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wizards including mages like Elzen who had the healing talent could help pass them along, but so far he was the only one who had managed to create a unique rune.
    In addition to all that, he was expected to teach others his other spells and use his portals to connect Hala with its spies. Ensolus wasn't the only city either, which meant with all these responsibilities, Sebastian was feeling spread rather thin. Only the speed of portals helped keep him on top of his duties from one side of the country to another and beyond.
    "I will speak with Gefflen. If he can help, great. If he is just another wizard who is more talk than his ability to do it, then he will join the others who failed."
    As the mage had spoken the last, the cold light of winter splashed through the open doorway drawing their attention to the door behind him. A man slightly taller than Sebastian walked in through the door frame casting his shadow onto the mage in an ominous way.
    "I won't fail," a strong voice countered his statements. How the man could have heard him speaking with the noise of the forge filling the air, he wasn't certain; but Sebastian could feel the aura of a strong wizard. Spells and wards were common enough. His prompt timing led the battle mage to believe that some magic was involved, but he didn't have the time to seek it out at the moment.
    "Wizard Gefflen, I presume," Sebastian nodded and stuck out his hand.
    The wizard stepped closer and looked past the younger man to Maura speaking to her rather than the battle mage between them. "This is the mage who conceived of these swords?"
    At Maura's confirming nod, the wizard turned to Sebastian looking him top to bottom giving the mage a disapproving look. "I thought he would be older," Gefflen stated negatively.
    "And I would have thought that you'd be more respectful even so," Ashleen retorted with a frown for the older wizard. She was still younger than Sebastian. In fact, all of his friends except for Serrena were younger than the mage as well. In normal circles, age and power were the determining factors of rank among wizards. Ashleen's strength rivaled Wizard Gefflen's, but he wasn't alone.
    Four more wizards joined him with the last closing the door. He left no gap for the air to leave, and appeared to be the only one completely comfortable with the room's heat, though the others from Red Hall weren't sweating or even removing their cloaks or coats so far.
    The older wizard aimed a withering look at the petite, silver haired, blonde wilder. "This is the Kardorian, I take it? Have we lifted our need for secrecy to let foreign wizards into our midst, even if she is a wilder?"
    An insult amongst wizards, calling Ashleen a wilder was about as demeaning for a wizard as to call her a battle mage. A wilder had the power, but was considered defective since their skills were flawed or lacking in control. For Ashleen, it didn't matter. The young woman embraced her flaws, but coming from this man in such a way, even she reddened with anger.
    Sebastian's face became like stone holding a polite look. His anger was slow to burn, but mistreatment of his friends lit that match quickly. Still this was business, even if it was with a man with little apparent manners. "Ashleen has been acting as my apprentice; if not for her, much of the portal magic and knowledge of how to make Hollow Swords wouldn't exist. If you don't think one of our allies, who has helped in the creation of the magic you've come to learn about deserves to be here; then perhaps you shouldn't be here either."
    Wizard Gefflen turned red with indignation and retorted, "I hardly think I would be considered less than a Kardorian here. I am wizard of Southwall and a leader in Red Hall. A teacher of our youths is certainly considered less of a risk than a foreigner."
    "I don't know about that. Isn't Red Hall responsible for the southern cities like New Harbor and South Point? Those cities have been experiencing a lot of unrest from what I