Chapter 23

Next morning Val looks actually worse than he had when he went to bed. I try carefully hinting to him that maybe he should rest some more, but he is bent on finishing today. Lina and I silently agree to watch over him together this time.

Izler seems to have just woken up. He hastily buttons up the last buttons of his shirt and stifles a yawn as he leads us to the study. Only there he finally notices Lina.

"Oh, good morning, lady!" he greets her with all possible courtesy. "How can I serve you today?"

Lina shrugs uncertainly. She hasn't slept well and looks pale and displeased. I spent my night holding Val who, surprisingly, didn't have any nightmares.

As Val sets his eyes on the unfinished statue, he grabs a tool and starts refining some folds before I even have time to tie the red kerchief on top of his bandana. Izler reminds him not to rush, but the words clearly go to waste. Lina and I are standing in the doorway, watching with growing concern how Val's look gradually turns distant and aged.

Meanwhile, Izler, so sleepy he seems to have forgotten all about us, takes another tool and raises his hand to work on the other side of the statue.

"No!" Val gasps. "No, please, don't!"

Izler stares at him.

"I'm your teacher you know. How are you going to improve if I don't correct you?"

"Sorry, but I don't need to improve," Val explains quickly, and he sounds slightly hysterical. "I just need to finish. I am sorry, Mr. Izler, but please, please let me... You don't know how it should come out..."

Izler opens his mouth to argue, but I call him off.

"I think you should let him do as he wants," I say quietly, eyes trained on Val.

"Look, Mr. Beastmaster," Izler begins with growing irritation. "I understand you think your son is unique and talented, but without guidance..."

"Sh!" Lina hisses at him. "This isn't about talent or art at all. Just let him finish the damn thing and don't interfere."

Izler looks at me.

"What she said," I confirm. "You may go back to bed."

"And you're what, going to stay and watch?" he huffs.

I nod. Then, I quickly vanish and come back with a comfortable sofa from my quarters at the Wolfpack Island. I put it by the wall and gesture for Lina to take a seat. As she does so, I join her and wrap an arm around her. She is nervous and cold, her hands sweaty and shaking. I must admit I am quite surprised that she should be so distressed with these events. She is usually much less scared when her life is in danger, and whatever is happening to Val is unlikely to harm her in any way. Unless she knows or suspects something that I don't...

"Is there a problem?" Izler says in a changed voice, taking in our sullen worried faces.

"There might be," I say. "Nothing for you to worry about though. Go and have some rest."

He finally understands that I actually want him out, and with a concerned look at Val, he leaves. Now, what is he concerned about? Val isn't going to destroy his study, and there is almost nothing in here!

"Honestly," I mutter, "can't he see the child is troubled?"

"I think he can," Lina whispers back.

"Well, he could care a bit less about his workplace!"

Lina lifts her head to give me a strange look.

"I think it's Val he cares about."

I blink.

"Oh."

Lina takes my hand and begins stroking it as if she were trying to polish it shiny. Normally I wouldn't mind, but as I watch Val fanatically shaping clay Posel's hair, the repetitive motion gets to me very quickly.

"What are you trying to achieve?" I snap in a whisper, stopping her fingers with my own. Lina starts.

"I thought... you could do with some comfort," she mumbles.

"And rubbing the back of my hand is just your idea of comfort?"

"Sorry. I didn't mean to annoy you," she says quietly and moves away, ducking under my arm. I stare at her. Was I rude? Well, my son is ill with something I've never seen before, do you expect me to be polite no matter what? Do you even care?

Actually, I realize I can check it out. Just glancing at Lina's emotions in Astral doesn't take long. Oh, well... I recall her saying that I never pay attention to her feelings. Looks like it's true. She is so overcome with worry about Val that there is no room for anger at me anymore. But she is scared... Scared and... lonely? Why? I am here, am I not? And why is she scared?

"Lina," I call quietly. She looks up with her big darkened eyes shadowed even further with a sleepless night. "Sorry. I didn't mean to be rude," I hear myself saying.

"I know," she nods. "You're probably even more worried than I am."

Her gaze returns to Val who, to my utter horror, starts resembling Fibrizzo somewhat. I shake my head to get rid of the apparition.

"Why are you scared?" I ask for distraction.

"Aren't you?"

"Well, he is my son, and I have no idea what to do, so I should be scared. But why you?"

"I don't know what to do either. And he is my son too, now," she offers.

I stare at her. Her son? So it wasn't just a simplification for Pokota? She really feels that way? And, more importantly, she doesn't know what to do? Well, that's new. So far I've only seen her in doubt whether to cast Giga Slave or not. But to think that Lina might have no idea what to do... That's disconcerting to say the least. So far I assumed that my decision to let Val finish the statue alone was right simply because Lina seemed to support it, and she always knows what's right. If she doesn't...

"I thought you always know what to do," I blurt out with such obvious desperation in my voice, it makes me flinch.

She gives me a long suffering look.

As she doesn't say anything, I check her emotions once again. She has gone from fear to terror. A terror to lose me.

I quickly move over to her and bring my arm around her once again.

"Lina," I say passionately, looking into her terrified eyes. "It doesn't change anything. It was stupid of me to think you're omnipotent or omniscient, or whatever. I still love you, I should've thought better-"

She breathes out and buries her face in my chest.

"I didn't realize you'd need my comfort or... that... you'd be so scared of losing me," I finish clumsily.

She clings to me for dear life, then looks up.

"You know," she says hoarsely, "it's all implied in 'I love you'. That's why it's embarrassing to say."

"I realize that I'm handling it poorly again," I stroke her hair, "but you shouldn't be embarrassed about your feelings to me. We're in the same boat here. I mean, normally it makes you vulnerable when people know how you feel and that you depend on them. But since we are, so to speak, in the same besieged tower, it should work better to have complete understanding. I mean, we'd be stronger if we don't have to keep guard against each other, right?"

Lina makes a sound, and I can't tell whether it's a laugh or a sob. She then lifts her face. It's wet, but she is smiling.

"You're getting a hang of human wisdom, aren't you?" she chuckles, and more tears flood her face. I pull her closer, and let her cry for some time, muffling the sound so as not to draw Val's attention. Although he is so engrossed in work, I don't think he'd notice if the sky crushes down to the ground. Thankfully, he is standing with his back to me, and I don't see his face. His emotions are a terrible mess, and I prefer not to dig there.

"I, eh," Lina tries to say through the tears. "I need to tell you something. It's bad. But I can't just keep it inside, it's too scary. Can I?"

She looks up at me almost pleadingly. I nod.

"He... Val... looks a bit... just now he resembled... well, he slightly reminded me of Fibrizzo," she manages.

I nod again, frowning so deep it's almost painful.

"I noticed too," I say, and she starts sobbing again. At this rate Val is going to get distracted, and the last thing he needs to see is a crying Lina. I summon a calming draught from my potions stores. I only have one bottle, and it's precious because healing potions require white magic for brewing, and I don't have an opportunity to force a good white magic sorcerer to do the job for me. But ah, with all these recent developments I'd probably have to ask Milgasia to brew a few barrels of the stuff.

Lina stops sobbing but stays where she was, not exactly asleep, but not very awake either, just the state this draught gets humans into. I carefully watch over Val's progress, even though to my mind the statue looks finished. And it isn't anything special, either. Posel is striding on his way somewhere, hands swinging as he walks. Still, Val makes and remakes every fold on the clothing, every little detail on the fingers.

At lunchtime Izler's wife sticks her worried nose into the room, but I quietly send her away. Val doesn't look like he could have a break even if we tied him to a chair. He looks almost possessed. And I don't want to think about it. What is more surprising, though, is that Lina gives no indication of being hungry. I always thought she got hungrier when nervous. Perhaps, it's the calming draught.

It is not until the total darkness that Val is finished. He takes a couple of steps back to survey his work. Then walks around it two times. I don't know if he can see well, but he looks confident. He also looks exhausted, ill, and haunted.

There is some noise in the parlour, and soon Izler sticks his head into the room.

"Mr. Beastmaster, there are people looking for you three."

"What people?" I ask, tensing immediately.

"Some prince... Er, Puzzle?"

"Ah, Posel. Let him in here if you would."

I rub my face. Lina stirs and sits up. Looking around, she casts a Lighting.

"Yeah," she says hoarsely, looking up at the life-sized statue. "'Tis Pokota all right."

I take another look at Val's creation. Somewhere between lunch and darkness he got to remake the face a bit. It now shows a lot of determination and responsibility, as well as a bit of childish spleen, a reminder of the puppy-eyed stuffed toy.

Izler sticks his head in again.

"I told the guards to bring the Prince here. They would've preferred to get you to him, though. But went to fetch him anyway. Oh-"

He notices the change in the statue.

"Well, Val, that's really nice work! Sorry for earlier, you can obviously do much better than-"

He catches Val's expression and falls silent. A few moments later the door behind him bursts open and Pokota falls in, panting and wide-eyed.

"What happened!" he roars at Lina. "Couldn't you at least warn you were going to spend the night elsewhere? After yesterday-"

He freezes as he takes in the sculpture.

"Oh," he finally breathes. "Eh... why... how... Val, is it?.."

Val is suddenly towering above him. There aren't many people Val can tower above, but Pokota is just lucky to be one. I would've been amused by the way Pokota flinches and steps back, but when I catch the look in Val's eyes I flinch myself. He looks possessed.

After a moment of doubt I get up and call Val gently, trying to shift his attention from Posel to myself. Ignoring me, Val extends his hands to the prince, waving his fingers in a summoning motion. Pokota frowns, but steps forward. Suddenly he starts glowing. As I stare at the scene wide-eyed, I notice that Val is chanting.

And then, finally, it clicks into place.

I pull Izler aside to make sure he doesn't interfere with Val's magic. I spell-lock the door. I send Lina an urgent look, and she returns it with the same understanding.

Posel is glowing more and more, and the glow is beginning to shift towards Val's hands. I just barely have time to put on some silencing charms when Pokota begins screaming murder. Val isn't paying attention. The scream dies out as the last bits of the glow are transferred into a shining orb in Val's hands, while the lifeless stuffed body of Posel sinks to the floor.

Val eyes the statue and lifts his hands, but he can't reach high enough, so he starts looking for a stool. Afraid that he might lose concentration, I give him a lift. Predictably, he pushes the glowing sphere into the statue's chest, and the whole thing glows briefly before adopting some colour — pale skin, pink hair, huge green eyes. In a second, Posel collapses to the floor, unstable on his newly found long legs.

I pull Val into a hug as he pants and clutches at my cloak. He feels tired, accomplished and disoriented. Lina kneels at Posel's side and starts helping him back to his feet when we all notice that he is completely naked.

"Arrghhh," he gasps, pulling his knees up to his chest and looking around the dusty stone floor. "Where are my clothes?"

"Strange," I frown. "The statue was dressed."

"Izler, do you have some spare pants?" Lina asks, then repeats her question, as the sculptor is way too mesmerized by the magic he'd witnessed to pay attention to words.

"Ah... yeah... jus' a moment," he mumbles and storms out of the door only to come running back in a second with a heap of clothes. As Posel dresses, Izler stares at him until Lina forcefully turns his face to the wall.

Izler's outfit is a bit too big for Pokota, so he has to roll up the sleeves and pants. Then he straightens and stares at his hands, and feels his face and hair.

"How is this possible?" he asks, eyes dashing from me to Lina and back. "What exactly is this boy?"

I am starting to think of an answer, but then I realize that Val feels somewhat limp in my hands. I shift him to face me thinking that he might have fallen asleep, but his eyes aren't closed. They are rolled, whites glowing eerily in the magical light.

"Lina, he's unconscious!" I gasp.

"Lay him on the sofa and get Milgasia," she barks with a new confidence. "I'm done dealing with it without a Dragon healer."

I do as she says.

Milgasia is at home and luckily not asleep. On the contrary, he jumps up quite energetically at the sight of me.

"Xellos, I was just going to contact you. I've found something on the Ancients. It is unbelievable, they-"

"Can make new bodies for people out of clay," I finish for him.

He nods enthusiastically.

"Maybe, that too, but in general they use art for healing... wait. How did you know?"

"There is this guy, prince Posel Korba Taforashia," I explain briefly. "His body was taken from him by Rezo the Red Priest, and his soul was transferred into a stuffed toy. Val's been making a statue of Posel's real body for three days, as if possessed, we were scared sick for him. After he finished he pulled Posel's soul out of the toy and put it in the statue, and now he is unconscious, Milgasia, I need all of your healing skills!"

Thankfully, the Dragon doesn't hesitate. He dashes across the room to grab a first-aid potions kit and then extends his hand for me to teleport him.

Val is still flat on his back and gives no sign of recovery. Lina is kneeling by his side, while Izler and Posel stare at the scene from different corners of the room, as if afraid to come close to Val and each other. Upon arrival Milgasia casts a more profound Lighting spell, so now it's nearly daylight in the room. Lina stands aside to let him access the patient.

I recognize a few diagnostic spells and an enchantment calling onto one's consciousness. Val moans quietly and closes his eyes. Milgasia sits still for a couple more minutes, pressing his fingertips to Val's temples and frowning in concentration, as if listening to something.

"Xellos," he says finally. "Could you check his appearance in the Astral Plane?"

I do that without wasting any time. What I see is amazing: Val's Astral body is in one piece! And not just roughly glued together like in cured lunatics, but smooth and whole, and almost a perfect sphere.

"He is whole!" I inform barely stepping out to the Real Plane.

Milgasia nods.

"I thought I felt it, yes."

"Is it good?" Lina asks hopefully.

"Normally it is," I say.

Milgasia gets up.

"He is extremely exhausted, both physically and mentally. From what I read yesterday, only full-grown Dragons could employ this kind of healing magic, and for an Ancient Dragon 'full-grown' means over five hundred years. Val shouldn't be able to do it at all, but apparently his mental age is much greater than five years. Unfortunately, his body can't support such formidable magic. He'll need to rest a few days, and then he will be very week for some time. He might need to spend the best part of the month in bed. Certainly, no travelling. Here is a nourishing potion," Milgasia opens his case and produces several clinking bottles. "Wake him once a day and have him drink it. When he stops sleeping round the clock, add some light food to his menu. The rest is up to time."

"Is the potion Mazoku-safe?" I ask.

"It should be," Milgasia shrugs.

"Let me try," I extend a hand to take one of the bottles.

Milgasia looks at me strangely, but gives me a bottle. I take a sip of the thick liquid which smells vaguely of black pudding. I have tried drinking healing potions before and I know what it feels like when they aren'tMazoku-friendly. But this one seems fine.

"It'll do," I say corking the bottle. "Thank you, Milgasia."

"You don't owe me," he shakes his head. "Who was the patient?"

Lina gestures to a bewildered Pokota in the corner.

"Prince Posel."

Milgasia nods.

"How do you do, Your Highness. Golden Dragon Elder Milgasia at your service," he bows slightly.

Posel inclines his head too, but his astonished eyes never leave the Dragon. He must have never seen a talking one, I realise.

"I think we should head to Pokota's place," says Lina, glancing at an equally astounded Izler. True enough, he has no business learning our identities and listening on to Val's problems.

"Mr. Izler," I turn to the sculptor. "I am sincerely sorry for the mess we caused here. I must also ask you not to tell anyone what you have witnessed. Thank you for your cooperation, I hope your art will be appreciated from now on."

I shake his hand sealing his lips with a spell. He might be a rather decent human, but I don't trust him with Val's safety. Then I pick Val up into my arms and lead the way out of the house. The others follow in an uncertain line.

Thankfully, most of Pokota's guardians used to know him before the Taforashia disaster, and recognised his changed looks, so we didn't have to prove that this young man is actually their stuffed prince.

Back at the mansion Lina gives in to old habits and orders a dinner for seven people. Knowing her, Pokota adds to it so that he and Milgasia also had something to eat.

When the dinner is served and half-eaten (and I myself am enjoying some chocolate liquor to help me get over the day's stress), Milgasia clears his throat.

"I will make more of the potion for Valteria. This amount will only last him for three days."

"If it's not too big a trouble, I was going to ask you to make some calming draught for me as well."

"For you?" the Dragon stares.

"For me to give it to other people," I clarify. I don't want to tell him it's Lina I am concerned about.

"Very well," he nods. "I'll see to filling your family emergency kit with the best available medicines."

I would have been indignant, but he means it in full earnest, there is no mocking or irony.

"Could anyone please tell me what in the world is going on?" Pokota inserts.

Lina, Milgasia and myself exchange glances. Pokota is an ally. He might not be Lina's close friend, but he is way more decent than Zelgadiss. He is not a complete fool either, he's learnt something from the Rezo story. Finally I nod to Lina, and she explains.

"Valteria is the last surviving Ancient Dragon. Well, actually, he's only half-Dragon, the other half Mazoku. Xellos and I are raising him as our child."

Pokota digests that for some time.

"So how did he give me back my body?"

"The Ancient Dragons," Milgasia explains, "could control elements to such an extent that living beings captured in their art could come to life. Nowadays you won't find anyone who could explain to you exactly what processes were involved in your transformation, Prince Posel. Valteria clearly remembers the procedure, but I doubt he is capable of explaining it."

Milgasia looks at me for confirmation.

"The only thing we could get out of him was that he had to finish the clay figure as soon as possible, and that he had seen some strange dreams with shapes and colours," I offer. "You also probably remember the episode when he said there were some pink lines he had to follow."

Pokota nods.

"I hope," Milgasia resumes, "that as Valteria grows up, he will work out a better understanding and control of this skill."

"But why was I naked if the statue was clothed?"

I shrug.

"We just told you no one knows how it works!" Lina snaps at him.

"Actually," Milgasia joins in, "I think I know. Clothes aren't a part of your body, so they can't be created this way. But he needed to dress you in something in order to make the image more expressive and natural. He wouldn't have had the same freedom if he sculpted you naked."

"And it would've been really awkward," Lina adds.

"I see," Posel says and falls silent for a very long time. Eventually he comes up with my most hated question.

"What can I do for him? I mean, he is just a little boy, and he is suffering because of me..."

"First thing, keep your gratitude at bay," I sneer. "He is indeed half Mazoku, and this is one of the most sickening feelings."

"I think," Lina offers smiling, "that he would be much happier if he knew you found yourself a nice wife."

"Oh!" Pokota jumps. "Right! I totally forgot! Marriage is no longer a problem! Goodness, I must throw a celebration!"

"Save that until Val is up and about," Lina says. "And don't make him the centre of it, he is shy. And-"

"I got it, I got it!" Posel interrupts. He grows serious all of a sudden, and I notice that, like in the first picture of him, Val made him look slightly older, more matching his real age than his old appearance.

"Look," Posel says, not looking at anyone in particular. "I'm sure you know how I feel, and if you don't like it, I'll put a bridle on it. But what I want you to understand is that Val can count on me for any kind of support. And I mean it not just in words. I am, after all, a rather powerful wizard and future king. So just for your information. If Val needs anything, I'll do everything I can.

I nod, surprised at how quickly my attitude to a person can change when it comes to Val. Right now I am ready to call this funny guy a friend, if not to hug him.

"Be prepared that we will call in this favour, and rather sooner than later," Lina informs him.