The Return by Sean M. Campbell

dismissed you. I said I need answers.”
    “Yes, My Lord.”
    “What happened after I left?”
    “We managed to buy time for Morgana to escape, before the Mage Kings took us prisoners. They made us immortal, so they could torture us forever. They raped each of us at their whim. We endured this for almost five hundred years. We were broken, and all were begging for death. Then one night in the darkness, the wall of our prison was pulled out as if it was but tissue. Morgana came striding in like fire and passion. She pulled us out of our prison, and took us to her keep. There she cried and apologized, telling us she had been told we were dead. Morgana blamed herself for everything we had been through. We stayed with her and protected her, as she helped us to return to ourselves. Then one night about five hundred years ago, she sent us all to the town of Southport, to help the people there with the Lithan that kept raiding. Too late, we found out, she had sent us away to protect us. She went to the Arch Mage’s tower, to try to fight him. He had prepared a spell for her -- he turned her into a statue. There she remains, even today. Is that what you wanted to hear, how we failed you so miserably?”
    “Taina, I want you to listen to me. I charged you with keeping Morgana alive until I returned. Is this not true?”
    “Yes, M’Lord”
    “Is she dead?”
    “She is a statue of living stone, she cannot move or even talk.”
    “Is she dead?”
    “No, M’Lord, she is not dead.”
    “Then you have succeeded beyond even my wildest expectations.”
    “So now it is my turn to talk. When I left, I knew that they would send people to find me. I knew, being who I was, I could not hide myself. I had to become someone else. I bound all of my memories into my wedding amulet. I effectively made myself forget who I was. I left certain clues for myself, though. The first, I would always keep the amulet with me, everywhere I went. Second, I left the knowledge of how to bind the pindragon, to a Mage, as a familiar. Third, I left the memory that only a being who can perform magic can cross through the gate. I buried these memories, so that only a trigger would make me realize they were there. This left a chain of thoughts in my head; the first one being that, when Beth came through, I would know something was special about her. Then I got her to bond to the pindragon. Then when that was done, I wondered why those memories were there. Then there was the necklace. I always kept it with me, as a link to my old life, a life that had no meaning for me. For eighty years I carried it. Why carry a remembrance for a life you can’t remember? Last night, it all clicked together. I put the amulet on, here in this world, and its magic was triggered. I remember everything now.”
    “Rhys, it is too soon.” Morgana’s voice came from behind me. “If they know about you, they will move against you.”
    I turned to face her with tears in my eyes. “Find all the others, and have them meet me in Wine Glenn, in thirty days. Then, we are coming for you, my wife.”
    “I am lost, Rhys. Remember me and move on. The spell on me is tailored to me, and it cannot be broken.”
    “I will see that for myself, my love. Please do as I ask -- the others have their right to this vengeance, as do you.”
    She faded from my sight, as I fell to my knees and wept. When I had recovered, I turned to Beth. “Beth, I need you to do something for me.”
    “What do you need, Rhys?”
    “I need you to concentrate on the fire, as hard as you can. Reach out and feel it with your thoughts. When you can feel the fire like it is part of you, I want you to speak one word to it.”
    “What word.”
    “Cool.”
    She looked at the fire and stared for a long time. After a few minutes, she said, “Cool.” The fire dampened to just embers. I stirred some kindling into the embers to bring the fire back.
    “Again.”
    This time the fire died until it was just some warm ashes.