by Victor Kloss
“I’m more concerned about us staying alive. So far, my main research has been focused on how to get in and out of the void, but now we need to know how to survive in there – kind of important, as most people seem to think we’ll be dead within an hour.”
Ben conceded that point, and reluctantly joined Charlie in his search. They spent the remainder of the day looking, with Ben taking occasional breaks to pop out and search for Natalie, but without success. When they left the Institute that evening, Ben couldn’t help noticing that Charlie was looking surprisingly upbeat, whereas he was still feeling guilty about Natalie.
“I never thought I’d see you this happy researching the void,” Ben said, giving Charlie a sidelong look.
“I found some good stuff,” Charlie said.
Ben perked up a little. “Like what?”
“I don’t want to say too much. I want to finish the research first, and then commit it all to memory, as we’re not going to be able to take anything with us,” Charlie said.
Ben pressed him further, but Charlie wouldn’t relent, and Ben went to bed that night wondering exactly what Charlie had found that had turned his mood around.
It wasn’t until muster the following morning when Ben saw Natalie again. To his great relief, she made eye contact with him as they lined up, though the usual smile was absent. As soon as muster had finished and the apprentices started filing out, Ben made a beeline for her.
“Can we talk?” he asked, opting for the soft, contrite voice.
Natalie nodded. “Just you, though, not Charlie.”
Ben frowned, but he didn’t argue. They slipped into an empty exam room, and the noise from the busy apprentices receded, leaving the two of them alone. Ben suddenly felt strangely awkward and uncomfortable. His gaze threatened to drop to his feet, and he had to force himself to look her in the eye. Natalie had her arms folded and, likewise, seemed to be battling with some inner demon. She took a deep breath, to compose herself.
“I will go first. Don’t interrupt me until I’m done,” she said, breaking the silence.
Ben nodded, a little too vigorously.
“I know why you picked Charlie, even if I don’t agree with it. You two are close friends, and you want those closest to you by your side when you’re in a place like the void. What am I? We’ve known each other only a few months. I’m almost a stranger by comparison.”
Ben made to intervene, but Natalie raised a finger.
“I’m not done. What I got upset about, and what scares me, is that you are making a decision based on your heart, not your head. I love Charlie dearly, but the void is not a place for him. From what I’ve read, it’s scary, harsh, and dangerous.” She paused, and her voice became soft. “Ben, you might not come back, and I don’t want it to be just because you picked Charlie over me. I don’t want to lose you – or Charlie.”
Ben frowned. Was there a pause there? Did she add Charlie as an afterthought, or was he imagining it? Natalie seemed to go a slight shade of red, but she kept talking.
“Remember, this is about Elizabeth’s Armour, and ultimately taking down Suktar. If you don’t make it, the Unseen Kingdoms, and possibly even the Seen Kingdoms, might fall to the dark elves.” She gave a weak smile. “Okay, now I’m done.”
Ben ran a hand through his ruffled hair, trying to compose the thoughts rattling around his head. She had said something about the dark elves that Ben knew was important, but the only thing he could really remember was the way she said she didn’t want to lose him. Had she emphasised his name over Charlie’s? He thought she had, but he couldn’t be certain. Did she like him? Really like him? Ben wasn’t sure what his feelings were. She was definitely the most attractive girl he knew, and he really enjoyed her company. She was funny, too. By all accounts, and under normal circumstances, he would have asked her out by now. But these were not normal circumstances; he wasn’t living your ordinary teenage life. Normal had disappeared the moment he discovered the Royal Institute of Magic. Natalie was part elf, which shouldn’t matter, but Ben had never really thought about going out with someone who wasn’t entirely human before. Far more importantly, there was Charlie. He was almost certain Charlie had a crush on her, and so Ben had made a firm decision not to get involved, knowing how it might affect his best friend. But if she liked him, that changed matters. Did he have feelings for her? It was ridiculous to even be thinking of this on the eve of trying to enter the void.
Natalie cleared her throat, and Ben became aware that he was just staring at her without actually talking.
“Sorry,” he said. Focus on what’s important right now. “You’re right: my decision to pick Charlie was largely based on my heart, not my head. I’m like that. We are lifelong friends and know each other inside out.”
Natalie nodded, but was clearly unconvinced.
Ben raised a finger and smiled. “I’m not done. You are right – Charlie is not exactly suited to the void, but one thing you don’t know is the way the void works. Remember, we are there in spirit, and though we display a physical manifestation of our bodies, Charlie explained to me that we are not limited to the normal physical universe limitations.”
“What does that mean?” Natalie asked, frowning.
Ben scratched his head. “To be honest, I’m not quite sure. Charlie hasn’t really explained it yet. But I get the idea that Charlie’s disadvantage of being small, chubby and, let’s face it, rather unfit may not be as much of an issue in the void.”
This seemed to mollify Natalie somewhat. The furrowed brow finally disappeared, and she relaxed a little. Ben knew he should have ended the conversation there, but he remembered her opening comment about friendship, and it bugged him, because it simply wasn’t true.
“I know we’ve known each other only a few months, but we’ve hung out together pretty much every day. You are most definitely not a stranger. Quite the opposite actually.”
Natalie gave him a dazzling smile that almost knocked him over. Shit. Had he overdone it? Was he leading her on? He cursed inwardly, quickly realising the possible implications of his statement. He tried fumbling for some clarifying words, but stopped in his tracks when she stepped forwards and gave him a hug. Ben returned it, trying desperately to work out if she was giving him a friend hug or something more. It felt different, but he couldn’t be sure. She eventually stepped back, and they stared at each other in an awkward silence. She expected him to speak, but what was he supposed to say? Natalie gave an embarrassed smile, and fiddled with her hair.
“I should go and make up with Charlie,” she said. “I said some nasty things that I regret.”
“Good idea,” Ben said far too enthusiastically.
“See you in the common room?”
Ben nodded, and she left, leaving him alone.
Ben smacked his head against the wall repeatedly, cursing his own stupidity.
— Chapter Twenty-Three —
Back to the Cavern
When Ben caught up with Charlie, he was surprised to find a glowing smile on his face.
“Natalie will meet us in the library,” he said, as they headed upstairs.
“Did she speak with you?”
There! The flush definitely reddened when he mentioned Natalie, but Charlie attempted a casual shrug.
“Yeah, we smoothed things over. How about you?”
Ben nodded. “Same.”
For a second the two of them looked at each other, each trying to scope out what had happened with the other. Ben was tempted to ask, but Charlie purposefully changed the subject.
“I think we should enter the void tomorrow,” he said. “I’ve done most of my research, and I don’t think there’s much left that I haven’t read in the library.”
The moment passed, and Ben realised it was best to let the matter drop, for now. With some difficulty, he turned his attention back to the void.
“How are we going to track down the dwarf?”
“We have to go back to the cave where we found him. If we enter the void there, we should be able to pick up his trail.”
Ben’s shoulders slumped. “So we are going to be lying in the cave while we do our search?”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
The idea of his body lying on the cold stone floor did not appeal, and that was to say nothing of the danger – what if the dark elves came back? They’d be sitting ducks.
“Natalie will watch over us,” Charlie said, when Ben voiced his concern. “Our bodies are safe while in the void, remember? But when we came out, we’d be in trouble, unless Natalie can somehow haul us to safety.”
“Can’t see that happening,” Ben said.
“Nor can I. So we have to hope the dark elves don’t come.”
There was going to be a lot of hoping on this adventure, Ben realised.
“What about getting the dwarf out of the void?” Ben said. “We’ve got the brooches, but he doesn’t have anything. Do you think we should have tried to buy something for him?”
Charlie shook his head. “No. He’s been in there too long; an artefact like that wouldn’t work. To be honest, I’ve got no idea how we’ll get him out. I’m hoping that the dwarf mage will know that.”
Ben frowned, but left the obvious question left unsaid. If the dwarf mage knew how to get out, why hadn’t he done so?
They found Natalie sitting in the main reading area of the library. She stood up and waved as they entered. Ben instinctively turned to Charlie, but he didn’t react. Research mode had taken over, casting aside the incident with Natalie.
They worked quietly but efficiently, searching for any last dregs they could find on the void in the most remote of bookshelves. A quiet tension had formed between the three of them. The magnitude of their journey was starting to dawn. It ended up taking less than an hour before Charlie declared himself satisfied he had learnt everything he could. They headed back to the reading area, and spent another hour planning.
By mid-afternoon, they were ready. They decided to enter the void the following morning. They attempted to do some apprenticeship work for the remainder of the day, but soon gave up, unable to take their minds off tomorrow. They left for home early, agreeing to meet at the Dragonway tomorrow at ten o’clock. Ben was eager to find out everything Charlie had learnt, but Charlie shook his head.
“If I tell you now, you won’t get any sleep,” Charlie said without humour. “And sleep is vital before entering the void.”
Despite Charlie not divulging anything, Ben still had a hard time sleeping that night. He stared up at the ceiling, his mind in full flow. He kept trying to envision what the void would be like. Would it really be like hell? If thirty minutes really was the life expectancy of a “voider”, then it must be close. But Ben had his doubts, especially as many of the dire warnings came from the Institute, and they clearly didn’t like not having any control there. Was the dwarf mage still alive? Inevitably, no matter how hard he tried to avoid it, his attention turned to his parents. He might not go actively searching for them, but what if he stumbled upon their tracks? The thought made his whole body tingle with possibility, and it was some time before he found sleep.
*
Despite the late start, Ben couldn’t sleep past seven o’clock. He got up, made breakfast, and started packing everything he’d need, based on the list they had made yesterday. He ended up with a full backpack and a sleeping bag, and took them up to his room, where he spent an hour attempting to kill time by surfing the internet.
He met Charlie outside the house at ten o’clock, and immediately noticed the bags under his eyes. “Blimey, Charlie – did you even sleep?”
Charlie rubbed his forehead. “I think so, though I can’t be sure. I kept going through my notes, making sure I had everything committed to memory. You never know what you might need.”
“So, can you tell me about it?”
Because they left after rush hour, they were fortunate enough to find an empty carriage on the dragon, and Charlie spent the next hour going over the basic rules and laws of the void. Ben had thought he’d done his own extensive research, but he soon found out it was nothing compared to Charlie’s. From climate to landscape, from cultures to creatures, Charlie had covered it all. Several times Ben wanted something repeated, thinking he had misheard. By the time they reached Alexia Bay station, he was no longer sure the Institute was exaggerating.
They met up with Natalie just outside the Dragonway and walked to the taxi station. Soon they were flying over Alexia Bay, towards the hill with the secret door. Ben was glad for the breeze; it helped shake away the slightly sick feeling Charlie’s void briefing had brought about. None of them talked, but Ben was fairly certain by Charlie’s and Natalie’s increasingly haunted looks that they were all thinking the same thing. They were about to enter the void. Assuming they managed to get in within the hour, they could be dead before lunch. Ben felt like slapping himself for the negative thought, but his hands were tied up with bags. They would be fine. They would find the dwarf mage, and get out of there pronto. He kept repeating that mantra, but it had trouble sinking in.
Shortly, the taxi landed on the soft hillside and the driver gave them a polite smile before he left.
“Enjoy your camping trip,” he said, as he took off again.
They all watched him, almost forlornly, as he disappeared over the hills. Finally, and very reluctantly, Ben turned to the hill with the concealed door. It took him a moment to spot the faint outline; the keyhole was entirely covered with grass. He took the key out of his pocket, and pried the grass out the way.
“You guys ready?” he asked. His voice was soft, lacking its normal vibrancy.
“Ready when you are,” Natalie said, attempting a smile.
Ben pushed the door open and immediately got a whiff of the decaying bodies. He saw Charlie put a hand over his mouth to suppress a gag reflex. Ben pulled out his spellshooter and cast a lighting spell, causing the tip to flare. He started down the long, dark path. Their bags made for slow progress, especially when the path narrowed or rocks jutted out, forcing them to squeeze through. Ben could mark their progression by the smell, and it slowly went from bad to horrible. Ten minutes of silent walking passed before Ben spotted the dim light at the end of the tunnel. He slowed, his heart rate suddenly going up a notch. He turned back to Charlie and Natalie and put a finger over his lips. Ben dismissed the light spell from his spellshooter, so that he would be ready to use it, if necessary. The great cave had been devoid of life before, but was it still deserted? And, more importantly, was the dwarf mage still alive? These were the questions rolling round Ben’s head as he approached the end of the tunnel. He held his breath as he took the last remaining steps out of the tunnel and into the cave, spellshooter at the ready.
Ben cast his eyes over the dimly lit battleground, ignoring the sick feeling in his stomach and searching quickly for any sign of danger. Nothing moved. He turned his attention to the very back of the cave, and sighed with relief. The dwarf mage was still there, protected by the transparent dome, which could mean just one thing: the void hadn’t taken him just yet.
“He’s still alive!” Natalie said, showing the first bit of optimism from any of them since they had arrived.
Ben led them down the stairs that connected the tunnel to the floor of the cave. He picked his way through the bodies, trying to ignore the lifeless faces of the dwarves and dark elves. He kept his eyes firmly fixed on his target: the dwarf mage. He was still sitting cross-legged, with the orb on his lap. Ben was pleased to see that it was still glowing, as if this might be a sign of his survival. There was a small cut on his lip. Had that been there before? The clotted blood on his torn trousers certainly hadn’t.
“The injuries you suffer in the void are reflected on your body,” Charlie said.
Natalie stared at the dwarf with something approaching admiration. “He m
ust be strong to have survived this long.”
That was true, Ben conceded. He was a strong one. Could he have inherited that from his father – the Silver Dwarf? Or was their whole theory a red herring?
They stared at the dwarf mage far longer than necessary. Even Ben was reluctant to take the next step, but eventually he forced the words out. “We should get going, Charlie. Let’s get set up.”
Charlie closed his eyes, and nodded. “I guess there’s no point drawing this out.”
They put their bags down, and set out their sleeping gear next to the dwarf’s dome. The rest of the bags’ contents were for Natalie, who would need food and water for the next twenty-four hours. She moved them away from the predicted dome Ben and Charlie would create.
Charlie took his shoes off, but kept the rest of his clothes on, as he slipped into his sleeping bag. He pinned one of the brooches they had purchased from the goblin shaman onto his shirt. Ben clipped his own brooch on, but remained standing, and drew out his spellshooter. He had two spells: one for himself; one for Charlie – there was no margin for error.
“Take as long as you need,” Natalie said in a soft, soothing voice.
“Yeah, I’m in no hurry,” Charlie said.
For a full minute Ben did nothing but clear his head, and concentrate on breathing regularly, purging all distractions from his mind. It was a technique he had recently learnt during his third-grade studies in the Spellsword Department, and he found it extremely useful. When he finally felt ready, he turned to Natalie, and gave her a smile.
“We’ll see you soon.”
For an awkward moment, Ben thought Natalie was going to get emotional, but she just returned his smile.
“You guys will be fine. I know you will. Just remember, you only have twenty-four hours before you have to use the brooches. Please don’t forget that.”
“We won’t,” Ben said.
He lifted his spellshooter, and pointed it at Charlie, who instinctively flinched. Ben had no more need to focus; he was practically in a zen-like place. He pictured the void as it had been described, and focused on placing Charlie within it. The pellet started a slow descent down the orb, fighting Ben’s will every step of the way. Even for a fourth-level spell, this one was difficult. A drip of sweat ran down his forehead, but Ben barely felt it. Slowly, painfully, the pellet reached the edge of the barrel. But instead of pulling the trigger, he let the spell hover there, and dragged the second spell down, so it lined up behind the first.
