by Nick McNeil
“No guts, no glory,” the twins said.
Bertly rolled his eyes. “Don’t worry so much, Roderick. I obviously have a plan.”
Bertly did have a plan—however, it was not to steal a scale from Cordelia’s dragon. He did not intend to irritate his future dragon. Bertly was going to soul-bond with the King of all Dragons, and Polly was going to have a front-row seat to that monumental event.
***
Bertly and Polly sat front and center for Thel’s Mastery seminar on soul-bonding and spirit quests. Polly was trying to write her notes down just as quickly as Thel was writing them on the chalkboard. Bertly found it quite odd that Master Thel handwrote everything—all his other professors used magic to write on the board. Regardless, Bertly could not concentrate on the lecture. He was too wrapped up in thinking about the details of his spirit quest. Polly nudged Bertly and gestured for him to pay attention to the board.
“There is no one-size-fits-all method to soul-bonding,” Thel said. “What works for one person will not always work for another.” Slithers wiggled across the floor and stopped next to Thel, where he rested. His body nearly came up to Thel’s waist. “Soul-bonding requires you to split a piece of your soul and transfer it over to another living soul. The greater the creature, the more of your soul you must give up. This is why one person can only bond with one mammoth, but another can bond with a dozen kokos.” Slithers raised his head, and Thel gently pet him on the top of his head. “Slithers here is the only partner I will ever bond with.” Thel couldn’t hold back his smile. “And I am okay with that. Not to mention, even if I were to pull off another soul-bond, there is no telling what it could do to me. I gave up a lot to bond with him. The soul is not meant to be ripped apart; it is quite dangerous. This is why some even believe soul-bonding is unnatural…mostly in human cultures.” Thel kept looking over the classroom; however, Bertly could tell his eyes glanced over at him and Polly after making his last remark.
“After you know the dozen spells required to perform the soul-bond, the rest is up to you. You have to be truly willing to give up part of yourself, or it will not work. Many masters fail several times before ever finding success, and most of the time, they settle.”
The classroom bell rang and the students started to pack their belongings.
“One last thing before you go,” Thel said. “This year we are instituting a timeframe on spirit quests.”
The students stopped packing their belongings. Bertly adjusted his posture and started giving his full attention for the first time that period.
“The spirit quests this year are limited to seven days. This should not affect most of you, since most students do not travel more than a night beyond the castle.”
Conversations sparked all across the room.
Bertly’s stomach dropped. He considered biting his tongue, but he couldn’t hold back. “Sir, that is outrageous. Most students take at least a fortnight to complete their spirit quest.”
“I was also a student once, Master Bertly. I am quite aware of the wasted time that comes along with a spirit quest. Most finish in just a few days and then take time to…hmmm, how to say it…blow off steam.” The classroom chuckled. “That is all for today. I will see you all tomorrow.”
Bertly sat in his seat, fuming, as the other students shuffled out of the classroom. Polly placed her hand on Bertly’s shoulder. “Let’s go talk about this back at the dormitory.” Bertly could tell she was trying to stop him from doing or saying something regrettable, and he knew she was typically right, so he stood up and left the room with her.
Just as Bertly was walking out the door, he heard Thel yelling behind him, “I am sure you will figure something out, Master Bertly. You are a resourceful young man.”
***
Polly was sitting on her bed while Bertly paced around the room, anxiously trying to figure out how the two would accomplish their quest, given the restriction they’d just learned.
“We can always take a leaf from the tree in Eplium,” Polly suggested.
“That’s what every elf and their mother before them did. I will not be doing something so predictable and overdone, but thank you for the wise suggestion, Polly,” Bertly asserted. Polly sighed but did not respond to his little outburst, which irritated him even more for some reason.
“Bertly, I’m sorry, but I’m not sure we have much of a choice. Getting back home to Noskar will take at least fifteen nights…if we are productive. And that is not including the time it takes to get through the mountains,” Polly said.
Bertly quit pacing the room. Polly looked at the floor and let out a long sigh before getting up off her bed and putting her arm around him. Standing next to Bertly, Polly looked short—her head barely reached to his chest. “It’s okay, Bertly. We will figure out something else.”
“It’s not that, Polly,” Bertly said. His shoulders slouched.
Polly leaned backward and examined him with her eyebrows drawn together and her lips slightly parted. “What do you mean?”
“We can still do our quest. We can still go to Noskar.” Bertly continued to stare at the floor. He felt bad that he had been lying to Polly the past few months. While Polly annoyed Bertly up to his ears, she was most likely the only reason he’d ever managed to make any of his deadlines, and she was always so irritatingly pleasant and helpful—he knew her intentions were good, and she had managed to help whip him into shape.
“You are going to have to explain yourself.” Polly tried to look up from under Bertly’s chin so she could make eye contact with him.
“I know a way we can get to Noskar in one day,” Bertly replied.
“Bertly, are you about to tell me you’re a shipper? Teleportation would be quite convenient right now.” Polly nudged Bertly softly in the side with her elbow.
Polly’s joke helped Bertly lighten up; he could not help but let half a grin show. “I can’t teleport, but I have the next best thing. How does a creature faster than a dragon sound?”
She stared at him for a moment. “You don’t,” Polly blurted, eyes wide with a hand over her mouth.
Bertly looked her in the eyes. “I do.”
***
Bertly was strutting through the main entrance with Polly right behind him, who was crouched and tiptoeing as quiet as a thief in the night.
“You really don’t have to sneak around like that. I walk through here every night and have never been caught. Each night the hall monitor sneaks away to the midnight buffet, so he won’t be back for at least fifteen minutes,” Bertly said as they exited the castle.
Polly straightened her posture and started strolling, but even with the air of confidence she projected, Bertly could tell she was slightly embarrassed. As they rounded the side of the castle, Bertly pulled out his whistle and gave it a blow.
“Thank Cordelia your whistle is broken, Bertly,” Polly yelped. “You shouldn’t be trying to draw attention to us when we are out past curfew.”
Bertly laughed. “Oh, it works, trust me.” In a full sprint, Clia came bursting around the corner, running as though she were being chased by a horde of Rotters. When she spotted Polly, Clia came to a screeching halt and cocked her head back so far Bertly couldn’t see her neck. She looked at Bertly, then at Polly, and again at Bertly.
“Don’t worry, girl.” Bertly put his hand out and walked toward Clia. The gryphon kept her eyes locked on Polly. When Bertly reached his hand closer to Clia, she rubbed her face against it while keeping eye contact with Polly. “This is Polly, my friend. We sort of like her.” Clia broke eye contact with Polly and nuzzled into Bertly, nearly knocking him over. “Come say hello, Polly.”
Polly approached Clia with patience, and Bertly was impressed by the straight look on her face—that she didn’t seem the least bit intimidated by the massive gryphon. Polly reached out to pet Clia. To Bertly’s surprise, Clia did not react at all. He could tell she did not mind Polly’s attention.
“So, wha
t is your master plan, Bertly?” Polly asked.
“With Clia here, we can get to the Noskar Mountains in a single day. I would ask her to take us somewhere in the mountains, but gryphons don’t do well in the snow. I will have her drop us off in Noskar, and we can do the mountain trails by foot. It shouldn’t take longer than three nights in total to navigate to the Dragon’s Crypt,” Bertly replied.
Polly was calculating the trip out in her head. Bertly could always tell by the way she twirled her hair when she was thinking, and how her expression changed—her eyes revealed easily that she was preoccupied. “So Clia will fly to Noskar, drop us off, and fly back to the castle. She will then fly back to Noskar to pick us up, and then travel all the way back to the castle. Bertly, doesn’t that seem a bit much, even for a gryphon?”
Bertly nodded in agreement. “It is a bit much, even for a gryphon. Not to mention, I would never make her fly through the mountains. A gryphon can deal with moderately cold temperatures, but in the snow, things can go wrong fast.” Bertly climbed aboard Clia and extended his hand to Polly. Without hesitation, she grabbed ahold and hopped onto Clia, where she sat just behind Bertly. “On the way to the mountains, we are going to make a stop at my father’s house. I know he will be more than thrilled to watch over a gryphon for a few days. It will give Clia enough time to rest, and then we can all head back to the Academy.”
Clia started to flap her wings, rustling up the leaves and nearby branches so that they flew in all directions. Polly began to lose her balance, but as she was falling, she grabbed Bertly around the stomach and pulled herself in. Bertly looked down at her arms wrapped around him and blushed. Immediately he was annoyed with his reaction. He was even more annoyed that his immediate instinct was not to forcefully remove her hands from him. He simply let her hold onto him. It was necessary, after all. Otherwise, he surely would have shoved her away from him.
“I just hope our apprentices can keep their lips sealed about this,” Polly shouted over the noise of Clia’s wings.
“Me too,” Bertly replied. “Now don’t let go. Her speed is overwhelming at first.” Bertly whistled and Clia rocketed into the sky. She flew through the air so rapidly Bertly and Polly could barely manage to keep their eyes open. Bertly gave Clia two taps with his foot, and she leveled off into a graceful glide through the sky.
“The view is magnificent, Bertly,” Polly said as the two of them gazed over Pangea’s rolling green mountains and various forests.
“I still haven’t gotten used to it. Is this your first time flying, Polly?” Bertly asked.
“Yes…and I am absolutely terrified.” She squeezed Bertly a little tighter.
“Well, you’re doing a good job of hiding it.”
Polly loosened her grip and burst out laughing. Bertly gave Clia two taps with his other foot, and she turned back toward the castle.
Clia dropped them off at the castle entrance. Bertly gave Clia a big hug, wrapping his arms around her head, since she was too big to hug anywhere else. Clia looked at Polly, blinked, turned her head quickly away, and then raced off back behind the castle.
“She really is magnificent, Bertly.” Polly’s eyes were sparkling. She peered toward Bertly. “Just to be clear, what exactly is the plan?”
Bertly cleared his throat. “We will meet up outside the castle with our apprentices in a few days. We cannot reveal Clia until nightfall. So we will head into town and grab some supplies first. I will grab Clia some food; she will need to be well energized for this trip.”
Polly nodded in agreement.
“Once the sun has set, we will all meet back up and leave for Stonebank. We should arrive just after dawn.”
“Sounds like a plan, Bertly. I will follow your lead.” Polly nudged him. “So is this where you have been sneaking off to every night?”
Bertly chuckled. “I didn’t think you noticed. I tried to be quiet.”
“Oh, Bertly, just like you assume I haven’t noticed that notebook you are always trying to sneakily read.” Polly winked at Bertly.
Bertly’s eyes widened and he gulped. He quickly gave a half turn and started walking toward the castle entrance. “We are done here. I do not want to find out what else you know.”
“What’s wrong, Bertly. What do you have to hide?” Polly chuckled and ran after him.
XII
The sun was close to setting and not a cloud was in sight, and drizzle birds could still be heard singing from almost any tree. Bertly and Roderick were standing just outside the castle entrance. Roderick was shuffling through a travel sack, pulling out various items. Bertly stood in front of him, watching his apprentice with his hands on his hips.
“Do you have the elixirs?” Bertly asked.
“Check,” Roderick replied.
“Our money purse?” Bertly rubbed his thumb and pointer finger together, making a gesture of two coins rubbing together.
“I am still not sure why we have a money purse, sir. We only have a couple of coins,” Roderick said.
“Roderick, do you not understand how a checklist works?” Bertly snapped with his nostrils flaring.
Roderick’s eyes widened. “Check.”
Bertly’s anger washed off his face. “Do you have the flask?” He grinned and rubbed his hands together.
“Yes, sir. The water is packed,” Roderick answered.
Bertly smacked his palm against his forehead. “Not that flask, you dope.”
Roderick stared blankly at Bertly for a moment. He shook his head and rifled through the travel sack. “Right, sir, of course. I can’t believe I forgot.” Roderick waved around a plain gray flask.
“How could you forget such a sacred tradition?” Bertly shook his head. “Every sorcerer has their first drink after they complete a spirit quest.”
“Incredible, sir. I had no idea it was a tradition,” Roderick replied.
Bertly stuttered. “W-well, it is more of an…unwritten tradition.”
“Did you boys pack any nourishment?” Polly emerged from the castle gate with Dev just behind her, who was carrying a large travel sack on his back. The size of his frame disguised how big the bag really was, even for a magic satchel. Dev was one of the few students at the Academy who was as tall as Bertly, aside from the giants, who towered over all races.
“An elf never forgets to pack food,” Roderick said.
“It is true. You should never question an elf’s diet, ma’am,” Dev interjected.
Bertly stood with his jaw slightly open, watching as the elves corrected Polly—a rare phenomenon, but one that brought him immense satisfaction. His open mouth seamlessly turned into a smile. “Yes, Polly. How could you be so ignorant?” Bertly winked.
Polly’s cheeks turned a little red. “They must have skipped over it in our elven history class,” she replied. Bertly could tell she was slightly embarrassed. Not from her blushing—Polly blushed at nearly everything. He could tell by the way she held her hands behind her back. Polly almost always talked with her hands; it was only when she was embarrassed or sleepy that she didn’t use body language to communicate.
Once the group settled down from laughing, Dev chimed in, “I do not mean to sound pessimistic just before getting started, but how do we plan on getting to Noskar and back in just seven nights?”
“Yes, Master Bertly, why don’t you inform us?” Polly glanced at Bertly with a fake smile and batted her eyelashes.
Bertly cracked his knuckles and peered at Roderick and Dev. He lowered his eyebrows. “Have you two ever heard of master and apprentice confidentiality?”
Roderick and Dev turned to each other, neither seeming to have any clue what Bertly was referring to.
“It is a rule that states that whatever a master tells an apprentice must be kept between that master and apprentice.”
“Interesting, sir.” Dev rubbed his chin. “My old master never mentioned that.”
Bertly puffed his chest and crossed his arms. “It’s ri
ght in the rule book. Check for yourself if you don’t believe me.”
Dev pulled out a small book from his back pocket. “Do you know which section it is in, sir?” Dev flipped through the pages of his paperback. “I never leave my dormitory without the Academy’s official guidebook.”
Bertly whipped his head back and his eyes went around. “We do not have time for this, Devdan. We need to be back here in seven days,” Bertly snapped.
“Of course, sir. My sincerest apologies.” Dev placed the book in his back pocket and diverted his attention back to Bertly.
“Are we all on the same page here? Whatever I am about to say, you must swear on Cordelia you will not tell a living soul.”
“Yes, sir,” Roderick—always eager to please—blurted instantly.
Before answering, Dev looked over toward Polly. She gave him a small nod. “Of course, sir. My lips are sealed.” The tone of Dev’s speech was slightly off. Bertly could not tell exactly what it was that was different, but the familiar charm that rang with Dev’s voice was gone.
Bertly clapped his hands. “Wonderful. Unfortunately, I must leave you two in suspense for a couple more hours, just until nightfall. We cannot risk having any students or faculty spotting us.”
Just as Roderick opened his mouth to speak, Bertly interrupted. “One last thing, no asking any questions until we get to Noskar, understand?” He glared straight into Roderick’s eyes.
Roderick, with his mouth open, quickly shut it. Bertly could tell by the way Roderick was biting his bottom lip that he was itching to ask him a question about asking questions.
“Understood, sir,” Dev replied.
Bertly cocked his head to the side. “Roderick?”
Roderick took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Understood…sir.”
Bertly clapped his hands. “Wonderful. Now that we are all on the same page, let’s get a move on.” Bertly turned and took the group down the same dirt road that led to the castle entrance. “We are going to make a quick stop at the village up ahead, and then we will be on our way.”