A few weeks later, after a long day of training skills, the boys are exhausted. Jeba had Fenol come over for supper. Kristopher asks his brother, "So what'd you learn today?"
"Just practiced making bubbles under water so I can breathe." Replies David.
With a look of envy and pride Kristopher responds saying, "Just? How big?"
With a gesture of his hands, David holds them 15 inches apart. "At best a beach ball."
"As I said. Just?"
Jeba's looks perplexed. "What is a beach ball?"
"A shriveled mass of solidified oil that you breathe into and throw at people." David says casually.
"Your customs are odd." David looks at Jeba with a scrunched face.
"Says you and your world being called 'Armada!''' David retorts playfully.
"What do you mean?"
"In our world, an armada is a huge fleet of ships."
"Same here. It just sounds cool. What is your land called?"
"Earth," David pauses, "yeah, I see your point," David turns to Kristopher, "and what is you do to waste old Jeba's time?"
"I-" Jeba cuts him off to tell of how Kristopher had been doing a thousand pull ups to gain strength. "I'm really only managing about 258. But I'm getting there!" Kristopher replies enthusiastically. The four were eating in silence for several minutes before Kristopher said, "So how does a big powerful archmage know a small town shaman?"
Jeba looks at Fenol who nods gravely, then turns to the boy and starts on his story, "There was the warlord type guy trying to take over this world. He said he was from another dimension and had ended magic in the dimensions he went through. He said magic was evil and corrupting, yet he used it a lot. Pretty stupid guy."
"Pretty stupid." Fenol repeats mockingly.
"Anyway, I used to use magic. I was better than Fenol." Jeba continues.
"Why aren't you our teacher then?" David interrupts.
"Didn't you hear him say 'was' and 'used'?" Kristopher shoots at David smiling, who just glares back at him.
"All the people that could fight were recruited into the army against him. I was going to join regardless. He killed my village, including my wife and kids. Fenol joined it and that is where I met him. We called it the 'World War' because all of this continent and the others close to ours joined in."
"But where is your magic? What happened?" David asks.
Jeba's expression becomes grim and falls closer to the floor. His eyes gain more years "Our group was all slaughtered. Fenol and I stood alone against the warlord."
"His name was Shasta." Fenol said.
"Our group fell behind because of a rockslide while we were going to an area suspected of being where Shasta lived. We ended up climbing the mountain's side after a couple of hours of not being able to follow the path. Many men were killed in that rockslide. We went up the mountain along the path of the slide. At the top of the ridge we found Shasta himself. He held his palm out to us and slowly moved it to point at us all. As he moved, big daggers started to appear out of nowhere. He stood silent and shook his head. Then the daggers flew at us. Fenol and I were the only ones who could get our shields up in time."
Fenol looks at him and said, "Jerean. What about him? He managed a shield quick enough."
"Jerean's shield field wasn't strong enough. The blade still went through and killed him," Jeba look at the boys, "right into his forehead." The boys wince as Jeba imitates the shocked face.
"The boys still don't know how you lost your magic." Fenol says.
"Fenol and I wore Shasta down. He knew he was going to die, and took my body because he sensed I was strongest of the three." Jeba looks saddened.
"When he possessed Jeba, his irises turned golden. I knew it wasn't my buddy in control so I tried to bring him to the brink of death to expel Shasta."
Jeba says, "Yeah. When I woke up six days later, I was in immense pain. Glad to be alive, but in pain. When I fully recuperated, I was unable to do magic. I'm only called a shaman because I used to use magic and I know a few natural cures for things. I rarely get visitors, though everyone knows of me and Fenol because we saved this place."
"Shasta"s dying words were a curse to where Jeba can only taste melons because they are a hard crop to grow here." Fenol says as Kristopher went to the kitchen.
David's head shoots up, his face wrinkled in remorse, "I thought he was just crazy about melons! I feel so terrible now!"
Jeba's face scrunches to a smile and regains a few years, "It's alright David."
Kristopher from the other room says, "We're almost out of food. We should get some in the morn-"
Fenol sharply interrupts "No. I will get you guys some food tomorrow. Just stay here and train tomorrow."
"Okie dokie. Well I feel like we should go to sleep soon. Sleep well guys!" Kristopher says as he heads to his room. Fenol smiles wildly.
"I am going to leave now. See you guys tomorrow." Fenol says. He performs a spell and warps away.
Jeba asked David, "What is an 'okie dokie?'"
David looks at Jeba with a serious face, "It is an Earth saying, but I don't even think anyone knows what it means."
Jeba shakes his head, "Your customs are odd."
David pipes up, "I want a new knapsack. My old one is... old. Falling apart."
"We can head into town tomorrow morning. what harm can it do? I'm not going to deny Fenol providing for us." Jeba says.
The next morning, the trio leave, bound for supplies. David's thoughts jumble between the previous night's story and the last experience in this town. The thought of a dragon eating his brother terrifies him. And then he remembers his first meeting of Jeba.
"So you say you knew where to meet us?" David asks.
"Yeah. When I was possessed, I saw me doing the same thing every day. I kept waking up, starting the fire up, and feeding the birds while waiting for food to cook. But then it showed me feeding the birds and six died. All at the same time. Just kind of... flopped out at the same time. Dead.
"Then it showed me going to the cave. I drew a square and tapped the bottom left, top left, center, bottom right, top center, bottom center, finally the center. It showed me giving you the rings and then it ended. The sight never left me. No matter what I tried." The trio arrive to the town shortly after. The boys take their rings off because they can understand the native tongue now.
"What can I do for you? The blacksmith offers.
"We need a good, sizable pouch." Jeba replies.
"As it happens, I have a new kind. It has rocks that are attracted to metal."
"You mean 'magnet' right?" Kristopher asked. The smithy's face twisted in confusion. David notices an inconsistency with this world, but his thoughts were interrupted by a familiar noise. A shadow falls over the town as the sound of wings flapping grows closer.
