The Inn of the Last Home was the largest building in Solace, high up a huge vallenwood tree that stood at the edge of the crossroads on the edge of the tree town. All of the buildings were in the trees in Solace, a defense mechanism the people enacted after the Cataclysm to avoid the roaming bands of mercenaries, bandits and other dangerous things that littered the lands of Krynn after the gods left. Only the blacksmith's shop rested on the ground, since having a working forge in the branches of a tree was admittedly a bad idea.

The four friends made their way to the base of the giant tree where the staircase that wound around the trunk up to the door of the inn started. The tension in the town was so thick you could almost drink it. People looked upon each other with suspicion, not the warmth they would have shown five years ago. Although the suspicious looks were directed at all four of them, they eventually landed on Delano and lingered, as if willing him to disappear. This behavior was not lost on Tanis, Flint and Tas, and they exchanged worried glances, occasionally looking back at Delano to make sure no one had struck him. Delano had attached his staff to a brace on his cloak, so he walked behind the other three with his hands folded in the sleeves of his robes, hood pulled low over his face. The behavior was definitely not lost on Delano, who felt more unwelcome here than he had in the Tower of Wayreth, if that could even be possible.

Delano sighed to himself. Why am I here? he wondered as he walked up the stairs. It seems like everywhere I go I'm not wanted. If I had chosen this fate, I could deal with it. In a sick twist of fate, I guess I did choose it, but what kind of choice is that? Death or the life of an outcast. Who would possibly choose death? Especially since, at the time, I didn't realize the ramifications of my choice. I was only trying to stay alive, like every other living being on Krynn. Lost in his thoughts, Delano didn't realize his friends had stopped to wait in line for the door and walked into Flint, nearly knocking him over.

"Watch it dammit, the inn is crowded. We have to wait our turn," Flint growled back at Delano.

"Sorry Flint."

"No snappy comment?" Flint regarded him for a moment. "You really have changed, lad."

"Unfortunately, yes," Delano said in a subdued tone.

"Finally," snapped Tanis under his breath. "Come on guys, we can go in, I think Tas has already made his way to the bar."

"Caramon!" They could hear Tas even before they went inside.

"That means Raistlin is here," Flint said with an undisguised lack of warmth. He looked back and saw Delano looking at him and realized how he had sounded. Flint opened his mouth to say something else, but couldn't think. His distrust of Raistlin was no secret, not many of the companions hid it very well save for Tanis, but Flint generally liked Delano and made it a point to hide his feelings about Raistlin around him because of the relationship the two boys had. He had been caught red-handed and he knew it. Delano looked at Flint for another moment, then moved past him and walked into the inn leaving Flint standing on the steps. He sighed into his beard, then turned around and walked into the inn.

Raistlin sat at the table unconsciously stirring his putrid herbal tea while thinking about the goblin encounter earlier. He was searching his brain, looking for any mention in his studies of the blue crystal staff the hobgoblin Fewmaster Toede was looking for. His stirring slowed as he sensed a sudden influx of power. Some very powerful magic had just been used and he wasn't sure what kind it was.

"Hey Raist," Caramon started as he walked back to the table and sat down, "whatcha thinking about?"

Raistlin peered over at him as he sat down, irritated at the interruption. "Leave me be," he hissed.

Dejected, Caramon looked down into his mug. "Sure, Raist." He took a sip of his ale and scanned the room, looking for the rest of the companions that had sworn an oath to be there that night.

Raistlin turned to look out the window and tried to regain his train of thought. He should have been able to tell what kind of magic it was. He would definitely be able to tell if it belonged to one of the three gods of magic. His came from Lunitari, the magic god that supplied the red robes with magic, and though the magic of Solinari and Nuitari had slightly different feels to them (white robes and black robes, respectively), they were all the same type; in fact, many mages couldn't tell the difference between them. Raistlin smiled at that. He could tell the difference, which meant he was more in tune with magic in general. And that meant he would become more powerful than most, if not all, of the other mages on Krynn. He finally determined that the spell happened too far away to get an accurate feel. It was powerful though, whatever it was. He made a mental note to keep any senses he had on alert for that feeling, should he encounter it again.

The food Raistlin ordered arrived: bread, small cuts of chicken and some local greens he enjoyed when he was younger. He began picking at it, checking the tenderness of the chicken and the hardness of the bread. The chicken was edible, but he found that he needed to dip the bread in his horrendous tasting tea just to make it soft enough for him to chew. Idiots, he cursed.

Caramon, on the other hand, wasn't able to just sit there and drink. The inn was more crowded than he'd ever seen it, and he and Raistlin were sitting at the large table against the wall across from the fireplace. The table could seat eight or more, and they were the only two sitting at it. It seemed that every time he turned around, he was defending the empty seats at the table, explaining over and over that those seats were reserved. It was becoming a headache and he wished his friends would hurry up.

After finishing the ale in his mug, he noticed that the waitress was too busy to come by their table so he walked up to the bar to get more. The waitress was Tika Waylan, the same girl Otik had taken in when her parents died, and the same girl that was only 14 when the companions embarked on their five year quest to check on the evil growing in the world and maybe some sign of the ancient, true gods. Tika was 19 now, and very much an attractive woman. Caramon watched her every chance he got, trying to not seem obvious, imagining her without that low-cut white blouse on. She seemed to enjoy him looking at her, which Caramon hoped would turn into a warm bed tonight. Receiving his new ale at the bar, he heard a voice shout his name that instantly brought a large smile to his face. He looked over at the door and saw Tasslehoff Burrfoot running towards him, arms outstretched. Laughing, he picked Tas up in a large hug.

Raistlin heard Tasslehoff and looked over to see his brother lift the kender up in a bear hug. Tasslehoff being somewhere usually meant that Flint and Tanis were not far behind. He smiled. He was going to enjoy greeting them at the table. As soon as he thought that, his senses picked up that odd feeling again. It was much, much fainter, but he felt it all the same. His curiosity piqued, he looked over to the door and saw Tanis come in, talking to a – Raistlin's eyes widened – black robed mage behind him. A few seconds later, Flint walked in. The odd feeling increased ever so slightly and he attempted to seriously look at the black robe before the crowd blocked his view. "Damn," he cursed. There were too many people in the inn to keep an eye on anyone for very long. Luckily, the tip of mages staff stood above the crowd, so Raistlin could follow him as he moved through the crowd. It also helped that most people there seemed hesitant to touch the black robe, so they parted as he walked among them.

Tonight just got very interesting, thought Raistlin.

Tanis walked up to Caramon as he set down Tas. He suffered through one of the big man's bear hugs without too much protest, and clasped Caramon's shoulder with his left hand once back on the ground. "Where's Raistlin?"

Caramon pointed to the large table that Tas was heading towards. "He's over at that table, and dammit, it's been hard work keeping your seats open. You're late." He grinned while slapping Tanis on the shoulder. He suddenly got very serious. "He's changed, Tanis."

Great, thought Tanis, two mages that came back tonight the worse for wear. Tanis looked back to see where Delano was. He was still trying to make his way through the crowd to the bar. "Caramon, that's Delano in the black and blue, and he's changed too. I think something's wrong with him."

Hearing Delano's name, Caramon's face lit up until Tanis made that last statement. Looking over Tanis's shoulder, he could see Delano trying to make his way through the crowd, with the patrons trying their best to avoid touching him. It would've been comical if it wasn't one of his dear friends that he was looking forward to seeing again after all this time. Behind Delano, Caramon caught brief glimpses of Flint trying to wade through the crowd.

Delano finally managed to get up to where Caramon and Tanis stood. Tanis turned and leaned his back against the bar so Delano could get to Caramon. Delano went up and stood before the large warrior. Seeing his old friend warmed his heart. He suddenly didn't feel so bad about coming.

"How have you been, midget minotaur?" Delano pulled his hood back and smiled.

Raistlin was trying his best to watch the black robe walk up to Caramon and talk to him. When a small clearing opened in the crowd, Raistlin got a good look at his robes. They were black with dark blue mixed in – something a mage's robes should never look like. Was he a renegade? If so, why draw attention to himself wearing those robes? No, he told himself, even a renegade mage's powers draw from one of the three gods of magic. This man emanated a power that Raistlin had never felt before, and definitely the source of the previous feelings he had. As Raistlin contemplated what he was seeing, the man talking to Caramon pulled back his hood. Raistlin saw the man's face and did something he has never done before: he froze. He even stopped breathing for a moment, for he recognized that man.

"It can't be . . ." Raistlin stared in disbelief. "They told me he died during the Test."

The old man in the gray robes sat in his chair slowly drinking ale, telling stories of the old gods to children, and watched the people in the inn. He was having a good time, relishing in the looks on the children's faces as he spun tale after tale of the old gods and dragons. He thought it a shame that the wonder of children disappeared as they aged and narrowed their minds.

Noticing Raistlin, he sighed. He too felt what the young mage was feeling and wasn't quite sure how it would all play out. This new sensation was something Krynn had not seen before, at least not in this capacity. This worried the old man for it was an anomaly, an uncertainty on the playing field that couldn't be accounted for.

"Delano Baeron, my child, I do not envy the road you will be walking," he said into his mug as he took a drink of ale. Watching the young man walk through the crowd in the inn and seeing the looks he was receiving, the old man sighed. "I pray the goodness in your heart will return." He looked back over to Raistlin and frowned. "I wish Delano's demeanor and decision didn't depend so much on your reaction." He noticed a tug on his sleeve and looked down. The young boy at the front of the group of children was asking him to tell another story. "I hope there will still be stories to tell in a few years time," he muttered before smiling at the boy and beginning another story.

Smiling at Delano's old nickname for him, Caramon lifted the young man up in a bear hug. He missed his childhood friend very much, all the more so because of the effect he had on Raistlin. His brother was a much happier person around Delano, and Caramon had wished the young man was with them for the past five years, especially because of Raistlin's transformation. Maybe things would have turned out differently.

"Delano, where have you been all these years?" A tear came to Caramon's eye as he held Delano tightly. He realized that the young man had trouble breathing because of the embrace and set him back down. He placed his hands on Delano's shoulders and looked him in the eyes. It was then that he noticed the massive change in his friend's eyes. This change was almost more shocking than the one Raistlin had gone through. That broke the big warrior's heart. "What . . . What happened?" Caramon finally managed to say.

Delano sighed as a pained smile graced his face and eyes. "I will try my best to explain after I talk to Raistlin. Where is he?"

Caramon pointed over to the table across from the fireplace. "Over there. Come, follow me." Delano fell in step behind the warrior as he started pushing through the crowd at the bar. Tanis and Flint exchanged glances.

"What have we come back to?" Flint looked from Tanis to Delano and sighed. "We're still two short, friend. I hope no more surprises show up." At that, Flint turned to follow Caramon and Delano.

"You and me both," Tanis said as he began following the trio. "You and me both."

Reaching the table, Caramon sat in the chair across from his brother. Tanis and Flint both moved to grab a seat while Delano stood back from the table, almost as if he wasn't welcome to sit with them. He stood there staring at Raistlin with a puzzled look on his face.

Tanis got a look at the red robe's face before he sat down and paused, half sitting and half standing. He stared in undisguised horror at Raistlin. "By the gods," he breathed.

Flint heard Tanis and followed his gaze. "Reorx! What evil is this?" His face mimicked Tanis's.

It was then that Tasslehoff finally showed up at the companion's table. "What a good crowd tonight. So many people are here, I don't think I've ever seen this place so crowded. Even—" He paused once he noticed how quiet his friends were, contrasting heavily with the rest of the inn. He looked over at Raistlin and his eyes widened. "Raistlin! You're like a golden statue! How-" He stopped mid-sentence when Flint smacked him in the arm. "Hey, what was that for?"

Raistlin, vastly out of character, was oblivious to what was going on around him. He didn't even hear any of what was said. He was transfixed, staring at his one true friend who was supposed to be dead. His brain regained its ability to think, and he was brought back to the present. It was more than the fact Delano was supposed to be dead. Like himself, the major change was in the eyes.

Delano saw the look on Raistlin's face, but that was overshadowed by the physical changes his childhood friend had gone through. His skin was gold, like a golden statue, and his eyes were gold with hourglass pupils. A twisted smile crept onto Delano's face. "It seems I'm not the only one Par Salian cursed."

A similar smiled graced Raistlin's face. "Indeed. Come sit down," Raistlin said as he gestured towards the chair next to him. "We apparently have much to discuss, especially since you're supposed to be dead."

The rest of the companions shot glances at each other. All at once they exclaimed, "Dead?"

Delano looked around at the faces of his friends, then back at Raistlin and laughed, the first laugh anyone at the table had heard from him since returning. "Is that what you heard?"

"Yes," replied Raistlin.

Delano looked around the inn for the waitress. Once he saw her, he motioned her over, feeling a familiar stirring in his loins as he saw the tight-fitting attire she wore. "Perchance might I have a word with you in private Raistlin?"

Raistlin thought for a moment while he waited for Tika to make her way to their table. He slowly stood, saying, "Of course."

Tika came to stand in front of Delano. "My, my, my. Tika, my dear, you truly have grown. What a wonderful sight you turned out to be," Delano said as he smiled at her. She blushed at that, causing Caramon to feel jealous. Delano had always been able to get any girl he wanted, regardless of who the girl was with or talking to. "Say, would there happen to be an empty room Raistlin and I could use for a little while? We have some things to discuss in private."

"There is one that we can't rent until the laundry is done. It's the first one on your right, let me go get the key," Tika said as she smiled at Delano and went over to the bar.

Delano grabbed her arm before she got out of reach. "Might we have a couple of glasses of wine too?"

She smiled at his touch and looked back at him. "Sure thing Delano."

Raistlin came over to stand next to Delano. Being right next to him, the odd feeling was strong, almost intoxicating. The joy he felt at seeing Delano alive cooled as he regarded his friend. Something was not right. The Conclave must have had a reason for saying he died. He would have to watch himself around his old friend, something he was sorry for.

Tika returned then with the key and wine and handed them to Delano, pointing them towards the stairs before she realized that they knew exactly where they were going. Delano handed one of the glasses to Raistlin, then they turned and walked away. Tika shook her head and smiled. She then turned to the table and asked if the rest of the companions needed anything.

"Yes, please," Caramon spoke up, smiling at her. "Some of those famous spiced potatoes and a round of ale, on me." She smiled back and left to go place their order.

Watching the two walk over to the stairs, Flint shook his head. "I don't like this."

Tanis was watching them walk away too. "Those two were always a handful when they got together, but with the drastic changes both of them have gone through . . . I have a bad feeling about this."

"Oh, c'mon guys. Let them talk and come back to tell us what's going on. You'll see. It'll be like old times again." Caramon wasn't sure who he was trying to convince, his friends or himself.

"I wish you were right, Caramon, I really do," Tanis said as he picked up the mug of ale Tika had set in front of him. "But with everything I've seen today, I'm not so sure."

"Tanis," Tika said. "Something arrived for you earlier today under strange circumstances."

"Strange circumstances?"

"Yea, a man, at least I think it was a man, delivered it after lunch." Tika shivered at the memory. "He was so covered in clothing of every description that I couldn't even see his face. He spoke in a strange accent with a hissing sound, almost like a snake. 'Deliver this to one Tanis Half-Elven.' I told him you weren't here and haven't been for over five years. He just said, 'He will be,' and left."

Tanis frowned as she handed him an elegant scroll case made out of black polished wood. He opened it, removed the parchment, and began reading. His heart leapt into his throat as he recognized the hand writing of Kitiara, the person he most wanted to see at this reunion and the half-sister of Raistlin and Caramon. The more he read, the more his heart sank. His emotions were easily read on his face and the others at the table looked at him in concern.

"Well, speak up," Flint prodded.

"It's from Kitiara." He slowly folded the parchment in his hands. "She's not coming."

A moment of stunned silence befell the table. After everything that's happened that day, this news was the last thing any of them wanted to hear. "That's done it," Flint spat. "The circle is broken, the oath denied. Bad luck." Shaking his head, Flint muttered into his ale. "Bad luck. Our lives are about to take a turn for the worse."