The Partham Chronicles

Part 8 - Familiars

Markand walked to them in a hurry,
" I am so sorry." He was panting, "The traffic is maddening near Fisher's Street I had to take a longer route, over the bridge, to get to you all. I had to park way over there," he gestured in a random direction," and walk all the way here." He said.

All three of them had huddled up on the ground together to keep Vysna warm. They got up and stood in front of him.

"So, did you all find the objects?"

"Yes, we did," Aaden said and held the pyramid in his hand.

" Oh an earther, we need more of your kind," Markand said as he took the pyramid from his hand and kept it in the bag which he had carried with him. Then he took out a small cage from the bag. The cage had a tiny mouse inside it.

" What is that?"Aaden asked.

" Hold it first. I will explain in a few minutes. What have you got Tashvin?" He asked.

" An obelisk." Tashvin handed it to him.

" Air, good." Markand took it from him and handed him another small cage which had a little bird. Which he took out from the same bag. Tashvin took it from his hand gave Aaden a confused look and shrugged.

" And what do you have Vysna?" He asked her.

She handed him the sphere which she had found in the water.

" Where did you get this from?" Markand looked shocked.

"From the lake," she pointed at it.

" That's odd, very odd." He set down the bag from his hand and was observing Vysna thoughtfully. " This is very old." he turned the sphere in his hand." We haven't set these out in over fifty years. We haven't had anyone as a water element in a hundred years. I didn't expect this. Can you actually, hear it?" He asked curiously holding it in front of her.

"Yes, I did, very clearly when it was in the lake." She said.

" Hmm... Okay, I might have to talk with the council on this one." He stood there thoughtfully for a while.

"What were the objects that we found?" Aaden asked Markand distracting him from his thoughts.

"Resonance machines." Tashvin and Markand said simultaneously.

" How do you know about these?" Markand asked Tashvin.

" Well... I have made one of these at home but it's very basic, a prototype you can say. I might have to work on redesigning it now after seeing these." Tashvin said nervously.

" You made these?" Markand asked surprised.

" Is this what you've been working on for the past few months? Bunking classes." Vysna said looking at Tashvin.

"Yep... was the latter information necessary?" He snarled.

Vysna shrugged, "Well I am too dumb to understand like you said." She smirked.

" Shut up, both of you," Aaden cut them off. " Sir, what are we supposed to do with these?" He looked at Markand and jangled the cage in his hand.

" Oh yes, that is going to be your pet for a few days. Try to get to know it better. See if you can connect with it." He said.

" How am I supposed to connect with it, it's a rat." He held the cage to his eye level and looked at the creature.

"That's a mouse, and yes you will have to at least try," Markand said.
" Same goes for you, Tashvin. And about you Vysna, I am not sure. I will talk to the council and you will be getting your pet by evening, I think."