“Sure,” he says. “That stone construct you always used to use during our role playing games.”

“Oh, right,” he says. “How do you do it?”

“Just concentrate, think what I want to do, and it happens,” explains James. “That’s the basics though it is a little more complicated than that.”

“Can anyone do it?” he asks. “Could I?”

“Maybe, I don’t know,” he says. “Most of the people of this world can’t. You need a calm mind and concentration, I don’t know if you’ll be able to right now in the state you’re in.”

Holding out his hand, Dave concentrates on forming something similar to the glowing orb he saw James make. After several moments, nothing happens. Lowering his arm, he gazes to him with a frustrated look. “Can’t do it.”

“Maybe once you’re life has quieted down you’ll make it happen,” encourages James. He can see his friend’s disappointment at not being able to summon the orb.

“Maybe,” he says. “What else can you do?”

“A lot,” he replies. “Whatever I can imagine, provided I have enough power to do it, I can.”

For the next several hours, they sit and talk about this world, magic, and some of James’ experiences since coming here. He doesn’t mention the Fire or some of the other stranger occurrences he’s encountered, like spirits of dead priests and headless torsos.

After lunch, he takes Dave back to the workshop where they spend the rest of the afternoon just being together and talking of old times. It seems that reminiscing about the past brings him a better mood, or maybe it’s just being away from the others.

That night during the evening gathering, Dave seems a little more animated, as if his old self is once more trying to assert itself. A smile actually comes to him during one of Tersa’s songs.

Seeing his friend come alive more and more gives James encouragement that the devastation wrought upon him by his time as a slave may not be irreversible. On their way to bed after the evening winds down, he actually hears his friend humming one of Tersa’s songs to himself. He goes to sleep feeling much better about things than he had the night before.