“I must speak to the king immediately!” The rider announced.
Master Mindy noted the worried look on the messenger’s face and pointed toward the palace.
“All students back to the palace!” Master Mindy announced.
“Ride with us,” Master Porthos told the rider. “We’ll take you inside immediately.”
Lance and Charlotte looked at each other as they began to march back.
“Doesn’t look like good news,” Charlotte whispered.
“No, no it does not,” Lance agreed.
* * *
King Triton sat at the center of the table with his advisors on either side. The messenger from the kingdom of Atrion stood before him. He looked ragged from riding for days straight. King Triton motioned and a servant brought the man a glass of water.
Downing it in two gulps, the messenger wiped his mouth and thanked King Triton with a low bow.
“Now tell us, why does the kingdom of Atrion send us an unexpected messenger in such a rush?” King Triton asked. “Are you at war?”
“It may very well come to that,” the man replied. “I rode as fast as possible to get here. The Dark Ones are still very much alive and seem to have purchased a castle from Baron Longshire. Not only that, but they are starting to amass a large army. I don’t know where they are being funded from, but their efforts are working. Their army is nearly the size of our own and before it gets larger, we need to end them.”
“Not possible,” King Triton said. “We hunted them all down.” He looked about the room at his advisors who all looked as perplexed as he did.
“And a noble effort it was,” the messenger agreed. “But some obviously made it away and have secured funding and a very defensible castle. Before they grow too large and attack, we need to strike. Will your kingdom of Delvin join us?” The man was tired, but he maintained a look of hope and pride.
King Triton glowered at no one in particular. His mood was sour from the news. He had been informed the mission was successful and now they were worse off for all the trouble.
“My kingdom of Delvin despises the Dark Ones,” King Triton declared. “They are a plague to this planet and must be stopped. You will have our aid. I will discuss with my advisors on how many troops we can spare, but I will send enough to rid them from this world forever. Stay here overnight and you will ride back with our troops.”
“The kingdom of Atrion is proud to call you an ally and is gracious for your assistance,” the messenger said. “We humbly thank you.”
“Show him to his room,” King Triton told a servant. “Make sure his horse is well fed in our stables. Close the doors behind you. We have a lot to discuss.”
Chapter 14
The students lined up in two rows, each student facing their respective partner. In between the rows of students a heavy stone was placed between each pair, significantly heavier than any of the students could lift.
Lance wasn’t sure if it was intentional, but he was paired up against Quincy again. It was like the Master wanted them to fight. Quincy clearly hated Lance and he didn’t bother to hide that fact from everyone else. Lance didn’t share the same hatred, but he didn’t feel comfortable all the same.
“For this exercise, it is you versus your partner,” Master Mindy said, pacing down the line of students. “The objective is clear and will focus on your endurance and strength. Whoever slides the stone over the line drawn in chalk by their feet first, wins. Remember, it is not always about who is stronger, but rather who can last the longest. Don’t start until I give the go ahead.”
“This is going to be easy,” Quincy said. “You might as well give up now.”
Lance chose to ignore him. There was nothing he could say that would make the situation any better. The only real option was to focus on the task at hand. Master Mindy had given each of the students a few flakes of gold, the task requiring quite a bit of strength. Lance could feel the power flowing within him. It was a warm, comforting feeling, yet Lance also knew it could be fleeting. He chose to take Master Mindy’s words seriously and conserve his energy.
“Go!” Master Mindy yelled.
Quincy was on the stone with a tremendous amount of force, sliding it along toward Lance. He pushed back at first, but then realized it quickly ate into his energy. Quincy also seemed to be very strong at it.
Instead of trying to push against the stone, Lance made it harder to move it forward by creating a highly sticky surface along the ground in front of it. It cost Lance very little energy but caused Quincy to expel a great deal more. The stone moved slowly and then barely inches forward as Quincy’s energy wavered.
Lance continued to wait until it was almost at the chalk line, moving very slowly. The timing had to be perfect.
Quincy pushed harder when he realized the stone was almost across the finish line. When it was a few inches from crossing was when Lance hit it with all the energy he had. The stone immediately stopped and headed in the other direction. Lance removed his sticky spell and the stone slid across the floor with very little pushback from Quincy. Quincy had no energy left to counter Lance’s energy and it was over in less than a minute.
“Well done, Lance!” Master Mindy exclaimed as the stone crossed the line.
“You tricked me!” Quincy yelled. “Figures you had to resort to that to win.”
“You lost fair and square,” Lance countered. “Good match though.”
“Yeah, whatever,” Quincy replied, storming off before training was officially over.
* * *
“Did you hear the rumors?” Charlotte asked Lance in the cafeteria later that day.
“No, what?” Lance asked. He pushed his porridge around in his bowl with his spoon. He wasn’t particularly hungry. At first the food was a remarkable addition to his life of not knowing when his next meal was, but now it was starting to taste bland. Most meals were the exact same thing. He supposed it was decidedly better than starving.
“Word is that King Triton is going to war,” Charlotte said. She looked concerned.
“War? With who?” Lance put his spoon down in surprise. The surrounding kingdoms had been at peace since he was born. Maybe being cooped up in the palace so long he had missed out on recent events, but he was pretty sure there were no wars building up and wars usually took time.
“Apparently the Dark Ones are still around and they are building an army. Some of us saw the knights leaving the palace early in the morning,” Charlotte said. “I don’t know where the Dark Ones are now, and I don’t know how they have enough of an army to pose a threat after the last round up of them.”
“At least my kidnapper hasn’t returned,” Lance said. “That’s something positive to look at.”
“War is never a positive thing,” Charlotte replied. It tears families apart and takes people from this world who are too young. My father…” She paused at the mention of her recently deceased father. My father lost his two brothers in a war when younger.”
“Did you want to get some extra coordination practice in later?” Lance asked, trying desperately to change the subject. “Master Mindy is expecting a lot from us.”
“I guess so,” Charlotte replied. She didn’t seem that enthusiastic about more practice. Truth be told, Lance didn’t either. He wanted to succeed and do well, but the classes were taxing on the mind and body as it was.
“What’s wrong?” Lance asked, sensing her unusual emotions.
“It’s just… I felt really confident while in the red robe,” Charlotte explained. “Now it’s like I’m a beginner all over again. It’s not a comfortable feeling.” She also put her food down and placed her chin in the palm of her hands.
Lance nodded. “I get it. I feel that way too, but then I remind myself that we just switched over. It will take some time. Everything is so new to us and this coordination and combination of powers is really difficult. Trust me, you’re not alone. Look around you during training. Everyone is as hopelessly lost as the next person. We’r
e all in the same boat.”
“I know you’re right,” Charlotte said. “But I can’t help but feel that way all the same.”
“Hey, can I ask you something? And it is perfectly okay if you say no… Would you...” Lance began to ask when suddenly the doors to the cafeteria burst open.
All eyes turned to see five guards march into the room and between the tables toward them.
“What is the meaning of this?” A Master asked, standing up at the sudden interruption.
“We have orders directly from the king to arrest Quincy Layton,” one of the guards announced.
“What? Why?” Quincy yelled, but they were on him, grabbing him by the wrists and dragging him across the floor.
“Help!” Quincy yelled, but no one intervened. Lance and Charlotte watched in horror as Quincy was dragged off toward the dungeons, his feet sliding uselessly against the floor.
* * *
Lance and Charlotte went to see Master Sellius immediately. The suddenness with which their peer was taken away was both surprising and frightening. The other Masters in the cafeteria had no idea why the order was passed down.
Master Sellius ushered them both inside his office and closed the door behind them.
“Sit,” he commanded.
Charlotte and Lance glanced at each other and then took a seat.
“After our follow up investigation, it was apparent that our enemies have had help from the inside,” Master Sellius said with shoulders slumped as if the words weighed heavily on him. “Master Belltar, although terribly sad that he died, was discovered to have sided with the enemy for money. Now, the evidence points toward Quincy betraying us. After interviewing a witness, he was spotted hanging the letter that sent you into town and started this mess.”
Charlotte didn’t understand the letter reference, and Lance was glad Master Sellius didn’t delve into the letter’s contents.
“But Quincy is one of us…” Charlotte protested. “He’d never do something like that, especially getting someone killed.”
Master Sellius shrugged. “I thought the same of Master Belltar and look what he did. Fact remains that someone spotted him placing the letter.”
“Can we speak with him?” Lance asked. “I need to know why he did it. We were finally getting along. It just doesn’t seem like he would do something that terrible.”
“You can visit him in his cell,” Master Sellius said. “But he will have a trial in front of myself and two other Masters and he can plead his case then.It is no secret that ever since you arrived, according to all accounts, he did not take a liking to you. I hope against all odds that there is some miraculous explanation for all of this.”
“Thank you for letting us know the details and allowing us to speak with him,” Charlotte said.
“There is a lot going on inside the palace and out,” Master Sellius replied. “I suggest you focus on your studies. Times are getting darker and we need all the mages we have.”
* * *
Quincy looked up when Charlotte and Lance entered. He ran to the bars and gripped them until his knuckles turned white. His normally slicked back black hair was disheveled and his cheeks was flushed red.
“I didn’t do anything!” Quincy exclaimed. “You have to believe me!”
“What did they tell you?” Lance asked.
“They said some crap about me having it out for you and putting a letter in your door to trick you into going into town,” Quincy explained. “I admit I didn’t like you at first, but I got to know you know. Besides, just because I didn’t like you at first doesn’t mean I would try to have you killed! That’s ridiculous!”
“Hold on,” Charlotte said. “We have to try to stay calm during this. Master Sellius said you will be given a trial. If we can figure out where you were that entire day and have witnesses to verify, then you will be okay.”
“Someone said they saw you place the letter,” Lance added. “Do you know who said it?”
“They said Lawrence saw me,” Quincy replied. “He’s a blue robe who I’ve barely had any interaction with my entire time here. It’s impossible that he saw me because I wasn’t there!”
“So he’s lying?” Lance asked.
“Yes! But who are they going to believe? They are going to take a higher ranked blue robe over a yellow robe brat any day,” Quincy said with defeat in his eyes.
“Okay, so let’s prove him wrong!” Charlotte said. “Where were you that night?”
Quincy glanced at Lance and then back to Charlotte. He let out a loud sigh.
“It’s no use,” Quincy said. “Either way I’m screwed.”
“What do you mean?” Charlotte asked.
“You snuck out again, didn’t you?” Lance asked.
Quincy nodded.
Charlotte rolled her eyes. “Why can’t you just wait until the weekends to go into town like the rest of us?”
Quincy let go of his grip on the bars and sat down. “Because it’s so damn boring being trapped in these stone walls. I’m a fool. I see that now. You don’t have to rub it in.”
“The charges they have lined up against you are serious,” Charlotte said. “You’re up against betrayal, conspiracy to assist a murder and other things! Getting in trouble for sneaking out is nothing compared to that. Who in town can verify you were there?”
Quincy lowered his head. “I’m sorry. You just wouldn’t understand. I can’t tell you…”
“Quincy, you have to tell us!” Charlotte pleaded. “It’s the only way we can help you. We can get whoever saw you to come testify on your behalf.”
“You don’t understand,” Quincy replied. “I can’t tell you because my father would disown me.”
“What? Why?” Lance asked.
“Just leave me be,” Quincy said.
“Please, Quincy, if you can just point us in the right…” Lance began.
“I said drop it!” Quincy yelled. “Just leave me be.”
Quincy turned his back and Charlotte and Lance looked at each other.
“Tomorrow is Saturday,” Charlotte whispered. “Master Sellius said the trial isn’t until Sunday. That gives us one day to go into town and investigate.”
“As soon as the sun comes up,” Lance agreed.
Chapter 15
Lance had trouble sleeping. He didn’t understand why Quincy wouldn’t want to save himself from a lengthy prison sentence. It just didn’t add up. Lance was sure Quincy did not place that letter, but if he wouldn’t help himself, they would have to find out why on their own.
Charlotte and Lance exited the palace and walked through the courtyard and on to the main road leading into town. The market stalls were just starting to open and the smell of fresh bread wafted into their nostrils. They passed a fisherman hanging flayed fish upside down on hooks. A merchant with silk clothes folded nicely winked at them. High above, birds flew in lazy circles, occasionally cawing at the spectacle below them.
“Where should we go first?” Lance asked.
Charlotte paused and thought about it. “I suppose an inn would be a good starting place. Let’s hurry. The city is big and we only have one day to help someone who won’t help themselves.”
Lance couldn’t help but hear the annoyance in her voice that mirrored his own thoughts. It was frustrating to not have someone give you the answer that would help them.
Charlotte led them to the closest inn, a two story, rickety building hanging just off of the main market. Lance followed closely behind her. It didn’t seem like the type of place a lady should enter by herself.
The inside was surprising, markedly nicer than the dilapidated exterior. The floor was old but well cleaned, and the few patrons who were there drank quietly. Lance imagined it was a much different environment at night time.
“Can I help you?” A young woman asked.
Lance turned to see a red haired woman with a long apron standing next to them. She gave a smile, but it was forced.
“We’re looking for some infor
mation on a friend of ours,” Lance explained.
The woman looked skeptical, placing her hands on her hips. “You do know how many people pass through here on a daily basis, right?”
“We know it’s a long shot, but a friend of ours is in a lot of trouble,” Charlotte said. “It’s really important to us. He’s a fellow mage. He has black hair and would have been wearing yellow robes. There can’t be too many of those. He…”
“Quincy?” The woman asked, seemingly equally surprised as they were. She then looked like she was upset at herself for mentioning his name, cupping her hand over her mouth. After a moment she asked, “Is he okay?”
“You know him?” Lance asked.
The woman’s face changed. “It’s best I don’t speak about it.”
Charlotte stepped closer to the woman. “Please. He’s in a lot of trouble. This is serious.”
The woman looked them over and sighed. “What sort of trouble?”
“Enough that he won’t see the light of day again,” Lance replied.
“He came here often. He tipped me very well,” she said. “He bragged about being a wealthy noble’s son and made me promise to keep his visits secret. But if he’s in a lot of trouble then I suppose…”
“Hey! Are they giving you trouble, Martha?” The bartender called out.
Martha waved her hands dismissively. “Nothing I can’t handle.”
The bartender snorted and went back to wiping down the counter.
“Please…” Charlotte pleaded. “He needs us.”
Martha leaned in to them and whispered, “That fellow at the back table. You’ll want to speak to him. That’s all I’ll say and I’ll deny it if someone asks.”
Martha left in a hurry and Lance and Charlotte looked at each other.
“What is Quincy hiding?” Lance asked. “Why is no one wanting to tell the truth?”
Underdog Mage Chronicles Page 9
