“Oh my heck,” Earl said, flipping through the documents.
“What are they?”
“They’re details about how to produce all the wares in the chest. But these are all products only found in Lordavia.”
“Are they going to sell them in Broodavia?” Dagdron guessed. “That’s what Gordon made it sound like.”
“But why would they do that? They would have to buy all these supplies from Lordavia first to even make them. They wouldn’t be able to produce them and make enough gold to profit from them. This is weird, Dagdron.”
“Maybe the wench will know something,” Dagdron said.
“Yeah,” Earl said softly, still flipping through the documents. “And at least we know the Solloughbys are traitors. Not that I want revenge, but they still need to be taken care of for giving out the secrets of Lordavia.”
“We’ll talk to the wench in the morning.”
Earl nodded before replacing the parchments and locking the chest.
Dagdron, seeing that Earl was quietly lost in thought, set a steady pace back to the academy, knowing now he could get some sleep.
Chapter 22: Moogrout Challenge
“I’m sending a letter to my parents right now!” Elloriana said when Earl told her about his and Dagdron’s excursion. Their group of four was under the quest tree. “I want the Solloughbys out of Lordavia immediately!”
“Dagdron and I already discussed it,” Earl said. “We think we should wait until we find out more information.”
“But, Earl, this could clear your family’s name. My father might even reinstate your noble status.”
“He doesn’t want to be a richy anymore,” Dagdron said.
“If we take the documents and expose the Solloughbys, how are we going to figure out what they’re really up to? Byron might find another contact that we don’t know about.”
Elloriana didn’t immediately reply, mulling over what Earl had said.
“Who cares?” Dagdron said. “We’re supposed to be fishing.”
“You’re right,” Elloriana said. “A country excursion will allow me to consider the various options.”
Dagdron, Earl, Elloriana, and Lita joined the crowd of students heading to Bodaburg the first Saturday since the thaw. But, instead of heading into the village, they turned to the left, heading in that direction until they ran into the stream. The melting snow had swollen the river, and the rapids rushed downward. Earl and Lita’s spring warrior spirit kept them moving at a fast pace, ignoring the mud they tromped through. They climbed on rocks and bounded off them, showing their toughness as warriors. Dagdron followed behind, using the rocks and wood to cross the muddiest sections. Elloriana, struggling to deal with the mud, fell behind as she took time to levitate so her robe didn’t get too dirty. Once she felt the others were too far ahead, she shook her head, disgusted with herself, and picked up the pace to catch up.
The roaring waterfall would have been easy to find even if they hadn’t followed the river. They arrived above it to see the falls were crashing into the bulging pool below. Earl, Lita, and Dagdron climbed down the gray rocks that the water fell from. Elloriana, as usual, lowered herself with a softly humming levitation spell. They moved to the end of the pool, away from the rapids and mist of the falls, where the water smoothed before curving to the right where the streambed led.
“How about a friendly competition today?” Earl said, his spring energy still bursting. “Let’s see who can catch the moogrout fish first.”
“Did Wendahl say anything about how to catch it?” Elloriana asked.
“Just that they’re bottom suckers,” Earl explained. “He said that’s where we’ll find one.”
“Must be because the falls stir up the mud,” Lita said.
“How about we just catch one and get out of here?” Dagdron said.
“Come on, Dagdron,” Earl said. “Let us have a little fun. Unless you think you can’t catch one.”
“Nice try,” Dagdron said, knowing Earl was trying to goad him into the competition. “Fine, I’ll catch it before you guys.”
“All right,” Earl said, clapping his hands. “The competition begins now.”
Earl and Lita rushed to the edge of the pool, looking into the depths. Elloriana strode to the shore, too, but Dagdron climbed on a nearby boulder to look from above. The fish were hard to make out, but they were down there, Dagdron saw, just like Wendahl had said.
Lita, finishing her initial inspection, hurried to a tree and broke off a branch, plucking off the buds that had recently bloomed. Then, she kicked around in the mud until she found a worm. She picked it up and tied it in a knot around the tip of the branch before returning to the shore and dipping her makeshift pole in the water. Earl saw what she was doing and moved next to her, drawing his sword to be ready in case she attracted a fish. Lita, taking issue with Earl’s tactic, elbowed him each time he came close. Earl, though usually more gentle with the lady folk, even toward Lita with all her muscles, elbowed back this time. The two warriors eventually began hip-checking each other as they watched the water. On one particularly hard shove, Earl finally tripped over his boots. He grabbed Lita’s arm and both of them splashed into the water.
Elloriana laughed out loud, sprinting away from shore to avoid getting a single drop of water on her. Dagdron, who had remained on his rock perch, had watched with amusement, but now he jumped down to get closer to the pool. Elloriana joined him as Earl and Lita climbed out of the water, both sopping but both smiling.
Dagdron pulled his dagger out, following the dark shapes with his eyes, ready to swipe at any that came near the surface. Elloriana had her right had raised and, as soon as the water settled from Earl and Lita’s ripples, she cast a fetch spell. She felt a moment’s triumph as she watched her fetch circle head straight for a fish but, when it returned, all it brought back was a lot of water, drenching her from head to toe.
Even Dagdron joined Earl and Lita in laughing. Elloriana, aghast, stepped back with her mouth wide open, feeling the cold water dripping off her. But then a smile broke on her face, and she laughed along with the others.
Dagdron, seeing this as his opportunity, looked back into the water. The fish he could see had swum to the opposite side of the pool, away from Elloriana’s spell. Dagdron headed down stream to cross the river where three or four logs were wedged. Earl, noticing the rogue was up to something, followed. Dagdron crossed the logs without a hitch, but Earl, his arms extended horizontally, wobbled as he traversed. Midway across, he leaned to the left on one leg, but successfully regained his balance and reached the other shore.
Dagdron ran upstream to the pool, lying on his stomach and reaching his dagger into the water, trying to jab one of the fish. Accepting that as implausible, he stood back up as Earl reached him. Seeing no other option, Dagdron started picking up rocks and throwing them forcefully into the pool. The fish darted out of the way, but he still figured that was his best chance.
Earl joined Dagdron in firing rocks into the water. The girls, staying on the other side, watched for a minute but then followed suit. Lita picked up a particularly big rock and heaved it across the pool with a roar. It landed with a huge splash, showering Dagdron. Elloriana and Earl laughed as Lita flexed her muscles. Dagdron scowled at Lita but then continued searching for sharper rocks. Earl, Lita, and Elloriana kept at it as well until Earl gave a yell.
“Someone hit one!” Earl pointed into the water at a dark shape floating to the top.
“Who hit it?” Lita asked.
“I did,” Dagdron said.
“Yeah right,” Elloriana said.
“I saw my rock hit it,” Dagdron persisted.
“Why did Earl yell out then?”
“First one to get the fish wins,” Earl announced.
Fortunately, once the fat grayish fish floated to the top, the ripples carried it toward Dagdron and Earl’s shore. Dagdron whipped his dagger back out as Earl reached out his sword. Having more length, Earl’s sword to
uched the fish. He flicked his sword upward, hoping to toss the moogrout toward him, but instead, flung it outward in Lita and Elloriana’s direction.
“Earl!” Dagdron said.
Lita swiped her sword, batting the moogrout fish to the shore where it flopped around. She hit the fish’s head with the hilt of her sword and it stopped flailing. The lady warrior hoisted the fish as her trophy, roaring in triumph.
“I told you you’re competitive,” Earl said.
“Don’t act like you get to share the victory with Lita,” Dagdron said, scowling.
Earl smiled and patted Dagdron on the back before they crossed the logs back to the other side.
Lita laid the fish on the ground so everyone could see it. The fish was a dirty gray color with black splotches in a few places. Its lighter belly had an oily-looking purple streak down it. The dark eyes and whiskers rounded out its creepy appearance.
“Are we even sure this is a moogrout?” Elloriana asked.
“I guess if Mazannanan doesn’t accept it, we’ll just have to come back here tomorrow,” Earl said, smiling.
Dagdron climbed up on the boulder he had before and lay down in the spring sun. Elloriana sat down on the shore in the sun as well, but Earl and Lita drew their swords to combat with each other to dry off. Elloriana eventually let out a laugh and lay on her back.
“See, this is what I was talking about,” Elloriana said. “In Lordavia, I would never have been in this type of situation.”
Dagdron didn’t respond.
“I know you can you hear me,” Elloriana said.
“You talk as much as Earl,” Dagdron said.
“Yeah, right,” Elloriana said, laughing. “My parents would take me out of the Adventurers’ Academy, scandal or no scandal, if they ever found out about this. This is why I want to be an adventurer. Maybe I would never be in this type of situation again, but that’s the point. You get to have unexpected experiences wherever you go.”
Dagdron remained silent.
“You can pretend all you want,” Elloriana continued, “but I know you had fun today, too. You and Earl are lucky; you always seem to have fun together.” Elloriana stood up and walked to the rock Dagdron was on.
“This is my rock, wench,” Dagdron said. “Stealing my tree wasn’t enough?”
“Honestly, you really consider Earl your friend, don’t you?” Elloriana said it more as a statement than a question.
“When he visited my home last summer, I wasn’t unhappy to see him,” Dagdron said.
Elloriana chuckled. “Earl worked so hard in Lordavia at sword fighting, and everyone kind of made fun of him because there are very few fighters. Most people tend to be more intellectual and magic-oriented. Broodavia is where warriors are more accepted. To be honest, I was kind of surprised when he got accepted at the Adventurers’ Academy. I think Headmaster Gwauldron liked the fact that he was a warrior coming from Lordavia. Earl is a really good adventurer though.”
“I wouldn’t still be here if it wasn’t for him,” Dagdron said with a negative tone.
“Are you serious when you say that?”
“Yeah. After seeing the other warriors in cross-over classes, I would’ve left the first day and let any of them be expelled.”
Elloriana was silent for a moment before she spoke again. “I hope when the time comes, I really will dare tell my parents I’m going to be an adventurer. Sometimes at night, when I can’t sleep, I wonder if I have enough gumption.”
“Don’t tell them,” Dagdron said. “Just leave.”
“If only I could do that,” Elloriana said, chuckling.
Dagdron started throwing his dagger up in the air and catching it.
“Can I ask you something else?”
“If you admit you talk more than Earl.”
“Have you thought about what’s going to happen when we give all the ingredients to the Mazannanan? You have realized that these are components to evil magic, right?”
“I don’t think about it,” Dagdron said. “We’ll get all the information we can, and then take everything back. He can’t physically touch the stuff to make a potion.”
“I hadn’t thought of it that way,” Elloriana said.
Earl and Lita sprinted back over by the rock, full of fighter’s vigor.
“We’d better get back to the academy,” Earl said. “I’m starving, so I’m going to eat a huge dinner before going to face the wizard again. Who’s going to carry the moogrout?”
Dagdron pointed his dagger at Lita. “It’s her trophy.”
Lita scooped the fish up and gave another roar of triumph. Earl pulled a sack from his pack and Lita put the fish in it. Earl and Lita, racing each other, hurried ahead to climb the rocks to the top of the falls. Dagdron climbed up agilely and Elloriana levitated. Before walking off, Dagdron noticed Elloriana turn back around and look down at the pool.
“Hurry, wench,” Dagdron said.
“I just wanted one last look,” Elloriana said. “Whenever I doubt telling my parents about being an adventurer, I want to remember this place.”
“Just leave,” Dagdron said, securing his hood and following the river back toward the academy.
* * *
Earl had offered to keep the fish in their bedroom, so he and Dagdron were especially anxious to get the smelly thing down to the shrine that night. Elloriana recoiled when she smelled it, plugging her nose as they took it down the stairs, where the Wizard of Avooblis was waiting for them.
“She’s beautiful,” Mazannanan said when Earl dumped the fish on the altar. “It pleases me that you brought the whole thing. We can save the skin and innards for later once we pluck out the bones.”
Under the wizard’s instructions, Dagdron and Earl retrieved a cutting board, mortar and pestle, and two jars from the shelves. Dagdron, careful not to harm the bones, used his dagger to sever the head, cut the belly open, scrape out the innards, and slice the flesh from the fish. Elloriana gagged as she watched, so she moved by the shelves with one hand plugging her nose and the other covering her mouth. While Dagdron pulled the meat from the bones, Mazannanan ordered Earl to fill one of the jars with the skin and innards.
“Enchantress, come heat the bones,” the wizard said, motioning to Elloriana.
Her face was pale, but she approached the altar.
“Three flame spells should suffice.” The wizard pointed to the bones.
Elloriana lifted her right hand and sent out three flame balls. They each hit the bones, drying them out and making them brittle.
“Break them carefully and place them in the mortar.”
Dagdron helped Elloriana. The bones snapped easily, and they piled them in the mortar to the approval of the wizard. Elloriana, still pale, grabbed the pestle and ground the moogrout bones until they were nothing but a fine powder.
“Wonderful,” Mazannanan said, motioning to the empty jar on the table.
Dagdron poured the powdered moogrout bones into the jar and set it next to the other ingredients.
“Tonight, I have a treat for you,” Mazannanan said, taking his place at the altar. “You get to witness the creation of your shrine.”
Before any of the four could ask what he meant, the wizard’s arms raised, the pages of the tome flipped, the bedraggled woman appeared in the right arch, and a scene developed in the middle arch, moving at normal speed.
Headmaster Gwauldron, Rance, and Wendahl were once again standing on the mountainside.
“Are you sure you won’t stay?” the headmaster asked Wendahl.
“Yes,” Wendahl said. “It’s time for me to venture out into the land by myself. Your idea for an academy is a noble one, but my life is meant for exploration.”
“That is the exact reason I am founding the academy. I want to train adventurers to serve the land while we uncover the secrets of Avooblis.”
Rance, who had been waiting impatiently off to the side, stepped forward.
“You are both wasting your time,” Rance said. “Wend
ahl, you cannot expect to make a large-scale difference by yourself. And, Gwydion, how do you expect youth with little experience to venture out into the land? They’ll be killed sooner than save anyone.”
“The Adventurers’ Academy will give them the necessary training. Villages everywhere in the land need the help of heroes. We can train enchanters, warriors, and rogues, each of whom has unique abilities that will permit them to fulfill certain quests.”
“It will never be enough,” Rance said. “Evil creatures and habits are too widespread.”
“Stay and teach,” Headmaster Gwauldron said. “You will have access to the arch crystals here whenever you like. You can continue your studies of Avooblis here.”
“I would prefer if you let me take the arches with me,” Rance said. “Our rule of first-touch should not apply to something this important. I should be allowed at least one of the arches.”
The headmaster shook his head, refusing Rance’s request.
“I must be off,” Wendahl said. “I wish you well, but both of you would be better off ridding the world of those crystals. We were all in those ruins long enough to know only evil will come from the arches.”
Wendahl headed down the valley, and the scene skipped into fast-forward motion. The headmaster and Rance were on the mountainside supervising as the Adventurers’ Academy was built. The dark brown stones kept getting taller and taller until the tops of the towers were hoisted up with pulleys and magic.
The scene slowed down again as Wendahl climbed up the slope, gawking at the huge academy. He held a hoe in his right hand. He went to the front doors, casting a spell with his hoe to open them with force. Headmaster Gwauldron and Rance, both smiling, were inside the entrance hall, next to a canvas-covered structure. A small group of warriors, enchanters, and rogues were lined up in front of the headmaster and Rance. The headmaster motioned for the first students of the academy to open a pathway for Wendahl.
Once Wendahl was at their side, the headmaster whisked the canvas off, exposing the statue of the enchanter, warrior, and rogue that still stood in the academy in the present day. The students erupted with applause and jubilation as they looked at the statues.
The Shrine of Avooblis Page 22