Mazannanan lifted his arms again and continued chanting.
“You could have told us to bring a pillow,” Elloriana said.
“Another perk of being a rogue,” Dagdon replied.
The blue light appeared in the right arch again, showing the ragged woman. When the blue light appeared in the archway behind the altar, they saw Mazannanan studying the book copiously at the altar. As time sped by, the wizard eventually stood up raising his arms in triumph. The super-speed scenes showed him zooming through the forest, collecting different ingredients they were unable to discern, and then carrying out the mixing of the potion. He performed some sort of ritual to start the potion smoking, and then he sat at the altar, holding three glowing gems in his hands. They could see the wizard’s mouth moving as he recited the incantation as he worked. Then, they watched as the arch crystals began to form one after the other, the left leg growing, curving over the top, and the right leg extending back down. When the wizard had placed two of the Arches of Avooblis on the altar and was creating the third, the two crystals on the altar began to fizzle, sending out lightning bolts with the sound of static. Suddenly, there was a blast of blue light and a puff of black smoke, and Mazannanan was no longer there. The roof of the shrine began to crumble, raining down upon the altar.
There was nothing but blackness, and Dagdron, Earl, Elloriana, and Lita fell to the ground.
Dagdron woke up first again, having slept soundly with his head on his cloak pillow. He roused Earl and let him deal with the girls. When they were all on their feet and Earl, Elloriana, and Lita were done rubbing their sore heads, they headed back up the staircase. Dagdron looked back, expecting the wizard to appear and tell them the next item he wanted, but he never showed.
Elloriana and Lita went to freshen up, but Dagdron and Earl headed straight for breakfast in the dining hall. Dagdron got his usual few sausages, and Earl loaded up his own plate with everything Chef Barig had prepared. Dagdron enjoyed the silence of the meal; Earl still looked dazed and wasn’t saying much since he had to focus harder to get the food steadily to his mouth.
Suddenly, the doors to the eating hall burst open, slamming against the wall. Everyone turned to look as an old man with gray frazzled hair in a magenta robe appeared in the doorway. He lifted a hoe in the air, sending swirling magenta lights across the chamber. After the initial shock, the hall burst with sounds of amazement and many of the magic users, both boy and girl from every year, stood up and applauded.
“Wow!” Earl said, suddenly wide awake. “What an entrance!”
Wendahl had arrived.
Chapter 14: Ignoble News
Wendahl, hearing the applause, was about to parade his magic show around the eating hall, but Headmaster Gwauldron appeared behind him, grabbed ahold of his hoe, and dragged him through the doors.
“What is he doing here?” Earl asked.
Dagdron stabbed the last of his sausages and rushed across the chamber. Earl followed on his heels, his full plate of food in his hands. The only people they found were Elloriana and Lita, who were just heading to breakfast.
“Did you see them?” Dagdron asked.
“Who?” Elloriana said.
“Wendahl!” Earl said. “He was casting these amazing spells in the eating hall!”
“The enchanter who gave you the sphere?” Elloriana said, suddenly showing more interest.
“I saw the headmaster go into the boys’ tower,” Lita said. “They must’ve headed up to his office.”
“We’ll have to talk to him later,” Earl said.
“When are you going to get the next step from the creepy wizard?” Elloriana asked.
“We’ll have to sneak down there at night when it’s safer,” Earl said before Dagdon could answer.
“Make sure you tell us before you go search for the item this time!” Lita said. She slapped Earl’s plate upward and the food hit his chest before falling to the floor. Elloriana gave a curt nod and both girls disappeared into the eating hall.
“Maybe you aren’t going to end up in Bodaburg,” Dagdron said as Earl picked up his food.
“They’re just jealous,” Earl said, picking the crumbs off his clothes. “I’ve told you many times how lucky we were to have an actual quest last year. Seriously, Dagdron, not many students at the Adventurers’ Academy get real-life questing experience before they leave the academy. I can’t blame Lita or Elloriana for being upset about missing out on the spumasaur spittle experience.”
Dagdron left without replying, remembering how he had given Elloriana and Lita plenty of opportunities to discuss the spumasaur. They were the ones who had wanted recovery time.
The silent rogue teacher was standing in the corridor when Dagdron arrived. Being the first student there, Dagdron busied himself by sharping his dagger against the wall and then running his finger along the blade. He had no idea if the teacher was watching him or not from under his hood.
When all ten second-year rogues were present, the teacher opened the door, exposing the pitch black room. He pointed to the rogue nearest him, motioning him into the room. The rogue paused at the doorway, unsure of what he was supposed to do. The teacher took out a dagger and nudged the rogue, closing the door behind once both of them had passed into the dark.
The silent rogue took each student in the dark room one by one. Each time, the younger rogue exited with an expression of fear lining his usual blank face, and Cort even screeched a couple of times. Dagdron, now used to the teacher choosing him last, waited patiently out in the hallway. Dagdron assumed the teacher liked to warm up before trying to best him.
When it was his turn, Dagdron hurried to the other side of the dark room, almost tripping a couple of times over the objects the teacher had spread around the room. Dagdron had gained a lot of experience moving in the darkness over the past year during his and Earl’s quests, so he held still as his eyes adjusted to the darkness. He slowly picked out the general shapes of the objects on the floor, but he was unable to see where the teacher was. Staying in the same position, Dagdron held his breath and listened. The rogue teacher was silent, but then Dagdron caught the slightest sound of a dagger being pulled from beneath a cloak. When he realized the teacher was heading in his direction, Dagdron hunched over in sneaking position, and stealthily moved to the right, carefully stepping over a chair. Moments after he had moved, a dagger clanked against the wall behind where he had been.
The cat and mouse activity lasted like this for the duration. Dagdron was able to dodge each of the daggers his teacher threw at him, which got easier as his eyes adjusted more and more to the blackness, and because he could hear the ever so slight wheeze escaping the teacher’s mouth because of his annoyance at being unable to hit Dagdron with a dagger.
The activity ended when the teacher opened the door, filling the room with the blinding light. Dagdron crept from the corner, wondering if the teacher would stab him as he left. But, instead, once he was out in the hallway, the teacher gave him a twitch of a nod and returned into the dark room.
Dagdron and Earl thought they might see Wendahl at some point that day, but the old man from Coastdale didn’t even show up at dinner to continue his display of magic. Elloriana and Lita joined the boys at the quest tree after mealtime, asking more questions about what they thought Wendahl was doing there, but Earl didn’t know and Dagdron didn’t answer. Elloriana, having another get-together with Byron, only stayed a short while. After she left, Earl and Lita practiced sword fighting, and Dagdron was left in peace up in the tree.
Dagdron, anxious to know the next ingredient Mazannanan wanted, forced Earl to go to the shrine that night. When they reached the basement of the classroom tower, Dagdron heard mumbling down the right-hand corridor, and quickly shushed Earl, who had been talking about the upcoming Winter Carnival. Dagdron crouched down against the wall to peer around the entrance to the corridor. Earl crowded him behind, craning his neck over Dagdron.
At the end of the hallway, Headmaster Gwauldron an
d Wendahl were each holding an Arch of Avooblis and mumbling. The tapestry had been taken off the wall. The arch crystals were having no effect.
“I told you it wouldn’t work, Gwidy,” Wendahl said. “You need the third arch.”
“Do not call me that in my academy,” the headmaster replied. He reached out and yanked the arch crystal from Wendahl’s hand before returning both of them to their respective pouches.
Wendahl retrieved his hoe from where it was leaning against the wall. He cast a fetch spell at the tapestry. The glowing circle brought the wall-hanging to his hands and he hung it up.
“I thought maybe with both our power the wall would open,” Headmaster Gwauldron said as the two enchanters turned to walk down the corridor.
Dagdron quickly backed up, pushing Earl along with him. They ducked into the middle hallway, pressing themselves against the wall, still listening to the soft voices.
“Give it up,” Wendahl said. “We found out long ago that nothing good comes from using only two arches.”
“This time, with two arches in my possession, I feel certain that I will locate the third.”
Wendahl shook his head. “You tried that for years and never found anything. I wish you would stop your search for the third crystal.”
“Tell me, then,” the headmaster said, his voice taking on a note of annoyance. “Where do you think the third arch crystal is?”
“Oh, no,” Wendahl said, chuckling. “I got out of this arch business long ago. I have no idea where the third one is, and I don’t want to know.”
“Why did you come here?” By then the headmaster and enchanter had reached the landing. Dagdron dared a quick glance while holding Earl back with his hand. The headmaster was facing Wendahl with a stiff expression.
“It’s been years since I attended the Winter Carnival. I just so happened to have a run in with two of your students this summer, and it gave me a desire to come back north. I was drawn here.”
Wendahl gave a silly grin and the headmaster, turning, shook his head.
“Gwidy, I need to ask you something,” Wendahl said, grabbing the back of the headmaster’s robe. “Have you by chance heard your students talking about me?”
“Of course,” the headmaster said, casting a scowl back at Wendahl. “Each teacher told me their students were unfocused today. Your entrance caused quite a stir.”
“Oh, really?” Wendahl said. “I just wondered.”
“Get back to your room, and stay there,” the headmaster said.
Wendahl, chuckling, followed Headmaster Gwauldron up the stairs.
Dagdron held Earl back until the sound of the footsteps faded completely, and they moved out onto the landing.
“What does this mean?” Earl asked. “Is Wendahl helping Headmaster Gwauldron?”
“I don’t think so,” Dagdron said. “Did he know the sphere would open the wall? If he did, then he’s not telling the headmaster that.”
“Why would he have given us the orb in the first place?”
Dagdron shrugged his shoulders and headed down the right corridor. Earl lifted the tapestry and Dagdron set the orb in the archway. The lightning crashed in the left arch as soon as they were heading down the stairs.
“What season is it currently?” Mazannanan asked, stepping out into the shrine.
“Autumn,” Earl said excitedly. Before the wizard could interrupt, Earl dove into a detailed telling about the Winter Carnival.
“Carnival,” the wizard said, appalled. “What kind of slothfulness is that? People should increase their intellect during the winter months when other activities are limited. Not participate in revelry and gluttony.”
“The Winter Carnival isn’t like that,” Earl said defensively.
Mazannanan held up his hands to stop Earl from talking. “I inquired about the season because I need a spore of the lanziria plant. You must collect it before the snowfall covers the northern lands. If not, we will be set back until the plants bloom again in the spring.”
Earl, still set on defending the carnival, jumped into more justification, but the Wizard of Avooblis swiftly disappeared into the archway.
Elloriana and Lita were waiting expectantly at the quest tree the following evening after classes.
“Of course I know what a lanziria spore is,” Elloriana said snootily.
“Where is one?” Dagdron asked.
“I don’t know the exact location. We’ll have to search for one, obviously.” Elloriana was thoughtful for a moment. “Why do you think Mazannanan wants all of these objects? Mandrake root, nightshade juice, and the lanziria spore are mainly used for dark purposes.”
“Princess, I’ve been meaning to ask you, how do you know about all this dark stuff?” Earl said. “Is that what they teach the magic users at the academy?”
“Well, no.” Elloriana stumbled over her words. “I research all sorts of topics. You never know what you’ll encounter on a quest. I’ll find the book I read about them in. Perhaps that will give us some clues where to search. I don’t feel comfortable asking Chesna again after the spumasaur spittle.”
“The wench has gone dark,” Dagdron said.
“When do we search?” Lita asked quickly to shut Dagdron up.
“Each day after classes,” Earl said. “We can go full time on the weekend. Mazannanan said we have to hurry before the snow comes.”
Dagdron and Earl went to Bodaburg later that evening, cautiously keeping their eyes open for Kemp. They asked Grizzard if he knew anything about the spores, but he didn’t know where one was, so they spent an hour or so in the tavern, sipping cider and observing the local folk, who were already gearing up for the Winter Carnival in a few of weeks.
On their way out of the tavern, Dagdron and Earl saw Byron, Landon, and Gordon approaching Mayor Rigo’s house on the opposite side of the street.
“Finally,” Earl whispered. “We can spy on one of their secret meetings.”
Dagdron, remaining silent, waited until the three warriors had knocked on the mayor’s front door and gone inside. Then, he led Earl across the street and into the narrow passage on the side of the mayor’s house. They had been in the cramped alleyway a couple of times before, and approached the window on the side of the house. Unfortunately, the curtains were closed and there was no alternative for them to discretely eavesdrop.
“They’re getting more careful,” Earl said when they were returning to the village gate. “I’m getting more and more worried about what they’re up to.”
“That’s the wench’s job to find out,” Dagdron replied.
“That’s not the attitude an adventurer should have.”
“I’m not an—”
“Don’t say it!” Earl said, cutting Dagdron off. “I never want to hear you speak those words again. You are most certainly an adventurer.”
Dagdron let the subject drop.
When they got back to their bedroom in the Adventurers’ Academy, Earl sat down on his bed to read the letter he had received from his parents that day. Dagdron sharpened his dagger against the wall, waiting for Earl to read the letter out loud like he usually did. When he didn’t hear Earl’s boisterous reading voice, Dagdron glanced across the room. Earl, his face sunken, was silently mouthing the words as he read the parchment.
“My parents are coming to the Winter Carnival,” Earl said.
“Didn’t you think they would?” Dagdron asked.
“Yes, but they’re not coming to enjoy the festivities. They’re accompanying King and Queen Loftloomburg along with the Solloughbys. My family’s under scrutiny.”
“Why?”
“Because of me,” Earl said, glancing back down at the parchment. “My dad says the Solloughbys have proof that I have been participating in ignoble behavior while at the Adventurers’ Academy. Dagdron, my family’s in danger of losing their nobility status.”
Chapter 15: Spore Sport
Earl’s freak out sessions put the spore search on hold until the end of October. In every s
pare moment, he rehashed any experience that came to mind, trying to deduce if he had behaved in a dishonorable fashion. Dagdron listened but, unable to come to any concrete conclusion, he just let Earl use him as a sounding-board.
The nights were even worse, Dagdron quickly discovered. Earl, already prone to talking in his sleep, was thrashing around and mumbling nightmarish phrases about his family being thrown out of the castle. Dagdron had slept very little the past two nights.
Elloriana eventually brought clarity to the issue.
“We’re in trouble,” she told the others at the quest tree. “Mercer must be trying to get his revenge now, too.”
Earl, usually full of respect, grabbed the piece of parchment from Elloriana’s hands and read the letter her parents had sent, asking if she knew who Mercer the merchant was, and if Earl had had any contact with him. The Solloughbys claimed that, once they reached Bodaburg, Mercer would present proof of what Earl had been involved in that endangered the relationship between Lordavia and Broodavia.
“I can’t believe this,” Earl said. “Mercer must’ve kept the letter we forged last year. But how did he get in contact with the Solloughbys? They’ve had it out for my family ever since I got accepted into the academy.”
“The wench can explain it to her parents,” Dagdron said. The leaves on the quest tree had changed colored and dried up, leaving the rogue much more exposed than during the summer months.
“It’s not that easy,” Elloriana said. “I can’t put my relationship with Byron at risk. If Lordavia is truly in danger from whatever he has planned, I need to keep gathering information from him.”
“What information have you even got from him, wench?” Dagdron said. “He took some seeds from Lordavia, big deal.”
“Stop calling me that!” Elloriana cast a flame spell from each hand. Dagdron scooted out of the way, but a bunch of leaves smoldered from the spell.
“She’s right,” Earl said. “We can’t put the kingdom of Lordavia at risk. We’ll have to think of something else. Do you think your parents will listen if we explain that we were on a quest from the headmaster?”
The Shrine of Avooblis Page 13