“How do you keep the mist away?” Cole asked.
“I don’t,” Callista said. “There are empty pockets like this scattered about the deeper portions of Fog Lake. I claimed this one. The mist grifters use them as well.”
“Did you build this house?” Dalton asked.
“I had aid from members of the Red Guard,” Callista said. “Trillian has been generous. A couple of his Red Guard stayed here with me for years. Eventually, they passed away. I never asked for replacements, and he never sent any.”
“I like the bull,” Dalton said. “Seems like that would be tough in battle.”
“You’d definitely have some brute strength,” Cole agreed. “And you’ll be popular at rodeos.”
“Take down the mask you want,” Callista said. “Don’t put it on. Bring it out front and wait for me.”
Everyone began choosing masks. Skye took a bear. Jace picked a wolf. Mira selected a bighorn sheep. Twitch grabbed an eagle. After some deliberation, Cole walked away from an ape mask and claimed a mountain lion.
On his way out of the Hall of Masks, Cole felt a hand on his shoulder. “I need to speak with you for a moment,” Callista said.
She led Cole back into the room as the others departed. In a moment they were alone.
“Did I choose a bad one?” Cole asked, holding up the mask.
“No, the mountain lion is a fine choice for our current purposes,” Callista said. “I would have warned anyone who opted for something inconvenient. I want to discuss the power you wield. I have met many enchanters over the years, but your shaping power is the most uncommon I have sensed. Tell me about it.”
Cole explained about the time he made the Jumping Sword work. He went on to give examples of his subsequent failed attempts.
“I can’t solve this problem for you,” Callista said. “But I can offer some advice. The issue is not simply a matter of mental exertion or force of will. If you wanted that alligator mask over there, would you try to will it to come to you?”
“I’d go grab it,” Cole said.
“That’s right,” she said. “Your will would motivate you to take action, correct?”
“Yeah.”
“But your will alone would not suffice.”
“Right.”
“Your shaping talent is similar,” she said. “You were feeling strong emotions the first time you accidentally used your power. You thought the emotions were the key, but they may have masked what you really need to learn. You were so distracted by your panic that you failed to recognize the source of your power. You harnessed it accidentally, never understanding how you drew energy from yourself and infused it into your sword. Instead of replicating the successful act, you’ve focused too much on imitating the emotion of the moment.”
Cole closed his eyes and focused on himself, searching for a power source. He couldn’t sense anything unusual. “I don’t feel it.”
“You’re like an infant just learning that he can open and close his hand,” Callista said. “The nerves are there, the muscles are present, but you have not yet mastered using them deliberately.”
“How do I find the right muscles?” Cole asked.
“I can’t show you,” Callista said. “And it’s difficult to describe—like explaining sound to the deaf, or sight to the blind. I know where I reach to access my power. I use my mind much as I would to take a step, or make a fist, or speak a word, but the act is not physical. I’m not flexing a certain part of my body. And yet I’m commanding my power in a similar way. Pay attention to finding your power. Learn what it feels like. Discover what you must do to tap into it. Don’t fixate on the emotion. Did you notice Skye as we were selecting masks?”
“Not really,” Cole said. “I was concentrating on which I would choose.”
“She looked at the masks with fear and awe,” Callista said. “She could sense the power they contain. She may not have apprehended all the fine details, but she touched her mask hesitantly and handled it gingerly because she felt it throbbing with energy. Do you feel the power in your mask?”
“I believe you that it works,” Cole said. “But I don’t feel anything unusual.”
“This is a skill you can develop,” Callista said. “Learn to recognize power in others. Become more conscious of your own power. It’s there. I sense it clearly. Once you learn to draw from it, then you can start directing it with your will, and perhaps increase its potency with your emotion.”
“I remember feeling it,” Cole said. “I knew energy was going from me into the sword. But after the flow stopped, I couldn’t start it again.”
“That’s good!” Callista said. “At least you have some idea what you’re looking for! Find that feeling you remember. That is where you need to focus. In some ways, it’s easier to recognize your power when you’re calm and untroubled than when you’re distressed. Search out your talent in quiet moments. Don’t push too hard. You’ve done it once. You can do it again.”
“Thanks,” Cole said. “I think that will help.”
“I hope so,” Callista said. “You never know. All shaping is slippery. You’re never done learning. But it can be especially elusive at the start. I would be interested to see what you can do with your power once you learn to access it. Your gift is so unusual that I can’t predict the applications beyond what you’ve described to me. You’ll be in uncharted territory. Shall we join the others?”
“One question,” Cole said. “I’m trying to find my friends and get home. We’re from Outside.”
“A Wayminder could get you home, my boy,” Callista said. “But only temporarily. Those you’re closest to won’t remember you. And you’ll get drawn back here before long.”
“Trillian told me there might be a way to change that,” Cole said.
Callista pursed her lips and blew a long sigh. “I suppose, theoretically. Trillian routinely names possibilities that the rest of us can scarcely imagine. It would involve realigning how the five kingdoms are configured. I know of nobody but Trillian with enough power to attempt it.”
“But it’s possible?” Cole asked.
“In theory,” Callista said. “The Grand Shaper of Creon might have some thoughts on the matter. And who knows what these shapecrafters can accomplish. But in practice, the chances are not good. Learn to enjoy your life here, just in case.”
“Okay,” Cole said, disappointed but not entirely surprised. He had known it wouldn’t be easy. “I guess we can go out now.”
He followed Callista back through the rounded hall to her sitting room and out to the front of her cottage. The others waited with their masks. A dome of dark fog pressed against all sides of their clear bubble.
“Honor,” Callista said. “Which is your horse?”
Honor pointed out the steed she had ridden.
Staring at the animal, Callista flexed her fingers. The horse swelled, gaining size and muscle. “I’ve changed your mount so that it will bear you as a knight as quickly and tirelessly as the rest of us can run. Minimus?”
“Mine is there,” the Halfknight said, indicating his smallish horse.
Callista did not grow it as large as Honor’s, but the animal promptly became the second largest of all the mounts. Brushing her palms together, the Grand Shaper gave a satisfied nod. She walked over to Minimus.
“Your changing is amazingly stable,” she said. “You don’t require sleep or food, but the changing will prolong your days rather than shorten them. You could live a hundred years in this state. But it all depends on the Rogue Knight. Should he fall, your power would be lost.”
“You speak true,” Minimus said.
“I can seal your altered state,” Callista said. “If so, your changing would endure, even if the Rogue Knight fell, but it would mean never going back to your former life. As your changing now stands, the Rogue Knight could reverse it, release you
. If I seal your changing, your armor would become a permanent part of you. No going back.”
“Would I maintain my connection to the Rogue Knight?” Minimus asked.
“No,” Callista said. “That would be the price. You’ll lose the sense you have of his location, and he won’t sense you either. Your connection to him will no longer sustain you as a knight. But that also means you would remain in your present state even if the Rogue Knight perished or lost his power. The choice is yours.”
“I’ll still be free to serve him?” Minimus verified.
“Or to do whatever else you desire,” Callista said.
“Then seal my power to me,” Minimus said. “Perhaps it will free the Rogue Knight to add another follower. I’m his sworn man with or without a connection. My knighthood means everything to me. I would consider this a great favor.”
Callista placed her hands on his shoulders. She swayed in place for a moment, then stepped back. “It is done.”
“I feel no different,” Minimus said. “But I’ve lost my sense of the Rogue Knight.”
“As promised,” Callista replied.
“Is Morgassa like the Rogue Knight?” Cole asked.
“In what way?” Callista replied.
“If we stop her, would her horde return to normal?” Cole asked.
“The changings are all tied to her power,” Callista said. “Though she now has full ownership of that power, it still came from outside of her. If Morgassa falls, her horde will be released.” Callista whirled. “Buttons! I leave you in charge until my return. See that Gurble keeps out of trouble. And make sure any bold mist grifters understand that I’ll be back.”
“Are you coming with us?” Honor asked.
“Sometimes the safest action is to take the offensive,” Callista said. “I’ll have a better chance against Morgassa with the rest of you by my side. If you fail to bring her down, there will be no place in Elloweer to hide. For me, leaving Elloweer is impractical. Not only am I committed to its welfare, but without my enchanting to protect me, I would be at the mercy of the High King and his Enforcers.”
“This is more help than I hoped for,” Honor said.
“Not unwelcome, I trust?” Callista checked.
“Beyond welcome,” Honor enthused.
“I can guide you to the Rogue Knight,” Callista said. “Minimus can no longer do so.”
“I feel somewhat adrift,” Minimus admitted.
“I can also guide us to Morgassa,” Callista said. “Our changings should help us press our way through her horde. Morgassa herself will be the biggest challenge. She is a being of tremendous enchanting power. Alone I would be overwhelmed. Perhaps together, we’ll find a way.”
“What about our horses?” Mira asked. “The ones you didn’t change?”
“They’ll follow us out of here,” Callista said. “My figments will help them. The horses will do well. This is fertile country.”
“Should we try on the masks?” Jace asked.
“The time has come,” Callista agreed.
“Don’t you have a mask?” Mira asked.
“Darling,” Callista said. “Don’t forget who made them.”
Callista immediately transformed, expanding into a sleek, black African buffalo nearly the size of an elephant. Her broad horns looked thick enough to pulverize a building.
“Go ahead,” Callista said, her voice unchanged despite her bulky new form. “Put them on.”
Dalton stood beside Cole, mask in hand. Glancing at his friend, Cole asked, “You ready?”
“Are we really doing this?” Dalton murmured.
“Unless you want to stay at the bottom of this lake.”
“Do you think I’ll have an appetite for hay?”
“We’re about to find out.”
Cole pressed the mask to his face.
A storm of sensation assailed him. For an instant, he tipped and spun and grew and shrank.
Cole was on all fours, and it felt completely natural. He was suddenly aware of how useless human arms were for purposes of transportation. Sure, his hands could grasp better than these paws, but he had never felt more stable. Humans teetering around on two legs now seemed a little pathetic.
Taking a couple of steps, Cole felt the new strength in his powerful muscles. He yearned to run and leap, to test his new limits. His senses were quickened. Sounds and smells reached him with greater nuance and meaning.
He was big. No regular mountain lion could match his impressive size. Around him, the other animals were large and powerful as well. Each had a different scent.
“This is wild!” Dalton exclaimed. Except it wasn’t Dalton. It was a mighty bull nearly the size of Callista.
“I could get used to this,” Skye said, now a massive bear. Rearing up on her hind legs, she pawed the air.
“Follow me,” Callista called, charging away from her home and into the mist.
Cole sprang forward, muscles rejoicing as he accelerated to a thrilling speed. Zooming through the mist, low and fast, his smelling and hearing could track Callista with little problem in spite of the darkness. He had to agree with Skye.
He could get used to this.
CHAPTER
36
KNIGHTS
Their haste leaving Fog Lake made the misty depression seem much smaller than it had on the way in. They never slowed. Cole kept waiting for his muscles to get fatigued, for his lungs to become starved of oxygen, but the exhaustion never hit. After the first hour, he began to trust that he could sprint indefinitely.
They made amazing time. Although they’d came from Edgemont on horseback, their mounts had walked or trotted most of the way. A journey that had consumed a few days went by in a matter of hours. For a time, Blackmont Castle became visible, then it fell away behind them. Above them, in his eagle form, Twitch swooped acrobatically through the sky.
“We’re nearing the Rogue Knight’s camp,” Callista said. “Have you considered whether we want to approach him as animals or in our true forms?”
The question roused Cole. He realized he hadn’t been thinking about much of anything besides the primal exhilaration of running.
“What do you think, Minimus?” Honor called from astride her mount.
“The Rogue Knight prefers straightforward dealings,” Minimus said. “He would respect you for coming in your true shapes. Honor could be the exception. He is very familiar with changings that provide added strength and armor.”
When Callista slowed to a stop, the rest of the party followed her lead. After the long run, Cole found it strange to no longer be in motion.
“We’re almost to him,” Callista said. “If we’re going to shed our changings, now is the time.”
“Minimus gave us good advice,” Honor said. “Remove your masks, but keep them close by, in case the negotiation goes poorly. I’ll keep my mask on.”
“I’ll lead us into camp,” Minimus said. “It will help show you mean no harm.”
Cole realized that although he had transformed into a completely new form, he remained aware of the mask on his face. He looked down at his paws. They didn’t seem capable of grasping the mask.
Should he try? Part of him wanted to leave it on. He would miss the strength and agility. Wouldn’t this powerful form be more intimidating than some kid? Why did they have to come before the Rogue Knight as weaklings?
Cole noticed that Dalton and Jace had removed their masks. Through the eyes of a lion, they looked extremely vulnerable.
The instinct to hunt two of his friends jolted Cole into reaching for the mask. His paw grabbed it and lifted it without difficulty. A rush of sensation overcame him as he rose and swayed, his body shifting dramatically.
An instant later, Cole stood on his feet, the mask in his hand. Had all that really happened? His time as a mountain lion already fe
lt hazy and distant, as if he had wakened from a dream. It had been quite a rush—the ability to run so fast for so long, not to mention the heightened senses. But had Dalton and Jace looked like prey for a minute? That was definitely weird and wrong.
Cole examined the simple mask in his hand, feeling a slight temptation to put it back on and feel that strength again. He knew he would wear it again when they faced Morgassa, and the thought was thrilling.
Back in her human form, Callista spoke to an enormous eagle perched nearby. “Twitch, remove the mask. Taking it off is good practice, especially if you feel reluctant. You will get to replace it after we confer with the Rogue Knight.”
Cole noted that the others, besides Honor, had removed their masks and stood watching the exchange. The huge eagle spread its wings. “I’d rather fly,” it said in Twitch’s voice.
“Fly later,” Cole encouraged. “Lose the mask for now.”
“While you speak with the Rogue Knight, I can stay in the sky,” Twitch replied. “Keep an eye on things.”
“Don’t forget who you are, Twitch,” Cole said. “I felt the pull too. Your village needs you.”
The eagle lowered its head and raised a claw to the beak. A moment later, Twitch stood on the ground, mask in hand.
“Sorry,” Twitch said. “I don’t know what came over me. Flying like an eagle just felt so . . . perfect. I didn’t want to give it up. I’m better now.”
“To some extent, we were all tempted to remain in our altered states,” Callista said. “Remember how you felt when it came time to remove the mask. You must fight to remain in control, or your alternate persona will claim you.”
The advice left Cole a little shaken. He had definitely felt the urge to leave the mask on. Just like Twitch, he would have to keep his guard up.
“You’re all doing well,” Honor encouraged. “I’m grateful to have you with me. Keep your masks handy as we confront the Rogue Knight.”
“I don’t get something,” Dalton said. “If enchanting can only change living things, how come Honor’s mask gave her armor?”