Nothing.
I looked over my shoulder, but there was nothing there. And then I saw that the statue was gone. My heart started pounding in my chest and I realized that the statue might be alive after all. I turned back and there it was in front of me. It had wickedly sharp teeth and long, deadly claws. The magic felt different now. It wasn’t pulling me ahead, but urging me to flee. Why would the magic tell me to run from the test?
The statue hissed and clawed at me, ripping the sleeve of my robe. Thankfully, it didn’t scratch my skin. I leaped backward and tried to force the magic to fling the statue away with a gust of wind, but I couldn’t quite latch onto the magic. It was like trying to grab ahold of a slippery fish. The statue creaked as it jumped into the air, stone wings giving it flight. In horror, I realized it wasn’t just a statue.
It was a gargoyle.
Any idea of fighting was quickly banished from my mind and I turned and fled back the way I’d come. The wall was still open, and I ran through it and back into the large square. The gargoyle was right behind me. I threw myself to the ground and the beast flew narrowly overhead, its claws swiping at me.
This wasn’t part of the test. It couldn’t be. There was no way that Master Pevus nor the Curates would have allowed such a dangerous creature to be part of the test. A gargoyle was all but undefeatable by someone like me.
“Help!” I screamed.
The gargoyle whipped around in the air and came flying back at me. I scrambled to my feet and tried to get out of the way, but the stone creature struck me squarely in the side and I tumbled to the ground with a cry of pain. My ribs were on fire and I was afraid that some of them might be broken.
The gargoyle stood over me. It flashed a smile at me and then spoke in a gravelly voice.
“You … die … now.”
I closed my eyes, not wanting to see what the creature was going to do. There was a fluttering sound, followed by a cracking noise, and I opened my eyes to see a dragon and its rider. The dragon had the gargoyle in its powerful claws and had snapped it into pieces. The dragon tossed the remainder of the gargoyle’s body aside and gazed down at me, its intelligent eyes looking me over.
The rider leaped down from the saddle and knelt beside me. “Are you all right?”
“Yes,” I said. “Thank you. If you hadn’t come just now, I’m sure I’d be dead right now.”
“It was a close call, but Azer spotted the danger before you cried out. Dragons have exceptional eyesight, even in the dark, so your thanks belong to her.”
I looked at the massive blue dragon. “Thank you.”
The dragon tilted its head, almost like a human nod.
“Come on,” the rider said. “Let’s get you out of here. Master Pevus will want to know how a gargoyle got into the testing grounds, I’m sure.”
The rider helped me to my feet and then climbed into the saddle. I scrambled up the side of the dragon and sat behind the rider. With a powerful flex of its wings, the dragon lifted into the air. I looked down at the gargoyle’s broken body and couldn’t help but wonder if Josephine was behind the attack.
17
I was sitting in a small room outside Master Pevus’s office, listening to hushed voices.
The dragoon who had come to my rescue sat across from me, dozing in and out of sleep. After landing outside of the maze, the dragoon had informed Master Pevus what had happened and the remaining tests were put on hold while the Curates investigated the maze. Once the Curates had confirmed there were no other hidden dangers, the tests resumed and Master Pevus ordered the dragoon and me to follow him. A quick check by a healer confirmed my ribs were not broken, despite the throbbing.
I feared that I would have to retake my test or, worse, that I failed since I had called for help. The dragoon had said that the gargoyle wasn’t supposed to be there, so that did ease my fear a little. I thought about Maren and wondered if she had heard what transpired. Master Pevus’s door opened and Curate Anesko stepped out and left.
“Eldwin,” Master Pevus’s voice echoed into the room. “Please, come in.”
I rose from my chair and went stepped through the doorway. I’d yet to see the Master’s office and was surprised to find that it was sparsely decorated. There was a desk, which Master Pevus was sitting behind, and a couple of chairs. There were no paintings or anything else to show that the office was used by anyone.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“Yes, Master. A little shaken up, I suppose, but I wasn’t injured too badly. My robes were torn, though.”
“Good, good. We’ll get you another pair. I want to apologize to you. That creature wasn’t part of the test, nor should it have been there at all. The maze is protected by powerful spells to keep such things from happening, yet here we find ourselves. The Curates checked the spells and they are all intact. That leaves only one explanation.”
I waited for him to continue. He rubbed his eyes and leaned forward, folding his arms and placing them on the desk.
“Someone put the gargoyle there or allowed it to enter.”
Was he thinking the same thing I was? That Josephine was behind it?
“When you and Maren told me about your suspicions regarding Josephine, I didn’t believe it. Not at first. Some things are happening that I cannot tell you, but I will say that as I considered your allegations, certain things did seem to fall into place. You and Maren are right about Josephine.”
I felt a rush of relief. “Thank you, Master. We weren’t lying.”
“I see that now. I trust you understand why I wouldn’t believe a claim like that about one of the Curates?”
“Of course,” I replied. “I didn’t want to believe it myself.”
“To make a long tale short, I placed Josephine under Curate Anesko’s watchful eye. He has confirmed that she is spying on us for someone, but we don’t know who.”
“Maren said it was the False King,” I said. “but the man Josephine spoke with was someone different.”
“Yes, that man is also a servant of the False King, but we don’t know his identity yet.”
“I thought he was dead? The False King, I mean.”
Master Pevus sighed. “So did I. It seems that may not be the case after all.”
“What does that mean?” I asked.
“It means dark times are ahead. The False King came very close to achieving his ambitions in the last war. I’m afraid we’ve grown lax in our watchfulness, and it will be difficult to defeat him a second time.”
Master Pevus must have noticed my facial expression, for he waved his hands and stood up.
“Please, don’t think about such things. The Curates and I are already in communication with the king and his advisors. We will sort things out and deal with the False King. Now, you should get some rest. Due to all of these things and more, we cannot delay the testing any further. Tomorrow, we will conclude the testing and make our decisions.”
We left the office and Master Pevus kicked a leg of the chair the dragoon was sitting in, causing him to startle awake.
“Apologies, Master,” he said, standing. “It’s been a long shift.”
“I understand,” Master Pevus said, offering a smile. “You are dismissed. Report back to your commander.”
The dragoon bowed and hurried away.
“As for you, know that your father would be proud of how you’ve handled the tests so far.”
“Thank you,” I said. “I only wish he were here to see it for himself.”
“Indeed.”
I started to leave, then paused and turned to look at Master Pevus.
“I have a question. Curate Anesko said that the tests would be so hard it would make us wish we were dead. The Magical Aptitude test didn’t seem that difficult, so why would he say that?”
Master Pevus tried to keep from smiling but failed. “Curate Anesko likes to exaggerate to weed out any potentials that might doubt themselves.”
> “That makes sense,” I said.
“However, you did much better with magic than most everyone else in your class. So, while it may have seemed easy to you, it was not for many others.”
Excitement welled within me. His words meant I passed! At least, that’s how I perceived them. Either way, the fact that I had handled the magic so well could only mean good things in the future.
“Don’t repeat what we’ve spoken about to anyone,” Master Pevus said.
“I won’t. Goodnight, Master.”
“Goodnight, Eldwin.”
I navigated my way back to my room and realized it was well after midnight when I climbed into my bed. I drifted off to sleep almost immediately.
When I awoke, one of the bells was ringing. I didn’t know which one it was, so I jumped up to get ready. I noticed a new robe was folded and set at the edge of my bed. I switched it for the torn one I had fallen asleep in and hurried down to the dining hall. It turned out it was the third bell, signaling breakfast.
I ate quickly and headed back to my wing to await Curate Anesko. Maren was already there. I stood beside her and gave her a tired smile.
“Late night?” she asked.
“Too late,” I replied. “Did you hear what happened?”
“Bits and pieces. The Curates were squashing any rumors.”
“A gargoyle attacked me during the test.”
“So, that did happen? Wow. You’re lucky to be alive.”
“Tell me about it,” I said. “Azer saved my life.”
“She’s a good dragon,” Maren said. “I like her. It’s too bad she’s already bonded, or I’d love to pick her.”
I leaned in close to her and whispered, “Master Pevus said he knows we weren’t lying about Josephine.”
“Really?” she asked eagerly.
“Yes. He had Anesko watch her and he confirmed the same thing.”
“Well, I heard she hasn’t been seen in the last few hours. Dragoons were sent to arrest her. They checked her room, but she’s nowhere to be found.”
“Maybe she fled the school?” I said.
“I don’t think so.”
“Where else would she be?”
“I’m not sure, but I plan on looking for her today.”
“We have our last test today,” I said.
“I know. I’m going to sneak off and come back before it’s my turn.”
“Maren.” I stared at her. “You won’t know when it’s your turn. You’re likely to be late and then …” I trailed off when I saw the hardness in her eyes. She’d already made her decision.
“I’m not asking you to come with me,” Maren said. “I only want to look around and see if I can find any sign of where she’s gone, then I’ll let Master Pevus know.”
“What about our date?” I asked, changing the subject.
Maren laughed. “Did you think I forgot? Just because it didn’t happen yesterday doesn’t mean it won’t happen at all.”
“Fair enough,” I replied.
Curate Anesko joined our group. For the first time since I’d been here, he looked tired. His eyes had small puffy bags under them and he stifled a yawn.
“Today is the final test. If you are still here, you’ve passed the first two. You’ll notice that some of you are missing. They’ve failed and been excused from the school.”
I looked around. Anesko wasn’t lying. At least a third of our group was absent. I exchanged glances with Maren.
“Strength and Arms. That is what today’s test will entail. If you want to be a dragon rider, you must prove you have the strength and that you are capable with a weapon. There will be several parts to this test, including armed combat against another student. Today will determine if you will be here tomorrow. Prepare yourselves for what’s to come. Follow me.”
We followed Anesko out of the school and to the opposite side of the Citadel we’d been on yesterday. Master Pevus and the other Curates were there waiting. I wondered how Master Pevus was able to function off so little sleep, but I guessed he must be used to it.
Tree branches, all thick and heavy looking, were set in a pile. As soon as we had gathered around it, Master Pevus pointed at the branches and said, “Grab one and take a lap around the city of Autumnwick.”
I looked at Maren in uncertainty. She shrugged. That sounded easy compared to everything else we’d been through. None of us moved, obviously waiting for the rest of his instructions.
“Well, what are you waiting for? Go!”
I rushed forward and grabbed a branch and hefted it onto my shoulders, then ran for the gate that led to the city. The branch was heavier than it looked, and my muscles were already crying out in protest.
Perhaps this wouldn’t be as easy as I thought.
18
By the time I’d made it around the entire city and arrived back at the Citadel, I was ready to collapse from exhaustion. The lack of sleep from the night before wasn’t helping either.
Maren jogged in shortly after me, and her face was flushed red. A layer of sweat glistened on her forehead. She dropped the branch and bent forward, placing her hands on her knees and heaved in deep breathes. I retrieved a water skin and brought it to her.
“Thank you,” she huffed. She drank deeply and handed the skin back to me.
“You all right?” I asked.
“I’m fine,” she replied. “Just didn’t expect that first thing in the morning.”
“Tell me about it,” I said.
“What are you stopping for?” Curate Anesko said. “The next obstacle is ahead.” He pointed to a wooden wall that had been erected with ropes hanging down from the top of it. “Climb without using your legs!”
I gawked at Anesko, but if he saw my look, he ignored it. I shook my head in disbelief and ran over to the wall and grabbed onto one of the ropes. My mangled hand could grip the rope, but I wasn’t sure if my arm had the strength to lift my bodyweight that far. The wall was at least three times my height.
“You can do this,” Maren said from beside me.
Her encouraging words lit a fire inside me and I began pulling myself up with only my arms. To say it was the hardest thing I’d ever done was an understatement. I kept sliding down and burning my hands on the rope. For every foot I gained, I lost two. A frustrated glance around me showed everyone was struggling, but not nearly as bad as I was.
My hands were blistered raw and bleeding, and my arms were burning intensely. I hung in place and my arms were shaking so much I thought about just giving up. And then I reminded myself that if I failed, I had nothing. I heaved in a deep breath and then pushed myself further than I thought possible and struggled up the rope. I was the last one to reach the top, but I made it.
I scrambled down the other side and followed after the others. One of the Curates was directing us into a long trench filled with mud. Since I was last in line, I was able to see that it was deep enough that it would reach my chest. When it was my turn, I leaped into the trench, splashing into the mud. It quickly became obvious that it was difficult to move through. I was so exhausted I wasn’t sure if I would make it to the end before I passed out.
Everything became a desperate blur and the next thing I knew I was lying at the other end of the trench staring into the sky. My robes were caked with mud and weighed heavily on me. All I wanted to do was close my eyes and sleep. Maren’s face appeared above me and she offered her hand. I clasped her wrist and she pulled me to my feet.
“Is it over yet?” I asked.
“Not even close,” Maren replied. “But it sounds like this was the hardest portion. Next are some exercises with weapons.”
“That’s great to hear. I can do weapons.”
We walked together to where Master Pevus and the Curates were waiting. The other students were gathered around them in a circle, some kneeling and others lying on the ground.
“Everyone has done well so far, but now the easy work is over,” Cur
ate Anesko said. Master Pevus tried to hide his grin, but I saw it and remembered his words from the night before.
“The remainder of the day will consist of armed combat. You will each be paired with a senior student. Real weapons will be employed, but we have healers standing by in the event anyone is grievously wounded.”
Anesko turned full circle slowly, looking at everyone that remained.
“Let me say this: if you are injured to the point a healer is needed, you have failed. We don’t expect you to beat your opponent, as most of you likely won’t, but we do expect you to hold your own in a fight and show that you’re able to handle a weapon without chopping your leg off. If anyone has any hesitation about their abilities, please speak up now.”
I watched those near me to see if anyone was going to forfeit the last test, but no one did. A makeshift arena had been set up, with a circular enclosure for the combatants to fight inside and seating around it for everyone to watch. Knowing that everyone would be watching me fight made me a little uneasy, but I supposed everyone felt that way.
The matches started much like the other tests. A student was called by name and told what to do, then outfitted in a chainmail shirt and given a sword of their choice from a small rack. The idea of using my father’s sword was great, but I doubted they would allow me that privilege. I took a seat next to Maren and watched as the first student walked into the enclosure.
The senior student he was up against was also wearing a chainmail shirt and held his sword with practiced ease. One of the Curates rang a bell and the two combatants circled each other, offering a jab here and there to test one another’s defenses. I began formulating tactics for how I hoped my test would go. After a few more circles around each other, the two clashed in a heated battle.
I watched every move of the senior student intently, curious to know his style and compare it to the other senior students as the matches continued. I wanted to have an edge over my fellows and possibly win my match. As the senior student whirled around and slashed his blade across the chest of his opponent, I realized that it was highly unlikely I would be able to win. If it weren’t for the chainmail shirt, the student would have received a deep life-threatening gash in his chest.
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