“Enchanters have different specialties,” Callista said. “Mine is making masks. Each of these masks can work a changing that will transform you into whatever the mask represents. Take a look and see what masks interest you, but please don’t touch any of them yet.”
They spread out and started studying the walls like patrons in a gallery. The masks were all designed to fit humans. None looked very realistic. Some were just carved wood. Others were embellished by beads, stones, leather, paint, or feathers.
Cole could tell what most of the masks represented, although a few were too plain or vague. Most depicted animals. He saw birds of prey, bulls, bears, canines, felines, boars, alligators, apes, rams, sharks, horses, serpents, elk, and even some exotic animals like a walrus and a rhinoceros. There were also masks that looked like certain types of people, including clowns, knights, and maidens.
“Too many choices,” Dalton said, standing near Cole. “Flying would be cool.”
Cole gazed up at a nearby eagle mask. Or was it a hawk?
“How would you like being covered in feathers?” Cole asked.
“Would they be real feathers?” Dalton questioned. “Or wooden, like the mask?”
“I don’t know,” Cole said. “It would be strange to have a beak.”
“Good-bye, lips,” Dalton agreed.
“Any suggestions?” Jace asked loudly.
“Keep in mind that each mask depicts something you’ll become,” Callista said. “You’ll see differently, hear differently, move differently. Choose something that appeals to you. Don’t forget that you’re heading into battle and that you need to travel. With the mask on, you’ll enjoy a host of benefits. You won’t need rest. You won’t require food. You’ll have increased strength. And it will be virtually impossible for anyone to change you into something else.”
“Can we try some out?” Mira asked.
“It wouldn’t be wise to sample more than one,” Callista cautioned. “You can lose yourself in these masks. Each new mask you try significantly increases the risk of submerging your identity. Once you select a mask, you should go outside, put it on, and never touch another one.”
“We can forget who we are?” Dalton asked.
Callista nodded. “With the mask, you become yourself as a falcon, or a bear, or a knight. It’s then up to you whether you remain the falcon, or the bear, or the knight. Only you can remove the mask. If you choose to leave it on, you will live out your days in your new form. You would only last a few months. You’d burn bright and strong, and then you would be gone. It has happened before. I only lend these masks in times of great need.”
“What about if we wear one for a few days?” Twitch asked.
“You will cause no permanent damage, so long as you remove it in the end,” Callista said. “I would strongly discourage wearing one for more than a week.”
“I can’t help but feel drawn to the knight,” Honor said, pointing at a certain mask.
“Then it might be for you,” Callista said. She walked over to a support beam and squinted at it. “This wood is rotting. And there are traces of mildew. You see a room differently when you have guests. Suddenly all the imperfections you’ve learned to ignore leap out at you.”
“The room looks fine,” Skye said.
Callista waved her hands dismissively. “You can’t win against the damp. The worst of the mist stays out, but the humidity is unavoidable.”
“How do you keep the mist away?” Cole asked.
“I don’t,” Callista said. “There are empty pockets like this scattered about the deeper portions of Fog Lake. I claimed this one. The mist grifters use them as well.”
“Did you build this house?” Dalton asked.
“I had aid from members of the Red Guard,” Callista said. “Trillian has been generous. A couple of his Red Guard stayed here with me for years. Eventually, they passed away. I never asked for replacements, and he never sent any.”
“I like the bull,” Dalton said. “Seems like that would be tough in battle.”
“You’d definitely have some brute strength,” Cole agreed. “And you’ll be popular at rodeos.”
“Take down the mask you want,” Callista said. “Don’t put it on. Bring it out front and wait for me.”
Everyone began choosing masks. Skye took a bear. Jace picked a wolf. Mira selected a bighorn sheep. Twitch grabbed an eagle. After some deliberation, Cole walked away from an ape mask and claimed a mountain lion.
On his way out of the Hall of Masks, Cole felt a hand on his shoulder. “I need to speak with you for a moment,” Callista said.
She led Cole back into the room as the others departed. In a moment they were alone.
“Did I choose a bad one?” Cole asked, holding up the mask.
“No, the mountain lion is a fine choice for our current purposes,” Callista said. “I would have warned anyone who opted for something inconvenient. I want to discuss the power you wield. I have met many enchanters over the years, but your shaping power is the most uncommon I have sensed. Tell me about it.”
Cole explained about the time he made the Jumping Sword work. He went on to give examples of his subsequent failed attempts.
“I can’t solve this problem for you,” Callista said. “But I can offer some advice. The issue is not simply a matter of mental exertion or force of will. If you wanted that alligator mask over there, would you try to will it to come to you?”
“I’d go grab it,” Cole said.
“That’s right,” she said. “Your will would motivate you to take action, correct?”
“Yeah.”
“But your will alone would not suffice.”
“Right.”
“Your shaping talent is similar,” she said. “You were feeling strong emotions the first time you accidentally used your power. You thought the emotions were the key, but they may have masked what you really need to learn. You were so distracted by your panic that you failed to recognize the source of your power. You harnessed it accidentally, never understanding how you drew energy from yourself and infused it into your sword. Instead of replicating the successful act, you’ve focused too much on imitating the emotion of the moment.”
Cole closed his eyes and focused on himself, searching for a power source. He couldn’t sense anything unusual. “I don’t feel it.”