Brock had not seen this side of Benny before. There was some fight in the quirky guy.
“Don’t we need two more in order to have a team, Benny?” Cameron asked.
As Benny glanced up at Cam, he stumbled over his own feet and almost fell before recovering. He turned to walk forward before responding.
“Yeah,” Benny said before his expression brightened. “Hey, maybe Parker will join us.”
Brock was a little surprised at the suggestion. “Benny, I get the feeling your roommate doesn’t like us much. He hangs around with Corbin and the other jerks from Sol Polis. Corbin certainly doesn’t like us, and he leads that group of cronies.”
“Oh, Parker’s okay,” Benny said. “You just have to get to know him. He’s not bad when he’s not around Corbin.”
“If you say so,” Brock replied.
The forest around them opened to reveal buildings clustered along the shore of a large lake. They walked past the buildings at the edge of town. A smile broke across Brock’s face as familiar sites were replaced by one with sentimental meaning.
“There she is.” Brock pointed as he walked. “The Quiet Woman. You guys are going to love her.”
When they entered, Brock stepped aside and watched their reaction upon seeing a dining room filled with women. He wasn’t disappointed.
Their dropped jaws soon transformed to smiles and nods.
“This was unexpected,” Benny said over the loud buzz of conversation in the room.
“Brock!” A woman’s voice shouted over the noise.
He turned to see Dory weaving her way between tables, her arms open in greeting. When she reached Brock, she gave him a hug.
“I’m glad you came back. I know it has only been two weeks, but the ladies miss you. I miss you.” She turned her attention toward Cam and Benny. “And who are these two young gentlemen?”
“Dory, this is Benny.” Brock introduced them. “The mountain standing beside me is Cam. They’re my friends from the Academy.”
Dory smiled and greeted the two new boys. “Welcome to The Quiet Woman. Any friends of Brock are friends of mine.” She clapped her hands and shouted out. “Tipper!”
A mop of blonde hair popped up near the bar. Tipper looked toward the doorway, noticing Brock. He rushed over and gave his friend a hug and a friendly thump on the back.
“I’m glad you came back, Brock,” Tipper said as he released his hug. “How’s life at the Academy?”
Brock was smiling, happy to see his friend. “It’s good to see you too, Tip. Things are good at the school. I’ve made a couple friends and decided to introduce them to my friends here at the inn. Tipper, please say hello to Benny and to my roommate, Cam.”
Tipper reached out and shook their hands. “Nice to meet you.”
Dory spoke to Tipper. “I thought you might like to share a table with your friend. Since we’re full tonight, you and James will need to dig an extra table from under the stairs.”
Tipper nodded and sped off to get James and a table.
Dory turned toward Brock. “Before you join your friends, would you please come say hello to the ladies?”
“Sure, Dory,” he replied and then turned to Benny and Cameron. “You two go ahead and sit with Tipper. I’ll just be a few minutes.”
They nodded, and Brock turned to follow Dory. Smiles lit the familiar faces when the women saw him. They stood and hugged him as if he had been gone for years, not just for days.
By the time he made his way around the table, Dory had a chair waiting. When he took his seat, Garrett was ready with a glass and a carafe of wine. The waiter slowly circled the table, refilling glasses as needed.
Dory lifted her glass to toast. “Here’s to our scholar, Brock.”
“To Brock.” They chimed as they tapped glasses together and took a drink.
The wine was as wonderful as he remembered. Recalling how bad he felt after consuming too much, he planned to pace himself.
Annabelle leaned closer, putting her hand on his. “I’m so glad you’re doing well at the Academy. I told Abe he wouldn’t be disappointed.”
“Yes. I’m still thankful he gave me the chance I needed,” Brock replied. “I’m even more thankful to you for convincing him to help me.”
She smiled and gave his hand a squeeze. “It was my pleasure, Brock. I’m happy for you.”
Dory squeezed his other hand. He turned to the owner of the inn, who smiled as she addressed him. “Brock, would you please entertain us with a story from your time at the Academy?”
“Well, the Academy is a secretive place,” he replied. “However, I do have a story to share.”
Struggling to keep his emotions under control, Brock told them about Amber. He relayed the tale of their brief relationship, from his timely rescue to her untimely death. Upon hearing the end of his story, the ladies expressed cries of shock followed by words of consolation.
Shortly after the story, dinner was served, and Brock excused himself to sit with his friends. As he headed to the other table, he realized that he felt better after telling them. He felt like a weight had been lifted, reducing the sting of her loss.
Dinner consisted of pasta, poultry, and vegetables, in a creamy sauce. It was delicious. In a few short minutes, all four boys sat back with drinks in hand, their plates cleared.
“You were right, Brock. The food is amazing. I’m stuffed,” Cam said, patting his stomach.
“Wow. We finally found a way to fill you up then?” Benny flashed a smile. Cam grinned in reply.
“Tip, where’s Libby?” Brock asked.
Tipper glanced toward the kitchen, longing in his eyes. “She’s helping Saul tonight. She should be done in an hour or so.”
Brock smiled at his friend’s expression. “You’re totally smitten with her, aren’t you?”
Tipper shrugged.
“Do you love her then?” Brock asked.
“Yeah. I think so,” Tipper replied.
“That’s great, Tip!” Brock reached across the table and shook his friend’s shoulder. “I’m happy for you.”
Benny sat forward, changing the subject. “Brock, Tipper was telling us about your journey to Fallbrandt. It sounds like you guys are lucky to be alive.”
“Yeah. We had a couple close calls, but we’re still here.”
“What was the banshee like? And what about the bacabra?” Benny stared in anticipation.
Brock did his best to describe their encounters with the ferocious beasts without revealing the animation of Hank’s corpse or the boulder in the cave. Benny listened intently and asked some good questions. His fascination by these otherworldly creatures was clear.
As the evening wore on, they continued to drink and tell stories. Libby joined them but said little as she clung to Tipper’s arm. Eventually, the room began to clear. Dory was kind enough to offer a free room for the night, asking Tipper to help haul a pallet in for Benny to sleep on while Brock and Cam took the two beds.
As he lay on the bed in his old room, Brock decided he felt better than he had in a while.
CHAPTER 52
When he woke, Brock felt terrible. Again. Not quite as bad as his first experience with wine, but worse than he had hoped. Thankfully, a big glass of water and a single cup of caffe took the edge off his headache. Soon after breakfast, he bid Tipper and the crew of the inn farewell, promising to visit again soon.
Feeling the effects of the prior evening, the three boys walked back toward the Academy in quiet. The building was well within sight when Benny finally broke the silence.
“Brock, can I ask you a personal question?”
“Sure, Benny,” Brock replied.
Benny rocked his shoulders as he spoke. “How did you become friends with an Unchosen?” He turned toward Brock, concern in his eyes. “It’s not that there’s anything wrong with that. I just haven’t seen many people treat Unchosen like they matter.”
Brock nodded. “That’s okay, Benny. I see how people treat Unchosen.”<
br />
After considering his response, he explained, “I fail to see how you can measure a person by a mark on their forehead. I would rather judge people by their actions and by how they treat others. Tipper may not have a rune, but he has a better heart than anyone I know. It may not be popular to befriend an Unchosen, but I’d rather call Tipper my friend than many others I know who do have a rune.”
Benny glanced toward Cameron, who nodded in agreement.
Benny smiled. “You’re a good person, Brock. A rare person. I’m glad I met you.”
Cam chimed in as well. “Me too.”
Brock didn’t know how to respond, feeling a bit embarrassed. He looked forward, seeing the school now less than a quarter-mile away.
“When we get back, let’s get cleaned up and grab some food before we head to the library. Would you like to join us, Cam?”
Cam gave his usual shrug as a response, seemingly content to follow along.
They returned to their rooms and grabbed clean clothes before they headed to the baths in the cellar beneath the lounge. Being nearly mid-day, the baths were quiet. Brock had learned that the Academy had been built on a series of hot springs, which not only fed the baths, but also heated the buildings by pumping hot water down pipes running throughout the complex.
The steamy water of the bath felt great, leaving him refreshed and hungry. The boys dressed and headed to the dining hall. After a quick meal, they made their way to the library. Again, the halls were quiet. The library was even quieter.
Brock and Benny dropped their books off at the empty desk, grabbed two glowlamps, and led Cameron to the second floor.
Returning to the aisles suggested, they began searching for books that might include details of the Wailing War or the Banished Horde.
After an hour, they heard a squeaky hinge echo through the building. Footsteps and muffled conversation followed. By instinct, the three boys remained still, careful not to make any noise. Perhaps it was because it had been so quiet until now.
Brock motioned for Benny and Cam to stay put as he set his lamp down and crept down the aisle to the balcony.
He could see Headmaster Vandermark along with two other masters, a gray-haired man and a woman. They walked behind the circle of desks, and then each removed a cord from their neck. Taking turns, they each bent to insert their key into a trap-door lock. When the third lock was released, Vandermark opened the door and made a waving motion with his hand. Holding a glowlamp, the woman descended the stairs, followed by Vandermark. The gray-haired master trailed the other two, holding a glowlamp in one hand as he pulled the trap door closed. The room fell silent.
Brock crept back to where Cam and Benny waited. He gave them a gesture with his finger to his lips, scooped up his lamp, and waved for them to follow.
The amount of noise from Benny made Brock wince. He clearly had no experience in sneaking. Cam, on the other hand, was surprisingly quiet. They crept down the stairs, returned the lamps, and snuck out of the library the way they had entered.
Without a word, Brock headed toward their rooms. Confused, Benny hustled to catch him, nearly dropping the books he held in the process.
“What’s going on, Brock?” Benny asked. “Why all the sneaking?”
“Hush,” he responded. “Wait until we get to my room.”
Brock walked purposefully to the Boys’ Wing and down the long hallway to their rooms. After unlocking the door, he waved Benny and Cameron inside. He followed, closing the door behind.
“Okay, Brock. Now tell me what the heck is going on,” Benny said, exasperated.
Brock smiled in response. “I’m pretty sure we were not supposed to be in the library today. I also witnessed something I wasn’t supposed to see.”
Benny’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Wouldn’t the door have been locked if the library was closed?”
Brock shook his head. “It should’ve been locked, but someone messed up.”
Still looking confused, Benny sat on Brock’s bed. “I need you to explain, Brock. I’m not understanding your math yet.”
Brock sat across from Benny. Cam sat next to him.
Brock explained, “There are numerous sets of doors to the library. However, only one set has an external lock on it. The others are designed to be bolted from the inside. This is something I noticed on our first visit as I thought it was interesting.”
Benny nodded. “Okay. I’m with you so far.”
Brock continued. “The door we used today wasn’t the door with the external lock, and the bolt was certainly not secured when we entered. The door with the lock also happens to have a squeaky hinge.”
Benny’s eyes lit up. “That’s the squeak we heard when the others entered the library!”
Brock nodded again. “Yes. They unlocked that door with their key and came into what they thought was an empty building. They didn’t know we were there.”
Benny looked confused again. “Why do you say that?”
Brock smiled. “Because, anyone with a brain would’ve realized that they have something secret or something valuable hiding there.”
Benny shook his head. “You lost me again.”
Brock stood and began pacing as he explained, “During our first visit to the library, I noticed a trap door under the stairwell behind the desks. The girl working there said it was just a place where they stored old books. While it seemed innocent enough, I thought it was odd that the door also had three heavy-duty locks.”
He paused to make sure they were digesting what he was saying. When they nodded, he continued.
“Today, I found out why there are three locks. I saw Vandermark and two other masters, each possessing a key and each key unlocking only one of the locks. Once all locks were unlocked, the three descended and pulled the door closed behind them.”
A grin broke across Benny’s face. Cam, however, looked confused.
“I don’t understand,” the big blonde boy muttered.
Brock explained, “Think about it. Why have a door with three heavy locks? Why have each lock opened only by a key owned by a different person? That’s overkill for anything trivial or even mildly important. Clearly, requiring three individuals to enter the archives either means that they don’t trust one person to have access, or they have three keys as a safeguard against on key ends up in the wrong hands. Perhaps it’s both reasons. Regardless, there’s something they’re trying to protect. The archives are more than just a place to store old copies of books.”
Cameron nodded. “That makes sense. But, so what?”
Brock shrugged. “Beyond personal curiosity, that’s a good question. Let me think on it. Something tells me that this secret, and whatever’s down there, only leads to more secrets being kept by the Ministry.”
CHAPTER 53
“Keep physical contact. Close your eyes, picture the rune for Order, and find your center.” Master Varius instructed the class. “Feel the calm pureness of Order within. Then, extend your awareness, seeking that same sense of Order within your patient.”
Varius waved Ashland over as she continued. “You should sense something that feels wrong or does not belong. Everyone will perceive this differently, so this is where things get difficult. You need to seek out this wrongness and then draw upon the Order within your patient, using that energy to correct the wrong that ails them.”
Brock looked around the room. Confusion was clear on the faces of his classmates.
“I told you that this is the difficult part,” Varius said, smiling. “Trying to explain how to heal is like trying to explain a beautiful sunset to someone who has spent their whole life blind.”
She reached out and held Ashland’s hand as she continued. “The unfortunate truth is that performing healing is the best way to learn it. That’s why it’s such a rare and special talent. It can only be learned by doing it, but if you never do it, you aren’t aware that it’s possible.”
With her free hand, Varius drew a dagger from behind her back and swiped the b
lade across Ashland’s open hand. The girl tried to withdraw, but Varius had a firm grip on her wrist. Blood quickly filled Ashland’s palm, dripping to the floor. To her credit, her only reaction was a clenching of her jaw.
“Now watch.” Varius closed her eyes.
Ashland shivered, as if chilled. A collective gasp came from the class as they watched the gaping wound on her hand close.
Varius opened her eyes and pulled a white cloth from her pocket. She wiped the blood from the girl’s palm and held her hand up for the class to see. Other than dried blood in the creases of her palm, there was no trace of the wound.
“This demonstration is a bit dramatic, but you can imagine how valuable this ability is to the welfare of the Empire.” She let the girl’s wrist drop. “That’s why you must try to harness any ability you have with Order and focus on learning to heal.”
Nodding heads from the class confirmed they understood.
“To heal, you need patients. We happen to have another class that naturally generates patients.” Varius walked down the center aisle. “You’ll be broken up into six groups, each group spending one day a week attending paladin training rather than coming here. A student guide who is skilled in healing will lead each group. Sparring injuries happen on a daily basis. This will give each of you a chance to practice healing. If you’re unsuccessful, the student guide will take over.” She smiled. “We can’t leave our paladin students suffering with their wounds for too long.”
She returned to the front of the room. Opening a drawer, she pulled out a hard roll and held it up for all to see. She tossed the roll to Ashland, who deftly caught it and took a bite.
“You must also know that healing requires energy. That energy comes from the person who is being healed, which makes them hungry. Food helps to replenish the energy that was used. The greater the wound, the more energy required.”
The Buried Symbol (The Ruins of Issalia Book 1) Page 18