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Noraedin, brother to King Pasalphathe, wished the rule of all
the races of Chartile to be turned to him. He was a very powerful
man, and a great alchemist. He was a natural leader, but a cruel
man. He killed many in his lust for the crown. It was King
Pasalphathe’s own proposition to use the new-found orenite to strip
Noraedin of his magic. But orenite alone could not do it. If the
orenite item was removed, the wearer’s magic remained, if only
temporarily suppressed. It was Kahiri, King of the Dragons that
gave the Draconian runes to the Dwarves to make the orenite
stronger – and permanent. King Pasalphathe would only allow this if
all Humans and Elves agreed to have their power taken, so as to
prevent such evil from ever happening in Chartile again. I am sure
I have taught you this, my child.”
    “ Perhaps you have, but I
cannot recall it. I still have yet to see what it has to do with
me.” Piper drank the last of her cold tea, and rose to pour more
from the kettle hanging over the fire.
    “ The four kings tricked
the Duke by acting as though they were resigning their rule to
Noraedin. They gave him an orenite circlet to show their defeat and
acceptance of the new King of Chartile. During the crowning
ceremony, Noraedin did not survive. A similar ceremony is how the
Elven Royals eventually eliminated magic from their bloodline. Most
survived, but some still perished, even with the weaker orenite and
Draconian rune magic. And through laws of selective marriages, the
rest of the elves lost their magic over the centuries.”
    “ What is this to do with
Duneland, and why such practices are still used? There is no more
magic. Or at least, there wasn’t.”
    “ Pasalphathe was King of
the race of Humans. And though the magic of the Elves eventually
perished, the magic of humans is far more resilient to the effects
of orenite, and persistent in its survival. From only a few years
of age, all humans are forced to wear some form of orenite. And all
because one man decided he wanted more power.”
    Again, Piper stared at the knot on the
table, everything coming together at once.
    “ And if the boys and I are
the returned souls of the Kings, then Taraniz may be—”
    Gran nodded. Piper closed her eyes, and held
her head in her hands.
    “ I can’t do this, Gran. I
don’t want it. Jayson, Jack and Leo, they are innocent in all of
this. I cannot allow them to be hurt or killed, or to kill someone
themselves. They are not even from our world. It would be wrong to
place any burdens of Chartile, past or present, on them. What do I
do?”
    The old woman stroked Piper’s hair. She
swallowed hard, but her voice still cracked. “That is your decision
alone to make. Only you can decide if you wish to take the path
that has been laid before you, or forge your own. Either way, there
is a young man back there who is still injured, am I right? Even if
you are fearful of your own path, you have always been
compassionate and selfless. If that is not the quality of a true
leader, then may the Gods help us.”
    
    There was a small opening in the cave to the
right of the main entrance that had gone unnoticed when the boys
first arrived the evening before. Now, as the sun rose over the
mountain, a shaft of light fell across Jayson’s face from the
opening. He raised his arm against the light and immediately
gasped. He clutched at his side and gasped again. His entire body
felt as though he had been hit by a semi-truck. His ribs were
bandaged, but he couldn’t remember why. Everything was a blur.
    His eyes focused, and he took in his
surroundings. He was in a cave. Jack and Leo were sleeping around
what was left of a fire. He blinked a few times and memories began
to make sense of themselves out of the fog in his mind. Their
arrival in Chartile, Piper’s story, and that strange creature that
had nearly killed him. The thought of it made Jayson wish he had
been hit by a truck. He attempted to turn to face the wall. The
pain in