A different child finds the wand.

“Wow!” Billy said, his voice low with awe and eyes wide. Standing up, his gaze continued to slide back and forth across the mahogany rod and the strange markings lighted etched into its surface.

“What’s that, squirt?” he heard from behind him.

With a grin, the six-year-old spun about and thrust the stick he had found in the grass towards his big brother, saying, “Look what I found! Isn’t it neat?”

“Sure is,” the nineteen-year-old grinned back, ruffling his little brother’s hair. His eyes quickly looked over the stick, narrowing slightly at the etchings. “But what it is?”

“It’s a stick, silly,” Billy giggled. “What else would it be?”

“May I?” his big brother asked.

“Sure,” the dark-haired youth said, holding out the wand and offering it to the college student.

“Thanks, William,” he smiled, gently lifting the rod from his brother’s hand. Lifting the rod closer, the teenager’s eyes narrowed sharply as he intently studied the markings.

“These might be runes,” he breathed softly, speaking to himself. “They don’t look like anything I’ve studied before. Perhaps… Hmmm. It might be a different derivation of Elder Futhark rather than the known runic developments. I just wish I could say.”

Abruptly, a flash of light filled his eyes, blinding him for a moment.

“How did you do that, Timothy?” the child asked, staring up into his brother’s wide-eyed face.

“I – I,” he stammered, trying to collect himself, awestruck at what had happened – at what he now knew. It – terrified him, the truth of how the runes on the wand had developed and what they implied.

“I don’t know,” Timothy told his little brother, pocketing the rod. “It – must have been an accident.”

“Can I try?”

“No,” he said sharply, taking his sibling by the hand and starting to walk towards the park entrance.

“But –“

“Not buts,” his big brother cut him off. “This is… I need to study it, okay? If it can be used safely and I figure out how, I’ll give it back to you.”

“Okay,” Billy said with a sigh, still miffed.

“Oh, and William?”

“Yes?” the youth brightened, his voice hopeful.

“This is between the two of us, okay? I’m asking you not to tell your mother or aunt.”

“I dunno,” his voice trailed away in worry. “Mom’s bound to ask what we did at the park today and I don’t like lying to her.”

“You don’t,” Timothy corrected him automatically. “Please try to speak well, at least around me, William. As for what to tell your mother, tell the truth.”

“Huh?” Billy’s dark eyebrows rose.

“You found an interesting stick and showed to me,” his big brother said. “That’s what happened. That’s the truth. As far as we know, it’s a stick. Leave it at that and let her make her own impressions.”

“I guess,” his voice fell once more.

I wish he’d go with it, Timothy thought, his right hand grasping the rod in his pocket and stroking the smooth surface with his thumb. A sudden flash burst out of the denim pocket of his jeans. Eyebrows high at the unexpected outburst, he glanced down at his little brother, his face cherubic and smiling again. I have to be careful with this, he swallowed nervously, looking around. Doesn’t look like anyone else saw the light, but, just in case… I wish no one but me could see the flash from the wand. Another flare, slightly dimmer than the first two, flew from his jeans pocket. Timothy frowned slightly. It must deplete in power if used too quickly, he guessed. Shrugging, he cubbyholed the thought away and, gently tightening his grip on his little brother’s hand and smiling down at him, said, “C’mon, let’s go home.