Something was poking at his consciousness, an awareness, perhaps, that there was a greater world out there, a realization that his having only looked out for himself his entire life had lead him to a deep loneliness. It was a realization that helping other people might be the best way to help himself, too. He realized it gave him some feeling of connection to the greater world without which he felt he would eventually shrivel up and die.

It was a purpose. That was it. Merk craved purpose the way a starving man craves food. Not the purpose of some other man who was hiring him, but a purpose of his own. It wasn’t a job he needed—it was meaning. What was meaning? He wondered. It was elusive, felt always just out of reach. And he hated things he could not easily put his finger on.

Merk looked up as he hiked through Whitewood, its stark white leaves shimmering in the late afternoon sun, the golden rays of an early sunset cutting through them and casting them in a beautiful light. This place was magical. A warm breeze blew, the weather finally turning, the rustling sound filling his ears, and as leaves fell from trees they showered down all around him. Merk forced himself to turn his thoughts back to his hike, his destination. The Tower of Ur.

Merk already saw himself as a Watcher, entering the sacred order, protecting the kingdom from trolls and anyone else who dared tried to steal the Sword of Fire. He knew it was a sacred duty, knew the fate of Escalon depended upon it, and he wanted nothing more than that sense of duty. He could not wait for his talents to be put to use for a good cause, not a selfish one. It was the highest order he could imagine.

Yet Merk was struck with sudden worry as a terrible thought crossed his mind like a shadow: what if they turned him away? He had heard the Watchers were a diverse group, made up of human warriors, like he, but also of another race, an ancient race, part human and part something else—famed for turning people away. He had no idea how they would react to his presence. What would they be like? he wondered. Would they accept him? And what if they did not?