ethal spears of solid fire still atached to his wings penetrated the Demons flesh, drove all the way through it and into the stones beneath it.  His wings were the manifestation of divine energy, and that kind of power could do harm to a Demon.  It squealed only once before it died, and Tarrin pulled the spears out of it before it started to dissolve.
	He landed by the decomposing body and caught his breath, the pain of several nasty wounds becoming clearer as he came out of his rage.  He remembered quite clearly what happened this time, there was no loss of memory he usually suffered when in a rage, and he noted to himself that those sparring sessions with Tsukatta had already paid off.
	After repairing the damage to the floor, he hobbled back upstairs to recover from the battle.  It would take some Druidic healing and a few hours of rest to mend the nasty lash wounds the Demons whip inflicted.
	Spyders job suddenly didnt seem as easy as it had earlier that morning.

	Time continued to flow by, the raging torrent that seemed frozen in place, and things did slowly begin to change.  Two years crept by, but though it seemed to take forever, Tarrin looked back upon it and wondered where all that time went.
	The main change was in his children.  Jasana had just turned eight and Eron was seven now, the twins were nearly six, and they were certainly no longer children.  Jasana was as tall as her grandfather, starting to fill out in the curvy manner that most Were-cat females enjoyed, and Eron was growing tall, tall, tall.  He was going to be a huge Were-cat adult, for he was both tall and solidly built, almost barrel-chested, the most burly Were-cat Tarrin had ever seen.  Where Tarrin and most Were-cats were sleek, like panthers, Eron was powerful, built like a lion, and he was monstrously strong even for a Were-cat ten times his age.  Tara and Rina had changed physically into sleek adolescents, but their personalities had not changed.  Tara was still aggressive, gruff, and blunt, and Rina was still a sweet-natured girl.  True to the demeanors of their parents, they were miniature versions of Tarrin and Kimmie.
	There were other changes as well.  Dar and Tiella had had another child, a little girl named Nayelle, a ShaKar name which meant treasure, and Keritanimas son Faalken was now ambulatory and driving his mother insane.  Allia and Allyn were still trying to have a child, which was no longer a social issue for them, since Allyn had passed his tests and taken good brands, and was now a fully recognized member of Selani society.  They had missed the first opportunity when Allia came in season because the tribes shaman had absolutely refused to consider him, and she kept dragging her feet until well after Allia was out of season.  Allia was livid about it and felt that she had done it on purpose to keep them from having a child, and a rare inner-tribe fued very nearly came about because of it.  Things got so ugly that FaraNae had to personally straighten things out, because Allia was dead set on killing the shaman in revenge for her pettiness, and it turned out that it was all nothing more than a personal grudge that the shaman had with Allyn.  FaraNae chastised the shaman for allowing her personal views to interfere with the guidance that she gave to her, stripped her of her powers, and ordered her sent to another tribe to start down the path of shaman all over again as an apprentice.  It was a terrible blow to the womans honor, even more so because FaraNae specifically ordered her not to exile herself, so she was robbed of the honorable option of allowing herself to get killed.  That Allyn had taken good brands was the twisting of the sword.
	King Arren of Sulasia also celebrated a gift, as he and his Draconian wife had a son, a new heir to the throne, named Elvor.  That secured the throne for another generation, and it made all of Sulasia sigh in relief.  Arren was a great king, wise and just, and his subjects very much wanted to see the next monarch on the throne trained by the current one.
	There was some upheaval in Sharadar, though.  Alexis Firehair stepped down as Queen, relenquishing the throne to a three year old Nyrian girl named Ayalla, who was the eighth suikun and was being raised in the Raintree Tower.  The kingdom didnt like that idea very much at all, and there was a bit of unrest before news reached the edges of the kingdom that Alexis was acting as regent until their new queen was old enough to do her duties.  The katzh-dashi, it seemed, were swiftly returning to their old ways, where a suikun served as Keeper of a Tower, and in Sharadar, also happened to be the ruling monarch as well.  The ShaKar and Jenna were quickly returning the order to what it was before the Breaking.  Tarrin wasnt sure that that was such a good idea, but it wasnt his place to interfere.  He really had no place within the order.  He and Spyder, and Jasana as well, were outside of it, different from it, there to provide assistance when needed but not taking a hand in the daily operations.
	And what the Goddess had mentioned was indeed coming to pass.  It began in Suld, where a Wizard of reasonable training stumbled on the realization that common lay people could cast simple Wizard cantrips.  This enterprising individual started selling his services to people to teach them simple cantrips to clean dishes, dust, chase away insects, make small objects float, and any number of other minor effects.  The clever Wizard made his services very affordable, and he quickly had a line of prospective customers nearly three blocks long.  For the modest sum of five silver lions, he would teach them a cantrip and give them a scroll that had the cantrip written down, so they could re-memorize the words if they forgot them.  The teaching process was very fast, taking only about ten minutes, so the Wizard could handle quite a few customers every day.  The Wizard made an absolute fortune in just a month, so much so that other Wizards started doing the same thing.  The Priests, seeing the danger in this, started going out and teaching their followers minor Priest prayers called devotions, which were similar to Wizard cantrips, to seal them to Priest magic, for the Priests knew about the stricture on magic which existed on Sennadar.  There was a frenzy of magical training going on in Suld for nearly three months, and by the end of it, nearly every citizen in Suld knew at least one Wizard cantrip or Priest devotion.  Word spread very quickly from Suld, and by now, there were Wizards and Priests all over the Known World selling cantrips or devotions, and they had huge lines of eager buyers wanting to learn useful little spells to help with the housework or chase away biting mosquitos.
	The Goddess had said that it would happen, that with the restoration of the Weave, the magical saturation of Sennadar would infuse its inhabitants with enough magical aptitude to cast minor magical spells.  Sennadar was a magical world, and that magic was returning to its people after a thousand years of being locked away from them.
	The Goddess did have to rearrange things a little to deal with this, sending her katzh-dashi out to locate Sorcerers before they could learn Wizard or Priest magic, and the Druids started doing more or less the same thing, to protect those who had the gifts from being sent down the wrong path before they had the chance to explore them.  This required something called a syphon seal, a weave of Sorcery which had a similar Druidic counterpart that, when cast, lasted for decades and rendered the recipient incapable of using any magic other than the order of magic used to set the seal.  Sealed children couldnt learn cantrips, and were protected from accidentally being set on the wrong magical path until they were mature enough to express their inherent magical ability.  Sorcerers and Druids were now scouring the Known World putting syphon seals on any child with their respective talents that they could find.  This seriously depopulated both Towers, and it was probably the first time that many remote citizens had ever seen a ShaKar.
	And there were a lot of these children.  The restoration of the Weave had created a sudden population explosion of children with aptitude in both Druidic magic and Sorcery.  The Goddess, sensing the need for a stronger Weave in the future, had to be tweaking mortals somewhat to bulk up her Sorcerer population, for the Sorcerers were literally the arteries through which magic flowed in the world.  If she didnt have enough Sorcerers to handle the demands that were going to be put on the Weave when so many common lay people started learning magic cantrips, it was going to tear the Weave and unleash another Breaking.  So Sorcerersand Druids, for that matterwere being born in absolute droves, in numbers not seen for thousands of years.  In just twenty years, the population of adult, trained Sorcerers was going to literally quadruple, by Tarrins estimation.
	Goddess help the katzh-dashi.  They were going to tear out their hair trying to handle training so many.
	But he had his own magic-related dutiesJasana.  Jenna and Jula had been taking turns teaching her, but they lacked the fundamental, raw magical power that Tarrin possessed, a power that Jasana also had.  Jasanas raw power eclipsed his own, though he could control her due to superior skill, and there were tricks of magic that she needed to know in order to use magic effectively.  Tarrin had a light touch that most other Sorcerers did not have to have, a very gentle, subtle manner that Jasana had to learn.  It was a matter of finesse, technique, something that would come with experience, and something that wouldnt take her very long to achieve given her natural aptitude and her near-obsession with Sorcery.  When he wasnt expanding his pool of grounded spots in Godanhe was systematically working his way northhe was going back home to help teach Jasana what Jula and Jenna could not.  He was still very angry with Jesmind, so Jasana met him in Suldhe gave her permission to Teleport there when it was time for lessons.  They would sit in the courtyard with the icon statue of the Goddess looking over them in loving benediction as he trained her in the delicate subtleties of the Weave and weaving that people of their magical aptitude required.  She was very close to that level already, and it only took about six months to teach her the basics of it, getting her to where all it would take would be practice.
	It was at the tail end of these sessionsm, well after Fireflash got bored and flew off to chase butterflies, that the icon of the Goddess flared with light, and the white marble of the icon became flesh.  She stepped down from the pedestal in the center of the fountain and walked across the surface of the water as if it were dry land.  They both stood when they realized she was there.  Tarrins relationship with the Goddess had been strained at first, when hed been changed, but over time, that rift had been healed.  Though he was subject to Ahiriya, she virtually never talked to him anymore.  He had the feeling that she just left him alone, watched him from afar.  Then again, they all watched him from afar.
	Mother, they said in unison as she joined them.
	Look at you, my little one.  Youre growing so tall, she said grandly, putting her hands on Jasanas shoulders.
	Im my fathers daughter, Mother, she said in radiant awe, staring up at her with doe-like eyes.
	She reached out her hand, and Tarrin took it on impulse.  My kitten, she said with a smile.
	Mother, he said with a smile, squeezing her hand.
	Spyder is ready to return to her duties, she announced.  Shes already returned to Haven, and she thanks you for your filling in for her.
	I was happy to do it, Mother.
	I know you were.  She says that youre welcome in Haven at any time.
	Im glad of that.  Im jealous of her library.
	She laughed.  Shes had much more time to build it than you, she winked.
	So Im done as Guardian?
	She nodded.  You need to keep your charm, kitten, she told him.  Keep it someplace safe if youre not going to use it.  In the elsewhere at the very least.  There are only five of those devices, and we like to keep them with the people who might have to use them at all times.
	I dont have a problem with that, Mother, he assured her.  Though Im certainly not going to wear it unless I have to.  He reached up and took hold of his amulet, then removed the gold backing.  He felt a strange rush flow through him, and he was suddenly very, very sleepy.  Ugh, I wasnt expecting that, he sighed.
	You havent slept for two years, my kitten, she said with an impish smile.  A good sleep will set you right.
	Mother, when can I got to Haven? Jasana blurted, then bowed her head and blushed.
	Shes still hot about that, Tarrin said wearily.
	I dare say that youll visit it very soon, my child, the Goddess told her.  When youve completed your magical training, you will be the third Guardian.  When Spyder or your father arent available, defending our world will be your task.  Since you wont be ruling a katzh-dashi Tower, the gods have decided to put your vast talents to productive use.
	Tarrin yawned, not too worried about that.  Jasana had more than enough power to handle anything that came through the gate, but shed need some pretty thorough training in fighting.  Perhaps he could get Allia to train Jasanathat way shed get the best possible education.  Jasana would be an effective Guardian, and putting her into the rotation would make it easier on both him and Spyder.
	Ooh, father, can I? she asked eagerly.
	I dont see why not, he answered.  Once youre trained, youll be able to handle it.  And maybe some responsibility would polish some of the burrs out of your personality.
	She glared at him, then laughed and hugged him happily.
	It wont be tomorrow, he warned, putting his paws on his daughters shoulders.  You still have to learn how to fight, and I havent even really started you on your Druidic training yet.  You have to master both of those before youre ready.  Being the Guardian is a very, very hard job.  Some of the creatures that come out of it are very powerful, so you have to be completely ready.
	Fireflash zipped back into the courtyard and landed on Tarrins shoulder.  He had a small tattered piece of silk in his mouth.  Fireflash!  Have you been terrorizing the ShaKar again? he said harshly.
	Fireflash let Tarrin pull the material out of his mouth, looking totally unrepentant.
	Bad drake! he chided, then he laughed.  Ianelles going to peel off my hide in strips.  Fireflash had developed this annoying habit of chasing ShaKar.  He was just playing with them, but Fireflash also tended to play rough.  Tarrin wasnt quite sure why he was so fixated on ShaKarit was some kind of quirky Drake thing.
	You little monster, Jasana giggled, using a finger to scrub the top of Fireflashs horned head playfully.
	Jasana, go on to the kitchens and get something to eat, the Goddess told her.  I need to speak to your father a moment in private.
	Aww!  I hate it when you leave me out of things! she complained, but she did not disobey.
	And do not eavesdrop, she warned with a smile, which made Jasana blush furiously and scurry towards the overgrown entrance to the courtyard.
	Shell never change, Tarrin chuckled as they watched her go.
	Do you want her to? she asked pointedly.
	No, I guess not, he admitted.  What did you want to talk about?
	I know youre still aggravated with Phandebrass, even after all this time, but he needs to talk to you, kitten, she told him.  He has some interesting news, and its something that I very much want you to hear.  I would take it as a personal favor if youd go talk to him, listen to what he has to say, and act on it.
	You wont tell me what it is?
	I dont want to taint your outlook quite yet, she answered.
	That sounds ominous, he warned.  Almost like I have something I want you to do.
	She laughed, a cascade of silvery bells.  Yes, theres something I want you to do, kitten, she admitted.  But its an easy task, and I can assure you that its something you would have done yourself anyway.  I cant tell you about it, its an old stricture placed on us by Ayise and Shellar.  Youll have to figure it out for yourself, but Im positive that you can do it.  As I said, its a fairly easy task for someone with your resources.
	Alright, Ill swallow my irritation and go see Phandebrass, he affirmed.
	Thank you.
	You never have to thank me, Mother.
	I know, but I feel better when I do.  Just to remind you what you mean to me, my dear kitten, she said, putting her hand on his shoulder. His body thrilled at that powerful touch and made him feel almost giddy.
	Go get a nap first.  Youll be cranky if you go now.
	Youve ruined the whole thing for me now, Mother, he said with a sly smile.
	She gave him a look, then laughed delightedly.
 
Chapter 23

	After a much-needed nap, Tarrin decided to go ahead and track down Phandebrass.  Sometimes this wasnt easy, for he was known to be able to disappear for days on end and never leave the main Tower.  A short chat with Jenna revealed that he had been once again allowed to ferret through the ancient junk stored in the lost cellars of the Tower, with the understanding that nothing he found could leave the room in which it had been stored.  Nobody wanted a repeat of the Carnivorous Clock incident.  Because of that, Phandebrass now spent most of his time down in the cellars, which irritated his drakes to no end.  They didnt like it down there, and as a result spent most of their time flying around in the gardens.
	Tarrin left Fireflash in the gardens to play with Chopstick and Turnkey and descended into the musty, dark, dusty old cellars hidden under the Tower.  There were a great many of them, going very deep underground, and most of them were known only to Phandebrass.  Tarrin himself didnt know his way around those unused passages, and relied on his nose to guide himself to the Wizard.
	He found him in one of the deepest cellars, rifling through an ancient chest that looked ready to fall apart at any moment.  There were stacks and stacks of thin stone tablets surrounding him, and Tarrin could see that they were engraved with writing.  Tarrin! he beamed happily just before reaching back into the box. Two startled mice bolted out of a small hole in the bottom corner of the chest, skittering away.  Jula said shed ask you to come.  Odd, that, I just told her a couple of hours ago.  I say, she works fast, she does.
	What did you need, Phandebrass? he asked.
	I say, your expertise, I do, he answered.  Julas teaching me Duthak, but I havent quite mastered it yet, I havent.  She said shed ask you to come.  Odd, that, I just asked her a couple of hours ago.
	Tarrin snorted slightly.  He was in one of those moods.  That meant that getting anything rational out of him was going to be a little difficult.  Take your hands out of the chest and concentrate on talking to me, he ordered.  Im not going to spend an hour dragging it out of you.
	Phandebrass laughed, withdrawing his hands.  I was rambling?
	You were about to start, he affirmed.
	I say, you know me too well, you do, he chuckled, turning and bending down to pick up one of the stone tablets.  I say, I found this a couple of days ago.  I couldnt read most of it, and when I showed it to Jula, she wasnt sure about what it means.  Since youre the resident expert on Duthak, we thought youd have the best chance, you would.  I say, if it says what we think it says, we have a mystery on our hands.
	Tarrin immediately sat cross-legged on the floor, curling his tail around to keep it out from underfoot, and held out his paw for the tablet.  Seated, Tarrins head came up to Phandebrasss chest.  It was times like that when he realized just how tall he really was.  The white-haired mage handed him a thin, almost delicate stone tablet, and on it were etched Duthak runes.  The languages written form was literally nothing but straight lines and sharp corners, and seeing it engraved in stone, he understood why.  It was created before Dwarves had learned to make paper, and carving straight lines into stone was much easier.
	Avelrad, it began, I hope this slate reaches you timely.  The evacuation of Dragg was successful, and the katzh-dashi have agreed to Teleport the women and children to Suldas.  Tarrin paused a bit to remember where that was, then remembered that that was what the Dwarves called Suld.  There is no safe place for them now.  Suldas is under siege, and the Demons have discovered our city south of Petal Lakes and destroyed it.  The Shining City has been lost, and Thunark is no more.
	The Hobbits have succumbed, friend Alverad.  There are no more.  The Gnomes have all but been wiped out as well. We have lost too many fighting the Demons, and I will not allow the Dwarves to fade as the Hobbits and Gnomes have done so.  The katzh-dashi have agreed to help.
	Forgive me, Alverad.  I have sent them to Ruk Argoth.  It will be very dangerous, because of the Demons swarming the Skydancers, but the Sorcerers are taking them.  They should make it.  I am sending them Beyond, and the Sorcerers have agreed to go with them and Ward the entrance of the gateway behind them so none can follow, and protect them.  When this war is over, we will call them home.  This way, if we all fall, the Dwarves will survive and continue on, beyond the reach of the Demons.
	I know you will curse me for sending your wife and daughters Beyond, Alverad, but know that it is done with their safety in mind, and the preservation of our race.  In time, I know you will understand.  And if we all fall, at least they will be safe.
	Your friend, Ardo Morak.
	Tarrin was quiet a long, long moment, pondering the slates contents.  If this slate was correct, then a Dwarven generalan Ardosent a contingent of Dwarves to a place called Ruk Argoth.  Ruk meant crossroads, so the name literally meant the crossroads of Argoth, and this place was in the Skydancers.  He sent them there with a contingent of Sorcerers to protect them, and they were going to hide somewhere to protect the Dwarven spiecies from extinction.  That was smart, and this Morak had certainly forseen the possibility of failure.
	But some of itit tickled at him.  The Sorcerers were going to block the gateway, and they were going to a place called Beyond.  That word, it had several meanings, and from the context of the writing, he assumed that was what it meant.  It could also mean over, past, or in an archaic manner in an idiom, it referred to the Dwarven concept of the life after death, the world of spirits.  But these were living Dwarves, so he doubted that that was what it meant.
	He was quiet for quite a while, pondering the message, until he abruptly stood up, startling Phandebrass.  A Dwarven general sent the women and children of a fallen city to a place called Beyond to protect them and safeguard the Dwarven race from extinction, he answered.
	Thats what we thought it meant! he said brightly.  I say, so there might be Dwarves still alive!
	Im not sure, but I think Im missing something here, he said with a frown, looking at the slate.  Theres something about this message thats biting at my tail.  I dont know why, but theres something more to it.
	The Shining City, is that Mala Myrr?
	Tarrin nodded.  It was the only Dwarven city above ground.  They called it the Shining City because of the sunlight.  Mala Myrr literally means Bright City.
	I say, I knew calling you in was the right thing to do! he said happily, clapping his hands together.  There just might be Dwarves left, there might!
	Maybe, but after five thousand years, they would have been found by now, Tarrin said distractedly, looking at the slate again.  What was he missing here?  He knew there was something to this message he wasnt catching.  He read it again, then again, poring over it word for word.  Then he sat down again and crossed his arms before him, bowing his head as he pondered it. Phandebrass knew him, and knew that when Tarrin did that, to not bother him.  Phandebrass waited silently as he thought it through, then read the message one more time.
	And he caught it.  Gateway.  It wasnt gateway.  He was making a context error, and the word meant its other meaning.
	Gate.
	A gate.  A gate!  Of course!  It was only after the Blood War that the gates were closed!  Argo Morak, that clever rascal, sent a group of Dwarves through a gate to another world, the one place he could send them where they would be safe!
	Thats it, he declared, standing quickly.  I read the message wrong, he admitted.  Morak sent the Dwarves through a gate, Phandebrass.  He sent them to another world.
	Phandebrass looked about to say something, then his eyes brightened.  I say, thats genius!  And since this happened during the Blood War, the gates were still open!
	Tarrin nodded, pondering the significance of it.  After five thousand years, could there still be Dwarves alive on the other side of that gate?  After the Blood War, the gate would have been closed, and they were stranded there.  Had Morak sent men with the women and children?  Were there enough young boys to sustain a valid population?
	And what about the Sorcerers who accompanied them?  They were agelesscould they still be alive?
	So that was what Mother wanted.  She wanted him to read the message.  She wanted him to consider that.  She wanted him to find out.
	She wanted him to find her lost children.  Or at least find out what happened to them.
	And he found that he was curious enough to be agreeable to that.
	So, he had a mystery here.  And right in front of him, waiting in anticipation, was the one man on Sennadar who could solve any mystery, if he was motivated enough to do so.
	I say, what incredible news!  There might still be Dwarves alive! he declared.
	We have to find out, Tarrin declared.  That means you have a job, he said.
	Oh?  I say, what job?
	He turned the slate so Phandebrass could see it, and pointed to two words.  We have to find the location of the gate, he said, pointing to the words Ruk Argoth.  I have no idea where Ruk Argoth is.  Ill look for it, you look for it.  One of us is bound to find it.
	I say, what happens when we find it?
	Tarrin gave him a steady look.  If we can get permission from the Elder Gods, we go see whats on the other side.  And if we find any Dwarves or Sorcerers, we bring them home.
	Phandebrass stared at him a moment, then laughed.  Too right!  Ive always wanted to visit another plane of existence!  I say, Ill need Jula to accelerate my Duthak education.  I need to go to the library!  I need a new book!  I need
	Tarrin stepped up and reached within, through the Cat, and touched the boundless power of the All.  He put a finger to Phandebrass forehead with his image and intent, and the All responded by transferring all of Tarrins knowledge of Duthak into Phandebrass mind.  Tarrin had a stern rule about making others learn Duthak the long way, like he did, but this was a special case.  He needed Phandebrass fluent now.  The white-haired Wizard tottered a bit after the spell went off, then wisely sat down on the floor.  I say, you could have warned me, you could, he complained.
	When the dizzyness wears off, get started.  Ill go home and see if I cant find any references in my Duthak collection.
	Tarrin, I say, dont leave me down here, he asked.
	With barely a thought, Tarrin Teleported Phandebrass to the Towers library, but making sure he didnt land in a chair someone else was occupying beforehand.  He then wove the spell of Teleportation once more, around himself, and sent himself to his own library at home.

	It was nice to have something to do.  Tarrin hated to admit that, but it was true enough.  Being able to fly around and explore was nice, but it was also nice to be able to know that he had something to do today, and it was something that, at least to him, was important.  Hed hated being on the quest for the Firestaff, but it did put purpose and focus in his life, and hed gotten something close to accustomed to the idea of it. Not even six years of freedom had really changed that.
	He certainly didnt stay home for very long.  He knew his library inside out, and knew after only two days that there was no reference to Ruk Argoth in his collection.  He also knew that the Cathedral of Knowledge in Abrodar and the Imperial Library didnt have it either, so that left him only with Haven, and Spyders vast collection.
	He knew he could have just asked Spyder, but after five thousand years, he was certain a few extra days or months wouldnt matter.  Mother had put him on this, and he was going to do it himself.  If he came up empty in Spyders library, then he would ask her.
	While Tarrin was busy with his research, things happened out in the real world, and they happened very quickly.  The day after Tarrin returned to Haven, Triana showed up at his home and announced flatly that Jasanas Druid education would start now.  Jesmind didnt have a problem with that, at least until Triana announced that she was taking Jasana to her own den.  Triana felt that Jasana was much too used to the lavish luxuries of Tarrins house, like the running water and the controlled temperature, and her education was going to be as much about how to live in the real world as it would be in Druidic magic. Jesmind had taught her all about being a Were-cat, but hadnt taught her much about how things worked in the world away from Tarrins house.
	This put Jesmind is a quandary.  She was unwilling to leave his house, which she considered hers and also validated the claim on Tarrin that she was absolutely unwilling to relenquish, but Jasana was her cub, and she wasnt an adult yet, and Jasanas presence in the house was her main argument for remaining.  There was no way she could argue with Triana, however, so Jasana left the house that day.  Jasana was not too happy about it, but she wasnt stupid enough to argue with Triana either.
	Triana, that clever fox, had already prepared for her cubs stubborn unwillingness to relenquish the house and allow Tarrin to live in his own home.  The evening after s