by Victor Kloss
Once both Aaron and the other Spellsword were inside, Ben and Joshua slid back out into the hall and shut the cell door. Natalie was now visible beside them, her concealment spell having worn off, and Ben watched as she aimed her spellshooter at the cell itself and fired a white pellet that exploded into a shimmering barrier. He recognised the silence spell they’d often used when discussing sensitive topics in public, and nodded. Even once the guards woke up, no one would hear their calls for help.
“We need to get our spellshooters,” Ben told her.
She just grinned. “You mean these?” She held the items out to them, and he and Joshua eagerly rearmed themselves.
Ben glanced at Joshua. “We need to get to the Crimson Tower. The others’ll be waiting.”
He thought Natalie might argue, or at least insist again upon coming along, but she didn’t. Instead she just stepped between them and raised her spellshooter.
“This one will cover all three of us,” she told them before firing a spell over their heads. It settled down around them with a splash like a gentle rain, and Ben smiled as he saw that his friends now shimmered like reflections in a pool. He was in the spell with them, completely invisible from the outside.
They headed for the jail’s entrance, moving as quickly as they could without making any noise. It felt like forever, but finally they had crept past the other Wardens and back up the tunnel and then the stairs. Then Ben led them around a corner of the Institute and into the garden behind one of the hedges there.
“Drop the spell,” he told Natalie. “We’re better off just walking about openly like we have a right to be here, rather than sneaking around invisibly and hoping no one bumps into us.” Or saw through the spell, which he knew could happen; they’d look awfully suspicious then.
She must have agreed, because a second later they all melted back into visibility.
“Right, let’s go,” Ben declared. And he stepped back out. He’d been half-afraid an alarm would go off the second he did, but nothing happened. No one even glanced their way as he and his friends headed back towards the front gate. Everyone had their own problems to worry about right now. And luckily the guards had changed, so the two who’d seen their arrest were no longer the ones manning the gate.
As they walked, Ben wondered what would happen when they came back to the Institute. Would they be able to explain what they’d done and why? Or would they all be tried for desertion and thrown in prison?
But he couldn’t worry about that right now. Besides, if they didn’t make it back, none of this would matter.
— Chapter Nine —
The Quest Begins
Ben let out the breath he’d been holding once they’d passed safely through the Institute’s front gate and were headed down the hill towards the rest of Taecia. He had to resist the urge not to glance over his shoulder just in case the guards were watching or Aaron was running after them or something else bad was coming. They were fine, he assured himself. They’d made it out of the Institute safely. It struck him then that the last time he’d been worried about getting away from the Institute, it had been on his first visit here, back when he barely knew anything about the Unseen Kingdoms or magic or his parents or anything. Then he’d just been worried that the directors wanted to hand him over to Suktar in order to preserve their peace treaty. Now he was fleeing a desertion charge in order to save everyone.
Joshua sidled up beside him. “Slow down,” he warned quietly. “Walking fast looks like we’re on a mission. Running looks like we’re guilty of something.”
Ben hadn’t even realised he’d sped up, but now he forced himself to slow to a slightly calmer pace. “Right. Sorry.”
Natalie was on his other side, and easily keeping pace with him as usual. “What’s the plan?” she asked as they followed the street down into town and then headed east. “Back to the Crimson Tower?”
“Yeah,” Ben admitted after pausing ever so slightly. A part of him had wondered if he should even answer, but this was Natalie he was talking to, his closest friend after Charlie, and his first friend here. And the one who had just helped him and Joshua escape. He might worry about her being safe if she came with them, but he had no doubts about her loyalty. “The others should already be there. Dagmar’s been stockpiling gear.”
Next to him, Natalie sighed. “So this is it, then?” she asked slowly, twisting a strand of hair between her fingers. “It’s time?”
“It’s past time,” Joshua grumbled from the other side, though not meanly. “But we had to figure out how to use these things first.” He waved his arm about, causing the shield strapped to it to gleam in the early morning light.
Natalie turned to Ben. “You can use the sword now?” she asked, her green eyes wide. When he nodded, she clapped her hands and leaned over to hug him, her anger at least momentarily forgotten. “Ben, that’s fantastic!”
“Yeah, I’m sure Suktar’s quaking in his boots,” Ben agreed drily. Still, it felt nice to know that Natalie at least believed in him.
“I hope you really can end this,” Natalie added, turning serious again. “From what I’ve heard around the Institute, they’re expecting the first real attack any day now.”
That made Ben stop in his tracks as he turned to stare at her. “The first real attack?” he repeated. “Am I the only one who remembers what happened in London? What was that, then?”
“An initial skirmish, according to what I’ve gathered,” she answered, her solemn expression proving that she was not joking in the least. “I know it looked pretty horrible to us, but apparently most of the pods haven’t even opened yet, and the rest of Suktar’s army is still on the way. Those were just a few units that got sent ahead to scout the area and cause trouble.”
“Wow.” Ben shook his head.
He glanced over at Joshua, who looked just as stunned as he felt. When they had exited Vanishing Avenue and seen those dark elves everywhere, wreaking havoc, he’d thought it was all over, that the war had started and would be done before they even had a chance to do anything. He was glad to know that wasn’t the case, but also horrified. If that was only a glimpse of what war looked like, how bad would it get when the battle was truly joined?
“We won’t let it come to that,” Joshua insisted as if reading his thoughts. Natalie stared a bit, obviously surprised to hear Joshua being so supportive, but Ben could see that the other boy was sincere.
“We’ll put a stop to him together,” Ben agreed. “All the Guardians.”
The Crimson Tower had just come into view, so they picked up the pace, which prevented them from talking any further. Krobeg was standing outside the closed tower door, arms crossed, and grinned when he saw the three of them approaching.
“Ah, there you are!” the hefty dwarf called out. “We were starting to wonder.” He stroked his silver beard. “Did you run into trouble?”
“A little,” Ben answered, slowing to a stop right in front of the dwarf. “But Natalie got us out of it.” He grinned at her and she smiled back, though perhaps not quite as warmly as she normally would have. “Where’re the others?”
“Inside,” Krobeg replied, jerking a thumb over his shoulder. “Figured it’d be less conspicuous if we weren’t all standing around, loaded for a trip.” He turned just enough to bang on the door with his fist. “They’re here!” he shouted, and Ben winced. If the goal was to let everyone within earshot know of his and Joshua’s arrival, he suspected that was now taken care of.
But nobody poked their head out of any of the surrounding buildings to shush them or to gawk at them. After a moment the tower door creaked open and Dagmar stepped out, as calm as ever, a heavy pack upon her back.
“About time,” was all she said before handing a similar pack to Ben and another to Joshua. “That should be everything you need.”
Abigail emerged behind her, carrying a similar if smaller pack, and then Charlie, who was not carrying anything except a glum look on his face. He brightened considerably when he sa
w Natalie, however.
“Hey, you came!” Charlie said, smiling at her. “That’s great.” Then he turned to Ben. “What happened?”
Ben shook his head. “Aaron. I’ll tell you later.” Only, he realised with a shock, he couldn’t tell Charlie later because Charlie wasn’t going with them.
His best friend had obviously just gotten that as well, and his face fell again. But after a second he managed to muster a small smile.
“Tell me when you get back,” he suggested instead.
“Definitely.” Ben wasn’t sure if he should hug Charlie or shake hands with him or what. He settled for slapping his friend gently on the back. “You good?”
“Yeah.” Charlie still didn’t look all that happy. “Listen,” he said quickly as Dagmar shut and locked the Crimson Tower behind them and began leading the group away from it and back towards the centre of town, towards the Dragonway. “I’ve been digging up as much as I can about the High Council, which isn’t all that much.” He frowned. “They clearly don’t like anyone telling stories about them.”
“What’d you find?” Ben asked, hoisting the heavy pack onto his shoulders and falling in line with the others.
“Not a whole lot,” Charlie answered. “I can tell you that they’re all crazy-powerful sorcerers, and they’re not on our side. They’re not on Suktar’s side either, though,” he added quickly. “They’re not on anyone’s side but their own.” He shook his head. “Near as I can figure, their only aim is to keep the kingdoms guessing. They seem to like conflict. I mean, as in they want to keep things in conflict. They’re not big fans of lasting peace or one group having too much power.”
“So they want a level playing field and loads of activity,” Ben stated. “Got it.” He thought about that. “I bet Suktar was getting too powerful back in Queen Elizabeth’s day. That’s why they gave her the armour, so she could put him in his place.” He patted the silver sword at his side. “And now we have to try to put him down again. This time for good.” He sighed and shook his head. “I still can’t believe this is all on me.” Then he glanced up at the others ahead of them and straightened his shoulders. “On us,” he corrected himself. “Together.”
He tried to ignore the knot in his stomach. He and his friends were planning to go up against probably the most powerful sorcerer in the Unseen Kingdoms, after all. Did they even have a chance of winning? But they had to. Everyone was counting on them.
They had reached the front of the Dragonway station, and the others were standing off to one side of it, clearly waiting for him and Charlie — and Natalie, who had stayed behind to walk with them. Just like old times.
“Just be careful,” Charlie warned as they re-joined the others. “The High Council definitely has its own agenda. I have a feeling they’re not just going to sit back while you fight Suktar.”
“That’s fine, as long as they stay out of my way,” Ben declared. He sighed as he turned to face his two closest friends. “I think this is it, guys,” he told them both.
Charlie nodded, clearly not happy about it but just as clearly resigned. “Good luck,” he offered, extending his hand. Ben shook it. Both of them pretended their eyes weren’t threatening to tear up.
“Yes, good luck,” Natalie agreed. She looked more upbeat than Charlie, her smile only a little dimmer than usual. She folded Ben into a big hug, then gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. “And be safe!” she warned. Her eyes were brighter than ever.
Ben nodded, feeling his face flame, and stepped away so that the other Guardians could say goodbye to Charlie and Natalie as well. When that was done Ben nodded at his two friends one last time, then turned and led the others into the Dragonway.
It was time to go.
— Chapter Ten —
Abigail Takes a Risk
Ben felt like someone had hacked off his right arm and also one of his legs for good measure. He’d almost never been without either Charlie or Natalie, if not both, and somehow even familiar, friendly Taecia seemed bigger and darker without them.
And lonelier.
But he forced himself not to let that slow him down. They had an evil king to find and a war to win, after all. Instead he turned to Dagmar. The short Master of Apprentices stood beside him, as calm as ever.
“Which way?” he asked.
“We need to head towards Erellia,” Dagmar replied in her usual crisp tones. She had her baton in hand, and slapped the head of it into the palm of her free hand as she spoke. “The farthest we can get by Dragonway is Borgone. From there we will have to find other means of transportation.”
Krobeg had been eyeing the large overhead board that showed the different platforms with their arrivals and departures.
“Next dragon to Borgone leaves in eight minutes,” he reported, a frown showing through his silver beard. “Platform seven.” There were twelve platforms in all, with platform one being closest to the entrance and the rest stretching away from them in order — which meant seven was a decent stretch to cover in such a short time.
“Let’s go,” Ben ordered, and led the way, double-timing it down the stairs. There were other people about, of course — Taecia had always been a busy station, thanks to the Institute and the fact that it was the closest Unseen Kingdom to London, but now there were far more Wardens and Spellswords about and far fewer everyday residents. Several Institute members eyed the Guardians as they raced down the long, wide walkway linking all the platforms, but no one made a move to stop them or even to question what they were doing there. Ben suspected Dagmar’s presence, and that of the four white diamonds hovering over her shoulder, had a lot to do with that.
He reached platform seven and grabbed hold of the handrail at its edge, using the sturdy wrought-iron frame as an anchor to pivot around and onto the platform itself. The dragon’s riders were already picking up their reins, and a goblin was shouting, “All aboard for Borgone! All aboard for Borgone!”
Ben didn’t waste any time. He raced for the nearest carriage, practically diving through its open door. Fortunately the carriage was empty except for a pair of elderly gnomes who sniffed disdainfully at him and then pointedly turned away. Ben didn’t care. He plopped himself down by the window on the opposite row. Joshua appeared next, with Dagmar right behind him, and they sat opposite Ben. Then Abigail entered and took the seat beside Ben, with a huffing Krobeg finally squeezing in through the carriage door and claiming the rest of their side.
“Wasn’t expecting to do any sprinting,” the hefty dwarf wheezed as he sank down onto the seat. “I’m carrying a bit more bulk than the rest of you, you know.”
The goblin appeared in the doorway. “Dragon to Borgone, leaving now!” he shouted, then stepped back and slammed the door shut behind him. Ben reached up and grabbed the restraint, tugging the long, heavy bar down over their laps. Joshua did the same on the other side. A moment later, they heard the sound of light but strong wings flapping up ahead. Then the carriage began to move.
Despite the seriousness of their situation, Ben couldn’t help the little thrill he always felt when he got to ride the Dragonway. He still remembered the first time, how shocked and amazed he and Charlie had both been, but how his concern had turned to joy when the dragon had finally taken off, towing the string of carriages behind it. The thought of Charlie dimmed Ben’s enthusiasm some, but he forced himself to concentrate on the here and now instead of the past. Soon the dragon reached its full speed, the loud, jerky motion of the carriage becoming a smooth, quiet ride as the world zipped past, and Ben closed his eyes, just enjoying the sensation of flying faster than any plane.
The gentle clearing of a throat made him blink and look around. The others were all watching him.
“Are you okay?” Abigail asked. She had been the one to make him open his eyes.
“I will be,” he answered. “Once we take care of…” His eyes went to the gnome couple, and he finished, “…everything.”
“We will,” Abigail assured him. “Don’t worry.”
He appreciated her quiet confidence, but had to admit that her calm didn’t hold a candle to Natalie’s bright optimism. That wasn’t Abigail’s fault, though, and Ben forced himself to smile and nod his thanks. No one else said anything, and after a few minutes Ben let his gaze drift back towards the window, where the world was zooming past. The rest of the ride passed in total silence, but he didn’t mind.
Once the dragon had slowed down again, the wind once more rushing past, and then had finally stumbled to a halt, magic keeping the carriages from bumping every which way in the process, Ben stirred. The carriage bar rose and the door opened on its own, allowing them to file back out. Ben came last, and stretched, working the kinks out of his muscles.
“So this is Borgone?” he asked, glancing around the station. “Okay.”
It looked like Taecia’s Dragonway but much smaller and a bit grubbier. There were some people around, though not all that many and none of them human. The other thing Ben didn’t see was any Institute members. He was glad he had stopped displaying his three colourless apprentice diamonds as soon as they had left the Institute.
“It is,” Dagmar agreed. “And we need to leave it behind as quickly as possible. This way.” She led them towards the Dragonway exit and out into Borgone proper.
Ben could still see the similarities between this Unseen Kingdom and Taecia. Borgone struck him as smaller, older, and dirtier, but it looked to be built along similar lines — which meant the way Dagmar was taking them led straight through the kingdom and out the other end. Ben wasn’t sure how far that was, but he didn’t see any sort of taxi service so it didn’t really matter. They would walk until they reached Erellia or couldn’t walk any farther. In a way, he was happy to have something so simple to do.
*
It wound up taking them three days to cross Borgone. The kingdom was not particularly large, but it was not tiny either, and there was far too much distance to run so they were forced to settle for a good steady walk. They kept alert for any danger but barely saw another living soul, let alone a threat. There was a small river running through the kingdom, and Krobeg turned out to be an expert fisherman, so they dined well each night on grilled trout or snapper or some other fish Ben couldn’t name but was only too happy to eat. He fell asleep quickly each night, completely exhausted from all the walking, and that was a welcome distraction as well.