Dead Rainbow

Research

Redwing returned to his tower, cast a spell of hiding over his evil amulet, then teleported to his father's lighthouse. The midday sun hung high over the beach and fluffy clouds blew in over the ocean. His father and several children were flying kites on the lighthouse lawn.  

Little Mevner along with a curly redheaded girl about his age ran giggling by. Toven, who was older and flying a blackbird kite, let her bird fall to the ground when she saw the bleary-eyed Redwing appear on the lawn holding a massive silver spear. 

Øregård was sitting on the front step of the tower with Melock watching the children play. Redwing walked over to them. 

"What is this a magic daycare?" he asked. 

"Rudimentary flight lessons," said Melock with a grin.

"Who's this new girl? Another of your apprentices? She doesn't seem to have any skill." 

Redwing sensed learned magic in Mevner, who's kite seemed to fly on its own. He was even helping the girl keep her's in the air with little telekinetic pushes. 

"Oh, that's Clotilde, the Duke's family has an eye on her for a future wife. They asked me to educate her in a way that would help the Duke. I'm teaching her how to read people's body language and see past lies. She's a good playmate for Mevner as well." 

"I could see that being useful to the leader of a city." Redwing glanced over the girl to Mevner. "How is little Diggs?" 

Melock lit up with pride at the question, to the annoyance of Redwing. "Splendid as you can see. He's right where you were at his age. A most excellent pupil."

"I like your lance," interjected Øregård. 

Redwing stopped glaring at the children and handed the silver pike to Øregård. "It was Kulju's. If you'd like to add it to your arsenal, be my guest." 

The ogre stood up with a grunt, accepted the spear, and swung it around the yard in a most dangerous way. 

"A fine reach with this." He lunged forward stabbing the earth four yards away from where he stood.

Melock gestured Redwing to take Øregård's seat on the stoop but he remained standing. 

"So, you defeated Kulju. Did you have to face him more than once?" smirked the old wizard. 

"I killed him, his double, and a third." 

"Poor Kulju. I'm sure he didn't like you finding his clones."

"Do you know much of this double process?" asked Redwing. 

"There is a species of clones beyond the Flower nebula that are the true masters of reproduction through genetic engineering."

"Does the copy keep the memories of the original?" 

"That's the idea, they are physically identical down to a DNA level and have all the same memories, personality, etc. They are, for all intents and purposes, exact duplicates. I have a copy of the #71EEB8 cloning manual in my library. It has a double helix on the spine if you'd like to borrow it."  

"I would. Do you mind if I go up and get it?"

"Be my guest." Melock waved his hand; a motion Redwing knew was him unlocking the protection spells over his room.

Redwing went inside and climbed the stairs up to Melock's room. Before he went in he held the invisible evil pendant around his neck and focused on the location of the Cursed Gauntlets. A single pulse of purple light flashed in his hand.

He opened Melock's door and went in. He'd been in the room only a handful of times before and knew from past experience that taking something from the room was nearly impossible. He looked over the bookshelves and spotted the double helix printed on a mint green book. He purposely passed it and began looking on the lower shelves. There on the far end was a charred and blackened wooden box. 

He picked it up and his necklace pulsed purple once more. He felt the weight, studied the design, cast a spell of photographic memory; the one he learned from his father. He took a small bone out of his pocket and drew a very specific symbol on the bottom of the chest. Then he returned it to its place, stood up, and feigned finding the cloning book. 

"Ah, ha!" He took the book off the shelf and left the room. 

Redwing returned to his tower and went straight to his study. There on his bookshelf, right next to Kulju's spellbook, was the exact replica he made of the spellbook of Luculentus Dicax Sid. It occurred to him after facing death with the dragon, that had he been killed, the versions of the spells etched in his mind might have been lost with his current body's brain. But maybe they wouldn't? 

"Either way, I always make a copy," he said to himself turning to the section on demon exorcism.

He lay Kulju's spellbook, his copy of Sid's spellbook, and the #71EEB8 cloning manual out across the table. Then he took out a fine bound leather book of blank vellum and began his own work based on the study of all three.