“Nice,” Elloriana said. “Mazannanan gave us a treasure quest that doesn’t have treasure at the end of it.”
“It must fit somewhere,” Earl said. “We’ll have to search the old dwellings.”
“Or in the shrine,” Dagdron said.
“Oh my goodness, Dagdron,” Earl said, his mouth dropping open. “I bet you’re right.”
“Let’s get out of here,” the rogue said.
They returned to the arch doorway, which opened of its own accord as they approached. Dagdron paused, then sprinted back into the cavern, grabbing one handful of gold coins and another of sparkling gems. He rushed back to the doorway as the wooden staff shot beam after beam at his back.
“Master’s key!” the imp yelled until the doorway slammed shut, muting his cry.
“You’re sharing those with us,” Elloriana said as they prepared to crawl through the tunnel.
“No, I’m not,” Dagdron said. “You can all go get your own.”
“You owe me for the jewels you stole from my bedroom!”
“I didn’t steal anything from your room.”
“We only have two months of the academy left, and you still won’t admit it?”
“Admit what? I’ve never stolen from you or your father or anyone in Lordavia.”
“I’m going to get my jewels and my father’s money back before we graduate!” Elloriana yelled, but Dagdron had already slipped into the opening.
Chapter 29: The Return to the Shrine
Bang!
A blast-bolt spell crashed Dagdron and Earl’s bedroom door open, slamming it against the wall. The two boys, though bedded down for the night, weren’t surprised in the least when the headmaster entered.
“How were you controlling the spumasaur?” Headmaster Gwauldron asked, striding to the middle of the room.
“Controlling it?” Earl said. “I barely got away from it without having my sword corroded.” He grabbed his sword where it was resting at his bedside and held it affectionately.
Dagdron had to control the impressed expression from leaking to his face. Earl was lying very convincingly, which is what they had decided was their only choice. After exiting the tunnel, they had returned the spumasaur to Mazannanan’s dwelling, where Dagdron convinced it to stay. From there, they had taken a roundabout way to return to the academy so they could avoid a run-in with the headmaster.
“Byron and Gordon said you sicced it on them,” the headmaster said. “And for some reason I am inclined to believe them.”
Dagdron unwadded his cloak to show the acidic holes from the imp attack.
“Its spittle burned my cloak.”
“Like that means anything,” Headmaster Gwauldron said, disgusted by the ragged cloak. “Stand up!”
The headmaster frisked Dagdron and Earl. Then, while they stood in the corner, he searched every nook and cranny, spending a particularly long time under Dagdron’s bed and rifling through Earl’s five trunks.
“Your access outside of the academy is rescinded,” Headmaster Gwauldron said. “And you are to return directly to your rooms after dinner.”
“But we only have two months left,” Earl said, the color draining from his face. “We don’t want to miss out on our last weekends in Bodaburg.”
“Bodaburg is the least of it,” the headmaster said. “You’re not even allowed out back.”
“Leave my tree out of this,” Dagdron said, whipping out his dagger.
“But we practice outside,” Earl said.
“The practice facilities in the classroom tower more than suffice.” Headmaster Gwauldron glared at them before slamming the door as he left.
“Dagdron, what are we going to do?” Earl asked the following day at dinner. “We’re being watched everywhere we go.”
Dagdron didn’t even look up. He pierced a meatball with his dagger and bit it off the blade. Guards had been stationed everywhere: all along the third floor of the boys’ tower, at the entrance to the girls’ tower, at the front and back doors of the academy, and in the dining hall.
“Headmaster Gwauldron has finally lost it,” Earl said. “All the guards are the second-year warrior students. He’s more concerned with keeping us imprisoned than about their education and future.”
“Who cares?” Dagdron said. “Being an ambassador requires no training.”
“You’re right,” Earl said, shaking his head. “This whole ambassador business is stupid. But seriously, what are we going to do?”
“Until Elloriana finds some method to break through the headmaster’s barricade to the shrine, we can’t do anything.”
“I have no patience,” Earl said.
“Really?” Dagdron said. He looked at his roommate with a dull expression, and Earl smiled at his friend’s sarcasm. From the moment they had woken up, Earl had been anxiously pacing and talking about the issue at hand. And he had continued this way after their classes, walking to dinner, and still currently. “The headmaster doesn’t know the shrine is our destination, so he’ll be off guard. I have access to the rogue corridors.”
“You’re right. I still feel bad, though.”
“Why?”
“Because I had a few seconds with Lita coming down the classroom tower, and she’s even more impatient than I am. I know the guards think they’re helping the headmaster. I mean, I would’ve jumped at the chance if this whole arch business hadn’t taken over my life. But those poor second years don’t know what they’re in for. Lita’s going to crush their bones if they try to stop us when we make our move.”
The first two weeks of April were torturous. Earl and Lita’s patience wore thinner and thinner. But even worse than Earl’s constant ramblings and pacing, Dagdron’s biggest torment was the headmaster’s searches. He didn’t mind that the headmaster rummaged through their room every day, but when Dagdron looked down from their bedroom window and saw the headmaster manhandling his tree, he was horrified. His tree had recently bloomed new leaves, but the headmaster was combing every inch of every branch, looking for any sign of a hidden object.
“I am so sorry, Dagdron,” Earl said, joining him at the window.
Dagdron glanced at Earl. Dagdron had always considered Earl overemotional, but the genuine distraught look on his face as he shared in Dagdron’s pain reminded the rogue how sincere and honorable his friend really was. In spite of the vast amount of annoyance Earl caused him, Dagdron realized that his tree probably wouldn’t have meant as much to him over the past three years if he hadn’t had to defend it against Earl’s invasions. Dagdron shook his head and let a scowl cross his face.
“He’s going to be sliced for this,” Dagdron said, turning away from the window.
“I agree!” Earl said. He pulled his sword and made a stabbing motion as if it were a dagger. He tripped over his feet as he did so and would have fallen if Dagdron’s shoulders hadn’t been there for him to latch onto.
Elloriana, who even Earl admitted had remained annoyingly calm as she used her magic class time to search out a potion, finally gave a note to Lita to give to Earl on the staircase of the classroom tower, who showed it to Dagdron in their bedroom.
“She can’t do it?” Dagdron said.
“She thought a potion might be able to break through the headmaster’s barricade, but she doesn’t have access to powerful enough ingredients,” Earl explained.
“Magic is worthless,” Dagdron said.
“I bet she could do it if we weren’t trapped in the academy.”
“Who cares? We are trapped in here.” Dagdron put his hood on and plunged his dagger into the unused mattress on his bed.
After dinner, Earl paced back and forth across the bedroom late into the night, vocalizing all the possibilities that popped into his head. None of them sounded reasonable to Dagdron. When the young warrior, exhausted, finally sat down on the edge of his bed, the stars had long since been visible from their window.
Tap, tap, tap, tap.
Dagdron sat up on the floor, suddenly aler
t, as Earl bounced up from his bed.
Tap, tap, tap, tap.
The boys followed the sound this time, rushing toward the window, where an old face with frazzled gray hair was floating outside. Wendahl had come to the rescue.
Earl flung the window open, but Wendahl still put on a light show with his hoe, sparkling magenta stars from the tool. Only then did he allow Earl to help him climb through the window.
“You levitated all the way up here?” Earl said, sheer amazement etched on his face.
Wendahl bowed his head and twirled his hoe triumphantly.
“It took you long enough,” Dagdron said, raining on the old enchanter’s celebration. “We’ve been locked in this stupid academy for two weeks.”
“I thought you were still searching for Mazannanan’s pets,” Wendahl said.
“Don’t say that about our academy,” Earl said to Dagdron before launching into an explanation about what had happened with the spumasaur and imp, how he and Dagdron had been imprisoned in the academy, and how they thought there must be a hidden keyhole in the Shrine of Avooblis.
“I can get you through the barricade,” Wendahl said after listening intently to Earl’s speech. “It will take me about a week to concoct the potion, so we’ll have to plan for next weekend.”
“A full week?” Earl said, disappointed.
“Stupid magic,” Dagdron said. “I bet he has to bathe it under the full moon at midnight.”
“Actually, this particular potion must be mixed and then chilled in the twilight three times before reawakening the brew in the rays of the sunrise.”
“Just hurry,” Dagdron said, scowling.
“Any news about the Backer?” Earl asked. “Have Egon or Dugan spotted him?”
Wendahl flinched at the sound of the old warrior’s name. “Yes, they have, but they have not succeeded in capturing him. The Backer has been prowling around Mazannanan’s old dwelling, but even his magic isn’t having any effect on the spumasaur. It appears the Backer is trying to retrace your steps.”
“I still think Egon will catch him,” Earl said.
“I better be off,” Wendahl said. “You can watch me levitate all the way to the ground.”
Wendahl smiled as Earl’s excitement turned back to him. The enchanter slipped his hoe out the window first, grasping it horizontally, before climbing out himself and lowering himself to the ground with the quiet hum and soft glow of a levitation spell.
“Wow,” Earl said.
Dagdron slammed the window and lay down on the floor.
* * *
Time still seemed to move in slow motion over the following week, but having a plan decreased Dagdron, Earl, Elloriana, and Lita’s anxiousness. Earl kept mentioning to Dagdron his relief that maybe more of the second years would make it to their third year now that Lita wouldn’t have to pummel them.
At dinner the following Friday evening, Dagdron was forced to listen to Earl’s noisy chomping; the warrior was unable to chew quietly with the adrenaline rushing through his veins. Wendahl hadn’t told them how he was going to bring them the potion, but they were sure he would deliver it in grand fashion.
The door to the eating hall opened loudly, sounding over the student’s chatter. Dagdron and Earl jerked around, expecting to see Wendahl’s magenta robes. Instead, they saw Headmaster Gwauldron leading King and Queen Loftloomburg into the chamber with Grady Solloughby following.
“What are they doing here?” Earl said.
The entire student body of the academy watched as the king and queen of Lordavia crossed the eating hall, stopped by Elloriana, and escorted her out.
“What are they going to do to her?” Earl said.
“You can help the wench later,” Dagdron said. “We have to get into the shrine tonight.”
Earl finished his meal a little less vigorously. He glanced in Lita’s direction, but, not wanting to attract unneeded attention from the headmaster’s second-year guards, he followed Dagdron back to their room for the evening.
As soon as the door was closed, Dagdron hurried to the far corner. He leveraged his hands and feet on the abutting walls and climbed to the ceiling, where he loosened a brick and retrieved the bone and the key.
“They were hidden in our room the entire time?” Earl said. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because your eyes would’ve betrayed the hiding spot.” Dagdron dropped back to the floor.
Earl appeared slightly offended, but he got over it quickly as he began pacing the room, discussing possible places in the shrine the keyhole might be. Dagdron had been thinking back over the past few weeks as well, picturing the shrine in his mind, but couldn’t pinpoint anything that might serve as a lock for the bone key.
Dagdron sat on his bed, tossing his dagger and catching it, but Earl kept darting to the window, checking to see if Wendahl was rising upward. But no tapping came at the window this time.
Slump, slump, slump, slump, slump, slump.
Dagdron and Earl rushed out of their room to see each and every second-year warrior that had been stationed on their floor slumbering peacefully, and, with a radiating magenta circle behind him, Wendahl stood with his arms extended, his hoe clutched in his right hand. Then Elloriana pushed him to the side and strode down the hallway.
“Princess Elloriana,” Earl said. “What happened to you?”
“Grady sent my parents a scroll telling them how I want to be an adventurer,” Elloriana said. “He must think he can be spared if he ruins my life. But if I’m not an adventurer, he’s going to hate life because I’m going to be in the castle in Lordavia with nothing better to do than teach him lesson after lesson after lesson. And I’m sure the headmaster was content to get me out of the way.”
“How did you escape?” Dagdron asked.
“I snuck out the window and went to find Wendahl.” Elloriana smiled.
“You’re going to get in even more trouble when your parents realize you’re gone,” Earl said.
“Who cares?” Elloriana said. “I’m not missing tonight’s adventure.”
“Nice, wench,” Dagdron said.
“I don’t blame you,” Earl quickly added. “But I wouldn’t call it nice. Her parents might not let her be an adventurer.”
“She’ll just leave,” Dagdron said.
Elloriana smiled, and they turned as Wendahl approached.
“Here,” he said, handing a flask filled with yellow liquid to Dagdron. “This incredible, perfectly brewed potion will get you through old Gwidy’s barricade.”
“It better work,” Dagdron said, shaking the flask.
“It will, and you’ll be amazed,” Wendahl said.
Dagdron headed down the corridor and the others followed, stepping over the sleeping warriors. As soon as they reached the entrance hall, Lita, her sword ready to strike, rushed out of the girls’ tower. She saw the others and sprinted across the chamber, leaping over the sleeping guards to join the others as they headed to the classroom tower.
Dagdron led everyone down the right-hand corridor until he crashed into the barricade, highlighting its blue outline. He stepped back a few paces, just in front of the others, and then hurled the flask. The glass shattered and the yellow liquid oozed and seared over the barrier until it burst, sending a blast of wind down the hallway.
The four students ducked their heads against the storm, but Wendahl stood straight, enjoying the wind with pride.
“I told you it would be amazing,” Wendahl said, creasing his brow when he saw Dagdron’s expressionless face.
“Will the shrine let us in?” Elloriana asked as they moved forward.
“Yes,” Wendahl said. “The spell that was left behind was broken when the third arch crystal was formed.”
Dagdron confirmed this as he swung the tapestry aside, exposing the arch indentation. The door opened as soon as he placed his hand against the wall. The shrine was exactly as they had left it at the end of the previous year. The three stone arches stood strong around the altar,
where the ancient tome still lay closed. The group walked down the stone staircase that curved along the wall, and then they spread out to search the shrine.
Elloriana headed straight to the shelves, searching among the jars and ingredients that Mazannanan kept there. Dagdron hovered around the altar in the center, feeling the edge and base for any sign of a keyhole. Earl and Lita scoured the walls together while Wendahl examined every inch of the arches, moving his hoe along the edges.
After searching for twenty minutes and finding nothing, the group reunited around the altar. Dagdron held the bone key in his hand and, shrugging, he tossed it onto the altar.
Nothing happened.
“What other realm could Mazannanan have had?” Earl said as Dagdron retrieved the key.
They looked at one another, and then the four young adventurers’ eyes stopped on Wendahl.
“I don’t know,” Wendahl said, shaking his head.
“Let’s go search while we have a chance to get out of this dumb academy,” Dagdron said. He headed to the stairs, and the others followed him out of the shrine. Wendahl rehung the tapestry and created a barrier of his own before hurrying after the others down the corridor and up the stairs.
Dagdron came to a sudden stop as he walked into the entrance hall. Earl and Lita jostled him from behind, but Elloriana and Wendahl moved to the side to see what was happening.
Headmaster Gwauldron was standing in the entrance to the boys’ tower.
“Empty your pockets,” he said.
“I’ll empty them myself,” another voice said.
They looked toward the front doors, where the Backer stepped forward. Before he could cast a spell, three other figures moved out of the entrance of the teachers’ tower. Rance, Kas, and Wally, along with the headmaster and the Backer, raised their hands to cast spells.
Chapter 30: The Battle for the Bone
“All of them? Again?” Elloriana screeched.
“I’m sorry,” Wendahl said. “I thought I heard someone following us up from Bodaburg. I’m afraid my magenta robe isn’t the most inconspicuous garment, but I’m just not willing to wear something else.”
The Howl of Avooblis Page 26
