by Victor Kloss
He bowed and left through the door from which he had come, which Ben assumed must lead to a staircase.
Natalie turned back to the scorch on the wall and put a hand in front of her lips. “We just fought a dark elf,” she said softly, speaking to the wall.
After repeating the statement half a dozen times, the colour in her face started returning.
“I hope you won’t get in trouble,” Ben said.
“What? No, Aryan is far too arrogant to relay such a humiliating experience to his superiors.”
“So what’s the problem?”
Natalie shook her head. “You don’t get it, but how could you? This is all new to you. One of the first things parents teach their children about the Unseen Kingdoms are the rules of conduct towards a dark elf: never talk to them; never make them angry; and never fight them.”
“That seems a bit cowardly,” Charlie said.
“It’s for protection. If we leave them alone, they leave us alone. The Institute cannot afford another war. We have been fighting them on and off for over five hundred years.”
“So we broke a few rules. Is that all you’re worried about?” Ben asked, feeling slightly miffed.
“Yes – I mean, no.” It was the first time Ben had seen Natalie lost for words. She was looking at him with a peculiar glint in her eye. “How did you deflect that spell?”
“I have no idea. Do you think it could have been the spell the wood elves put on me?”
“I’m not sure,” Natalie said, curling a lock of hair round her finger, looking bemused.
“You both seem to be forgetting something.”
Ben turned towards Charlie. He was practically bouncing off the walls with an energy that could only be attributed to the detective work going on inside his head.
“Two words,” Charlie said, sticking a couple of chubby fingers out. “Elizabeth’s legacy.”
Charlie was right. Ben clearly recalled those words uttered by Aryan in response to his deflected spell.
“How does Elizabeth’s legacy relate to the way I blocked that elf’s magic? Is there another spell on me completely different to the wood elf one?”
Charlie tapped his chin thoughtfully. “There must be. I don’t see how the wood elf spell could have anything to do with Elizabeth’s legacy. The problem is we haven’t the faintest clue what Elizabeth’s legacy is.”
“Let’s go see Wren,” Natalie said. “I’m sure she will have answers.”
She didn’t sound quite as certain as yesterday.
— Chapter Seventeen —
Ten Great Dwarf Recipes
Conversation was muted as they made their way back to the Institute. Travis had reserved their room for another night and Ben realised the hotel was to be his home for the foreseeable future. He would have been delighted if the dark elves weren’t staying there.
Natalie’s green eyes were troubled and she curled a lock of hair around her finger, lost in thought. Charlie was staring at the ground, also deep in thought. Ben considered the questions he wanted to ask Wren. Did she know anything about Elizabeth’s legacy? He still recalled the shock on the dark elf’s face the moment the spell was deflected. Most important of all, what did she know about his parents?
Ben was so wrapped up in his own thoughts he barely noticed they were passing the wall surrounding the Institute and the manicured gardens within. It was only when Natalie opened the great oak doors did Ben realise they were back.
Though it was Saturday, the place was still a hive of activity, with people scuttling across the lobby or up and down the stairs. Ben marvelled again at the small coloured diamonds hovering above their shoulders; Natalie’s had appeared the moment they had crossed the threshold.
“I really think they should consider installing an escalator,” Charlie groaned, as they headed for the familiar grand staircase.
They set a good pace and even Ben’s legs were aching when they reached the Department of Spellswords. Natalie led them round the corridor to the office. She turned the handle, but to her dismay it didn’t move.
“Locked. Which means she’s out or busy,” she said.
Natalie produced her ID card and pressed it just below the handle where a lock would have been. There was a click; she tried the handle again and this time the door opened.
The office looked just as they had left it and there was no sign of Wren. Natalie disappeared into the little side room and returned with several notes in her hand and a worried look on her face. She handed one of the notes to Ben and another to a surprised Charlie.
With a funny feeling in his stomach, Ben opened the letter.
“Dear Ben,
“I’m sorry I am unable to meet you this morning. Something unexpected has come up. You have questions that deserve answers, not least the insinuations from my colleagues last night about your parents’ past. I would prefer to talk to you about this personally because most (though not all) in the Institute do not know the full story. Indeed, I do not know everything, but having worked with your parents for many years, I know of their honesty and integrity.
“I hope to meet you this evening when I can enlighten you properly.
“Best wishes,
“Wren”
Ben looked up and saw Natalie and Charlie watching him.
“What did yours say?” Charlie asked.
Ben handed him the note, which Charlie read and then passed to Natalie.
“Intriguing, yet cryptic,” Charlie said with a glint in his eye.
“Do you know where Wren is?” Ben asked, his voice betraying his impatience.
Natalie tapped her own note. “Dragon raid on Riardor, a country not far from here. She had to lead a group of Spellswords to repel them.”
“And she’ll be back for dinner?” Charlie asked doubtfully.
“If she says she will be, she will.”
Ben took his note back and scrunched it up. His frustration was starting to boil over. He knew how important Wren was and what demands there must be on her time, but it still seemed unfair to ask him to wait for her. He wanted answers now.
“So what do we do?” Charlie asked.
“Whatever you want,” Natalie said. She tapped her letter again. “Wren has instructed me to look after you until she returns.”
Ben’s mouth twitched at her babysitting reference, but he tried to ignore it. “I would like to find out where the wood elves live.”
Perhaps he could have been subtler, but Natalie’s bright smile indicated she was still clueless regarding his plan to find the elves. She might be pretty and friendly, but Ben was starting to doubt her intelligence.
“We should be able to find that at the library, in the Department of Scholars,” Natalie said. “I know it sounds boring, but I think you’ll like it.”
As they went back down the staircase, Ben’s mind drifted back to Wren’s note. There was an ominous undertone. What had his parents done in the past?
“Please don’t worry about it,” Natalie said. So she wasn’t completely unobservant; Ben hadn’t realised he looked so concerned. “Wren will explain everything as soon as she returns.”
Ben ruffled his hair and turned to Charlie. “What do you think?”
“It’s just my opinion,” Charlie said, “but it seems like your parents have been in trouble before.”
“That’s just Charlie’s opinion,” Natalie said, giving Charlie a meaningful look.
“Charlie’s opinions are normally pretty accurate.”
Ben had been thinking the same thing. Could they have done something wrong in the past?
“Here we are,” Natalie said. “The Department of Scholars.”
They passed through the double doors and the statue beyond and headed round a distinctly musty corridor. It smelled of old books. Shelves lined the corridor, sometimes on both sides, making walking a bit of a squeeze.
Natalie led them to a door marked “Library”. Ben noticed Charlie rubbing his hands together. He found it hard to share Charl
ie’s excitement, but his eyes lit up the moment he entered.
It was much more than a library. There were the obligatory book shelves creating a maze of corridors, but Ben’s attention went straight to something far more interesting. It was a big open room that reminded him of the Science Museum in London, only cooler. There was a huge globe floating in the centre of the room, circling slowly. Like the map in Wren’s office, the globe included 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 of elements.
“Uh, Ben, wrong way.”
Ben had drifted away from Natalie and Charlie into the centre of the museum room. He was tempted to tell them to go find the books on wood elves by themselves.
“We can come back here later,” Natalie said, dragging him back into the labyrinth of book shelves.
Thankfully, it wasn’t as boring as Ben had imagined. The shelves were clearly marked and the subjects ranged from spells and enchantments to the climate and cultures of the Unseen Kingdoms. Ben wasn’t a big reader, but even he felt like taking out a handful of books. Occasionally they stopped and Natalie, aided by Charlie, pored over a certain book. Ben passed the time by browsing nearby titles for the most outlandish subject. He had just spotted a book called Ten Great Recipes for a Dwarf Vegetarian when Natalie gave a little shout of joy.
“Well done, Charlie – this is the one!” she said.
They were both on the floor, poring over a small, open book called An Elf Census 2012.
“Borgen has a large population,” Charlie said. “Over two thousand, it says.”
“Wow, there are less than ten thousand wood elves left,” Natalie said. “Half the amount of five years ago.”
Ben could see the chart they were reading, but it was useless to him because he didn’t know anything about the countries listed. He needed to know which one would be best to visit, but how could he ask Natalie without arousing suspicion? Any moment they would shut the book and move on. He was going to have to risk it and hope Natalie’s record of delightful ignorance remained untarnished.
Several familiar voices interrupted his scheming.
They all perked their heads up like deer sensing danger. The voices were near, perhaps two or three shelves away, but they were moving. For a brief moment, Ben could make them out.
“…the Commander leaves today on another of his ridiculous journeys and Wren’s not here, so that’s two thorns out the way.” Draven’s voice.
“Regardless, protocol must be carefully followed,” Colin said. He sounded anxious, his normally perfectly enunciated words slightly off.
“Do what you must,” a softer, more compelling voice said. It was Elessar, the first dark elf he had seen, Ben realised, with a ripple of fear. “But it must be done tonight. My king grows impatient and I can appease him only so long.”
The voices faded as they moved out of earshot.
There was a moment of silence as Ben, Charlie and Natalie stared at each other in shock.
Ben moved first. He picked up the book and made to put it back on the shelf, but with a sleight of hand slipped it under his top. Neither Natalie nor Charlie noticed anything.
“Where are you going?” Charlie asked, as Ben set off.
“To follow them. Come on.”
This time it was Ben’s turn to lead, toward the general direction the voices had originated, through the small alleys created by the shelves. Occasionally they passed small, open spaces with a table and chairs where people could read. Ben was just starting to fear he had lost them when he heard the unmistakable voice of Draven.
They were now in an older section of the library. Many of the books looked ready to crumble and the light struggled through the dust that powdered the shelves and permeated the air.
The voices led them to a small reading room, empty except for a couple of chairs and a table piled with books. At the back was an open doorway, but it was guarded by someone.
“Oh no, it’s Josh,” Natalie whispered. They had stopped in the small room unable to proceed further.
“So you are still here,” Josh said, showing a set of sparkling white teeth as he smiled at Natalie. “We thought you’d been released or buckled under the strain of the apprenticeship and left.”
Josh looked a year or two older than Ben and perhaps a head taller. He had expensively styled hair, tanned skin and a self-satisfied smile. His yellow polo shirt and Bermuda shorts looked like they’d left the Ralph Lauren shop five minutes ago. Strapped to his shorts was a holstered Spellshooter.
The voices they were chasing were already getting fainter and Ben was desperate to keep moving. He was tempted to barge his way past, but that could cause problems, especially as Josh was armed.
“I’m still here,” Natalie said. She smiled, but Ben thought it lacked a touch of its usual warmth.
“Indeed,” Josh said. “Well, I should let you know you’re falling behind. I’d be slightly concerned if I were you. Even Graham, with his IQ of a dormouse, has overtaken you. He just finished the Level 1 diplomacy course. Personally I think he cheated. How can someone who can barely speak the English language display even the smallest crumb of diplomatic tact?”
“Well I’m happy for him,” Natalie said.
“Oh, so am I,” Josh said, not looking the least bit jovial.
Just as Ben was suspecting that he and Charlie must be invisible, Josh turned to them.
“Aren’t you going to introduce us?” Josh said, flashing his white, toothy smile at them.
“Sorry,” Natalie said. “Josh, this is Ben and Charlie. They are guests here and I’ve been looking after them.”
Josh shook their hands and he stared at Ben curiously.
“Not Ben Greenwood of the infamous Greenwood family?”
“That’s right,” Ben said, with barely masked impatience.
Josh gave him a sympathetic smile. “I’m sorry to hear about your parents.”
“What do you mean?” Ben asked. He kept his voice mild, his expression neutral, but there was something in Josh’s voice that annoyed him.
“You seem like a decent guy, but having a mum and dad of such poor character will reflect badly on you. I’ve seen it with many other apprentices – those who have strong, successful parents often do better. Take myself as an example.”
Ben felt Natalie’s hand on his shoulder, but it did little to calm his growing anger. “The treason my parents have been accused of is nonsense.”
Josh nodded. “Supporting your parents is admirable. It is just unfortunate that their criminal records count against them.”
“What criminal records?”
“You don’t know?” Josh said, with mild surprise. “I thought the Institute would have told you of all people. Perhaps they didn’t want you to suffer.”
Ben started clenching and unclenching his fists in an effort to stop them from throttling Josh.
“My parents don’t have criminal records,” he said.
Josh gave him a look like a mother breaking the news to her son that Santa doesn’t exist. “I’m afraid they do. Unlike your parents’ current predicament, this one is a matter of historical record.”
Ben wanted to deny it, but something unpleasant had settled in his stomach. “For what?” he asked.
Josh smiled and tapped his nose in a friendly manner. “I don’t think it would be right to say, do you? If you haven’t been told by now, it’s clear the directors don’t want you to know.”
For a moment, Ben was too angry to do anything except concentrate on not hitting Josh. He was probably sixteen and looked like he worked out, but Ben was confident that he could take him down, especially if Charlie pitched in like he did against the dark elf.
“Josh, that isn’t fair,” Natalie said, but her pleading only s
eemed to delight Josh.
“I’m sorry, but it just wouldn’t be right,” Josh said. “Look, I can already see Ben’s lip quivering; let’s move on before he gets too upset. A few of us are going to the Horse and Groom for a few drinks. Unfortunately, Ben and Charlie look too young to join us, but I’m sure I could get you in.”
“No, thank you,” Natalie said curtly. “It’s time we got going.”
Josh, however, did not move from the open doorway despite Natalie’s obvious intent to walk through.
“I’m sorry,” Josh said. “The Director of Diplomacy, Colin Seymour himself, told me to stand guard and not let anyone through. He is holding an important meeting and needs some privacy.”
Natalie gave him a dazzling smile that made Ben’s skin tingle despite not being the recipient. “We just need to get to the Victorian history section,” she said. “We’ll only be a second.”
“No can do,” Josh said, with an uncaring shrug. He smiled, showing his sparkling teeth in a manner he clearly thought charming. “My offer still stands for drinks tonight though, if you tire of looking after these two.”
Natalie turned to face Ben and Charlie with a helpless look. Charlie looked angrier than Ben could remember. His fists were balled and his cheeks were red, however, he did nothing but give Josh an evil look.
Little thought went into Ben’s plan – partly because he didn’t have the time, but mostly because he was angry and itching to do something.
He lunged forward and in one smooth movement pulled Natalie’s Spellshooter out of her holster and aimed it at Josh.
Josh’s eyes widened in surprise. He seemed unaware Ben had no clue how to use a Spellshooter or perhaps he was too scared to realise it. His tanned face suddenly looked significantly less brown.
“What are you doing?” He looked at Ben and clearly didn’t like what he saw, for he turned to Natalie. She looked as startled as Josh but said nothing.
“As I have the Spellshooter pointing at your face, I will ask the questions,” Ben said, relishing the fear in Josh’s eyes. “Let’s talk about my parents. What crime are they accused of?”