T.H.o.E.: Part 2 of 3

    Can someone with authority please talk to Winter and let them know that it really is time for Spring and the cold weather needs to be moving on? I'm all for less mosquitoes, but this is getting ridiculous. (I'm whining because I could see my breath while dropping of my oldest at school this morning.)

    So... I have my next novel coming out at the end of this month. (Insert an excited little squeal here.) Dragons and Rangers and caves, oh my! Ever wondered what the world would be like if dragons were only recently extinct? How about if half-breeds with humans were still around? What about if you didn't know that you were a half-breed...? Tracon will be released on June 29!

2. Lives of Importance

          The single grain of sand remained the sole occupant of the lower half of the glass.
          By the time Change and Chaos stopped bickering, Present had a migraine, Past was snoring with his head on the table, and Future had gone to wander among the shadows of the room. Chaos emerged with four of the dozen, Change with eight. It was an unusual balance for the three periodical Fates. They were used to Chaos only getting one or two.
          "Are you done now?" Present drawled as she rubbed her temples, her annoyance blatant. Chaos made a face, nodded once, and slouched back in his chair. He made no attempt to hide his smugness.
          "I guess," Change shifted four times before finally answering with a defeated tone.
          Future drifted back to the table. She woke up Past with a gentle nudge once she was seated, then rested her elbows on the table so she could resume staring off into nothing through her blind eyes. The sand began to fall one grain at a time to the lower half of the glass, still at an achingly slow pace for Present.
          "Now," Present continued the meeting. "Show the Why of these chosen lives."
          Future smiled. She truly loved this part.
          Eleven of the twelve lives were set in motion, their individual Why reveled to the other four Fates through their actions. The twelfth life remained motionless.
          Upon the eleven conclusions that must be set for the world to continue, the Fates turned to Future to play the last. She appeared to be back in la-la land already. Chaos snapped his fingers at her.
          "Hello-oo?" he taunted. "Anybody there?"
          Future's blind eyes locked sharply onto Chaos for a split second then slid away, back to stare at the shadows. It was enough of a look to silence Chaos for once.
          Present resumed rubbing her temples – which she had stopped doing so she could observe the courses of the chosen lives. Past merely watched Future for a long moment.
          "It has been many ages since you have not revealed the course of a life of importance," he finally said.
          Future nodded. "This life has too many courses to show. The actions that may or may not occur will determine the course of all lives."
          Change kicked at the table this time, shifting and wiggling haughtily. Chaos whistled appreciatively. He'd never had a life of that level under his control – or lack of – before.
          "Will the knowledge of the ages help this life to aid all others?" Past asked.
          "Education will come only during the single span of this life, and be only of this single span. Instinct will be the main teacher of this life, and Chaos holds all of us at bay from interference. That will be held from what was already decided."
          Present closed her eyes and continued to rub at her temples. It seemed to be starting to help. She contemplated Future's response for what could have been another age. When she opened her eyes again, her migraine was gone and almost all the sand rested in the bottom of the hourglass.
          "Will a knowledge of current times aid this life in its course?"
          Future roused herself from the dream she had gone into. "Current times will be all that is known to this life. It is up to Chaos to provide the extent of that knowledge."