ZEDD - THE NEXT AFTERNOON

I can't help but pace. Jacob didn't check in this morning - at all today actually - and it's making me nervous. Late I could deal with, but not calling at all? I can't even track his cuff, which is making me more nervous. Usually when the system can't find a cuff, it means that it's off or broken. If he turned it off, I swear he's going to be grounded for a decade. If it's broken, then something is seriously wrong and I don't even want to think about that.

Thomas has become so concerned that he's gone out to try and find the falcon and request his help in locating our son. Normally he wouldn't be concerned, but Jacob hasn't missed a check in call in a very long time. Between that and being unable to locate him by normal means, Thomas decided that it was time to use abnormal means. He comes in looking less stressed, but still unhappy. At my questioning look, he says, "The falcon says that he's all right, just unreachable."

"Why?"

"I'm not sure. Something about Jacob needing to be somewhere, but he wouldn't explain. He just said that we'd know soon enough."

"I'm going to go look for him." I summon my staff and turn for the door, but Thomas stops me.

"Kalleimat, try and be patient. If Jacob needs to be somewhere, then going and pulling him away from it isn't going to be the best thing." I open my mouth to protest, but he speaks again. "Zedd, I'm worried too, but this might be very important. There might be a good explanation."

I grit my teeth. "Fine, but if there isn't, he's going to be grounded for the next century!"

"Decade, maybe" he answers mildly.

Hours later there's still no contact and Thomas is pacing as much as I am. Mara Jane and the twins are staying nearby, almost as worried as we are. We're all startled when, not our cuffs, but the communication system goes off. We're not expecting any calls, but I answer it anyway.

"Go ahead."

"Good evening, young lord."

I struggle to be polite as my nerves are already about to snap. "Hello, Dulcea. How can we help you?"

"I have something that I believe belongs to you." Jacob steps into view.

"Hi, Papa, Daddy." The boy sounds a bit sheepish.

Thomas finds his voice first. "Jacob, how did you get there?"

"There was a portal in the old village and it brought me here. I didn't get back before it closed."

"And you couldn't be bothered to tell us what you were doing?!" I snap, relieved and angry in equal measure.

Dulcea steps in. "The way the child has explained it to me, he was instructed to come through and quickly, but he does not know why. We have been trying to figure it out, but we have come up with nothing. The animals have been - nervous - around here as of late but since he's arrived, they have settled down some. I thought that we'd call you so that you can come and get him while we continue to search for the source of their unease."

Thomas takes a deep breath. "All right. We'll head out in a couple of hours and we'll be there as soon as we can. A couple of days at most, I should think." He points at Jacob. "You stay safe until we get there."

Our son nods firmly and Dulcea ends the call. I look at the other children. "Go pack enough clothes for a week or so. Mara Jane, help the twins. You know what that planet is like."

She nods and herds the younger ones out. Since they've shown no signs of powers, we've not taken them to be assessed as we did the elder ones. I turn my attention to Thomas. "Pack for us both while I run the usual checks on the ship."

In spite of my abrupt tone, Thomas just nods, runs his hands down my arms and says, "At least now we know he's safe, mate. We'll deal with the rest later, okay?"

I nod shortly and we both head out.

Two days later, we're landing on Phaedos. Thomas has found us a much closer landing point than the time we brought Mara Jane and Jacob. Fortunately close enough that I don't have to sleep on the damn ground if we have to stay. I'm still quite angry with my eldest son, but at least my rage has cooled enough that I can listen to his explanation before I ground the hell out of him.

The five of us head out and it's not long before Tatiana meets up with us again. She's getting older, but her aging is greatly slowed by the fact that she lives on the temple grounds with Dulcea. Neither of the twins shows any extraordinary interest in the large cat as Jacob had when we'd first arrived here. Thomas and I exchange a puzzled look, both of us wondering if perhaps the twins have no powers at all, before we follow the beast to the clearing. The clearing is part of the temple grounds, but it's still a good distance from the actual structure itself, helping keep it secure from those who would do it harm.

Thomas has been feeling uneasy since we left the ship. I can feel it, but I can also feel that he's unsure as to the cause. Dulcea turns away from Jacob and whatever their conversation is as we arrive. "Welcome back."

Thomas cuts to the chase, as it were. "What's going on, Dulcea?"

"You can feel it too, can't you, Daddy?" Jacob asks, although he clearly knows the answer.

"Yeah."

"That's what we've been trying to figure out. I think the animals know something, but even as well as Dulcea and I can communicate with them, they can't tell us what it is. I think that I can get one of them to take me to the problem, but we wanted to wait for you."

Dulcea nods. "Since I cannot leave the plateau or grounds in human form, if something is wrong, I would be very little help. Jacob and I agree that it would certainly be safer if neither of us went alone."

Thomas nods. "All right." He turns to the rest of us. "All of you be good please. You too, Zedd."

The twins laugh at this, as does Dulcea. Thomas quickly dispenses kisses and hugs all around and leaves with Jacob, staff in hand. Thankfully, Jacob takes his weapons with him when he's out on his outings so we didn't have to bring his. Normally, we wouldn't have bothered to leave the ship armed, but with Dulcea's statement that something is wrong here, we felt it prudent. I have my staff, Mara Jane has her preferred sword and the twins, while they haven't settled on any particular weapon yet, are armed as well. Sullivan has both stars and nunchuks while Grace decided to bring tiger claws.

I try not to pace, as I don't want to worry the kids, but Mara Jane can tell I'm concerned. What do we do if something is wrong? What if Dulcea can't handle whatever it is? What if we can't? I can't lose my kids, my husband! Stop, Zedd. You're getting yourself all worked up and you don't even know that anything major is wrong yet. I take a deep breath and try to force myself to calm down.

It's hours later when they finally return, both of them looking grim. Thomas looks at Dulcea. "The nearest village is abandoned. It had to have happened in the last day or so."

Jacob nods. "And a few miles from here is a group of armed men and they're headed this way."

Dulcea sighs, frowning. "There are always those that seek the temple's powers in the wrong way. How many?"

Thomas exchanges a look with Jacob and shrugs at the female. "We didn't really stop to count. Fifty? Sixty? A hundred at most, but likely less than that."

"How far out? How long will it take them to get here?" the warrior asks.

"An hour - maybe two, but it looked like they were settling in for the rest of the day. They probably won't move in until tomorrow."

She thinks for a minute before nodding. "Tommy, Jacob - will you come with me?"

They nod in agreement even as I ask, "Where are you going?"

"To the temple."

"Jacob doesn't need to go" I snap. They all turn and look at me, shocked. "We're leaving. Dulcea, you can come and stay on the ship until it's over."

"Zedd-"

I cut Thomas off. "I told you many years ago that I didn't want him taking the trials, Thomas."

Dulcea's soft voice cuts in before my mate can snap back at me. "That's not why we're going to the temple, young lord, nor is it why I asked him to go. Your son has shown an amazing ability to communicate with the birds and beasts nearly at my level. I need him to help me to summon animals that will help protect the temple and grounds."

"Then why are you taking Thomas?"

She smiles at him. "Because he has some old friends here that he can summon that I cannot."

For a minute he seems confused, but then he smiles brilliantly. "Still?"

"Still" she agrees. "They tolerate me, but I think that they miss you, Falcon. It is time to call them back to duty - even if only for a short while."

Thomas turns to me. "We won't be gone long, mate. See if Trey, Andros or Kira are in the area and can lend a hand. Your cuff should be able to reach the ship's communication system from here."

Before I can protest again, they're gone. Grumbling unhappily, as this is not my fight, nor do I wish it to be as it puts the young ones in danger, I do as he's asked. Mara Jane checks over her sword and double checks the twins' weapons. Several minutes later, I'm even less happy. Trey is unreachable, Andros is more than a day out and Kira at least two or three hours, although she's now headed this way. On impulse, I try to call Dar and Pina.

"Go ahead."

"Dar, it's Zedd. I don't suppose you two are anywhere near Phaedos, are you?"

"Actually, yes. Pina wanted to see some of her distant relatives. Why?"

Quickly, I fill him in. "Can you get here that soon?"

"We'll be landing in thirty minutes, Zedd. Thanks for the heads up. Dar out."

I'm still pacing when Thomas and the others return. They seem rather pleased with themselves, so I assume that they have completed their mission. They've barely arrived when Pina and Dar join us. Pina heads over to Dulcea as Dar and Thomas come to me. Dar speaks first. "What do we know?"

Thomas quickly give him the details as well as updating me on how things went with their mission. "Probably less than a hundred warriors. Dulcea, Jacob and I managed to summon some of the animals that will help us. Zedd, did you reach anyone else?"

"Couldn't reach Trey, Andros is more than a day out, but Kira should be here in a few hours. Who did Dulcea need you to summon?"

He grins broadly. "The raptors. I figured they'd have been dead by now, but they aren't. They're getting old, but they still can fight."

Dar comments, "Perhaps we should just take the fight to them. At least go in the dark of night and thin out their numbers a bit."

Thomas shakes his head. "No. No offence, Dar, but I doubt we'd be able to take out a half a dozen before someone raised the alarm. We can still head out in the early hours and keep them from getting close."

"Then we need to plan."