“What happened?” Wendahl asked when they reached the trail up to the academy.
“They happened,” Dagdron said, pointing two of the antlers at Elloriana and Earl.
“Dagdron, don’t even pretend those are weapons,” Earl admonished.
“I’m not pretending. I’m thinking of making a new snow stag dagger,” Dagdron said.
“Give me those,” Earl said, grabbing the antlers.
“How did your date go?” Elloriana asked brusquely.
Wendahl cringed and didn’t comment, but then he moved to Dagdron’s side.
“I’ve noticed that you use your dagger for just about everything,” the old enchanter said. “Do you think your dagger could slice a wart?”
“Gross,” Dagdron said, scowling. “I eat with my dagger. I’d never use it for that.”
“I just thought I’d ask,” Wendahl said, shrugging his shoulders.
Chapter 23: The Net
After the incident in Gretta’s cottage, they had acquired all the necessary components to finish the magical net, but Wendahl said he needed the young adventurers’ help to put it together, so they had to wait for a time when Dugan and Egon left the cave.
Over the following week, Earl, Lita, and Elloriana were worried about missing Wendahl’s sign for when the coast was clear, but Dagdron, who spent every evening in his tree anyway, knew he would catch it. And that’s exactly where he was when the magenta comet shot into the night sky during the second week of February.
“There it is,” Dagdron said as he climbed down from the tree.
Elloriana glanced up at the sky, slammed her book, and jumped up to follow. Earl and Lita, who were off to the side marking the distance in the snow of their running warrior jumps, hurried along as well.
“Egon’s on his evening run through the snow, and Dugan went to Bodaburg to pick up our weekly food stash,” Wendahl said when they reached the cave.
He led them briskly to the back cavern, where his magic bed had been pushed against the wall. The silk-string net was in a pile on the floor, and Wendahl picked it up, handed it to Dagdron, and instructed each of them to take a corner. Dagdron and Earl took their ends and walked around the pool of water in the middle of the cavern to the far corners. Elloriana and Lita extended their portions as well. The silky net felt smooth to the touch and strong as they pulled it taut over the pool.
“Hold it tight while I attach the rocks and antlers,” Wendahl said.
The enchanter walked to Dagdron’s corner first. He attached one of the snow stag antlers a foot from the corner of the net so the strands stuck tightly to it and then fit an antler into a hole in the ground. Next, he pulled the strands in the corner just far enough apart and set one of the sparkling jasper stones between them. When he released the net, the silk string clung to the rock, holding it firmly in place. Wendahl repeated the process with each of the corners, and the net ended up secured to the four snow stag antlers a couple feet off the ground.
“Now for the grand finale,” Wendahl said, snatching up the vessel of gloozert goo they had gathered in the fall. “Come lather your hands.”
Dagdron stuck his hands in the jar without hesitation, covering them with the goop. Earl and Lita followed suit with a little reluctance, but Elloriana, turning her head away, scrunched up her face as she scooped up the gloozert goo.
“Be sure not to get any on the antlers, but we need to slime each length of the net,” Wendahl said.
Wendahl set the vessel down and joined the other four in running their hands along the strands, covering them with the black slime. When they had coated all the reachable parts, Wendahl washed his hands in the pool and picked up his hoe. He held the blade close to the water and a magenta plank began forming, extending the full length of the pool. He did this two more times, so there were a total of three magical boards, allowing access to the parts of the net suspended over the water.
Elloriana watched Wendahl’s magic ability with awe, but once the bridges were complete, she washed her hands and let Dagdron, Earl, and Lita deal with the rest of the net. They each got a fresh gloop of goo before sliding on their backs along the magic planks. Working together, they were able to cover every inch of the net with the gloozert goop.
Once Dagdron, Earl, and Lita were off the planks and washing their hands, the magical boards disappeared, and Wendahl circled the cavern, stopping at each corner of the net. He held the blade of his hoe to all four snow stag antlers, stimulating them with a magenta burst of magic. After he was finished, the antlers kept sending magenta pulses across the net, causing the goo-covered strands to pulsate with power.
Wendahl was silent for a short time, watching the net. Then he turned and gave a nod of approval to the young adventurers.
“The net will be ready by the time we need it,” Wendahl said. “The treasure quest can commence again.”
Dagdron left immediately, but Earl, Lita, and Elloriana stayed to ask Wendahl details about the magic of the net. The rogue made it back to his tree, climbing into the cold branches to his favorite lounging spot, where he proceeded to toss his dagger in the air and catch it again.
Although Earl, Elloriana, and Lita were common fixtures around his tree, he still had hoped they would stay with Wendahl awhile longer. Earl and Lita went back to their running jumps, challenging one other to beat their record distance. Elloriana was about to sit down against the trunk in the patch she kept clear of snow, but then she stopped.
“Dagdron, can I come up?” Elloriana asked.
“No,” Dagdron said.
“I was just asking to be polite,” the enchantress said. “I’m coming up anyway.” She cast a levitation spell and rose into the boughs of the tree.
“Shouldn’t you be on a date with Grady?”
“That’s actually one of the things I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Too bad you’re not on a date, because you’re about to break your arms and legs when I push you out of my tree.”
“Dagdron, I’m serious,” Elloriana said.
“I’m serious too. Get out of my tree.”
Elloriana ignored him and continued the conversation.
“Can you believe we only have three more months at the academy? It’s gone by so fast.”
“Now you’re saying stuff like that? Earl’s been talking like that all year.”
“Well, you can’t blame him for being sentimental.”
“What’s he sentimental about?”
“Are you kidding?” Elloriana asked with a huff. “He’s going to miss the academy, Bodaburg, and you. I’m going to miss everything, too.”
“Why?” Dagdron said, still throwing his dagger high up in the tree. “You guys came to the academy to become adventurers and that’s what you’ll be.”
“I can’t tell if you’re serious or not,” Elloriana said, looking thoughtfully at Dagdron. “Are you really not sentimental at all?”
Dagdron caught his dagger and froze. He knew he rarely let his emotions show, but he also knew, as Egon had annoyingly pointed out back in the Broodavian mines, he had developed some sort of companionship and regard for Earl. Dagdron spent much of his time wanting to return to Cliffmount and to what his life used to be. To what he always thought his life would be. But he had never really considered what would have happened to him if he had never come to the academy. Would he have ever left Cliffmount? Would he and his father have lived life stealing food from the village and never visited Coastdale, Lordavia, or Broodavia?
Dagdron threw his dagger upward again.
“You mean like wondering what life would’ve been like if I had never come to the academy?”
“Well, yeah,” Elloriana replied slowly, having to stop and think about the question. “Can you imagine what our lives would be like if we had never been involved with the Arches of Avooblis? I told you last year how much fun I had when we were trying to catch the moogrout. Maybe it was nothing to you, but for me it was memorable. It was a beautiful day, I was with the
first real friends I’ve ever had, and we had so much fun. And look at the other things we’ve done. It might be too soon now, but someday we’re going to think back on being cocooned by the spider and overflowing Gretta’s cauldron and laugh about it so much.”
Dagdron caught his dagger and fiddled with it as he thought about what Elloriana was saying. He felt his heart rate increase slightly as he realized that he would miss the experiences and memories he had had over his time at the academy.
“Get out of my tree, wench,” Dagdron seethed, pointing his dagger at her.
“I’m sorry,” Elloriana said. “I didn’t mean to make you mad. I just can’t believe my time at the Adventurers’ Academy is almost over.”
Elloriana started to move into a position where she could lower herself with a levitation spell.
“Wait, Elloriana.” Dagdron fumbled his dagger, barely grabbing it before it fell out of the tree.
Elloriana jerked her head around in shock.
“I’m sorry,” Elloriana said again, feeling uncomfortable about the silence. “I didn’t mean to intrude. You and Earl are so close, and Earl and Lita are so close. Me and Lita are roommates, but we don’t talk that much and don’t have classes together. I just wanted to talk about what I was thinking about the end of our time at the academy.”
“Just stop talking about the stupid sentimental stuff,” Dagdron said. “I wanted to ask you about Wendahl.”
“Oh,” Elloriana said, turning back around.
“Why were you so shocked that Wendahl was so powerful? When we were in the sinkholes.”
“We just always talk about how powerful Headmaster Gwauldron and Rance are. We almost treat Wendahl like his magic isn’t that amazing since it’s so outlandish and so...magenta. But enchanting weapons, keeping a house concealed, creating beds and boards with just magic, embedding magic in a parchment, and not to mention his magic staff is a hoe and the whole net thing we did tonight. All those things take an incredible amount of power.”
“Powerful enough to be the Backer?” Dagdron said.
“The Backer?” Elloriana said, surprised.
“Again?!” Earl suddenly yelled from under the tree. “This is ridiculous, Dagdron. If anyone deserves to be allowed in your tree, it’s me.”
“You might as well come up,” Dagdron said, scolding himself. He had no idea why he had been talking to Elloriana in the first place, and especially in his tree.
“Oh yeah!” Earl said.
Dagdron watched in the darkness as Earl’s emotions seemingly propelled him into the tree without any assistance from Lita and without stumbling at all. Lita hefted herself up after him.
“We have permission,” Earl said.
“No, you don’t,” Dagdron said. “This is a one-time visit. If anyone ever comes in my tree again, I will slice them for real.”
“Hold still, Earl,” Elloriana said, watching as Earl fidgeted and looked all around the tree as if he had never seen it before. “Dagdron was just about to tell us why he thinks Wendahl is the Backer.”
“What?” Earl and Lita said together. Earl, glancing at Dagdron, almost lost his footing, but Lita stabilized him.
“The other night when Wendahl was in our room, he was rubbing a bruise on his left leg. It was huge.”
“And you hit the Backer’s left leg with your dagger in Thornrim,” Earl said, his eyes widening and his mouth staying open. “A cut from an enchanted dagger could take months to heal.”
“Did you ask him about it?” Elloriana said. “He’s been limping ever since he’s been here.”
“In Coastdale he told us he injured it chasing a farmer out of his garden. He claims he was running through the corn,” Earl recounted.
“He sounds pretty possessive about his garden, so it could be true,” Elloriana said.
“That’s not all,” Dagdron said. “He left Coastdale before my dad, but he didn’t show up until after. I know it could just be a coincidence, but after the air elemental, he suddenly appeared right after the Backer left.”
“Oh, my goodness,” Elloriana said as Earl and Lita nodded.
“And then there’s the net,” Dagdron continued. “Do we really know what it does? I don’t care about stuff like this, but are the gloozert goo, the magical rocks, and silk string really good components?” Dagdron glanced at Elloriana.
“Well, they’re not considered evil. They’re nowhere close to all those items we collected for Mazannanan. But using snow stag antlers with those other items was pretty surprising to me.”
“Dagdron, why would Wendahl want to summon Avooblis?” Earl asked. “Why would he want a kingdom at Central Crossing?”
“The night in our room, Wendahl said something that made me suspicious,” Dagdron said. “He mentioned something about missing his younger years. And—”
“That’s what Mazannanan wanted,” Earl finished. “He said Avooblis could restore his health and youth.”
Dagdron gave a quick nod.
“So, you’re thinking the net could be a way to control Avooblis instead of keeping him from coming out?” Elloriana said.
“Maybe,” Dagdron said. “It could just be a coincidence.”
“You’re such a good adventurer,” Earl said to Dagdron. “Like we learned during our first year at the academy, underestimating people can be a terrible mistake. I know we trust Wendahl, but we might as well keep our eyes open so we’re aware of anything that he might be hiding.”
With that all settled, Dagdron got his dagger ready to stab the other three until they got out of his tree, but before he could, an enormous magenta blast appeared on the mountainside. Dagdron scurried to the top of the tree for a better view, where he saw a magenta flame bursting out of the cave where his dad, Wendahl, and Egon were staying, as if a dragon were breathing fire.
Dagdron jumped out of his tree, and Earl, Lita, and Elloriana followed him as he ran to the front of the academy, out the gate, and back around to the mountain, where they found Dugan and Egon running down. Up the slope, they saw Wendahl lifting his hoe in an effort to contain the magenta flames that were still firing. When the flames were extinguished, the mountainside was plunged into darkness, and Egon turned to the four young adventurers.
“I guess now is as good a time as any for me to head out on my own to track down the Backer,” Egon said. “The cowardly enchanter hasn’t shown himself all winter, and so it’s time I flush him out. And I’m a little stir crazy from living in the cave with Wendahl.” Egon paused as he fought off the expression of annoyance that covered his face. “I will keep you informed of any happenings.”
Egon gave Earl and Lita a firm handshake, a more delicate one to Elloriana, and then patted Dugan on the back. He nodded quickly to Dagdron and sprinted off to the east. He paused only once, striking a silhouetted pose in the darkness with his hands on his hips and his chest flexed out.
“Dagdron, can I talk to you for a minute?” Dugan said.
“No,” Dagdron said.
Dugan grabbed hold of Dagdron’s arm and with a push in the back from Earl, Dagdron was forced away from the others.
“Tell me what that net is,” Dugan said. “I can tell it’s not a magic project for Elloriana’s class.”
“It’s none of your business,” Dagdron said. “What are you even doing here? You should’ve gone back to Coastdale before the winter.”
“Because I knew you were up to something with Wendahl.”
“Forget about it. You were happy for once in Coastdale. Go back there. You sent me to the academy against my will, and now you’re upset because of what I’m involved in? You caused this.”
“You’re planning on summoning Avooblis, aren’t you?” Dugan said. “You plan on controlling him with Wendahl’s net.”
“No, we want nothing to do with Avooblis.”
“Stop twisting your words,” Dugan said, raising his voice slightly. “Obviously you don’t want anything to do with Avooblis, but you’re still planning something. Tell me what it
is.”
“No,” Dagdron said.
“Dagdron, please. You’re right. I was happy in Coastdale. But that’s why I don’t want to lose you. Our life is different and good now. You’re about to graduate and I’m rebuilding a life in Coastdale. It’s a fresh start for us. Stop whatever you’re planning with the arches.”
“Go back to Coastdale. I will be there this summer. I’m taking a job as Wendahl’s garden rogue.”
“Why won’t you tell me what you’re up to?”
“Because you’ll try to stop us, and that will only make it harder. We already have to watch out for the headmaster, the Backer, and Byron. We don’t need you interfering.”
“What in the land could you want with the arches? You’ve always said they’ve only ruined your life.”
“We’re going to rescue your wife,” Dagdron finally said. “Go back to Coastdale. One way or another, you’ll eventually find out the outcome. But if you try to stop us, I will slice you for real.”
“Dagdron…” Dugan said. “How is that even possible?”
“Mazannanan left a treasure quest to get the incantation, the net is going to stop Avooblis from coming out of the arches, and we’re going to rescue your wife in the meantime.”
“Dagdron, why are you doing this? Why won’t you let it go?”
“Because for my entire life I always wondered what was wrong with you. You taught me to be a rogue and you took care of me, but you were never happy. So I’m going to rescue your wife so you can finally be happy. And then you can leave me alone and stop following me around. No other parents hang out at the academy.”
“It’s because, in spite of how much I tried to teach you about controlling your emotions, I never could. You’re all I have. I know I messed up with the arches, but I don’t want to lose you, too.”
“In a few months, you’ll have your wife back. Now go back to Coastdale.”
Dagdron left his father. He was going to walk right past Earl, Elloriana, and Lita, who had been joined by Wendahl, but Earl grabbed him and hugged him.
The Howl of Avooblis Page 21
