“No, Professor,” Aiden said angrily. “I know you did it because you were afraid, but you can’t just make the same mistake. I need your help!”
Professor Reivus looked at him uncertainly, almost stuttering in his dismay. “Aiden. I just…what if I give you wrong information or hold you back again? Since the Cataclysm, I’ve had so much taken from me. It feels like my head is in clouds so often. You think my bumbling and idiocy is an act? Well, only sometimes. Sometimes it’s real, my boy. Sometimes I don’t even recognize where I am or what I am doing.” He gently sat down on the crate next to Aiden and slumped in despair. “There’s never been a glimmer man who’s been as old as I am. I’m one of the oldest, so who knows if this is normal?”
Aiden put his arm around the old man and gave him a hug. It was frightening how frail he felt even knowing the old man was made from glimmer steel. “I just know I can’t do this without you, Professor. Besides, I don’t think all of your information would be useful. Like you said, what I am doing is new. I think I have to stumble along through some of it. But I’m not going to let you go hide in fear. We just got through freeing the Naiadens from five hundred years of fear. Let’s not start a new round with you. Okay?”
Aiden watched the Professor mull over his words for a long time before he patted Aiden’s leg in a fatherly way. “Okay, Aiden. Okay. We’ll give it another go, my boy. Thank you.”
Chapter 11
The next morning they were all gathered on the short pier next to the Gerevat. Aiden watched as Carol and Ohya Dihya approached to see them off. Aiden was sad the tall Exemplar was apparently not going to go with them. She had decided, since her five-hundred-year banishment had ended, to spend some time on the island before returning to Terek.
Still, as they came nearer they had troubled looks on their faces. Aiden nudged Ashrak, Gavin, and Chari as the Naiadens approached, nodding his head toward the unhappy leader of the group.
Ashrak blew out a breath and gave Aiden a look. “What did you do now, Orphan Boy?”
“What do you mean, what did I do?” Aiden said defensively. “And I’m not an orphan anymore.” Even Glowby was offended and buzzed through Ashrak’s head a few times to make his point.
Ashrak laughed, then elbowed him lightly. “You’ll always be Orphan Boy to me, Aiden. Really, though, what did you do? Did you catch the attention of some secret Naiaden cabal wanting to kidnap you for your toe hairs?”
Chari, seeing Ashrak elbow Aiden returned the favor and not nearly as gently. “Ashrak, you are still such a jerk. Just remember, this is all your fault for making that bet.”
“All my fault? What about Gavin. He was in on it, too.”
Chari just rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Yes, but I like Gavin. So it's all your fault. Now shut up and listen.”
They quieted and tried their best to blend into the background as Carol approached the Duke. Valeran had seen her coming and stopped his conversation with the ship’s captain. “What is it? Did something happen?”
Carol nodded before taking a deep breath. “Yes, or rather something is going to happen. I’m afraid some of our sources have conveyed some troubling information. Duke Feldar and Noropon have requested and received a call to hold the ducal council early.”
Valeran’s eyes narrowed and his mouth took on a grim countenance. “And just how early are they calling it? They need to give several months notice and I’ve not seen anything.”
“Three weeks and they requested it to be held in the Duchy of Riften. Apparently, it concerns your duchy. Or rather what one of your ships did to a trench serpent at one of your fairs? And the trial of one of your lords.” Carol paused, looking straight at Aiden as she said the last part.
“Three weeks!” the Duke cried out, throwing his hands up in the air. He quickly turned to Captain Grell, “How long would it take us to get to Riften?”
The old Captain cleared his throat, thinking for a moment but shook his head sadly. “I’m sorry, Your Grace, but it would take at least five weeks to get there in the best of weather and with no delays. This time of year, the weather should hold, but the Gerevat is a warship, not a courier.”
Valeran cursed loudly for several colorful phrases before catching sight of the younger people before reining himself in and turning back to Carol. “Dammit. We’ll not be able to get back to Terek. Can you send word to my wife we’re headed to Riften on the Gerevat? I hate to ask you, but you seem to have methods that are much faster than what is available to me.”
Carol nodded, not denying her capabilities. “She will know before the evening. I…cannot send such capabilities with you, Valeran. I hope you understand. If the Mourning Lords knew what we could do, it would go badly for us,” She paused, her eyes flickering toward Aiden once again. “At least until things become more developed and you can do such things yourself.”
The Duke nodded grimly but gave his own speculative glance toward Aiden before turning back to the tall matriarch. “I understand. You’ll have to reach out to Headmaster Bing as well since I won’t be back to Terek for however long this fiasco is going to take. I know he’ll be excited to help you get your university program up and running. It will be a miracle if I don’t lose the man outright.”
“We will do just that. We have our own ideas, of course, but I do want to make it a sister school with Breen. It will make things easier in the long run. Now, before you go I have one last gift, but this is for Professor Reivus. Can you give this to him?” Carol said, holding out a small box about the size of her palm. “Tell him to be in a quiet place when he opens it. He will know what it is.”
Valeran took it, nodding once toward Carol and Oya Dihya before turning toward the ship. “Come on boys and girls! Seems life isn't done throwing things at us. Best get your britches pulled up and your smiles on!”
The four friends followed the Duke and the Captain onto the ship while the crewmen cast off. The cove of Jiada’s Turning was naturally deep, and as they began to head out to the open sea, Aiden watched the slowly burgeoning town sitting against the brilliant green, yellow, and turquoise of the surrounding landscape fade into the distance. It was a beautiful, peaceful place and Aiden hoped one day they would be able to return.
“Oh, my! I think I left my glasses on the beach!” Professor Reivus sputtered, coming to settle against the railing next to Aiden as he looked back toward the town.
Aiden glanced over, and then shook his head. “Professor, you have them on your face. Don’t worry, you didn’t leave them.”
“Oh… OH! Oh, my yes. Well, that’s fortunate. I’m a terrible swimmer and I dare say Valeran wouldn’t have turned around for me if I’d tried to swim back. Not to mention the spine fish. Nasty buggers.”
“I think the Duke has something for you. Carol gave him something to give to you.”
“Why didn’t she give it to me herself?” the Professor asked, looking non-plussed.
“We had to leave quickly,” Gavin supplied as he came up alongside them. “The other Dukes have called a Ducal Council in Riften. In three weeks.” Gavin looked glum. “We’ll never make it in three weeks.”
Professor Reivus stared at the young lord for a long moment before looking troubled. “No, not normally.” He looked over at Aiden. “Perhaps we’ll think of something to help, eh? Between the two of us, we should be able to come up with something.”
Aiden nodded and watched as the Professor stumbled off to go find the Duke. He had a difficult time walking on normal land, so watching him attempt to cross a rolling deck always made Aiden wince. Despite always getting to where he was going, it was never without its precarious stumbling or bumping into things.
“This isn’t good is it, Gavin?” Aiden asked quietly, turning back to his friend.
Gavin paused for a moment but shook his head quickly. “No. No, it’s not good at all. They did this specifically when they knew Father would be here at Reid. Something is up and it most likely will be very dangerous. When they do something this fl
ashy and it’s obvious, it usually means it is even worse than normal. Sometimes I’d rather deal with pirates than politicians.”
Aiden and Gavin watched the precarious route the Professor took to get to the wheelhouse where the Duke was in intense discussion with the Captain. After a few moments, the old man hobbled out clutching the box Carol had sent for him but he had an odd, almost desperate look on his face. Strangely, he moved with more precision and grace as well as an oddly manic look on his face. The two boys just exchanged glances as they watched him disappear below decks.
“What was that about?” Chari asked, coming up alongside the boys with her eyebrow raised in the direction of the door Professor Reivus had taken.
“He got the box from Father. I must say he looked very…strange. Or was it just me?” Gavin said, frowning at where the man had disappeared.
Aiden and Chari both nodded before Aiden let out a big sigh. “The Professor and I talked about the shirts and swords before we left. I think your father was right, Gavin. He is afraid and a little out of his element. He tried to quit being my teacher, thinking he’d failed me. I think, for whatever else the Professor is, he’s not a fighter or adventurer. I think he’d like nothing better than to be a Professor and nothing else.”
Gavin shrugged, but Chari got a hard look in her eyes. “I think him not helping you would be a stupid thing to do but maybe you should learn something from that. You have to be careful, Aiden. They are right, which means the Professor might try to hold you back when you most need to go forward. My father always used to say if you’re not willing to risk some of your coins, then you will end up having none of them. Professor Reivus might be the type of man he was talking about.”
Aiden frowned and Gavin winced. “That’s a bit harsh, Chari, don’t you think? Aren’t you always telling me to think of others and not just throw them away?”
Chari shook her head. “Yes I am, because you don’t weigh things as well as you should and you don’t think about the consequences enough. But Professor Reivus is the opposite of that. He thinks too much. That can be just as dangerous. Gavin, if Aiden hadn’t disobeyed the Professor about armor and weapons, we’d all be dead and Aiden would be in the hands of the Scratchers. I don’t think the Naiadens would have come in time if we hadn’t held them at bay.” She paused, looking seriously at Aiden. “We were just lucky the Duke had told him to create things. What happens next time?”
Aiden stared into Chari’s beautiful silver eyes for a long moment, thinking hard about what she was saying. Glowby was bobbing lightly around her, highlighting her features with his gentle blue glow which gave Aiden the distinct impression Glowby agreed with her. Confusing, but important. Finally, he nodded. “You’re right, Chari. We have to be more proactive about this. I think we were lucky on the island but there is so much more about this gift than just making armor and swords. I mean I…I killed five Scratchers by pushing them into the Anderealm. What does that mean? Is it safe to take someone there or will I kill them if I try? I can’t just keep bumbling along. I need to be braver on figuring this out, and I am going to need all of your help.”
“What do you mean?” Gavin asked. “How can we help? We can’t do what you do Aiden.”
“But that’s the point, don’t you see?” Aiden said excitedly. “You don’t have to do what I do but why can’t you come up with ideas for me to try? Like Chari coming up with the idea for a boat that let us escape the pirates when we were kidnapped. The Professor agreed to let me try more things, but what? I need ideas of what to try or problems to solve. Help me come up with ideas.”
Chari and Gavin exchanged glances excitedly before nodding. “Like having something to help us get to Riften faster?” Gavin asked tentatively, obviously trying to think of things on the spot.
“That’s not a bad idea, Gavin,” Chari said softly. “There’s no reason to say we couldn’t make something that could help the ship? Push it or pull it somehow? What about this Anderealm, Aiden? It’s awfully strange to see you disappear, but you’ve said you can walk around in it. How fast can you go? Can you travel there and come out somewhere else?”
Aiden narrowed his eyes, watching Glowby get strangely excited and suspected Chari had hit upon something. He’d have to ask the Professor about it later, but for now his knowledge was limited. “I…do not know, but I have gotten to some places quickly. I’ve just never tried to guide my travel.”
“Maybe you should try it now?” Gavin suggested. “That would be something if you could. Can you get into locked rooms? Wait, didn’t you get into the Stone Room in the Hall of Stones? That is always locked.”
Aiden looked speculatively at Gavin. “I did, but it was a glimmer steel door. I did have to open it but it wasn’t locked when I tried. Do you think there is something different about things there? Like they are just a reflection? It’s hard to explain.”
“Let's see if you can go from one end of the ship to the other, then reappear,” Chari said, her eyes flashing brightly as she took control. “Aiden and I will go to your room, and Gavin, you go to the wheelhouse and lock the door. Let the Captain and your father know what we’re trying. They’ll be interested, too, I bet.”
Quickly the three friends separated with Chari leading Aiden down to their tiny room below decks. Aiden hadn’t practiced trying to enter the Anderealm too often due to the Professor’s former ban, but he would never forget how to do it, quickly settling himself on one of the bunks and closing his eyes. It still took him about ten minutes before he felt the strange, filmy barrier appear. He began pushing through it but the strange force trying to keep him in his world was easier and easier to overcome.
This time, he felt it happening with almost frightening ease. For a quick moment, he wondered if it had anything to do with the speed with which he’d pushed the Scratchers ahead of him not so long ago, and forced himself to slow down. Not only did he not want the headache that had accompanied the last time, but he was afraid it might have some other reaction similar to what had killed his unwitting enemies. He wasn’t sure but was glad he had slowed things down when he found himself slipping easily into the strange, otherworldly place with barely a whisper.
Slowly, he looked around and once again felt like he’d found himself on a ship that had recently been abandoned. Objects showed up here almost exactly as they appeared in the real world, but anything alive did not. It sent a shiver down his spine as he listened to only the faint, distant creak and movement of the ship, but no voices or footsteps to be heard. He found it odd when he looked at where he knew Chari had been sitting, there was a neat impression of her in the thin mattress, but no sign whatsoever of the girl herself. For a moment his hand twitched, wondering if the impression was still warm, but then the vision of Chari slapping him and chasing him around deck intruded and kept him from trying. Instead, he turned and faced the currently closed door, his first obstacle to seeking out Gavin.
The door had been closed, and he’d decided he would see what he had to do to make it open. It looked solid here if a bit shimmery. The Professor had told him there were, in fact, reflected copies of physical things both in the Anderealm and the real world. They weren’t exactly the same thing but were deeply connected. Since the Professor hadn’t allowed him to experiment, they hadn’t spoken much more about the qualities of this place. He realized he should have probably spoken to the Professor before trying out this experiment, but in their excitement, it had completely slipped his mind.
Making a face, Aiden reminded himself to take more care in the future. Now that the Professor was no longer against him trying new things, he had to get it out of his head that hiding things from the old man was okay. But he was here now. Slowly, he reached out and pushed against the latch of the door. They had locked it in the real world, but here it just clicked open as he pushed against it and the door swung easily.
Leaning down, he glanced at the lock but it didn’t look forced or broken. He’d have to take a closer look at the next lock before he to
uched it to see if anything looked off about it. The way to the deck was quick, and he made his way toward the wheelhouse and this time before he touched it, he bent down and examined it as best he could. It appeared locked, but he couldn’t really tell from outside so shrugged and opened the door as easily as the previous one. Stepping in, he looked back toward the map table and then had a conundrum. The small wheelhouse wasn’t large, and he knew there were at least four people in the room. What happened if he tried to reappear and someone was standing there?
Making a face, he decided he didn’t want to take the chance at finding out. He’d watched five Scratchers turned into charcoal not so long ago, and he really didn’t want that to happen to anyone he actually cared about. That meant there was only one place for him to stand he knew no one would be.
The Glimmer Steel Saga, Boxed Set, Books 1 - 4 Page 45