given the circumstances, we will need to make that precaution. However, a wizard being deprived of their magic is a bit like a person being deprived of the ability to read. I wouldn't recommend any punishment beyond that."
"If it's any consolation," Fristad said, "I actually don't care about the book's magic. To be honest, I'd rather be rid of it for good if it meant I could be free from its influence." In Fristad's last few words, a tone of reluctance started to creep in.
Shadow said: "That is good to hear. If this book of yours really is as malicious as you claim, total suppression will keep both you and us safe from it. As I said, it should only be a temporary solution until we find out more about the book."
"Any objections to keeping Fristad in the group given Shadow's proposed precautions?" Kay offered.
A few heads looked at each other.
Steve stepped forward. "Agreed, but we need to work on a contingency plan if the long-term magic suppression method falls through."
"Nobody said we weren't going to have one," Jennifer pointed out.
"I know. I'm just putting that out there." Steve stepped back.
"I'd like to hear what Amanda has to say," Warnado said.
Heads turned toward Amanda. Amanda's expression was hardened, as she contemplated from a distance the frightening things she had experienced. "I honestly didn't think Fristad could be capable of that kind of evil. But it helps to put a face on it." Amanda turned toward Warnado knowingly. "If you really do have a solid plan that will keep me and the others safe, then I will stand behind it."
"It's settled, then. Fristad stays with the group," Kay declared. "Any other suggestions?"
Destiny considered saying something, but decided against it.
Steve said, "I think it's safe to assume we're in agreement. Let's talk about the suppression plan."
Fristad was led out of the room by Tyron, while the rest of the group began formulating a plan.
"As you probably noticed at this point, we've been using potions to suppress Fristad's magic," Steve said. "The potions use a glowing material we've found underground. It works quickly on its own, but isn't very efficient. Given how rare the material is, and the fact that it may be dimension-specific, we need to come up with a better plan."
"The reason why the potions are so inefficient is because most of the catalyst never gets absorbed," Jennifer said. "On top of that, potions take up too much space. It would be better if we could do away with all that liquid and just make use of material in its solid form."
"I'm all in favor of efficient use of limited resources, but how certain are you that this new method will keep Fristad's antics in check?" Kay asked. "Or perhaps this works at first but we run into difficulties later? Such as Fristad deciding he resents us for suppressing his magic and plotting revenge? How do we respond?"
Shadow said: "I do have a few ideas. Now that I am proven to not be the Dreamweaver I don't have to worry about doing things that would have made me suspicious before. Let's just say that if he doesn't immediately disappear, he won't go far. I will use lethal force if required."
"I can vouch for that," Astro said. "Shadow's abilities have… at times… made my own spells look like parlor tricks in comparison. We should consider ourselves fortunate that she is on our side."