News of Haunters, shadowy beasts from Noier, were spotting slipping into the basements of homes. With a shortage of soldiers, he was made to follow the patrol out into the rain.

"Attention! Keep your eyes peeled on that desert!" General Torrent, leading the four-person entourage, barked over his shoulder. Glint grimaced at him. He always seemed to have so much energy, always angry at something. Anything could set him off, even his own captain.

The rain muddied the desert and led shadows into Lumar. Rain hadn't fallen in Lumar in months. The unusual weather was sign of corruption of the realm of Ozel Emla. Glint gripped the hilt of his sword, expecting to see monstrous Haunters or even a dark tornado, but despite the rain turning into a torrent, Lumar was quiet.

"It's a torrent," someone said.

"What's that?" Torrent snapped and the other soldiers snickered. "Stop babbling and keep attention—"

"Halt!" The other patrol came to greet them. "Anything to report?" the Captain Cornstarch said. His bushy beard was dripping wet, sagging on his face.

"Quiet, sir. Not a peep," Torrent said with a salute.

"Watchdog," Cornstarch turned to Glint. He only called him that when he was in a foul mood. "Get your tail to the tower. Eyes peeled, I say, peel like a, er," He blinked and the soldiers around him groaned, "a banana or something."

"A banana?" Torrent practically screeched. "Of all the stupidity! Am I the only one sane here? It's life or death and you're all imbeciles." He stomped off and his entourage followed, but then he turned back around and screamed in Glint's face. Glint didn't flinch anymore, not like he used to when he first arrived. Torrent liked using him as a punching bag, so he took it all. Meridie wouldn't help him. Of course not. She once ordered Torrent to take his anger out on Glint because otherwise, Torrent broke things.

"Worthless piece of banana peel, shameful garbage, and sissy," Torrent spat and pushed him. Glint stumbled and fell to the ground. With a sigh, he stood. It wasn't as bad as it was other days.

What a life that I've gotten used to. He stood and hurried back to the watchtower. Like nothing ever happened. Make a big deal and I'm dead.

"Carp," he swore under his breath and wiped the growing tears away. He knocked and Jasper let him in, but he ignored the boy, hurrying up to the safety and comfort of the keep.

Carp, I hate them. They weren't there when I was Master Magee. Where did Meridie find those corrupt souls? He let out a shuddering sigh. Taking off his mask, he tipped his head over the railing and let the rain wash his face. Leaning on the wall, he returned the mask and closed his eyes. He recalled Calani and the way she smiled at him. She was now in his memory and forever would be.

A sob climbed up his throat, but he bit it back. Turning to his closet filled with pink bubbles and orange smoke of Calani memories, he searched for an empty jar to stash his encounter with her somewhere forever. He didn't think Meridie would let him see Calani again with how little information he found. She was never the kind that gave easy second chances.

First time and last time I'll ever see you? Glint sighed as her smile soothed his pain both physical and mental. She was the sunlight he needed and missed. Feeling her light in his darkened heart made him believe more that his full powers would return one day. Sure, it had been almost twenty years since he lost it, but couldn't he believe?

A squabbling sound startled him to attention. He leaned over the railing. A yellow-eyed Haunter with slit pupils shimmied up the side of the tower, swinging a long, black tail that wisped like smoke. Glint waited until it was up the railing and slashed it in half. It made guttural sound and vanished, but there were more. One of them jumped into the keep, knocking over the jars, shattering them.

The pink bubble that had saved him all these days and was to save him today, vanished. He would never get it back because that was how those things worked.

"Carp!" Glint snarled, slashing the Haunter in half. It vaporized. Another with razor sharp teeth launched at him. He fell over and wrestled it away. The Haunter growled and slipped under the door.

Jasper! Quickly, he unlocked the door. There was Jasper on the stairs, looking startled, but unaware. The Haunter crouched behind him. Jasper started to his feet. The Haunter made a move forward.

Don't move. Glint waved his hand, humming a spell, willing Jasper to sit.

"Stay there," he whispered, keeping his eye on the Haunter, quiet and still not yet noticed by its prey. Then Jasper turned his head slowly and clamped his hands over his mouth with eyes widening in fear. But he was in the way for Glint to stab the Haunter. He would have to jump over Jasper, but the only way was to swing himself over the boy's head, using the beams.

Death or a few broken bones? He didn't waste a moment. Glint gripped the beam above and swung himself down the stairs, surprised at how well that worked. The Haunter turned to face him with snapping jaws. He stabbed the Haunter, but the sword just went right through it. Only magick could hit magick.

Please work! He sang out a light spell, willing for it to work as snapping jaws came above him. There it was. The tingling of magick in his arm, ready to burst forth. Lightning zipped from his fingers, hitting the Haunter who gave a guttural squeal and disintegrated into wisps of shadow that hovered in the air before going through the glass window of the door and escaping outside. When Glint waved his hand at Jasper, the boy jerked, able to move.

"Sh-shih t-tzus!" He let out a shaky whisper. "Where did that come from?"

Where indeed? Glint wondered as lightning crackled on the tips of his fingers, ready to attack again if needed. All the ordeals of today were below him or just an annoying fly. Filling his mind with Calani's smile and her laugh, he straightened his back. Adrenaline flowed through his body—the magick he thought he'd lost. He was Master Magee of Lumar again as he was meant to be. His duty was to protect his country at all costs.

Long live King Vezperex. He gripped the hilt of his sword and tried to recall his limited knowledge on Haunters.

They could only live in dark places. The only darker place than above ground was underground and the biggest underground space was the old pantry at the palace leading into the water tunnels. Why wait? He should go now. Reporting this to the soldiers, why, it would take hours, even days for them to decided what to do. Knowing Cornstarch and Torrent, heavy amounts of bad metaphors, puns, and arguing as well. Glint gripped his sword. It had to be him.

Jasper, carp, he realized, turning to the boy. What point was there to keep Jasper around if Glint was Master Magee again? From the memories and thoughts, it was obvious he didn't even know about Princess Ozma. Whatever Calani was planning on revealing probably had nothing to do with the princess.

Glint bit his lip and took a silver key from his pocket. The key to the keep. His prized possession hiding all the memories and thoughts of all the people he could reach and Jasper. But it also held his memories of the princess and the real king. If it was one thing he could do, it was to give Jasper access to the truth. If he wanted to look.

Or he could just leave. A pang of sadness touched his chest as he imagined coming home to an empty house. Maybe he wasn't good at conversing with the boy, but it was nice to have someone here.

"I'm going," Glint pressed the key into Jasper's hands. "This unlocks the keep door," he said in a rush. "Don't lose it. I'm going to find their nest. If I'm not back by tonight," He paused and took a breath, "you can leave," he said in a quiet voice. Then he left before he could hear Jasper's reply. He didn't want to know. He locked the door and ran out into the rain.

But don't leave. Glint bit his lip. As selfish as he knew it sounded, he wanted to keep Jasper by his side. He didn't want to be alone anymore.

It's going to change. My magick has returned. I'll kill the Haunters. Then I can safely challenge Meridie to a duel and then free Calani. He nodded to himself at the plan. As Master Magee of Lumar, he would put an end to this tyranny. Prisoners who had no right to be imprisoned would be freed. Winged Monkeys would get their wings and freedom back. Glint also knew Meridie was sucking the munchkins dry of food from their lands beyond Lumar's villages. They would be freed, too.

"Yes," he whispered, "and then Jasper can take me to America."

Unless Jasper already left, but it wouldn't matter if he did. Glint had created a cross-over, a portal of sorts, to return to Oz from the snow country. It was delicate, complicated magick, and he had done it with weak magick over the course of many, many years. If he could just figure out how to do it again, it shouldn't be any problem with his full powers.

Up ahead, he spotted soldiers and guards patrolling through the heavy rain. Using a bit of a light illusion, he ran past them unnoticed, heading for the palace. He smirked when they didn't even turn their heads. How nice it was to be able to use his full powers again!

Soon, he came to the wooden door with the heavy padlock. Meridie didn't use the underground pantry anymore. It was a dark tunnel that used to hold shelves for food.

Glint broke open the lock and hurried down the steps. The snarls of Haunters reached his ears. The nest would be in the depths. How they got here, he had no idea, but soon he would kill them, and it wouldn't matter.

Their blobby bodies bounced around and they snapped their jaws, famished. There twenty, maybe thirty of them, but they were small enough. Glint sang a spell of light and danced the symbols, letting his sword drink up the yellow light and glow. The Haunters shrank back, startled, and afraid.

"That you should be," He grinned as adrenaline surged through his body, "as death will come to you."

The Haunters growled and came for him, but he was ready. With a battle cry, he dove into their midst, slashing and stabbing, kicking his legs, and singing out quick spells of lightning sparks. Guttural squeals hurt his ears and he gritted his teeth but kept on. His shoes splashed into water until he was knee deep. Rainwater gushed into the tunnel from holes in the walls.

The further he went, the darker it got, but it was no problem. With a crescendo in his melody, he slapped his hand against the wall, wincing on impact with the stone. White light poured from his palm, spreading across the wall. The Haunters squealed, retreating further into the darkness, but he wouldn't let them.

Glint kicked at the wall and ran as fast as he could, perpendicular to the ground, slashing the heads of the Haunters below. He jumped down into the water with a loud splash. Swimming through the cold, dark, he found a stone ledge and climbed up on it.

"Carp," he cursed and turned his head. No Haunters, just water in fading yellow light that melted on the slick stone walls. Exhaustion knocked him to his knees, and he dropped his sword. But there were no more threats, so he didn't bother to pick it up. A chuckle fell from his lips as he lay on the stone while shadows gathered around him.

"I'm the Master Magee of Lumar," he whispered in disbelief. He hadn't lost it. Not caring if someone might hear him, he said louder, "I'm the Master Magee of Lumar!"

His body was trembling from using so much magick having not used it in so long. But he could get used to this again. Touching the water, he let it slink across his arm, feeling his second element. Light and water. Meridie wouldn't stand a chance. He couldn't wait to get back and reclaim his position.

And see the look on her face! It tickled him to think about it that he burst out laughing until his stomach hurt.

Suddenly, Glint was staring into two yellow eyes, pupils dilated, ready to attack. His smile faded and he reached for his sword in his belt but realized he didn't return it to its sheath. Before he could sing, the Haunter bit his neck. A sudden sleep overwhelmed him. His tongue felt fat in his mouth. His throat clenched so he could only utter a whisper. But whispering a spell didn't work.

The Haunter's body wrapped around him and dragged him into the depths of the tunnel. Light faded and his eyelids were heavy.

He struggled against the poison and raked his mind for the right notes.

A spell of light. A spell...

But the lull seduced him, promising comfort. Beyond the vague silhouette of the Haunter, he thought he saw a green-haired woman in a green dress, staring at him through the ceiling.

A Thagarmian? he wondered, as sleep pulled him under, dragging him into unconsciousness.