<b>[Scene Loading...]


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    <b>[Location: Leoncrest Castle - Dining Hall]</b>


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    [Date: October 17, y. 485 of the Fourth Age]</b>


    Two days later, Zeke found himself wandering through the dining hall, looking for a place to sit down. Ralph was nowhere to be seen, having gotten stuck with extra duty in history class after he, well, Zeke still hadn''t been able to get the full story out of him, but he gathered that it was something to do with putting chalk into the professor''s mustache.


    In any case, Ralph wasn''t going to be free for dinner for some time, which left him with only Elise.


    And, on that day, Elise seemed to have been snagged by her instructor.


    Zeke caught Elise''s eyes as she was led from the hall, right behind the prudish-looking woman. Zeke winced, and Elise sighed, then waved quickly as she vanished.


    Zeke watched her go, then frowned and glanced around.


    "Hey! De''Godfrey! Over here!"


    Zeke glanced around and located Victoria sitting just a few tables away. She was sitting right next to the red-headed girl that he had seen earlier. What had her name been? He didn''t know.


    There were a few other duelists there, and he nodded and made his way over, sitting down right across from her.


    "Thanks," Zeke sighed. "I appreciate it."


    "Anything for one of my top duelists," Victoria shrugged. "By the way, we haven''t really had time to talk much since the fight, but that really was a brilliant move. Has to have hurt to surrender, but he would have killed you in a heartbeat."


    "The Sleep of Death enchantment," the redhead commented idly, picking at her food. "One of the most dangerous enchantments in the world, and outlawed in every civilized nation that we know of."


    "Really?" Zeke frowned. "I knew it was dangerous, but that bad?"


    "You saw what it did to the moderator," Victoria answered. "It freezes you solid. Diocletian probably had protective gloves or something that he was wearing. Actually, the fact that the moderator just grabbed it probably saved his life. The real danger from it comes when you just get nicked. If the enchantment only brushes you, it''ll only affect a small part of your body."


    "Which normally causes the blood in that part of your body to stop flowing," the redhead nodded, grimacing. "A hit in the chest will kill you within seconds. A hit to another part of your body? It depends, but it can cause you to lose limbs, and a blow to the head will really mess you up, as your heart and lungs suddenly get mixed signals from your brain. It''s really, really terrible, on more levels than I can express."


    "Good to know," Zeke muttered, then turned to the redhead. "It would seem that you know my name, but I''m afraid that I haven''t had the pleasure, at least not formally."


    The girl flashed a small smile. "Ingrid Stormhall."


    "Stormhall?" Zeke frowned. "Not a house name I recognize."


    "That''s because it''s not. The Stormhalls are named for what we do. Storm halls, or, if you want it in simple terms, attack castles," Ingrid shrugged with a smile. "We''re mercenaries, essentially. We''re actually not based out of Athia at all, our main fortress is located in the Dalformia."


    "So how did you get in here?" Zeke asked, amazed.


    "Oh, a word in the right person''s ear," she shrugged. "My particular branch of the family has been here for some time, serving different noble families in border skirmishes here and there. It was decided that if I came to the Academy, it might help legitimize our clan here."


    "I see," Zeke frowned, then shrugged. "So what are the two of you doing for your break before classes start again? We''ve still got a little bit of time, and I haven''t really decided how I''m going to spend it."


    "We were actually planning a camping trip," Victoria answered. "There are a handful of us going. Want to come? We''ll just be heading out into the Old Woods, nothing intense. A way to practice some survival skills while getting out of the castle."


    "I''m just getting out of the castle," Ingrid muttered. "I already know how to survive, thank you very much."


    "Then you can teach the rest of us!" Victoria declared.


    "I am not thinking about school," Ingrid snapped, then sighed and shook her head. "Sorry. Been an intense semester."


    "I''ll take your word for it," Zeke grinned. "But a camping trip sounds great! When are we leaving?"


    "This evening, northwest courtyard," Victoria answered. "We''re leaving an hour before sunset, so don''t be late!"


    "Wouldn''t miss it for anything," Zeke promised, already excited by the prospect of an adventure in the woods. After the tension of the tournament, getting away from the academy grounds sounded perfect.


    <b>「?????? ??????????????????」


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    <b>【Event: Camping Trip】


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    <b>【Location: Old Woods】</b>


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    【Participants: Victoria, Ingrid, Zeke, and others】</b>


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    【Departure: Northwest Courtyard, before sunset】</b>


    After dinner, Zeke hurried back to his room to gather what he''d need for the camping trip. As he was packing his small travel bag, Ralph burst in, looking frazzled.


    "You would not believe the day I''ve had," Ralph groaned, flopping onto his bed. "Professor Hobbson made me write ''I will not alter the facial hair of Academy staff'' five hundred times. My hand feels like it''s about to fall off."


    "Maybe next time don''t put chalk in the professor''s mustache," Zeke suggested, struggling not to laugh. "What were you thinking anyway?"


    Ralph grinned. "It was a dare from a girl in House Byron. She bet me I wouldn''t do it."


    "And was it worth it?"


    "She''s agreed to go to the Winter Festival dance with me, so absolutely," Ralph sat up, noticing Zeke''s packing. "Where are you off to?"


    "Camping trip with Victoria and some others," Zeke explained. "We''re heading out to the Old Woods for the night."


    "The Old Woods?" Ralph''s eyes widened. "Did you know that place is supposedly haunted? There''s this ghost called the Wailing Widow who roams around looking for her lost husband. They say if she finds you alone, she''ll mistake you for him and drag you off to her grave!"


    "You made that up," Zeke accused, though he couldn''t help a small shiver running down his spine.


    "Did not! Ask anyone!" Ralph insisted. "Just be careful out there, is all I''m saying."


    "I survived the Dark Forest during my Trial. I think I can handle some made-up ghost," Zeke said confidently, though he made a mental note to stay close to the group. Just in case.


    That evening, Zeke made his way to the Northwest Courtyard right on time. A small group of students had assembled, several of which he recognized from the dueling class, but most of whom were new to him.


    Victoria waved as he walked up, and he nodded gratefully to her. He had a small bag slung over his back containing a change of clothes, a blanket, and a few other essentials that Ralph had insisted he''d need.


    "And I think that''s everyone!" Victoria beamed. "Shall we get going?"


    "Yes," Ingrid muttered. She didn''t seem particularly pleased, but Zeke was gathering that she wasn''t the sort of person who was ordinarily happy about things. "Let''s go."


    "Great!" Victoria pulled out her map and started walking toward the gate that led to the Old Forest. "Let''s see here. We''re going to want to cross the River at the Stone Bridge, and then-"


    "You''re holding the map upside-down," Ingrid muttered.


    "Am I?" Victoria frowned and flipped it sideways, then nodded. "Ah, yes! This way!"


    "You''re doing this just to annoy me," Ingrid growled.


    "Is it working?"


    Zeke smiled as he watched the banter between the two girls. They certainly had the simple ease that only came from people who had known each other for quite some time.


    Ingrid took the map after a few moments, and they struck off into the woods.


    The sun was already setting, and the path grew dark. One of the students, a mage, launched two flickering orbs that floated along in front of them, lighting the way.


    "Why didn''t we leave earlier in the day?" one of the other students complained.


    "Because your intrepid leader has a pillow for a brain," Ingrid commented.


    "Because that''s part of the fun!" Victoria answered. "Come on. Marching out to your campsite during the day is boring."


    "And practical."


    "And, in the daytime, you don''t see the ghosts of the Old Wood."


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    "There are no such things as ghosts," Ingrid snapped.


    "Everyone knows that ghosts exist," Victoria countered.


    "Spirits exist, some evil and some good," Ingrid sounded like a professor. "Occasionally, the souls of the departed are allowed to return to the world to beg for favors or to give warnings, but they don''t do so of their own will."


    "Which people call ghosts."


    "No! The definition of a ghost is-"


    As the two girls continued their bickering, Zeke felt a strange mixture of amusement and unease. Ralph''s story about the Wailing Widow suddenly seemed less ridiculous as the shadows between the trees grew deeper and the forest sounds became more pronounced.


    "What about you, de''Godfrey?" one of the other students asked, falling into step beside him. "Do you believe in ghosts?"


    "I believe there are plenty of things in this world we don''t understand," Zeke replied diplomatically. "And I wouldn''t want to meet any of them alone in these woods."


    This earned him a laugh from the group as they continued their journey, passing by much of the territory that Zeke recognized from his first Trial.


    He found himself scanning the trees and underbrush, half-expecting to see signs of his previous passage or perhaps even evidence of his fight with the wolf.


    Finally, they departed from the main path and struck through the thick, twisted wood for about half an hour, coming to a clearing surrounded by old elms and oak trees.


    "And here we go," Victoria declared. "Let''s get this going!"


    The mage made a fire at the center of the clearing, along with creating more glowing orbs that floated out to hover around the edges of the area. The illumination revealed a handful of old stones, carved with strange squiggly marks.


    Zeke was sure that they were letters or symbols of some sort, but he couldn''t even begin to decipher them.


    "What are these stones?" he asked, running his fingers over the strange carvings.


    "No one knows for sure," Victoria replied, dropping her pack near the fire. "Some say they''re markers for ancient graves. Others think they were used for rituals long before the Academy was established."


    "Great," muttered one of the other students. "We''re camping on a burial ground. That''s not asking for trouble at all."


    "Relax," Ingrid said, "if anything was going to possess us for disturbing ancient resting places, it would have happened to the hundreds of students who''ve camped here before."


    "That''s... not actually reassuring," the student replied, causing everyone to laugh.


    A meal was placed over the fire, which Zeke was glad for as he was quite hungry, and tents were pitched. Zeke''s tent was nothing fancy, a little one that he had borrowed from Ralph, but it was good enough for a single person.


    He put it up right at the base of an oak, sheltered somewhat from the darkness around.


    As he worked on his tent, Zeke noticed something unusual about the oak tree. There was a strange hollow in the trunk, about head-height, that seemed deeper than natural.


    Curious, he peered inside and saw what looked like a small metal object.


    Reaching in carefully, Zeke pulled out a tarnished silver medallion on a broken chain. It bore the image of a sword crossed with what appeared to be a writing quill.


    "Find something interesting?" Victoria asked, appearing suddenly beside him.


    Zeke showed her the medallion. "It was in the tree. Any idea what it is?"


    Victoria examined it closely, her brow furrowing. "It looks like the emblem of a society that existed at the Academy decades ago - the Scribes of Steel, I think they were called. They were disbanded after some controversy, but I don''t know the details."


    "Why would it be hidden in a tree out here?"


    "Good question," Victoria handed it back to him. "Maybe someone was trying to hide evidence. Or maybe it''s just a lost trinket. Either way, it''s yours now - a souvenir from your first camping trip with us."


    Zeke pocketed the medallion, making a mental note to ask Adrian Levayne about it when they returned to the Academy.


    When the tents were all set up, the food was just about done, and Zeke came up to the fire where steaming hot potatoes and roasted chicken were passed around. It was simple, but it was lovely.


    Everyone ate their fill, and then sat back as they digested it all.


    "So, why don''t we all go around and share a memory from our childhood?" Victoria suggested. Ingrid groaned, and several other people looked away, but she pressed forward. "I have this memory of the first time I picked up a sword. I mean, like, really picked it up. I tried to duel the palace cat. I called it a coward for running away, and chased it all over the place for two days. I finally cornered it up in a redbud tree."


    She laughed, then sighed. "It still hasn''t regrown its tail."


    Several members of the group gasped in horror, and she burst out laughing.


    "I''m kidding, I''m kidding! I did try to chop it off, but the sword was blunt."


    Zeke laughed along with them all. After a moment, Ingrid spoke up as well.


    "I remember the first battle that I was involved in. I was six, and was watching it from a distance," her voice became distant. "We were attacking a castle that was held by a group of rebels in Agrad-Dul. They were part of some cult trying to end the world or something, I don''t really remember what exactly was happening there.


    All I remember is watching my father lead the charge. His shield was almost larger than his whole body, and he ran right through a torrent of arrows that should have killed him.


    When he reached the wall of the castle, he heaved up this grappling hook, which was connected to a metal cable that was almost impossible to cut through. I saw him climbing up, saw the rebels screaming and running around in terror. I''ll never forget it."


    There was silence for a long moment, and Zeke cleared his throat.


    "I remember when my brother, Artax, came home after completing the 34th Trial," he murmured. "He looked like a warrior out of one of my storybooks. I was so proud to see him standing there, ready to defend our world. I knew that there was nothing in the whole wide world that would be able to stop him."


    Zeke paused, thinking of his brother now - still strong in spirit but forever changed by his encounter with Socrax. "That''s why I''m here," he continued. "Not to replace him, but to stand beside him. To be the sword he can no longer wield."


    The group fell silent, the crackling of the fire the only sound in the clearing. After a moment, Victoria placed her hand on Zeke''s shoulder.


    "That''s what makes a true knight," she said softly. "Not the strength of your arm, but the strength of your heart."


    After that, everyone else shared their own memories - tales of first hunts, magical mishaps, childhood adventures. The stories ranged from hilarious to heartwarming, and Zeke found himself enjoying the camaraderie.


    These were his peers, fellow students on their own journeys to greatness, and for perhaps the first time since arriving at Leoncrest, he felt truly part of their world.


    As the fire burned lower and the night grew deeper, Victoria leaned forward with a mischievous gleam in her eye.


    "Now, who wants to hear about the ghost that haunts these very woods?"


    "Oh, not this again," Ingrid groaned, but the rest of the group eagerly gathered closer.


    "They say that long ago, before Leoncrest was even built, a powerful mage lived in these woods," Victoria began, her voice dropping to a whisper. "He was experimenting with dimensions beyond our own, seeking knowledge forbidden to mortals. One night, during a ritual performed right here in this clearing, he tore open a doorway between worlds."


    The fire seemed to dim as Victoria continued her tale. "Something came through that door - something ancient and hungry. It devoured the mage, but not before he sealed it away using his own life force.


    They say his spirit still guards the seal, and on nights when the veil between worlds is thin, you can hear him whispering warnings to those who listen."


    A twig snapped somewhere in the darkness beyond the clearing, causing several students to jump. Victoria grinned at their reaction.


    "Just a story," she assured them. "Probably."


    "Definitely just a story," Ingrid said firmly. "And with that, I think it''s time we all got some rest. We have to hike back tomorrow, after all."


    As everyone began to retire to their tents, Zeke found himself staring into the darkness between the trees. Was that a flicker of movement, or just shadows dancing in the firelight?


    He shook his head, smiling at his own imagination. Victoria''s story had obviously gotten to him more than he''d like to admit.


    When that was over, everyone started retiring to their tents. Victoria made a comment about yelling if you get attacked by ghosts, but Zeke was hardly paying any attention.


    He slid back into his tent and was about to zip it shut when Ingrid poked her head inside.


    "Mind if we chat for a second?"


    Zeke nodded. "Not at all."


    Ingrid stepped into the tent and sat down. It was hardly large enough for the two of them, but they just fit. "I was just wanting to ask you about your brother, Artax."


    "What about him?" Zeke frowned.


    "I just... I was wondering what it was like growing up in his shadow," Ingrid frowned. "I don''t mean to ask it like that, just so you know. I..." She sighed. "My older brother was supposed to be the warrior of the family, but he was crippled in a carriage accident as a child. I''ve taken up the banner, and obviously managed to make it here, but I know he wishes that he could be in my shoes."


    Zeke frowned and thought for a moment. "Honestly, it really wasn''t too bad."


    "It wasn''t?" Ingrid pressed. "You''re sure?"


    "I''m sure," Zeke nodded. "If I think that if Artax had treated me differently, it might have been, but he didn''t. He didn''t treat me with kid gloves, like I was this fragile little thing that couldn''t be broken. He just treated me like a brother.


    For everyone else, I was either a key to getting near to Artax, or I was just the spoiled prince. For him, I was his best friend. There was a lot about my life that I didn''t like, but taking a backseat to him? That wasn''t one of them."


    "Hmm," Ingrid frowned and nodded. "I''ll keep that in mind. Thanks."


    "Anything," Zeke shrugged, then nodded to her. "So what''s the real reason you came here?"


    "Real reason?" Ingrid asked. "What do you mean?"


    "I mean, your family has specialized in warfare for generations, the way you tell it. You know how to command an army," Zeke answered. "You almost certainly know how to wield a sword, but you''re not in a combat line of study.


    You''re not here just for legitimacy, either. New noble families rise all the time, all you''d have to do is buy some land and build a castle, and then demand a place in the Senate."


    "It''s not quite that simple, but I do know what you''re saying," Ingrid flashed him a small smile, then sighed and shook her head. "We only just met. I can''t reveal all my secrets to you, not just yet."


    "Fair enough," Zeke bowed his head.


    "That said... You''re perceptive," Ingrid slipped back out of the tent, pausing a moment to glance in at him. "I''ll certainly give you that. Catch you around?"


    With that, she was gone, and Zeke settled down in his borrowed tent. Just as he was about to close his eyes, he remembered the medallion he''d found.


    He pulled it out and studied it once more by the dim light filtering through the tent fabric.


    The sword and quill symbol was intriguing. A society that combined combat and scholarship? That sounded exactly like the kind of group that might help him prepare for the Trials.


    He wondered if they still existed in some form, perhaps operating in secret.


    Tucking the medallion safely away, Zeke lay back and listened to the sounds of the night. Muffled conversation continued to float around, punctuated by the crackling of the fire.


    Wind blew softly through the treetops, and the flickering light of the fire made long shadows across the walls of the tent.


    It was nice... Made even nicer by the fact that he now had friends to share it all with. He really was starting to make his way at the academy.


    He only hoped that, as time passed, he''d be able to continue that trend.


    Sometime in the middle of the night, Zeke was awakened by a strange sound. It wasn''t quite a voice, nor was it the wind - but something in between, a whisper that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once.


    Zeke sat up, fully alert. Was this part of Victoria''s ghost story come to life? Or perhaps some prank being played by one of the other students?


    The sound came again, slightly clearer this time. It almost seemed to be saying a word. His name? No, something else...


    Curiosity overcoming caution, Zeke slipped out of his tent. The clearing was silent, the fire now reduced to glowing embers.


    Everyone else appeared to be asleep in their tents. The floating lights created by the mage student still hovered at the edges of the clearing, casting a soft, ghostly glow.


    The sound came once more, definitely from the woods beyond the clearing. Against his better judgment, Zeke moved toward it, drawn by some instinct he couldn''t explain.


    At the edge of the clearing, just beyond the circle of light, he paused. This was foolish. The woods were dangerous enough in daylight, let alone in the middle of the night.


    He should go back to his tent and forget about the strange noise.


    But then he saw it - a faint blue glow between the trees, pulsing gently like a heartbeat. The medallion in his pocket suddenly felt warm against his leg.


    Before Zeke could decide what to do, a hand clasped his shoulder. He nearly jumped out of his skin, spinning around to find Ingrid standing behind him.


    "Going somewhere?" she asked quietly, her eyes narrow with suspicion.


    "I thought I heard something," Zeke explained, glancing back toward where he''d seen the glow. It was gone now, the forest dark and still once more.


    Ingrid followed his gaze, then shook her head. "The Old Woods play tricks on the mind, especially at night. Go back to your tent, de''Godfrey. Whatever you think you heard, it''s not worth risking your neck over."


    As they walked back to the tents, Zeke couldn''t shake the feeling that something significant had just happened - or almost happened.


    The medallion had cooled in his pocket, but the memory of that pulsing blue light remained vivid in his mind.


    He would definitely be asking Adrian about the Scribes of Steel when they returned to the Academy.


    <b>[Scene Close]</b>


    <b>[Earned Emblems:]


    Heart of the Warrior, Endurance</b>


    <b>[Active Quests:]


    </b>


    <b>[Be Prepared: Get ready for the 2nd Trial]


    </b>


    <b>[New: Investigate the Scribes of Steel medallion]</b>