The Adventurer's Guide to Treasure (and How to Steal It)

by Wade Albert White

  It was Penelope.

  The other Penelope.

  A duplicate Penelope.

  The gauntlet had made a shallow cut on her cheek, and a thin stream of oily black smoke was seeping from it.

  Anne gasped. “You’re one of them. One of the doubles.”

  The Penelope Double smiled at her with a ghoulish grin. “I told you we should have stayed put.”

  “Do you want me to take her back to the other clearing?” asked the man holding Anne.

  The Penelope Double tapped her chin. “Oh, I think we can find a place for her right here.”

  She strode over to one of the few empty pods. Anne struggled to break free from her captor, but he was too strong. He picked her up and followed.

  “Place her here on the ground,” said the Penelope Double. “Soon we’ll have an Anne of our very own.”

  The man dropped Anne roughly to the ground, but just as the vines began to encircle her legs, a voice shouted from the forest. “Wait!”

  Hiro burst into the clearing, gasping for breath. Anne’s heart leapt for joy, which quickly turned to fear. Did Hiro have any idea what he’d just walked into? Before she could cry out a warning, he spoke.

  “Some of the pirates escaped into the woods,” he said between gulps of air. “The others need your help to capture them.”

  “Why aren’t you helping them?” asked the carrier.

  “I was, but this body isn’t exactly built for endurance. I need a break. I can keep an eye on the prisoners here for you.”

  The Penelope Double looked at him suspiciously. “I didn’t think the Darkflame boy had been captured yet.”

  “Well—well, I was. I mean he was.”

  The Penelope Double took a step toward him. “Prove it.”

  Anne’s stomach muscles clenched. If this was the real Hiro, how in the world was he going to convince the other doubles that he was one of them?

  “Fine. You want proof?” said Hiro. He rolled back the sleeve of his cloak, revealing the bandage Penelope had wrapped around his arm that morning. He undid the knot and began unwrapping the bandage. The last strip of cloth fell away, exposing his injury. Instead of blood, though, a thin stream of black smoke seeped from the wound.

  “Satisfied?” he said.

  “How did you get that cut?” asked the Penelope Double.

  Hiro pointed to her cheek. “How did you get yours?”

  The Penelope Double snarled at him but didn’t argue further. She checked on the still unconscious pirates to ensure the vines had reestablished their hold. Then she waved to her partner, and they headed out of the clearing. As soon as they were gone, Hiro ran over to Anne and unwrapped her gauntlet. Once exposed to the light, the vines that had been creeping around her quickly recoiled.

  “Leave her alone!” yelled Penelope from the ground—the real Penelope.

  “It’s okay,” said Hiro. “It’s me.”

  Once Anne was free, Hiro moved to help Penelope, but she jerked away as far as the vines would allow her to move. “Don’t you touch me! I saw what came out of your arm. Where’s the real Hiro?”

  “I am the real Hiro. I promise.”

  Penelope picked up a nearby branch and wielded it like a club.

  Hiro sighed and retreated several paces, and Anne went over instead. She chased away several vines that had been making their way back toward Penelope and helped her to her feet.

  “Stay back!” said Penelope, not taking her eyes off Hiro.

  Hiro remained where he was. Penelope seemed clearly convinced that he was a double, but Anne wasn’t so sure.

  Anne took a tentative step forward. “Hiro, is it really you?”

  Hiro nodded.

  She looked at his bandaged arm. “How did you do that thing with the black smoke? Was it magick?”

  “No,” he said.

  “But you’re not—surely you can’t be a—a…”

  “The word you’re looking for is doppelganger,” said Hiro. “And yes, I am one. I always have been.”

  Question: How many doppelgangers does it take to screw in a light bulb?

  Answer: What’s a light bulb?

  Construct and Chaos

  Anne stumbled back, a hand over her mouth as if to stop the questions from flooding out. Had Hiro really just said what she thought he said? Had he really claimed to be one of those creatures? She flashed back over the months they had spent together, all that time getting Saint Lupin’s ready, not to mention the two quests they had gone on. It didn’t make any sense.

  “But—but how can you be a—one of them?” asked Anne. She was afraid to use the word, as though not speaking it aloud could somehow make it not real. Doppelganger. The word felt slippery and perilous on her tongue, and Anne desperately wanted Hiro to take it back, to say it wasn’t true. They’d all have a good laugh at his joke and then figure out what to do next.

  Hiro shifted nervously on his feet. “I guess I owe you both an explanation.”

  “Gee, you think?” stormed Penelope. Her fists were squeezed tight around the branch and her cheeks were flushed with anger. “Let’s start with this: When you cut yourself this morning, you bled real blood. Red blood. Why is there black smoke now?”

  Hiro pointed to the back of his neck. “My tattoo. It has magickal properties. My parents put it there to disguise my blood in case I ever got injured.”

  “Why did it stop working?” asked Anne.

  Hiro shrugged. “I don’t know for certain. I think maybe it doesn’t work on this side of the barrier. I could always feel it there on my neck, like having a cold cloth pressed against my skin. As soon as we arrived here, though, the feeling disappeared. I immediately checked my wound, and sure enough, black smoke instead of blood.”

  Anne stepped closer and looked at his neck. “The tattoo is gone.“

  Hiro placed his hand over the back of his neck. “I guess that would explain why I don’t feel it anymore.”

  “Could passing through the BGFM have removed it?”

  Hiro shrugged. “Maybe.”

  “Why are you chatting with him like we even believe what he’s saying?” demanded Penelope. “Don’t you see? The missing tattoo proves he’s one of those… those copies. The real Hiro, our Hiro, could be wrapped up in those vines somewhere, just like I was a moment ago. This could all be some trick.”

  “I’m telling you, it’s really me,” said Hiro. “I’m the same Hiro that’s been with you all these months going on adventures and repairing the school.”

  “Prove it. Tell us something only we would know.”

  “Um, okay. I joined your adventuring group at the Death Mountain Quest Academy.”

  Penelope frowned. “Yeah, just before you blew it up. And anyone could access those records. How exactly is that supposed to make us trust you?”

  Hiro nodded. “Right. Not the best example. How about this: You saved my life at the top of the Infinite Tower.”

  “By cutting the arm off one of your doppelganger friends. How much time did you have to plan out that little scenario while Anne and I were off looking for clues? Hmmm? Or did you and Mr. Shard discuss it before we even entered the tower?”

  “I’d never even met him before that!”

  “Sorry, not buying it. Try again.”

  Hiro looked desperate. “Fine. Back in the Never-Ending Maze, while Anne was unconscious those two days, you shared something with me you said you had never told anyone, not even Anne. You said your biggest dream was to become the most renowned sword fighter in all the Hierarchy, that it was more important to you than anything else, and that you would even leave our adventuring group if that’s what it took to achieve your goal.”

  The revelation rattled Anne. Had Penelope really said that? After all their talks over the years of staying together, of planning wild adventures, she would really consider leaving?

  Penelope glowered at Hiro, and it was clear she felt betrayed by this disclosure of their private conversation. She took a half step forward
and raised the branch as though she intended to strike but then stopped.

  “Satisfied now?” asked Hiro, sounding somewhat defiant.

  “Not even close,” growled Penelope.

  She turned and ran into the forest.

  “Penelope! Wait!” shouted Anne, but it was no use. Penelope had already disappeared among the trees.

  Hiro wrung his hands. “I’m so sorry, Anne. My parents made me swear never to tell anyone.”

  “We can discuss it later. Come on!” yelled Anne, and she sprinted after Penelope.

  The path Penelope had taken led along the chasm. Thankfully they didn’t have to travel far. After just a few minutes of running, they entered another clearing. Penelope was there, kneeling in front of five pale stones the size of cannonballs. Anne motioned for Hiro to wait near the edge of the clearing while she continued forward. She approached slowly until she was just behind her friend.

  “Penelope?” she asked hesitantly.

  Penelope wiped tears from her eyes. “It’s them.”

  “Who’s them?”

  Penelope pointed at the stones. There were inscriptions on them. Five names. One name per stone. HIERONYMUS. SIRI. RACHAEL. CONSTANTINE. It was the inscription on the fifth stone, however, that caught Anne’s attention.

  EVELYN.

  “Jocelyn’s sister,” whispered Anne.

  Penelope nodded. “Evelyn Daisywheel. That’s what I guessed, too. And the one on that end must be Hieronymus Darkflame, Hiro’s great-great-great-great-grandfather.” The stone bearing the name Hieronymus sat somewhat separate from the other four and appeared much more weathered, as though it had been sitting there many years longer—perhaps even decades longer.

  “Is that who you were referring to just now?” asked Anne. “When you said, ‘It’s them’?”

  Penelope shook her head. “No. I meant Rachael and Constantine. Those were my parents’ names. These are their graves. I tripped over a root and landed right in front of them.” She reached a hand toward the stones but pulled back as though afraid they might disappear at her touch. “No one ever found—no one recovered their bodies. After their quest was reported failed, they were simply listed as dead. No one went looking for them.”

  Hiro walked over. “I’m sorry about your parents,” he said in a subdued tone.

  Penelope stiffened at the sound of his voice, but she kept staring straight ahead. “I don’t know how my parents ended up buried here next to your ancestor, lost in some doppelganger-infested land, but I promise you this, Hiro Darkflame: I will never, ever forgive you, not for all eternity.” She spoke the words softly, without a hint of anger, devoid of all emotion, and they were all the more heartbreaking because of it.

  Hiro seemed about to respond, but Anne placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and shook her head and he held his peace. They had learned an astounding amount of information in a very short time, much of it disturbing, and even though Anne knew it wasn’t fair to blame Hiro for what had happened to Penelope’s parents, she also knew Penelope was going to need time to absorb everything. They all were.

  A light appeared off to their right, not far inside the tree line.

  “Someone else is here,” said Anne.

  “Or something,” muttered Hiro.

  Penelope rose to her feet and clutched her branch.

  Anne took several cautious steps toward the trees. “Hello? Is someone there?”

  The light moved closer.

  “I’ll deal with them,” growled Penelope, and she started forward.

  “No, wait!” said Anne. She couldn’t explain why, but she didn’t sense any danger from whoever or whatever this was. “It’s okay,” she called. “You can come out.”

  A young woman emerged timidly from the shadows. Her black hair was sticking out in all directions. She wore a sleeveless tunic that might once have been considered white but was now dark with dirt and grime. Her light brown pants were equally filthy and also torn at the knees. Her right arm ended just below the elbow, and strips of dirty white cloth had been wrapped around the stump and were being held in place by a tarnished silver belt.

  The source of the light became apparent as soon as she stepped into the clearing. It was coming from her. She was surrounded by a soft glow.

  Even more surprising than that, however, was her face. She looked exactly like Anne, except she had brown eyes, not yellow.

  “Anne, they copied you, too!” said Penelope.

  “No, it’s not a doppelganger,” said Anne. “It’s the Construct!”

  The young woman flinched at the sound of their shouts.

  Penelope looked unconvinced. “How can you be sure?”

  “Because I saw how they make the copies. They use those crystal pods, but I was never captured by one. Also, she’s standing in the middle of a stump.”

  It was true. The Construct was currently standing half inside a rotten tree stump, as though it wasn’t even there. She seemed oblivious.

  Hiro leaned closer and whispered in Anne’s ear. “I agree it’s the Construct, but I think there’s something wrong with her.”

  “You mean that she’s lost her ability to become solid?”

  “That, too. But I meant more than that. She seems frightened.”

  The Construct had a wild look in her eye.

  Anne held out her hands in what she hoped would be taken as a gesture of peace. “We’re not going to hurt you.”

  The Construct’s eyes darted from side to side, constantly scanning the clearing for signs of danger. She kept her hand pressed close to her waistband, as though she were hiding something under her tunic.

  “D-do I know you?” asked the Construct.

  “Don’t you recognize us?” asked Anne. “We’ve met before. Twice. You helped us defeat the Matron, and you fought with us against the dragon queen.”

  The Construct shook her head. “I have no recollection of such events. I have… difficulty… remembering things.”

  “Do you know how you got here?” asked Anne.

  “I do not.”

  She remained well back, watching them guardedly and jumping at the smallest of noises

  Anne turned to Hiro. “What do you think?”

  “I don’t know,” he said. “Maybe this place is having a bad effect on her.”

  Anne looked back the way they had come. “The other times she appeared to us, there was always a computer terminal present. The only terminal we’ve seen around here is the one back inside that Heartstone, and it didn’t look too healthy.”

  “It could have been affected by the corruption,” suggested Hiro. “If that’s the terminal she’s projecting herself from, it might explain what’s wrong with her.”

  Anne nodded.

  There was a commotion from the other side of the clearing, and a moment later Marri and the other half of her pirate crew came bursting out of the forest. Marri had managed to hang on to her chair, although one of the pirates was helping her over the rough terrain.

  “We heard someone shouting a minute ago and followed the voices,” said Marri. “Is everyone okay?”

  Anne wasn’t quite sure how to answer that question.

  “We’re all in one piece,” she said.

  Marri approached and stopped in front of Anne. “I owe you and your group a sincere apology. First, for robbing your school. Second, for dragging you into this quest business. I was so focused on treasure that I couldn’t see anything else. I had no idea my father would do something like this. I assumed he was after the treasure, too, and I wanted to impress him by finding it all by myself. But there’s obviously something much bigger going on here. I’ve never seen him like this before. I certainly never thought he would send his own daughter into exile.”

  “What about the thing with his blood?” asked Anne. “Is he really Oswald?”

  Marri shrugged. “I don’t know anything about that.”

  “Don’t worry. I’m sure we can figure all of this out,” said Anne. “First, though, we need
to escape from this place. If you haven’t run into them already, there are creatures called doppelgangers. They can take on the appearance of a person.”

  “Oh, we’ve met them all right.” Marri pointed at the Construct. “I see you even managed to capture one. We encountered several as well, but they got away. I’d be careful if I were you. They carry weapons.”

  “How did you figure out who is who?” asked Penelope.

  Marri held up her hand. There was a strip of cloth wrapped around it with a tiny red spot in the center of the palm. “We bleed red. They don’t.”

  Anne could see that the other pirates were all wearing bandages on their hands as well. They had obviously tested everyone to make sure no copies were hiding among their ranks. It was quick thinking on their part.

  Marri held up a sharp stick. “Do you want us to test your group, too?”

  “Everyone here is fine!” cried Anne a little too loudly. “I mean, we’ve already tested ourselves. We’re all good. And for the record, this isn’t my doppelganger. She’s a hologram known as the Construct. We encountered her on our previous quests. She was created to act as an interface with the computer that created the world.”

  This seemed to pique Marri’s interest. “Can she help us get back through the barrier?”

  “I’m not sure. She seems to be having some trouble with—”

  “Did someone say barrier?” asked the Construct.

  “Why?” said Anne. “Do you remember something?”

  The Construct rocked back and forth and pulled at her hair. “It is difficult… to think…. I remember the barrier…. A rift opened… many years ago…. We tried to prevent it…. There was an explosion… and pain… and then darkness.”

  The Construct was panting from the effort, but there was no way for Anne to comfort her if she couldn’t even touch her.

  “Do you know how to stop the barrier from coming down?” asked Anne.

  The Construct closed her eyes and nodded. “The… medallions.”

  “What medallions?”