"But that's not exactly what I mean," she continued, "I would love to record a documentary on you, personally. It would make my career, but what I'm talking about is to show the Soulguard in their everyday endeavors."

"You want to follow the Guard around and record it?" I asked.

"Exactly," she answered, "I want to show the world that you are human, and I want them to know you. If we do this right, the people of the world will want to be you."

I snorted as she said that.

"What?" she asked.

"No one with half a brain would want to be me. I don't even want to be me. If people saw me as I am, they would run away screaming. But this is what I am, for better or worse."

"This is part of what I'm talking about. You're a friggin hero. What would you want to be that could rival that?"

I looked at her for a moment, "A carpenter. Maybe build something instead of blow something up. I don't know."

She didn't have an answer for that.

"You go sell your pitch to the Archmage," I said. "If you convince her to let you follow us around, then that's what we'll do."

"And a documentary on you, personally?" she asked as she showed me the scene on the phone again. "Let the world know what makes a man do this."

"I'll have to think about that." I said, "I'll let you know."

"Where the hell is that girl?" I muttered as I crossed the Academy grounds. Today was the last day before we head to Kansas, and I wanted to see if she wanted to go for one last run through the mountains. But Lyrica was nowhere to be found.

I opened my inner eye and searched for her Soul. No luck, although I did see someone's Soul who may know where she was.

I headed toward the Dome where I could see Trent's Soul as he was working out inside the mountain. It never ceases to freak folks out that I can see through solid rock when it came to Souls.

I entered through the main entrance, and stopped right inside the door. I stood there for a few minutes while no one knew I was there. Most of the Guard tend to get all formal now when I'm around. I missed the ease I used to have with them. Some still acted as they did before, like Jacobs, Rictor, and the majority of the Knoxville guys that had gone to Kansas with me. But most of the others didn't have the same sense of ease that they did.

"...Soullord."

"...think that's him..."

"Thought he would be bigger..."

I almost laughed when I heard that one whispered. Most people don't realize how far I can hear them. The whispers made the rounds, and I could see the sense of tension rising in most of the Souls scattered through the Dome. Most of them were trainees, and over the last few years the Academy had been rife with rumors about me.

I made my way over to where Trent had just sheathed his swords. He, just as I do, uses his fighting weapon for his workouts unless he is sparring with other Guards. I feel it keeps one familiar with his weapons much more than a training blade.

"Hey, Boss," he said with a wide smile, "What's up?"

"I was looking for Lyrica," I returned. "She seems to have disappeared."

He shook his head sadly, "Teenagers, what can ya do?"

I chuckled and said, "I know she's not nearby. That stupid dog is laying out beside the Tree. If she was anywhere near, he'd be following her around."

"True enough," he said. "She and Mattie are in Missoula. It's kind of a secret, though."

"And they told you?"

"I am the soul of discretion. I'm like a fortress that holds all secrets in sacred trust..."

"Really?"

"Oh ok," He said, "she's been volunteering at the Hospital there for the last month. She's healing people."

I stood there with my mouth hanging open. It really hadn't even occurred to me. Just one more glaring example of the difference between the two of us. She takes her skills and goes where she can help others. I spend my time devising new ways to use my power to destroy.

"You ok, Boss?" he asked, "You're not mad at her are you?"

"Lord, no," I said, "I was just thinking how much difference there is in our approach to power. I wouldn't interfere with that for anything. As a matter of fact, I think I'll go to Paige and see if we can't help her out with her endeavor."

"I told 'em you wouldn't be upset about it."

"Not upset at all," I said. "Well, perhaps a little upset I didn't think of doing something similar. But that has nothing to do with it."

"You already have plenty on your plate, Col," he said, "No need to feel guilty because you're not her. You're doing what we need you to be doing. And honestly, I think she's doing what we need her to do too. The scope of this war that's coming is so much bigger than what the Guard is familiar with. It would be a great benefit to have a Healer out there with us."

"True enough," I said, "And it's something she would be well suited for."

Chapter 15.

I stood quietly in the shadows, out of sight of the two people standing in the Dome. Kharl and Kyra stood near the center of the open space, and Kyra was slowly working through the forms of the Dance.

I felt a stab of pity as the muscles in her right side seemed to lock up.

"It's just no good," she said, "I can't do it anymore."

"Honey," Kharl said as he placed his hands on her shoulders, "It's alright."

"I'm just not much use in a fight anymore," she said holding her right side. "Something just isn't right inside there anymore."

"You have to tell him," Kharl said. "He needs to know so he doesn't send you out in the middle of a mob of Demons."

"I know," she said, "But you know him. He'll think it was his fault and blame himself for it."

"True, but he still needs to know."

"Ok," she said and hugged him, "I'll tell him."

She was partially on target. It is my fault that she hadn't healed right. I didn't have a clue what I was doing at the time. It doesn't matter how fast a person can heal, or be healed, if the parts weren't in the right place beforehand. I know that if I hadn't done what I did, she would have died. But, if I had known more, I would have understood what else needed to be done.

I hoped that Lyrica would learn more than I had about where things were supposed to be before she heals much.

I eased back out to the door, and opened it loudly. When I walked around the corner I saw them both sitting a ways from the ring. They looked up and saw me. Both were happy to see me, but I could see the chaos of the deception in their auras as well.

"Hey guys," I said cheerfully, "I was just looking for you."

"What's up, Son?"

"I've figured out where I want you guys, and I know I'll be asking a lot of both of you," I began, seeing Kyra start to interrupt, "I need the new recruits trained by the best, and that means you."

She stopped herself. I hated to play them like this. She needed a place off of the front lines, and I know she didn't want to cause me pain with the knowledge that I hadn't healed her right. This would solve both of those issues.

"I need you, Mom," I said, "to take command of the training programs, here and in Kansas, when we get set up there. There's gonna be a great deal of recruiting going on now that we're free to proceed. You know the Guard well, and know who we need to place where to get the best out of our new troops. Will you do this for me? It would be a huge relief to know someone I trust, completely, is in that position."

She looked at me for a moment with a little suspicion rolling through her aura. She's not a bit slow. She knew what they had just been talking about, and coincidence is truly a rare thing.

"Yes," she said, "I'll do this. But there's something I need to tell you first."

I stepped forward, and hugged her with extra care not to put pressure on her right side, "I know, Mom. You can't hide something like that from a Soullord. I know things could have been better. I'm learning as fast as..."

"Son, you saved my life," she said and placed her hand on my cheek, "and that's enough."

"Thanks, Mom."

We were quiet for a moment and I turned back to Kharl. He had a small smile on his face, and I saw relief roll through his aura.

"I have an idea," I said with a grin. "After the demonstration for the Senators, I thought about something that would suit your fighting style."

"Experimenting again?" he asked with one eyebrow arched.

"Oh yeah," I said. "Take a look at this."

I backed a good distance away from him, and opened a portal on my stream. Then I lit up what I was doing so they could see what it was in detail. I had formed a shield that was fed by a tendril that was almost as big as my stream. Just enough was left to carry into myself the strength needed to push the shield.

"Holy shit," Kharl muttered. "That's gonna be awesome."

"That's what I was thinking," I returned. "What do you think a group of say, twenty or so powerful Mages with this sort of shield could do to a pile of Demons? Now that we're not in the caves, it seems to make sense."

What I had created was a shield of blades. They started at a point about fifteen feet in front of me. They spread out to the sides, and above me like some sort of multi-edged arrow head. The front was an edge that went from inches above the ground to ten feet over my head. The blades ran back at an angle. This would destroy a group of closely packed Demons.

"A strong Mage pushing that would be unstoppable" he said, "A literal juggernaut."

"That was my thought," I said. "I want you to get that group of Mages together and work on it. If you guys come up with a better design than the one I have, by all means, we'll use it. This one is just a prototype, of sorts."

He rubbed his huge hands together, "This is gonna be great."

"He's got a new toy," she looked at me in disgust. "I'll not see him for a damn week now."

"That's a bad thing?"

She chuckled and answered, "Now that you mention it..."

"Isn't your plane about to leave?" Paige asked as I walked into her office, "It will set a terrible example if the Warmaster is late for the war."

I laughed and said, "They won't start without me will they?"

"Never can tell with those crazy Guards," she answered. "What can I do for you, Colin?"

"It's something involving Lyrica," I said. "She seems determined to be a healer. She's spent a lot of time in Missoula at the hospital, and I want to do something to help her out. There's a doctor we've used several times named Pickney. I want to put him on the payroll permanently, and have him work with her. I want her to know how to put people back together, and he can help her a great deal."

"I think that's a wonderful idea," she said. "I'll send for him immediately. But I need to know where to send him. Here or Kansas. Where will our little healer be?"

"Here until the defenses are in place, just like the trainees and trainers. Once we get set up they can all be brought down there. By then, we'll need the space if things go right. I'm really hoping the recruit levels keep growing. We need as many Soulguards as we can get."

"This is true," she said. "The story Alstead did was a great boost. I was surprised that she did what she said she would do and didn't try to hurt us."

"I looked into her Soul, Paige," I said. "She has a good deal of integrity, something sorely lacking in the majority of journalists these days."

"So what do you think about her request to work with us on a semi-permanent basis?" she asked.

"I think she can help us a great deal," I answered. "If she keeps the integrity she has shown so far."

"Good, I was about to approve the request, and I wanted to hear your views on it first," she said. "Have you thought about the story she wants to do on you?"

"I'm not sure that it will do anyone any good," I said. "If I see a benefit for the Guard in that, then I'll let her. But I'm not sure it would be in our best interests for the world to see me too closely. You know what lurks inside of me."

She looked at me for a moment, "There's more than that inside of you, Colin. If that was all there was, you wouldn't be where you are at this moment."

"Maybe so, but if they get too close, they may see much more than they want to."

"It is your choice," she said. "I, for one, think there is much more good that would be seen than the darkness. But that's just my opinion. On another subject, what do you want done with the ex-Senator?"

"I need him sent to Kansas," I said, "Where I can keep an eye on him. But I need a few weeks to get some facilities built, first. If you see anyone acting funny around him, you call me. And you stay the hell away from that bastard. You know what chaos Worthington caused with much the same type of skills as this man."

"The same type of thing you can do, as well. Be very careful with that particular set of skills, Colin. It would be so easy to use it badly."

"Very true, I spend a great deal of time worrying about what I'm fated to become. So far, everyone who we've found with the Blood is evil as hell."

"If what Heltor has said is true, they had evil beginnings," she said. "You started with the opposite. You'll never become like them. It is an impossibility."

"I hope I can live up to that," I said as I stood to exit the room. She was right, I did have a plane waiting for me, and I needed to go.

"Georgia has Pickney's contact information. I'll see you in a few weeks, when you get down there."