I'm so sorry I don't update quickly. Things have been happening a lot lately but I'll try harder. Fluff coming. ENJOY!

Chapter 12: Mystery of the Green Stone Uncovered

After the Stormwing blood was collected, the three mages agreed to meet in Alanna's tent to discuss what happened. Numair hadn't talked since the guards came and helped them collect the evidence. All he did was look at the stone with shacking hands.

Since the creature vanished, the jewel glowed with a red light Daine knew as Perin's power. What he was doing to it now, she didn't know. But she planned to find out.

Sitting on the Lioness's cot, waiting for the others to come, Daine looked at her surroundings.

Alanna's tent was two times bigger than her own. She wasn't surprised. Alanna was the King's Champion. Beside the cot was a large desk with a lioness engraved in the middle. You could barely notice it among the piles of paper that covered the wooden table. Unlike Perin, they were set neat and were ordered according to height.

At the other end of the shelter was a long, low wooden table. In the middle was a large map she guessed to be Snowsdale from the various mountains. Around the map were hundreds of scrolls placed neatly on the edge.

Daine wondered how Alanna found the time to do it all.

While she looked around, Numair came in and sat beside his love. His hand clutched the mysterious stone so hard his knuckles were white as he set them in his lap. The expression on the mages' face hadn't changed which made Daine worry even more.

Putting a hand under his chin, Daine made him look at her. The look in his eyes said he was frightened but was trying to hide it.

He's never scared, she thought. He has to tell me what's wrong so I can help.

"Numair, love. What is it?"

He smiled and caressed her cheek. Daine leaned her head in his hand and sighed.

"I'll tell you soon. We have to wait for Alanna."

She nodded knowing he was right. Still, she couldn't stand watching him go around in a daze. It seemed as if he was just an empty shell, staring into the distance.

More to herself she said, "I just wish I could help more, other than wait around and sit."

"Magelet, your doing the best you can. We all are."

I know but that's not enough, she thought stubbornly. She took her head away and stared at the map. I know what I have to do. Hopefully Numair and Alanna will help.

Both sat in silence lost in their own thoughts. They both had plans but wouldn't say them in fear of what the others would say.

If one of Daine's animal friends could find Perin, Numair thought, then they could lead me to him. He would probably try to make his army fight me so he could go free. I'd let Alanna take care of them so it would just be me and him. If I don't look at the stone directly, I won't get hypnotized. So then it would be one-on-one and I could win easily.

It would be at least, except Daine wouldn't do it. Knowing my Magelet, she would say 'Either I go with you or you don't go at all.' Most likely she has a plan of her own. But I won't let her go. I can't see her get hurt twice in the same place.

Hearing people coming towards the tent, Numair looked up to see who it was. He was trying to ignore the voice in his head that kept saying, She's a grown woman. She can take care of herself. You can't always protect her.

Seeing Numair move, Daine looked at the man beside her. Following his gaze, Daine could hear footsteps coming near. As they got closer she could also feel an immortal with them.

The young girl stood up to greet her friends only to be tackled by a very excited dragon. Falling backwards on the bed, Daine laughed as Kitten licked and nuzzled her face. The dragon missed her adopted mother while she was away and wanted to make sure she was alright.

After thoroughly licking Daine, Kitten started sniffing the rest of her. That only made Daine laugh more. Watching, everyone in the tent joined her. No one noticed Numair as he stroked the dragon's back.

At that moment he wanted time to pause. He would have done anything to see Daine happy everyday like she was now. Just to see her smile and hear the laugh that he fell in love with. But he knew it would be a while before a day like this would happen again.

Better tell them now, he thought with a mental sigh.

As he made up his mind, Skysong could feel his hand tense. Looking at him, she made a questioning chirp and cocked her head to the side. He smiled down at her and scratched her chin reassuringly.

Daine sat up slowly letting Kitten back up on her lap. She gave Numair a worried look as the young dragon curled in a ball. All he could do was smile.

"Um… Mayhap you can tell me what's goin' on."

All three mages looked at the entry flap and saw the former King of the Thieves.

"George!" Alanna cried. She ran to him and wrapped her arms around her neck; his around her waist. They stayed like that for a moment until they went into a passionate kiss. The other two people on the bed blushed and waited for them to brake.

When they did, George put an arm around her shoulders and greeted his friends. Smiling, Numair got up and offered the couple his seat. George nodded a thanks and sat down between Daine and Alanna.

"Been busy, haven't you?" he asked Daine.

"Yeah, I guess so," Daine chuckled.

"Now will somebody tell me why?" he demanded.

Leaning on the desk, Numair sighed. "Green tourmaline."(A/N that's an actual stone. It's pretty. Hehe)

"What?" they all asked.

"Green tourmaline or god opal," he said unclenching his fist to show them the stone. George took the stone and turned it over and over.

"God opal," he repeated. "God opal. I've heard of that somewhere."

"They were found around 246 along with another stone. The-"

"Fire opal," George interrupted. "My Ma told me a story about them. The god opals were found right after the fire opals."

"Yes but the stones are different in too many ways. The tourmaline can control people. When you look at it, you can't look away." Numair glanced at Daine before continuing.

"They can also give you visions of past and future. Even if you don't look its power will make you. Once you look at it, you become its slave; or whoever holds the stone.

When people found out about them, they tried to take them. People were killing and taking others hostage just to get one. Luckily, King Roger 11 (the second) made his mages destroy them all. Apparently, they missed some."

"Isn't there a way we can fight the control?" Alanna asked.

Numair thought this over. "In Carthak, when I was studying this, I almost found one. But before I could go any further, I had to run. When I tried to look it up again, all the filed were gone. They burned all of it trying to hide they ever existed."

"Damn. Stupid people," Daine whispered.

From the corner of her eye she could see Numairs' mouth twitch in amusement.

"There has to be someone who knows it," Alanna said.

Numair who was about to reply, was cut off by George.

"There isn't." When he found out the name of the opal, his face went in a knot and he didn't talk.

"The king's of both Carthak and Tortall made sure they all forgot."

"How do you-" Daine got interrupted.

"You forgot something", he whispered, looking at Numair.

"Excuse me?" the mage asked.

"The opal. It can-if the owner of the opal wants someone dead, they die a painful death. But only if he looks at the person."

"Whoa!" Numair cried. His feet slid from under him and he almost fell on the ground. Daine gave George Kitten and went to steady Numair.

When they were balanced, Numair asked, "Perin could kill people just like that?!"

George gave a slow nod that made everyone's blood go cold.