Basco returned to the study holding a small chest under his right arm. He frowned when he noticed the empty chair where Jarek had been sitting.

  “Lost your mentor, I see,” he said.

  Satchel shrugged.

  “Bah, he has no sense for a good story.”

  He approached the table and set the box down. On the outside, it looked like a plain, dirt-brown wooden box. Then Basco opened it. Resting on a red satin cushion in the middle of the chest was a small black bag made of a strange material that seemed to glimmer as it moved. Basco opened the bag and pulled out a smooth obsidian stone sphere about the size of a large apple.

  “It’s called a Memory Sphere,” said Basco.

  “What does it do?” asked Satchel.

  “It’s a strange phenomenon discovered by alchemists ages ago. The proper name of the material it’s made of is silica navitas. It’s quite rare and has the curious ability to store lightning.”

  “Lightning?”

  Basco launched into ahis explanation, hands waving as he spoke. “The silica navitas attracts, absorbs, and stores electricity. It will even draw upon the electrical energy within the human body. Early alchemists found through trial and error that they were able to manipulate this energy. They learned that you couldn’t carry it around during a storm, especially not outside. The attraction is so strong that lightning will strike the stone even if it’s in a person’s pocket. The combined energy of the lightning and that within the human body causes the stone to explode.”

  Satchel gulped.

  Basco continued, “That’s why I always keep it in this protective bag. It’s made of a special material that interferes with the attraction. During their studies, the alchemists also found that if they shaped the material a certain way, it took on different properties and reacted with the body in different ways. For example, when shaped like a thin plate or lens, it allows the user to see magical auras around objects and people. Some even claim that they can read these auras around a person and know how they feel. I don’t put much stock in that myself. In the case of a sphere such as this, when touched by bare skin the lightning reacts with our minds and projects our consciousness within our memories.”

  Satchel’s eyes were wide in fascination. “Won’t the lightning hurt your head?”

  Basco waved a hand. “The only side effect is a slight headache, and that fades quickly. What’s more amazing is that it also allows others to enter a person’s memories. It creates a link between the minds of the two people touching the stone. If one knows how to use it properly, they can travel to any part of the other person’s mind. In our case, it means that I can show you exactly how I took care of Do’Grum.”

  Satchel gave Basco an uneasy look. “I’m not sure I like the idea.”

  “And here I thought you were the adventurous type. I promise not to look into any part of your mind. On my honor.”

  Satchel still felt uncertain. “What do I do?” he asked.

  “Wait for me to touch the sphere, and then you do the same. I’ll take care of the rest.”

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Basco reached out and cupped his right palm over the side of the obsidian sphere. As soon as his fingers reached it, a light flickered within the orb. Basco’s eye closed. Satchel hesitated, but his desire and fascination overcame whatever fear he had. He grasped the opposite side of the sphere in the same manner as Basco. His palm burned for a moment as his skin met the stone. Then, in an instant, everything went black.

  The blackness faded, but only a little. The air around him was cool and damp. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he found himself in a tunnel made of rock. A noise from behind startled him. He spun ‘round to face it. Less than twenty paces away stood an ogre. It cocked its head to one side, sniffed and started toward him. Satchel turned to run when a hand grabbed his shoulder and pulled him to one side.

  He struggled to break free when Basco’s voice said, “It’s all right, Satchel. It’s me.”

  The young thief stopped and turned his head. “That thing’s going to get us,” he said in a hurried whisper.

  “No, it won’t. These are memories, remember? Watch.”

  Basco released his grip on Satchel and stood right in the path of the ogre. To Satchel’s surprise, the ogre walked straight through Basco, as if he were vapor.

  “You see?” said the one-eyed man. “Nothing in here will affect us.”

  “Then why do I feel cold and wet?”

  “Because you’re sensing the same things that I did back then. In reality, you’re not cold and wet.” He stepped forward and waved for Satchel to follow. “Now, follow me. The story starts down this way.”

  Basco led Satchel in the direction of the ogre. They soon reached a large chamber lit by torches mounted on the walls. The chamber looked to be a hub of sorts with passages leading away in all directions. Ogres milled about, each walking with a look of perpetual stupor. Two of them carrying clubs and a knife guarded an opening that led downward.

  Basco said, “I’ve brought you to the point right before we spotted Do’Grum. He should show up here at any moment. Ah! There he is.”

  The ugly visage the chief ogre, appeared in a tunnel across the other side of the chamber. He stood a head shorter than the other ogres and carried himself more like a human rather than his lumbering brethren.

  Do’Grum crossed the room approached the two guards next to the opening and said in a guttural voice, “Wake up, ya gits.”

  The guards cocked their heads to the side, as though the statement confused them. Do’Grumm shook his head and muttered under his breath as passed between them and disappeared into the tunnel. The sound of light footsteps caught Satchel’s attention. Two figures moved among the shadows and took cover behind a nearby boulder.

  “Here we are,” said Basco. “Give it a moment.”

  The ogres continued to mill about the chamber for another minute or two. Most of them eventually left the room, leaving only the two guards remaining. A rock flew out from where the two figures hid and struck the floor of the cave on the opposite end of the chamber. The two guards turned their attention to the noise. With the ogres distracted, the hidden figures moved into the light. Satchel saw a younger, thinner version of Basco who still had both eyes. The younger Basco and his partner, Merton, silently stole across the room and made for the opening. They each targeted an ogre, leaped into the air, and drove a pickaxe into the back of the ogres’ skulls. Dark green blood poured out from the wounds and both ogres fell over dead.

  Satchel gasped and placed a hand over his mouth. The mercenaries then relieved the knives from their former owners and went through the opening.

  “Let’s go,” said the older Basco.

  Satchel swallowed and tried not to look at the ogre’s bodies as they went past. The pace of the two men was swift and silent as the tunnel plunged downward for what seemed like forever. Finally, they came to an opening and slowed as they approached.

  What they saw as they crossed into a large chamber made Satchel’s jaw drop. Treasure. Mountains of gold coins, emeralds, and rubies, boxes of priceless jewels, and swords fit for kings and emperors all piled haphazardly. Even if he lived a hundred years, he could never have picked that much loot from the merchants of Ire. The young Basco and Merton stared awestruck at the heap.

  Gruff shouts from somewhere in the cave drew their attention. At first, Satchel thought they had been discovered but soon realized that it wasn’t directed at the two mercenaries. Basco and Merton stayed low and snuck around the treasure horde Without making a sound, they made for a narrow passage on the other side of the treasure room.

  The farther along they went, the louder and more distinct the voices became. They crossed the threshold of the narrow passage into a small chamber and there, standing in front of a small pool, was Do’Grum.