Time Mage

"This was your idea, your plan, now you want to back out? Does your cowardice know no limits?

"Of course not, I just need to make a few alterations. I'm not like you, I can't simply sit back and watch what I know must happen come to pass."

"But to do this? To live among them, now as one of them? Not even know who you really are? How can you control anything in such a condition?"

"We aren't gods! It shouldn't be left to us to decide who lives and who dies!"

"All the gods have either fled this world or are dead, and neither of us are exactly human any more. Who else is there? It isn't too late, you can still join us. It would be nice to have someone who actually understands what I am doing."

"I'm sorry old friend, I can't be that person. First, I like having a heart that beats and blood that flows."

"I still have flowing blood."

"All that flows in you is decomposing filth. Second, as I said, I haven't abandoned the plan, I have to watch over the village, if they are wiped out, if we lose him, I don't know if we can save the future."

"That can be done without putting yourself in such danger; I still think you are putting the future at risk. Besides, how will you even be able to hide your memories, I didn't know that was in your list of talents."

"Remember, I've been there, I've seen many possible futures; you haven't. I know what must be done. As far as how to hide my memories? I borrowed a little trinket from Lady Alixia; it will do the job and will wake my memories if I'm in danger. It is the only way I can go through with this, and it might be fun, my first childhood was interrupted by a war, maybe this one will be better."

"Very well, I can't stop you. So how is Lady Alixia?"

"Still very much Lady Alixia, which reminds me, she asked me to let you know that the next time she sees you, she will kill you."

"She can try."

"Bettsam! Down!"

Bettsam dropped to the ground and rolled. He felt the air move as a war hammer passed just above him, right where his head had been a moment before!

What was Loid trying to do, kill him? This was just a stupid test. An important one yes, but still a test!

Bettsam finished his roll and sprang to his feet facing his attacker. Like him and everyone else in this test, Loid was ten-years-old. He had a bit more muscle on his arms than Bettsam did due to using that heavy war hammer all the time and he also wore a determined look on his face that said he wasn't holding back either--he was playing to win. He was also now laughing at him. Why was he laughing?

He tried to take a step back but one of his feet refused to move as if it was tied to the ground. He glanced down and saw an image of a rope attached to the ground at one end drawn on the ground with colored sand. At the other end was drawn a manacle with a lock on it. The foot he couldn't move was inside the image of the manacle--he had stepped into a magic trap.

Well, if Loid and his partner wanted to play rough, then Bettsam could give them rough. In his hands he held his chained scythe and threw the curved blade right at Loid who responded by holding out the handle of his hammer to block. If he expected Bettsam to stick to attacks he had mastered back when he was still seven, he would soon be disappointed.

He whipped his hand holding the handle connected to the scythe by a chain in a circle, creating a wave that traveled up the chain and caused the scythe to suddenly swing under the handle of the hammer and then back up wrapping around it several times; leaving a long cut in the front of Loid's shirt. Bettsam pulled hard on the chain and the war hammer flew out of Loid's hands and right into Bettsam's empty outstretched hand.