by Nick McNeil
“Run!” Edfrid hollered. The group turned instantly and took off, running for the mountains. Bertly saw Polly and Devdan running ahead, but he couldn’t see Roderick in front of him or in his peripheral vision. Roderick had just been right next to him. Bertly whipped his head back and saw Roderick slowly taking off with his head thrown back and his arms pumping; however, he could not keep up with the rest of them. Just behind Roderick, Edfrid came swooping in, throwing the elf over his shoulder. Bertly stumbled, as his eyes had been off the road for too long. He wobbled for a few steps but managed to keep his footing. He focused back on the road and continued to run until the sound of the screaming peppers started to fade.
The group came to a stop and threw their hands over their knees. Everyone was breathing in and out at a quick pace. Roderick lay hunched over Edfrid’s shoulder, panting quicker than anyone.
“What are you so tired for? I carried you the whole way.” Edfrid slouched his shoulder, letting Roderick fall. Roderick let out a squeal when he hit the ground. Bertly expected him to pick himself up, but instead he simply lay on the ground moaning.
Polly drew in a long breath. “We’ve been running for so long, I had almost forgotten why we started running in the first place.”
“I didn’t, ma’am.” Roderick sat up. “That screeching was awful.”
“I regret choosing so much armor,” Devdan added.
Bertly caught his breath. “That is why I chose not to wear any armor.” He puffed his chest out. “I never sacrifice speed.”
“Do you think I should take off my armor, sir?” Roderick pulled himself to his feet, slipping on occasion due to his clunky armor. “For more speed?”
Bertly looked Roderick up and down. “I think it is best you keep your armor.”
“Something must have upset the queen pepper.” Edfrid exhaled. “That’s the only thing that would set them all off like that.”
Bertly’s stomach sank. “Queen pepper?” His voice cracked.
“Oh, yes.” Edfrid stood slouched against a tree, breathing heavier than normal. Bertly was the only one in the group who was fully recovered from their run. All the high-altitude flights with Clia must have helped. Edfrid continued, “There is one queen that soothes all the peppers. She gives off a low buzz that keeps them calm.”
Bertly held his breath.
“Every now and then one gets disturbed and cries out, but, for the most part, the calming hum of the giant queen pepper keeps the farm composed.”
“Theoretically speaking.” Bertly started to play with his braided hair. “What happens if the queen pepper, say, dies or…wanders off?”
“I’m not sure how much wandering a pepper does.” Edfrid snickered. “But if one were to be stolen—which is a serious problem pepper farmers face—it could be sold for a high price. A lot of wizards use them in powerful elixirs or for enchanting.” Edfrid pulled the hood of his fur cloak over his head. “But to answer your first question, if the queen goes missing, then the peppers scream until they exhaust themselves.”
“And fall asleep?” Bertly asked.
“No. Until they die,” Edfrid replied bluntly. “It is a travesty every time a queen pepper dies or is stolen. The farmer loses their entire harvest for the season.” He looked down at the ground and sighed. “Anyhow.” Edfrid clapped his hands. “We should be off. The sun is beginning to set. I would like to set up camp before sundown.” Edfrid pointed. “On the bright side, at least we made some great time. The mountains are no more than an hour away.”
Bertly’s heart was pounding and his hands were shaking. He wanted to speak up so they could go back and return the golden pepper, but there was a slight stubbornness stopping him from telling the group the truth. The idea of looking ignorant and careless ate at him. He knew it was the wrong decision; nonetheless, he’d rather let Lemon’s harvest go to ruin than embarrass himself. Bertly shook off his ill expression and followed his father toward the hills.
The group marched in single file, silently, behind Edfrid. “Bertly, do you have any of those screaming peppers?” Polly was hugging herself. “It is getting quite bitter.”
“Yes,” Bertly replied.
Polly glanced toward Bertly and stared at him for a moment. “May I have some, please?”
Bertly reached into his travel sack and pulled out two screaming peppers and handed them to Polly. Both crops lay with their eyes shut, resting helplessly.
Polly snatched the peppers out of Bertly’s hand and popped them into her mouth. Tiny screams started, but quickly faded as Polly chomped down on them. “Thank you, Bertly.” Polly swallowed the last bit of food she had. “It is quite interesting the peppers were so calm.” She turned to Bertly’s father. “Edfrid, didn’t you mention that they scream until they die?”
“Hmm…that is peculiar. I was always told that is how it went.” Edfrid looked at Bertly in the corner of his eye. “I suppose it is just an old wives’ tale.” He enunciated and drew each word out slowly.
Bertly cleared his throat to try to hide the tremble in his voice. “It’s hard to find reliable information these days.”
“Sir, what exactly makes the mountains so dangerous?” Roderick interrupted.
“Great question, my apprentice.” For possibly the first time, Bertly was more than eager to answer Roderick’s impulsive questions. Anything to change the topic. “Many folks outside Noskar don’t think that we humans have many monsters in our lands. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. The fact is, they all live in the mountains. Always have.”
Roderick’s jaw chattered. “What kind of monsters, sir?”
“Oh, nothing out of the ordinary,” Bertly replied. “Wolves, bears, mountain bats, sabretooth tigers, lions, mammoths, and of course”—Bertly held his fist in the air—“the King of all Dragons.” He peered over and saw Roderick’s pale face and dilated pupils. “You puzzle me, Roderick, why are you so afraid of combat and confrontation? Didn’t you place rather high in the Clash Tournament?”
Devdan burst out laughing. Bertly jerked his head toward Devdan and then back toward his apprentice. “Roderick, why is he laughing?” Bertly snapped.
Roderick pinned his mouth shut.
“Roderick,” Bertly yelled, “I demand you tell me.”
“He cheated.” Devdan snorted, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye.
“Roderick.” Bertly placed his hand over his mouth and shook his head. “I don’t know if I should be disappointed or proud.”
Roderick jolted his head back. “Excuse me, sir?”
“Yes, Bertly.” Polly glanced sideways. “Please explain.”
“It takes a lot of courage to cheat,” Bertly replied. “Some may say it takes a coward to cheat, but I say, if you ask a coward to cheat, they won’t be able to do it.” Bertly walked to the side of Roderick and placed a hand on his shoulder. “It isn’t something I would do, but it actually takes a lot of bravery to attempt cheating.”
Roderick cleared his throat and looked away from Bertly. “Aren’t you going to ask how I cheated, sir?”
“It’s not important.” Bertly shrugged. “You did something I didn’t know you were capable of, and you have surprised me.” Bertly put him in a headlock. “There is hope for you yet.”
Edfrid stopped in his tracks and spread his arms like wings. “Welcome to the Noskar Mountains.”
Bertly had been so wrapped up in his conversation with Roderick he didn’t notice their destination fast approaching. Bertly continued along the dirt path that had led them there, and all the while he tracked the upcoming route with his eyes, noticing that it blended into the mountainside. He knew from then on, they would be relying on his father’s navigation.
The sun was setting just over the mountaintops, casting a pink and orange tint over the sky. The sun finally stopped reflecting off the snow, giving Bertly’s eyes a much-needed rest. The constant squinting had started to give him a headache. The mountains all looked th
e same, steep and jagged, but the sizes varied greatly, from mounts Bertly could’ve scaled in a matter of minutes, to highlands that stretched to so extreme a height it hurt his neck to look up at their peaks.
“Please tell me we don’t have to climb to the top of that,” Roderick cried.
“Today is your lucky day, little elf.” Edfrid chuckled. “The entrance is not very high. It is just deep within the mountains.”
Roderick nodded. “I suppose that is better.”
Edfrid pointed. “That crevasse over there. It looks perfect for camp tonight. I am assuming you all shoved plenty of supplies into those magic bags of yours.”
“Absolutely, sir.” Devdan patted his travel sack. “We have everything you could need.”
“Grand,” Edfrid replied. “I will gather firewood while the rest of you set up camp.”
The group moseyed over to a small indentation in the side of the mountain and set up bed pads and their cooking pot.
“Sir?” a quiet voice mumbled.
“Yes, Roderick,” Bertly replied.
Roderick twisted the ring on his finger. “What exactly is a mountain bat?”
“They are bats the size of geese.” Bertly spread his arms wide to show the size of their wingspan.
“Th-that is terrifying,” Roderick stuttered.
“I have to say, sir,” Devdan said. “I am not fond of the sound of these bats, either.”
Bertly leaned in. “What makes them so disturbing is they can also walk.”
Roderick’s eyes widened.
Bertly heard the loud snap of a tree branch close by. Roderick screamed. Bertly whipped his head in the direction of the noise. It was his father returning with firewood.
“What’s gotten into him?” Edfrid asked.
Polly giggled. “He thought you were a mountain bat.”
Edfrid dropped the branches he had gathered in the middle of the campsite and stared at Roderick. “What are you going to do when you see a dragon?”
“I’m trying not to think about it.” Roderick walked over and started to set up the wood for a campfire.
“Do you think we will see a dragon tomorrow?” Devdan exclaimed.
“If my memory serves me well, and I can still get around the mountains…yes. The passage isn’t far; it is merely impossible to find.” Edfrid tapped his nose. “For anyone who doesn’t know where it is.”
“Like the land of the giants,” Roderick added as he stood and wiped his hands on his chest. “Done, sir.” Bertly, Polly and Devdan walked over to the pyramid-shaped, stacked wood. Each of them, including Roderick, closed their eyes and extended their hands over the firewood. Black smoke soon emerged from the tree branches, and not long after there was a full blaze.
Edfrid clapped loudly enough to cause an echo in an open field. “Bravo, bravo.” He plopped next to the fire and extended his arms toward it. “Now, who has a tale to tell?”
XVI
The sun had fully set, and a new chill had settled over Noskar. The footsteps left behind by Bertly and the others were already covered by a fresh layer of snow. The group huddled around the campfire, shivering and rubbing their hands to keep warm.
“I think we should give everyone their gifts now, Bertly,” Polly forced out as her teeth chattered.
Bertly raised his eyebrows. “I had almost forgotten.” Bertly shot to his feet. “Why didn’t you speak up sooner?” He placed his hand in front of Roderick. “Apprentice, travel sack.”
Roderick’s shaking hands could barely grasp the straps well enough to slip the sack off his shoulders. “I’m not sure how much those thin blankets will help, sir.”
Bertly snatched the bag out of Roderick’s hands and pulled out several bedsheets.
“I will take anything at this point,” Devdan said.
“These are enchanted blankets. The twins, Polly, and I worked very hard on these.” Bertly walked around the circle and handed each person a cover. “We had to catch and kill at least two hundred fire geckos in order to make these strong enough.”
Devdan wrapped himself in the blanket immediately. “It feels like the sun is inside this blanket,” he observed. A relieved grin spread across his face as he closed his eyes.
“It’s incredible, sir.” Roderick’s eyes were closed as well. He, too, had a smile plastered across his face. “Warmer than the ones back at the Academy.”
“This really is something, son.” Edfrid ran the sheet between his fingers. “You could sell these for a high price at the Stonebank market.”
“As much as I would love to, I don’t think that’s an option,” Bertly replied.
“We could get expelled for selling enchanted items before we graduate the Mastery program,” Polly explained. Edfrid wasn’t as familiar with the procedures and punishments of the Academy as the students were, and Polly was always willing to jump in with any information she could provide.
“Isn’t it also against school rules to practice enchanting outside of class?” Devdan asked.
“Rules are meant to protect the weak, Devdan,” Bertly grumbled. “We do not worry about things that do not pertain to us.”
Devdan glanced at Polly in what seemed like disbelief. She raised her eyebrows and gave a half grin. Bertly knew Polly wasn’t much of a rule breaker, but he knew she also felt restricted by the Academy’s guidelines.
Not a single drizzle bird sang as a light snow dusted the campsite. Bertly heard a loud snoring; he peeked over only to see Roderick plopped over on his side and fast asleep.
Polly put her hand over her mouth and giggled. “I think I am going to get some shut-eye as well.” She leaned back and rested her head across her arm. “Goodnight, everyone. I can’t wait to steal a dragon scale tomorrow.”
Devdan fell back and flopped his head onto his travel sack. “I am going to try to get some rest as well.”
Bertly turned toward Edfrid. “It looks like it is just us.”
Edfrid smiled. “Good, we have a lot to catch up on.” He tapped his chin. “For starters, how did you grow so old so quickly?”
Bertly wiped his hand across his face and let out a slow sigh. “Long story short, it turns out the Eternal Cave is real. However, contrary to popular belief, it does not ensure that one will live longer, it just makes you older.”
“Well.” Edfrid choked on his own spit. “That is quite the false victory.”
“Tell me about it.” Bertly looked at the ground and played with the snow next to him, slowly building a pile of it by his feet. “Not only do I not live longer, I assume, if anything, I have jumped ahead a few years, shortening my life.”
“Aye.” Edfrid opened his mouth to speak further but no words came out. He placed his hand on Bertly’s shoulder and gave him a small squeeze. Bertly’s father had always struggled with providing comfort, but Bertly understood his intentions.
“So how many people are now in Stonebank, do you reckon?” Bertly asked after a moment of intense silence. He needed to talk about anything else.
“Right.” Edfrid adjusted his posture so that he sat up straight. “If I was forced to guess…” Edfrid looked up at the stars and mouthed words to himself. “Almost a million, I would say.”
Bertly cocked his head to the side and rubbed his temples. “There were no more than three hundred when I left.”
“After the Academy class roster was announced, and people saw two humans from Stonebank on the list—” Edfrid paused and shook his head “—we had hundreds a day showing up for the first few years alone. People believe Stonebank is blessed.”
“Well, of course it is—it has me.” Bertly’s smile was wide enough to show all of his teeth. Edfrid shoved Bertly and laughed. Bertly cleared his throat and sat up straight.
“There is something I have been meaning to ask you about.” Bertly glanced at Edfrid, who nodded for Bertly to continue. “Before I left for the Academy, you gave me a notebook. You said it was Mother’s. But it was filled w
ith all kinds of spells and—”
Edfrid held out his hand for Bertly to stop. “I had a feeling you would ask about this, and you have a right to know.” Edfrid closed his eyes. “When I met your mother, we were both young and careless.” A trace of a smile formed in the corners of his mouth. “We did whatever we wanted, and without a care in the world. We traveled all over Noskar, explored every new place we could find. Collected more artifacts than one could imagine, and amongst many of those came old spells and even some riddles. But once you were born, our traveling and exploring stopped.” Edfrid took a long breath. “I knew that your mother, in her heart, felt that she could never be tied down. The duties of motherhood became too great for her, and one morning she was gone, along with almost every treasure we discovered.” Edfrid opened his eyes. His smile had dwindled. “She didn’t say goodbye or leave a letter. She just left two things. A journal and a map. She knew you were special, Bertly, we both did. She left them both behind because she wanted you to be a famous wizard, and she left us because I wanted you to have a normal childhood.”
Bertly clenched his notebook from the outside of his pocket. “So she may still be alive?”
Edfrid held back tears. “I don’t know, son. When she left, she went looking for that.” He pointed to Cordelia’s warblade.
The thought of his mother visiting the Decomposite made the young wizard shiver in fear. For some reason Bertly did not fear for himself against the Rotters, but worried greatly for someone without magic. But maybe she checked elsewhere and not the Decomposite; the Winter Wizard didn’t wish to think on it anymore. As he typically did, Bertly attempted to bury the thought away deep inside. “A map?” he asked.
Edfrid reached into his side pocket, removed a folded-up piece of parchment, and handed it to Bertly. Bertly unfolded the paper and examined its contents. The parchment was a detailed map of Pangea with every mountain, lake, river, and city labeled. Scattered across the map were several trunk icons with X’s through them.