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Drindle and Lionel exited the room to find the same pudgy herald standing off to the right side of the door. The chubby man didn't speak. He turned and began to lead the duo out of the castle. It was almost midnight by the time the two made it back onto the path leading through the castle city.

Lionel was sitting beside Drindle on the wagons bench. They hadn't spoken at all since they left the Queen's room. Many questions raced through Lionel's mind. He knew the old man said they would talk later, so Lionel was sitting impatiently waiting.

Drindle finally broke the silence as the two drew closer to an inn. "Ank, there is much to tell you. I know you have questions, but let's stay the night here and in the morning we will talk." Silence reigned again as the wagon came to a halt.

The building was three or more stories tall and was entirely made of wood. The man and boy made their way to the back of the building. there was a small lean-to stable built into the back of the Inn. A young lad was lying in the hay of a stall sleeping.

The old man grumbled to wake the young boy. "Mmrhrrrm"

The boy started awake quickly. His brown hair was matted down. It appeared he hadn't bathed in quite some time. "S'ry sir." The bow bowed slightly and stood back upright. "Can I help ya sir?" Lionel noticed the black eye the eight to ten year old boy sported.

Drindle didn't say a word about the boys appearance. "We need a stall for our horse and a spot for the wagon."

The boy bowed again and spoke "Aye, sir that'll be twenty gold for the night."

"Twenty gold!? that's robbery!" Drindle seemed astonished at the price. Lionel could understand, when they stayed at the hostel in Astia the cost was only a couple silver. In comparison just using the stall cost a small fortune.

The back door to the Inn was just a ways from where the young boy had been sleeping in the hay. Suddenly a large woman burst through the door. "Oy' Gimji! Bugger off 'fore you scare my customers away." The woman was very robustly built. She was rather short and almost as wide as she was tall.

The little boy smiled mischievously as he ducked behind the wagon running away. "I catch ya back here 'gain and I'll give ya 'nother black eye!" The woman's face didn't seem angry as she was yelling at the now distant squirt. "Sorry 'bout tha'" the woman turned back to the two on the wagon as she continued speaking. "Name's Molly, How can I help you fellers?"

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Lionel and Drindle secured a private room with two beds and a stall for the horse and wagon. Molly was even kind enough to provide a meal at the late hour for the duo. Both were now finishing up their meal sitting on their beds facing each other.

Lionel finished eating and took a swallow of watered down ale from his tankard. He set both the tankard and plate on the nightstand as he continued to watch the old man. It seemed the more he learned of the old geezer, the more questions he was left with. He sat on his bed thinking for sometime before Drindle finally spoke.

"Ank, your creeping me out" The bushy brows of the ancient man were raised and the lines on his forehead were visible. "Anyone ever tell you it's rude to stare?"

Lionel took only a second before asking the number one question on his mind. "How old are you?"

"Boy, I tell you we'll talk tomorrow and here you are questioning me.." The old man shook his head and set his own tankard and plate on his nightstand. The geezer shifted his position. He was now leaning against the wall while sitting on the bed. He sat looking at Lionel appearing to be lost in thought. He finally sighed before speaking again. "Hrmmm.. Honestly I don't know how old I am anymore."

Lionel didn't know what to say. He finally asked the only question that bugged him. "How could you not know how old you are?"

The old man shifted slightly and brought his leg up to prop his arm on. "Well, I have been around since the fall of the Daemons and Angels more than seven thousand years ago and I was almost a thousand years old at that time" The old man's face looked haggard as he continued to speak "So I am somewhere between, seven thousand five hundred to about eight thousand years old now."

Lionel's jaw hit the floor. "Wha... How is that even possible?"

"It is part of being an Enthraller. There is more to being an Enthraller than just controlling Velthums." the old man looked out the window between the two beds before turning back to the conversation. "There is much for you to learn and your training in Summoning and Subjugating velthums starts tomorrow. I recommend you get some sleep." Lionel couldn't believe it but he still had questions he just needed answered.

"But what is so special about being an enthraller? you only said they were rare, but the way the queen acted.." The old man cut him off.

"Ank, I didn't lie to you, when I told you I only knew of five enthrallers." Now that Lionel learned how old Drindle was, the truth of being an enthraller floored him. He sat dumbfounded. Drindle was older than seven thousand years and in all that time Lionel was only the sixth entraller to emerge.

"What is an enthraller exactly?" Lionel finally understood that there was much more to an Enthraller than just a summoner and subjugator of Venthums.

The old man smiled slightly as he stared at the boy "Finally asking good questions I see." Drindle pulled a small rock shaped object from his robe and tossed it to the boy. "Before I say anymore you must swear to tell noone. That will make sure you keep your word."

Lionel stared at the small object. He could see the fabric of magic radiating from the stone. He spoke again looking at the bald figure. "How do I use it?"

"Grasp it tight and repeat after me" Lionel squeezed the stone as instructed. The old man continued "I swear to uphold the integrity of my master as is the code of pupil to teacher." Lionel spoke the words after Drindle and the geezer continued on "I will not divulge any secrets that my master deems necessary to keep private. My life is the price of betrayal." Lionel could feel the fabric of magic flowing into his skin as he recited the lines. The old man had a mischievous grin as he spoke the next lines. "I will listen to my master and do as he commands." The boy spoke them feeling there was a catch that he was missing. "My master is the only one who can release me from this contract." as Lionel finished the final words the small stone completely dissolved into a ripple of energy that moved towards the boys heart.

The geezer smiled at Lionel and spoke again. "You are now my pupil and I will answer your questions. But for tonight, I command you to go to sleep." Lionel understood now why the line of listening to his masters commands stood out.

"Hey.. You only added that line to shut me up for the night, Didn't you?" Lionel could see from the old man's growing smile that he hit the nail on the head.

"Ah ah ah" The ancient man wagged a finger with the same smile on his face. "I command that you can't ask anymore questions. Now go to sleep" The old man chuckled seeing Lionel struggling against the chains of the contract.

Lionel felt a pull on his mind that he struggled against. It wasn't painful but he just couldn't break free to ask anymore questions. finally he gave up and stared daggers at the old man.

"Ha.. Finally learned why I said not to get caught up in a contract." The old man rolled over into bed and pulled his covers up a small chuckle escaped him. "don't worry boy I have no intention of harming you with the contract. I just need to protect myself."

At those words Lionel thought of another question that the contract forbade him from asking out loud 'Who do you even need protection from?' Finally Lionel lay down and drifted to sleep.