Magnus realised it was time to go, otherwise he would risk Aedan eating him alive. He cast a last longing look at the ball and it was at that time when he noticed a small furtive door on a nearby wall. The length of the stalactites hanging down before the door suggested it must have been here for a pretty long time. And who knows, maybe even longer than the town itself.
When Rodrick began to think of leaving Magnus down in the well and just setting off, he heard suspicious sounds coming from the dark hole. To be more specific, it sounded as if someone was climbing the wall. Rodrick understood that the time had come for drastic action. He wouldn't let the scarecrow get out!
Rodrick jumped to the old knot that tied the rope to the top of the well. He tried to untangle it with all his might but it wasn't enough. The knot looked like it would loosen by itself at any moment, but it was rigid like steel. His eyebrows twisted in horror when he heard Magnus nearing the top of the well. With the speed of lightning bolt he jumped to the wooden hatch of the well that was leaning on its wall, but he couldn't move it. It seemed to be stuck.
Before Rodrick could make it move, he spotted an arm emerge on the edge of the well and in a short while Magnus was standing right before him.
“Here's your card deck, Rodrick,” Magnus said, still sounding rather distant. He looked as though he never climbed all the way down and back to the surface. His breath sounded normal. His hands weren't shaking. It seemed as if it was no big deal for him.
Rodrick broke into a sweat. What was that odd gaze? And where did the extraordinary strength came from? And the luck he had! It looked as if there was some kind of an invisible protective hand watching over Magnus all the time.
With his hands trembling, Rodrick took his card deck from Magnus, but he wasn't happy at all. His plan had failed; he didn't get rid of the scarecrow!
“I can see you have calmed down,” said Magnus suspiciously, as he noticed that Rodrick's face suddenly didn't have a single tear on it. “Now that you've got your cards back, can we finally go get the bag? And no stupid games this time,” Magnus commented in a serious voice as he made a step forward.
Rodrick followed him silently, but he was already thinking of another way of disposing of Magnus. And was even better, he was going to throw all the work on him.
They didn't speak a word all the way up to the dining room and back to the streets. When they reached their houses, Magnus stopped suddenly. Rodrick turned to see if by any chance Magnus got lost, but he was wrong. “Now I'd like to ask you for a favour in return,” said Magnus, placing his bag down. “I'm going upstairs to change my clothes. I'm fed up with these rags. Wait here, I'll be right back.” He flung the door open and ran up the stairs in haste.
That was the last he saw of Rodrick standing by his house. However, the overflowing bag did wait for him. “I should have known,” Magnus muttered when he returned, grabbing the bag. What other choice did he have?
In the meantime, Rodrick returned and found Aedan with his group of novices settled by the stream near the forest. He joined his friends with a satisfied smile on his face. He was proud of the cunning plan with which he had gotten rid of his duties and most importantly, Magnus.
Viktor was bustling around their teacher constantly because he had been wrapped up in work of all kinds. Aedan seemed to be pleased with the outcome though.
“See? Isn't it better to do something useful instead of making riots?” said Aedan, a faint smile on his face. And then he sent Viktor and Darius to wash the dusty dishes in the stream. Obviously, nobody had used them in a long time.
The two of them muttered under their breath as they set off, dragging the bags of dishes behind them. They son pulled up the sleeves of their black shirts and began washing. At the moment, Darius completely forgot what was hidden under his left sleeve. He was so used to it that he didn't even notice Viktor's curious look.
Darius' arm was wrapped in a ragged bandage, covering it completely from the wrist to the elbow. Viktor had wondered what reason he had to wear it, but it seemed that his patience had paid off. The bandage on Darius' left arm had loosened in the water.
“What's that?” Viktor asked curiously and a bit too loudly to Darius' taste.
“Nothin',” Darius said curtly. He wrapped the bandage around his arm again but it was too late. Viktor had seen the large burn mark that was hidden underneath it.
“Don't tell anyone,” said Darius grimly. He finished the bandaging by making a double knot, tying it with his teeth. Then he shot Viktor a stiff glance. “Understood?” he said, almost in a threatening tone. It seemed it wasn't something he wanted to brag about.
Viktor shrugged as he continued washing dishes and there wasn't a word spoken about the mark on Darius' arm since then.
When Magnus finally came to the place where the novices had settled, all the work was nearly done. Darius and Victor weren't done though because Aedan gave them the dishes from the bag that Magnus had just brought. They both threw him a hateful glare.
It didn't take long for Maren to notice Magnus' presence. She was setting the blankets on the ground when she saw him coming back. She left her work immediately and dashed to his side. It seemed as if she hadn't seen him for years as she couldn't take her eyes off of him. That was probably thanks to the new clothes that he had received as a gift for catching the thief. His tunic glowed a clean white.
“Hi,” Maren said bashfully, touching Magnus' dazzling tunic to see which fabric it was made of. “That's really nice. Very neat,” she said with a faint smile, but she didn't make any eye contact with him. Her face turned pink.
“Thanks,” said Magnus with a returned kind smile. “Basically I had to 'pay' for it anyway. When I went upstairs to change my clothes, Rodrick had scooted off and made me do all the work for him.” But Magnus had to admit it was worth all the trouble. It was an amazing feeling. He wasn't a scarecrow anymore!
Suddenly, he gave Maren a puzzled look, “But why the stand-offish attitude? Back in Ragna you were hanging on my neck and now–”
“Shhh! Quiet!” Maren interrupted him, as though she didn't want anyone to hear it. She kept looking around. If anyone knew that, it would become a favourite topic for gossip! And who knows how many towns would learn about it.
“All right, all right,” Magnus said in a calming voice. He didn't understand her behaviour, but he decided it would be wiser to discuss it later.
While Magnus and Maren were having good fun, the preparations were nearing the end, just like their first day in this guild. The golden rays cast by the setting sun were caressing the tree tops and the grass on the flower field where Aedan's novices had settled down for the picnic. Their druid teacher obviously wanted them to take part in nature. Everything was ready. There was a feast spread on the mats; druid biscuits, cookies and drinks, one of them being particularly special. It was what they would drink as a toast for entering the guild. Aedan was probably right when he said that he'd been working hard since early morning.
Aedan didn't take his teacher “career” lightly, therefore he wanted to choose the right novice to serve the toast glasses to the others. He was deciding among a few but in the end he chose Viktor. To Aedan's astonishment, he had been the one who helped him the most that afternoon and he wanted to encourage him to continue that way. He smiled, a few wrinkles crumpling on his face. It seemed that he was so content that his eyes were smiling too.
While Aedan was feeling ecstatic about his novices piously cooperating and helping each other, there were still two groups that kept their distance from the others. The first group was the five members of the Black Squad, as usual. The second one was actually just one girl; Fjalldís who was constantly looking at Magnus. His new clothes obviously didn't catch only Maren's interest, but Fjalldís was still feeling too resentful towards him to go and talk to him. Her thoughts and covert gazing kept her busy so she didn't notice that she was being watched as well.
Darius kept shooting her poisonous looks. The work was finished, Aeda
n was happy, and now he had time to think of a revenge plan. There was no way he would leave her be after she insulted him so insolently in front of everyone. Darius didn't bother hiding it; his sinister stare was easy for everyone to see.
Viktor couldn't help poking at him. “What's the matter? Do you like her?” he said in a slightly mocking tone.
Darius rounded on him, his face darkened with a spiteful glare. “What are you babbling about?” he retorted, looking at Viktor as if he was the biggest moron he had ever seen. Then he turned slightly to stare back at Fjalldís, but only furtively this time.
“C'mon, you look really happy when you look at her,” Viktor said, trying to sound as convincing as possible, even though Darius' face looked like the complete opposite of what he had said.
Nobody knew what to think. Viktor seemed to be serious, but then again he liked to make various inappropriate jokes and here was a moment when all five of them had nothing to do. He didn't hesitate to make pranks, even if the victim was his best friend.
Rodrick, Giselbert and Henry stood right next to them, exchanging confused looks. They decided to stay quiet and let Darius and Viktor solve this by themselves.
“Are you joking?!” Darius breathed heatedly. “She's worthless. She doesn't even deserve my company. Besides that, I don't care about girls. They're pathetic,” he said scornfully.
But even despite these tough words, Viktor didn't stop. “You're going to regret that decision later, you'll see. In a few years you will dream about a girl like her, but she'll already be taken. And that scrubby scarecrow who thinks he's a handsome prince just because he's changed his clothes? He'll be by her side, instead of you,” Viktor said in a “take it or leave it” tone, now glaring at Magnus, who was sticking torches in the ground together with Maren. Aedan was standing around desperately grasping his head, telling them to watch out for each blade of grass.
None of that caught Darius' interest. He wanted only one thing and that was revenge. “And? I care about her just as much as I care about that scarecrow Magnus. Why should I pant after her?” he said curtly, a sour expression on his face. He folded his arms on his chest in order to show his lack of interest.
Viktor sighed heavily, “'Cause she's different. She's the only one who had the courage to stand up to you. My father taught me a lot about this, he was a wise man and a great alchemist,” he said impatiently, as though he couldn't believe that Darius hadn't noticed such an obvious thing.
“Oh yeah? If he was so clever, then how come he's so dead?” said Darius sharply, his temper getting the better of him. He and Viktor exchanged furious looks.
Their three friends, Rodrick, Henry and Giselbert didn't seem bothered by the mention of Viktor's dead father. All of the novices in this guild were orphans or abandoned children, except for Maren who joined at the last minute and Magnus, who no one knew anything about. Not even Magnus himself.
Viktor clenched his fists, but he decided to ignore the last comment without fighting. “Well, I still think that you should try it,” he said, seemingly losing interest, just to get Darius' attention back.
“Try what?” said Darius curtly, still looking rather affronted.
Viktor's lip curled into a malicious smile as he reached into his pocket to pull out a small, hidden bottle wrapped in leather. Nobody could see the hideous contents it held inside. “My father taught me the secret ways of making the most powerful potions,” he whispered.
“Wait, is that... a love potion?” said Darius unbelievingly, casting Viktor a shocked stare. He looked as though he had been scalded. “Are you serious? You're an idiot.” As much as he tried to make Viktor's idea look completely silly, there was also a great deal of fear and respect in his voice. And that wasn't supposed to happen. Not to the leader of the Black Squad.
Viktor frowned. “What, are you afraid? If you want something, you gotta go and get it,” he said simply.
“How do you know what I want? You do it if you're so brave,” said Darius defiantly as he looked straight into Viktor's face, his nostrils quivering from anger. If it was a real potion, he didn't want to have anything to do with it. What if it endangered his own safety as well?
“I will,” said Viktor shortly.
Then, suddenly, all five of them drowned in something like a mountain's shadow. Before Darius could even realise it, he muttered something under his breath about the idea being utterly moronic.
In the next moment, Darius and Viktor jumped in terror; their tall teacher was standing right before them! They could only hope that he didn't hear anything from what they just talked about.
“Are you looking forward to the feast?” said Aedan in his ringing voice.
The whole Black Squad was nodding indignantly.
“And what are you doing here, so far away from the others?” Aedan kept inquiring. It seemed like he had some suspicions.
There was a moment of painful silence. When no one answered, Darius opened his mouth irresolutely. “We... we're just getting ready for the big event,” he stammered.
Aedan seemed to be relieved. “I'm glad to hear that. I was afraid that you were up to something. Come join us, we'll make the toast in a short while,” he said, looking overjoyed again.
“Of course, we'll be there in a minute,” Darius assured him, now in a much more confident tone. After Aedan had left and there was a safe distance between him and the Black Squad, it suddenly struck him. If he didn't find the courage to use the potion, he would tarnish his image. As the leader of the gang, there was nothing he wouldn't dare to do! And if Viktor did something he couldn't, it would be as if Darius had handed the leadership over to him.
Darius remained in deep thought for a moment. “Actually,” he said, gazing at the ground. “It would be a quite cunning way to punish her and get my revenge.” He quickly looked up, full of enthusiasm. “Let's do it!”
Viktor was surprised by Darius' sudden change of mind, but in a good way. The rest of the Black Squad beamed again too. They thought their leader would disappoint them, but in the last moment it was as though he had given them an unexpected present.
“So, it wasn't such a moronic idea after all?” Rodrick said gleefully as he poked Darius' shoulder.
Darius cast him a bewildered glance. “And who said it was a moronic idea?” he said, his voice full of acted confusion.
“Eh, you,” Henry said carefully, as though he was afraid of him. That was a good sign for Darius; he has gotten his respect back.
“Really?” Darius said, looking dazed, as if he didn't remember it.
Viktor joined the conversation. “All right, the dinner starts with a toast that Aedan entrusted to me. I guess it paid off to play obedient after all. I will pour the potion into her drink and it has a different colour so I'll know which one it is. Nobody else can see it because the goblets are metallic,” he said swiftly. It seemed he had already prepared a perfect plan.
“And what about Aedan?” Henry said in a slightly doubtful tone.
“Yeah, what about Aedan? He's too tall, he'll see the colour from above!” Darius complained.
“I'll give the goblet to Fjalldís before I come to him. He won't see a thing,” said Viktor confidently. Obviously it sounded convincing enough because in the next moment the five of them had set off back to the creek.
As they were leaving, Viktor stopped Darius and waited until there was a considerable distance between them and their three friends. “Wait. When she takes a sip from the potion, you've got to be the first she'll look at,” said Viktor in haste.
“Oh, that's great, and how am I supposed to do that?” Darius asked, sounding slightly annoyed.
“Just do something abrupt that will make everyone look at you.”
“That's easy to say, but what should I do?”
Viktor just shrugged, “Anything.”
Using the potion brought more trouble than Darius had bargained for. He did his part as the leader. He had dared to use it and restored his respect. He was going to get h
is revenge and that was all he wanted. He joined the novices along with his friends and didn't think about the potion any more.
The air was filled with chortles and joy; no one could guess what was coming. When Aedan called them to gather around, it was getting dark and the light of the burning torches slowly replaced the light of the sun. The novices stood in a wide circle under the stars that started showing up in the twilight sky.
Aedan told Viktor to bring the drinks as his cheerful expression changed to a worried one. The reason was the burning torches. He shuddered to think what would happen if one of them loosened and slumped down on the lovely healthy grass!
While Aedan was sinking in his worries, Viktor had opened the potion flask and quickly poured a few drops of the liquid into one of the goblets. Then he slipped the flask back into his pocket. Picking up the tray with goblets, he carefully turned around. There was as much cheer as when he had left; no one had seen anything.
Viktor quietly returned to the circle and started giving the goblets to the novices. He gave a cheesed glare to everyone who dared to look at him. As planned, Aedan got his drink last.
“Finally,” Aedan whispered as his fingers tightened around the goblet. He was gazing inside as though he had seen all his desires granted there. Then, with a bright smile, he raised it high. “To this celebratory opening of our glorious Druid Grove!” he said in an ecstatic voice.
There was an outbreak of muffled muttering at this.
Maren leaned closer to Magnus, whispering, “I don't think this is supposed to be a Druid Grove–”
They didn't know how, but their teacher heard it. “Silence!” Aedan shouted, and among all the novices that were muttering, he cast his strict glare at Maren who stopped talking immediately.
“Now, everyone close your eyes,” said the druid in a calm voice. “And thank Mother Nature for providing all the delicious ingredients for making this wonderful druid drink.” He was talking with great pleasure now, closing his eyes while gently smiling. There was a moment of silence. Aedan furtively opened one eye and he found that none of the novices did what he told them to do.
Drakonika (Book 1) Page 14