Chapter Seven

**Out of Time**

Jason couldn’t contain his joy and broke out into a wide smile. He watched as a pair of guards rebound Malcolm’s wrist and escorted him out of the throne room. All the reeve’s fight had evaporated and he willingly allowed himself to be dragged along by his new captors. Now all we can hope for is to never see him again, Jason thought but he doubted Malcolm would ever come back.

Jason turned to congratulate his companions when a sudden sharp jolt of pain went through his head. He moved his hands to clamp his head but they never reached their target. Instead, everything around him stood still. His vision was locked into place but he could still focus in and out on certain things in view. The pain in his head intensified but he locked his mind as if in deep thought.

Release your mind, a voice said in his head.

What is happening? He thought back.

Release the binds around your mind and I will tell you. Do not test me I can keep us in this state for a millennium without exhausting. The pain in Jason's head was now to the point he wanted to faint. I have no intentions of harming you, but I will break down your protections if I must. The voice said.

Wait, Jason sent his consciousness starting to wane, at least tell me who you are.

How rude, the voice scoffed. My name is Miranda the Royal Sorcerer, now release your mental binds.

Jason’s eyes tried to find the woman in the room but his back had been turned from the dais when he was frozen. I guess I have no choice, Jason thought to himself then relaxed his mind. Suddenly, the colors of the room were quickly sucked into the room until Jason was alone in a black space. His body became weightless but his sense of gravity was unaltered. Jason’s body loosened and he wildly stretched out his arms then the colors began to bloom back into existence.

Tentacles of grey flicked from his feet slowly climbed up around him until he was in a windowless stone room. Furniture popped into existence as if flung from some kind of portal. Although he could see without it before, a great hearth erupted from the center of the floor and roared with a warm flame. Then the room was still, without a trace of the sudden transformation.

A door shut behind Jason and he turned to see Miranda closing an entrance that hadn’t been there a few moments earlier. Once closed the door didn’t disappear but it sunk into the wall as if nothing were on the other side. “Where are we?” Jason asked.

“In a place far beyond your understanding,” Miranda answered arrogantly.

“Where are we,” Jason persisted slightly shaking. The walls were slowly feeling like a prison as if he could be stuck here.

Miranda sighed, the folds of her robes began to eat themselves until she was standing in a more fitting and comfortable black tunic and pants. “This is a realm using spatial magic. Like that bag you have there,” she said pointing to the bag Eliza had gifted him. “Only much more complicated,” Miranda continued. “We are not in a physical space, but rather a dream state and relative to our physical bodies our minds are processing at a much faster speed so that years could pass in here before a second passed outside. It is a complicated mess of various magic types that I will not waste explaining to you when it took me decades to master.”

While all of that had interested Jason he was most interested in something else, “why are we here,” he said slightly relaxing but still wary.

“I need to know some things,” Miranda said. She flicked a hand and a chair appeared before her. She sat down and gestured towards Jason at which point an identical chair unfolded itself into existence. “Would you like something a drink?” She asked. “It’s not real but you can still taste it,” she said as she took a sip from a teacup.

“No, I’m ok,” Jason said as he sat down in his chair. “Why am I here?”

“Ugh,” Miranda whined, “stop with the question. That’s what I’m supposed to be doing.” Jason shrugged and closed his mouth. Miranda crossed her legs. “A strong aura surrounds you, which is surprising for someone so weak as you?”

“What?” Jason asked again, still confused with the woman’s mumbling.

Miranda lowered her eyes. “What kind of magic have you been using?”

“What? What even is an aura?” Jason asked avoiding her question.

“Aura is like a radiation that is leftover from using a stone,” Miranda explained, “it lingers on the caster and can only be seen by strong sorcerers such as myself. You,” she said pointing at Jason, “have enough aura clouding around you to have sunk half of Laxtar into the sea. What kind of magic have you been playing around with and how did you get it?”

“Look,” Jason said with his arms raised, “I really have no idea what you’re talking about. I’m a trader and a somewhat poor one at that, and I haven’t even seen a power stone yet let alone used one.” A heavy grip closed on Jason’s throat and he began to gag. He slipped from his chair and groaned on the floor desperately trying to claw the invisible force from his neck. As if it controlled itself, Jason's head flung up so that he was staring straight at Miranda. The grip around his throat slightly lightly but it was still uncomfortable.

Miranda got up and stared straight into Jason’s face. “Don’t play with me trader, I have ways that can draw the truth from you that would make that sheriff's Twilight Owl stone look like a cantrip.” The grip released Jason and he collapsed to the floor. “Now I will give you one last chance. Tell me everything, hiding anything from me will only harm you. Say something that interests me and maybe I can help you,” she smiled darkly.

Jason glared at the sorcerer, anger roiled under his skin. With all his heart he wished to thrash out at the woman, but he knew it would be futile. “It was a phoenix stone,” Jason finally said.

Miranda’s face went from confusion to realization, to surprise, and finally to intrigue. “Did you die?” was her first question.

“No I used it on someone else,” Jason said flatly.

“How noble of you,” Miranda said, “but stupid.”

“I don’t regret how I used the stone,” Jason said anger coming back into his voice.

“What’s done is done Trader,” Miranda said. “It’s probably best the stone is gone. In the possession of someone as weak as you it could have been problematic.”

“You can stop insulting me,” Jason said.

Miranda looked at him but all she did was grin. “Why did you use it?”

“Don’t you care how I got it?”

“You obviously only got it by watching a phoenix reincarnation. Am I wrong?”

Jason shook his head silently. “The reeve, Malcolm, he didn’t tell the whole story of our counter-attack. He didn’t just torture the Reeve of Finchead he also killed him. As far as I know, Malcolm has no idea that I used the stone on our reeve. Only a few know, my two companions, as well as the sheriff, but no one else.”

“A phoenix stone,” Miranda muttered to herself. “Do you know wars have been fought over such an item? Kingdoms sold? Only two stones can exist at any point in time, as there are only two phoenixes in existence. Even if one of the stones is used the birds could still go centuries before they reincarnate, the legends say.”

Jason shrugged, he still believed there was no point lingering over the now none existent item. “It’s not my problem anymore.”

“You’re lucky I was the first powerful sorcerer to spot you. Others may have seen you as a threat and not have taken the time to talk like me,” Miranda said disregarding the stark resemblance of their surroundings to a dungeon.

“You’re so kind,” Jason said sarcastically.

“Magic attracts a randy sort. Myself excluded of course,” Miranda said with a hand to her chest. “My best advice would to be avoid it altogether.”

“That’s none of your business,” Jason said, “now are you going to let me go or keep interrogating me?”

“Relax Jason,” Miranda said slyly, “we have all the time in the world. Literally.” She whisked another teacup from the void and sipped.

“Does the king know you can do all this,” Jason said waving around at the room.

“Of course and I have protections on him so other sorcerers can’t break him down as I did you. Now, do you have any other magic abilities?" Miranda asked.

"Of course not," Jason said his patience quickly waning with the sorceress. She thinks just because she will this place into existence she's some kind of god here. At least it seems she can't read my thoughts. Out of curiosity, he looked at her but she hadn't flinched. "How do I hide this aura then so I'm not a walking bullseye?"

"It will fade in time. One such as large as yours should take," Miranda tilted her head thinking, "maybe two weeks to get down to a point where you appear threatening."

"So there is nothing I can do but hope that no one sees it and attacks me?"

"Pretty much."

"No," Jason shook his head, "I'd rather build my magic skills to defend myself."

Miranda chuckled, "and how are you going to do that?"

"I've answered your questions I think I deserve some kind of reward."

Miranda laughed harder. "You think you've complete some kind of quest?" She mocked. "I'm merely doing my job and ensuring there wasn't a threat in the kingdom. Beside a stone would be a waste on someone such as you."

"I want a stone," Jason insisted.

"Buy one and play around with it, if you can afford it," Miranda said, "but magic is an art as well as a science and takes practice beyond just simple skills."

"I don't have enough money or know where to buy a stone though," Jason persisted trying not to lose this topic.

"Not my problem. Now while I can keep us in this state for several lifetimes it is a draw on my power stones," Miranda said and lifted her arms.

"Wait," Jason said quickly. "What if I offered you some information."

Miranda's eyes darkened. "You've been holding back from me?" She barked.

"No, no," Jason said, he could slowly feel a force wrapping his neck again, but to the point of strangulation yet. "I know where you could find a power stone, and a strong one too." Jason wasn't sure about the last part but he had to try.

"Go on." Miranda urged and released the grip around Jason.

"What will you give me?"

"I won't leave you here," Miranda hissed.

"Geez," Jason whined. "Fine, there is a dire wolf in the forest between Laxtar and Finchead. All I could tell it was alone."

Miranda squinted her face in thought. "How large was it?"

"Taller than me by a least a foot," Jason said.

"Hmm it may be of a least greater potency, maybe even potent," Miranda mused.

"What do I get in return?"

Miranda looked at him. She must have been so deeper in her thoughts that she had forgotten he existed for a moment. "Physical items can't be exchanged in this realm. A guard will intercept with you before you leave the castle and hand you a package." She lifted her hands as she had started to before then added, "do not mention this meeting or my abilities to anyone, or I will ensure your destruction Jason the Trader." Then she waved her hands the room disintegrated into the void.