A year had passed since Dyne's death, and Ghaleon was still upset. Lemia knew that the two had been close, but she never imagined that he would still be taking it so hard. She could understand being upset for weeks, or even months, but Ghaleon shouldn't let the dark cloud of death hang over him any longer. Certainly he should always cherish the memories of his friend, but he shouldn't let the loss rule his life. Lemia wished there was something, anything she could do to help him, but no one seemed to be able to do anything.

Lemia stepped out into the small garden next to the guildhouse in Vane. She felt a little self-conscious that she was currently more concerned with Ghaleon's well being than of her young daughter, Mia. But Mia was napping, and any sleep Ghaleon could manage to achieve would be a restless one. So she crept quietly around the hedges, making sure she didn't startle him once she found him. But when she at last laid eyes on his slender frame, she saw it wasn't necessary.

Ghaleon was sitting on the ground, leaning back against a gnarled old tree. His right leg was outstretched before him, while his left was slightly bent. His long silvery hair was lightly tousled, and his cat-like lavender eyes stared vacantly ahead, lost in his reverie. He still clutched his sturdy ironwood staff, his favored weapon from the days he wandered the forests of Caldor Isle to the moment the four heroes (he, Dyne, Lemia, and Mel) banished an evil demigod to protect the goddess Althena. Although he looked young, Lemia had been around him long enough to know not to take anything about Ghaleon at face value.

After she realized that she had indeed been staring at Ghaleon, Lemia's attention shifted to the tawny form that was laying next to him. She was surprised to see it. Ever since Dyne's death, Ghaleon's giant saber-toothed cat had been seen less and less often with him. Their relationship was uncertain, even to those that had seen him for a long time. Lemia remembered that when they first met, Ghaleon and his cat were inseparable. The cat was always besides him as his friend, mount, fellow combatant, and perhaps even counselor. If Ghaleon had been much of a mage when they met, she would have called the nine-foot long feline his familiar. But the ties between the two ran back farther than his studies with the magic guild of Vane.

However, after Dyne's death, his cat had been seen less and less frequently. Lemia suspected that Ghaleon wanted to be alone so badly that he would even send the cat away. And the cat always listened to Ghaleon.

Lemia crept forward, not wanting to startle either of them. The cat's slitted emerald eyes noticed her, and cautiously watched her approach. She briefly hoped that Ghaleon had not asked his cat to ward off visitors. Normally the cat's presence alone was sufficient deterrent for people who would bother him. But the people of Vane had easily grown accustomed to the animal, treating it as an oversized kitten, Lemia included. However, unlike the other magicians, she saw this same cat shred goblins, wyburns, and all sorts of other creatures into quivering masses of flesh. She couldn't help but shiver. Lemia forced herself to take comfort in that even though Ghaleon was distressed, he hadn't taken leave of his senses, and wouldnÕt be stupid enough to actually ask the cat to kill any intruders.

"Ghaleon?" She meant for her voice to come out gently, yet strong so that he would sense her desire to talk with him. But his name came out as a squeak instead.

His pointed ears twitched ever so slightly as he heard his name, and he turned his gaze to face her. Ghaleon's unfocused eyes rapidly brought him back to reality as they fixed on her.

"Oh, it's you, Lemia," he said matter-of-factly.

The cat yawned and she again noticed its long saber-like canine teeth.

"Of course it's me," she replied, trying to shake off the uneasy feeling she had. "Okay if I sit down?"

Ghaleon nodded, and pulled up his legs so he could hug his knees.

Lemia sat next to him, wrapping her robes about her. "I noticed you weren't in the library today," she offered lamely, trying to think of a better thing to say in order to keep Ghaleon's company.

"It was too nice a day," he answered, prodding a tuft of grass with his staff. He now kept his gaze averted from Lemia's. "I wish Dyne was still here..." He jabbed the grass a little harder. "Sometimes I wonder why my life had to get turned upside down. I mean, I lived a simple life in the forests near Burg. It was just me and my cat."

Lemia nodded, already aware of this part of Ghaleon's past, but willing to let him vent if it would help his mood improve.

"And then I just had to meet Dyne, and we just had to go off on a quest to try to become Dragonmasters, and we just had to do all of this just as a demigod was threatening Althena's power, and we just had to become the four heroes to save the world..."

"Ghaleon," she began, "are you telling me that you regret all that?"

He briefly met her eyes and then looked back down again. "No," he said rocking himself gently. "If none of this happened, I would never have discovered my love of magic, or met you and Mel, or even ventured off of Caldor Isle. I loved this world. I was willing to do anything to save it." Lemia did not miss the fact that Ghaleon had begun to speak in past tense. "After all, Althena was the goddess of love, light, and music. When I beheld her presence in the Goddess Tower, I felt compelled to kneel before her." Ghaleon shuddered. "I felt as though everything I would fight for would be worth it if only to please the immortal that stood before me. Her presence was overpowering..."

"You didn't like it because it made you feel vulnerable," Lemia concluded.

Ghaleon seemed to shrink into himself, but nodded. "And then she sent Dyne off to fight the black dragon. There wasn't a thing either of us could do about it. I went with him, because I couldn't let him go alone. I mean, you had just given birth to Mia, and Mel had become the leader of Meribia. So I was the only one available to help." Ghaleon paused, then sighed. "I just don't understand why Dyne had to die."

"Try not to worry about it so much," Lemia murmured. "You know he wouldn't want you to. You know, in some ways you have more pressing matters to attend to now."

"Like what?"

"Well, you know Dalzhin is getting old. He's going to retire in a couple more years." Now it was Lemia's turn to poke the grass while Ghaleon looked curiously at her. "My mother's already talking about choosing the next premier of Vane." Ghaleon's eyes widened as he got what she was hinting at. "And she thinks that if you continue your magic studies, you should be the most powerful wizard in Vane by the time Dalzhin is ready to retire. I know you'd be rather young for the job, but you would make a very worthy ambassador for Vane's foreign affairs. Not only would you represent the magical power we hold, but you're one of the four heroes to boot."

Ghaleon opened and closed his mouth as he thought of something to say. "But I haven't even been studying anything for several weeks now!" he finally blurted.

Lemia nodded, knowing Ghaleon consumed himself in his books in the months since Dyne's death. But lately he had been engulfed by his retrospective of that fateful battle, and ignored his studies nearly all together.

She sighed. "Ghaleon, you've been studying magic for less years than I have fingers on my hand. I, on the other hand, have been studying ever since I was a little girl. But we are currently equal in magic strength. A few weeks is nothing to you. If your love of magic and talent for spells are as strong as they seem, there's no reason you couldn't become the most powerful magician ever to live."

Lemia laid her right hand on his left. Ghaleon noticed how warm it felt, and realized how cold his own must feel to her. He could sense himself drawing strength from her touch, and the thought bothered him, although he didn't know why. Ghaleon allowed his left hand to let go of his staff and clasp Lemia's. He twisted his body so he could comfortably look directly at her.

"Besides," Lemia began, "you can't lose yourself to despair. Now that Dyne is gone, you may the only person capable of becoming a Dragonmaster. The world needs you. And," the following was just above a whisper "I need you."

Ghaleon tensed, unsure of what she meant.

Lemia continued. "As you know, I'm next in line to become guildmaster. And it would be so much easier if you became premier. I already know you fairly well," she smiled, "or at least I think I do. The two of us could work well together. If you don't become premier, Jenna or Paln probably will. You already know Jenna and I don't get along. And Paln, while he's magically strong, is just too temperamental. I need someone more even-tempered than him."

Ghaleon let out a brief laugh, although he did not smile. "Me? Premier of Vane? Hmph, I suppose your mother would want that, wouldn't she? So I'm even-tempered enough for you... Well," he paused, "you'll have my unofficial consent until the actual day she asks me arrives."

Lemia beamed. "Thanks!" She grinned. "And maybe I can convince my mother to retire that same week so we can take office at the same time!"

"Nah, she wouldn't do that," he said, trying not to hurt her fantasy too badly. "She'll probably want me to learn all I can off Dalzhin and her before she quits. You know how thorough your mother is."

"Yeah," she agreed, making a distasteful look.

Ghaleon almost smiled. "Don't worry. Between the two of us, Vane will be in good hands."