David, Jeba, and Kristopher are sitting at a table. David pulls the egg out and Jeba's eyes widen. Realization hits Jeba and he says, "That is all you have to show me. I believe you entirely."
The brothers look to each other and Kristopher says, "That was easy."
David looks to Jeba. "So, Kristopher threw hot tea at Fenol's face and also a table. In fact, I am sure he is looking for us right now."
Kristopher purses his lips, "Yeah... I did all of that. But it is okay because there is no way he can find us if he uses all the magic in the area."
Jeba looks at the boys, "Boys. I will let you know something very few know. Magic is limitless. It is put out as much as it is used. it is never truly gone. Unless someone can absorb all of the magic in an area. Then it isn't gone. Just in one body."
"What if we gave him so much he exploded?" David says.
"I am sure he can use enough magic within himself to prevent it." Jeba says.
"Let's lure him to an area and defeat him. David can bait and I can attack from behind with Jeba." Kristopher says
"Why am I the bait?" David asks.
"Well you are the only one with real magic of the three of us." Jeba replies.
"My thoughts exactly, actually." Kristopher excitedly says.
***
David walks behind Jeba's house and further into the woods. He starts a fire. He moves sticks and branches onto the fire. all using magic in order to pull Fenol closer. Hours pass and then Fenol walks up.
Fenol turns his nose up at the boy. "Today is Jeba's market day. but this place reeks of 'trap'. Where is your brother? I need to ask him why he felt the need to-" Fenol sees the egg in David's bag. "My Dragon. so you figured it out."
Kristopher slices at Fenol's foot from a hole in the ground below hidden by strong wood. Fenol stomps on Kristopher's wrist, causing pain to the boy. He yanks Kristopher out of the hole and tosses him next to David. The boys instantly become pale. Kristopher catches eyes with Jeba and shakes his head. Jeba hides.
Fenol stares over the boys. "Now, I am not going to kill you boys. I will send you home. Make it easy on you two by making your parents think you were at your grandmother's. I have been there many times. Magic is gone from there so you cant even get back. I do not know who brought you here, but you will never be back."
David looks up to his enemy, tears in his eyes. "Why are you like this? why do you want to kill people with your dragon?"
"I have never killed anyone. In fact, you boys have no reason to think I am evil. and yet you know. How?" Fenol says.
"Call it a hunch." Kristopher says.
"So, what? You want to lie to people and make them look up to you?" David asks.
"When I was a child, I lived on The continent Tibrend. There, the continent of Armada is fabled. It is like a haven. I mean, this entire world is named after it. I grew up shunned. On Tibrend, people are a lot less civilized. If you have magic you're evil. They believed Magic was evil.
"Then Shasta comes and gives me a purpose. I go from being tortured and shunned to being loved and praised. The troops from Armada came to my homeland looking for magic, saying I was needed to save the world. The Tibrend troops were considered ruthless and strong. We were also the smallest. Eurethian troops were the most plentiful.
"I was considered," Kristopher and David both try to rush Fenol, but are stopped quickly and sit down, "you boys don't care do you?"
Kristopher says, "I mean, I can guess that you are going toward you being so powerful feeling and then want more power so you can stop another evil."
"Nope. Wrong. I just want to finally have everyone look up to me. When Jeba was defeated up there all those years ago. Which, yes he was, Shasta and I made a pact. Shasta was going to give me all of his power and when I die, he can come back. But of course I used my power to remove his soul from me. So I get his power and he just gets dead." Fenol says.
David pipes up, "What about your friend Jeba?"
"He will be the only mercy kill. I know he couldn't stand beside me."
"Then why do it?"
"Power hungry I guess. You ever find what makes you feel good?"
"So murder and oppression is your drug?"
"I'm done explaining myself. You two are leaving." Fenol snaps and makes gestures with his foot that look familiar to the two. A portal comes up and Fenol pulls them in quickly. He closes the portal quickly and teleports off. Jeba can only stand there in anger and disbelief. He had lost two important people in his life and made an enemy.
***
The boys wake up in their house. Their mother calls from across the house.
"Kids! hurry up and get ready for school!" They look at each other in horror. They change out of their Armada clothes and into school clothes. They get ready for school. On the bus ride, people ask where the have been the last month. They say the same thing. "We were on a vacation. Then the car broke down and we had no way to get to school."
David's friend Randall remarks, "You look taller and tanner," he looks David and Kristopher up and down, "and way more fit."
Kristopher brushes it off, "Vacation does that to you." He worries about what today will bring him. He gets through two periods in his 10th grade year when James comes up.
