by Alison Pensy
“This is so much fun, isn't it?” Jocelyn squealed, excitement getting the better of her.
Faedra gave her friend a big smile as she returned the clue back to its hiding place. This was turning out to be a lot of fun. Faedra suddenly realized she had spent so much of her energy trying to figure out the clues and find where they were hidden, she hadn't once had to think about holding her power back, and, as yet, she hadn't blown anything up, either, which was a bonus. This was turning out to be a very good idea.
Sounds of footsteps echoed up the stairwell. The next group of treasure hunters had discovered where the clue was. It was time for Faedra and her friends to make an exit. She didn't want to discuss the next possible hiding place in front of anyone. There was a chance that they may just win this thing after all. They hadn't seen anything of the giggling girls, so she was pretty sure they had gone looking in the wrong place and she knew her group was second out of the pub.
Downstairs, in the cloisters, they took a moment so that Jocelyn could read out the next clue. Faedra couldn't help but feel the odd sensation coming from across the square again. She turned to look through the arches. Did someone just pull back into the shadows? Just as she was about to lean further over, Etyran commanded her attention.
“Hey, don't flake on us now,” he said.
“Huh?”
“You didn't hear a word Jocelyn said, did you? Focus, Faedra.”
Color rushed to Faedra's cheeks. “Sorry, Jocelyn, could you repeat it?”
CHAPTER FIVE
“Looks like battlements, but it's not a castle.
Has stained glass windows, but it's not a church.
Justice was dealt here, council business, too.
Behind the lion's shield is where you'll find the clue.”
“What other building in Norwich looks like it has battlements?” Faedra mused to herself. “And stained glass windows?” She looked around at the other’s blank expressions, waiting expectantly once more. Great… a lot of good they were. A moment later a long forgotten memory forced its way to the forefront of her mind. Almost as if she had asked someone to pull a file out of a filing cabinet and hand it to her. There it was, as clear as if it only happened yesterday. A middle school field trip.
“Of course. The Guildhall!” she exclaimed with excitement. It was one of her most memorable field trips of that age and not for good reasons.
The others retained their blank expressions.
“Middle school history,” Faedra explained. She inwardly shuddered as she remembered the old jail cells and how they closed the doors on several students at a time to give them an idea of what it would have been like to be imprisoned there centuries ago. She remembered teetering down the narrow spiral staircase that led down to a large crypt that was used like a dungeon. What she couldn't remember were any lions down there, thank goodness. At least she knew where not to bother looking.
“Come on,” she said to her group. “We need to run. Anyone else who had history in middle school will figure this clue out in a heartbeat.”
Faedra turned and took off through the cloisters and out through the passageway, her boots clunking on the flagstone floor and echoing off the walls and ceiling. Mid-stride Jocelyn and Faen took to their dog forms and flanked Faedra as she ran through the gates; Etyran followed a stride behind her.
“Hey, that's cheating!” she chastised her two furry friends as they all trotted across the road and into an alleyway that ran behind the cathedral. Jocelyn turned her snout and gave Faedra her signature toothy grin. A minute more and they were running across the cathedral grounds and through the main gate towards the center of the city.
Shoppers gave Faedra and Etyran odd looks as they legged it through one of the pedestrianized shopping lanes that networked through the ancient city. Around one more corner and the building Faedra sought came into sight.
The Guildhall stood at the top of a small hill. Taxi cabs lined up in front of the austere building waiting for their fares. The bustling hub that was the undercover market place stood to its left. The building stuck out like a sore thumb, such was its shape among the more modern buildings surrounding it. It was oblong with arched windows and doors. The walls were lined with flint and what looked like battlements, accented the roof.
Faedra and Etyran ran up the hill still flanked by their furry friends. A couple of taxi drivers, who were deep in conversation, stopped to look at the four run past, creased their eyebrows, shook their heads and carried on their conversation.
When they got to the entrance, Jocelyn and Faen changed back in a split second upon walking through the door. They stood in the main lobby while Faedra did a cursory look around.
“We need to split up. I don't know which of the rooms has a lion that could hide a clue,” Faedra instructed. “Jocelyn, you and Etyran take this floor and Faen and I will look upstairs.”
Jocelyn nodded and she and Etyran turned to scope out the main courtroom which was now a beautiful backdrop to a swanky cafe.
Faen and Faedra took the stairs two at a time. When they got to the top, they stood between two more rooms.
“I can look in this room, if you would like to take that one,” Faen suggested with a gesture first to the council chambers and then to another courtroom, much plainer than the one their two friends were scoping out down below.
“Sounds like a plan to me,” Faedra said with a smile. “Good luck.” They turned back to back and walked towards their respective rooms.
Faedra felt the carpet beneath her feet disappear as soon as she stepped foot into the ancient courtroom. No longer used in present times, but many a poor soul convicted to horrendous punishment in times gone by. She stole herself for the onslaught of energy that was bound to plunge itself full force into her psyche.
Taking a deep breath she closed her eyes for a second, calming the maelstrom of emotions that surrounded her. She had to find a way to control it and now was as good a time as any to start.
Faedra opened her eyes and looked over to the “holding pen” in front of a large window. The shadows of several men sat on a bench, heads down, awaiting their fate.
Faedra took another step into the room. The floorboards creaked under foot making her flinch.
“Focus, Faedra,” she reprimanded herself. “You'll never find the bloody thing if you keep your eyes closed most of the time.”
She steeled her resolve and shook the spookies from her head. Another step forward, but this time she was scanning the wooden paneling that covered the walls. She couldn't immediately see anything that remotely resembled a lion. The whole room was very dowdy; everywhere she looked was wood. Wooden walls, wooden floors, wooden benches. No color or texture at all in this depressing room.
The lion obviously wasn't there. Maybe Faen was having better luck. She turned to leave and bumped straight into his chest.
“I think I found it,” Faen said, his excitement making him oblivious to the look of surprise on Faedra's face.
“Don't do that!” Faedra cursed.
“Do what?”
“Sneak up on me. I could've hurt you.”
Faen gave her a look that said he didn't believe that for a second, then took her by the arm and led her out of the old courtroom.
“In here, I think I found the lions.”
They walked across the hallway to another room. Stunning by comparison to one they'd just left. Plush carpet adorned the floor. Benches with red velvet cushions lined the walls and a beautiful stained glass window took up half of one wall. This must have been the council chambers. At the entrance to the chambers were two carved lions, one on either side. They were both holding a shield.
“Definitely lions,” Faedra agreed. She ran her fingers over the smooth wooden statues.
“There's something behind the shield on this one,” Faen said.
Faedra turned just in time to see Faen pluck a golden piece of paper from behind the lion's shield.
“Here, you do the honors,” Faedra said
, handing her Guardian the pad and pencil.
She pulled out the cypher wheel and started spelling out letters.
A few moments later, Faen and Faedra were dashing down the stairs to give Jocelyn and Etyran the good news. They walked calmly into the cafe, not wanting to disturb the guests dining there.
While they were huddled to one side of the entrance, Faedra could feel the odd sensation she had at The Great Hospital. She looked around. She couldn't see anything untoward in the cafe. Several tables full of friends or couples chatted over cups of tea and scones. One person in the corner was holding their menu up, concealing their face.
“Well, Fae, what do you think? Do you have any idea what this next clue means?” Etyran said, pulling Faedra's thoughts back to the treasure hunt. They were doing really well so far, maybe they were in for a good chance of winning after all. Just as she thought that, a couple of groups burst through the entrance, conferred for a moment, then split up.
“Let's read it outside,” Faedra suggested.
They moved to an alley across from the entrance. Once outside, Faedra read the clue out loud to her team.
“Find the place where merchants once traded,
A building restored that once was jaded.
Your gains can be found in the treasure chest,
But beware, the dragon doth not protest.”
Faedra looked up from the clue to see three expectant faces peering back at her.
“Really, guys? You are the most hopeless treasure hunt team in the history of mankind.”
“Yeah, we know, but it's fun watching you try and figure it out,” Etyran chirped. “We're just along for the ride.”
Faedra gave him a mock glare. Just as she did, a lady came to view in her peripheral vision, accompanied by the unusual sensation she'd felt a couple of times earlier in the hunt. She didn't get a clear picture of the woman's face, as her long hair hung like a curtain down the side of her face. Faedra was sure she recognized her from somewhere. This person was throwing off anxiety and impatience. Faedra stretched around Etyran to get a better look at the woman, but when she did, there was no one there. Etyran turned and Faen leaned over to follow Faedra's line of sight.
“Something wrong?” Faen asked.
“What's up?” Etyran said at the same time as his friend.
“Hmm...” Faedra chewed on her lip and brought her attention back to her friends. “I thought I recognized someone, but, I guess, it wasn't anyone. Okay, back to this clue. The only trading hall I know about that has any connection to dragons is Dragon Hall. It was re-discovered recently after it had been divided up into shops and flats for centuries. They spent a lot of money restoring it to its original state. Apparently, there's a beautiful carving of a dragon in one of the roof beams. I've seen pictures but I've never been there. Only thing is, it's all the way over the other side of the city. Faen, can we fly there?”
“No, Faedra, that would be cheating,” Faen answered, waggling his finger in a cheeky way.
“Oh, and you two turning into dogs to run over here, wasn't?” she asked, a sly curve bending her lips.
“What am I? Chopped Liver?” Etyran grouched. “It's all right for you lot, but somehow I can't see Jocelyn being able to carry me.”
Jocelyn put hands on hips and gave him a look that said 'I'm not that weak'.
Faedra smiled at the Lightbender's outburst. “Point taken,” she said. “Well, I guess we are going to have to leg it across the city again. This treasure better be worth it.”
Faen moved to one side and made a sweeping gesture with his arm. “Off you go, then. We will be right behind you.”
Faedra narrowed her eyes at him which garnered her a wink and a cheeky grin. Then he looked around, gave her another smirk and blurred into his dog form, followed a second later by Jocelyn.
Faedra looked at Etyran. “Bloody fairies.”
“No argument from me,” he said.
The two left standing, walked out of the alley and took off at a jog, followed by their two furry friends. Their route would take them past the taxi cabs, along Gentleman's Walk, up past the castle, the mall, and the newspaper.
Strangely enough, even though they were running at a fair clip, Faedra did not fall out of breath, and she hardly classed herself as fit, but now she felt energized. The blood pumping through her veins was pushing her forward with ease.
Eventually, they arrived at Dragon Hall and burst through the entrance, much to the surprise of the attendant who was sitting behind the counter in the gift shop.
“Do you have a treasure chest here?” Faedra asked, cringing at how corny that sounded.
The attendant scrunched his face a little at her question. “Uh, yeah. There's one in the undercroft.” He pointed to a doorway to his left.
“Thanks,” Faedra said before she and her friends started for the doorway.
“Oi! You can't just go in there. That'll be five pounds each for admission, thank you.”
“What? But, we're with the treasure hunt,” Faedra explained.
The attendant scrunched his face again.
“The cypher wheel treasure hunt?” Faedra continued.
“Never heard of it. Don't know anything about any treasure hunt. But if you're wanting to see the treasure chest, it's still five pounds each.”
Faedra turned to Faen. “Surely they would have mentioned if we needed to pay to get in to these places to find a clue. Maybe we're in the wrong place, after all.”
“It is a possibility,” Faen agreed.
Faedra took out the clue again and gave it another read. She sighed.
“Well, if it is the wrong place, it's a very close fit. I can't think of anywhere else in the city that would fit with those clues.”
“Do you mind?” the attendant said, holding out his hand to see the clue.
Faedra handed it to him. “Any ideas?”
The attendant read it and scratched his head. “Certainly sounds like this place, all right,” he said, resolute. “Sorry, Miss, but if you want to go down there, I have to charge you an entrance fee.”
Faedra looked at her team. Their faces all said the same, 'don't look at us, we don't have need of money.' She sighed again and wondered how they could get by for so long in the World of Men without any money. She dug around in her purse, pulled out a couple of ten pound notes and handed them to the attendant.
“Thank you. You'll find the treasure chest in the undercroft. Go down the spiral staircase and walk through cellars, down another set of steps and you're there,” the attendant directed.
“Thanks,” the four cohorts said, before leaving the gift shop in the direction given.
“What is it with old buildings and spiral staircases?” Faedra mused as she and her friends made their way carefully down the narrow stone spiral that let into the belly of the building.
A musty smell hit their nostrils the further they descended. They wandered through a couple of rooms that showed how the building had been excavated. Then another set of narrow stairs, with a sign saying 'mind your head', led them down into the undercroft. Faen and Etyran had to crouch to get down the steps without bumping their heads. The undercroft was set up as a show-piece so people could see the kind of things that would have been stored here when it was a merchant's trading hall. There were a few wine barrels stacked in one corner, a fake sack of grain in another, and then they saw it. The object of the team's desires. Tucked in one of the alcoves sat a real, honest-to-goodness, treasure chest.
“How corny is that?” Faedra said to her friends.
They gave her an odd look.
“Ah, let me guess. You guys still put your treasures in treasure chests.”
“Of course. Where else would we put them?” Jocelyn asked, bemused at the statement.
“A bank?” Faedra said with a smile. Knowing full well they didn't have banks in Azran.
“Well, let's open this puppy up and see what amazing riches we've won, shall we?” Etyran said.
“Y
ou do the honors this time,” Faedra offered, gesturing for him to open the chest.
Truth was, her heart was in her mouth. She was so excited at finally finding the treasure she could hardly stand still.
Etyran looked at his friend. “Let's do this together, mate.”
Faen took a step forward and leaned over with his friend to open the chest. It gave a loud disgruntled creak as they lifted the lid.
“Well?” Faedra asked, hardly daring to look.
She didn't like the expression on her Guardian's face or Etyran's for that matter.
“You have to be kidding me. How many flippin' clues are there?” she exclaimed after peering over Jocelyn's shoulder into the empty chest. Empty, apart from another golden piece of paper. This time only one line of text was written on it.
Jocelyn leaned in and picked it up. “We have gotten this far, Faedra. We have to be close now.”
Faedra pulled the cypher wheel out of its pouch one more time. After deciphering the text, she waited to hear what the clue said. She looked up to see Faen and Etyran peering over the young fairy's shoulders. All of them wore the same confused expression.
“Well, what does it say?” Faedra asked, stepping closer to the group that was huddled around the clue in front of the treasure chest.
“It says,” Jocelyn started, “‘we will see you on the other side’.”
Faedra drew her eyebrows together and held her hand out to see the clue. Before Jocelyn could give it to her, Faedra's eyes grew wide. A bright light was coming from the chest behind her friends. When they saw her expression, the three fae turned to look at what prompted it. In a flash, all four were sucked into the chest and the lid slammed closed on top of them.
CHAPTER SIX
“What the...?” Etyran exclaimed before turning invisible.
Faen and Faedra just looked at each other, expressions unreadable.
Only a second passed before all four friends were back to back in a small circle; a defensive position Faen had taught Faedra in one of her very first lessons as Custodian.
