Exploring the flora and fauna of the alien forest (and there was a lot to see there) turned out to be an extremely exciting activity. Together with Mez'A'Shib, they examined the strange trees and animals (if they didn't hide when they approached), and in just an hour they found about five crystals and a couple of mosaic fragments. At the same time, the drow carefully examined the plants (especially those that were rare and had an unusual shape or color), constantly checking the kobold's list. I should have taken it with me, Tim thought wistfully, but then I would have needed some kind of bag for collecting (oh, it's a pity that no one around here has invented plastic bags yet!). Mez'A'Shib solved the problem simply by getting a piece of cloth somewhere and wrapping his findings in it. It's more difficult with insects: you can't just put them in your pocket, they need to be delivered to the lab alive and preferably not too crumpled. You need jars with lids, but where can you get them? But even without all this, just wandering through the forest was great! After all, Tim had never been in a real dense forest, only in clean, well-kept parks that even an inveterate optimist would not call "wild nature". And here, in addition, there are so many interesting things! And he once again regretted that he had not thought to take his mobile phone with him.

  Because of all this, he literally had to force himself to go back up the mountain. Mez'A'Shib was sympathetic to Tim's desire to try to master at least one spell.

  "Go ahead! At worst, pass it off as your magical gift. Back then, in the dining room, I barely managed to stop Naar-Tam, otherwise he would have blabbed about our expedition to the dungeon. I never thought that the Peirots were so talkative!"

  "They are too cheerful to think before they speak. However, I would not exclude Naar-Tam from our company because of this."

  "Neither would I. At least, you definitely shouldn't expect any trickery from him."

  It was impossible not to agree with this, and Tim hurried to his room. He had already managed to pick out a spell for training – 'Sparks of Flame', the easiest to master. There was also a purely practical aspect – what if it would be useful to light a fire?

  As described in the 'pop-up book', if the attempt was successful, several sparks would appear, the number of which would depend on the strength of the caster. This meant that the tests should be conducted away from things that could catch fire.

  Having said “xeroblinz exlelloto”, Tim pressed the button, but nothing happened. Of course, it would be nice if it worked the first time, but he didn’t count on miracles. What if he tried to 'eat' a ball? For some reason, Aerg didn’t advise getting carried away with it, but it was unlikely that he would get sick from just one crystal. In any case, he had to try – if he was afraid of everything, then he definitely had nothing to do here. It was a pity that among his finds today there was not a single red crystal. But maybe a yellow one would do?

  Putting the ball on his palm, after some hesitation, Tim said “eflirg toakt” and touched it with the tip of his wand. A flame flared up inside the ball, and it melted, spreading into a puddle, which was almost instantly absorbed into the skin. There was no sensation of heat, rather a pleasant coolness. It was a pity that it was impossible to find out how much his magical power had increased. Probably not very significantly, since the spell didn't want to work again. What if one more ball? Oh no, nobody guarantees the result and another crystal may be also lost in vain. It means only meditation can help him.

  Having glanced through the relevant manual once more, he chose a pose – sitting on the floor, his back resting against the wall, his legs tucked under him, his hands on his knees. In addition, he had to silently repeat the word 'ishhou' until he got tired of it. Most likely, this would happen very soon – he had never been able to remain motionless for a long time. But some later it may be repeated: no one said the effect can be achieved only after staying in the pose from morning to evening.

  Having assumed the necessary pose, Tim closed his eyes in resignation and began to mentally repeat the necessary word. 'Ishhou, ishhou, ishhou…' echoed somewhere inside, bringing on a drowsy melancholy. An unexpected gust of wind, penetrating the room through the open window, pleasantly cooled his overheated head, and at the same time brought back memories. The park, where they loved to walk with the whole family on weekends, a trip to the sea last summer, the local Disneyland, where they were once taken with their parents as a class, the faces of classmates and teachers – those earthly ones, who had become habitual over several years of study. And here is their house with a garden plot – when she was not busy at work, his mother loved to dig around there, taking care of apple trees and decorative flowers. But now it looked completely abandoned, as if no one had touched the plants for a month - the flowers had withered without watering and everything, even the paths, were overgrown with weeds. The door to the house was ajar and creaked pitifully in the wind. Chilled by the premonition of trouble, he quickly opened it and looked inside. The living room was a real mess - the table was overturned, the upholstery of the chairs was ripped in several places. No better in his parents' room - the bed was dented, next to it on the floor there was a pile of clothes from the wardrobe. It was better not to go into the kitchen at all - shards of a china set, a gift for one of the wedding anniversaries, littered the entire floor. Could it be that a major family quarrel had occurred in his absence? However, his parents never sorted things out like that, at most a conversation in raised tones, quickly ending in reconciliation. And everywhere there was a thick layer of dust. Had they really decided to split up and leave this place forever? No, that couldn't be, they wouldn't leave him alone! Something terrible had happened here, but what exactly? And why? Perhaps he would find the answer in his own room? With difficulty calming his wildly pounding heart, he crossed its threshold. The broken TV screen, the insides of the computer system unit turned outward, and the bed drenched in some greenish-brown liquid were no longer particularly surprising, but they still did not clarify the situation. What if a gang of robbers had broken in here, turning everything upside down in search of loot, and his parents had been kidnapped? No, not killed, they could not die, this simply could not be!! Feeling for his mobile phone in his pocket, with a hand shaking with excitement, he dialed 911. Crimson-red numbers lit up on the screen, but instead of a call beep, there was a distant ringing of a funeral bell. And then, instantly heating up white-hot, the phone blackened and charred, turning into a handful of ash. He needed to run from here, find one of the neighbors, let them call! But it was too late – the front door slammed shut with a loud crash, cutting off the escape route, and it became very dark inside the house…

  Tim opened his eyes with a start. What luck, it was just a dream! But how did he manage to fall asleep in such an uncomfortable position? They say when one is very tired one can fall asleep even standing up, but he had not done anything to fall off his feet from fatigue! Probably the effect of meditation - he had never done it before, and surprises could well be expected. It's dark outside - but it's just a cloud blocking the sun. Although it's already evening, and it will soon become truly dark. And what was he afraid of anyway? Strange, and sometimes not entirely pleasant, dreams had visited him before.

  It is interesting how much his magical power had increased, Tim's thoughts had taken a different direction. Or should he meditate a little more, trying not to fall asleep? After all, a meditation session can be interrupted at any time - if you suddenly feel that you are starting to fall asleep.

  But no matter how hard he tried, he could not avoid it.

  This time he was wandering through the forest – the same one he had explored with Mez'A'Shib a couple of hours ago. However, the drow was no longer there – he had probably fallen behind, carried away by collecting plants. And the further he went, the more obvious the changes were that were happening to the forest – the trees had become twisted and mossy, with clumps of mud hanging from them instead of leaves. The cheerfully chirping birds had disappeared somewhere, their place taken by sullen black birds with curved beaks and ruby-red eyes. Instead of the softly springy grass cover under his feet, he now had to walk through disgustingly squelching mud. And how had he managed to wander into the swamp? It was all because of the gray fog that had enveloped the forest – through it he could not see the outlines of the rocks that served as landmarks, only what was nearby. As a result, wherever you look, there is the same bleak landscape. But then a light flashed ahead - not a fire, more like a lantern.

  Had someone really gone looking for him? If they found him here, punishment would be inevitable, but it was better than wandering endlessly through the vile swamp. Having decided so, Tim ran towards the light, although it was not easy: his feet sank deeper and deeper into the quagmire. Finally, he managed to get almost right up to it, but only to discover with horror that it was not a lantern at all! A human skull was impaled on a stake driven into the ground, and an oily yellowish light streamed from its empty eye sockets. Backing away, Tim tripped over a snag and fell with all his might into a fetid puddle. A mocking laughter was heard behind him, and even the skull rattled in time, jumping on the stake. Well, no, they would not take him for free! Anger helped to overcome fear, and, rising, he straightened up to his full height, accepting the challenge. Very conveniently, his trusty wand was in his right hand.

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  "Benzir alm eghurd!"

  A whirlwind of blinding white lights rushed towards the skull, literally exploding it from the inside. And silence and darkness fell on the clearing, in the center of which was the stake.

  "Not a bad try for such a nonentity as you," a mocking voice was heard, it seemed, from all sides. Tim looked around, ready to meet the enemy face to face, but there was no one nearby. However, a couple of seconds later, the outlines of strange creatures appeared through the fog, reminiscent of monitor lizards standing on their hind legs. But much more terrible: with milky-white skin, covered with sparse wool of scarlet color - as if blood was flowing from numerous wounds. In addition, armed with glass daggers - the mere thought of how sharp cold glass cuts through the stomach made him shudder. The eyes of the creatures glowed with triumphant malice, as if in anticipation of the moment when they could skin him and roast him over a fire. Or simply eat him raw. None of these options suited him. So he would have to remember the lessons of Master Saag-Kof.

  "Burstan fehtrago dezrisst!"

  Tongues of flame burst out from under the ground, surrounding him with a fiery ring and slightly scorching those who managed to get closer. Growling angrily, the 'monitor lizards' dissolved into the fog. Perhaps they retreated to a safe distance and hid, waiting for the spell to end and the flame to go out on its own.

  "Another point in your piggy bank," the voice continued to mock. "You amused me a little. It will be all the more interesting to play with you a little: there is no pleasure in dealing with sheep obediently waiting for the moment when they will be led to the sacrificial altar. But keep in mind: a fly caught in a web can flutter as much as it wants, the spider will still get to it. A cat also does not always eat a mouse it catches right away, but the end will be the same."

  "If the fly is strong enough, it will tear the web and fly away. And the mouse will bite the cat at the end."

  "Well, flutter about, if you want. Although that will only prolong your torment."

  The already dark sky became even blacker – it was filled with leaden clouds that fell to the ground in a torrential rain, extinguishing the fire and soaking him from head to toe. And then a piercing wind blew, becoming colder with each passing second. Wet clothes stuck to the body, burning him with cold and gradually hardening. And soon a real snowfall began, and there were no other colors left in the world except white. And only one thought: to find a place where it was warm and dry, and the faster the better, while he was still able to move. But which way to go? Snowy haze surrounded him on all sides, it was already difficult to make out anything at arm's length. Losing hope, with blue lips he hoarsely shouted three times "Help!", but there was no response. He must have time to cast a spell... but which one? And although not a single word was spoken, the wand began to glow, and the warmth emanating from it drove away the feeling of turning into an ice statue. The runes carved on it glowed especially brightly, and at some point they formed an inscription:

  "You must find the Oracle"

  Then the letters blurred, forming a new inscription, but it was no longer possible to read it - a huge snowball hit him right in the forehead, knocking him down and turning off consciousness.

  Waking up, Tim was amazed to find himself lying on the floor, the door of his own room wide open, and Selkise next to him, hastily pulling her hand away.

  "Excuse me, I just touched your forehead. It's so hot! What if you're sick? Let me take you to the medical aid station!"

  "No need," Tim jumped to his feet. "I was just meditating and, it seems, fell asleep. And I'm not sick, it's just that you, yusmes, have a lower body temperature than us, that's why I seemed hot. Don't worry, I'm fine!"

  The last thing he needed was some girl fussing over him like a mother hen over her chick!

  "Excuse me, please," Selkise was embarrassed. "I thought you were unwell. When someone is lying on the floor unconscious, it’s unlikely that it’s because they like it that way. That’s why I couldn’t just pass by."

  "Wait! How did you manage to open the door?"

  "No way. It was open."

  "But when I started meditating, it was definitely closed! Would I really start such an important task in front of everyone?"

  "In some situations, the door opens without the owner’s order. For example, when you call for help."

  "But I didn’t do that!"

  "It's enough to call upon in your thoughts. And, as far as I now understand, it works even if you're unconscious. Very reasonable, by the way: after all, when the door is closed, no one will even know that something bad has happened to you. Yes, after a certain amount of time, they'll miss you and open the door, but it may turn out that there's no one left to save."

  This was said with a hint of resentment, and Tim felt a pang of conscience.

  "Okay, sorry, I myself didn't expect such a turn of events. I would never have thought that in such an uncomfortable pose one can fall asleep. It’s not the technique of meditation but the technique of self-lulling!"

  "Don't worry: with a little practice, you will learn to control your mind, detaching yourself from what is happening around you, but without losing consciousness. We are taught this from early childhood - almost immediately after the baby learns to walk and talk. However, as I noticed, your sleep was very restless."

  "Why do you think so? Are empaths really able to penetrate even other people's dreams?"

  "No, everything is much simpler: during your sleep, you made movements as if you were fighting off someone, and then tried to run away."

  "Yes, indeed, the dream was not a pleasant one," Tim mumbled, not wanting to go into details. "Now, before a meditation session, I have to deal with the inner fear of its repetition."

  "Then it is better to tune in to positive emotions in advance. For example, think about an event that will definitely end in success. Or remember something pleasant from your life before the school."

  The mention of 'life before' brought back memories of the first dream. Had something unpleasant really happened at home? Although no, what could have happened there, only three days had passed! They say that there are prophetic dreams, when a person sees events that are supposed to happen in the future, but he personally had never seen such dreams. Probably the only exception was the dream on his last night on Earth, although he had not yet met a bird with rainbow plumage, especially one capable of supporting his weight. Usually these were surreal combinations of things he had already seen, heard or experienced. Although it would be nice to wield magic as masterfully as in the second dream. But without the gloomy swamps, freezing rains and snowfalls, and especially strange creatures with glass daggers.

  "There are no roses without thorns," that same voice whispered sarcastically in his ear.

  Tim flinched in surprise.

  "Are you sure you're okay?" Selkise became worried again. "By the way, you can go to the medical aid station even at night, no one will punish you for it."

  "An interesting idea, actually! If they grab you by the scruff of the neck, you can easily say that you were heading for medical care, but went the wrong way!"

  "How stupid you boys are! They'll simply take you there, and when it turns out that you're healthy, they'll prescribe you 'not-liar' in very large doses. After that, you won't be able to say anything but the truth."

  "Fortunately, there is no such drug!"

  "Are you sure?"

  And really, he may be forced to drink some alchemical muck that loosens the tongue. 'Truth serum' was invented on Earth without any magic. Almost certainly there are also spells under the influence of which, even if you want to lie, you won’t be able to.

  "Okay, you win. It had to think of something more convincing."

  "Can't you just not break the Code?"

  "Then life will become completely boring. What's the point of being goody-goody? You won't be living for yourself, you'll be living for someone else, why do I need that?"

  "We'll see what you say when you grow up."

  "As if you're an adult to talk like that! You don't need to raise me!"

  "I wasn't even going to," Selkise grinned. "However, to be completely sure that everything is okay with you, give me your hand."

  "Why?"

  "You'll see. And try to be serious."

  Surprised, Tim obediently extended his palm to her, which Selkise covered with hers. The minute while their palms were touching passed in silence.

  "It seems there is no reason to worry," having announced the verdict, she broke the contact of their bodies. "However, the sensations are very unusual (Tim himself did not feel anything except the coolness emanating from her skin). It is quite possible that you are also an empath, but not yet aware of yourself."

  "Cool! Will I really be able to learn to read other people's thoughts?"

  "Don't talk nonsense. And anyway, empathy can't be learned in principle. If you don't have it, no amount of training will help."

  "Just like a magical gift."

  "Something like that. Although mine is different - Sorrow. Or, in other words, Depression. For those who fall under its influence, life will seem dark. They'll get discouraged, and they'll be in a bad mood."

  "Wow! You've got combat skill!"

  "Protective, rather. Or disarming, depending on how you look at it. Actually, compared to the gift of some of our classmates, especially the drowes, it's a trifle. Did you know, for example, that Kakh'I'Geg can reanimate a corpse? And Nhel'Yu'Min can use Pain?"

  Tim was glad to change the topic - the last thing he needed was questions about his own gift. And talking about the drowes - always welcome. However, after exchanging a few more phrases, Selkise ended the conversation.

  "It's late, it's time for you and me to sleep. And I advise you to spend this night in bed, and not wandering around the tunnels with the risk of getting into big trouble. Otherwise, you'll have even worse dreams later."

  "Whatever you say, Commander!"

  "You are silly boy! Well, see you at the Twilight Magic class!"

  And she left. Tim stared dumbly after her for a minute before he closed the door. Why was he so childish, really? Selkise seemed quite sincere about trying to take care of him. Not as a mother, more like as an elder sister. He didn't have any brothers or sisters, so he had nothing to compare it to.

  Then he picked up the wand lying on the floor and examined it carefully. No, it hadn't changed - the symbols carved on it remained dim and barely noticeable. And, of course, illegible. He needs to find someone, but whom? Oh, nothing, it's better not to strain his brain for any kind of dream! It's better to check if there was any sense in today's meditation.

  "Xeroblinz exlelloto!"

  The tip of his wand flashed for a moment, and two sparks flew off it. They went out before they reached the floor, but that didn't matter anymore.

  He did it. So, not all was lost yet.

  Although the wand continued to stay cool and dim, no inscriptions appeared on it.