Chapter 2

I was shaking my head at Naci I was still having a hard time accepting that he was a SHE! The whole time I had thought she was a young teen boy. Then what she had said hit me, MARRIED! What in the hell was she talking about?!

“What in the hell do you mean you are pledged to marry me when you are of age?! I made no such damn pledge! I have half a mind to--” It was at that moment that I noticed that Naci was starting to cry. Ah crap that’s all I need a weepy female! “What in the hell is wrong!” I almost shouted my frustration getting the best of me. This of course made Naci cringe and withdraw away from me.

“You do not wish to be pledged to me? You wish to dishonor me and my father like this? I would be subjected to being a mahila ka upayog, bekaar!” She was whispering with a look of horror on her face. “You save my life in such a brave fashion only to reject me. To condemn me to becoming a mahila ka upayog, bekaar.”

Tears were starting to fall faster from her eyes as I was really feeling like shit now. “You misunderstand!” I cried. “I don’t want to make you whatever it was you just said. I am grateful for your friendship but I don’t want to be forced to marry!”

Naci could only stare at me as if I had lost my mind. “Marriage is the most fulfilling thing a human can do! Why are you so against it? You really do want me to be put into a life of being a mahila ka upayog, bekaar!”

“First off I don’t understand what that is second--” I started.

In a rush she almost shouted with anger, “It is a woman to be used only! By anyone that wishes to! A worthless one! Only good for the pleasure of ALL others. Being the Chief’s daughter it would be far harder for me. Many would be far more cruel than normal. Many hate father and would take much of that hatred out upon me. Father wouldn’t be able to do anything. Please Toman!” Naci was begging at my feet. “Please do not make me live that hell!”

Sighing I knew I was beat even before I started. “Alright, I’ll accept you though I will not like it in the least!”

Naci’s eyes opened wide as she stared at me. “You are an unused one also!” Bowing low she stated in a low voice. “I am honored to be your first. What we will give each other goes far beyond any words that can be spoken. I must go,” bowing low to me she continued, “Toman the fearless.” Then she was gone.

Sighing I could only shake my head. <So I see you finally found out!> I heard my pops thoughts. <No I will not reveal that she was there, though she shouldn’t have been. As I said we will have to develop your power, all the time respecting their customs and traditions. I know, I know. I tried to dissuade Tall Bear from this though I felt that had I pursued it more than I did he would have been severely insulted. By the great divine boy! Here only a few days and already you are a hero AND you damn near died!>

<It’s not like I did this on purpose pops!> I thought back. <Like everything else it happened! It’s always like this, almost as if I am cursed or hexed!>

Pops was quiet for a few moments, then responded. <You may be right boy, you may be right. I’ll have to look into it!>

Shaking my head I couldn’t believe what in the hell was going on. I was pledged to be married to the chief’s daughter. I had almost been killed by a huge furry animal with claws bigger than my hands. I was being hunted by the council who had issued a death sentence on me ... I was forced to run from my dimension. Oh yeah! Did I mention that I also for the moment had to powers? Again I shook my head yeah I was screwed.

I arose and walked out the conical hut, I still was having trouble remembering the name of it. I started to walk around looking for my grandfather. Asking a passing male they grunted looking me up and down with a disgusted look. Then they pointed toward a clearing.

Entering the clearing pops was hard at work, doing something. Hell I had absolutely no idea what he was up to. I walked further into the clearing expecting him to say something but he didn’t ‘til I was almost even with him.

“I thought I said that no one was-- Ah! It’s you Toman. I am over half done with the bubble. Another few days we should be able to start on your training.” Pops told me.

I nodded then I realized that pops hadn’t been able to feel me! My god I thought. Was he using all of his power to create this? Then again when I first entered the clearing it hadn’t felt like pops. So that was what he meant about changing the signature of a person’s power! It also might explain why he hadn’t smacked me around for a bit.

I was suddenly flying across the clearing stopping just short of a tree. Damn! Forgot he could hear me when I was close no matter what. Sighing he appeared next to me. “I swear you are going to be the absolute death of me! I love you to death boy though this is going to get us both killed. You need to start building your confidence damn quick! You think the others here are going to just let you walk on them?”

My eyes got large as I realized what he meant. “So that’s why they were so disgusted by me! I am nothing to them except for the one deed. Though to many of them it is just that one deed.” I said more to myself than pops.

Pops eyes got wide a moment then he nodded. “So you are actually using what is in your head for more than something to put a hat on! You might survive then, might!” Pops said then he smiled at me. “I will try to teach you as soon as I can. For now try not get attacked by a bear again!”

“Bear? So that’s what that furry animal was called.” I said to myself.

“Best you remember that. There are other creatures out there not as large but just as deadly. There is another family of animals.” Here pops showed me pictures of other furry animals that were smaller but far faster. They had long claws pointed rather than round ears they growled rather higher than the bear. It appeared they also hissed pops said they were called some bobcats, others larger ones were cougars. There was also one like the cougar called a panther.

I shook my head at all the images, good god! It seemed as if it was far more dangerous here than in the magic dimension! I spoke up and told pops so. He sighed trying to explain to me that this was life. As with the magic world there was an order of the strongest to the weakest. Right now he went on I was at the very far end, the weaker end. Merlin on the other hand was almost at the complete opposite end.

“You mean to tell me Merlin is as strong as I am weak?” I asked pops.

“Yes, I think you might be able to reasonably say that.” Pops said nonchalantly.

Again I could only stare at pops as if he was crazy. I knew that pops was what was called an average magic user. I thought about it for a few minutes then my mouth dropped open! “You are an average magic user and yet Merlin was friends with you? Merlin is an elite magic user? I thought all elites put their selves above all others?”

Pops face suddenly twisted in a mask of rage. “No! The fact that a FEW elite users are that way doesn’t signify that ALL elite’s are that way! As A matter of fact there are only about ten I have ever heard of being that way. I’m afraid that Morgan Le Fay was the worst of the elites that felt that way.”

I started to tremble there was no one in the magic dimension that hadn’t heard of her. A long time bitter enemy of Merlin I was about to say so when I saw that pops was shaking his head no. “No? It has been known for years that she was a--” Again pops was shaking his head.

“Morgan Le Fay was much like you when she came to Merlin to learn,” Pops related. “As I remember it I met him not long after that, she as you about drove him to madness with her questions.” Pops looked at me and smirked, “Quite a lot like you are now. She was almost the same level as you are now. Though back then the council wasn’t riddled by absolute power seekers and fools!” Pops mask of rage quickly returned. “I intend for you to survive, to find out all that has been done to our family.”

I looked at pops face and took a few steps back. I had no power at the moment, really didn’t want to get burned by him if he lost control even for a moment. Pops sensed this and was powering down immediately. “Sorry pops, without any power I feel far more helpless than I was when I was in the bed.”

“I’m sorry Toman, it angers me that no one has been able to prove all that they have done to extinguish our family. I want to make sure that you have a chance to right all the wrongs done to us. If nothing else let the entire magic world know everything they have done.” I looked closer at pops, there was more going on here than met the eyes. Though I knew that getting anything out of pops was worse than pulling teeth.

Pops sent me back to our house, hut? Hell I was still unsure just what it was. I’d barely made the inside when I felt the weakness hit me again. Laying down I was out in no time.

It had to be a few hours later when I jerked awake. Something was wrong though I couldn’t for the life of me put my finger on it. Walking through the opening I saw that there were several males heading into the forest. Following against my better judgement I ran as fast as I could barely keeping the group in sight. A few minutes later I slowed as did the group, standing in a circle around two other brown skinned young males.