Then, Arek and Dukal exit the house, into a knee-deep, for Arek, bank of snow. Arek stares at the snow unconcernedly and then picks Dukal up and places him on his shoulders. He then starts walking off into the east.

"Don't be afraid of my friend," Arek says to Dukal as he walks. "He can be a little frightening sometimes, and he doesn't really like kids. He does owe me though, so he will help. How would you like to learn to do magic?"

"Magic?" Dukal asks. "But isn't that bad unless you're a priest or priestess?"

"No, it isn't," Arek says. "At least I don't think it is. I think that if you have the talent, and believe me Dukal, you do, that you should learn to control it. I don't know what my brethren feel, but that's the way I feel."

"My mommy always says that sorcerers are evil," Dukal says.

"Oh, sorcerers are evil, no doubt about that," Arek says. "But not all magic users are sorcerers. The man we're going to see is a sage."

"Sage?" Dukal asks. "What's a sage?"

"It's a term for a very special, very old type of good magic user," Arek says. "I'm fairly sure that he's the only one alive on this world right now."

"Wow," Dukal says.

"There, do you see that house over there?" Arek says suddenly, pointing forward at a house in the distance.

"Yeah," Dukal says.

"That's his house," Arek says. "But I'm not going to let you down just yet, even though the snow is thinning. I just remembered about the protections he has around his house. I'll be safe, and you'll be safe up there, but otherwise you'd be hurt."

"Okay," Dukal says.

Arek walks forward in the snow, and as he approaches the house, a wall of fire springs up in front of him. He walks through the wall, and the fire parts to either side of him. The flames reach for him, but they seem to hit a wall just before they touch him.

Then, he is through the flames, and before him is the house. He sets Dukal down on the ground, and together they walk up to the front door. As they approach the door, it opens to reveal an old man glaring at them.

The man is wrinkled and bent with age. His hair is pure white, and it stands out from his head in a great mane, not unlike that of Albert Einstein. His eyes are bright blue, and they seem to pierce right to the soul. He stands in the doorway of his house, glaring at the two figures in front of him, squinting and trying to make out who they are.

"Who do you think you are, barging into my yard like that?" he barks at them. "And just how did you get beyond my defenses?"

"Do you not remember me, Fyrec?" Arek asks, his tone light. "Or has your sight gone that much already?"

"Oh, Arek, it's you," Fyrec says. "Yes, my sight is almost gone. I'm afraid my end is near. And I'm glad. It's been too long."

"At least I can help you while I'm here," Arek says. "That is, if you want me to."

"If you mean restoring my sight, even for just while you're here, then of course you fool!" Fyrec says.

"Fine, and you don't have to be mean," Arek says, waving his hand toward Fyrec absently. "There you go, good as new, maybe even better!"

"You're not alone!" Fyrec exclaims. "Who is that boy?"

"Oh, you mean Dukal here?" Arek asks. "He's just a little boy. Though he feels special to me."

"How in the world did you get a little boy?" Fyrec asks. "Especially one who looks so much like you."

"The local High Priestess Mashan Frilitha tried to get me to take over his body," Arek says. "She was saying something about the day of reckoning, or something like that."

"Oh, that foolish girl," Fyrec says. "She has her head permanently stuck in the clouds. She's remarkably feisty for a woman though."

"I think she's just confused," Arek says.

"Her, confused?" Fyrec snorts derisively. "More like insane!"

"She means well," Arek says. "She just has the wrong ideas. And you can thank the books for that."

"True," Fyrec says. "But why are you still here if she brought you by accident?"

"Oh, that," Arek says nonchalantly. "Actually, it was the boy that made me stay. Why don't you take a look at him and guess why?"

Fyrec peers at the boy absently. Then something seems to catch his attention, and he looks at the boy again, this time more closely. He looks up from the boy, his face full of anger and indignance.

"No!" he thunders. "I refuse. You will not saddle me with another one!"

"Ah, but Fyrec, that is where I have you," Arek says. "You see, you still owe me another favor."

"This is more than a favor!" Fyrec shouts. "I will not do it."

"You have no choice," Arek says. "Unless of course, you'd enjoy having your life span extended another few decades?"

"You wouldn't!" Fyrec whispers in shock. "You would never be so cruel. You know how long I've been waiting to die."

"And all I'm asking of you is to teach the boy until you reach your end," Arek says. "I don't want you to take the boy in, just teach him. He has a home already. Anyway, I'm sure Fysec will have no problems accepting the other one."

"The other one?" Fyrec asked. "You mean this boy has a double?"

"Of course he does," Arek says. "He'd have to, wouldn't he? Anyway, we both met the other one. Something Mashan did brought him here. I sent him back home though."

"And this would just be until my end?" Fyrec asks, his voice full of doubt.

"Of course it would old man," Arek says.