As Carpenter sat in his private car awaiting the Sun to rise he recalled the memories that had just been awakened. He saw his Father and his trusted friend and teacher the wizard Felsar. He was happy to revisit these memories.

That evening Brother Sebastian appeared again just shortly after sunset. Carpenter invited him in and offered a libation of one of the bottles of cows blood that he carried. The Monk accepted and took a good long drink from the offered bottle.

"See, here is more evidence that someone helped you," he said as he admired the green bottle in his hand.

Carpenter looked confused.

"Do you think that you awoke with this knowledge? Someone had to tell you."

Soon Carpenter was once again placed in a hypnotic state and his mind was racing backwards in time. He saw himself being trained by the Captain of the guards on how to wield a sword, fire a crossbow and how to ride. He recalled paying some of the other guardsmen in gold coins so they would cross swords with him and not hold back as he believed the Captain did. He defeated them all.

His mind moved forward and he now saw himself as an adult. He had fought in a war to repel invaders from another kingdom much to the kings anger. The king's anger did not last when it was reported that his Son had proved himself to be a great warrior, leader and negotiator. There was a meeting of the two monarchs set up by him and soon a peace treaty was drawn and signed. 

To ensure that both kingdoms held to the treaty and as a gesture of good will the former enemy, King Thom, purposed a marriage between Prince Karl and his daughter, if the Prince was agreeable. Their first meeting held to the strictest royal protocol. That's where Prince Karl was introduced to Princess Lynette.

She was only a year younger Carpenter and her beauty was beyond compare. Her lady-in-waiting spoke to the Prince and let him know that the Princess liked to ride, hunt and sword fight. This information was for his ears alone lest her Father become angry at this breach in protocol. That was all it took and the Prince could not say yes to a marriage fast enough.

The fathers had another meeting held this time in King Thom's palace. At this meeting discussions of her dowry and plans for the wedding feast were addressed. Heralds and messages were sent far and wide carrying the news that Prince Karl was to marry Princess Lynette, soon the populations of both kingdoms were planning for the upcoming nuptials.

It would be a week before the wedding that a traveling gypsy caravan arrived outside the palace gates. The leader said his troupe would entertain the masses that showed up for the wedding and even offered a private showing for the King and his court if the King desired. Orders were given to admit the caravan into the courtyard and that evening the costumed troupe were admitted into the castle and escorted to the banquet room.

That evening the royal court were treated to magic, juggling, puppetry along with feats of strength. The King rewarded them with small bag of gold coins and invited them to sit and drink with them. They all took chairs while the servants filled their goblet with wine. 

"To your very good health," the head gypsy said to the King as he raised his goblet.

"Your performers look hungry. Do they wish to dine?" the King asked.

"Yes, it is almost dinner time."

Before the King could clap his hands and order food it happened. The painted faces of all the actors took on evil looks and mouths full of razor sharp pointed teeth were displayed and low growls issued from about a half dozen throats.

The King started to call out for his guards, but the words never got out. The lead female flew across the table and tore his throat out and then drank at the fountain of blood that the wound produced. The Queen managed to scream once before the lead actor attacked her and she suffered the same fate as her husband.

Her scream echoed throughout the castle and the guards were responding, all this happened in a matter of seconds. A second after seeing his Mother attacked Prince Karl was in his feet and drawing his sword, he managed to lop off the heads of a few of these monsters.

Suddenly he felt his sword being torn from his grip and he was in the arms of the beautiful actress that had killed his Father. She held him in a grip of iron and he was unable to escape.

"You've destroyed two of my followers, so you must take their place," she crooned.

The Prince spit in her face. Outraged at this response she buried her teeth into his neck and began to drink deeply. The guards burst through the door the troupe had barred and began to fire arrows.

"Flee my children," the actress shouted in a loud voice.

"Monsters, for attacking this kingdom you will all be destroyed," a voice echoed off the walls.

Prince Karl knew he was dying but managed to find the strength to look in the direction of the voice and saw t the wizard Felsar standing there holding a crucifix in one hand. He then charged forward yelling for the guards to cease fire and bar the door from the outside. The guards were terrified of the wizard more than these monsters so they did as he ordered.

Two of the actors charged the elderly man believing him to be an easy target only to discover that he was well equipped to handle them. Those that ventured too close were anointed with a liquid from a vial he had hidden in the folds of his robe that caused their flesh to burn and they screamed in anger and pain.

The screams did not last long because Felsar produced some wooden stakes and plunged them into their hearts and they creased to move or scream any longer. Soon only the male and female leaders were the only ones that remained and they chose to leap from a window rather than face the old wizard.

Felsar ordered the guards to fire flaming arrows at the wagons after removing the horses tethered to them, the old wagons went up like kindling and soon all that remained were the charred wagon bodies and their frames along with a few wooden trunks.

Carpenter remembered the old wizard leaning over him as the last of his blood ran out. He felt himself being lifted and when he opened his eyes for the last time he was stretched out on a long table in the wizards lair and Felsar was adding ingredients to a large stone mortar. Finally he felt his head being lifted and a foul tasting mixture was being poured down his throat.

His head was gently laid back down and the wizard gently brushed the hair out of Carpenters eyes.

"Rest now my Prince, I shall be here when you wake," were the last words Carpenter heard before the blackness overtook him...