by Victor Kloss
Draven's fury was lost on Dagmar.
“You have my apprentice,” she said calmly. “It is 12:53pm and I would hate for him to be late for his first muster.”
“My goodness, you're right,” Wren said, glancing at her watch. “Off you go, Ben. And good luck.”
Ben didn't need telling twice. He turned and headed for the door, enjoying Draven's look of pure frustration.
“I'm going to speak to your director about you, Dagmar. Your behaviour is unacceptable.”
“As you wish,” Dagmar said. She gave a formal nod to Wren and Colin, before exiting the room, Ben hot on her heels.
— Chapter Nine —
A Surprise in the Library
Ben hurried down to the dining hall, where Charlie and Natalie were waiting impatiently. Everyone else had left already, and Ben barely had time to give them an update before Natalie was leading them to the muster room.
“Draven really doesn't like you, does he?” Charlie commented, as they hurried down the hallway, along with a dozen other apprentices. It was clear nobody wanted to be late.
“We're definitely not best friends,” Ben said. “What I don't get is how Dagmar was able to interrupt the directors and take me away.”
“When it comes to the apprentices, she has total authority, and nobody, not even the prince, will cross Dagmar when it comes to that.”
They entered the muster room with only a couple of minutes to spare. The apprentices were already lining up, and Ben noticed they each stood on a coloured square. The floor resembled a chess board, with alternating shades of wood. At the front of the room stood Dagmar, hands behind her back, rod under her arm.
“Highest to lowest rank, from the front right corner to the back left corner,” Natalie said.
Ben saw what she meant. Those with the most colourless diamonds were towards the front. There were a couple of boys and a girl with five colourless diamonds occupying the front right squares. Ben spotted Josh, with three diamonds, near the middle. Natalie, with only two, was nearer the rear. Ben and Charlie went right to the very back. They got a few nods and smiles from apprentices who had spotted them for the first time.
“Jimmy Stroud,” said a cheerful-looking boy thrusting his hand out. He wasn't much taller than Charlie, with a serious case of acne. “You're new, right?”
“First day,” Ben said.
“Ooh, fun,” Jimmy said, giving him a goofy smile. His front two teeth reminded Ben of a rabbit.
A loud dong came from somewhere at the front of the room and the soft chatter stopped immediately.
“Muster,” Dagmar said. Ben couldn't see her at the front of the room, but her voice carried effortlessly.
The name of each apprentice was rattled off and promptly answered. Nobody was absent.
“Very good,” Dagmar said. “I have two announcements to make. First, we have two new apprentices in our ranks: Ben Greenwood and Charlie Hornberger. Please welcome them.”
The apprentices turned and gave them a chorus of greetings. Ben acknowledged them with a smile and a nod; Charlie did the same, with an air of embarrassment.
“I'm sure you all remember how difficult your first days as apprentices were,” Dagmar continued. “It is unlike anything you have done before and fifty percent of those who fail do so within the first week. So please assist Mr. Greenwood and Mr. Hornberger in any way you can.”
Ben heard Charlie shuffle beside him. Those figures were alarming. What’s so difficult about the first week? Ben wondered, with a mixture of anxiety and excitement.
Dagmar continued. “I have been getting reports that certain Twos have been falling behind in Diplomacy. I shall not name names, but you know who you are. This is your first and only warning. I suggest you put more time into that department before it's too late.”
Ben had almost no idea what Dagmar was talking about, but he noticed a few people with two diamonds in the rows ahead shuffle uncomfortably.
There was a sharp clapping noise, which Ben guessed was Dagmar slapping her rod into an open hand.
“Apprentices dismissed. Mr. Greenwood and Mr. Hornberger, please stay behind for your orientation briefing.”
Everyone filed out, with a haste that was probably due to wanting to put distance between themselves and Dagmar.
“Good luck!” Natalie said, squeezing through the departing apprentices to reach them. “You'll do fine. I'll see you in a couple of hours. Meet me by the Institute's entrance at 3pm.”
Ben and Charlie were soon standing alone with Dagmar, who somehow made the room seem small.
“Go and retrieve the red books from your lockers and come straight back. Do not open them,” Dagmar said.
They left the room and headed down the hallway to the locker room.
“Does she realise telling us not to open the red books only makes it more likely that I will?” Ben said.
“I wouldn't. I bet she'll know if you do. Then she'll turn you into a pig or something.”
“I think you're getting a bit carried away.”
But her order, combined with Charlie's ridiculous warning, was enough to put Ben off the idea.
Ben wasn't surprised to see that Dagmar hadn't moved at all when they returned.
“Hold them out,” Dagmar said.
Ben did so, staring at the dark red leather and the yellow flowing script. His desire to open it grew with every moment, but Dagmar was a sufficient deterrent.
“The apprenticeship is, on average, a two-year course. Those who make it through and become full Institute members amount to approximately thirty-six percent. There are five grades, represented by the diamonds on your shoulder. At the moment, you are first-grade apprentices. Each grade takes progressively longer. Those who pass grade one normally do so within fifty days. The fifth grade takes closer to nine months. During the final two grades, you will choose just two departments to focus on. If you fail to graduate within two years, you will not become a member of the Institute. Is that clear?”
They both nodded.
Dagmar took the rod from under her arm and pointed it at their red books.
“Those books will take you through the apprenticeship. They are all called Institute Handbooks. In there you will find a checklist containing a series of steps you must do, for each department. Once you finish the checklist, you will face a final examination in order to graduate to the next grade. The checklist is split into theory and practical. Theory involves studying books and then answering questions to prove your understanding. In practical you put theory into practice. For the theory, you can study in the common room, the library or a classroom. I do not care which, as long as you are progressing. If you have any problems, you come to me, nobody else. All clear?”
Two more nods.
“The apprenticeship runs from 9am until 3pm. That gives you one hour forty-seven minutes left for today. I suggest you get going; you have a lot to do.”
Dagmar took a step back. Charlie and Ben took the hint. They quickly left the room, handbooks under their arms.
“Where shall we go?” Charlie said, as they wandered down the hallway.
“The common room,” Ben said at once. “Isn't that obvious, when the other options are a classroom or the library?”
“I was going to suggest the library actually,” Charlie said. “I bet the common room will be too distracting, and the classroom might be too strict.” Charlie gave him a meaningful look. “Plus, if we're in the library, we can use it for other purposes.”
“Such as what?” Ben asked.
“Well, wouldn't you like to know what a Guardian is? I bet we could find some answers in the library. I would also like to see if I can find any information on Shadowseekers.”
Ben had become so enthralled with the apprenticeship programme, he had almost forgotten about Elizabeth's words during the examination. He had even forgotten about his parents and their mission to find Elizabeth's Armour. Ben felt a little stab of guilt.
“The library it is,” he sa
id, with a firm nod.
Such was their desire to get to the library that Charlie matched Ben's pace and they took the stairs two at a time. It was a strangely satisfying feeling having the diamond floating above his shoulder. He had only had it for less than an hour but already he felt like he belonged here. He had been so engrossed in joining the Institute to find his parents that he hadn't had time to consider how much being part of it would mean.
“Here we are,” Charlie said. They had arrived at a set of double doors, decorated with a picture of a large scroll.
Ben had forgotten how musty the Scholar corridor was; it smelled of old books. Shelves lined the corridor, sometimes on both sides, making walking a bit of a squeeze.
The door to the library was large and well used, and creaked as it opened. They entered a vast open room that reminded Ben of the old museums in London. There was a huge globe floating in the centre of the room, circling slowly, with all the countries mapped out, including the Unseen Kingdoms. Running along the walls were colourful illustrations detailing a timeline of the Institute’s history. Then there were dozens of exhibition stands showing things like the evolution of spellshooters, various animals and foods found in the Unseen Kingdoms, and charts showing every type of spell with its composition element and strength.
“Over here,” Charlie said, tugging on Ben's sleeve.
He led them to an adjoining room that was filled with benches and tables with small lamps. Ben spotted many apprentices in groups of twos and threes – friends choosing to study together. Not everyone was an apprentice and Ben spotted diamonds of various colours. There was a quiet, calm feel about the place that reminded Ben of the few libraries he'd ventured into.
“Guys! Over here!”
A high-pitched, cheerful voice cut through the quiet concentration and several people looked up angrily, making hushing noises. The perpetrator was Jimmy Stroud, the goofy boy they'd seen at muster. He seemed oblivious to the dark looks, waving enthusiastically at them.
“Should we pretend we can't see him?” Charlie whispered.
“Don't be so harsh,” Ben said, with a smile.
Jimmy was one of the few apprentices studying alone, and his face lit up when Ben and Charlie sat down opposite him.
“Hey, guys!” Jimmy said, with such enthusiasm that a trace of spittle left his mouth and hit Charlie right on the forehead. “Welcome to the newbie table. This is where all the new chaps sit. Zach and Raphy should be here. They've gone to the toilet and are taking an unusually long time to get back.”
“When did they leave?” Charlie asked.
Jimmy glanced at his watch. “Oh, about twenty minutes ago. But I'm saving these seats for when they return.” He patted the bench next to him. “It can be really hard finding space here sometimes.”
The angry glances continued, and a couple of older boys looked as though they were going to come over.
“Could you lower your voice a bit?” Charlie said. “I think people prefer it quiet in a library.”
“Oh right, sorry,” Jimmy said, in quite possibly the loudest whisper outside of Ogre-ville. “You're not the first person to tell me that, actually.”
Ben had met a few geeks in his time, but Jimmy was up there with the best of them. He made Charlie look cool.
“Listen, me and Charlie are going to study for a bit. We're new here, so it would be great if you could let us concentrate for a while. Is that okay?”
“Yeah, okay, sure,” Jimmy said, his thin, straggly hair bobbing up and down as he nodded. “Hey, if you need anything, just ask. I've only been here a month, but I know quite a lot already.”
Jimmy turned back to his book. He seemed to have a runny nose and resorted to sniffing a lot. Charlie looked up once or twice in irritation, but the moment he placed his handbook on the table he forgot Jimmy existed.
Ben opened the hardback cover. On the first page, in large letters, were the words First Grade Checklist. Below that each department was listed with their corresponding colour. On the right edge of the page were tabs guiding you to the departments’ relevant sections.
“How do we know where to start? I guess we have to pick a subject?” Charlie asked. He was already thumbing through the book.
“I know where I'm starting,” Ben replied. He turned straight to the tab marked in green, and went to the first page.
“Department of Spellswords: First Grade.”
There was a list of numbered actions; each one was titled “theory” or “practical”. The theory steps pointed to different sections of books to read. The titles sounded far more interesting than your average science book – “Introduction to Spellswords”, “How a Spellshooter Works” and “The Basics of Combat” to name just a few. The practical steps were even more interesting, but they were always paired with a theory step that had to be completed first.
“I suggest we do three steps of each department, before switching to the next. That way we never fall behind on any one area,” Charlie said.
“Good idea,” Ben said, and got to his feet to find the first book.
“You guys need a hand?” Jimmy asked, rising with them.
“No, we're okay, thanks,” Ben said, putting a hand on Jimmy's shoulder and easing him back down. “Save the seats for us, though, okay? We'll be back in a minute.”
They headed to the book shelves. They were packed tight and went all the way up to the ceiling. Occasionally a ladder lay resting against the books, to help the reader reach the top shelves.
Ben glanced at a huge brown book titled A Brief History of the Troll Wars, sandwiched between two other equally interesting titles. “Any idea where we should start looking? You spend a lot of time in libraries. How do they work?”
“It's pretty simple,” Charlie said. “Each section is cross-referenced by subject and then placed in alphabetical order. So we just need to find the Spellsword section and then look for the letter 'I'.”
Charlie led them deeper into the library, turning left and right until Ben was completely lost. The light was poor and the occasional ray highlighted the dust particles coming off some of the older books that probably hadn't been touched in years. The soft footsteps and rustle of pages faded away as they worked themselves deeper into the library.
“Are you sure this is the right way?” Ben said.
Charlie's eyes were scanning each shelf. “We should be coming up to it.”
“Maybe we should have recruited Jimmy's help after all,” Ben said.
“You don't mean that – ah, here it is!”
Charlie bent down and picked up two copies of a thin green book titled An Introduction to Spellswords.
“Well done,” Ben said. “Now it's just the simple matter of getting out of here. Any ideas?”
“I made sure I remembered each turn we took. Now I just have to reverse that. Where would you be without me?”
“Completely lost,” Ben admitted. “Let's get— what was that?”
Something moved, right on the edge of Ben's peripheral vision. He would have missed it if not for the tiny ray of light peeking through the books; there was a small gap between two shelves just ahead of him.
“What is it?”
“I thought I saw someone,” Ben said.
He walked over to the gap, but there was nobody there. Ben frowned. He was sure he had seen somebody, yet there was nowhere to hide. It was as if the person had just disappeared.
“I don't like that look on your face,” Charlie said. “What is it?”
“Nothing,” Ben said, shaking his head.
The lie came easily. He didn't want to scare Charlie when he didn't have any proof, but when Ben replayed the moment in his mind, he could have sworn he saw the glimmer of steel.
The sudden sound of quick, heavy footsteps made them both jump. They were coming from just round the corner.
“Mr. Greenwood and Mr. Hornberger,” Dagmar said, as she came into view. Under her arm were several dusty books, as well as her rod.
�
�Ms. Borovich!” Charlie said.
Ben thought he caught a flicker of surprise in Dagmar's eyes, but if so, it was gone in an instant. “What brings you to this section of the library?” she asked.
“Looking for our first book,” Ben said, and Charlie held them up helpfully.
“I see.” A subtle furrowing of the brow was the only indication of her displeasure. “You do realise there is a section for first-grade books near the front, right next to the study room?”
“Ah. We didn't know that,” Charlie said, scratching his head.
“Please stick to that in future,” Dagmar said. “You are nearing the restricted section of the library, which is out of bounds for apprentices.”
“We'll do that,” Ben assured her.
Dagmar gave them both a nod and then strode on by. Charlie and even Ben felt compelled to step back and give her plenty of space as she passed. She stopped, right at the gap in the shelf where Ben thought he'd seen something. She frowned and gave a sniff, her eyes widening for a fraction of a second. Then she tapped her rod thoughtfully and disappeared amongst the shelves.
— Chapter Ten —
Professor Rafakat
“Should we tell someone?” Charlie asked.
Ben waited until they were back in the pleasant atmosphere of the main library before revealing to Charlie what he'd really seen.
Ben shook his head. “Definitely not. They'd have someone watching over me in an instant, and then our chances of searching for my parents would vanish.”
“That's true,” Charlie admitted. “Do you think that glimpse of steel you saw could have been from the Shadowseeker?”
“I don't think so,” Ben said, with a certainty that was mainly for Charlie's benefit. “It could have been anything.”
The calm, peaceful ambience of members reading helped Ben take his mind off the Shadowseeker and he soon spotted Jimmy waving at them with great enthusiasm.
“I saved your seats, like you asked,” Jimmy said, with a surprised smile. Ben suspected that Jimmy hadn't expected them to return.
“Oh, crap,” Charlie said, as they sat down.