by Eric Vall
“Gryff introduced us to Mrs. Rightings, and we talked for a while over dinner,” Ashla said without a hint of secrecy in her voice.
I was grateful to my teammates for saying very little about the subject of how Maelor found me. Though I wasn’t ashamed of my muddled origins, I didn’t want them slipped into an official report like nothing more than a footnote.
Until I confronted Maelor, I definitely didn’t want this information spreading so all my friends could worry and speculate on it. I trusted them to have my best interests at heart, but I still didn’t want them to pity me.
When we got to the discovery of the ruins, Sleet frowned and stroked his white beard with a thoughtful hand.
“Ashla,” Sleet asked carefully, “did you record the entirety of the writing found there?”
“I did,” the ice mage confirmed. “I translated more of it, too, and it’s definitely an indicator of a permanent rift. It mentions the Shadowscape, a portal, and a group of nine powerful monsters.”
“Those nine powerful monsters are the Archons, then,” Arwyn assumed.
“Gotta be,” Ashla agreed. “I think it’s safe to say Njordenfalls needs significant protection if there’s going to be a rift there.”
“I agree,” the Headmaster said, but his mouth thinned in worry. “However, we don’t have many military troops to spare, these days.”
“Layla and Cyra can’t take care of this one alone,” I pressed.
“That’s true,” Sleet agreed, “and I won’t force them to. I can ask Grand Mage Kenefick to deploy two military platoons to Njordenfalls, but it will mean I’ll have none to spare on the northern mission I’ve been planning.”
“Northern mission?” I asked.
“It’s preemptive,” Sleet explained. “Arwyn and Professor Lle’shenne found several mentions of permanent rifts in the ciphers, but we have nothing to go off but vague descriptions of locations. The names of these places have changed, and I never would have guessed Njordenfalls was home to the described forest rift.”
“So, the ciphers describe a rift in the north?” Orenn asked.
“Indeed,” the Headmaster answered. “This rift location is described as near-permanently snowy and cold. Judging by the mention of some nearby mountains, I believe this third rift is located near Mistral’s most northerly city, Svellfrer’s Rest.”
Almasy whistled and shook his head.
“That’s pretty damn far,” the pilot said. “I’ve only been up in that part of the country once.”
“The nine rifts are spread far and wide across the world,” Sleet explained with an expansive wave of his hand. “Mistral is just large enough to have three of the nine, so if we cover all three, we should be able to reduce the threat of a permanent rift being opened.”
“Cover all three, you say,” Nia said. “We’re making plans for Njordenfalls and Svellfrer’s Rest, but what about the one in Ortych Sands?”
“Thank you for bringing that up,” Sleet answered. “Since Njordenfalls will be cared for by two mages and two platoons of soldiers, I think it’s appropriate Ortych Sands is cared for by two mages and two platoons of soldiers. Of course, it’s vital the mages I send understand what the threat exactly is.”
“So, it’s going to be two of us,” Gawain finished with a sigh. “Wonderful.”
“Don’t act like you’re not raring to be picked,” Nia needled the fire mage with a raised eyebrow. “I heard you were begging Meridan to be allowed to duel again so you could be prepared.”
“Prepared for kicking Gryff’s ass,” Gawain grouched. “That’s all.”
“Not buying it,” I returned with a grin.
“Please, let’s settle down,” Sleet ordered firmly, though I could see a tiny smile at the corner of his mouth. “Gawain is not yet fit for combat, so he won’t be going. I’ve decided to send Braden and Orenn, with Almasy as their pilot.”
“Me?” Braden asked as he blinked at the Headmaster with surprise. “Are you sure?”
“Absolutely,” Sleet affirmed. “I have complete confidence in you as one of this school’s most battle-ready and talented students, as well as one who has proven himself loyal time and time again.”
Braden flushed, and his large ears colored pink with a mixture of pride and embarrassment.
“Thank you, Headmaster,” the big summoner said quietly.
“I should be the one thanking you,” Sleet corrected. “As for Almasy, though he is an extremely worthy mage in battle, I want him to return once the two soldier platoons arrive in Ortych Sands. His skills as a pilot are in high demand, so I’m afraid I can’t leave him with you.”
“We’ll be fine either way, sir,” Orenn assured the Headmaster with a huge grin. “Braden and I can handle a lot.”
“What about the northern mission?” Arwyn asked. “Have you chosen the members for that team?”
“I have,” Headmaster Sleet confirmed. “Despite the shortage of banishers, there is a high chance this team will encounter a regular rift or two on such a long journey. For that reason, I am sending Varleth along, though I desire for him to remain stationed in the north until this problem with Phi is resolved.”
“Hope you enjoy the cold, gypsy,” Gawain said dryly.
“I’m fine with it,” Varleth agreed slowly. “Who would stay with me?”
“That will be up to your group to decide,” Sleet explained. “The other members of this team are Gryff, Ashla, Erin, and Nia. I would suggest leaving a versatile fighter to help Varleth, but all of you show flexible fighting qualities, so the decision can wait.”
“We’ll figure it out later,” I agreed. “There are too many circumstances we could run into that might change the decision.”
“A wise choice,” Headmaster Sleet said approvingly. “You five will leave for Svellfrer’s Rest tomorrow morning. Braden, Almasy, and Orenn will leave for Ortych Sands in the morning as well. It will be difficult to prepare in time for your missions, but it is vital we scout our locations before Phi can do anything.”
“What about the platoons?” I asked.
“I’ll ask Kenefick to mobilize them as soon as possible,” Sleet answered, “but I don’t know when exactly that will be. It should be within two or three days, at most.”
I nodded as the answer satisfied my concern.
“Everybody going to Svellfrer’s Rest will need extra warm clothing,” Almasy told us seriously. “I nearly froze my ass off last time I was in Svellfrer’s Rest. Nothing they sell here is gonna cut it, so you might as well save your money and buy your supplies when you get to the city.”
“Thanks,” I told the earth mage gratefully as I nodded along to his advice.
“That reminds me,” Sleet commented as he pulled two envelopes from the inside pocket of his robe, “I’ll assign your mission funds to you now. Do you have any questions?”
I stood to take my envelope, and Orenn did the same with his. I resisted the urge to count the money at the table, since I knew it would be enough. Headmaster Sleet somehow always expected just the right amount of unforeseen payment, and we hadn’t run out of money on any mission yet.
I looked around at the group to see if there were any questions, but nobody seemed to have anything to say.
“I think everybody is ready,” Arwyn declared. “Let’s get to our preparations.”
We left the meeting room en masse, and I gave my teammates mid-sized portions of our funding so they could buy whatever they needed from town this afternoon.
Since the meeting was over and I had all the supplies I wanted, I bit the bullet and decided it was time for me to go and see Maelor. I wasn’t looking forward to this, and I couldn’t tell how I would react once I saw him. I just hoped he would tell me the truth, even if it wasn’t a good truth. I was old enough by now to know what really happened to my parents.
First, I went to Meridan’s clinic to see if I could find him there. I didn’t see Maelor anywhere, and I had to keep my hands from fidgeting nervously as I asked
Meridan where he was.
“I asked him to get me a particular medical text from the library,” she explained warmly. “It’s quite old and difficult to find in those stacks, so I don’t think he’ll be back soon. Perhaps you should catch him in the Retching Goblin at dinnertime?”
“Ah, thank you,” I told the healer as I tried to keep the turmoil off my face. “I think I’ll just go find him now, though.”
“Good luck,” she told me with a perplexed smile.
I didn’t want to have my conversation with Maelor over a drink in a rowdy bar. This was too important and too fragile of a discovery for me to learn about it like any other silly bar room story.
I left the clinic and headed back in the opposite direction until I reached the library. To enter it meant a descent from the dining hall using a long, spiral staircase. I expected it was adjacent to the secret meeting room, though there was no way for me to know for certain how the magic behind that room worked.
The library had multiple branches filled with texts on learning as well as military and scientific records, fictional stories, and any other text a person could imagine. It was massive, to say the least, and the stacks were outfitted with sliding ladders so students and teachers could reach the two-stories tall bookshelves. The few open spots of the library were filled with chairs, sofas, and tables so students could read at their leisure in the silence of the building.
At the center of the library, there was a massive, solid-wood desk outfitted with shelving units and filing cabinets. The wispy, white-haired librarian who worked there was busy marking down returned books on her ledger, but she peered up at me through her thick glasses as I approached.
“Hi,” I started in a hushed whisper, “have you seen an older man come in here looking for a medical book? He’s on the heavier side, he’s got a scar on his face, and he’s balding. He looks a little like a crabby bullfrog left in the sun too long.”
At the bullfrog comment, the librarian’s wrinkled face lit up in recognition.
“Ah, him,” she exclaimed. “Yes, I’ve seen him recently. I believe he went to look in the journals section, it’s over on your left in aisle eight.”
“Thank you,” I told her with a smile before I strode off toward the aisle in question.
Part of me truly hoped I wouldn’t find Maelor. Maybe I would search the entire library, and the several dozen aisles wouldn’t yield a single hint of my old mentor. It wouldn’t be the worst if I had to go off on another mission without having this conversation. It was so raw and fresh on my mind, couldn’t it wait until later?
Worry, worry, Sera whispered in a taunting echo. I could tell you so many things, all your questions would go away forever.
I shook my head to clear it, and Sera laughed musically before her presence faded to the back of my mind.
The Archon’s snide comment aside, I knew now that it was best to talk to him sooner. If I had to go on a mission with Sera’s taunts and my own doubts swirling around in my head, it would drive me crazy.
Finally, I caught Maelor on aisle ten, and he was halfway up a ladder. He huffed and puffed as he thumbed through a shelf of books, and he cursed briefly before he climbed a step higher and moved to the next shelf.
“Maelor,” I called quietly up to him.
“Gryff!” he called back as he looked down and spotted me. “I didn’t expect to see you back so soon, boy.”
“I need to talk to you,” I insisted as I fought against the tightening of my throat. “It’s a little urgent, okay?”
“Urgent?” Maelor asked, and his bushy brows furrowed in concern as he heard the note of worry in my voice.
Despite my misgivings about the lies he told, Maelor certainly knew me well, and he hurried down to meet me without a single complaint, for once.
“I’m glad I found you,” I said, and my voice shook slightly as I said it.
Whether there was fear, anger, grief, or anticipation on my face, I couldn’t say for certain. I felt like I’d been cut adrift from my own emotions, and nothing felt right.
“What’s the matter?” Maelor asked in a rough voice as he examined my face.
“I had a mission to Njordenfalls, as you might know,” I began, and my voice was heavy with unspoken accusation.
“Right,” Maelor replied slowly, “and?”
“I spoke to Tabby,” I explained. “It was really nice to catch up with her, but she showed me her diary from when you found me, and … ”
I got choked up, and the lump in my throat meant I couldn’t continue.
“Oh, kid,” Maelor said with a broken, guilt-stricken voice. “I’m so sorry you had to find out.”
“So, you did know,” I accused. “My parents’ names, my missing hometown, you knew all of that?”
“I did,” Maelor admitted heavily. “To tell ya the truth, I really have kept it from you. I didn’t mean for it to mount into this huge secret, and I did always mean to tell you at some point. You got older, and the secret got heavier, and I just didn’t want you to be disappointed.”
“Disappointed,” I repeated with a raw voice. “What does that mean?”
“I did some digging, of course,” Maelor started. “I wanted to find your parents for you, so you could at least get some closure when you were old enough to learn. However, I never found the answers I was looking for.”
“What did you find?” I asked roughly.
“Nothing,” Maelor admitted. “Not a damn thing. I looked in libraries, I asked important people, and I gave out your parents names and your description everywhere I could. I didn’t find a single contemporary record that matched your hometown, the attack, your parents, or you.”
The information hit me like an arrow to the chest, and I heaved out a labored sigh as I let go of the breath I was holding.
“You never found anything that lined up with my story,” I began slowly. “That must mean I wasn’t telling the truth, right?”
“Do you remember lying?” Maelor asked with an open look of regret.
“No,” I admitted.
“I didn’t think you were lying, either,” Maelor told me, and he lifted a calloused hand to rub uncomfortably along the back of his neck. “I looked less and less as the years went on, since I couldn’t so easily hide it from you as you got older. Honestly, I still haven’t given up the hope of finding your parents. When I joined you here in Varle Enclave, I got permission from Headmaster Sleet and went right into the Academy library to look for hints about your origins.”
“I see,” I replied as the anger drained out of me. “So, there wasn’t really much you hid, was there?”
“Nothing but the mystery, sadly,” Maelor huffed with a dismayed shake of his head. “I do feel bad for not giving you their names, and I’m real sorry for that, kid. I’d take it all back if I could.”
“I’m sorry for jumping to blame you so quickly,” I admitted, and my eyes finally welled with tears.
“C’mere,” Maelor gruffed. “I may not be your real dad, but I bet I give hugs just as well.”
“You are my real dad, don’t be an ass.” I crushed into him as I gave him a wide hug filled with the wild desperation of a child. My tears didn’t fall, but I swallowed thickly as Maelor’s warm arms surrounded me.
“Well, not by blood, but—”
“Shut up, I scoffed. “You’ve been there for me my whole life. I didn’t mean to accuse you of anything. I just…”
“It’s fine,” he whispered as he patted me on the back. “I’m just a grumpy old man trying to do my best with a young man who’s exceptional.”
“Thanks,” I said, and then we were quiet for a few moments as we hugged each other.
“You’re getting fatter,” I finally mumbled into his shoulder. Partially cause it was true, and partially because I wanted to give him a hard time.
“Aye,” he agreed. “Meridan won’t stop feeding me cakes.”
I chuckled weakly, and Maelor and I finally released each other with reluctance.
/>
“Promise me you’ll tell me if you find anything,” I told him. “I don’t care if the news comes ten years from now, or if what you discover is just that my parents were junkies who died in a ditch.”
“I doubt that’s the case,” Maelor interrupted with a frown.
“Still,” I insisted, “I want to know, good or bad, what happened to them.”
“I’ll tell you,” Maelor promised. “I swear it.”
“Good,” I told him with a feeble smile. “And start a jogging regimen or something, I don’t want you cracking through the library ladders with your weight.”
“Part of it is muscle,” Maelor harrumphed in denial. “If you’re going to be rude, get lost, you little shit. I’ve got a book to find.”
“You sure do,” I answered with a grin. “Fine, I’ll leave you be. Just know I’ll be watching your waistline from now on.”
“Aye, now fuck off,” Maelor said with a slap to my shoulder.
I chuckled and shook my head as I left him behind. The librarian gave a small nod as I walked past her, and I waved back to give my thanks. As I passed her station, I remembered Nia’s words, and I doubled back to grab a history book off the shelves.
The title engraved into the leather cover read Curious and Monstrous: A Compendium of Behavioral Oddities. The book’s content was only vaguely related to our curriculum, and it was focused on interesting cases of monster behavior rather than any useful historical overview, but it grabbed my interest too much for me to leave it behind. Besides, I missed indulging my reading habits from when I was younger, and a good history book was the perfect way to get back into the swing of things.
The librarian gave me a wrinkled smile as I checked out the book, and I felt better for having done it. Maybe it would make for a good way to pass the time in the airship.
As I walked back up the spiral staircase, I ruminated on what Maelor told me. In the end, I was no closer to finding the truth behind my family, and it looked likely I wouldn’t ever figure out more than I knew now. I was disappointed, in some ways, though there was a certain relief in not having to really find out. I told myself to be content with this and to not worry about it. I had plenty of friends close enough to call family, and no absent parents could ever beat that.
