The Protectors (Royal Institute of Magic, Book 3)

by Victor Kloss

  “Ferral Dogs,” Natalie said. “They are from the Unseen Kingdoms. They are a cross between a dog and a bear.”

  The Ferral Dogs were eating up the ground quickly. Within moments, Ben could see their huge, grizzled bodies, spiky ears and fang-like teeth.”

  “Let’s go,” Charlie said.

  Ben hesitated, feeling the spells within the orb of his spellshooter. Did he have anything that could stun them?

  “Why aren’t we running?” Charlie asked, hopping from one foot to another.

  “Ben!” Natalie said.

  Ben cursed, and joined Charlie and Natalie in a frantic dash away from the school.

  “Keep them away from the town!” Ben said, as he ran. Their first scouting mission wouldn’t look great if they led a couple of bear dogs into a populated area.

  “Oh my god, they’re fast!” Charlie said.

  Ben risked a glance behind and saw two sets of snarling heads less than a hundred yards away.

  “The playground!” Natalie said. “They can’t climb.”

  “What about the kids?” Charlie said, panting.

  “The kids?”

  Charlie’s voice was getting increasingly desperate as they charged towards the playground. “You know – the little kids in the playground those dogs could probably swallow whole?”

  “They don’t eat young ones,” Natalie said.

  The playground was surrounded by a fence. Ben got there first and yanked the gate open. To his astonishment, Natalie leapt over the fence, like a professional hurdler.

  “The climbing frame,” Natalie said. She was already halfway up when Charlie arrived. Ben slammed the fence shut and they dashed to the climbing frame. The dogs reached the playground fence and leapt it just as Natalie had done. In a couple of loping strides, the dogs were at the climbing frame.

  The dog’s snapping jaws missed Charlie by inches, and he joined Ben and Natalie at the top of the climbing frame. The dogs circled them, but it was clear they had no way of getting up.

  “Now what?” Charlie asked, anxiously looking at the dogs below.

  Ben was scouring the rest of the playground. There were two other people about: a baby on the swing and the baby’s mother. She was staring at the two dogs with a pale face. She pulled her baby from the swing and made for the exit. Ben drew his spellshooter and fired at the mother’s retreating back. Immediately her terrified, jerky movements stopped, and she left smoothly, oblivious to the danger and anything that had happened in the last sixty seconds.

  Ben turned his attention back to the dogs.

  “Please tell me you have something that can make those things go away,” Charlie said.

  “No.” Natalie’s voice was firm, and the look she gave them was even firmer. “They are animals, not pieces of meat to be blasted into nothing.”

  Ben had rarely seen Natalie so adamant about something before, and he spoke carefully. “I agree, but what do you suggest?”

  “Talking to them,” Natalie said. She was looking at the Ferral Dogs with something resembling affection. Ben and Charlie exchanged surprised glances.

  “Talking might work,” Charlie said slowly. “But I’m not certain how receptive a couple of bear-like, man-eating dogs will take to having a nice little chat.”

  “That’s because you don’t know anything about Ferral Dogs,” Natalie said. “Anyway, you have both missed something really important – look.”

  She pointed a slender finger at the dogs.

  “What are we supposed to be looking at?” Ben asked. “Their enormous teeth, their hulking shoulders, their—?”

  “Their collars,” Natalie said.

  Sure enough, each dog had a small collar that was almost lost beneath the hair and muscle of their necks.

  “Is there writing on those collars?” Charlie said, his interest suddenly piquing.

  “Yes!” Natalie said, with a hint of exasperation. “I bet those collars will tell us something about the owner.”

  Ben grinned. “Brilliant. Genius. So how do we read them?”

  “You don’t do anything,” Natalie said. “Especially not with that spellshooter, unless they are literally tearing my throat out.”

  “You’re not going down, are you?” Charlie said.

  “I’ll be fine, trust me,” Natalie said, flashing Charlie a dazzling smile, which stopped any further complaints in their tracks.

  She took a step down the climbing frame and lowered herself onto her haunches. The dogs immediately became excited and leapt up, but Natalie had placed herself just out of reach and didn’t flinch, even when they came within inches of her ankles.

  “Easy, guys, I’m not your enemy. Easy.”

  Her voice was soft, soothing and, above all, friendly. For the next five minutes, she continued to talk, without altering her position. Ben watched the dogs and could see their hostility gradually ebb. She took a step down. Ben brought his spellshooter up, his finger on the trigger. But instead of snapping and biting, the dogs were now just sniffing. Natalie reached a hand down and, still uttering soothing noises, gave one of the dogs a gentle pat.

  “She’s done it,” Charlie whispered, watching the scene in awe.

  Natalie climbed off the frame. The dogs came all the way up to her chest, but they now looked completely domesticated. Natalie talked and patted. She gave one of them a good rub behind the ears and leant forwards; Ben saw her reading the collar.

  “Alright, boys, off with you,” Natalie said, standing straight and giving both dogs smart pats. The dogs barked, and Ben felt their gaze upon him one last time. For a moment, the hostility returned and he tensed. But Natalie gave them one more pat and they departed, as quickly as they had come.

  Ben waited until both dogs were out of sight, before descending the climbing frame.

  “That was incredible,” Ben said.

  Natalie gave a self-conscious shrug. “I like animals.”

  “What did the collars say?”

  Natalie smiled. “They were engraved with a logo and a number. The number, I can only assume, identifies the item. The logo I recognised instantly, because I used to shop there.”

  “What is it?”

  “Hadrian’s Finest Silver,” Natalie said.

  Ben jumped down from the climbing frame. “Perfect. We can pay the place a visit.”

  Charlie eased his way down. “I doubt they’ll tell us who bought the collars.”

  “No, they won’t. Customer confidentiality and all that,” Ben agreed. “We’ll have to break in and find out for ourselves.”

  “I had a feeling you’d say that,” Charlie said, miserably.

  — Chapter Ten —

  The Crazy Dwarf

  “How sure are you about this place?” Ben asked.

  They had finished at the Institute for the day and were heading down the hill, towards the bustling centre of Taecia Square.

  “Very. Their logo is impossible to mistake. Plus it makes sense. The collar was well made and crafted of silver. Hadrian’s is famous for its quality.”

  Taecia Square was still busy, despite the situation with the dark elves. Shoppers, tourists and diners filled the square, creating an atmosphere that reminded Ben of the big London markets. Natalie led them off the main square, down one of the many quaint shop-filled alleys. They wound their way down a busy cobbled path.

  “Aha, here we are,” Natalie said, stopping.

  Hadrian’s Finest Silver was small, but certainly not dingy. The window displayed a fine assortment of silver items, from jewellery to small pieces of armour. There were plenty of customers inside, perusing the multitude of cubbyholes and display cabinets.

  “Now what?” Charlie asked. “Are you sure we can’t just go in and ask someone if they can trace the ID we have from the collar?”

  “Yes, I’m sure,” Ben said. “They would never allow that, and it would only arouse their suspicions.”

  “Darn,” Charlie said, idly kicking a loose cobblestone. “Well, that was the only ide
a I had. How about you, Natalie?”

  “I’m guessing we’ll have to break in,” Natalie said. “But I don’t know how. These jewellery shops are normally pretty well magically protected.” She turned to Ben. “What do you think?”

  Ben had his hands in his pockets, and was admiring the lettering on the shop title.

  “Yeah, it’s going to be tricky. This place closes at 6pm, right?”

  “Yeah, as does the whole of Taecia Square, at the moment,” Natalie said.

  “That gives us two hours,” Ben said, glancing at his watch. “Come on, let’s go.”

  Natalie and Charlie exchanged surprised glances, before joining Ben.

  “Where are we going?” Charlie asked.

  Ben flicked up a stone and caught it neatly. “We’re going to Goblin Avenue, to buy the best lock-breaking spell money can buy.”

  Charlie groaned. “Can’t we just go to the ’W’ store? I hate Goblin Avenue. I always feel like I’m going to be robbed, and the place stinks.”

  “Not unless you want to get completely ripped off and pay three times the price.” Ben clapped Charlie on the shoulder. “Plus, the negotiating practice will do you good.”

  Charlie gave him a look. “You want me to do the bargaining? Are you mad?”

  “You’ll do fine,” Ben said. “You’ve come a long way, trust me.”

  Ben was right: Charlie had come a long way. Prior to joining the Institute, Charlie couldn’t have talked down a girl scout selling cookies, but he strode into Goblin Avenue with a glint in his eye. With only a bit of help from Ben, he managed to talk down a goblin merchant to a respectable £250 for a level-three lock-breaking spell.

  The sun was setting when they re-entered Taecia Square, with lighter pockets, but smiles on their faces.

  Natalie glanced at her watch. “It’s just coming up to 5pm. Taecia Square closes at 6pm. I guess we wouldn’t want to attempt to break in until at least 8pm, right?”

  “Let’s eat,” Charlie said, patting his stomach.

  With time to kill, they had a leisurely dinner at an Elvish restaurant Charlie recommended. After a lengthy three-course meal, with much talking in between, they emerged from the restaurant at 7:30pm.

  “I hope there’s not going to be any running involved in this break-in,” Charlie said, “because I can barely waddle, let alone walk.”

  They wandered slowly back to Taecia Square. It was dark now, though the lanterns cast a faint light on the cobbled walkways.

  “I’ve never seen Taecia Square this dead before,” Natalie said, speaking in hushed tones.

  The square was completely empty. The chairs from the restaurants were stacked neatly in one corner, and the shops were pitch black. The curfew imposed by the Institute had certainly worked.

  “Are we safe?” Charlie asked. “I mean, the Institute must have imposed the curfew for a reason, right?”

  Ben had been thinking the same thing. He had the uncomfortable thought that the Institute might even have Wardens out here, patrolling the streets. But he saw nothing.

  “Let’s get this over with,” Ben said.

  He led them into one of the side alleys and in short order they were standing in front of Hadrian’s Finest Silver. A lantern stood outside the shop, giving them just enough light to see the deserted shop within.

  Ben took out his spellshooter. Charlie gave him the pellet and he slipped it into the orb.

  "£250 for one go?” Charlie asked.

  “That’s right.” Ben gave Charlie and Natalie a serious look. “There are a lot of things that could go wrong. I may not be able to cast the spell. If I do cast it, the spell may not be strong enough to open the door. If that happens, an alarm will almost definitely go off, and we’ll need to leave, fast.”

  “I knew I was going to regret that second dessert,” Charlie muttered.

  “Where should we go?” Natalie asked.

  “The Dragonway. There will still be some people down there, and we should be able to lose ourselves amongst them. If we lose each other, we’ll meet up tomorrow at Barrington’s as normal. All clear?”

  Ben lifted his spellshooter and aimed it at the lock on the door. He took a calming breath, and cast aside thoughts of failure. Charlie and Natalie faded from his peripheral vision; he saw nothing but the keyhole, and envisioned his spell firing right into the hole. The pellet started its slow passage down the orb, and into the barrel.

  Ben pulled the trigger, and fired.

  A small, golden spark shot into the antique keyhole, illuminating the inside. For a second, Ben could see the fine cogs and wheels that formed the lock.

  The soft clicking sound was music to Ben’s ears.

  “You did it!” Natalie said.

  Charlie wiped his brow. “I never had any doubt.”

  Ben turned the handle, and slowly opened the door. He was still half-expecting an alarm, and it was only when he had fully stepped inside that he sagged his shoulders with relief.

  Ben walked into the store, staring in wonder at the magnificent pieces of silver. There were several jewellery display counters, but it was the bigger pieces that caught Ben’s eye. A magnificent, intricately carved shield had pride of place on a mantelpiece. Everywhere Ben looked he saw examples of high-quality craftsmanship.

  “Okay, now what?” Ben said.

  “The receipts, if he’s kept them, will be somewhere at the back, out of public eye,” Natalie said.

  Beyond the sales desk was an open door into another room. Natalie led them through.

  “Bingo,” Charlie said, the moment he entered.

  It was a small room, piled with labelled boxes.

  “Pity there’s no computer equivalent in the Unseen Kingdoms,” Ben said. Just looking at the mass of boxes made his head spin.

  “What was the code on the collar?” Charlie said. Unlike Ben, he was staring at the boxes with a focused look in his eye.

  “102-60-405,” Natalie said.

  Charlie’s finger was already pointing at a couple of boxes near the ceiling. “Okay, I think I see a pattern. Nat, you work from right to left, coming towards me. The last three digits should start working their way backwards.”

  Natalie grabbed a ladder and started climbing.

  “What about me?” Ben asked.

  Charlie nodded to the door. “You stand guard.”

  “Roger that,” Ben said, relieved to have something useful to do that didn’t involve sifting through endless boxes.

  Ben found a spot giving him a good view of the front door without being seen. For the first ten minutes, he kept watch vigilantly, but he soon realised nothing was about to happen. He relaxed, and occasionally went back to see how Natalie and Charlie were getting on.

  “We’re getting there,” Charlie said. He had his face buried in a box and no longer looked up when Ben entered.

  “I have it!” Natalie said, thrusting her hand in the air with a piece of paper. “102-60-405. Purchase was made by a Mr. Hunter Abney, almost five years ago. My goodness, I feel like I’ve won the lottery.”

  “No, but I’ll buy you a cup of tea,” Ben said.

  “The next best thing,” Natalie said, smiling. “I’ll hold you to that.”

  Ben suddenly had the odd thought that Natalie might construe that to mean a date, rather than just a simple cup of tea. He scratched his nose, feeling awkward.

  A creaking noise came from the front of the store.

  The three of them went very still.

  “What was that?” Charlie said.

  Ben darted out of the room, and ducked into his hiding place.

  An elderly dwarf was opening the front door. He stepped into the store and went over to a desk by the window to turn on a side lamp. Ben crouched deeper into his position as soft light filled the store. Slowly he moved his hand to the spellshooter, but the old dwarf didn’t appear to notice their presence. He was whistling an idle tune, and walking slowly about the place, gathering a few unfinished silver pieces and a toolbox. He then s
at down at one of the desks by the window, and started tapping, all the while whistling contentedly.

  Ben watched him for several minutes. When it was clear the dwarf wasn’t going to move, he crawled into the back room, where he saw a static Natalie and Charlie staring at him with a look of horror.

  “Old dwarf,” Ben whispered, thumbing towards the front of the store. “Blocking the way out.”

  “What’s he doing?” Natalie asked.

  “Seems like he’s working. Must be a night owl.”

  “Great,” Charlie said, a little too loudly. “So how do we get out without being seen?”

  They very quietly tidied up the remaining boxes, and then poked their heads into the main store.

  The dwarf kept on tapping and whistling away, occasionally stooping to wipe his work down.

  “He doesn’t look dangerous,” Natalie whispered. “It’s just unfortunate that he happens to be right by the front door.”

  “What do we do?” Charlie asked. He stepped forwards, squeezing in between Natalie and Ben. As he did so, his arm went out and he knocked down a small box from a cabinet.

  Ben watched in slow motion as a set of miniature animals tumbled out of the box and hit the wooden floor with a clutter.

  The dwarf stopped whistling. He stood up, and turned around slowly. Ben and Natalie were quick enough to hide, but Charlie stood there, frozen in shock.

  “Who’s there?” the dwarf said, squinting. “I can see you, thief!”

  The dwarf reached under his desk and pulled out two hand axes, which he held expertly one in each hand.

  “Whoever you are, I’m going to cut you up. Nobody steals from Hadrian’s and lives to tell the tale.”

  The dwarf stepped forwards, giving the axes an experimental swing. He might have been old, but he knew how to swing an axe.

  “Help!” Charlie whispered furiously.

  Ben cursed and stepped next to Charlie. He touched the orb of his spellshooter, but he had nothing useful to fire, without risking killing the dwarf, which he was not prepared to do.

  The dwarf stepped forwards again. There was now only a handful of paces between them, and the dwarf’s eyes were starting to focus.

  “Cover your eyes,” Natalie ordered.