Eriana smiled at him and he blushed, then tried to make himself stop it. “Thank you. I don’t even know what to think about it yet. Soliander, at least, would be shocked by how I’ve aged. The others could be even older for all I know.”
“Hopefully, the guys and Anna will find some information on Andier and Korrin soon, on one of their quests. Like Soliander, they’ve probably heard the champions are back but know that can’t be right, so I assume they’d be curious and investigate.”
“That’s an understatement,” she agreed ruefully. “I want to get a message to my family, that I’m okay, but I’m not sure if we should keep my whereabouts and situation hidden for a while.”
“Why? What kind of trouble do you expect?”
“I really don’t know, but with these guys the apparent Ellorian Champions, news of another champion being elsewhere and doing other things will confuse people, and possibly cause problems when these guys are summoned. We have no way of knowing how people will react, but it’s something to think about, maybe planning for.”
“Gotcha. Well listen, if you need anything, let me know. I’m now like a full-time helper to them when they’re gone, and that includes you. Ryan’s literally paying me.” He grinned. “I apparently just quit my job and got a new one working for them.”
She laid a hand on his arm. “Thank you. I appreciate that, especially you stepping up to help them. They really need it. It’s really important. We had many people who knew the truth and were helping. Right now, they just have you.”
“I have some help now.” He related his role so far, concluding, “We told the attorney the truth earlier, and Ryan’s brother, so it’s been nice to not be alone with this. And now I have you here, too.”
“I can relate. I haven’t told a soul the truth in nearly two decades.”
He frowned, unable to imagine being that isolated with such a huge truth for so long. As secrets go, hers was beyond epic. No one knew anything about why God stopped answering people, so many believing He never had and wasn’t real, and yet she knew. And everyone thought magic wasn’t real, but she knew. Fae weren’t real, but she knew. Her ability to keep quiet impressed him. She likely understood the padded walls awaiting her for admitting it. What a relief it must be now. He felt a mixture of regret for her and happy she wasn’t so alone anymore.
“I’m sorry. That must’ve been awful, but now you can at least talk to us. I’m more than happy to listen.” He was going to say more when the other boys gathered at the table and she gave him that warm smile of hers, laying a hand on his arm again before she joined the group to resume their talks.
“Okay,” began Eric, who resumed his seat, “it’s our turn to tell you what has been happening.”
“Please.”
As Eriana listened and held her questions, Ryan, Matt, and Eric related the quest to Honyn to close the Dragon Gate, and that Soliander had opened it, apparently not caring that the dragons might return and destroy the planet. Jack saw that the revelations, including Soliander’s attack on both Lorian and Matt, concerned her. She said that this was not the noble, self-sacrificing man she had known. Had he, like her, believed that the rest of the Ellorian Champions were dead? She revealed that Soliander had always blamed himself for their being trapped in the quest cycle, but that had really been Everon’s fault. To this, Soliander had replied that Everon was his apprentice, and it was therefore still his fault. They had endured countless arguments about it. And if the wizard believed they were dead, then he undoubtedly blamed himself.
Jack asked, “Do you think this was enough to turn his heart? It seems like he isn’t doing, uh, pleasant things.”
Eriana pursed her lips. “Yes, I think so. He was always troubled, and I knew he sometimes struggled to not give in to his demons. I helped him with that as I could. I’m afraid that what happened could have easily pushed him into the darkness he fought against. There’s something else I wanted to ask about. When you guys arrive, you are fully healed and rested?”
“Each time, yes,” confirmed Eric.
“And you are dressed in our clothes, and they fit?”
“Perfectly.”
Eriana eyed them. “You three are about the right size. From a distance, you can easily pass for us. It may have been luck that, so far, no one who knew us well, besides Lorian, has been present at your quests.”
“What do you think would happen if the truth were known?” Matt asked.
“I honestly do not know. It would really depend on the individual person’s reaction.”
The techie elaborated, “I guess what I’m getting at is that we haven’t known how to react to the assumption that we’re you guys, so we’ve been playing along. I think I can speak for all of us that we don’t want to offend you by doing so.”
Eriana smiled. “It’s fine. I’m not offended and I agree with the decision, honestly. It’s probably for the best. The reaction to learning you aren’t us might not be a good one. It would cause disillusion with your ability to do the quest, for one. How has that been going?”
Eric smiled ruefully and replied, “It’s been a little rough. We badly need training. We were just talking about that before you knocked. Some of it is easy enough, like horseback riding or swordsmanship, but for Matt and Anna…”
Eriana offered, “I can help Anna, certainly.”
“Are you able to heal her now?” Jack asked, the images of Anna in the hospital hard to get out of his head. He didn’t want to wait until she was summoned, and he really wanted her here with the rest of them. She all alone over there, kind of like Eriana had been for two decades with her unknown truth. Maybe they had more in
