by W. Peever
In his forest green robes with the gold trim was Prof Grayson, talking animatedly with a rather tall Dwarf, by Dwarf standards, in black chaps and a red bandana. Avery busied himself in entranced conversation with the stunningly beautiful queen of the Vola, which pricked Charlie a little, thinking of his mother. Joelle wasn't talking with anyone; instead she had focused on Charlie's figure, and was making a direct path to him. With a pounce, Joelle knocked Charlie to the ground, her immense paws on his shoulders and sharp tigress claws digging into his flesh, drawing spots of blood.
"Ow! Joelle!"
"You're going to wish I was Vali when I'm done with you, boy!" she snarled.
"You're going to kill me with your breath?—tuna and…" He sniffed the air: "a charming Bordeaux?"
"Cabernet, if you please. If you ever leave me behind again I may have to kill you myself! As it is, you are cleaning my kitty box for the next six months!"
Charlie winced at the thought, for he knew that she would assume tiger form every time she used it just to make the punishment that much worse. "Sounds fair. Will you get off me now?" Joelle stepped off and Avery bent down and gave him a hand up.
"Good to see you in one piece, son. Your mother's been worried." Charlie's mouth opened. "Oh, don't worry," Avery went on. "She's fine—still thinks you had to go back to school early, but you know how she is. Cillie even had her convinced that she'd kissed you goodbye." He frowned over towards Cillie, talking to Marley.
"Thank you, Avery, for everything."
Charlie was beaming as the others joined them.
"Well, Charlie." The calming voice of their headmaster filled the air with that familiar Scottish burr. "It seems you have caused us more than a small bit of panic. When the Dwarves sent us a message that your life was in danger, the Council readied to send help. But when they heard you may have found the lost Treasure of the Templar, well, they wanted to send the entire army. They insisted that a contingent of Council Guard should come to secure the treasure."
"And so how many came, Professor?" Charlie asked.
"Only the whole guard and then some," the old man chuckled. "Well, I must ask, were you successful in your task or was all this rampaging around only another exciting adventure to tell when you get back to school?"
"We found…everything, Professor." Charlie gave the headmaster a very meaningful look.
"Well then, take the Twins and Marley down to show them your find. Certain items should be transported directly to my study. Marley will deposit you all there. Much has happened during your time away from us, Charlie, Mick, Bailey, and Tillie. Some I believe you already suspect, but all the same we must have a very long chat. And, don't forget, Ms Welling is trying to get you to clean the towers."
The friends' goodbyes to Colin were tearful, and full of promises to get together soon. Their Templar friend had to return with his father and Avery to Castle Templar to begin to persuade the remaining faithful that the time of hiding was over and their only hope was to join forces with the Order. Charlie did not envy the job in front of them, but Colin laughed.
"Charlie, the job ahead of you is near impossible, and you're worried about my house?—seriously out-of-place priorities, mate. I'll get the Templar together, and when you call we'll be there." He laughed again that rich Colin laugh that had kept them moving all summer, and kissed Bailey on the cheek.
Colin used the crystal from the Grandmaster Templar to Qilt his party on their way. The others helped Silace and Marley get the tablets and other items ready and then transported with them back to the headmaster's study to await his return.
As Charlie sank deep into the familiar velvet armchair with his closest friends around him he thought of his first night here at the Castle. He had been terrified of everything from the furniture to the headmaster—who had turned himself into a cat. Now he realized these same things scared him but not in the same way as before. Now he feared their loss. This Castle represented everything that was good and safe in his world: Ms Welling bringing them hot chocolate, the ticking of the grandfather clock, and his friends.
Charlie looked around the room at the quorum: Bailey appeared to be mourning the loss of Colin, once again back in her neo-goth attire; Mick, aware of Bailey's mood, in the corner looking morose. Charlie could only imagine the thoughts running through Mick's head, but he was glad that Colin had got away to Scottland. And here was Tillie, holding his hand from the other velvet chair, her golden locks framing a perfect smile as she gazed over at him.
Just then the headmaster joined them.
"I am so terribly sorry for my tardiness. However it was quite unavoidable, as you four have certainly got our entire world buzzing about your activities. The Vola, out of hiding and on our side after all this time, and the Dwarves, promise to lend us their aid in the War that is most certainly on its way."
Grayson took a deep breath and a sip of hot chocolate. "It is just as well that you found the treasure, much as I would have loved to be there. I now realize you all must have learned what I was blind to: We have a traitor among us."
The children felt their world suddenly grow cold as the warmth in the air was suddenly sucked out of the room. Charlie could barely bring himself to speak. "Are you sure, Professor? I mean, yes it was odd that the Vanari knew where to attack us at the Church but…"
"Too many coincidences and happenstances, my dear boy…far too many. I must remind myself of Acom's Razor, that the simplest answer is most often the correct one. Yes, we could say that Samuel McKenna's recruitment and successful missions were a coincidence, or that the Vanari knew exactly when you were traveling home last winter was a lucky guess; even precisely which church in New England was the key one—and what time you would be there this summer. No, if you put all their evil intuition and lucky breaks together you come up with far too much to swallow as good management. No, I believe there is a traitor among us, someone whom we trust with our lives and the ongoing force of good in the world. And I am blind to who that could be," the headmaster said with a heavy heart.
"We must keep our minds and ears open to possibilities that seem unimaginable. Keep your friends close, Charlie. Now, there are more dark events transpired since last we spoke. The Dwarves, who listen to the goings on of the Underworld, inform me that Vali is entering an alliance with the Fire Demons."
"The Fire Demons! No!" Bailey almost screamed.
The headmaster held his hand up for calm. "The Fire Demons are rising from the depths, and offered the Vanari the deal. There is no news from the Giants of Jotun Heim or the creatures from the Underworld, but be prepared for them to join with the Fire Demons. The situation is grim. After all, we barely contained the Fire Demons in the first war. Now, with the help of the Vanari, they may be unstoppable. We must persuade the other races, the Dwarves and the Elves, to join with us; perhaps even the Gnomes, but that is a stretch I will admit."
Professor Grayson took a long draught of his hot drink and looked at his young students. "Well, there are still three more weeks of summer vacation left and I see no reason why you three cannot return home for it, after all you never did get to have those smores."
Bailey stood up from her chair and smiled wryly despite her downcast mood. "Sounds great, Professor. Leaving all that chocolate, and those marshmallows there by the crackling fire that night has never sat well with me. I think it's high time we made use of them."
Charlie laughed as they stood up. "August is a really hot and humid month in Massachusetts, Mick, if you remember. Sure you wouldn't rather take an actual vacation here in Scotland?"
"Where you go I go, Charlie. You're stuck with me." Mick said, slapping Charlie on the back so hard he almost choked on his raspberry tart.
"Then it's settled," Grayson said, reaching into his cloak to pull out two diamonds. "This crystal will get you there, and this one will bring you back here. Simon assures me they're safe."
"No guard?" Charlie inquired.
"Marley's asked to take a vacation with Avery at
the abbey—something about trading killing techniques. He'll be an extra pair of eyes for you. Joelle and her kitty box have transported there, too—I didn't ask questions," said Grayson, shaking his head and laughing.
"Great." Charlie sighed. "We'd better pick up a case of tuna." His three friends laughed as the crystal sent purple and blue sparks around them all. Tillie took Charlie's hand, who took Bailey's hand, who took a seemingly reluctant Mick's hand. With a nod they vanished from the castle, at long last going home.
Epilogue
The headmaster turned in his chair, as his ancient hands ran over the engraved text of one of the recovered stones. He sighed as a door in the back of the room creaked open. A tall figure cloaked in black emerged, lingering in the doorway.
The old man's head turned slightly, acknowledging the newcomer's presence, Grayson's attention never leaving the tome grasped tightly in his hands. "Don't just stand there, Vali. We have a great deal of work yet before us."
The man entered the room and removed his hood. "The risk I am taking even being here…"
Grayson cut his old pupil off. "Is nothing compared to what I risk, nor what I would have risked had you not been defeated by a few old women on oversized turkeys."
"The Vola are not to be trifled with, and I suspect they know more than they let on today."
Grayson rubbed his brow and nodded. "Agreed. Their early appearance is suspicious and ill timed. But that is the hand we have been dealt, and we will strategize accordingly." Grayson looked up from his desk and removed his glasses. "Would it be too much of a presumption to assume that your incompetence today has not affected our long term plans?"
Vali sneered back at the old man. "You presume too much of my patience with you, let alone my tolerance."
"You need me as much as I need you, Vali." Grayson replied with equal malice. "Now, feet out of the frying pan, and jump with me into the fire. We have work to do before daybreak."
If you enjoyed Path of the Templar, consider the first book in the series:
Six thousand years ago the Norse Gods were forced to leave their creations on Earth to fight an epic civil war. They charged the Druids of Britton with the protection of the human race while they were away, imbuing them with all of their abilities. The Gods never returned, and the abilities were passed down through the ages. Twelve year old Charlie Burrows is one of the most powerful of these descendants; he just does not realize it; that is till today. The fate of humanity and the life of the father he never knew lie in the balance as he and his new friends struggle to discover the truth about the object that Merlin hid in both space and time.
About the Author
W. C. Peever lives with his wife and two baby girls on the beautiful North Coast of Massachusetts. His love of the written word began in the fourth grade at The Phoenix School in Salem, Massachusetts where writing, theater and the arts were permanently ingrained into his soul. He continued his studies at Bennington College in picturesque Vermont, where he began writing about Charlie, the key character in The Jumper Chronicles series of which the Quest for Merlin's Map is the first installment.
About the Cover Artist
Kelly Amancio was born and raised in an inner city of coastal Massachusetts. She has dedicated the entirety of her young life to becoming a digital artist, and the Jumper Chronicles represents the first step in her reaching this goal. Now a published artist, she hopes to be able to give back to the community where she grew up, and help other young students realize that, although their dreams appear to be out of reach, if they dream long enough, and strive for excellence anything is possible.
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