Polly narrowed her eyes. “This path… it doesn’t happen to be marked by the iron tree, does it?”
“Yeah, Annie said something about that. An old metal pole that looked like it was struck by lightning?” Bastian nodded. “That’s the one.”
Polly stopped mid-stride, yanking him back by the arm. Bastian stumbled, grabbing onto Danil for balance.
“What the hell?” he yelped.
“Bastain, you can’t go there! Not even to look!” Polly’s eyes were wide and serious.
Bastian looked at Danil, but his friend looked just as confused as he was. “Why?”
Polly looked up and down the road to check no one was near. She leaned close, and in a low voice, said, “Because it’s haunted!”
Bastian gaped for a moment, then snapped his mouth shut to keep from smiling. Clearly, Polly was deadly serious.
“Polly, there’s no such thing as ghosts,” Danil said carefully.
She slapped his arm. “And what makes you the expert, then? I’ve lived in Muir all my life, and we all know about the Iron Tree Ruins.” She lowered her voice again and pulled them both in close.
“Legend has it that a bunch of people got lost coming to Muir. They stopped there for shelter in a storm and were attacked by remnant. While the remnant feasted on their bones, the Queen Bitch watched over them and was so mad, she threw down a bolt of magic that split the pole, marking it for eternity. She scared off the remnant, but the ghosts of the poor souls who died have lurked there ever since.”
Polly released the two men, and they both stood back, exchanging glances.
“And ever since then,” she finished, “No one has survived a night at the Iron Tree Ruins. Especially not in a storm.”
Danil narrowed his eyes. “If no one survived, how do you know it’s ghosts, and not just a big, hungry mountain lion?”
Polly lifted her chin and turned away. “If you don’t believe me, you’ll just have to go and get eaten yourself.”
“Ok, then,” Danil said with a mischievous glance at Bastian. “Let’s go check it out. Polly can wait here, so she can spread the news of our demise if we don’t return.”
“Like hell!” she squealed.
“Polly, we’ll be fine,” Bastian reassured her. “It’s broad daylight, there’s two of us, and we have magic. I promise we’ll come back in one piece.”
Polly snorted. “You have mind magic, and neither of you can fight for shit. I’m not letting you go alone. Go wait at the gates, and I’ll meet you there in a few.”
She turned to go, then whirled back around. “And if you leave me behind, Danil, you can eat your damn dinner alone tonight, and I don’t care if you won’t be able to see it.”
Danil groaned. “She really means that. Last time I pissed her off, she ate dinner with me. Every time I went to dip my spoon in my bowl, she closed her eyes. I ended up with more on my face and the table than in my mouth.”
Bastian made a choking sound, quickly stifled when Danil turned a mournful look on him.
“I can’t believe you’d laugh at that!” Danil complained.
They soon reached the gate and waited patiently for Polly. When she arrived, Danil smirked at Bastian.
“Looks like we’ve got more company,” he said, nudging Bastian.
Bastian just rolled his eyes. “Hi, Tansy,” he called. “I take it Polly has enlisted you to help keep us safe from—” he caught Polly’s glare and finished weakly “—from whatever we might meet on the road.”
“That’s right,” Tansy said. A knife appeared in her hand from nowhere, and she tossed it in the air, watching it flip three times before she caught it.
“Come on, then,” Polly said. “Let’s get this over with. I don’t want to be caught out there after dark.”
She headed off, Tansy by her side. Bastian jumped to follow them, and Danil trailed behind. Soon, though, Bastian walked next to Tansy, following on Polly and Danil’s heels as they whispered together, giggling and holding hands.
“Who would have thought,” Tansy said, “that rascal Danil would catch a girl like Polly.”
“They’re a perfect match,” Bastian admitted. “Not many people could make Danil toe the line. Julianne could, but—” he stopped, and Tansy laughed.
“But your Master had her eyes on another man? Oh, don’t worry,” she reassured him. “I won’t say anything. And anyway, it looks like he’s well and truly over her.”
Bastian nodded. “We all knew Danil had feelings for Julianne. He didn’t hide it very well, but… he was never like that.” He jerked his head at the couple ahead, who had stopped for a brief but passionate kiss. “He’s completely besotted!”
Tansy sighed. “I know. Isn’t it adorable?”
“Adorable? I feel like I need a bath,” Bastian said.
Tansy slapped his arm. “Come on, you’ve never had a girl you couldn’t keep your hands off?”
He thought about it and shook his head. “The Temple isn’t like the rest of the world. Things are more… flexible there.” He coughed, blushing. Despite the fairly open culture inside the Mystic Temple, talking about it outside made him feel like he was twelve again.
“Flexible?” Tansy asked with a wicked grin. “Sounds like a place I could get to like.”
She casually leaned forwards into a one-handed somersault, then followed it with a lazy backflip. Bastian clapped.
“I swear, you’re made of rubber,” he said.
He had watched Tansy travel all of Tahn on her hands, do flips and jumps and impossible twists, and still, each time she performed, it brought a grin to his face.
“You need to get out more,” she said, shaking her head. “You’re way too easily impressed.”
“What’s wrong with that?” he asked.
“You’ll get taken in,” she said pointedly. “You’ll be an important person—not that you weren’t already, but you’ll have a lot more responsibility once this school has opened. You can’t afford to get taken in by a few parlor tricks.”
“Blueberry friands,” Bastian said.
Tansy jerked to a stop. “What?” she said, eyes wide.
“Blueberry friands. You were just thinking it’s been ages since you had one. You could almost taste the berries on your tongue.”
Tansy narrowed her eyes. “And why were you in my head, stealing my friands?”
Bastian smiled. “I know I’m naive, inexperienced and only of average intelligence.” He tapped his head. “But I do have one very big advantage, remember?”
Tansy snorted. “Yeah, until someone comes along who can shield worth half a damn. Which, by the way, you just taught nearly everyone in Tahn to do.”
Bastian pouted. “Not everyone in Tahn,” he protested. “Just… ok, most of them.”
Their talk subsided as the road inclined. Bastian’s neck prickled with sweat, and heat flushed his face. He would either have to get fitter if he built the school out here, or buy a damn horse.
Tansy seemed unfazed, skipping along beside him and occasionally twirling around. When Polly stopped and pointed ahead, Tansy was the first to run up and see.
She reached a hand out to touch the strange metal pole. It stood straight and tall, the top splitting into four jagged, curling strips.
“It really does look like it was hit by lightning,” Bastian said in awe.
“I can see why locals call it the Iron Tree,” Danil said.
He shifted his glance to Polly, who stood still, muscles tense. Danil reached his hand out to take hers, but she ignored him. Wrapping her arms around herself, she jerked her head towards the overgrown trail leading away from the road marker.
“Hurry up. I don’t want to be here longer than we have to,” she said quietly.
Tansy strode off, her posture confident. Still, Bastian noticed her knife was out again and she fiddled with it, twisting and tossing it in short bursts between putting it away, then pulling it back out to play with.
The walk to the site was short. When
the trees cleared to reveal a flat, open space lined by mossy, broken walls, Bastian gasped. It was like pictures he had seen of fallen castles, ancient monstrosities left to weather and crumble through the ages.
The walls cupped a stone floor, broken by age and by the inevitable encroachment of grass blades forcing through, and old tree roots pushing up the wide stones to make the ground ripple like a swelling ocean.
“This is incredible!” Bastian said when he found his voice again.
Danil poked around the edges while Tansy turned a slow circle in the middle of the clearing. Bastian went to look at a more intact section of the ruined building, poking at the foundations and carefully pushing against a wall to test its strength.
Sunlight filtered down to glisten on the grass poking through stone underfoot. A portion of the building remained—a dew-dropped spiderweb crossed an open doorway, and Bastian carefully pulled it free to look inside. A room, the roof worn away years since, held a rotted wooden slab, perhaps an old table top.
In his mind, Bastian could see his school. This would be an office, small and unassuming, but cozy and accessible. By it, a staircase would lead to the upper level, where the classrooms and perhaps some dormitories would be.
Bastian stepped out of the room and followed the edge of the wall around. When he came across a gap, he stepped through. The forest here was sparse, and the white-barked trees reached straight up to the midday sun. A brook babbled noisily, just out of sight.
We can harvest this wood, and reuse the stone, he thought. If we clear that area, there will be space for gardens, maybe a cottage or two for the teachers to—
A twig snapped behind him. He froze, ears straining as he slowly turned around. Heart racing, he looked around and realized he had started to wander away from the wall and into the darker part of the forest.
“Hello?” he called timidly. “Polly? Danil, is that you?”
Of course, it won’t be Danil, you fool, he cursed himself. Not alone, anyway.
It dawned on him. Sneaky bastard. Bastian made sure his shields were strong and secure, then stomped back the way he had come.
Certain he would find Danil irking behind one of the thick trees—probably with Polly—he started, a breath catching in his throat when he rounded the crumbling corner and found no one. Bastian raced back to the gap and stuck his head through.
“Bastian, over here!” Danil waved at him from the other side of the fallen building, Polly and Tansy beside him.
Bastian’s heart missed a beat. If he’s over there, who was making that noise out here? He cast one last look at the gloomy forest and jumped back through the wall. Squirrels, he thought. It must be squirrels.
He joined Danil, doing his best to look merely curious.
“Are you ok?” Danil asked.
“Me?” Bastian couldn’t resist a quick glance around at the shadowed corners and drooping foliage. “Sure. I’m fine. What did you find?”
Danil pointed at a dark stain on the stones. “It looks like blood.”
Bastian laughed nervously. “That could be anything. There’s no such thing as ghosts.”
Tansy nodded. “I’m inclined to agree,” she said. “But something left that mark. Whether it was a hunter or a hungry animal, whatever died was big, and whatever killed it was likely bigger.”
Danil nudged him. “I don’t want you out here alone, ok? Especially at night.”
“You’re worse than Julianne,” Bastian complained. He withered under Danil’s glare. “Fine. I’ll make sure I bring someone with me.”
“Do you still have the magitech blaster that Marcus gave you?” Danil asked.
Bastian shook his head. “Artemis dismantled it to make the communication device. Speaking of which, have we asked Lord George if he can get his hands on an amphorald? It’d be handy if you had one, too.”
Danil sighed. “I sent a messenger to him, but he hasn’t responded. I was hoping to hear back by yesterday.”
Bastian shrugged. “It’s ok. Once Julianne is back to the Heights, I’ll see if she can send some.”
“More than one?” Danil asked.
“Well, Madam Seher uses mental magic. George and Adeline’s shielding ability suggests they may be able to learn it, too.” Bastian rubbed his bracelet thoughtfully. “Can you even imagine how much that could change our world? Instant communication across entire regions.”
Danil smirked. “Instant transport would be better, don’t you think? Then we could get our own shiny rocks.”
A bird let out a high-pitched screech, and Bastian jumped. Danil noticed—he smirked and flicked his eyebrows up, just for a moment—but he didn’t comment.
“Bastian, have you seen enough?” Polly asked. “This place is a ruin. “
“It’s…” he looked around. The wide-open space and plentiful resources would be ideal for his needs. They might just need to clear out some noisy wildlife, he decided. “It’s perfect.”
Polly shuddered. “Well, you won’t see me enrolling in it.”
“Once it gets cleaned up, you’ll change your mind,” Bastian reassured her.
Polly grabbed Danil’s hand and pulled him towards the trail.
“Bastian, Danil’s right,” Tansy said quietly. “I don’t believe in ghosts either, but it’s pretty wild out here. Cats, wolves, bears… you don’t want to get caught unawares by any of them.”
Bastian sighed and kicked at a stone. “There’s just so much to do, and I told Julianne I wanted this school up and running as fast as we can. There’s so much magical knowledge here, all different from what we know at home… and yet, so much of the basics are missing.”
Tansy nodded. “I know. And I’ll help. Anytime you want to come out here, just let me know. But dead men can’t build schools, ok?”
She gave him a warm smile and side-checked his hip. “Besides, I might even miss you if you got eaten.”
“You would?” Bastian asked, surprised. “I mean, I’d miss you, too, I guess…” he blushed and turned his eyes to the forest as they walked back towards the Iron Tree.
“Gee, you make me feel so wanted,” Tansy said with a snort.
“Oh, no, I didn’t mean it like that!” Bastian protested.
She laughed. “I know. I’m just teasing. You’re as easy to bait as Danil!”
Bastian groaned, but walked back to the main road by her side. “Clearly, the Temple did a horrible job of teaching us about women, despite all the ones that lived there.”
“Maybe you could add it to the curriculum,” Tansy said with a wink. “Of course, you’ll need to learn a lot more about them before you decide.”
Chapter Fourteen
Bette checked her belt, patted her sword, and wiggled her foot, feeling the dagger nestled securely in her boot. A staff was strapped to her saddle beneath a small buckler, and three smoke grenades—courtesy of Madam Seher—were tucked into her saddlebag.
“Ye ready ta go?” she growled.
“Aye, Captain!” Garrett snapped.
Bette rolled her eyes, but didn’t rise to his bait. “Francis? Sharne?”
“We’re ready,” Sharne said with a look at Francis. He nodded, and they set off.
“So,” Garrett said once there was some distance between the rearick and the rest of the party. “Why are we bringin’ the builder? He’s lovely and all, but he’s not a fighter.”
Bette grinned. “Ye’ll see. He’s our secret weapon.”
“Against a remnant?” Garrett scoffed.
“No,” she answered with a chuckle. “Against Lord George.”
Garrett’s bushy eyebrows shot up to his hairline. “And why would we need a weapon against him?” he asked.
“Shut yer trap and wait ‘n see,” she scolded. “And treat him with respect.”
“Who, George? I always do!” Garrett protested.
“No,” Bette said with a grin. “Francis.”
Garrett heaved a sigh. “It’s politics, ain’t it? Ach, I should’ve guessed. I don’
t like it, not one bit.”
“Yer only job is ta stand around and look pretty, and make sure the only people who die are those pretend remnant we keep hearin’ about. That’s if we even find ‘em, the bloody cowards.” Bette spat on the ground, distaste clear on her face.
The morning grew warm, and flies buzzed about, diving into Garrett’s beard and zooming away again as he cursed and smacked it.
“Lucky yer not carrying yer sword,” Bette remarked. “Or ye’d have chopped off yer nose by now.”
“Aye, that’s about—who’s that?” Garrett pulled his horse up and stood in the stirrups, shading his eyes against the morning sun.
“Looks like Bastian and Tansy. Is that Danil and Polly with them?” Sharne asked.
“Bloody fools,” Garrett cursed. “Gone out without an escort. It’s not safe; they know that!”
Bette snorted. “Tansy could take ye down in two-point-four seconds, and Polly in not much more than that,” she said. “They’ll be fine, as long as those two mystics don’t get it in their heads ta go off alone.”
“Aye. I’ll have a chat with the lads tonight,” Garrett promised.
“Ye will not!” Bette snapped. “Ye tell ‘em to stay tucked up safe at home, and they’ll walk straight out ta spite ye. Let me do it. Better yet, I’ll talk ta Tansy and Polly, on the quiet, like. They’ll set the lads straight.”
“Hey there!” Bastian called once he was in earshot. “Out for a walk?”
“We’re off ta meet Lord George,” Bette explained. When they got closer, she added, “He’s meetin’ us on the road, so we can discuss the situation with the bandits.”
“Bandits?” Bastian asked, voice cracking.
Bette shook her head. “Ye don’t listen to a damn thing I say, do ye?”
“It’s alright,” Tansy said. “I’ll be keeping an eye on our intrepid schoolmaster from now on. He and Danil have both promised not to head out this way without a competent guard with them.”
“Hey, I don’t remember promising that!” Danil yelped. When Polly flattened her lips and crossed her arms, he back-pedaled. “Or maybe I did. Yeah. I definitely did.”
“Aye, that’s good ta hear,” Bette said with a triumphant grin at Garrett. “What’re ye doing so far from town anyway?”
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