“Mostly,” Merek said.
One candle went out.
“I would not seek to exterminate any kind of creature, whether demon or dragon or the undead,” Merek said.
The two remaining candles kept burning. Isadore relit the other.
“I want to lift the curse on the nipsies,” Calvin piped in.
“Do you understand what the curse involves?” Serena asked.
Calvin hesitated. “I’m learning.”
“We’re talking about ancient history,” Isadore said. “Before I was hatched. Before preserves were established. Before the dragon war. Graulas was young. Humbuggle was young. The world was new.”
“So much of knowing how to proceed involves doing the research,” Serena said. “Learning the history. Understanding the context.”
“We’ve learned a way to win the Games,” Seth said.
“And what would you do with the Wizenstone?” Isadore asked. “Do you believe you could wield it?”
“Those I saw try to take it were instantly destroyed,” Seth said.
Isadore seemed surprised when she checked the candles. “You have actually seen it?”
“At Stormguard Castle,” Seth said. “Right after I lost my memories. I met Humbuggle there too.”
“Let me guess,” Isadore said. “A contestant sent the Wizenstone away.”
“Yes,” Seth said. “It was my sister.”
“Humbuggle likes to create situations in which the lesser evil becomes banishing the stone,” Isadore said. “If no competitor can figure out how to claim or wield the Wizenstone, and if the Game is sufficiently unpleasant, and especially if there is the risk of an adversary gaining the stone, it can feel like a win simply to send the stone out of reach.”
“Meaning Humbuggle tends to win even if you complete his Game,” Serena said. “He retains control of the Wizenstone and invents new competitions.”
“I wonder what might have happened if Kendra had sent Humbuggle away instead of the stone,” Seth said.
“Now you’re thinking down promising avenues,” Isadore said.
“I hear the wisdom,” Merek said. “Instead of trying to claim and wield the stone directly, perhaps we should ponder how to replace Humbuggle as the custodian.”
“Thoughts worth considering,” Isadore said.
Basirus gestured at Merek. “We can’t allow this butcher to gain power over the stone.”
“Is it best to leave the Wizenstone with Humbuggle?” Calvin asked. “At least he isn’t using it to destroy the world. With Humbuggle, it’s all about the Games. Could he be a safer custodian than most?”
“Holding the Games might be what allows Humbuggle to retain control,” Serena said. “If he tried to fully claim the stone for his own, it could destroy him as it has destroyed others.”
“If someone replaced Humbuggle, they might have to fill his post,” Merek said. “Preside over their own Games.”
“Or carry out some comparable trickery to keep full ownership in question,” Isadore said.
“This is all speculative,” Basirus said. “Nobody has these answers.”
“Would a candle go out if you were wrong?” Seth asked.
“The candles measure whether you believe you are telling the truth,” Isadore said. “Not whether your assumptions are correct.”
“This discussion is only productive if you have real knowledge to share,” Merek said.
“I feel the same way,” Isadore said. “This needs to be productive for us, or else why should we surrender hard-earned information?”
“We can’t reveal some of what we know,” Seth said.
Merek looked at Seth. “We may have to obtain what they learned from another source. They discovered it somewhere.”
Isadore smirked. “Be my guest. It took long years of inquiry, none of it easy.”
“I have a proposal,” Serena said. “What if, in return for information, Calvin and his friends pledge to take me with them?”
Isadore gave a slow nod. “I would consent to that.” She glanced at Basirus.
“So much is in motion,” Basirus said. “We must act soon or risk starting over.”
Calvin looked up at Seth and Merek. “This is a good deal! We want Serena with us anyhow!”
Merek grimaced. “She comes with strings attached to wizards and dragons.”
“Just me,” Isadore said. “And one dragon. Basirus is my brother. We operate independently from other wizards and dragons.”
The candles stayed lit.
“Answer two questions, and we might have a deal,” Merek said. “Do you want the dragons to wipe out humanity?”
“No,” Isadore said.
Basirus shook his head.
The candles continued to burn.
“Do you want Celebrant to gain the Wizenstone?” Merek asked.
“Absolutely not,” Basirus said.
“By no means,” Isadore said.
The candles burned steadily.
Merek glanced at Seth. “I think I can live with that.”
Seth gave a nod. “Serena can join us if your information is good.”
“Long ago, Stratos and the sky giants floated high above the ground,” Isadore said. “They were the original overlords, rulers of the sky. By what power did their realm remain in the upper reaches?”
“The sky giants were once mighty in sorcery,” Merek said. “Much more so than now.”
“By what power?” Isadore repeated.
“I’m stumped,” Merek confessed, looking to Seth.
“I don’t even remember my favorite food,” Seth said.
“The Ethergem,” Serena supplied.
“A stone of astronomical power,” Isadore said.
“More powerful than the Wizenstone?” Seth asked.
“Definitely,” Isadore said. “Powerful enough to keep an entire civilization of giants afloat among clouds, with enough surplus energy for them to perform wonders with magic we can scarcely imagine.”
“Do the giants still have it?” Seth asked.
“Why do you suppose Stratos fell to the earth?” Isadore asked. “Why do the sky giants now walk among us on the ground? Why do they no longer grow as tall as in their most glorious era?”
“Was the Ethergem lost?” Seth asked.
“I will tell you presently,” Isadore said. “Another question. We currently have five great monarchs with five crowns. How many were there originally?”
“Two,” Merek said.
“Which two?” Isadore asked.
“The Fairy Queen and the Underking,” Merek said. “Yin and yang. Light and dark. Birth and death. Creation and decay.”
“Correct,” Isadore said. “The giants had the Ethergem, but they looked upon the crowns of the monarchs with envy. The dragons looked upon the crowns with lust. And the demons looked upon the crowns with hate.”
“Let me guess,” Seth said. “They all ended up with crowns.”
“At great cost,” Isadore said. “Do the crown of light worn by the Fairy Queen and the crown of darkness worn by the Underking belong to this mortal world?”
“Probably not?” Seth guessed.
“Good instincts,” Isadore commended. “They came to this world from immortal realms. Drawing on power from
