ã€ŠA Cat, a Thief, and a Wizardã€‹


 1 - Starting with Darkness

    It was dark. Seth was confused, because he remembered it being afternoon. He blinked several times but couldn¡¯t see anything. Was he blind? His head hurt and his face felt sticky. He tried to wipe off the stickiness but a wave of pain prevented him from moving his arm.

    That¡¯s right. I fell.

    His whole body hurt. His breathing was achy, but not too bad. He decided he might have a couple broken ribs, but probably not worse. He couldn¡¯t move his right arm at all, and it was intensely painful. He reached up with his left to gently touch his shoulder. It was dislocated.

    It hurt to think. He needed help. He couldn¡¯t see anything.

    I need to get up. No one can find me here.

    Seth moved his legs. They were bruised and sore, but not broken. He tried to push to his knees and his head painfully brushed a pine branch. When the wave of nausea passed he reached out with his left hand. He was under a pine tree, and several of the branches were broken. When he crawled out from under it he could see dimly.

    Seth looked around. He was at the bottom of the cliff in a ravine. It was densely wooded here. The full moon was out but it was still dark beneath the trees. His eyes had adjusted well enough he could make out the objects closest to him. He didn''t see any sign of the wagon he¡¯d been riding on earlier. He was certain it had gone over the cliff with him.

    ¡°Hello?¡± Talking hurt. Not his voice, but his head. The sound scrambled his thoughts and echoed painfully in his skull. He gingerly touched his head with his left hand. His scalp had bled quite a bit, his short hair was sticky and stiff with the dried blood, but it didn''t seem to still be bleeding.

    He took his time trying to stand, and leaned against a tree until the dizziness passed. Then he realized he was missing his shoes. He didn¡¯t know why, but this inordinately upset him. He liked those shoes! How was he supposed to find them in the dark? They wouldn¡¯t let him in school without shoes!

    And no one was here to help him. No one would be coming here either, or they¡¯d have already found him. And found his shoes. He was alone.

    No, I need to find the wagon. There was a first aid kit on it that might have a healing stone or even a potion. He needed to think of the things that would help. Even though he needed his shoes for school, he should find the wagon first. The wagon was helpful right now. His shoes were not.

    Which way to go? He couldn''t wander aimlessly. He didn''t have the energy for that, and without the first aid kit he was not likely to last long. Nothing about what he could see gave him any clue where to go. Damn, but he didn¡¯t want to die down here.

    Come on. Think. Figure this out. Which way? His brain still felt sluggish and it really hurt to think. His brother, Saben, often told him he needed to listen to his wind. The magic would tell him things if he could just listen. But it never really worked for Seth the way it had for Saben.

    The more he concentrated, the sharper the pain became. He wasn¡¯t going to be able to wrestle his magic into a structured spell this way. He was in no condition to command it. Finally he summoned his power, but didn''t give it any distinct form. It felt wrong to him to surrender control of the power, but did it anyway. He felt the breeze as it swirled around him. It smelled nice, of cedar trees and late summer night. Show me the way to go, he thought to the breeze.

    Maybe he was just punch drunk, but he was sure he felt the way to go, and followed the scent of the wind. And it felt a lot kinder to him than it usually did.

    The wind was right. It was some time later, Seth couldn''t really be sure how long as simply keeping moving felt like forever, that he found the first shattered crate from the wagon. He paused to examine the contents, but it was beyond any use. He did notice that there were weird strings on some of the pieces.

    "This way," he whispered, trying to reassure himself. "I can do this. Almost there, just a little more. I got a job to do. Gotta help Saben. Can''t¡ª can''t stop now."

    He noticed more strings trailing from the trees. He really didn''t have the clarity of mind to figure out why they were there. He did feel that he should have recognized them though. The forest was getting louder too.

    He reached a clearing well lit by moonlight. This was where the noise was coming from. He was lucky he didn''t just wander out into the clearing, as a battle was taking place. A huge silver leopard with pronghorns was fighting a swarm of table sized spiders.

    Seth stood in the shadows staring at the battle for several seconds. This should terrify me, he thought. But he felt nothing.

    The cat was holding its own pretty well. A dozen or so spiders were strewn around the clearing in varying states of dismemberment. Three spiders still fought the cat, darting in to bite it and darting back out before the huge paws could shred them. As he watched, the cat snagged the front legs of one spider and sliced them clean through.

    On the other side of the clearing, clearly visible in the moonlight, was the shattered wagon. Right. He needed that. It made perfect sense to him right then to just walk over to the wagon and get what he needed while the monsters were distracted. He would just need to be careful of extra spiders, that''s all. No problem.

    <hr>

    The weirdest shit was happening to me. I don¡¯t remember a whole lot about it, but I was on a job. I don¡¯t remember what the job was for, but I remember a room with funky designs in it and crazy old stuff. Ah, antiquities. I like old stuff. Then I¡¯d been betrayed. Yeah, I had definitely been betrayed. And then confined. But not in jail or anything, I straight up couldn¡¯t move. I couldn¡¯t see. I couldn¡¯t hear. I couldn¡¯t even breathe. And this lasted for such a long fucking time.

    I wondered if I¡¯d died. It was the only reason I could think of that I didn¡¯t need to breathe. Shit stayed that way for I don¡¯t know how long. I think I went crazy with boredom because I became aware of something talking to me in my head. But I didn¡¯t speak that language. So I wondered if the job had been foreign, and now I was in some kind of foreign afterlife. But I knew languages. A few of them actually, but I couldn¡¯t remember any of them right now. My memory isn¡¯t normally this shit.

    Suddenly, I could feel it.

    For the first time in way too fucking long I could feel fresh air. I haven¡¯t been able to breathe properly, and I wanted to. I wanted that clean, fresh air. I wanted to smell it, to breathe and move. The last few... hours? days? weeks? ... had been like a bad LSD trip.

    Fuck this shit.

    I wanted that clean air. And something touched me, and I wanted to feel normal again. And I''d fucking take it.

    And for the first time since the job went bad, I opened my eyes and took a deep breath.

    It was night. I was outside in the moonlight and there was an animal beside me. My first thought was that it was the fucking dog, but that wasn¡¯t it. I stared at it for a moment but it was unnaturally still. It was probably dead. Another animal similar to the first, this one I could see was a leopard, was partially wrapped in white spider silk as if a spider had been interrupted while wrapping it like a freshly caught fly. Beyond the dead cat the corpses of multiple spiders were strewn about.

    Well fuck this shit some more. Those things were huge. Spiders bigger than me? Was I in a coma or something? Was this actually a drug trip?

    When I tried to stand up I promptly landed on my face. No part of my body wanted to work properly. Fuck, no part of my body was shaped properly. I stared down at my fluffy paws.

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    I was a fucking cat.

    What the everloving fuck?

    Coma. I had to be in a coma, and this was just some drug induced delusions or some shit. Well okay. Coma or LSD trip it is, and I may as well ride the ride. I stood up on all fours like a cat, and I marveled at how trippy my brain was to invent this shit.

    There were two dead cats next to me, including the one partially wrapped in spider silk. They were a bit bigger than me, and looked like snow leopards, or maybe like canadian lynx? I¡¯m not some zoologist. They were big cats of some type, and very much smaller than the insane spiders in the clearing. There was a huge cat the same color as me on the other side of the clearing fighting with a bunch of the spiders. So, I¡¯m a kitten in this drug dream and that over there was mama cat. Mama cat was protecting the kittens from the spiders.

    So, dream analysis. The kittens were me and my team-- wait, did I have a team? Didn''t I usually work alone? I wracked my brain a bit but couldn''t remember. Fine, I had a team, and we were attacked and someone came to rescue us. Mama cat must represent whoever was rescuing us.

    But seriously brain, turning a cat burglar into a cat is super clich¨¦.

    I looked around, not really wanting to look at the gross spiders. On the far side of the clearing near mama cat was a cliff with a crevice going into it and more spiders. On this side were dead spiders, the other dead cats, and broken and scattered crates and jars. Towards the center was a broken old-timey wagon with some junk still on it.

    I decided the clearing was too busy and wandered closer to the broken crates. Loot was always nice, even if it was dream loot.

    In dreams treasures are gold and jewels and fancy shit. In this dream it was junk out of a HomeGoods store. It was all broken plates and stuff, nice ones sure, but just regular household goods. There was a metal crate, lined with cotton stuffing, that was open on its side with the hinges twisted.

    That one just had egg shells in it. Ooooh, Faberg¨¦ Eggs? I reached in and clawed out the stuffing (convenient things, claws) but found nothing but the broken shells. I checked them out anyway, because only valuable things get locked up.

    The shells were multicolored and jewel toned, unlike any natural egg I¡¯d ever seen or heard of. There was a bit of goop on them and a puddle of goop on the ground. This apparently was a live egg, not just the shell, and well, too bad for whatever was in it.

    Why lock up an egg? It had to be really valuable somehow. Was it the shells that mattered, like those fancy dye ingredients? Or maybe a prize winning chicken? Well, it could be dream logic I suppose. Eggs are treasures. Okay.

    The fight with mama cat was winding down. Most of the spiders were dead, but mama cat was looking pretty shaky. Come on mama cat! I''m rooting for you! Squish those bugs!

    Wait a second. Did mama cat have fucking horns? Sparkly glowing horns?

    A brush of air along the fur of my tail freaked me out, and I leapt straight up into the air. The slash and snap of spider claws and spider fangs just missed me. Holy shit.

    What the fuck brain? You trying to kill me? It suddenly occurred to me that if I died in the dream, I''d die for real. Maybe this was representing what was happening in real life then? Something dangerous, maybe surviving surgery or something?

    Fuck. I''ll have to fight the spider then.

    It was a good thing my cat body had excellent reflexes that didn''t need actual control by me. I just had to let it fling itself out of the way in a panic response whenever the spider got close. And as the monster with nasty big fangs and weird eyes and huge creepy legs tried to bite or grab me in a super fast, super scary, super imma-eat-your-face way, I was pretty permanently panicked.

    I leapt, rolled, scrambled, and hopped as fast as I could to get away, trusting my cat body to just do its thing as I tried to get some distance. My own gymnastic talents certainly helped a bit. There was water a little further down, and I thought I might have a shot of escaping if the spider couldn''t swim. As far as I could remember, spiders couldn''t swim. It was a solid plan.

    Until the-taller-than-me spider walked into the water after me. I couldn''t dodge or leap while in water deeper than I could stand. This was such fucking bullshit. I swam for it anyway.

    A big splash and a struggle caught my attention, but I didn''t turn to look until I sensed the spider was no longer behind me.

    Some kid was stabbing the spider. He was kneeling on it and holding it under the water, and stabbing it repeatedly in the head. The kid must have jumped on it while it was chasing me.

    He got off the spider and kicked it to the side and let it float away. He glanced at me then turned back to shore.

    I turned back to shore too. The kid looked at me, knife ready, but didn''t move to attack me. I¡¯m a harmless kitten! Look at me meowing cutely! I¡¯m not dangerous at all.

    Honestly, the kid was a bloody mess. Kid was a young teen, maybe thirteen, and skinny. It looked like he''d done a round in a blender, wasn''t satisfied, and went back for another slicing. Blood caked his short dark hair and was smeared all over him. There were rips in his clothes and he was missing his shoes. He''d have to be careful walking near all the broken dishes.

    Another spider was on the shoreline, creeping creepily as spiders do.

    I didn¡¯t think this kid had a chance. If mama cat, who was enormous, was barely holding on with these obviously venomous spiders, this beat up kid was going to bite it for sure.

    The kid looked exhausted and just done with the spider. He waved his hand and said something and the spider was flung away in a gust of air.

    So. The kid was fucking Gandalf. Nah, this shit wasn¡¯t going to surprise me anymore.

    I swam for shore as Mama cat finished off the last of the spiders, including the one Gandalf launched her way. She spat a dismembered leg out and staggered towards them. I felt bad for mama cat, and went over to her, giving Gandalf a wide berth. It never occurred to me to be afraid of her. Mama cat was my mama in this crazy dream. Mama sniffed me for a moment then lay down heavily. She licked me a few times, I was surprised at how soothing it felt, and then laid down her head. She didn''t move again.

    I stayed with the mama cat for a bit, feeling sorry for it, and grateful. Mama had protected me and killed the spiders. She was a very good mama. She had been beautiful too. Silver gray with rosettes like a snow leopard with saber toothed fangs and ¡­ glowing pronghorns. Like no cat ever. She was bigger than any tiger or lion too, easily the size of a van. Her babies hadn''t done so well though. Both had died.

    I took the first real good look around. The clearing was on average twenty eight feet wide from tree line to tree line, and a hundred and thirty feet from water to cliff. The cliff had a crevice, almost five feet wide and eleven feet high. I couldn¡¯t judge the height of the cliff well from this angle in the dark. The trees were evergreen types mostly, with some deciduous. The water was long and narrow, no more than two hundred feet across, and I couldn¡¯t see either end. Might be a river, but it didn¡¯t seem to have flow. The far side had more cliffs. Seventeen spider corpses that I could see. Eleven crates of goods, only four of which remained near the wagon. Six bales of soft goods, cloth by the look of it. One metal box that looked to have been concealed in another crate. All of the goods were standard grade household stuff, plates, jars, and the like. None of this was expensive stuff. Even the shipping crates were rough hewn and inexpensive.

    The wagon was right side up, but really smashed up. There was no repairing it and the goods pretty much were a wash.

    The kid ignored me and the mama cat. He picked up one of the egg shells and then tossed it aside. He poked at the goop on the ground, this Gandalf was braver than I, and then wiped his hand off. He then searched through the crates and debris, clearly looking for something specific. He was doing everything left-handed. I watched him for a bit from where I sat near mama cat.

    His clothes were simple, and in as bad a shape as he was. They weren¡¯t in any fashion or style I recognized and made me think I was in a foreign country for sure. He was really injured. He moved stiffly, his balance was bad, and he looked really confused. I felt bad for the little scrapper, he''d saved my bacon by offing that spider and he really needed some help.

    He was tossing stuff off of the wagon. It looked like he was trying to get to the driver''s area. I walked over for a closer look. Well, stumbled really, as I did not have a good handle on this whole four foot thing yet. Why wasn¡¯t I human in my own dreams? Anyway the kid bent down and reached under the driver''s seat. He couldn''t reach whatever he was looking for. After a few tries he fell on his ass, and then collapsed back onto the dirt. I got close to him, carefully as I didn''t know where that knife had gone, and got a good look.

    The kid was concussed. Badly too, judging by his pupils. One was much bigger than the other. Based on the blood on his scalp, he could have a brain bleed or something. This might be a drug dream, but I didn''t like the idea of a kid dying no matter if it wasn''t real. Welp, Gandalf was looking for something, I''d find that something. My job was a retriever after all.

    I easily squirmed under the wagon and found a leather package strapped up underneath. It looked intact, so I cut it loose with my wonderful claws and dragged it back to the kid. It took some prodding for the kid to realize what was there. When he did, he pulled out a bottle and drank it. He then lay back on the ground and closed his eyes.

    Oh, no. You''re not supposed to let someone with a concussion go to sleep. I nuzzled his face, nipped at him and did every annoying thing any cat ever has done.

    Dude was out.

    It was my dream, wasn''t it? Wake the fuck up, dammit!

    Then I noticed his wounds visibly closing. Well then. Healing potions. What shit.

    Righty. I''d let Gandalf sleep for a bit. And poke through whatever else was on that wagon. And keep watch for more spiders.

 2 - Climbing Up

    When Seth woke up he looked around at the disaster in the clearing. Huge dead spiders were everywhere, and an enormous dead cat. Its cub noticed he was awake and sauntered over in a clumsy, new cub way. He pulled out his knife, but honestly didn''t think he''d need it. The thing was small, like housecat small. Based on the adult''s size, this thing couldn''t be more than a few weeks old at best.

    It bristled when it got close to him. It didn''t back away though.

    Seth was grateful to the cub for retrieving the healing potion. But for now he ignored it and stood up. His ribs ached a bit, and his leg was a little stiff, but his head wasn''t killing him and his thoughts were definitely clearer. He rotated his shoulder and was happy not to feel any twinges. Looking around he realized he''d been absolutely crazy to think he could walk into the clearing without dying. Yet that was what he did.

    There were two more cats he hadn''t noticed before, both of them cubs, both of them dead. They were actually a fair bit bigger than the runt over there. He didn''t see or hear more spiders, but it probably wasn''t a good idea to stay here, or anywhere near here really.

    He walked over to the enormous cat, carefully checking that it was, in fact, dead. The horns of the cat were still glowing, which meant they still possessed mana. Saben had given him a primer on harvesting magic materials, and although the only tool he had was his knife, so there would be quality loss, he harvested the horns anyway. They were really beautiful, clear and gemlike, glowing a blueish silver rather like the moonlight.

    The cub watched him. At first he was concerned the cat would get angry at him for cutting into its parent, but it didn''t do anything about it.

    "All right," he said aloud, presumably to the cat, but mostly to himself. "Only way out of here is up. I can walk along the cliff and look for a path, or just try to climb up here." Then he noticed the crevice into the cliff face. He then realized the spiders ambushed anything coming out of the crevice looking for water. Which meant the crevice was probably an entrance into the Below. Camping or waiting here was no longer an option and he¡¯d probably been here way longer than he should have. And it was likely there would be more spiders in the woods nearby too. If these things could kill an enormous cat, he would be easy prey.

    Entrances to the Below were somewhat rare. In general when they were found they would be explored, whatever made the entry slain and looted, and then it would be sealed up. Dangerous things lived there and dangerous things would leave when there was an open door.

    "I don''t think wandering around is a good idea. Straight up it is." He gazed up at the cliff face. He''d fallen down that, and it nearly killed him. It would have killed him without his air magic shielding him. There were no more potions to save him if he fell again. And climbing this was impossible. There were too many places that were vertical walls taller than he was. The northwest and southeast cliffs were no better either.

    Suddenly overwhelmed, Seth sat down. He wanted to lie down and wait for someone to rescue him, but knew that was suicide. He wasn''t afraid of heights, but he did not have the strength or skill to climb this. He needed a different plan. Maybe go into the Below? Could he get out at some other place? Should he explore the woods? What else was in this ravine if there were table-sized spiders and monster cats here?

    Seth jumped when the cub nuzzled him. Slowly, he reached out to pet it. It was a little standoffish, but it did like its head scratched, particularly the little bumps where its horns would grow.

    "Hey, little kitty. Looks like you and me. You¡¯ve no family anymore, so I guess I¡¯m it?" What was he thinking? He couldn''t get up the cliff himself, what was he doing thinking about taking the cub up too? He should just leave it.

    Who was he kidding? He wasn''t going to leave it to die. Even if it would die anyway with him, he''d at least try.

    Seth stood up. May as well just do it and try climbing the cliff. Staying put too long was more dangerous and going into the Below was insane thinking. The best he could do was hope for some luck. "All right kitty. I''ll carry you up, but you need to behave, okay?" He reached down and pet the cat again. It didn''t run away when he carefully picked it up. He was actually surprised at how docile it was. Ah, how docile she was. He put her on his shoulder and scanned for a good place to climb. The moment he reached up, the cat jumped off and meowed at him.

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    <hr>

    Was this kid fucking stupid?

    By the pretty little peas on a gracious green earth there was no way that he was going to be able to climb up that cliff. Hell, I couldn''t do it without equipment and I was an adult in great shape. Huh, funny the things that came back and disappeared again.

    ¡°I can¡¯t climb with you if you don¡¯t stay put. I¡¯ll leave you here.¡± He was talking to me again.

    ¡°You need equipment, idiot,¡± I said. Or I tried to say. All that came out of my mouth was meows. Dammit.

    Kid was trying to climb up without me. ¡°You¡¯re gonna fall,¡± I tried to say again, but again only meows. He paused to look at me and gestured to his shoulder. I shook my head.

    If he wanted to climb the cliff, then do it right, dammit. He must have a reason for wanting to go straight up, and since he was my guide to crazy dream land, I''d go along.

    I trotted, rather awkwardly still, over to the trees where the spiders had been. I quickly found what I was looking for: long, strong strands of spider silk, the non-sticky variety. I picked up a strand in my mouth (gross!) and dragged it back to the kid.

    Dummy had started climbing again. He didn''t bother to look at me when I meowed, apparently having decided to leave me. So I began crying as piteously as I could. He hadn''t gotten far, and heaved a big sigh before climbing back down.

    Yeah, I''m saving your life bucko. Stupid kid. Sweet, but stupid. Eh, he did save me from the swimming spider, so I did have a debt to pay. Dream debts counted, right?

    When the kid picked me up again I snagged the silk cord. He pulled it from me and looked from me to the cord and back again. Yeah, there you go buddy. I just saved your life now. Well, not yet, but it counts!

    <hr>

    Seth wondered how he was supposed to use the spider silk. The cub was insistent on it, but it really made no sense how the cat would even think of it. How would the cub want skinny ropes to be used? They were too weak. Even if they were strong enough, tying off to something wouldn''t help for long. Once he climbed higher than where he tied off he''d be tethered and unable to go higher. Maybe cut it and tie another length? Was there enough silk here for that?

    Would gathering silk tip off any more spiders?

    He supposed if there were more spiders they''d''ve come out already. He set to work gathering the silk. At first he didn''t realize there was a sticky version of the silk until he was nearly tied up in it. The cub''s claws were pretty decent at cutting the silk, and she helped cut him loose. She was quite a bit smarter than a regular cat. Maybe her species is normally really smart? Or maybe there was something special about her?

    He wondered what he could do for her once they were out of the ravine. He didn¡¯t know if he could keep her as a pet or not. She was too young to survive on her own.

    With her help he''d gathered a good pile of silk. He coiled it and turned his attention to the cliff again when her claws lightly poked him.

    She wanted him to braid the strands. And tie climbing knots in them. Then she guided him to the enormous cat and directed him to harvest the claws. Then she arranged them to form a grappling hook, and had him lash the claws together. This absolutely was not a normal cat.

    "Bossy little thing, aren''t you?" As he did as she directed, he was starting to think this was actually possible. Soon he had a harness for himself and for her, two grappling hooks, and a braided and knotted line that both he and the cub could easily climb. She also searched the wagon and found a water flask and some dried food.

    Since he¡¯d already spent time on the ropes and claws, he took another hour and fashioned a pack he could carry, and took the rest of the claws and fangs, and the hides of the two dead cubs. That was as much as he could safely take.

    As predawn was lighting the edge of the canyon, he heard what sounded like barking coming from the crevice. Time to go.

    "Ready to go, Boss?"

    Magic animals were supposed to be able to understand humans. She was really young, so he wasn¡¯t sure she would be able to understand language yet. But when he held out his hand she climbed up onto his shoulder and directed him to where she wanted him to start.

    Seth was anxious about his slow progress at first. But the cat wouldn¡¯t allow him to rush, and made sure they were secure before moving upward again.

    They got a pretty decent rhythm going. He would throw the grappling hook, she would climb up to where the hook was and secure it better, he would untie from where he was and climb up. She had fallen a few times because the hook came loose, but she weighed almost nothing and didn''t pull him hard when the line caught. In some places she''d just scoot up the steep slope and wrap the hook around a tree letting him walk up with the rope for balance. In the sheer areas, she insisted on two points of tethering, and she''d climb down to untie the second tether before moving forward again. He was very grateful for her caution the one time he did fall.

    It was around noon when they climbed out of the canyon and onto the road.

    Now to find out what happened to Saben and the others.

 3 - The Road Home

    Seth stood on the road and looked left and right. He wasn¡¯t willing to call out as he had no idea who¡¯d won the attack on the caravan. He also didn¡¯t know if the caravan would have kept going or made camp somewhere.

    He¡¯d used a spell after his fall into the ravine to find the wagon. He wondered if he could repeat that spell here.

    He closed his eyes and tried to remember his thought process at the time. He¡¯d needed the wagon, and the wind led him to it. He gathered his power and thought of Saben. Lead me to him, he thought to his power. His power felt off and less cooperative, like he couldn¡¯t hear it properly and it wasn¡¯t listening.

    He paid attention to what the wind did, and tried to interpret where it was telling him to go. It started moving in one direction, but it didn¡¯t stay focused. It swirled and shifted to over the ravine, then straight down at the wagon, then over the hills. Seth knew Saben wasn¡¯t in most of those directions. He tried to clear his thinking and focus only on Saben. It didn¡¯t take long before he realized wouldn¡¯t get the spell to work properly. He was trying to over manage it, and his thoughts and opinions were muddying the answer. He¡¯d need to practice it some more. Anyway, the very first feeling he got was that left was the way to go, and he figured that way was as good as any.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to find my brother,¡± he told the cat. ¡°I think he¡¯s this way.¡±

    She meowed cutely and yawned. He scratched her horn nubs and set off. He stayed along the cliff side away from the ravine edge to better conceal himself among the trees in case he encountered the people who¡¯d attacked the caravan. The cub followed, and was better at being concealed than he was.

    It was further down the road than he expected that he spotted a caravan camp. Seth didn¡¯t call out until he recognized the person standing guard.

    ¡°Seth!¡± His brother cried when he saw him. Saben was a few years older with lighter hair and eyes than Seth. He snatched Seth up and pounded his back in a fierce hug. ¡°I thought you¡¯d been killed.¡± Saben let go for a second and then hugged him again. ¡°We found the horses and sent people down to look for you or the wagon. Nobody found anything yesterday or today.¡±

    ¡°Of course not. The wagon broke and fell off the cliff quite a ways back there.¡± Seth pushed Saben back and looked him over. His shirt was bloody and his arm bandaged. ¡°Are you all right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, this is just a little nick,¡± Saben raised his arm, ¡°and none of this is mine,¡± he said, gesturing to his chest. ¡°But you¡¯re bloody all over! Shit, I didn¡¯t hurt you, did I? Where are you hurt?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, just sore. I used the healing potion on the wagon.¡±

    ¡°No lasting damage then?¡± Saben looked Seth up and down more thoroughly, turning and poking at him until satisfied that his brother was whole and intact. And then gave him another brief hug.

    ¡°What happened, Saben? Who were those people and why did they attack us?¡±

    ¡°Who they were, I don¡¯t know. If Franco or Izzy know, they aren¡¯t saying. As for what they were after, it was something specific I think, but no one is talking. You took the healing potion? So the wagon went over the side ? They didn¡¯t take it or dump it?¡±

    Seth nodded. ¡°Everything on it was smashed to bits. And there is an entrance to Below there, and there were giant spiders and a more giant cat, and¨C¡± Seth realized he was rambling, and his hands were trembling.

    ¡°Hang on, little brother,¡± Saben said. ¡°Deep breath, take your time.¡± He glanced over his shoulder at the caravan camp. ¡°Come over here and sit for a minute and get calm. We¡¯re as safe as it gets here right now. Once you¡¯re feeling more normal, you can tell me from the beginning.¡±

    Seth obediently sat next to a tree and took deep breaths. He then outlined the events as best as he could remember.

    Saben poked curiously the makeshift pack Seth had been wearing and then noticed the cub sitting a few feet away. She¡¯d moved out of the bushes that had hidden her.

    ¡°Right, this one is the only kitten left. The other ones were killed by the spiders. She really helped me out and is crazy smart.¡± Seth pulled his pack over. ¡°I need to show you this.¡±

    Saben glanced back at the camp again and gestured to Seth to move further into the brush. Once they were out of sight, Seth pulled one of the big cat¡¯s prong horns from his pack, and one of its saber-like fangs.

    ¡°This is from the mom of this cub?¡± Saben asked, shocked. ¡°That was the cat fighting spiders?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. She was really big, like bigger than a horse, big. And she was fighting a horde of spiders when I found them. All right outside a Below entrance, like I said.¡±

    Saben rocked back on his heels a moment. ¡°You have the most amazing luck,¡± he finally said. ¡°Don¡¯t let anyone see the horns or fangs. Actually, here, give them to me, we¡¯ll stash them until later. Don¡¯t tell anyone anything about these, or that the big cat had horns at all. We shouldn¡¯t let anyone see the cub either. There are people in the caravan that will take her. If she¡¯s willing, we could try to do a bonding when we get to town.¡±

    Seth brightened. ¡°That¡¯s something we can do with her? Make her a familiar?¡±

    Saben nodded. ¡°There is a place I know that can do it for cheap. We¡¯ll have to sell the hides to do it. Don¡¯t tell Benjamin about it until after, though. I don¡¯t want him to take her from you either.¡±

    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t do that, Saben.¡±

    ¡°Just, a bit of caution, okay Seth? We should leave her here for a while, at least until you¡¯ve talked to the others.¡±

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    ¡°She may wander off,¡± Seth said. ¡°She might be too young to understand us.¡±

    Saben looked at the cat. ¡°You won¡¯t wander off, will you?¡± he asked. ¡°We will feed and take care of you if you wait for us.¡±

    The cat walked under a bush so neither boy could see her and curled up for a nap.

    ¡°I thought so,¡± Saben said. ¡°We¡¯ll find her before the wagons leave. Let¡¯s go,¡± he said to Seth and led him back to camp.

    Seth repeated the brief rundown of events, with some edits, for the other caravan people. He did his best to keep it simple but true. He fell, there were dead spiders everywhere who had fought and killed a large beast. There was a Below entrance. He took the potion, and climbed up. He avoided details as much as possible and didn¡¯t elaborate.

    Izzy and Franco, the two most senior guards and skilled mercenaries, were currently with the team searching the ravine below camp and had been signaled to return. The other adults started breaking down the temporary camp.

    After backtracking to where the wagon actually was it was late afternoon. Izzy and Franco went down while the others set up camp for the night. Seth realized that they were never actually looking for him in the ravine when they came back up with the busted up metal crate and the broken egg shards.

    Apparently a pack of fire hounds had eaten the big cat and roasted the spider corpses. Izzy was particularly disappointed she couldn¡¯t harvest any venom from them.

    The following morning Seth rode in a wagon on the way to the city. He sat at the tail end, next to him was the sleeping cub hidden in a cloth bundle. Saben kept pace beside him, his long stride keeping up without needing to jog.

    ¡°I was afraid I¡¯d miss the school Gauntlet,¡± Seth told Saben.

    ¡°Nah, we still got a couple days. We¡¯ll be at the city by this afternoon.¡±

    ¡°Tell me again about the Celestial Tower, Saben,¡± Seth asked.

    ¡°Wind, Seth. You have a wind power. You should focus on the storm set, Wind, Lightning, and Thunder.¡±

    ¡°But the Celestial Tower would cover the sources of mana though, right? And how mana wells work, or mana vaults?¡± Seth stretched his sore legs. They weren¡¯t bruised anymore, but had stiffened up. He wanted to kick them to work out some of the soreness, but was afraid Saben would mock him for looking like a little kid.

    ¡°Stop it, Seth,¡± Saben said, firmly. ¡°I¡¯m done talking about this. There is nothing you can do about it. I¡¯ve talked to every teacher and every researcher at the Academy, and none of them could help. Focus on the things that will help you master your own talent, and don¡¯t worry about mine. Besides,¡± he added teasingly, ¡°you need all the help you can get.¡±

    ¡°Uggh.¡± Seth groaned, and flopped back dramatically. ¡°I practice. I do. It just doesn¡¯t listen to me like it did to you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the one that needs to listen to it, not the other way around.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense. It¡¯s my power. It belongs to me, I don¡¯t belong to it.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s why you suck at magic,¡± Saben said and sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not about ownership.¡±

    ¡°But it is though, I was thinking¨C¡± Seth cut off. He was about to say that¡¯s why your power is gone, you didn¡¯t own it. Saben loved magic. He had always wanted to fly, and Saben¡¯s wind would have been strong enough to let him. It was what Saben was most excited about when leaving for the Magic Academy, and it had crushed him when his power vanished a couple months ago. But Saben wasn¡¯t the type to stay down and made sword training his primary focus like it had been before his talent manifested. But Seth knew how much losing his power had hurt Saben.

    ¡°Yeah? Thinking what?¡±

    ¡°Um, do you think you could do classes using a mana vault?¡± Seth knew this was a touchy subject.

    Saben rubbed a hand over his face. ¡°I told you I was done talking about this. No, a mana vault won¡¯t work for me. For one, we don¡¯t have one. For two, I have no way of filling one. For three, I¡¯m applying to the Combat Academy. I¡¯m not going back to the Magic Academy.¡±

    ¡°But if we¨C¡±

    ¡°Shut it, Seth. Not another word. Why do you always need to push and push and push on everything?¡±

    Seth stared at the ground rolling by behind the wagon.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± Saben finally said. ¡°I know you mean well, but it¡¯s not doing anything good.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry too. I know how much you loved magic. I just want you to have it again.¡±

    ¡°I want that too, but it¡¯s not going to happen. I need to accept that, and so do you. So just promise me, no more pushing. It¡¯s not helping anyone.¡±

    ¡°Yes. No more pushing.¡±

    Saben checked his sword belt and sheath. The leather was old and Saben had repaired it himself. Seth realized Saben¡¯s buckler was missing. It¡¯d probably been destroyed in the attack.

    ¡°We should ask Benjamin for new equipment for you,¡± Seth suggested.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say you weren¡¯t going to push anymore?¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t pushing! You need equipment. Of course we should ask for it.¡±

    Saben shook his head. ¡°Benjamin doesn¡¯t owe us anything.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯d help anyway.¡±

    Saben hummed skeptically. Seth had no doubt that Benjamin wanted what was best for the two boys. He''d been a friend of their father and had prevented them from ending up on the streets after their father was killed. If they asked, Benjamin would help them.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯re being fair to him Saben,¡± Seth said. ¡°He¡¯s done a lot for us when he didn¡¯t need to. He didn¡¯t have to give us a place to stay. Or let us hitch along on this caravan.¡±

    ¡°A free guard and unpaid hands for loading and unloading isn¡¯t as generous as you think, Seth. It¡¯s what he was already doing.¡±

    ¡°He still didn¡¯t need to. He¡¯s been good to us.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to see if Franco is willing to give me some pointers when we rest the horses.¡± Saben increased his pace.

    It was afternoon when they approached Rosia, and the wagons rattled as the road transitioned from packed dirt to carved stone. Seth hadn¡¯t been back to the city in a year and missed it. Known as the Blue Rose of the Mountains, the city was nestled in an upland valley and circled a small lake. The bluish gray walls separating older and newer sections of the city formed the expanding petals of the rose. The city was gated on this side and they entered through a tall arch carved with roses and vines. A wide thoroughfare led deeper into the city but the wagons made a quick turn and arrived at a warehouse a couple streets away.

    As everyone else jumped off the wagons and prepared to unload them, Seth gathered the sleeping cub from her hiding place and stuffed her in his knapsack. He had moved all the possessions he could to his brother¡¯s to make room for her. Fortunately the cat didn¡¯t object and was content to sleep there while the boys helped unload the wagons. Seth, still sore from the fall and subsequent climb, wished he could nap too.

    When they were done Saben looked Seth up and down. ¡°You need clothes and shoes. We¡¯ll take care of that and your cat right now.¡±

    ¡°We should go talk to Benjamin first,¡± Seth argued.

    ¡°He¡¯s going to have enough on his mind, Seth, without worrying about us. What with the attack and all, I bet he¡¯s talking with the authorities or something right now. You can¡¯t be walking around barefoot, so let¡¯s do that first. I¡¯ve already told Franco.¡±

 4 - Circles in Basements

    Saben led Seth into the city. Rosia was the kingdom capital and had walled districts that were like separate cites. The Upper Town was where the Royal Palace was. Saben had just pointed towards that district and told Seth not to be tempted and to stay out of it. Seth just sighed.

    There was also the Magic District, where the Magic Academy was, its dorms, and the shops and businesses that supported them. This was the district that Saben led Seth to. There Saben circled a market as many of the outer stalls were starting to close for the night. In short order Saben had sold the hides and some of the claws Seth had acquired, and replaced Seth¡¯s torn clothes and missing shoes.

    The inner market square stayed lively even as night fell. Seth was distracted constantly by street performers and hucksters inviting him to games of chance.

    One in particular looked interesting. Seth watched while Saben haggled with a shopkeeper.

    ¡°Two pennies!¡± the man cried. ¡°I¡¯ll double your money if you can keep your eyes on the red card! Come boy, give it a try! Just two pennies!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not actually thinking of playing, are you Seth?¡± Saben asked.

    ¡°Well, why not? I think I can keep track of a card.¡±

    ¡°Of course you can. Anyone can. So how do you think he is making money?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a trick to it, of course.¡±

    ¡°Yup. And what¡¯s the trick?¡±

    Seth watched him playing for a bit. ¡°He waves one hand to distract you while moving the cards with the other.¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    Seth watched some more. ¡°That looks like it.¡±

    ¡°And that is why you¡¯ll lose your money every time, little brother. I¡¯ll let you play when you know the trick. Come on, the next stop is this way.¡±

    Saben left the market area and wandered into the winding alleys that bordered the Magic District and the less savory East End. Here he walked up to the side door of a run down house and banged loudly.

    A young woman snatched the door open and glared at them.

    ¡°Hi Isolde. Think you could do a familiar ritual for me?¡±

    She glanced up and down the two boys, then either side of the empty street. ¡°I ain¡¯t got nothing left but a bat and a couple toads. You fine with that?¡±

    ¡°We already got one. We just need the ritual,¡± Saben replied.

    She pursed her lips a moment then waved the boys inside. She led them through dark and narrow hallways and down a steep staircase into a stone basement. There were a variety of cages here and some were exceptionally large. They were so large that any creature that needed them would be too big for the hallway and stairs they used to get in.

    In the back of the room was a clear area with a ritual circle laid out. A table covered with bowls of colored powder was next to shelves filled with bottles of different shapes.

    ¡°All right. Show me what you got,¡± she said, turning to the boys.

    Seth pulled the cub out of his bag. She yawned mightily, then squinted suspiciously at the woman.

    ¡°What kind of cat is that?¡± Isolde asked. ¡°Looks like it¡¯ll get bigger.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a kitten, and the mom was bigger,¡± Seth answered.

    ¡°I asked what kind of cat, not how old it was,¡± Isolde said. ¡°And don¡¯t bullshit me. I need to know this shit if you want the ritual to work.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all I know, sorry,¡± Seth said, and looked at Saben uncertainly. Would it be fine to tell Isolde about the horns and stuff?

    ¡°All we know is that it came from Below. It¡¯ll get bigger, but we don¡¯t know how much bigger,¡± Saben said.

    Isolde suddenly snatched the cat up by the scruff. The cat hissed and waved her claws, but the woman was expert at avoiding them and controlling the beast as she examined the creature. ¡°An entrance? Where? And are there more cats? These would sell way better than toads.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s privileged,¡± Saben answered.

    ¡°Humph. So you don¡¯t intend to use it as a mount or anything. Fine. Any reason you¡¯re so sure this is a magic beast? Below by itself doesn¡¯t mean anything, there¡¯s all kinds of weird shit down there. Ritual won¡¯t take unless both the master and familiar have power. That looks like an ordinary snow leopard to me.¡±

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    ¡°She understands when spoken to,¡± Saben said, ¡°and has obeyed spoken commands.¡±

    ¡°Familiar rituals can get pretty wonky with more powerful beasts. We should probably do a power assessment on both you and the beast to see what kind of materials we need. That¡¯ll cost more. You got a talent, kid?¡±

    ¡°I do,¡± Seth answered, conjuring up a little wind.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have funds for the assessment and stronger materials,¡± Saben said. ¡°We should probably just do the stronger materials.¡±

    Isolde handed the cat back to Seth and turned to Saben. ¡°You¡¯re pretty confident this is a powerful enough beast that you want the upgraded ritual straight off? Those materials ain¡¯t cheap and I can¡¯t do all the standard substitutions.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s cheaper than having to redo it.¡±

    Saben and the woman haggled for a bit. Seth wasn¡¯t really paying attention and studied the room. He saw the toads and the bat at the far end, looking pretty forlorn. Or as forlorn as toads and bats can look. Eh, maybe they weren¡¯t forlorn, and Seth just thought they looked that way. Honestly, the animals probably didn¡¯t care much.

    His cat was very interested in the surroundings, her body nearly thrumming in his hands.

    Finally Saben and Isolde settled on a price, and Saben handed the woman several pricey coins and a few items from his bag. She put one of the things he gave her on the table, and the rest in a locked box. She pulled other things out of the box and assembled her reagents. She added lines and symbols to the circle on the floor and then directed Seth to it.

    ¡°All right. Sit down in the center with your beast, and don¡¯t touch any of the lines. I¡¯ll charge you again if I need to redo the circle.¡±

    Seth carefully arranged himself in the circle and put the cat in his lap and held her firmly. He wondered how Saben knew this woman and where he got the money to pay for it. Seth didn¡¯t think the sale of just the hides was worth all this. Maybe he¡¯d sold the horns too.

    After several moments of waiting as Isolde continued to work Seth finally asked about the large cages. ¡°If beasts as big as these are allowed, why don¡¯t we see more around?¡± Seth asked.

    ¡°The big ones are for mounts, not familiars. You can bind a mount in a similar way, but it¡¯s only really necessary if the mount isn¡¯t normally cooperative. You can¡¯t stable those types with normal mounts, so they¡¯re rare in cities,¡± Saben answered.

    ¡°So, like, giant lizards or wolves or something?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, pretty much. They¡¯d eat any horses, or scare them anyway. Not really useful unless you are out of town most of the time, or need a mount you can take Below for example.¡±

    ¡°Why would you want a mount in a tunnel? You can¡¯t ride it there, can you?¡±

    Saben shrugged. ¡°I dunno. It¡¯s what I was told when I asked.¡±

    The woman was finally done with whatever she was doing.

    ¡°The two of you are going to be connected. The more you trust each other, the better and stronger your bond will be.¡± The woman started lighting candles around the circle, then poured bits of powder in each candle. As the ritual went on the cat got more and more antsy.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± Seth said softly to the cat. ¡°This should make it so we can understand each other better. I know you¡¯re smart, so this should help.¡±

    <hr>

    What. The. Fuck.

    Crazy land just keeps being crazy.

    Gandalf is here sitting with me in what looks like a demon summoning circle from a bad movie. It would be comical if it wasn¡¯t tinkling a vague memory. I¡¯d seen shit like this before. Recently.

    He was keeping a firm grip on me and I couldn¡¯t get down to get a good look around. Nothing was ringing the old ¡®Eureka!¡¯ bell, and all I was getting was some deja vu. I squirmed anyway, but Gandalf had a few pounds on me and I couldn¡¯t leave. Whatever. This shit was just weird, not scary.

    I could tell we were in a basement somewhere, and that this was definitely not official-like proceedings. But that was okay. Getting a job done was far more important than doing it all on the up and up.

    Ugh, I was still so tired. And hungry. I was rudely awakened from a delightful nap for this shit. I¡¯d slept all day already, and I felt like I could sleep a couple more.

    I watched the demon summoning ritual. Well, I really doubted that¡¯s what it was, seeing as I was already in the summoning circle. The kid was here too, and I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d be volunteering for anything too wackadoodle. I had no idea what he meant by connected, but maybe this would let me talk? Eh, my choice right now was to roll with it and let the kid do what he wanted, or just nope out of all this. If I noped out, I¡¯d probably be on my own in crazy land. And I didn¡¯t think the kid would keep feeding me. I didn¡¯t like the idea of hunting mice for food, that was just gross. Or eating raw food. Grosser still.

    For the sake of good food, I shall stay and allow Gandalf to serve me. Yay food!

    Assholes better feed me something nice.

    <hr>

    ¡°Alright, touch the sphere, and then touch your beast. That will be the location of its mark,¡± The woman had placed an orb in front of Seth during the ritual, and now the orb was glowing faintly.

    ¡°Is it supposed to be cracked like this?¡± Seth asked, studying the orb. ¡°The light looks a bit inconsistent.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s normal. Just touch it and then the cat.¡±

    Seth touched the orb and all the glow from the sphere now clung to his hand. He touched the beast on the back of her neck, in the same spot that a mother would pick up her kitten. The glow didn¡¯t leave his hand and go into the cub as expected. Instead, they both glowed faintly before the magic sparked briefly, then winked out and the circle vanished.

    The woman was frowning. She picked up the beast and examined the place Seth had touched it.

    ¡°What went wrong?¡± Saben asked. ¡°Was the bloodcrystal powder a bad substitution?¡±

    ¡°Nothing went wrong,¡± the woman said. ¡°The mark is here. Might have been some interference or something.¡±

    ¡°So she¡¯s bonded to me now? No one can take her from me?¡± Seth asked.

    ¡°Here. Stand over there and close your eyes,¡± The woman said. She then handed the cat to Saben and motioned for him to move across the room. ¡°Now, without opening your eyes, where is your beast?¡±

    Seth was able to point directly at Saben.

    ¡°And how is your beast feeling?¡±

    Seth cocked his head like he was listening. ¡°She¡¯s annoyed. And hungry.¡±

    ¡°There you go. Enjoy your new pet, and if you have any questions, ask somewhere else.¡±

    Saben laughed. ¡°Thank you, Isolde,¡± he said. He handed her a folded piece of paper that Seth guessed was the location of the Below entrance. Then they left.

    Once they were outside Saben¡¯s smile faded. ¡°Let¡¯s go see Benjamin now.¡±

 5 - A Gift

    It was after dark when Saben led the way to Benjamin¡¯s town house. There weren¡¯t many animals on this street and the smell of manure was pleasantly absent. Most of the ground floors of these homes were businesses, with living space above. Each building had a lovely garden space between each storefront that competed with its neighbors for the most appealing. The neighboring buildings were a tailor and a bakery, while Benjamin¡¯s was a business office instead of a retail space.

    Benjamin''s new town home was significantly more modest than his expansive summer estate in Verdar. It was convenient for conducting and expanding his business interests in Rosia. When Benjamin wasn¡¯t using it himself he allowed his employees from out of town to make use of the space.

    Saben paused outside looking at the house for several moments.

    ¡°Everything okay?¡± Seth asked his brother.

    ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± Saben answered. He ran his hand through his hair and sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not something you need to worry about. I was just thinking.¡±

    ¡°Is it about Dad?¡± Seth knew Saben wasn¡¯t likely to confide in him, but he¡¯d open the door for a conversation anyway. Saben still viewed him as a little kid most of the time.

    ¡°No. It just seems like, I don¡¯t know. Something¡¯s off. What happened on the caravan, what happened to Dad, other stuff too.¡±

    ¡°Like what?¡± Seth put his hand on the cat when she shifted from laying on his shoulder to sitting on it.

    Saben fiddled with something in his pocket for a moment, a coin or something Seth thought, then shook his head. ¡°Never mind. I¡¯m being stupid. I think I¡¯m just unhappy about how things have been since Dad died and I¡¯m looking to put blame somewhere. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    Seth didn¡¯t push. If he did, Saben would make more effort to pretend everything was good. Seth would much rather make things good than pretend they were. He¡¯d give Saben time and space to open up.

    The boys turned to the front door just as it opened. Benjamin¡¯s office manager, John, greeted them and invited them inside.

    ¡°Seth! I¡¯m glad you¡¯re alright!¡± Benjamin called out, trotting down the stairs. ¡°That tumble down the mountain could have killed you.¡±

    Benjamin ushered them into a stone floored kitchen at the back of the house and dismissed John. They gathered at a wooden prep table in the kitchen.

    It was clean and neat, but not as homey as the inn Seth had stayed in with his father. One wall was a brick fireplace with doors on the sides. A pot hung on a hook in the fireplace. In addition to the prep table, there were shelves of kitchen tools and a brick cooler that also served as another prep counter.

    Benjamin pulled up a stool to the table and waved at the fireplace. ¡°I had Bea leave extra stew. Grab a bowl for your brother, Saben.¡± Benjamin turned to Seth. ¡°Now, what is this little one?¡±

    ¡°This is my new familiar,¡± Seth answered, holding the cat in his lap. ¡°I found her down the cliff and wanted to keep her.¡±

    ¡°A familiar,¡± Benjamin said, his tone neutral. ¡°This is a rather sudden decision, don¡¯t you think? You haven¡¯t mentioned any desire for a soul link to an animal before.¡±

    Seth felt the cat tense up in his arms. He hugged her reassuringly but she didn¡¯t relax.

    ¡°She helped me, Benjamin. I wanted to keep her safe, and when Saben and I talked, we decided this was the best way. I¡¯m happy to have her as a familiar.¡±

    ¡°This is unexpected,¡± Benjamin muttered. ¡°I suppose done is done. What did you name it?¡±

    Saben placed two bowls on the table in front of Seth, luring the cat to the second bowl. ¡°I suggested naming her Fluffy or Pussy, and she hissed at me.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t feed the animal on the table, Saben,¡± Benjamin said with a sharp stare at the older brother.

    ¡°I¡¯ll move her, sorry,¡± Seth said, and moved the cat¡¯s dish to the floor, and placed her in front of it. ¡°I haven¡¯t decided on a name yet. She hasn¡¯t liked anything we¡¯ve suggested.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s your pet, Seth. You decide its name. Let me know the name you settle on. Anyway, why don¡¯t you tell me what happened as you remember it?¡±

    Seth was getting pretty practiced at telling the story. Benjamin didn¡¯t ask many questions, and none were directed at Saben.

    ¡°They targeted that wagon specifically,¡± Saben said. ¡°And they were all wearing the same uniform. Do you know who they were? Or what they were after?¡± Saben asked as he got up to refill their bowls.

    Benjamin frowned while tapping on the table. He didn¡¯t look at Saben and just shook his head. Seth felt Benjamin knew and just didn¡¯t want to say.

    That kinda pissed Seth off. Those guys in the coats nearly killed him and his brother. Don¡¯t push, Seth reminded himself. Benjamin didn¡¯t actually have any obligation to the two boys, and everything he did for them was pure charity.

    ¡°I saw broken egg shells in that metal crate. What was that?¡± Seth asked instead.

    ¡°I was transporting a rare magic egg for a noble house. Franco retrieved the shell shards, so I can at least prove the egg wasn¡¯t stolen to my client. This is a pretty significant loss. Since you saw the shell, Seth, what was in the egg? Had anything started to develop?¡±

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    Seth shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It was just egg goop. I don¡¯t remember seeing the yolk either.¡±

    Benjamin sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. That entrance you found will make up for it. I¡¯ve filed for exclusive rights to it for the next month. It¡¯s too close to the city for it to be left open, but even a few weeks should be profitable.¡± He nudged the cat¡¯s bowl on the floor with his foot. She walked away and sat under the table. ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll find more of your little leopard here.¡±

    ¡°Will you need to repay the noble that contracted you to transport it?¡± Saben asked.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to concern yourself,¡± Benjamin replied. ¡°Now, Saben, clean up and get a bath ready, you both could use it. Seth, please come to my study for a moment, I have something for you that''ll help at the school Gauntlet.¡±

    Upstairs in the study Seth sat across from Benjamin at the glossy desk. A small pile of papers and a leather bound logbook lay on the desk. There were equally glossy bookshelves completely filled with books, a good number of them similar logbooks. From a drawer Benjamin pulled out a small wooden box and handed it to Seth.

    ¡°Your father had something similar to this,¡± Benjamin explained, ¡°so I thought this would be a nice gift for your start of school.¡±

    Inside the box was a black leather bracelet with silver beads. It was of very nice quality for the simple materials.

    ¡°It is an affinity bracelet,¡± Benjamin explained. ¡°It will become attuned to your talent the more you wear it. Many people use these, and over time they can make the casting of the spells you use most often easier and faster. I have a theory that it may also help strengthen your connection with your power as the bracelet becomes more attuned. I hope this will help ease your mind about losing your talent like Saben did.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. This is very generous.¡± Seth picked the bracelet up and examined it. Each of the silver beads had a symbol engraved on it. ¡°My father had something like this?¡± Seth couldn¡¯t remember having seen his father with a bracelet, but Seth supposed he probably just hadn¡¯t noticed.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m not sure if it was an affinity bracelet, but the style is the same. I thought you would like it.¡±

    ¡°I do, very much. Thank you.¡±

    ¡°I know you¡¯re tired, but do you think you could tell me again what happened?¡± Benjamin asked.

    Seth explained what happened, still omitting the details about the big cat just like Saben had told him to.

    ¡°Just to be clear, Seth.¡± Benjamin steepled his fingers and leaned back in his chair once Seth was finished. ¡°You were the first one to find the wagon, correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°Did it break during the fight with the spiders? Or did any of the beasts rummage around in the wagon before they started fighting?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Everything on the wagon was already smashed up and spilled everywhere when I got there. It was after dark when I found it.¡±

    Benjamin drummed his fingers. ¡°And the cats like your familiar there, were any of them near the wagon? Or any of the spiders?¡±

    Seth considered. ¡°No. They were all by the Below entrance I think. The wagon landed near the middle of the clearing.¡±

    Benjamin accepted Seth¡¯s recounting and nodded. ¡°All right. Go wash up, and send Saben up to talk to me please.¡±

    <hr>

    I didn¡¯t follow the kid out.

    The kid¡¯s recollection of events was wrong. I woke up next to one of the cubs, and I was practically sitting on the wagon. And the spiders partially wrapped at least one of the kittens right there. I¡¯d then leapt my way to the water with a spider chasing me. But he was right about the egg, nothing but goop and shells. I shouldn¡¯t blame the kid for remembering wrong, though. He¡¯d been badly concussed.

    The conversation made me think that Benjamin wondered if I was the thing in the egg. Weird.

    Whoops, that Benjamin guy is really interested in me all of a sudden. Look! I¡¯m a cat! Watch me hunt this piece of lint! Pay no attention to the kitten in the corner.

    ¡°You wanted to see me, sir?¡± Saben asked as he came in.

    ¡°Yes. I was wondering about the familiar ritual you had done for Seth. Where did you have it done?¡±

    ¡°There is a ritualist that I was introduced to when I was at the school. She performed the ritual for a couple of my friends.¡±

    ¡°Do you know if she is licensed?¡±

    ¡°No sir, I don¡¯t.¡±

    Benjamin scowled at Saben. ¡°Do you understand how dangerous a badly or incorrectly done soul bonding ritual can be? This isn¡¯t a sensory spell or even a protection rite. Familiar rituals can have all sorts of bad side effects if done improperly.¡±

    ¡°I know, sir,¡± Saben answered. ¡°She came recommended and I¡¯ve been told she occasionally teaches at the Academy. You know I wouldn¡¯t do anything that would risk my brother. He¡¯s all the family I have, sir.¡±

    I wanted a better view of these guys. So I rolled over and played with my tail. Funny I didn¡¯t feel weird waving my ass around like this. But hey, I got a better view of them both. It was interesting that Saben didn¡¯t take a seat while Seth had.

    ¡°I¡¯ll want the name and address of this ritualist so I can check her credentials myself.¡±

    Saben looked a bit shifty. ¡°I don¡¯t know the address. I¡¯ll go by tomorrow and get the street name for you.¡±

    Benjamin raised a brow but nodded. ¡°All right. And here, you received mail a few days ago. Now go wash up, and both of you head to bed. You can both have a rest day tomorrow. The Gauntlet and the Trials are the day after.¡±

    Oooh, mail! Saben took the envelope Benjamin handed him and headed downstairs. I was right on his heels. I wanted to read the letter too! It was sealed with wax. That¡¯s fancy.

    Benjamin snatched me up by the neck. Shit.

    He waited until Saben had closed the door before turning his gaze to me. ¡°And just what are you, I wonder?¡±

    He flipped me over as he examined me. I was fucking mortified. He looked at the mark on the back of my neck and then lifted me to eye level to face him. ¡°Oh,¡± he breathed. His fingers moved to either side of my neck and tightened.

    Fucker was going to kill me.

    I relaxed my body and yawned at him, partially closing my eyes in a lazy manner. I¡¯m cute. I¡¯m calm. I am absolutely harmless! There¡¯s no need to kill me. I¡¯m just a stupid cat. I am beneath notice. And when I relaxed I also let my neck slip out of his fingers so he was only gripping my skin. In case this didn¡¯t work, I arranged my rear paws for a quick response and sneakily got those claws ready.

    Did he really suspect me of being the thing in the egg? Or was this something else?

    He studied me for a moment more and the burst of violence I was expecting never came. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he finally said. ¡°If you¡¯re really a familiar, this should still work fine.¡± He put me on the floor and opened the door.

    I lazily sauntered out. I didn¡¯t want to give away that I knew of his intent to kill me. I can¡¯t assume he thinks I¡¯m harmless. I do think he thought of another way to use me.

    Even if I¡¯m wrong and he wasn¡¯t thinking of snapping my neck, I¡¯m getting seriously bad vibes off this dude. Even if you lived in a house, safety just wasn¡¯t a thing here in crazy land, was it? It¡¯s eat-your-face spiders, murderous fuckers, or whatever crazy shit I haven¡¯t seen yet. I¡¯ll stick with Gandalf. For now anyway. Yeah, let¡¯s just forget about that whole soul bond shit.

    We bunked down for the night in a narrow servants¡¯ room. I missed Saben reading the letter, if he did read it. And Seth spent ages going over names for me. All of them sucked.

 6 - Courtyard of Towers

    Two days later I perched on top of Seth¡¯s knapsack with my claws easily keeping me steady and secure as Saben led Seth to school. I was really getting to like having claws. I was also glad Seth brought the knapsack. It made a much bigger and more comfy seat than his shoulder, and I didn¡¯t have to walk.

    The other convenient thing about being carried was that I could check out the city without looking like a lost tourist. I didn¡¯t get the chance the other day to look around. Well, that wasn¡¯t actually true, I¡¯d slept through my chance and that in itself was concerning since if this was some sort of dream or whatever I shouldn¡¯t need sleep.

    The city was large and somewhat crowded. The styles were strange, nothing I remembered from medieval paintings even though the general tech level put me in mind of the Renaissance or generally pre-industrial. Architecturally, most buildings were no taller than just a few stories. I did see a few towers in the distance. Fancy buildings for the fancy folk. I¡¯ll make sure to visit them later.

    The construction was a pale gray stone with narrow windows and many of the buildings had thatch roofs. Blue thatch. Like the grass that grew here was legitimately blue grass. Crazy. Anyway, the window styles were narrow, wide enough for a child, or a cat, but a full grown adult would have trouble sneaking in. There was very little glass, and almost no metal used in construction.

    I had no experience with thatch. What a weird thing to have here. Could you just snip it out of your way? Or maybe just push through it? Or was there something underneath it?

    The people here were pretty average too. Most weren¡¯t cripplingly poor, though there were beggars and homeless. Most weren¡¯t outrageously rich either, though I did spot some delightfully opulent targets¨C err, nobles. You also had your scamsters doing their hustle here and there, and they¡¯d pick up and move whenever a city guard wandered by.

    There were roads that were pedestrian only, no animals or wagons, and they were only slightly wider than a hallway. I was reminded of several cities in Europe, in Greece maybe? Nah, it was too cold here. I tried to remember a city with narrow streets high in the mountains but couldn¡¯t remember any names. I couldn¡¯t remember the names of any Greek cities either, even though I had remembered Greece only a moment ago. The more I thought about it the less I could remember. Ah, screw it. Not like I can do anything about it yet.

    For a city with a magic school in it, I didn¡¯t really notice any magicking going on.

    The boys stopped at a long wall with a gatehouse in it. They would separate here and Saben would head to the other side of the city for his own testing today.

    I studied the gatehouse as the boys said their farewells. It looked like the entrance to another city. It was taller than the houses in the area and surprisingly clean and well decorated. Bas-relief lined the openings, and the stonework was light and well maintained. It didn¡¯t resemble dirty dark age movies at all. It felt classy, but was a gatehouse complete with pointy metal gates.

    Seth checked in at the first gate, then waited in the interior holding area where a couple dozen other students already waited. The students were mostly older than Seth, closer to Saben¡¯s age in their middle to late teens. They ran the gamut too for economic class. Some wore what I presumed was the school uniform, others were dressed in simple serviceable clothes like Seth, and there were a few with less practical but definitely prettier getups going. Most of them were keeping to themselves and not socializing at all. I guess whatever this ¡®gauntlet¡¯ was, it was competitive?

    Then I got a good look at the courtyard past the second gate and I was back to thinking this was a trippy fever dream.

    A magical barrier shimmered in place of the interior gate. The first tower in the courtyard was entirely a pillar of flame. Not like a normal tower that was on fire, but the tower was fire.

    No heat reached us in the gatehouse. I wondered if the flames were real or some type of illusion, or maybe fire wasn¡¯t hot here. At this point, I figured anything was possible.

    ¡°What in the darkness,¡± a boy next to them muttered.

    I am so with you my boy, I thought. What in the toasty tower ovens were they expecting these kids to do?

    I leaned forward, trying to get a look at the other towers. As far as I could tell, this was the only one that was fire.

    A man dressed all in blue walked through the magic barrier, and banged a staff on the ground to silence all the students. His clothes resembled a bishop¡¯s but without the fancy hat.

    ¡°Good morning, hopefuls of our incoming class. I am Professor Sammes and I will be the invigilator of this exam. This exam is the qualifier for tower learning within Rosia Magic Academy, and is colloquially known as ¡®The Gauntlet¡¯. Each tower has a specialty that is outlined in the student handbook everyone received upon acceptance to this school. As everyone should be familiar with all subjects in the handbook, everyone should already know what each tower offers.¡±

    At this, Professor Sammes gazed around at the students looking amused.

    Sneaky bastard. There was no way the students all read something as stupid as a handbook before even starting class. And many of the poor kids did look confused and panicked. My guide to crazy land was pretty calm though. Maybe he was an overachiever? If so, I chose well. Who am I kidding? I didn¡¯t choose any of this crazy shit.

    ¡°The duration of this exam shall be one hour precisely. The objective is to obtain entry into the towers of your choice and retrieve the tower key within. Tower keys are magically bonded and cannot be transferred to another person. There are a limited number of keys per tower based on that tower¡¯s available seats.¡± A brief mummer went through the crowd at that statement. ¡°Yes, you must compete with your classmates for placement here, just as you will need to for professional placements. Cooperation is allowed. Each student must retrieve their own key however. Failure to gain entry yourself even if you provided entry to another student will not count as a succes. There is an infirmary set up on the north wall. Do be cautious. Magic of any type can kill quickly and easily. Any magic directed at another student will result in loss of all keys and removal from the testing grounds. Deliberate sabotage or injury of another student will result in expulsion. I alone decide if circumstances are incidental or deliberate.¡±

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    Professor Sammes paused, letting the instructions sink in. ¡°The gate shall open in ten minutes. You have that time to prepare, plot your course, and make alliances. Good luck.¡± He turned and stepped through the magic barrier like it wasn¡¯t there.

    ¡°Damn,¡± the boy next to them said.

    ¡°I think this test is going to be harder than I thought,¡± Seth said.

    It¡¯s a literal trial by fire here boys. Good luck, I¡¯m thinking I¡¯ll wait out here.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the towers,¡± the boy said. Poor kid looked so defeated. He was young, but not as young as Seth. I¡¯d put him at about fifteen or so. He was a tall kid, not at his adult height yet but still as tall as most adults, and broad shouldered. He had a boyish face and floofy short hair. He looked like a country boy.

    ¡°Do you know what classes you want to take?¡± Seth asked him. ¡°As a first year student you can¡¯t take more than three advanced classes, so you should just focus on the ones that best complement your talent.¡±

    The boy looked a little uncomfortable. ¡°My power is pretty weak. I wouldn¡¯t even be here but my uncle said I had to. My power just makes what I¡¯m using a little better. I can make a sword a little sharper and hit a little harder or make a shield more sturdy. I can¡¯t do anything to people, just objects, and I mostly just enhance them a little bit.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, mine is pretty weak too. I can move air around a bit. Not strong enough to fly, and not precise enough to move things.¡± Seth considered for a moment. ¡°There are twelve towers. The biggest four here in front are the main powers, fire, earth, water, and wind. After that are the next tier and harder towers, lightning, thunder, metal, and ice. The last four are the hardest, and are the specialty towers. They are the Celestial tower which covers things like space, dimension, and force; the Rainbow tower which covers light, illusion, and obfuscation; the Circle tower has life, death, and healing; and then the Last tower. I have no idea what they teach there. It¡¯s just said to be the Last tower you learn in, and only students who¡¯ve gone to all the other towers can go to that one.¡±

    Mostly typical categories, I thought. Does that mean the magic that people do is generally just those simple types? Could I learn magic? Huh. This is a magic school. I listened with more interest.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what towers would really work for my power then,¡± the boy said. ¡°Earth maybe? Metal? But my power isn¡¯t really elemental in nature.¡±

    ¡°I plan to try for wind for obvious reasons, but my real goal is going to be either the Celestial tower or Circle. There is something I want to research, and I think one of those two could help. Maybe Celestial would work for you too?¡±

    ¡°Dimension and space? Not really. Force? It could be that, I suppose. I can add oomph to a strike. But if that is a three tier tower, won¡¯t it be really hard to get in?¡±

    Space? I thought. What kind of power is ¡®space¡¯? Like cosmic space? Or a roomy room with open space? This shit makes no sense. Behold, the power of emptiness! The nothingness between the stars, and the proper feng shui of a parlor!

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Seth told him. ¡°There are people who try to collect all the first tiers, then try for seconds, until they run out of time. Others start at the top tiers and then move down as time runs out. Problem with that is you might end up with nothing.¡±

    ¡°If you do end up with nothing, is that a problem?¡± the boy asked.

    ¡°Basically, it means you don¡¯t get higher level training. Not getting any additional training for the whole year is a big loss. There is also the advantage that you can apply for boarding in any tower you¡¯ve succeeded at after your first year. It means more access to the facilities and such, you¡¯re in with similar students, and is generally considered the way to go.¡±

    The boy nodded. ¡°My name is Owen. I appreciate your help.¡± Owen gave Seth a shallow bow.

    I growled in irritation when Seth bowed back, nearly dumping me off the knapsack despite it being equally shallow. ¡°My pleasure, Owen. I¡¯m Seth.¡±

    ¡°Did you want to team up?¡± Owen asked.

    ¡°I think the best thing is to first get a look at each of the towers, and figure out what we need to do. If we need to cooperate I¡¯m game for it.¡±

    Suddenly a bell sounded and the barrier protecting the entryway vanished.

    A blast of heat gushed forth with such force it almost knocked me off the knapsack and Seth nearly landed on his ass. No sooner than the crowd of students had been shoved back that they surged forward and flooded into the courtyard. Most students scrambled to get away from the raging tower inferno. A few stayed and gazed at it speculatively.

    One boy walked up to the tower like the flames weren¡¯t there. He peered at the tower like he could see past the flames, and then just walked straight into them. Seth reflexively reached out as if to pull the boy back, but he¡¯d vanished.

    I wondered if I¡¯d ever get used to this crazy shit. How that kid wasn¡¯t a cinder I¡¯d never understand. Well, maybe he was.

    A girl who looked like she¡¯d just gotten out of the shower was watching the flame tower too. She glanced over at Seth and Owen, then to another group. ¡°Hey, you all heat resistant? Like, not flame resistant, but like, not affected by heat?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not,¡± Seth said. Owen just shook his head. Most of the other group also said no.

    ¡°Make space then. This¡¯ll cook ya for sure.¡± She waited only a couple moments as most of the others moved away. A pair of students didn¡¯t move and still considered the tower. The girl watched them for a few seconds then shrugged. ¡°Here goes!¡±

    Water swelled up out of the ground, and rolled toward the tower. It looked shallow in the beginning, rising slowly like a tide. When the water touched the flame tower a great hissing and storm of steam burst out in an intense wave of wet heat. It was more scorching and more painful than the heat from the flames.

    Seth and Owen retreated further but continued to watch, transfixed by the still swelling tide of water. In the end, the entire tower was shielded by a wall of water, and the whole courtyard was masked in a dense cloud of cooling steam.

    What the everloving fuck kind of power is that. Okay then.

    The girl laughed. ¡°The right talent makes everything so easy.¡± She walked through the water sheathing the tower and returned a moment later with a small black glass key. ¡°I¡¯ll hold this for a few seconds if you all wanna head in.¡±

    Damn straight we will, my new favorite person!

 7 - Courtyard of Towers 2

    Seth gazed at the tower, the black glass visible through the water even though steam still poured off it. The whole place smelled like a boiling sea. The girl had invited all the students standing around to enter the tower with her, but Seth felt uneasy about it. Other students rushed in though, and quickly came out with small keys of the same black volcanic glass.

    ¡°Not going?¡± Owen asked him.

    ¡°I don''t think so,¡± Seth answered. Fire and wind synergized violently well, and it quite frankly scared him. He should probably just go take the key regardless, but he couldn''t bring himself to. He didn''t want to think about why. ¡°I may never get the chance again, considering what that tower is like, but I think it''s dangerous.¡±

    Owen nodded, and didn¡¯t make any move towards the tower.

    That made Seth feel a little better about being afraid to go in. ¡°What about you?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like fire.¡±

    Seth¡¯s familiar hopped down from his knapsack. She gave both him and Owen a disgusted look and he could feel her disapproval through the familiar link. She then vanished into the mist. Her spotted gray fur was the perfect camouflage in the hot mist. Seth considered grabbing her, but decided she¡¯d be fine. She was bonded to him now so she couldn¡¯t be stolen. And she was smart enough not to get into trouble with the magic towers.

    Seth put the Fire Tower out of his mind and set off in a trot around the courtyard. It was fairly big, and the more distant towers were hard to make out due to the dense mist that still filled the courtyard. There were several towers though that looked like they were repelling the mist.

    Fire was the first tower inside the gate, and Water and Stone flanked it as the first towers. They were easy to identify, one was a pillar of water where the mist was denser than anywhere else in the courtyard, the other was sheer stone without windows or a door. Owen trotted over to the Stone Tower for a closer look. Past those were the next batch of towers, forming a staggered line. There was a pattern to the layout, but Seth didn¡¯t bother trying to figure it out beyond noticing the first tier towers were closest to the gate, so the higher tier towers would be further in..

    The Wind Tower was between Thunder and Lightning. It was made of white sandstone, and there were many unusually large windows. Seth could see nothing protecting the tower unlike the others.

    The Lightning Tower was made of amber stone and it crackled with power. Seth could feel the thrumming of the Thunder Tower from where he stood and the deep colored stone visibly vibrated.

    Seth was pretty sure he understood the nature of these puzzles. If you were able to protect yourself from the element, you could just enter the tower and take the key. Of course a school wasn¡¯t going to prevent students from learning, but if the magic was dangerous to them then they shouldn¡¯t be in that class.

    Seth gathered his power around him and felt for the wind he knew had to be surrounding the Wind Tower. Sure enough, there was wind powerful enough to fling him quite forcefully. He looked at the nearby towers. If he wasn¡¯t careful the Wind Tower wasn¡¯t what would harm him, but impacting another tower and suffering its defenses.

    So this should be simple. All he needed to do was prevent the wind from touching him, like the guy that first walked through the Fire Tower. He thought through all the spell structures that Saben had taught him, but none really would work for this. Saben had also taught him unstructured magic, which according to Saben, tended to work better for his talent.

    He pulled the air around him, and imagined it as a buffer that would prevent the tower¡¯s wind from touching him. When he was confident he had a firm grasp on it, he stepped forward into the protected zone of the tower.

    Seth¡¯s wind was not strong enough. It was wrenched away by the force of the Tower¡¯s wind and Seth was dragged straight up before pulling himself out of the airstream and was barely able to cushion himself enough not to sprain his ankles on the pavement in front of the Thunder tower.

    A short girl was sitting on the ground not far from where he landed. ¡°Watch yourself on that one,¡± she said. ¡°Outside goes up, but inside goes down. You¡¯ll break bones like that guy.¡±

    Seth turned to look, and sure enough there was a student sitting on the ground leaning on the wall of the Wind tower, both legs clearly broken. As Seth and the girl watched a healer trotted up to the student.

    ¡°The healers aren¡¯t affected by the defenses on the towers?¡± Seth asked.

    ¡°I guess that makes sense. They¡¯d need to get to anyone wherever they are, and they¡¯d have healing talents so some of these would be hard for them,¡± the girl answered.

    That meant there was something excluding them from the tower¡¯s defenses. Seth was torn between irritation that there was a way to cheat, and excitement at the prospect of learning how to do it.

    ¡°Are you okay?¡± Seth asked the girl.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯m just letting my insides settle down after the Thunder tower.¡± She held up a key and smiled. ¡°Success!¡±

    ¡°Congratulations! Good luck on your next tower.¡±

    ¡°You gonna try this one again?¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll check out my other choices, get the easy ones done first and come back. That way if I do get injured I at least have something.¡±

    ¡°Smart. Good luck to you too then,¡± the short girl said. Her attention shifted to the Lightning Tower, and the occasional electric discharges into the ground nearby.

    After the Thunder Tower was Ice, and after Lightning was Metal. The back row of towers were the third tier with Circle, Celestial, and Rainbow. The mist was fading now, and was mostly gone from around the Celestial tower.

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    There were a few students trying to gain entry to the Celestial Tower. There was no big effect, no apparent defenses. Like the Wind Tower, it looked undefended. But the students could not actually approach the tower. Seth watched as one student got a running start and tried to leap into the tower. He jumped into the air and landed in nearly the same spot, no closer to the tower. Another student was quietly casting a spell, and the last student was drawing details onto a circle on the ground.

    Seth tried approaching the tower, but no matter how fast he walked or for how long, he got no closer to it. He had no power that could overcome this, so he moved on for now.

    He could see the Rainbow Tower. It was a beautiful tower, decked out in flowers and colored stone, and glowed like it was lit from the inside. Once again, this tower looked like it had no defenses. A group of people were playing small stringed instruments and dancing in front of the doorway. They invited everyone to dance with them for a key.

    This is so suspicious. Curious, he headed over.

    Several students were dancing with the musicians, and asking how long they had to dance for.

    Are they just here to waste time? Would you have to spend the whole hour dancing? Is that the trick?

    Seth concentrated and called on his wind. He didn¡¯t try to cast anything but tried to just listen like Saben had told him to do. He had a feeling that any illusion spell would be able to fool a detection spell, but it might not fool the wind itself.

    The wind didn¡¯t really tell him anything. There was nothing it had to say about the people or the tower. He wondered if he were really that bad at listening to the wind that it couldn¡¯t tell him about what was in front of him. It didn¡¯t even enhance the sound of the musicians at all.

    Of course. They were part of the defenses for this tower and were illusions. They were only illusions of light and sound though. Seth closed his eyes and walked to the tower. He walked past the point that he thought the tower wall was until he reached the real wall. He followed it until he found the real doorway. There was nothing stopping him from entering. Was it really so easy? A tier three tower?

    Inside, there was a girl in a school uniform with a thick braid down to her butt and pearl earrings. She was staring at a table with six keys on it that looked like they were made of rainbow colored feathers. An unwashed and homeless looking man sat on a stool next to the table.

    ¡°What¡¯s the trick here?¡± Seth asked. ¡°There is no way it''s this easy.¡±

    The man smiled. ¡°Only one key is the right key. You can only pick once.¡±

    Seth glanced at the girl in the foyer with him. ¡°There¡¯s two of us here though.¡±

    ¡°Still only one key.¡±

    The tier three challenge was the competition for limited slots. Seth looked at the table and the six keys there. If five of them were illusions, they¡¯d probably disappear if touched. If he could only pick once, then he needed to eliminate all the bad ones and find the good one in the same action. He had an idea.

    ¡°You were here first,¡± he said to the girl.

    ¡°I really need this key, but I don¡¯t know a spell to detect this type of illusion.¡± She looked really pained. ¡°You can go first while I try to think it out more.¡±

    Seth nodded. Tactically, she was making a smart move. Seth was more likely to pick wrong than right, and would reduce the wrong choices she was faced with. He decided making the wrong move wasn¡¯t a critical failure for him, as the Rainbow Tower wasn¡¯t one he needed now anyway. So he tipped the table over and only one key fell to the floor.

    Seth looked back up at the girl. She hugged herself and looked about to cry.

    ¡°Can I leave and come back again?¡± She asked the unkempt man.

    ¡°There is only one key.¡±

    He felt bad for the girl. She was here first and he didn¡¯t really need this key. He needed Wind, Circle, and Celestial. He could only take three classes anyway.

    ¡°You take it,¡± Seth said to her. ¡°I think you need it more than I do.¡±

    ¡°You figured it out though, it belongs to you.¡±

    ¡°It was just a lucky guess. I haven¡¯t touched it yet, so you can take it.¡±

    ¡°Do you have other keys already?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Not yet, but I will. Good luck.¡± Seth walked out of the Rainbow tower without the key. He wondered if he was a sucker. He¡¯d passed up two keys already, and had none himself. It wasn¡¯t until he was outside that he realized she could have been an illusion too.

    Well, if she wasn¡¯t an illusion, he made the right choice. Even if he didn¡¯t get the three keys he needed, she was there first.

    And if she was an illusion, he wouldn¡¯t blame himself for choosing kindness even if it meant he was stupid.

    It wasn¡¯t far to the Circle tower. On this tower every stone was carved with images of living things. Of all the towers, this one looked like it had been constructed with conventional building methods. There was a healer standing just outside the tower. That concerned Seth enough that he didn¡¯t try to just walk up to the tower to see what it did. This one also looked to have no obvious defense.

    Seth concentrated on doing the detection spell he¡¯d done before. Similar to the Rainbow Tower he wasn¡¯t trying to find anything specific, but instead of just listening he tried to sense magic in addition to what was around him.

    He could feel the wind around him, and concentrated on following it into the tower. This was unstructured magic, and very difficult to keep a hold of. The slightest shift in attention and the wind would wander off.

    He could sense the wind in the tower. He knew there was a table inside with keys. Seth didn¡¯t have the skill or references to know what magic was there or what it would do.

    There was an active spell though, he could feel it. He just had no idea how to dispel or bypass it.

    He opened his eyes and considered the tower. He flicked a glance at the healer, and decided to just go for it. A couple other students were standing around, but no one was trying anything.

    He summoned defensive wind and stretched his left hand out and approached slowly. Just inches from the door he felt it. Corrosive death magic touched his fingers like he¡¯d dipped them in acid. He tried to bolster the protective wind, but it did nothing. The longer his fingers were in the tower''s defenses the worse they hurt and the more severe the damage became.

    He didn¡¯t last more than a couple seconds before pulling back and asking the healer to heal him.

    ¡°The Circle tower is not for everyone,¡± the healer told him as she cured Seth¡¯s blackened fingers. Curing a couple seconds worth of exposure took a couple minutes. ¡°Don¡¯t be discouraged. Sometimes learning techniques in other towers can help you gain entry to the towers you don¡¯t have a natural affinity for. And if not, then by your third year you should know enough spell formulas to open the way.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Seth mumbled.

    Internally he was quailing. Saben couldn¡¯t do without his powers for so long, he¡¯d be killed in a battle or accident. Seth needed to get access to these towers today. He¡¯d tried all three, and got nowhere. Sure he could have had Fire and Rainbow, but they wouldn¡¯t help him help Saben.

    His best bet was wind. If he tried it enough he could possibly get in, or have his legs broken and be out of the Gauntlet.

    For the other two, he had no idea. He had no method of traversing a dimensional boundary or protecting himself from it, and no means of staving off the corrosion of death magic.

    Seth considered asking the other students for help, but honestly, he was mortified at the idea. There was a good chance his classmates wouldn¡¯t help him anyway. Not being able to retrieve the key meant you weren¡¯t qualified for the tower. And the healer certainly seemed to think he didn¡¯t belong there.

    Not even half way into the test and he was truly stuck.

 8 - Courtyard of Towers 3

    I had left Gandalf, sorry, Seth, when he got all waffley and wasn¡¯t going to take advantage of a perfect opportunity. Seriously, when stuff is handed to you, you take it.

    The wall of water putting out the Fire Tower was heavy and nearly squashed me flat when I ran through it. It was probably because I was so small. I was still not used to this whole ¡®I¡¯m a cat now¡¯ nonsense, but I was getting there.

    Inside was an archway similar to the courtyard entrance. The tower was made of obsidian and a table made of the same black volcanic glass was the only object in the foyer. The boy who¡¯d walked through the flames was still standing there, an obsidian key in his hand.

    ¡°What just happened out there?¡± the boy asked a girl that came through right after I did.

    ¡°Tsunami girl put out the fire,¡± the girl said, and grabbed a key. ¡°We should hurry up before it catches fire again. She might think it¡¯s funny to leave everyone in here.¡±

    There had been a bunch of keys on the table, but they were disappearing quickly as students rushed in to take them. I leapt up to the table and snagged one myself. Some kid shouted and tried to take it from me, but I pulled it away from him and got away.

    Let me say, not having pockets sucks.

    Seth had no idea how to properly case a job so I took off on my own to get a sense of what we were dealing with. From what he¡¯d described to that Owen kid, this whole gauntlet thing was a series of mini heists. Break in, steal a key, escape. The only kicker was the magic.

    I had no fucking clue about that shit.

    I made the circuit, spending a minute or two looking at each tower, watching the students trying to get in. Some were crazy with the magic powers. Some were subtle and looked like normal people but shit just worked for them. They were casting magic there too, even if I couldn¡¯t see what it did.

    There was more than just the towers in the courtyard too. Most of the spaces around the towers were covered with paver stones, but there were sections of gardens and benches and lawn. The walls were not just walls either. Some sections of the walls were actually buildings with windows and balconies. There were banners hanging on the walls too, and overall it was a very aesthetically pleasing place. Not counting the burning, freezing, crackling, and whatever other crap the towers were doing.

    All right. I had a feel for the place now, and could probably make a decent go at a couple of these. Off I went to find my magical tour guide, Gandalf. Seth! His name is Seth. I really needed to try to think of him that way.

    I found him sitting outside one of the back towers. I wasn¡¯t sure which powers this one was supposed to have, but I recalled that it had a bad-for-you-continuing-to-live type effect.

    I was concerned for the kid, just sitting there when a timed event was running. Did he get hurt? I behaved in my best feline manner and shoved against him.

    ¡°Hey kitty,¡± Seth said. He sounded defeated.

    Ugh, none of that shit, kid. I hopped up in his lap, shoved my face into his (man, this cat stuff was turning out to be rather fun) and dropped the obsidian key on his chest.

    ¡°What the¨C how did you get this?¡±

    Like I could talk. I meowed and rubbed my cheek against his. That¨C that actually felt really good. I should do that more. Embrace the catness!

    I jumped down and sat looking from the tower in front of us to him and back. I didn¡¯t know how to make my question more obvious.

    ¡°I can¡¯t get in. My wind power doesn¡¯t do anything to protect me from the death magic.¡±

    Death magic. Yup, it¡¯s a thing here.

    Okay kid, so what else did you try then? Not that he could hear me. I can answer that though, probably nothing. I¡¯d never get this done in time if I have to pantomime everything to this kid.

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Ah, wait a second. Saben had packed Seth¡¯s knapsack and told him to bring it. Saben was a sharp pencil, I bet he packed useful goodies.

    Seth was sitting down so I just climbed into the knapsack. He got a little miffed when I started knocking stuff out of it though. And I was right. Saben is the smart one and he did pack the good stuff.

    Let¡¯s start simple. I took an apple, probably intended for lunch, and rolled it into the tower.

    ¡°Hey! What are you doing?¡±

    I ignored him. I followed the apple by several feet. I figured the apple would rot or something when it crossed into the death magic zone.

    It didn¡¯t.

    I felt a thrumming in my whiskers just as Seth snatched me up and held me tightly. ¡°Don¡¯t go in there, it¡¯s dangerous!¡±

    The apple rolled unimpeded into the tower doorway and under the table with the keys.

    Well then. Apples are immune to death magic. Who knew?

    The interesting piece was that I could feel the barrier in my whiskers. I¡¯d need to pay more attention to that. But first, Seth.

    I heaved a sigh and looked at him in my best ¡°Really?¡± look. I squirmed down and went back to the knapsack.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare throw more of my lunch in there, you crazy beast.¡±

    Oh, I¡¯m the crazy one? Crazy freaking magic land begs to differ, thank you very much.

    I pulled out the spidersilk grappling hook. I then hooked it to the obsidian key and pulled a little. If the apple didn¡¯t rot, the grappling hook and line should be fine too.

    ¡°Oh.¡± Seth¡¯s eyes were wide. He turned to look in the tower again. ¡°Oh. You think that¡¯ll actually work? I thought we had to use magic to get in?¡±

    Well, I didn¡¯t actually read the student handbook. Dick move, guys, putting the details to important things like this in there. Also a genius way to get kids to read a stupid handbook, honestly, but still dickish.

    He looked over at the healer who was watching him curiously. She made no move to stop him.

    So Seth got to work. He wasn¡¯t a great throw. He did manage to stab the apple and drag it back. The sharp claws had nearly cut it through. After a half dozen tries, I put my claws on his leg and gave him a light poke. He jumped and looked at me and I tried to blow. Cats mouths don¡¯t form that nice circle like when you¡¯re blowing out candles, but Seth got the idea anyway.

    ¡°Right. I should use my wind to guide it better.¡±

    And there it was. A couple more tries and he had it, a bone skeleton key. Little baby¡¯s first pilfering! Right. Next one. Time¡¯s a wastin¡¯.

    Seth quickly scooped up everything into the knapsack and trotted over to the next tower. This one was a neighbor to the previous tower, and similarly had no obvious defense. Seth went right to the grappling hook. Honestly, I didn¡¯t think that trick would work here, but I watched the results anyway.

    There was a barrier. I could sense it in my whiskers if I was focused on it. The hook would fly through the air like it was going the distance, and then land on the ground a couple feet in front of us. It was bizarre to watch. It was some kind of event-horizon space-twisty shit.

    Yeah. We weren¡¯t getting that key this way. But I had noticed something earlier.

    This tower had windows. And one of the upper floor windows was open. And more, there were birds landing on the roof of this tower. That meant that this twisty shit stopped before the roof, and probably before that window. We just needed to get to it.

    Credit to Seth, he was really diligently trying every method to get that hook in the door.

    ¡°You brought a grappling hook?¡± Owen¡¯s incredulous question got my attention.

    ¡°It¡¯s useful,¡± Seth answered, sounding like it was obvious.

    Smartass boy, it wasn¡¯t his idea to bring it.

    ¡°I thought you¡¯d just be using your wind to carry the keys to you without going in,¡± Owen said.

    Seth sighed. ¡°My control isn¡¯t nearly good enough for that. The keys are flat on a flat surface. My wind just brushes past them. Next year, maybe I could.¡±

    Owen looked speculatively at the grappling hook, then at the table in the foyer. ¡°That won¡¯t work here.¡±

    ¡°You got a better idea?¡±

    ¡°No. My power can¡¯t do anything here.¡±

    Stupid kids. If their first idea doesn¡¯t work, they don¡¯t try anything else. I¡¯ll be spoon feeding these guys the whole way. Ugh, they¡¯re kids. Be nice. Seth was what, thirteen? Fourteen? Owen looked a bit older, maybe fifteen? I should think of these guys as my interns. Nah, this was crazy magic land so they¡¯d be apprentices here.

    I poked Seth again to get his attention.

    ¡°Ouch, stop doing that.¡± Seth rubbed his leg and glared at me.

    I looked from him, to the top of the tower, and back to him. This time I had to repeat it a few times before he caught on.

    ¡°We go in the window?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Woah.¡± Owen looked up at the top of the tower, then back at me. ¡°Did your cat really come up with that on her own?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s my familiar. She¡¯s really smart for a cat.¡±

    For a cat? You little shit, I¡¯m smarter than you. I got you two keys already. Just for that, you figure this one out kid.

 9 - Courtyard of Towers 4

    Seth glared at his familiar. She¡¯d flopped over and was completely ignoring him now. He didn¡¯t think he¡¯d ever understand her. She could be so smart and could figure things out so quickly, and then she just¡­ he didn¡¯t know. Stopped? Like her brain disconnected and she became a cat again. Well, she was a magical beast. Maybe this was normal for them. Once he got to class he¡¯d find someone else with a magic beast familiar and ask about it.

    He sighed and gave her a scratch on her horn nubs where she liked it. Apparently that was the right thing to do because she was paying attention again.

    ¡°Flying would be the easiest, but my power isn¡¯t strong enough.¡± Seth looked at the grappling hook he held and then back up at the upper floor window. ¡°I don¡¯t think my rope is long enough to reach that.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯d be in the stuck space anyway,¡± Owen said. ¡°You¡¯d never climb it.¡±

    Seth didn¡¯t know what to do. He looked at his familiar. She sat calmly, looking at him expectantly, her head cocked slightly. He was certain she already had an answer, but this time she wasn¡¯t showing him.

    Well, he could do this. He looked through his knapsack, looking for anything that could be useful here. Nothing. He looked around. The wall nearby had balconies on it.

    ¡°Owen, do you think we could grapple the window from the balcony there?¡±

    Owen eyeballed the distance. ¡°That¡¯s too far and not high enough. You¡¯re not strong enough to fly, right? Not even a distance like that?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    Owen¡¯s gaze flicked to the banners on the wall beside the balconies. ¡°Could we use those?¡±

    Seth considered this idea. ¡°It depends. The big one looks like it might work if we could just glide, but I don¡¯t think I can produce enough lift. My wind isn¡¯t that strong.¡±

    ¡°The balcony is still too low then. We won¡¯t reach the window.¡±

    Seth¡¯s familiar put her paw on his leg and he immediately pulled away. ¡°You don¡¯t need to claw me to get my attention.¡± He told her. ¡°What¡¯s your idea?¡±

    It took Seth a moment to figure out what his familiar was trying to point out to him. ¡°What about the Wind tower? We aren¡¯t working on that one right now.¡±

    ¡°Did you get that key already?¡± Owen asked.

    ¡°No. I had trouble with the¨C oh, I get it. My power isn¡¯t strong enough for lift, but the Wind tower is plenty strong enough. Could you help me get this banner down?¡±

    They quickly had the largest banner down and knotted the rope onto either end. Owen gathered up the banner and turned to the Wind Tower.

    It was tempting to just charge ahead and just wing the wind control while they were in the air. Seth was sure Saben could do it.

    Think it through, Seth told himself. You need to be clear minded in what you are going to do here or we¡¯ll get smashed into the ground. When Seth first got his power, Saben had taken him to fly a kite. Manipulating the kite and making it dance in the sky was the first thing he¡¯d learned to do. This wasn¡¯t very different. The biggest difference would be there was no string to keep it steady. Twisting or spinning would result in a loss of control and falling.

    ¡°Hold on a sec,¡± Seth said. ¡°We should practice a minute first.¡±

    Owen looked surprised, like he hadn¡¯t thought about that. ¡°Oh. Right. What do you need me to do?¡±

    ¡°Hold it up and let me see how to catch it with the wind.¡±

    Owen complied.

    The banner was big enough and caught the air well. It was also more stable than he thought it would be. Moving air was the one thing he was good at. Seth couldn¡¯t lift Owen at all, but he could keep the banner deployed and steady. ¡°This will work. You go first,¡± Seth said. ¡°I¡¯ll be better able to see what¡¯s going on and guide you where you need to go. At the window, throw the banner in the air so I can get the wind to bring it back to me.¡±

    ¡°How high will this send me?¡± Owen asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have you go as high as the tower, or the top of the air column if it¡¯s lower. If it¡¯s lower, we might not make it to the window. I don¡¯t know if we¡¯d get stuck in the dimensional boundary or not.¡±

    Owen looked up at the Wind Tower then back to Seth. ¡°I trust you. When you say go, I go.¡±

    No pressure. Seth nodded to Owen who stepped up to the Wind Tower and let the banner catch the updraft. It was difficult controlling Owen¡¯s flight, and Seth needed to make quick adjustments to keep Owen balanced. Owen landed lightly on the window ledge, as easily as stepping down a stair. Yes! I can do this. Things really are going to get better.

    Seth was glad to have the practice from sending Owen first. It was just enough that he could manage to keep himself steady while holding onto the banner himself. He misjudged his own trajectory slightly and Owen had to grab him and help him into the window.

    It didn¡¯t dull his mood though. Seth wasn¡¯t even annoyed that the cat used his head to jump into the window before Owen had pulled him all the way up. He did it, and used his power to do it. This is going to be a great year.

    ¡°My window is not a door.¡±

    Seth and Owen turned to see an upperclassman sitting at a desk in a bathroom. He was dressed in pajamas and looked bemused. There was something unseen splashing in the bathtub and piles of wet towels on the floor.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Gauntlet today. We¡¯re after the key in the foyer,¡± Seth explained.

    ¡°Huh. Elevating platforms are that way. Just don¡¯t go up, you might not come down.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± Seth said. ¡°Sorry for intruding.¡±

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    Both Owen and Seth retrieved a strangely heavy key from the foyer. Seth had a brief moment of panic that they wouldn¡¯t be able to leave the tower, but the dimensional forces that prevented entry effectively pushed them out.

    Owen clutched the key. ¡°Thank you for this.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to thank me for this, you helped out too.¡±

    ¡°Five minute warning!¡± Professor Sammes shouted.

    ¡°Dammit, I still gotta get the Wind Tower. Good luck, Owen.¡±

    Seth stood outside the Wind tower at a loss again. He looked around, at the neighboring towers, at the ground, at the air. He had no ideas and no time to experiment. He looked at his familiar. She¡¯d solved all the puzzles so far, maybe she could solve this one too.

    Or maybe she was the solution?

    She was small. The wind started above the ground so she might be able to slide under it.

    ¡°If I can block the wind for you, do you think you could crawl in and get a key?¡± he asked her.

    She considered a moment, her head cocked, then she nodded.

    With her flat on the ground he formed turbulence in the air so that she could scoot under the updraft, and then he used all the power he could to push her through the downdraft on the other side. In no time she was sitting in the foyer with a key in her mouth. She didn¡¯t try to leave. Instead she waited for time to run out and the tower defense to gutter out.

    Seth had four keys. The obsidian key to Fire, the bone key to Circle, the heavy key to Celestial, and the Wind key that felt like it was made of a combination of clouds and sand.

    Owen had three keys, Metal, Stone, and Celestial. Seth considered asking how¡¯d he¡¯d gotten into those, but decided it didn¡¯t matter. He¡¯d ask about it next year if he needed to.

    The students collected near the gatehouse where they were met by Professor Sammes. He gave them a brief, and very rudimentary, tour of the school grounds before leaving them at the Administration building.

    Seth wished Owen good luck as the students were divided for their assessment results.

    Seth entered a small booth and sat at the interview desk. A paunchy older man seated across from him didn¡¯t look up. The administrator''s side of the desk opened to a larger room with more desks that connected to other booths. It sounded like a half dozen students were going through the interview now. Seth held his cat on his lap as he waited for the administrator.

    ¡°Seth of Selford. You¡¯ve got a wind power?¡± the administrator asked as he shuffled through a couple sheaves of paper.

    ¡°Yes, sir. It¡¯s just a minor wind power.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t knock the power, kid. I knew a student last year who had a wind power. The things he could do with his power, absolutely astounding.¡± The administrator finally looked at Seth and his brows knit together,

    ¡°My brother tried to teach me a few things. I¡¯m not as good as he was.¡±

    ¡°You have a familiar look to you. Did your brother attend here?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he did. My brother is Saben, also of Selford.¡±

    ¡°Saben! Of course! Hands down the best combat mage I¡¯ve ever had the pleasure of teaching.¡± The administrator¡¯s excitement dimmed abruptly. ¡°Sorry business last spring. How is your brother doing? We really missed him.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s applying to the Combat Academy here in Rosia.¡±

    ¡°Ah, good choice. He¡¯s a real talent, and should get top marks. Pity the program here didn¡¯t work out.¡± He frowned a moment then brightened. ¡°We need to get you into my Combat Basics course. I¡¯m Professor Mick, they call me Mick the Mighty! My course is the best combat course anywhere in Rosia, the Combat Academy included! If you¡¯ve got even half your brother¡¯s talent we¡¯ll have a killer team this year. I can get you signed up right now!¡±

    Without waiting for Seth¡¯s answer he hustled into the room behind him and came back with a bunch more papers.

    The cat in Seth¡¯s lap started squirming. He lost his grip on her when Professor Mick sat back down. She darted into the room behind the administrator.

    ¡°This is going to be a great year! I can feel it in my bones!¡± Professor Mick rapidly started filling out the paperwork. ¡°Oh, right, your assessment.¡± With his free hand Professor Mick moved what looked like a scale in front of Seth, and instructed him to put his hand on the left side of the scale and state his name. Symbols on the bottom of the scale lit up and colored liquid poured from the right scale arm into a bottle. Professor Mick continued to scribble quickly over several forms and then corked the bottle, put a label on it, and put it in a box.

    As this was going on he talked non stop about Saben¡¯s performance in combat class. The professor was clearly a big fan. Seth was pretty sure that the professor was going to be severely disappointed in his own performance. He couldn¡¯t hold a candle to Saben. No. Be confident. I can do this. I got four keys today, and could have had five. I almost had all three tier three towers. Saben didn¡¯t do that.

    Then the time came to show Professor Mick his keys. He frowned as he studied the keys.

    ¡°Why did you choose these towers? I¡¯d expect earth or water for the elemental set, or lightning and thunder for the storm set?¡±

    ¡°My goal is to help Saben get his power back. The Celestial Tower will teach me to understand magic sources and the Circle Tower will teach magic¡¯s interaction with the body and stuff.¡±

    Professor Mick nodded. ¡°A worthy goal. There has been some study on that since your brother¡¯s incident. There¡¯s been a couple others who¡¯ve lost their power unexpectedly too. Professor Marjorie is leading the focus there. Perhaps talk to her about it.¡±

    ¡°More people lost their power?¡± Seth asked. He thought Saben was the only one it had happened to.

    ¡°Oh yeah, a few. One of them, a healer, got his talent back just a few weeks later. He is also working with Professor Marjorie. He¡¯s the only one I know of to get his power back. The name escapes me at the moment. Not much of a fighter, you know.¡±

    Professor Mick plunked a few papers in front of Seth. ¡°Your schedule. Now, left wrist please.¡±

    Seth dutifully pulled his sleeve up and extended his wrist.

    Professor Mick paused at the bracelet already on his wrist. ¡°That have power in it? You¡¯ll want to move it to the other hand, or take it off altogether. You know, interference and all that. Ah, almost forgot, what weapon do you favor?¡± Even as he kept talking Professor Mick wrapped a colored cord around Seth¡¯s wrist that had his keys strung on it. As soon as the cord touched his skin it transformed itself into a magic script with each key becoming a symbol circling his wrist like a ritual circle tattoo.

    ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t¡ªwhat is this? How do I take it off?¡±

    The professor chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t. Not today anyway. This is your entry to the Academy grounds, administration, the classrooms you qualify for including their towers, and to your dorm room. One of the first exams is to be able to add or remove keys from your keyring. You¡¯ll be learning this stuff in class.¡±

    Seth wasn¡¯t comfortable with this. ¡°So if I leave early, I can¡¯t take it off?¡±

    Professor Mick scoffed. ¡°No one wants to leave early. And if you do, it¡¯ll fade on its own after a couple months away from the grounds. Affinity magic, you know. You¡¯ll learn it, not to worry. Now, off you go!¡±

    Seth had started to leave before remembering his cat. ¡°Oh, I had a question about familiars,¡± he said, and tried to peek past the professor.

    ¡°Oh, you want a familiar? Don¡¯t see the appeal myself. Too high maintenance.¡± He produced another packet of papers. ¡°The familiar rules, should you get one. Anything larger than a dog must be housed in the familiar housing, and anything bigger than a horse needs a permit. All actions by your familiar are as if you did it. It does damage to property or people, it''s on you. ¡®I can¡¯t help my fire lizard burning stuff¡¯ isn¡¯t an excuse. As I said, too much hassle. You¡¯re better off leaving that until you¡¯re out of school.¡±

    ¡°Ah, okay. Um, I already have one though.¡±

    And of course the cat chose that moment to jump up on the desk, startling the professor. Fortunately, the professor didn¡¯t notice she¡¯d come from behind him. Unfortunately, she scattered his papers as she landed.

    ¡°No! Bad cat!¡± the professor yelled as he tried to catch the pile.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Seth scooped up the cat and held her under one arm as he helped pick up the other papers. Once the papers were up off the floor Seth apologized again, scooped up his packet and retreated as the professor continued grouching about high maintenance animals.

 10 - A Fountain of Horses

    When he finished with Administration, Seth left through the same gate he¡¯d entered the school. He paused to get his bearings so he could head to the combat school where Saben was taking his own assessment.

    ¡°How¡¯d you do?¡± Saben said from right behind him.

    Seth startled then turned to face Saben with a smile. ¡°I did pretty good I think. I got four keys.¡± He looked Saben over quickly. He had no visible bruises or injuries. For a combat entrance test, that was unexpected. ¡°How did you do?¡±

    ¡°I got cut from the list. They didn¡¯t even let me try.¡±

    ¡°What? Why?¡±

    Saben scowled and shook his head. ¡°They didn¡¯t say. Just told me not to bother trying next year either.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re a fantastic fighter, they¡¯ve got to see that. Professor Mick talked non stop about you. Was the Captain not there?¡±

    Saben just shook his head. ¡°Let it go Seth.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not right,¡± Seth said. ¡°What can we do? Maybe Benjamin can talk to someone there? He¡¯s got to know somebody, right?¡±

    ¡°I imagine he does,¡± Saben said bitterly.

    ¡°No, this is so wrong. We can get this cleared up, okay? I¡¯ll ask Benjamin, I know you don¡¯t like to ask him for anything.¡±

    ¡°Shut it, Seth,¡± Saben snapped. Seth took a surprised step backwards.

    Saben took a deep breath and looked away. ¡°Sorry. I don¡¯t want to talk about this now.¡±

    Seth didn¡¯t know what to say or do. Saben not getting into school just wasn¡¯t in any of their plans.

    Saben gestured for Seth to go first. ¡°You remember the way?¡±

    Seth led the way in silence. He had so many questions. Why would the school do that to Saben? Did he ask? Of course he did. What did they say? What could they do now? How could he help Saben? Don¡¯t push, Seth reminded himself. You promised. He¡¯ll talk when he¡¯s ready.

    After a few minutes of silence Saben said, "I''m sorry. I never asked you what keys you got."

    "It''s all right," Seth said. "You had more important things on your mind. I got Fire, Wind, and Circle." And Celestial, but Seth felt mentioning that one wouldn''t be wise right now.

    "Fire? Seriously? That''s unexpectedly bold of you."

    "Crazy right? Some girl with a water power put the whole tower out. Like not a lick of flame anywhere. I think every key got taken in the first five minutes."

    "That''s actually hilarious. The Wizard of that Tower is pretty elitist. She''s got to be furious."

    They had made their way to the main thoroughfare when Saben grabbed a distracted Seth¡¯s shoulder and pulled him to a stop. Seth turned and saw the procession that Saben had stopped him for. Other pedestrians also cleared the way and watched the procession.

    ¡°The Princess,¡± Seth said, surprised.

    A troop of mounted guards surrounded a girl on a white horse. She was the same age as Seth and was flanked by servants, one of whom nodded to the boys as they passed. The princess saw the servant nod and scanned the crowd, but her gaze passed over the boys without pausing.

    Seth thought about calling out to her and subconsciously leaned forward. Saben''s hand on his shoulder gripped him tighter and held him still. Then he saw one of guards in the procession glaring at them.

    ¡°She didn¡¯t recognize us,¡± Seth lamented.

    The cat perked up from her perch on Seth¡¯s knapsack and peered at the girl and her entourage as they passed, the cat¡¯s whiskers tickling Seth¡¯s cheek.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably for the best. Not like we¡¯ll ever live in the palace again,¡± Saben said.

    ¡°But for her to forget us? It hasn¡¯t been that long.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that strange since we are commoners. We were never part of her world. Let¡¯s just go.¡±

    In a square just west of the magic district the boys waited at a fountain. Seth was new enough to this neighborhood that the fountain was interesting to look at. It was a collection of equine creatures, from the common horse up through unicorn and pegasus all the way to nightmare, allacorn, and finally the celestial mist horse. It was a beautiful piece and complemented the mosaic pavers in the square. Trees lined the edges of the square, which was unusual. The whole square felt more like a garden than a public space.

    Saben wasn¡¯t looking at the scenery though, and was watching one of the alleyways on the far side of the square.

    ¡°I need you to stay here,¡± he said to Seth. ¡°I¡¯ll be back shortly.¡±

    Seth started to question him but Saben¡¯s expression changed his mind. ¡°All right.¡±

    Saben hadn¡¯t walked more than half a dozen steps before he turned and picked up the cat and handed her to Seth. ¡°You should keep hold of her. She might wander off around here.¡±

    Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    Seth sat on the fountain and waited. The cat continued to stare off after Saben, and Seth noticed that Saben was talking to someone concealed in the alleyway. Be safe, Saben. Don¡¯t get involved in dangerous things like Dad did. School was supposed to be where they both stayed safe.

    Seth couldn¡¯t watch the alley, however, as the cat kept squirming and struggling to get down. She might be small, but she was definitely not weak. She didn¡¯t use her claws on him though, for which he was both surprised and grateful. Seth stroked her fur as she bristled a bit.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not letting you go. It¡¯s too crowded here and I don¡¯t want to lose you,¡± Seth said to the cat. He had no idea what she was so riled about. She really was such a temperamental thing. He liked her anyway.

    The cat looked at him and shook her head.

    Seth wasn¡¯t going to be fooled. He knew she was smart, and she often made him do what she wanted. But this time he knew she was going to wander off, and he wasn¡¯t going to let go. He struggled to hold onto her the whole time Saben was in the alley.

    <hr>

    Fucking green apples, kid. How in the holy fuck am I supposed to spy on your dear brother and see who he¡¯s being all cloak and dagger with if you won¡¯t let me follow him?

    Ugh. It¡¯s probably nothing. But Mr. Angsty Teen has some drama going on and now is being super sketchy. I never did get a peek at his mail either.

    Yeah, I¡¯m nosy. It¡¯s not like I can have a conversation with someone to pass the time. I gotta get my giggles somewhere. And if stealing secrets is something I can do, I¡¯m there.

    After a while I drooped bonelessly as Seth tried to keep hold of me. I did my best to make it difficult without being aggressive about it. Out of habit I scanned the area, noting open doors, locations of streets and alleys, and the people around and what they were up to. That¡¯s when I noticed a guy trying to look like he¡¯d been in the square for longer than he had. He¡¯d quickly walked up to a group and helped them move jugs of water for a moment before moving on and pausing beneath a tree. He was particularly interested in Seth.

    I couldn¡¯t help it. As a cat, when something tickles your ¡®I¡¯m dangerous¡¯ whiskers, your tail gets bushy and your hackles rise.

    ¡°Woah easy, no one¡¯s going to hurt you,¡± Seth tried to comfort me.

    It¡¯s weird, being petted. I expected to hate it. I figured it would be creepy and inappropriate and I would be all squicked out by it.

    Nope. I love it.

    And I will not be so easily side tracked. Much as I like the petting, I¡¯m keeping my eyes on Mr. Sneaky over there.

    I kept watching, and soon noticed there were two of them. It took me a bit to figure out they were working together. The tip off came when Saben left the alley. I hope his super sketchy contact beat feet because one of the two dudes slipped into the alley behind Saben.

    Wait a second. I recognize that one. He was one of the caravan guards! He was just a random driver I think, but this guy definitely works for Benjamin. So what is good old Benny Boy up to then?

    Seth didn¡¯t ask Saben any questions when he came back. Such a good and trusting brother. Naivete will kill you kid. Not that I think Saben intends Seth any harm. I don¡¯t think Benjamin does either, really. But hey. Entertainment.

    Benjamin himself showed up shortly after and took the boys shopping. The markets and shops they went to were all still in the magic district. It was like the city was actually several different cities mashed together with how different the districts were from each other.

    Seth got his school books, courtesy of Benjamin as promised. And a couple other specialty items that were apparently a big deal. Who knew an ink vial could be special? There were a couple of times Saben looked like he wanted to ask for something, but he never spoke up, and Benjamin never offered. I thought that was a bit unfair, but I supposed only Seth had actual need. Poor Saben got blacklisted. That was a whole other thing I was curious about. And neither boy had told Benjamin yet.

    I noticed our tail. More than one actually, and I was certain I saw more of the caravan guards after Benjamin joined us for shopping and then dinner. That did leave me to wonder why a mid grade merchant like Benjamin appeared to be needing hidden guards. Was this world so dangerous that the mildly wealthy needed bodyguards? That would be scary.

    He lived in a modest house in a well off neighborhood. He traded in common goods, nothing fancy or expensive. Except the mysterious egg. He was involved in something. Maybe since he was a trader, he was functioning as a mule? Moving contraband hidden amongst other cheap crap? Or was there more to Benjamin?

    Could be. Or he could be just a guy making a living and trying to avoid getting robbed.

    Ah that¡¯s right. There were bandits that attacked his stuff before I met Seth. And according to Seth they wore uniforms no less. Political enemies?

    Eh, there was shit happening. I decided I¡¯d find out what that shit was before it was flung at me and my man Seth.

    Dinner was fine. No, actually it wasn¡¯t. I was booted off the table and had to eat on the fucking floor again. What the fuck, man. I am knocking every single thing in your office to the floor when we get back, Benjamin.

    No cats on the table. Fuck you.

    <hr>

    ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s happy,¡± Seth said to Saben later that night as they were getting ready for bed. ¡°She¡¯s been so grumpy after dinner.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯ll get over it. Cats don¡¯t have that great a memory. You know the proverb, feed a cat for three years and it¡¯ll remember for three days?¡± Saben smiled when the cat turned to stare at him.

    ¡°No, I think she is way smarter than that. And don¡¯t say stuff like that about her. She will absolutely hold a grudge.¡±

    ¡°My apologies gracious lady,¡± Saben said with an exaggerated bow. ¡°¡¯The familiar ritual makes all bound beasts smarter and more responsive, everyone knows that. But in the end she is still a cat. Remind people of that, even if you think she¡¯s more.¡±

    ¡°I guess you¡¯re right. She is different though. And she still needs a name,¡± Seth reminded Saben. ¡°I¡¯ve tried Snowflake, Star, Cloud, Samantha, Tia, and Princess. She hates all of them.¡±

    Saben and Seth tossed names back and forth for a while before giving up when the cat got disgusted enough to hide under the bed.

    Seth eyed the darkness under the bed for a bit and then braced himself for the next question. ¡°What are you going to do now, Saben? You and Benjamin were talking for a long time.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m done with school. Benjamin insisted that he had no contacts at the Combat Academy. He also was really sincere in helping out. For the first time he asked me what I wanted.¡± Saben smiled at that. ¡°I¡¯m going to apprentice with an explorer group, the one that Franco is on.¡±

    ¡°That sounds amazing. Would you be going Below?¡±

    ¡°Yup. We explore and then close off the wild entrances, and do extended excursions in the managed ones. That and some mercenary work on the side, like the caravan guard stuff we met him on.¡±

    ¡°You seem happy about it. I¡¯m glad, even if it means you¡¯re not in Rosia with me.¡± Seth smoothed his covers and patted a spot for the cat to lay down.

    Saben sighed and plopped down on the edge of his own bed. ¡°I know. I don¡¯t like us splitting up, but I guess it can¡¯t be helped. I hope I can work at that entrance you found until they decide to close it. I wouldn¡¯t be too far away then. And you¡¯ve got her,¡± he said. He reached over and gave the cat an affectionate pat. ¡°Now go to sleep.¡±

    It was several hours later when Saben silently dressed and slipped out the window.

 11 - Falling Spoons

    I don¡¯t know what exactly woke me up. I didn¡¯t hear anything. But when I looked around (fantastic kitty night vision, yay!) I noticed both the window and door open, and Saben was not in his bed. Without disturbing Seth, I climbed up to the window. This room was on the second floor, and overlooked a modest back garden. I didn¡¯t see anyone at all outside, and I waited several minutes to see if I could catch any movement. Nope.

    The door was also open. For all I knew, Saben got up to piss or something. Well, I¡¯m up anyway, let¡¯s check out the house.

    The door to Benjamin¡¯s study was shut. It may actually be locked too, but I didn¡¯t have thumbs to open the door. In the house he had some nice silver, and there was artwork on the walls that was more than just portraits of people I didn¡¯t care about. The wallpaper was actually fabric in the fancy rooms. Benjamin was well off without being crazy wealthy. I guess that made sense as he didn¡¯t have a noble title. Overall, there was nothing super interesting here. If anything I got the feeling that this was more of an office space than a home.

    I heard a very faint click from the kitchen.

    Saben was back.

    He¡¯d paused in the kitchen, listening to the sounds of the house. I walked into a patch of moonlight on the floor where he could see me clearly and sat. I stared at him despite the darkness in the kitchen. Even the warm coals from the cooking fire didn¡¯t cast any light into the room.

    ¡°What are you doing out here?¡± Saben whispered. ¡°Did Seth wake up?¡±

    Dude, I¡¯m a cat. What are you asking me questions for? I can¡¯t talk.

    ¡°I suppose you would wake up.¡± He walked over to the doorway and peeked into the hallway. I was impressed with how quietly the guy could move.

    But I wasn¡¯t in the mood to let him get away with this crap. I meowed at him.

    ¡°Shhhh, kitty. We don¡¯t want to wake anyone.¡±

    Speak for yourself buddy. I jumped up onto a counter and knocked over a jar with wooden spoons in it. It clattered on the counter but didn¡¯t hit the floor. Saben caught it as it fell, spoons still in it. Dude was quick. If this guy wasn¡¯t so suspicious I¡¯d want him as an apprentice. I could do a lot with talent like his.

    And the talented guy had me tucked under one arm before I could get to the pan rack. I squirmed loose.

    ¡°Are you doing this on purpose? Are you trying to get me caught?¡±

    I just looked at him and flicked my ears. I think I might''ve even sighed.

    ¡°Here. I¡¯ll give you some cream if you knock it off.¡±

    He quickly poured cream into a saucer and put it on the fucking floor. I ignored it and jumped up onto the table. I waited there.

    Saben stared at me for a few seconds before moving the dish to in front of me. I think he was considering which one to move, me or the plate.

    Drinking straight cream as a human is kinda gross. It¡¯s fatty and heavy. Whipped cream has a fluffiness to it, but the liquid stuff is cloying.

    But as a cat? That shit was delicious. It coated my tongue and clung to the rough bristles making it a much smoother treat and not at all heavy.

    I was a messy eater though.

    Saben stripped down to his undergarments as I ate. I paused to watch him for a moment, trying to figure him out. He stashed his clothes and started cleaning up. I quickly finished my snack before he could take it away. He then scooped me up and headed back upstairs.

    John, Benjamin¡¯s butler guy, was on the stairs with a candle.

    Busted buddy! An explanation now please!

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I woke you John,¡± Saben said softly. ¡°The kitten was restless, so I gave her some cream. I hope that¡¯s okay?¡±

    Well damn. I¡¯m his alibi.

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    ¡°Of course. I didn¡¯t hear you on the stairs earlier.¡±

    ¡°I was trying to be quiet. I¡¯m sorry if she was noisy in the kitchen. She was trying to knock things over.¡±

    John just nodded and Saben continued into the bedroom he was sharing with Seth. Moonlight filtered in through the open window.

    As soon as he put me down I jumped onto Seth and walked on him, trying to wake him while still acting like a cat. It didn¡¯t work. The kid slept like he was dead.

    Saben watched but made no attempt to stop me. He sat on his bed and ran his hands through his hair. I was struck by how young and how stressed he looked. Finally he sighed and leaned over to give me a pat.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad he found you,¡± he whispered to me. ¡°I¡¯m worried whoever had our dad murdered might not be done with us. I can¡¯t stay with him, and while school should be safe enough, I can¡¯t be sure.¡±

    Wait, dad was murdered? Why would Seth be a target? Why would he be in danger at school?

    ¡°I know what you are, little one.¡±

    I felt a bolt run through my body. He knew what I was? Does that mean he knew what happened to me? Who I am, or used to be?

    ¡°And I¡¯m grateful to you for helping him and becoming his familiar. I¡¯m trusting you to keep looking out for him at school too, okay? You need to be careful.¡±

    This wasn¡¯t the shit I wanted to hear about right now so get back to the whole ¡®I know what you are¡¯ spiel already.

    He didn¡¯t look like he was going to continue, so I jumped over to his bed and meowed. But he just put me back on Seth¡¯s bed and told me to go to sleep. When I jumped back again, he just pulled the covers up and ignored me.

    It was so frustrating not being able to ask any fucking questions. I could aggravate him all night, but he¡¯d have no idea what I wanted, and I¡¯d probably get shut out of the room.

    It made me think about where I was. And who I was. I didn¡¯t think this was a dream anymore. I hadn¡¯t really thought that since we reached the town. You don¡¯t go to sleep and have dreams when you¡¯re already dreaming. And except for magic, dream logic hasn¡¯t really applied.

    So that leaves what actually happened to me. I honestly had no fucking clue. I couldn¡¯t remember most of who I was. Not even my name. I knew I had been a thief, but I couldn¡¯t remember anything I¡¯d stolen. Most of what I could remember were the bits and pieces that cropped up when I was busy or thinking of other things.

    I am a cat now. Well, a magic silver leopard cub. I wanted to be human again. The simple luxuries of being able to open a door or ask a question weren¡¯t so simple anymore.

    Was that egg connected to me somehow? If I was in the egg, why am I a kitten? Felines don¡¯t hatch from eggs. Maybe this was something the mama cat did, and not related to the egg? Why do I remember another life? Did I die?

    Benjamin might know more about the egg, so he¡¯s a suspicious character. He¡¯s probably got other shit going down too. Saben is hiding something too, and he knows what I am. But what does he know? And how much does he know? Knowing the what of something is not the same as knowing the how or why.

    What shit. Well, there¡¯s nothing to be done right now. We start magic school soon, and until I learn enough to be human again I¡¯ll just focus on school.

    And I¡¯ll learn how to open doors without thumbs.

    <hr>

    In the early morning hours two days later Saben and Seth stood outside the gatehouse that guarded the Academy grounds. Saben had insisted on walking Seth to school as they probably wouldn¡¯t see each other for several months.

    Seth kept thinking how he wished Saben could stay in town, but saying anything would just depress them both. Then he got to thinking that he wished Dad were here.

    ¡°Penny for your thoughts, little brother.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re whiny thoughts. You don¡¯t want to pay for those.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re younger than I was when I started and I was nervous too. It was just last year.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Dad brought you.¡± Seth sighed. He hadn¡¯t wanted to bring that up, but honestly Seth missed him terribly.

    ¡°And he gave me a gift for my first day. And that leads to me having a gift for you.¡± Saben handed Seth a pendant.

    It was carved from the glowing horn of the huge cat. The bluish silver pendant was transparent and gemlike. It was about two inches in length, had symbols carved into it, and was strung on a simple leather cord.

    ¡°I made arrangements to have these made. Yours and mine fit together like this, see? And the one for the cat goes here. Yours and mine are enchanted for protection, healing, and can activate a light. You can have one power active passively at a time, or use all the pendant¡¯s stored power for a single brief effect. It can work like a potion on yourself or someone else.¡± Saben told Seth how to activate the powers in the pendant. ¡°I don¡¯t know how long it takes to charge back up, and that would probably change based on where you were anyway, and the mana available. Hers is smaller, so it just has protection and healing. She¡¯ll have her own horns for light when she gets bigger anyway.¡±

    Seth examined the pendant after he¡¯d put it on. ¡°This is really beautiful.¡± It was actually a princely gift. If Seth were to sell this, he could live comfortably for at least a year. He was instantly angry at himself for even thinking of its resale value. ¡°Is this what you¡¯ve been up to, Saben? You¡¯ve been secretive lately, and I was getting worried.¡±

    Saben studied his brother and then shook his head. ¡°Honestly, no. While this is one of the things I¡¯ve been doing, it¡¯s not the only thing. But you don¡¯t need to worry about it, since I¡¯m leaving town tomorrow. I¡¯ll be in Vernar with Franco and his group.¡±

    Seth returned Saben¡¯s gaze frankly. ¡°I trust you, Saben. If you tell me not to worry about you, then I won¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Good. Hopefully in a few weeks we¡¯ll be exploring that new entrance you found to the Below and I can visit more.¡±

    ¡°That would be fantastic. And you don¡¯t need to worry about me either. I¡¯ll be fine. It¡¯s school, what could happen?¡±

 12 - Magic Academy

    I was excited to see what magic school was all about so I¡¯d trotted off ahead. I could feel through the familiar link how upset Seth was at being separated from Saben. He¡¯d had some big losses recently and his brother had been his lifeline. I think the kid idolized his big bro a bit too much personally. I didn¡¯t want the kid to mope about so I was going to inject some energy into his day.

    Chase me Gandalf!

    I had a vague idea where we were going. I didn¡¯t have room numbers or anything, but I¡¯d been on the post Gauntlet tour, and Saben had given directions.

    We were on an upper floor of the wall that surrounded the Academy grounds. The hallway had arrow slits overlooking the city on one side, and dorm rooms on the other. I thought it was weird, but hey. Magic nonsense.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Seth called out to me.

    I looked back and saw he¡¯d stopped. Were we at the room already?

    ¡°We¡¯re on the wrong floor.¡±

    Whoops.

    On the right floor Seth checked the room number against the paper in his hand. ¡°This is it. I wonder how it opens, there¡¯s no handle.¡±

    And there wasn¡¯t. The door was a solid slab of metal, flush with the stone wall. There was no handle, no hinges, or anything that I could see. Was this a one way door? Were we supposed to enter from the other side or something? Either way it was creepy, like it was a prison door or something.

    Seth put his hand on the wall beside the door. Nothing happened. Then he tried on the door itself. Nothing happened. He looked at his wrist, looked at the door with symbols on it, and looked at his paper again. ¡°Maybe this isn¡¯t the right one?¡±

    I watched him mess with the door for a few minutes. I thought it funny that he was having such difficulty, and that Saben hadn¡¯t warned him about it. There was a magic trick to it, I was sure of it.

    I looked around, but there weren¡¯t many people in the area. Certainly none I could watch for how they got into their rooms. I didn¡¯t think we were late, maybe all the dorm students were off at breakfast or something?

    ¡°Ah! Got it,¡± he said as the door finally swung open. ¡°I needed to put power into the key ring.¡±

    So I¡¯d need to have magic to get in and have a magic key. Sucks to be me I guess. This isn¡¯t a door I can open on my own. Again. Dammit.

    The room was small.

    The room was a mess.

    Our roommate had clearly moved in well before us, and taken over the whole space. There were two beds with trunks at the foot, and a single desk between the two. It¡¯ll be fun sharing that, I¡¯m sure. There was no other furniture, not even a side table or bookcase. The roommate had used the second bed as a table/dresser/storage unit. Clean sheets that had formerly been folded and waiting to be used were on the floor next to the bed. A single narrow window was carved into the thick wall and lit the room from above the desk. You¡¯d have to stand on the desk to see out the window.

    Seth stood in the doorway of the small room looking around. Finally he sighed. ¡°It¡¯s not bad,¡± he said. I got the feeling he was trying to convince himself because it was clear his roommate sucked. ¡°I can work with this.¡± You¡¯ve more patience than I do then, Gandalf.

    He used the same trick on the trunk that he used on the door. Seth unpacked his spare uniform and other clothes, what looked like a messenger tube, and a long wooden box¨Che handled this item very carefully, almost reverently. I was instantly curious. There were also several small things like a knife and a wallet and such. He could put the satchel of school books in there too and still have room to spare. Seth simultaneously traveled light and with everything he owned. I had nothing to add either, being all naked and stuff.

    Funny that. Maybe I wasn¡¯t a modest person in my past life? I would think running around in my birthday suit would be embarrassing, or at least make me feel exposed or something. But nope, I was totally fine with it. I chalked it up to magic nonsense.

    Seth picked up the sheets, and threw a bunch of the random things on his bed to the other one so he could make the bed. Some of the stuff was weird. There was a big hammer, a sword, a bucket, a shovel, rope, and various other shit. It looked like a barbarian¡¯s garden shed in here and the guy was a bit of a hoarder.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Crazy college roommate, check!

    We headed out to the courtyard. On the far side of the tower courtyard was a grassy common that functioned the same as a college quad. There were trees in this area, and small pillars with symbols on them. By this point I knew they served some magic purpose, I just had no idea what.

    I didn¡¯t run ahead this time as I was far more interested in looking around. There were students and what I presume were teachers in the quad, and there was a crowd outside the building Seth was heading straight towards. It looked like all the new students would be taking this class together.

    And all the new students were having a grand time blowing each other up.

    ¡°Watch this!¡± a boy yelled and whipped a flaming ball straight into the air. Before it had gone more than a dozen feet another student, one I couldn¡¯t see, had struck the flaming ball with some kind of dark energy and the field was bathed in glowing sparks.

    Right. Magic fire showers for everyone, I guess. Welcome to wizard school. I forgot my umbrella.

    Another student, a big guy that looked like a bodybuilder, laughed and swung his arms in a big clap that caused thunder to boom through the quad and scattered all the glowing sparks.

    When chaos like this is going on, you can participate, spectate, or vacate. The most dangerous thing to do is participate. The most fun is spectate, and naturally that''s what I chose to do since I had no crazy powers to participate with. Seth, the practical stick-in-the-mud, had other ideas though, and snatched me up.

    As Seth was retreating I noticed that most of the action was just a handful of students, maybe five or six out of the nearly fifty present. Either that meant that only this small group had extravagant powers, or that group were the only ones interested in showboating. I did notice some other cool powers in evidence, like shadow animals and sparks and stuff.

    Thunder clapper boy had gotten someone¡¯s attention. The little pillars with symbols on them suddenly started to glow, and everyone¡¯s powers just fizzled out. All the fire was snuffed too, including the burning grass. Seth had managed to get to the outside of the crowd before this happened.

    I didn¡¯t see the teacher until he was standing amongst the students. I thought that was a neat trick, because I was watching for someone to show up, and he was successfully sneaky.

    ¡°That is quite enough,¡± the professor said softly. Every single student heard him though. ¡°Unsupervised magical contests will result in demerits for all participants.¡± He eyed the showboating students. ¡°Some of you are not first year students and do not need to be told this.¡± He stared particularly at a skinny guy on the edge of the group. He drew a symbol in the air that glowed as he drew it, and then he put his hand on it and it changed color. ¡°Demerits have been assigned. Class shall begin momentarily. Take your seats.¡± The professor stared down the crowd for another moment then abruptly vanished like smoke dispersing.

    That was a fucking cool trick. Mad respect for this guy. He got all the student¡¯s attention, their respect, and a bit of fear too all at once. I bet letting the students go a little wild like that was on purpose.

    Seth had shuffled into the auditorium with the crowd of other students. It was a big room, with tiers of what looked like pews with shallow tables in front of each as desks. There was ample room to walk in front of each desk and stairs along the sides and in the center. Seth was scanning the crowd. I¡¯m guessing he was looking for his buddy Owen, but we didn¡¯t see him before taking a seat.

    Tsunami girl was there too. She still looked like she¡¯d just gotten out of the shower. Her hair was dripping, and her clothes stuck to her like they were wet. She carried two large bags, one was much fuller than the other. As she got to her seat she pulled a fluffy towel out of one of the large bags and folded neatly to fit on the seat and sat down on it. She pulled a second towel out and put it under her feet, and then had a hand towel on her desk.

    Thunderclap guy sat in the front row. I also saw a sizable bird made of shadows on the desk of a girl with long black hair. I bet her name is Raven, or something original like that. Most of the other students looked like ordinary teenagers, and all of them wore the gray school uniform. I did see some other familiars too. One was the most adorable tiny deer I¡¯d ever seen. The wee thing hid the moment it spotted me looking at it.

    Seth put me on the floor beside him. So I jumped back up on the desk. He put me back down on the floor. This time when I jumped up I made sure everything on the desk landed on the floor. I then sat and glared at him. The girl beside him started snickering.

    He stared back at me as our battle of wills clashed and the heavens shook. Not really, the kid caved in no time. He did have a good idea though when this time he plunked me down on the empty desk next to him and went about cleaning up what I¡¯d dumped on the floor.

    I ignored Seth¡¯s mutterings and checked out the display boards behind the podium.

    None of it was in English.

    Well fuck, how did I not notice this? Were people not speaking English? Wait, I knew other languages too, didn¡¯t I? I wracked my brain, but came up empty. I remember thinking about languages before though. And the language that Seth spoke wasn¡¯t actually English either, but I understood it like it was. Magic bullshit. That¡¯s what this was.

    Seth could read, judging from his books and shit. I¡¯ll have him teach me later, if I could figure out how to make him understand that¡¯s what I wanted.

    The professor appeared in the classroom in the same way he¡¯d disappeared from the quad: he materialized out of smoke. All of the students quieted and gave the professor their undivided attention, including me.

    I was eager for my first lesson in magic.

 13 - We Dont Teach That Here

    ¡°Good morning, students,¡± the professor said. He did not wait for a return greeting. ¡°I am Professor Laur and I am the Master Wizard of Rainbow Tower.¡± From his position beside the podium at the bottom of the lecture hall he scanned the students in the tiers rising above him. He was dressed in the royal blue uniform all the teachers wore. His clothes were sharply pressed and his shoes gleamed, his hair was pulled back and bound tightly. This professor embodied neat, professional, and no nonsense. Seth thought he was quite a bit different from the dirty, street-beggar looking person that was in the tower the day of the gauntlet.

    ¡°This class is your introduction to magic. As I am sure all of you have read the student handbook, you¡¯ll find that the first half of this lecture is review.¡± There were soft sounds of dismay from a few students. The professor smirked as he continued. ¡°Magic comes in many forms. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve all heard of cores, chakras, dantains, and meridians. Perhaps you have experience with gates, pools, spiritual forms, pacts, contracts, or granted power.¡± He paused again making direct eye contact with an unfortunate student in the front row until they squirmed.

    ¡°We don¡¯t teach that here.¡±

    He turned and flipped open a book on the podium. ¡°Magic can do many things. It is a power that can light the darkness or raise the tides. It can shake the earth or unbreak glass. With sufficient skill and power perhaps someone here will slay demons and walk the celestial shore.¡± His expression indicated he thought this unlikely. He flipped several pages in the open book. ¡°As you can do many things with magic, so too are there many ways to do these things. Some methods are far more dangerous than others, both to the mage and any bystanders within range.

    ¡°This class will focus on structured magic. Unless you are completely incompetent, I am sure all of you have noticed the various circles and sigils about the school. These are spells that are either already in use or are awaiting empowerment. The lights,¡± he gestured to the lamps embedded in the ceiling above them, ¡°the doors,¡± he pointed out the sigils lining the door frame, ¡°and many other mundane uses to make things simpler and easier.¡±

    He began to slowly pace. ¡°Most of you here have some sort of innate talent, probably elementally aligned. You can do things with your specific element that you can¡¯t do with other elements.¡± He focused on one of the students in the middle tiers. ¡°These talents are categorized as unstructured magic and we will not be covering that in this class.¡±

    The student was the girl with the long braid and pearl earrings Seth had seen in the Rainbow tower. She looked like she wanted to ask a question, but was too intimidated.

    ¡°You might be wondering, ¡®If I can do so much with my talent, what do I need with circles and structure?¡¯ The answer is: everything.¡± He drew a symbol in the air that left a trail of light as he drew it. He incanted and touched his open book, then pointed to the blackboard behind him. The glowing symbol changed color and vanished. Words and symbols drew themselves over the blackboard.

    ¡°This is the copy spell. We will be learning this spell over the next few weeks. You will use it throughout your time in school for note taking, and it is one of six required spells that you will need to demonstrate your mastery of at the end of the semester in order to remain a student.¡±

    There was an uncomfortable shifting amongst the students. Professor Laur¡¯s gaze shifted from student to student and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. Remaining a student is dependent on your ability and performance. This is also outlined in the Student Handbook, along with the list of required spells for each semester.¡±

    ¡°Now, this is an example of structured magic,¡± the professor continued. ¡°It has no elemental requirements. It has no required affinities. Everyone in this room regardless of what type of talent they have will be able to perform this spell, or they should not be here and soon won¡¯t be.¡±

    His pacing started carrying him into the rows of students. ¡°Structured magic is the backbone of all magic disciplines. Once you understand a structured construct, you can manipulate it into unstructured forms.¡± He waved his hand and the class notes written on the blackboard started glowing and moved on the blackboard forming a new diagram and the text explaining it.

    Seth noticed one student had cast the copy spell already, and was casting it again to copy the new information. Seth¡¯s own handwritten copy was incomplete, and the same was true for most of the rest of the class. He considered just giving up copying the class notes and just listening to the lecture but decided against it. He also knew he didn¡¯t know enough to try to cast the spell himself so he buckled down to work faster.

    Another student attempted the copy spell. This time everyone nearby was coated in ink as the boy¡¯s inkwell exploded.

    The professor sighed deeply. ¡°Failure to understand the spell you are attempting can have unfortunate and unexpected results. In some cases, they can even be deadly. Do not cast spells you do not understand, and absolutely do not attempt to modify a spell you are not fully proficient in.¡±

    The student swallowed nervously and mumbled an apology as his neighbors looked ready to murder him.

    ¡°Patience and understanding,¡± the professor said. Seth got the distinct impression that the professor was telling himself to be patient even as he addressed the students. The professor cast another spell, and the ink removed itself from the other students. The errant caster was still covered though.

    As the class resumed Seth wondered why a professor who was a Master Wizard of one of the top tier towers was teaching basic magic to first years. Lower level classes were usually taught by lower level teachers. Maybe the foundation of structured magic was just that important that they started with the best teacher? Also, the Rainbow Tower was known for illusions. It seemed counterintuitive to Seth that illusions would be a structured magic. He thought structured magic would lack the necessary flexibility.

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    The professor continued the lecture and explained each facet of the circle and symbols. He also explained that they would be practicing with casting aids and using a reduced version of the spell. As he paced the classroom he paused in front of tsunami girl with all her towels. He gazed at the floor a moment before skirting around. There was quite the puddle there already.

    After nearly an hour, the professor allowed the students to start practicing. Most were a resounding failure, but there were some unexpected results. The boy who¡¯d walked into the fire tower to get the key managed to light all the paper around him on fire. Seth thought that was an accomplishment. Tsunami girl didn¡¯t copy anything, but managed to turn the puddles of water around her black.

    Seth¡¯s own success was marginal at best. The professor stopped in front of his table and looked over his work. He picked up Seth¡¯s ink bottle and examined it more closely. It was a gift from Benjamin, an Everfull Inkwell. It was not quite as expensive as an Endless Fountain Pen, but still a very nice gift. The professor examined the circle on the bottom of the inkwell for a moment longer before putting it back on Seth¡¯s desk. He looked consideringly at Seth before continuing his pacing about the lecture hall.

    The cat was bristling on her desk. She paced back and forth and Seth could feel her upset through the link but had no idea why. He gave her a scratch on the head and tried to soothe her a bit by petting her, but she wouldn¡¯t settle down. Well, there was nothing he could do for her right now.

    <hr>

    I was pissed.

    Magic was awesome. And when Professor Slick explained that the advanced copy spell could transcribe your thoughts?

    I was so excited that I¡¯d finally be able to talk to these people, and maybe even get a few answers.

    But no.

    Of course not. Because the copy spell requires a verbalization. One I cannot ever do.

    Because I¡¯m a fucking cat.

    Honestly, I sometimes like the fact that I¡¯m a cat now. I mean who wouldn¡¯t want to be cute and fluffy? Any sane person would be down for it, or so I tell myself. Except for the fact that I can¡¯t talk. At all. And not being able to talk means I¡¯m isolated in so many ways that are just unnecessary.

    The only thing I could really hope for was that I¡¯d be able to do an unstructured magic version of this spell with no verbal component. Drawing the circle was going to be a bitch too since I didn¡¯t have thumbs to hold a pen with.

    Ugh. I¡¯m not getting anywhere. The lecture had lasted over an hour, and now practice had gone on just as long. I jumped down and wandered around the lecture hall to look at what everyone else had done.

    Most didn¡¯t get any significant results, but there were a few that made interesting progress. I didn¡¯t want to be too rude, so I didn¡¯t really get up in anyone¡¯s business and stayed off their desks, but I did peek at their results.

    The random thoughts of a bunch of teens are funny. One guy¡¯s copy attempt was a really good likeness of a girl in the row in front of him.

    Another just had the same sentence over and over like it was punishment lines. Maybe she had a mental stutter. I kinda wished I could read what she wrote.

    I found Owen and wasn¡¯t shy about greeting him, jumping right up onto his work.

    ¡°Please no paw prints, Kitty,¡± he said.

    Ugh, like I¡¯d want ink all over my paws. Actually, there wasn¡¯t much ink on any of his papers. I looked around more closely.

    The letters were blocky and misformed. The circle looked like it was drawn by someone who¡¯d never drawn anything ever. Owen wrote like a kindergartener.

    Owen watched me looking at his work. ¡°I¡¯m not usually this bad,¡± he explained.

    Do I sense an opportunity here? Teaching Owen would also teach me. Seth, I¡¯m putting you to work!

    But that would be later. For now I gave Owen an encouraging rub and got down. There were other things I wanted to check out while here. The first was a girl with a raven made of shadows and after, a tiny deer I just needed to terrorize.

    As I walked along the backrests of the tier above the raven the Professor plucked me up. I hung in his grasp as he examined me and I knew I was in trouble. That little tremor of fear from Seth through the link was disconcerting. I felt my tail get bushy and my ears flattened. I instinctively opened my paws and bared claws.

    What would work here? Play up the cute little baby cat? Fluffy kitty with a side of vicious? I was still considering my best play when I saw a flash of surprise cross his face and then vanish so fast I doubted it was really there.

    He then turned and walked back to Seth¡¯s desk and plopped me in front of him. ¡°Keep track of any familiars you have,¡± the Professor announced to the students. ¡°You must not allow them to just wander off. This past year there are reports of missing familiars. I suggest greater caution.¡± The professor stared at Seth. ¡°And better training.¡±

    Shit.

    <hr>

    ¡°Professor Laur, could I have a moment please?¡± Seth asked after the Professor dismissed the class.

    ¡°Of course. Seth, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Yes sir.¡± Seth walked down to the podium so he could speak more softly. ¡°I wanted to ask if you knew the causes for a person to lose their power, and if there were ways to get the power back.¡±

    Professor Laur nodded. ¡°Your brother is Saben.¡± It wasn¡¯t a question. ¡°I am sorry, but there is nothing I can tell you that would help Saben.¡±

    ¡°There has to be some way to help him,¡± Seth insisted.

    ¡°I admire your dedication to your brother, but there are many talented mages working on this problem. If a solution can be found, they will find it.¡±

    ¡°How can I participate in solving the problem, Professor? What do I need to do?¡± Seth asked.

    ¡°At your skill level, young man, you would not be an asset. I strongly advise you to leave this to the adults. Students should not be experimenting with forces that could put their powers or even their lives at risk.¡±

    Seth didn¡¯t want to hear that. ¡°Who is doing the research, Professor?¡±

    ¡°Adults. Professors, and qualified applicants. Not students on their first day.¡±

    ¡°Qualified applicants? So some students are selected?¡± Seth tried not to sound too hopeful.

    Professor Laur sighed. ¡°You can talk to the professors at the Circle Tower. This is considered a health and life affliction. But I would not expect to be allowed to participate, at least until your second or likely third year of magic training. This is much better resolved by experienced mages. What you can do, Seth, is focus on your studies.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Professor.¡± Seth was optimistic about his lessons in the Circle Tower. He joined the throng of students filing out of the auditorium.

 14 - Wind Fish

    Seth meandered with the crowd leaving the auditorium and over to one of the oldest buildings on campus. The dining hall was in a wide building several stories tall. The doors were stone instead of wood, and were open wide to welcome the students. There were more students than Seth expected and the crowd funneling into the hall was dense so Seth picked up his familiar. She immediately scooted out of his arms and up to her favorite perch on his shoulder.

    The inside of the dining hall was familiar to Seth, even though he''d never seen it before. The ceiling was high and supported by stone columns carved with vines and strings of magic lights lit the ceiling like stars. He remembered crossing a room very similar to this one with his father before they would climb the stairs to an observatory.

    There were differences though. The floor here was stone tile with carved patterns instead of polished sea stone like in the palace. And this hall was filled with tables that looked like slices of a giant tree. But this hall and the grand hall in the palace definitely had the same architect.

    Somebody bumped into him as they hurried past. The cat started giving him the side eye. He raised his hand to her reassuringly.

    "It''s fine, I was just looking around," he whispered to her.

    She nodded and looked over at a nearby table. It was almost empty, save for Owen.

    The table Owen was sitting at had ten individual seats and a table carved as a single unit. The center of the table had the tree''s heartwood in the shape of a star. The patterns in the wood resembled spell circles. Seth looked around and saw that all the tables had the same star pattern, and looked like they''d all been carved from the same giant tree.

    The crowd was filling in and it looked like every table would be full. Seth joined Owen and the cat jumped down from Seth¡¯s shoulder onto the table. She was looking at the patterns in the wood and walking in a circle. Her whiskers were twitching.

    "We just sit, right?" Owen asked. "They bring the food to us? Or do we need to fetch it?"

    "I don''t know. I don''t see anywhere to get it from, and everyone else looks like they''re just sitting."

    The girl with pearl earrings and a long braid put a stack of books on the table a seat away from Seth. She hovered, as if trying to decide if she should just sit or ask permission. Finally she sat.

    I should introduce myself. I didn''t before in the Rainbow Tower, Seth thought, looking at the girl. He was interrupted before he could decide on the best way to start a conversation.

    "Oh, hey look! This one is almost empty! Quick, everyone grab seats!" A group of students descended upon the table, grabbing every open seat.

    "How many more do we need?" A hawkish looking student had taken the seat between Seth and the girl. He looked around counting. "Yeah, This can still work fine." He turned to Seth and Owen. "I''m sorry gents, would you mind finding somewhere else?" Then he turned to the girl. "You, of course, are welcome to stay. Hello, my name is Arnold." He extended a hand to her.

    Owen rocked back in his seat. "What? No. Go find somewhere else yourself."

    Arnold looked genuinely surprised. "Oh come on. I asked you to make room. We need the space."

    "We were here first," Owen insisted.

    "There are plenty of other places you can go with just a couple open seats. And I even asked nicely." Arnold gestured ''shoo'' with the hand the girl had left hanging. "Thanks for being good sports."

    "It''s fine, Arnold," one of the friend group that had been left standing said. "We can find somewhere else."

    "No, hang on. These guys will move for us. Just give them a minute to think it over." Arnold extended his arm over the table and a thin green snake slithered down off his arm and onto the table.

    Seth looked around at Arnold''s friends. Most were watching and waiting quietly for the argument to resolve. One was smirking like he was hoping for something more.

    "I''m not moving," Owen said.

    "Don''t be a dick." Arnold leaned around Seth to stare at Owen. "Do you know who I am?"

    "You''re the guy who needs to go count fleas," Owen said.

    The guy across the table who was smirking sniggered.

    Arnold glared at him and then at Owen who glared back.

    The girl with the pearl earrings stood up to leave but paused to watch Arnold and Owen warily.

    This whole thing is stupid. And now it''s a pissing contest. Should I stop it? Seth wondered. Could I even get Owen to leave?

    Arnold stood and stepped between Seth and Owen where he could loom over Owen. "You think you''re funny? You want to say that to me again?"

    Owen stood up right into Arnold''s personal space. He was taller and broader than the older student. "Go. Count. Fleas."

    Seth wondered what Saben would have done. He figured Saben would have stood his ground like Owen, and might even have punched the guy already. But then, Saben liked fighting. He would have justified it saying that letting people think you''re weak or an easy target was worse than being punished for standing up for yourself.

    If Seth didn''t move, they couldn''t really force him without physically moving him. Or they could get violent. Owen seemed more than fine with that outcome.

    Seth wanted to be like Saben. But the truth was that Seth just didn''t want to fight. He was annoyed at this guy''s rudeness, but not really angry. Should he put up a fight here? Was it worth getting demerits to sit at this table specifically?

    It really wasn''t.

    "Hey," Seth said as he stood up. "Lets just calm¨C"

    Seth''s cat suddenly yelped and leaped straight up. Seth was flooded with a spike of terror from the familiar. She came down with claws out on all four paws. Right on Arnold''s snake.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    Before Seth could even understand what had happened Arnold yelled "No!" He snatched the cat and flung her away.

    Seth''s rage was instant and unexpected. In the moment he felt like he was blinded by noise. Wind whipped through the hall, but Seth was completely unaware of it.

    "Hey!" Owen shouted as the cat disappeared in the crowd. He grabbed Arnold and spun him around.

    Arnold grabbed Owen''s arm and laid a hand on his chest. Owen collapsed like potatoes pouring out of a sack.

    "Woah, woah, woah!" Another student tried to intervene.

    "Catch him," Arnold said. "Don''t let him fall too hard. This is a mess."

    Seth couldn''t think clearly, it was just so noisy in his brain. But this asshole had attacked both his familiar and his friend. Seth would end him.

    "You dog!" Seth snarled. Without thinking Seth made gestures he''d seen Saben do. First he punched both fists forward and a sharp blast of wind hit Arnold. Arnold stared in shock as he was knocked backwards, but he kept on his feet.

    Next Seth used both hands and whirled and slashed in a broad version of a wind blade spell. Fast and hard the wind blasted through the hall picking up small objects and scattering papers and books. Seth felt the wind pick up something slimy and directed it at Arnold.

    The wind had picked up five fat carp and a bucket from somewhere, and slapped Arnold in the face with all of them.

    Dazed, Arnold landed on his ass with his face covered in fish slime.

    Seth was shocked. He didn''t think he could do that kind of magic. Not only that, but the rage and the wind both died instantly and the silence left behind was ringing loudly in his mind. It was so abrupt he wondered what had affected him. A spell, maybe? Something from his familiar? Then Seth became aware that the whole hall had gone silent.

    Somebody at a different table snickered. "Did he just get bitch slapped with a fish?"

    Arnold flushed and glared at Seth.

    More people started snickering too, but hushed when a professor arrived.

    The professor was a tall and broad woman with a scarlet cloth tied around her head and hanging down her back. She was taller than Owen and was absolutely menacing as she glared at the gathered students.

    "You," she pointed to a bystander. "Explain."

    The girl stammered, "Uh, Arnold told these two to move tables, they said no, the cat on the table attacked Arnold''s snake, Arnold threw the cat, that guy shoved Arnold and then fell down, and then that kid slapped Arnold with wind fish."

    The professor gazed down at Arnold and the fish. "That sound right to you?"

    "Mostly, yeah," Arnold said sullenly and stood up. He stepped over to the table and gathered his snake.

    "And you?" She asked Seth who nodded. "Are either of your familiars injured?"

    Seth felt through the link. "No, ma''am," they both said.

    "Damn familiars. So much more trouble than they''re worth." She pointed to Seth. "Your familiar started this. That makes you the instigator of this conflict. Do you understand that?"

    Seth felt it was so unfair. They were minding their own business before these assholes showed up. But she was also right. The cat had attacked the snake first.

    "Yes ma''am."

    She nodded at Seth and turned to Arnold. "You know better than to put your hands on someone else''s familiar."

    "I was separating the two as quickly as possible, Professor," Arnold defended himself.

    "By throwing her? She''s a baby! Why would you do that?" Seth protested.

    "Stop." The Professor pointed at Seth.

    "I didn''t throw it. I tossed it off the table to get it away from Asclepios. Cats land on their feet. I wouldn''t do anything that would hurt it." Arnold sounded offended at the idea he''d actually hurt the cat.

    The Professor shook her finger at Arnold. "Don''t touch other familiars, Arnold. Demerits for all three of you for the use of violence. You two, the use of offensive powers in restricted public spaces is forbidden. Detention both of you. And watch yourselves, you haven''t even gone a full day yet. I will be recommending disciplinary probation for both of you. If this behavior continues, you''re out. Even you, Arnold. I don''t care how special your power is."

    The Professor drew a sigil in the air, the same one Professor Laur had used earlier, and Seth felt his key ring tattoo tingle. Then she drew a second sigil, and the tattoo burned. Two new symbols had joined the tower symbols. "See me tonight. I''ll give you your detention assignments. And fix him, Arnold," she pointed to Owen. "I know you did that."

    Arnold put his hand on Owen for several seconds and Owen sat up. "Give it a second and then walk it off," Arnold said.

    "What in the darkness did you do to me?" Owen demanded.

    "Cool it," Professor Rebecca said. "I''m not the type to tell you to kiss and make up. But if you can''t be polite to each other, you''re all in for a bad time."

    The three glared at each other silently.

    As Owen got up he picked up a book from the floor. "This belonged to that girl."

    Seth looked around but didn''t see her.

    "Go find her and return it. And here." Professor Rebecca cast a longer spell. All five fish floated up and deposited themselves back in their bucket. She handed the bucket to Seth. "Go return this to whatever poor soul you took it from."

    Seth and Owen left. Seth tried to ignore the stares as he walked through the mostly silent hall carrying a bucket of fish.

    "That''s a load of horse shit," Owen muttered. "I''m sorry I got you in trouble. It just made me so mad that he thought he could just walk up and kick us out. ''Asked nice'' my granny''s ass. Not once did he even say please."

    "I''m sorry too. I overreacted when he threw my cat. I guess we should have just let them have the table. We got kicked off it anyway, just with punishment too."

    "No. I don''t know about you, but I''d rather get demerits than put up with assholes like that. It was totally worth it to see his face when you hit him with those fish. I just wish I got a punch in."

    Seth shook his head. "I can''t get kicked out of school. I can''t let that happen."

    Owen nodded. "I won''t let you get burned for me again."

    They had crossed half the hall. Conversations had resumed around them, but many were still staring. Whenever he saw seats at a table, the people there would either put something on the seat, fill in, or glare.

    Seth was thinking he''d rather leave and just not eat. But he had to feed his familiar. She didn''t deserve to go hungry just because Seth felt uncomfortable.

    Owen glanced at the book he was still holding and looked around. "I haven''t seen that girl again."

    Seth looked too. "Me neither. Hang on to it, we''ll see her in class eventually."

    "What are you going to do with the fish?" Owen gestured to the bucket.

    Seth sighed. He had no idea where the wind had found a bucket of fish. No help for it I guess. "Anybody lose a bucket with fish?" he yelled out. "There''s five good sized fish in here, anybody missing this bucket?"

    "These look like carp!" Owen called out. "Perfect for slapping assholes in the face! Fat fish looking for their rightful owner!" He sounded like he was enjoying himself.

    People were laughing at them. Owen didn''t mind so Seth tried hard not to be embarrassed about it himself. Within a minute or so a large golden eagle circled them. Seth held up the bucket for the eagle to take.

    "I''m sorry, birdie. I guess I stole your lunch," Seth said. He watched the bird fly off with its bucket.

    He''d have to think about what had happened with his wind later. It scared him a bit. His own response was weird too. He hoped it was just a reaction to the emotions he''d gotten from his familiar. Getting angry like that had never happened before.

    He tried not to think about the demerits, detention, or probation. Probation in particular scared him. Later. I''ll handle all of that later.

    Seth turned to Owen and gestured to the far side of the hall. "My familiar is this way."

    The cat was in the far corner of the dining hall, sitting in the center of a table that still had a few open seats. Good job, kitty.

 15 - Tasty Kitty

    Seth approached the table his familiar had chosen. He recognized the two girls at the table. One was the girl with the shadow raven familiar, that Seth''s own familiar was staring intently at, and the other was tsunami girl. There were puddles on the table and floor.

    "I''m sorry," Seth said. "This is my familiar. She wasn''t disturbing you, was she? She was a bit spooked by the ruckus over there."

    "Oh, she wasn''t disturbing us at all! How could you think that, she is just adorable!" The girl with the shadow raven had been trying to coax the cat closer.

    "Would you mind if we sit here?" Seth asked. He glanced at Owen who shrugged.

    "The seats are available, but they''re also wet," tsunami girl said. She put away a sopping wet towel and pulled out another one and positioned it on the table. The open seats were to her left and both were soaking wet. The girl with the shadow raven was sitting next to her on the other side, and her own clothes were getting wet just by being in proximity to tsunami girl. She seemed unfazed by it though. A janitor was wringing a mop into the bucket behind the two girls.

    "Water doesn''t bother me," Owen said. "I take baths."

    The shadow raven didn''t like the cat staring at it and dove at the cat before flying away. "Oh! Stop that!" the girl said.

    "I''m so sorry," Seth said to everyone at the table while trying to grab the cat. She skittered just out of reach. "She is a new familiar and not very well behaved yet."

    "We all saw that during class," tsunami girl said while snickering.

    "Leave the bird alone," Seth scolded the cat.

    "Aw, the pretty kitty is just being herself and Reginald started it anyway. I think she is beautiful! So cuuute!" the girl with the bird squealed. "Can I hold her? She looks so soft!"

    "If you can catch her, go ahead. I have no problem with it," Seth said.

    The girl reached out again and the cat walked right up to her and nuzzled her face. The cat did give a bit of a side eye to the shadow bird.

    "So soft and fluffy! Who''s a sweetie? Oh aren''t you just the bestest little kitty ever! What''s her name?"

    "I haven''t named her yet."

    Everyone at the table stared at him, including Owen and the cat.

    Seth ran his hand through his hair. "I''ve tried to name her but she doesn''t like anything I''ve suggested."

    Tsunami girl snorted. "If it was dumb names like ''Kitty'' or ''Pussy'' I''d hate them too."

    "I tried other names," Seth defended himself. "My name is Seth, this is my friend Owen."

    "Blaise," tsunami girl said, "and that is Duvessa with her raven Reginald the Second. Next to Duvessa is Pendra and Booth. I don''t know who they are," she pointed to a trio talking to the neighboring table.

    Blaise took a soaking wet towel from under the table and wrung it out in the janitor''s bucket. The puddle under the table continued to slowly grow. Her shoulder length hair formed a wet tangle of loose curls that continuously dripped. Her gray student''s uniform was lighter than the standard uniform, which puzzled Seth because it should be darker due to being wet.

    Duvessa had pale skin and light eyes with long, dagger-straight black hair. She was only slightly damp from sitting next to Blaise. Seth thought she looked familiar, like she was related to someone he''d met.

    Booth was scruffy and suspicious. His unkempt hair was tied up, probably more for convenience than hygiene. Pendra was completely average, and had no interest in talking to Seth or Owen. He did seem annoyed that Duvessa was engaging with them.

    Seth and Owen nodded greetings to the other two boys. Seth wondered why Reginald was the Second, and what might have happened to Reginald the First.

    With pleasantries exchanged, Duvessa turned back to the cat. "We simply can''t leave you nameless. It is an absolute travesty. What do you think of Fluffy? You are so soft!"

    The cat growled and her ears dropped.

    "No? Don''t like that? Sweetie?"

    "Tasty! Tasty Kitty!" came from Reginald the raven.

    "No, Reggie, Sweetie, not Tasty." She turned back to the cat. "Misty? Silver? Princess?" Duvessa continued to try names, most of which Seth had already tried. None of them met the cat''s approval.

    The star shaped heartwood of the table started to glow slightly, and the glow spread to a formation on the table. Dinner platters appeared in the center of the table loaded with slices of ham, piles of bread rolls, and roasted vegetables. Hot tea and pitchers of fruit juice completed the meal. Everyone at the table dished out their own plates as they continued to discuss and offer up names.

    "She''s a snow leopard, right? Maybe Snowball? Snowshoe?" Blaise offered. "She''s got huge paws."

    "I think she''s a lynx," Booth said. "She''s got those long ear tufts."

    "No," Duvessa said, "her tail is too long for a lynx. Here I''ll show you." Duvessa closed her eyes and drew a symbol in the air. The shadows around the table pooled together like merging ink and coelesed into a feline shape. The shadow lynx had a short tail and large tufted ears. Seth could even recognize the differences in the face shape between the shadow cat and his familiar.

    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    His familiar was less than pleased with the shadow cat and jumped backwards when it tried to rub up against her.

    "Aw, is the shadow lynx scary? Here, I''ll make it a snow leopard now." With another gesture from Duvessa the shadow lynx changed form, becoming longer and deeper chested with small round ears and a tail as long as its body.

    "Huh. She''s not one of those either," Blaise said.

    "Well, aren''t you just the most mysterious one, huh? Do you like that?" Duvessa said as she reached out to scratch the skittish cat''s ears.

    "How do you know so much about cats?" Booth asked Duvessa.

    "My power is creating creatures from shadows. I need to be really familiar with different creatures to make them, so I studied lots of animals. It has to be an animal I''ve seen or actually exists that I''m very familiar with for it to work. I can only do about this size or smaller though."

    "That''s a bummer. It would be cool if you could summon a wyvern or something to ride it," Pendra said.

    "Is Reginald different then?" Seth asked. "You have him summoned all the time."

    "Yes he is. He''s the actual shadow of a raven I know. The raven is my grandmother''s familiar, and since our powers are pretty similar I can have a shadow version of him as a shadow familiar." Duvessa dismissed the shadow cat.

    "That would be Reginald the First?" Seth asked and Duvessa nodded.

    "That must be a special raven," Owen said.

    "Oh, he is. He''s not a regular raven at all, but we haven''t figured out exactly what he is," Duvessa answered.

    "We still need a name," Blaise said, getting the conversation back on track.

    "Money! Money Kitty," Reginald said. Seth had no idea what the bird was talking about.

    "I can see why you didn''t name her," Blaise said. "She''s difficult and bossy. How about ''Boss''?"

    "I''m not naming my familiar ''Boss.''"

    "Boss cat," came from the raven.

    Duvessa giggled. "That would be funny. Do you like the idea of being the boss?" she said to the cat. The cat rubbed up against Duvessa''s hand. "Oh yeah, you know it. If you''re the boss, then why don''t you tell us your name?"

    "Cat''s don''t talk."

    The cat meowed to Duvessa.

    "Mau? Is that what you said?"

    "I''m not naming my familiar ''Meow''," Seth complained again.

    "You''re not. She is. And it''s not ''Meow'', it''s ''Mau''. It''s a different sound. Cats use all kinds of sounds, like ''mew'' which is higher pitched, ''meow'' is in the middle with two sounds, and ''mau'' is a lower sound."

    "They all sound the same," Seth argued.

    "It''s not," Duvessa said. "Say it again, Mau."

    The cat did, and Seth noticed it was a different sound.

    "Now say meow, so he knows the difference."

    And the cat did.

    "Does anyone else think it''s strange that the cat is meowing on command?" Booth asked.

    "She''s a smart cat. Most of the time anyway," Seth said.

    "She''s a smart kitty all the time! Aren''t you, Mau? Huh beautiful?" Duvessa was stroking and petting the cat again and the cat flopped over and stretched out clearly loving the tummy rubs. "Animals that can become familiars understand what people say to them," Duvessa explained to Booth. "But them doing as told is another story,"

    "But there are other languages. What language do the animals know then? Just ours?" Pendra asked.

    "I don''t think it matters?" Duvessa said. "You talk, they understand. But she''s still a cat. Just because she knows what you''re saying doesn''t mean she understands what you want from her." The cat had her paws wrapped around Duvessa''s arm as she received face scratches.

    "All right. I guess her name is Mau, as chosen herself," Seth conceded. He felt a bit jealous. His familiar wasn''t that affectionate with him.

    Owen spoke up. "I hope you don''t mind me asking, but why are you wet?" he asked Blaise.

    Seth had been wondering the same thing for a while now, but wasn''t blunt enough to just ask outright.

    Fortunately Blaise wasn''t embarrassed or surprised by the question. "My power is too strong for me. I can''t shut it off all the way, and it leaks."

    "Yours is the strongest power I''ve ever seen," Seth said. He''d seen a few powerful mages too. "Do others in your family have similar power?"

    "Nah, my family are all fire mages. All of them. I''m a complete anomaly, and figures it''s water." She smirked. "Very convenient for putting out an arrogant older brother. So what kinds of powers do you guys have?"

    "Mine''s just a minor wind power," Seth volunteered.

    "That didn''t feel minor to me a few minutes ago," Blaise said.

    "Ah, sorry about that. I didn''t mean to do it," Seth apologized. He''d need to have some down time before he could figure out what was going on with his power.

    "I''m not sure what mine is characterized as. I make the things I use better. Like swords sharper, tools sturdier, that kind of stuff," Owen said.

    "That''s not a real power," Booth scoffed. "Are you using a transmutate or something? That would be your actual power."

    "Never heard of transmutate or whatever. My uncle realized what I was doing was a power when I always wanted to use the oldest scythe in the barn but the thing never broke on me. He picked it up and broke it on the first swing. I was mad, because to me that was the best one. It worked the fastest."

    "Scythe? So are you a farmer then?" Duvessa asked.

    "Yeah. We have a farmstead near Blue Ridge."

    "Hey, this seat taken?" a new voice asked. It was one of the guys that had been with Arnold.

    "Unless there is a butt in it, all seats are available," Blaise said before anyone else could reply.

    "Thanks, the name''s Isaac."

    "What''s-his-face didn''t want you at his table either?" Owen asked after everyone introduced themselves.

    "Arnold is a good guy, even if he is a bit rough around the edges at times. I just figured I''d see if I could join you and make sure there were no hard feelings. I can go if you prefer," Isaac said and partially stood before Blaise and Duvessa both said he should stay, as courtesy demanded they should. Once they said it was fine, Seth knew no one else would be rude enough to ask him to leave. Isaac had to know that too. Owen looked like he was considering it anyway.

    "I''m gonna disagree on the good guy part," Owen said. His hostility towards Arnold extended to Isaac.

    "He is a good guy and a friend of mine," Isaac said, his tone light and non confrontational. "Everyone here is a first year, yeah? Did you all have Professor Laur? What did you think?" he continued, moving the subject.

    Isaac proved to be friendly and easy to talk to, and Duvessa and Blaise accepted him as easily as they did Seth and Owen. Booth and Pendra mostly talked to each other.

    The cat¨C Mau¨C had moved herself to the center of the table and looked rather like a queen holding court. Seth could feel her suspicion of Isaac pretty strongly. Yeah, he was friends with a jerk, but Seth wanted to fit in here so he''d give the guy a chance.

    She mellowed a bit when Reginald kept trying to pluck hairs out of her tail. Well, mellowed towards Isaac. Reginald she dunked in a gravy boat.

    The conversation moved from the previous class to the food options and finally to the class coming after lunch. Combat class.

 16 - First, a Tree

    We headed to the far side of campus away from the city. There, snug against one of the mountains that surrounded the city, was where Gandalf here would be learning how to slay magic mutant monsters.

    I''m not going to include myself in that equation. Nope. No monster slaying for me. I''m not crazy.

    Some of the places on this campus are just weird. I was expecting combat class to be taking place in a dojo or some type of gym. Nope.

    We get a coliseum. Complete with Roman baths.

    The baths were inside the mountain with their own entrance, and there was a corridor that led to the coliseum. I didn''t get a look at the baths. Tragic. Seth got his comfy exercise clothes on and we went in the opposite direction to the coliseum.

    Seth was nervous. And it was an anxious type of nervous on top of an anticipation type of nervous. I wondered what he was scared of. He''d told the kids at lunch how much this was Saben''s favorite class and he was looking forward to it.

    Then it occurred to me that this was crazy magic land, and combat class might actually be gladiatorial fights in an actual coliseum.

    I just can''t with this shit. Now I''m nervous too.

    The tunnel in the mountain near the baths was lit with the same magic string lights as the dining hall, and then about half way switched over to torches in metal cages. The torches were magic and weren''t even burning anything, it was strictly for aesthetics. I liked the fairy string lights better.

    The staging room was spacious, and Seth waited with forty-five other students, including most of the kids from the lunch table. I was comforted by the fact that no one was wearing armor. Whatever these loonies were going to do, it couldn''t be that dangerous, right? Owen had just walked over when the ground vibrated.

    ¡°Useless, lazy, deadbeats!" Professor Mick¡¯s voice echoed. Magically, of course, or so my whiskers said. "You go home for the summer and you come back like this? If you can¡¯t give me a better showing next time I¡¯ll have every one of you rescheduled with me every single day! I know you¡¯ve got better, so you better show me next time. Now, dismissed!¡±

    A group of twenty one students shuffled out of the arena. I wondered if that was the whole group, or just half of it. And then I wondered why there would be only half a group. Yikes.

    I watched the group as they trudged past. These looked like upperclassmen to me. They looked sweaty and exhausted and more than a few were also sooty and singed. Also soaking wet and muddy? There wasn''t blood on any of them though, not even bruises. Maybe this would be okay?

    Out we went. Seth tried to put me down, but I wasn''t having it. I decided I''d take his clothes with me if he kept trying. Smart boy, he let me stay.

    Professor Mick was standing in the center of the arena with another Professor.

    "All right, recruits!" the portly Professor Mick bellowed. "I am your Combat teacher, Professor Mick! I am known as Mick the Mighty! As you all know from reading your handbook, all students are expected to participate in the defense of the school during a beast attack. As first year students, you are the last line of defense! Do you know what that means?"

    "We don''t fight much," Blaise answered.

    "Alas, that''s true," Professor Mick agreed. "But it also means that if you are fighting, it''s because everyone before you failed to do their jobs. And it''s up to you to maintain the barriers and protect the school."

    "I''m from Mariglade, Professor. How often and what types of beasts show up here?" Excellent question nameless student. Just what I wanted to know.

    "We don''t get too many, really," Professor Mick said, sounding disappointed. "A couple wyverns a year that mostly go for the mana wells, the occasional manticore, and then the small fry that typically wanders out of the Below when no one is looking. It''s been decades since we''ve had anything to really worry about."

    So. Useful information here. One, this is a city that gets attacked by monsters. Two, maybe I will be studying monster slaying after all. Three, I''m thinking that finding a way home needs to move up on my to-do list. Though honestly, I don''t know why this is surprising me. I''ve already seen spiders bigger than dogs and cats bigger than trucks. I guess I thought that was a one off? What shit.

    "Right! So, you recruits are too new to even be useful as bait, so you are still officially non-combatants." Professor Mick clapped his hands and rubbed them together. "It''s my job to change that!" Professor Mick started outlining the physical training portion of today''s class.

    Right. Professor Mick the Mighty kept talking and I only listened with half an ear as I looked around.

    This coliseum wasn''t a full circle. It was a semicircle abutted against the cliff of the mountain. That was a design choice I couldn''t get behind. If you are going to have a stadium, you need to maximize your seats. Come on, it''s basic economics.

    The sandy area of the arena was shaped like a hockey rink. I knew there was a word for that rounded rectangle shape, but whatever. That''s what this was. One of the long sides was against the cliff. The walls surrounding the pitch were high, like twenty three feet high. And nearly every speck of every wall was covered in spells. Circles, symbols, sigils, you name it, it was there. Not that I could read any of it yet. That was a goal that would take time and tons of work.

    Above the walls were the bleachers. There were even students and other people there now. One middle aged guy was setting up a table and placing an array of colored jars in front of him. And look at that! One of Asshole Arnold''s friends was right there too! Actually, I recognized three of the eighteen people there as Arnold''s cronies. Didn''t they have a class to go to? Ugh.

    And above the peanut gallery was the top of the coliseum walls. And those walls were completely occupied by birds. A few I noticed were odd types, and I figured those were probably familiars. But a bunch of them weren''t. Weird.

    I saw only two exits. I had a hunch there were more, but they were not obvious on a quick look. Sand floor. Comfy landings or abrasive scouring? Both! At least I didn''t need to worry about sand getting stuck under my clothes. My naked nethers on the other hand¡­

    Mighty Mick was just about to explain what was after physical training today when another Professor hurried into the arena. She was middle aged and frazzled looking. She was carrying a stack of papers and had an overstuffed tote bag. Her blonde bun looked like it would be undone before the end of class.

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    "My apologies, Professor Mick, Professor Edmond, students. I am missing my assistant. He was supposed to meet me prior to coming here, but I''ve just been informed that well, anyway, let''s get started."

    "No trouble, Professor Marjorie!" Professor Mick exclaimed. "Go ahead and get set up. Students! We''ve got something special for your group today. You all have the privilege of joining a magic study on your very first day." He rocked up and down on his heels. "The project you are joining today is on the correlation of physical fitness and magical power. And we''ve got Ollie up there," Professor Mick pointed at the guy with the colored jars, "so you can get a souvenir!"

    "Excuse me, is this mandatory?" This question was asked by a girl with a long, thick braid.

    "Of course it is! Professor Marjorie, why don''t you explain while Edmond and I get this open?"

    "Right." Professor Marjorie looked around, sighed, and put a stack of paper on the ground. She addressed the students as she worked. "We are going to be using an artifact that will map your power levels in high detail." She pulled out an ink bottle and a clipboard with way too much attached to it and tried to organize what looked like multiple projects. "Give me a moment to sort this."

    "May I assist you, Professor?" the girl asked. Without waiting for an answer she stepped forward to help organize the stacks of paper. Good girl.

    I watched in fascination as this research professor took the stray pencils she found in her disorganized materials and absently stuck them into her bun in a futile attempt to resecure it. Oh honey, pencils can''t rescue that dead bun. Anyway, with braid girl''s help, she started lining students up and writing down names.

    Professors Mick and Edmond were over at the mountain wall dinking around with something. Mighty Mick was standing to perfectly block my view.

    And then the upper half of the mountain wall opened up. This was a magical garage door opening thing. A section rolled up, sections rolled to the sides, and stairs came down. It revealed a fancy VIP box carved into the mountain. And in that box?

    A picture of a tree. Carved into the stone.

    I don''t get it. These people carve pictures and shit into everything. Why put this behind a magic door? I was honestly expecting more with how fancy the door was. It''s like when the box is better than the present.

    Yeah, pretty lame.

    "Only one person at a time is allowed up the stairs," Professor Marjorie said. "There are protection wards, so the rest of you, do not try to go up those stairs while someone else is already up there. Stay behind this point. These wards can be touchy and might actually kill you. No familiars on the stairs either, for the same reason."

    Well okay then. Pretty tree carvings need murder wards.

    The idea that someone can put graffiti somewhere and have it kill anyone who touches it is frankly terrifying to someone in my line of work.

    Professor Marjorie continued like possible death was just another day at the office. "You''ll see a circle at the base of the image. Put your hand on it and push with all of the magical power you can. Your goal is to light up the tree as much as you can. Then come on back down so we can get a good look at the result."

    So. A magic scale. Didn''t they do this already right after the Gauntlet? That was different though, they''d taken a bottle of something and used an actual scale. What was this doing that was different then?

    "Name, please," Professor Marjorie asked the first boy in line who answered. She made a note on her clipboard and picked up a blank sheet of paper from a pile at her feet.

    The kid walked right up to the tree like murder wards were no big deal, put his hand on the circle and the thing lit up orange. It started in the circle and then a few of the vines lit, wrapping around each other and tracing up a small ways and then unfurling into leaves and spirals. While it vaguely resembled a tree, it was much smaller than I expected and not nearly the whole carving was used. It lasted about ten seconds before starting to fade.

    On a hunch I looked back at the bleachers. And sure enough, that guy with the colored jars was casting a copy spell and made a copy of the kid''s power tree. The students up there were shouting encouragement.

    Professor Marjorie was scribbling notes all over the copy she had cast. She didn''t use colored ink like the other guy. She put those papers aside and pulled out a fresh one and called the next student. This one was roughly similar to the first kid, but the color was light blue, and a bit wider.

    "Is that what magic really looks like? A tree?" Seth asked Professor Marjorie.

    "Of course not. That is just the design they used when building this. They could have used any shape and it would work the same."

    Interesting. Did they have a reason to choose a tree then?

    "So there are other carvings like this?" Duvessa asked. "What are they pictures of?"

    Good question, Duvessa!

    "No, there are no others. The only other one we had was also a tree, but it was destroyed more than a century ago. It''s why we keep this one behind wards," the professor explained.

    So both were carved as trees, but the shape has no meaning. Okay.

    Then Duvessa was up. Hers was bigger than all the previous people, and somehow was inky black while still glowing. Her tree looked like a tree. The vines that formed the trunk were all wound together, the branches had multiple leaves and even flowers. The other remarkable thing about Duvessa''s tree was that there was one branch that was completely missing, yet the tips of the leaves in that section were still lit.

    Up next was Blaise. I expected her to fill the whole tree.

    She didn''t.

    Almost every leaf and flower in the carving was filled, but the trunk and interior vines were pretty scant. It looked unbalanced. It was brighter than any of the others too. The deep blue of the trunk and the pale gray of all the leaves were bright enough that they could have lit the arena. I hadn''t really noticed differences in the strength of the glow before.

    This tree was not just a scale. It was a map of someone''s power.

    Professor Marjorie was making her copies in black ink, disregarding color entirely. And it didn''t look like anyone was measuring the light intensity, so either it didn''t apply to this study, or they didn''t know how to measure it.

    More students had their tree read until Owen was next. His was a little unusual too, but not as much. His was tall, about the same size as Duvessa''s, and a lot of it was vines. The trunk was thick, and the vines branched out, but there were not many leaves.

    I bet there was a whole field of study based on trees like this. This was cooler than tea reading or tarot cards. Probably more meaningful too.

    And then it was Seth''s turn and I hopped down. His was average. Mostly. It was typical both in height and number of leaves. The only remarkable thing about his was that the circle for him was white, a color I hadn''t seen yet, and then a dead space, then the vines and leaves continued in a pale minty green. The big difference between Seth''s dead space and Duvessa''s was that Duvessa still had connections going all the way around it. For Seth, it stopped and then started again. None of the vines touched the white circle.

    I looked over at the professors, wondering about their reaction. Professor Mick was organizing a pile of giant wooden spoons. Professor Marjorie was focused on her clipboard. Professor Edmond was looking up into the bleachers and telling off Arnold''s cronies who were hurling insults about Seth''s tree. Seth was pretending he couldn''t hear them.

    Poor kid. His anxiety had spiked when he saw his tree. That gap must be scaring him. I was surprised that Professor Marjorie didn''t address it at all, neither his or Duvessa''s.

    Why was Professor Marjorie skipping so much data? She seemed to be after just a couple specific data points. Maybe they already knew the rest? Maybe she didn''t give a fuck? No, she did care. She wouldn''t be so frazzled if she didn''t. She had to be looking for something specific.

    I worried about that. If she is looking for specific data, then that makes me think she has a theory, and is looking for confirmation of the theory. She doesn''t want to see data that might disprove it. But that''s not how science works.

    But, this is crazy magic land so what do I know. Yet another situation where the ability to ask questions would save me weeks of wondering. Oh well, no help for it.

    That guy in the bleachers though, he did color copies. I think we''ll want to see those. I''m really interested to see if he''s got one of Saben''s power.

 17 - And Then, Some Seeds

    I hate exercise. At least, in this life I do. Maybe it''s because my body is so new. Maybe it''s because I''m actually a lazy shit at heart and I just don''t remember. Or maybe it''s because cats are lazy shits and the temperament of this new body is affecting me.

    I did it anyway.

    It was the physical training and assessment portion of Professor Mick''s class. I ran a lap around the whole arena. I was faster than almost everyone for like twenty feet. Then I was dead last. Seth picked me up on his second time around. I had just finished one.

    Blaise passed Seth. Duvessa was trotting unhurriedly and we passed her. I wasn''t counting how many times Owen passed us. I knew it''d be embarrassing. I didn''t really care about any of the others.

    Seth wasn''t a top performer. He was putting the effort in, but he just wasn''t as physical as many of the others. I figured that was fine. Not only was he the youngest here by a few years, but this was magic school, not martial arts school.

    The assholes in the stands continued to be assholes. They made some effort at being sneakier about it, and mostly yelled insults when the professors were busy.

    That girl with the braid was still playing assistant to Professor Marjorie and writing down numbers for everyone. I was impressed with her ploy. She didn''t get her tree read, which for some reason she didn''t want to have happen, and she wasn''t doing the physical testing now. And none of the Professors seemed to have noticed.

    After everyone was done with laps, the training continued with push ups, pull ups, sit ups, etc. All the things. And I did all the things.

    I''m a liar. I didn''t. Cats can''t really do sit ups.

    For the pull ups I just hung upside down on the bar. Duvessa was super impressed with my efforts, and praised me enthusiastically. I think I really like her.

    Reginald tried to knock me off the bar. I think I really hate him.

    Afterwards Professor Marjorie addressed the students. I noticed her bun hadn''t survived and she''d redone it, and it still contained pencils. ¡°Your body is your vessel for storing your mana. Your physical well being directly affects your mental well being, and your mental well being directly affects your spiritual well being. It is all connected. The easiest way to improve your magic power at your age is to improve your body. We will be measuring your physical condition and your mana every other week. I thank you for your contributions to this study, and hope you will gain insights into improving your own powers.¡±

    "All right, recruits!" Professor Mick announced. "You can have five minutes for water, and then we begin!"

    The kids shuffled into the staging room and grabbed water there. Seth, sweet kid that he is, made sure I got water too.

    I noticed Seth kept rubbing the bracelet Benjamin had given him. Kid was clearly anxious about his tree picture. Ollie was still up in the stands and doing something with the images he''d made. If the kids don''t seek him out after class, I will.

    Professor Mick was practically bouncing when the students lined up back in the arena. Welp, this was it.

    "All right, recruits! The first thing we''ll be working on is defense. You are useless if you''re dead, so you need to figure out how not to die."

    Well then. No gladiator bouts today. I think I''m actually disappointed.

    "Everyone grab a wusstick. Work together if you like, or not. Your only goal is not to lose." Professor Mick held up his own wusstick. It was a three foot long wooden spoon looking thing. He''d been messing with these earlier.

    Owen jumped forward and started digging through the sticks. He quickly laid his hand on almost every stick before choosing his favorite. I had no idea that which specific spoon you used could be so important. Neither did anyone else as they just grabbed random sticks.

    I was trying to maintain that I was a student here too, and that I would participate in all the things. The only way I could do this one was by putting a piece of used gym equipment in my mouth. Because thumbs. Nope. Hard pass. So I headed to the bleachers.

    <hr>

    Seth watched Mau leave. He was relieved she left, because he wouldn''t need to worry about her getting stepped on or injured.

    "All right. I''m told I need to give you at least one practice ball. So here you go, catch it and toss it to someone else so they can practice with it too." Professor Mick cast a spell and a ball of light materialized in the bowl of the wusstick. He then flung it at the pack of students where it hit Blaise and shoved her into one of the boys from lunch, Booth.

    "Ow!" Blaise complained. The ball of light had struck her and then vanished.

    "These can''t hurt you!" Professor Mick scolded. "The mana balls don''t cause injuries. The wussticks will prevent any harm from occurring."

    "It still hurts when it shoves you into someone!" Blaise complained.

    "Then don''t get hit! Use your sticks to catch and throw the balls. If you get hit, you lose. Game rules are in the handbook. Begin!" Professor Mick summoned another ball and threw it at Owen. Owen caught it with the spoon and looked at it for only a second before hurling it at Isaac.

    Isaac was completely unprepared and took the ball to the face. His whole body changed to blue and he staggered back. The mana ball dissipated.

    "Oh my! Colors!" Duvessa said. "Hit me next!"

    "The goal is to not get hit! The color means you lost!" Professor Mick yelled. At this point Seth was beginning to wonder if that was just his normal volume.

    "Give me one!" shouted a big guy that Seth recognized as the guy with thunder powers. His name was Gregor. "I''ll show you who is best at this game!"

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    Professor Mick was making and tossing out balls as fast as he could cast the spell. Professor Edmond was also casting it, but he was handing the balls out more gently, and taking a moment to instruct each student in how to maintain the ball.

    Seth got his first ball from Professor Edmond. "Think about your mana," the Professor told Seth and Booth, "and put just a little bit into the stick. The stick will maintain the ball for as long as it has power. You can give it a little more just before you throw it to make the ball stronger."

    Seth held the ball in his wusstick and thought about what it felt like to maintain it. He looked over at Gregor who was constantly fizzling balls as soon as he caught them, and then at Owen, who was catching and hurling balls in the same action. Seth was a bit envious of how quickly Owen had learned to do that.

    He tossed the ball lightly in his stick. "Here," he said to Booth. "Back and forth." Seth tossed his mana ball lightly to Booth, and caught Booth''s in turn.

    "Again," Booth said. And they did. "I got it. You ready?"

    Seth nodded. "Who do you think?''

    "Duvessa." Booth looked at where Duvessa was currently waving at Gregor. She was currently red. "She''s already turned three colors that I saw."

    Seth shook his head. "Too easy. I''ll try for that guy." Seth indicated a student next to Gregor that had just thrown a ball at Owen.

    Just as Seth threw the ball one of the students in the bleachers yelled down, "Watch out, Gregor! That runt thinks he''s better than you!"

    Gregor turned in time to see the ball coming. Rather than try to catch it, he batted it away into another student. "Yes! You think you can beat me too? I will show you that I am the best!"

    The number of balls in the arena was increasing rapidly as students learned how to catch and throw them. About half were now blue, and waiting at the edges of the arena. Seth was relieved he wasn''t one of them yet. He wasn''t great at catching the balls, but at least he could dodge them reasonably well.

    The main trouble was that Gregor had decided he and Owen would be his favorite targets. Owen, because he was just that good. Seth, because everytime Gregor''s attention moved to someone else, the jerks in the stands would bait him into attacking Seth again.

    And Gregor fell for it, every time. Seth was starting to think the guy either really liked beating on him in particular, or was just dumb and easily manipulated.

    "Ha! Runt!" Gregor yelled. "Out you go!" He and several of his friends all hurled balls at him simultaneously.

    Seth dropped to his belly to dodge them, but wasn''t fast enough at getting to his feet.

    "No you don''t," Blaise said, and a wall of water knocked the balls away from him.

    "Foul!" called Professor Mick. "Only mana balls may be used against other students! You get the Foul Crown!" Professor Mick cast a spell at a marking on the wall while pointing at Blaise. A spectral circlet of gold appeared in the air above Blaise. On the cliff wall a similar circlet glowed and a target appeared beneath it.

    "Hit the target! Hit it!" the hecklers in the stands shouted.

    "I think someone hitting that would be a bad thing," Blaise said.

    "Owen! Don''t let anyone hit that target!" Seth called, as he attempted to get into a position to defend it. Owen was clear across the arena, it would take him a moment to get there.

    And that moment was too long, as two balls hit the target in rapid succession.

    Blaise screeched. Honey dripped down from the crown, covering her. She instinctively tried to dodge or duck, but the crown followed her every move. "What the¨C ack!" Honey continued to drip on her.

    Most of the students in the arena gawked in surprise. A few took advantage to throw more mana balls and knock a few more people out.

    The students in the stands were howling with laughter. "Hit it more!" they shouted.

    The next ball headed for the target Seth wasn''t able to catch. So rather than let it hit the target, he let it hit him. He turned blue.

    He walked to the edge of the arena where others who''d been knocked out were waiting. Seth noticed one of them was the girl from the Rainbow Tower who had helped Professor Marjorie. Pendra and Booth were also both out.

    Duvessa charged in, catching a ball and flinging it back.

    "Hey! That''s a foul too!" a student yelled. "She''s already out!"

    "Nope, that''s fair!" Professor Mick answered. "She lost, and is a loser, but having lost doesn''t mean you''re out! You can keep going!"

    "How does that make sense?" Pendra muttered.

    "If you keep changing color, maybe there is a ''biggest loser''?" Booth suggested.

    The next time a ball hit the target, seeds cascaded down from the crown. No sooner than that happened than a flock of birds descended from the walls of the coliseum. They darted between students and pecked at the seeds on the ground. A few were bold enough to attempt to land on Blaise, and eat the seeds stuck in the honey that covered her.

    Blaise tried to wash off the seed encrusted honey, but the crown just produced more. Now there were patches of honey and seeds all over the arena floor.

    It was chaos. Birds darted through the students. Reginald attacked other birds. Nearly all the students were various colors now. Seth was constantly running, trying to intercept any ball that would strike Blaise''s target, as well as dodge the balls with him as the target. Whenever he could he''d return any ball he caught.

    People started getting tired and were slowing down. Seth looked around, and couldn''t find a single student that was a normal color. Seth retreated to the wall again. He was right below Arnold''s friends, and they took the opportunity to hurl more insults at him.

    "You lost runt! Why don''t you blow those birds away? Not a good friend are you, letting the birds get to her! You suck at this!"

    Seth ignored them. There were only a few minutes left of class anyway and he needed a minute to catch his breath. Finally the Foul Crown winked out over Blaise, and the honey and seeds disappeared like they were never there. Only the fact that the birds had been feasting while it was there made Seth think they weren''t actually illusions.

    As near as Seth could tell, the colors went from blue, to purple, red, orange, brown, green, and finally yellow. There might have been other colors that he hadn''t noticed. Duvessa, of course, was yellow. Seth was surprised to see there were a few other people yellow also.

    "That''s it!" Professor Mick called. "Game over! There is only one winner! All the rest of you are losers!"

    Seth didn''t see a single student a normal color. Who had won?

    "You should explain today''s lesson," Professor Edmond said to Professor Mick.

    "There was a lesson in this mess?" Booth muttered.

    "Ah, right. If this was a real battle, all of you would have died," Professor Mick said. "Battle gets chaotic. None of you knew how to deal with that. You didn''t know how to use your tools. You had no coordination, and no plans. When something unexpected happened," he gestured at Blaise and then the birds waiting on the walls again, "you didn''t know what to do and some of you stood around staring. Practice, training, and experience are all things you need to stay alive. We''ll be doing this again, and by the end of the term, I expect all of you to last the whole session. No more losers!"

    Seth was still aware of the various cries of ''Loser'' and ''You suck'' coming from above him when there were startled yelps and a crash followed by swearing. A moment later Mau jumped down from the wall.

    "Woah, Mau, that''s a long fall. Are you all right?" Seth scooped up his familiar.

    There was yellow ink on her paws. And when Seth looked up at the guys that had been harassing him all class, the three of them were all covered in yellow ink. The color of the biggest losers.

    Mau was feeling really smug.

 18 - More Color

    "Stop causing trouble," Seth scolded Mau as he walked over to where Professor Edmond was greeting Ollie. Ollie had come down from the stands with a collection of images and Seth wanted another look at his tree reading.

    She blinked her eyes slowly. Seth didn''t know if that meant she thought she was innocent, or she was letting him know she''d do as she pleased. Probably both. He sighed and scratched her head. He had to admit, it was really nice seeing those jerks get theirs.

    Seth joined the other students who were collecting there to see the images. There was a commotion behind Ollie, and the three jerks covered in yellow ink piled into the arena. The lead jerk bumped into Ollie, accidently knocking him to the ground. The jerk held an ink bottle upside down and ink was flinging everywhere.

    "Where is it?" the jerk demanded. "Where is that piece of shit cat?"

    "My images!" Ollie cried. They had scattered on the sand.

    Seth Instinctively ducked behind a taller student, but not before locking eyes for a second with the guy with the ink bottle. The guy tried to fling ink at Seth.

    "Hey!" the student in front of Seth and several others yelled at the jerk.

    "What in the dark do you think you''re doing?" Owen demanded, and tried to grab the bottle. "You''re getting ink everywhere!"

    The guy jerked the ink bottle away, not caring who he got ink on. "Look what it did to us! We''re covered!"

    "Stop that!" Professor Mick ordered and marched up to the yellow upperclassman. "Control yourself, Hugh."

    Hugh turned to face Professor Mick and shook the upside down bottle. "It''s empty!" Ink flicked at Professor Mick who dodged it.

    "It''s an Everfull, you idiot. You''re getting ink on everyone!" Professor Mick snatched the bottle. "Give me that. You three with me. Demerits all of you. My apologies, Ollie. Let me handle this." Professor Mick pointed at the staging room and ordered Hugh and his friends to go.

    "But the cat! Did you see what it did to us?" Hugh argued.

    "You picked the fight. You think I didn''t see what you were doing during class? You lost. Now move."

    Seth put his hand on Mau. If an animal could vibrate with smugness, that''s what she was doing right now. It was a struggle not to smirk himself at those assholes while they were being told off and punished. So satisfying.

    "What jerks!" Duvessa declared. "Spraying everyone because they were mad."

    "I didn''t do anything," one of the other students snarled. "Look at me!" He had a line of yellow ink on his clothes.

    "Watch where you''re stepping!" Ollie said. "Don''t step on the images."

    "Some of them are ruined," Owen said. He picked up Blaise''s tree image. "This one isn''t too bad." There was a splash of yellow on the bottom, but most of the tree was intact.

    Other students helped Ollie clean up. The girl with the pearl earrings picked up an image that still contained a puddle of ink. She touched the ink and rubbed it between her fingers. She then pulled a small bottle from somewhere and poured the excess ink into it. The image was ruined and nearly unrecognizable.

    It was Seth''s. Of course it was.

    His wasn''t the only one ruined. Three others were completely ruined, and a half dozen more had splashes of yellow on the page. Isaac had one of the ruined ones.

    Ollie addressed the students. "I charge six bur an image. I apologize for some being damaged."

    "Oh," Owen said. He handed Ollie the images he held, which included his own.

    "We should all get them!" Duvessa said excitedly. "I don''t see mine. Owen, that one is yours."

    "I can''t be buying one," Owen said.

    "That''s actually pretty expensive for a picture," Blaise said. "I think I want mine anyway."

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    "Well, I think everyone should get their pictures," Duvessa declared. She looked around at everyone and then nodded firmly. "Yes. Reginald, go to grandmother and tell her I need two crowns. That should cover everyone who''s image wasn''t damaged. Is that acceptable?" she asked Ollie.

    Ollie blinked. "That is more than fair, my Lady."

    "I knew she was loaded," Booth muttered quietly beside Seth. "I bet that guy doesn''t get more than a couple of deener normally."

    "It''s a really generous thing to do for everyone," Seth said. And he thought he knew who her grandmother was.

    "Of course it is, when you have the money to do that," Booth answered.

    Everyone collected their images, even the ones whose image was ruined. Seth looked at his. The ink had puddled in the middle and then poured down the bottom. The only discernible sections left were the outer edges of the tree. He''d wanted a better look at the gap near the bottom, but that was completely covered.

    "Do you have other copies of these?" Isaac said. "Mine was ruined."

    "Aren''t those guys your friends?" Owen asked. "Why would they do that to you?"

    Isaac just shrugged and shook his head.

    "I''m sorry, these are all I have today," Ollie said.

    "Do you keep images from past students?" Seth asked. Saben had never shown him something like this, so maybe he''d never bought his.

    "I do have some, but not here. It''s not unusual for someone to change their mind and want to buy their picture later," Ollie said.

    "Everyone that has ink on their clothes come over here," Professor Edmond called out. He cast the same spell Professor Laur had cast and removed the yellow ink from their clothes.

    "Oh nice! And we''re all still pretty colors!" Duvessa said.

    "Can we do something about that too?" Someone called out.

    "Nope! You get to keep your color!" Professor Mick called out as he strode back into the arena.

    There was a chorus of groans.

    "Professor! I am eager to hear who is the winner!" Gregor shouted. He flexed an arm and struck a pose. "I wish to be acknowledged as the best!"

    "Nope. Not you, Gregor. Better luck next time, since you did put on a fine performance! The winner is their normal color. Not purple like you." Professor Mick gestured towards the back of the crowd of students.

    There was the girl with pearl earrings and a long braid. She was the only person a normal color.

    "But¨C" Seth said, confused. Many other students did too. Seth was certain he''d seen her blue earlier.

    "And that''s the trick!" Professor Mick was excited. "Don''t let on, girl. Maybe you can use it again!"

    The girl looked uncomfortable with all the attention she was getting.

    "Professor, can you please turn off this color now? I''m not comfortable with this shade of orange," Blaise said.

    The students were dismissed to get cleaned up. By the time Seth was leaving the changing rooms he was his normal color again. Most of the other students were too. The yellow students were still yellow though. Seth wondered how long that would last.

    On his way to his last class of the day he realized he''d never asked Professor Marjorie about either the possible causes of power loss or about the healer student that had recovered his power.

    He supposed that was understandable. He''d had a lot going on today. He was worried about detention, and what he would need to do. He was even more worried about the threat of disciplinary probation. That sounded scary, like if he messed up even once more, he could be expelled.

    That wasn''t fair in his mind. He didn''t start that incident. Jerks.

    And then those same jerks were starting stuff with him again during class. If they kept provoking him and trying to start trouble, they could get him in more trouble even if he tried not to engage. And since he was on probation, he would be the most harshly punished.

    Definitely not fair.

    His reaction in the dining hall was strange. He liked to think of himself as calm. He was the reasonable one between himself and Saben. Saben was more reactionary.

    Could it have something to do with Mau? Seth sighed. That was another thing he needed to learn about too. He hadn''t planned on having a familiar and only knew the basics. Maybe emotional responses like that are normal when your familiar gets frightened.

    And then there was whatever was going on with his power. His wind during the incident was so much more than it should have been. His power wasn''t normally so strong.

    Even his tree image wasn''t that big. That gap still worried him. He rubbed the bracelet. Was something cutting off whatever the tree represented? Was it fading? Was his power going to disappear like Sabens?

    If his power was fading too, he''d have to hurry up and get some answers. He''d only have one semester to get those answers. If he couldn''t cast the assessment spells at the end of the semester he would be out of school, just like Saben.

    Duvessa''s had a gap too. That was in a different spot though. Maybe hers was fading too? None of the teachers had reacted to it though. Not one comment. Maybe these things weren''t unusual?

    It sure seemed unusual to him.

    He just didn''t know enough. He didn''t expect to come to school and have more questions and fewer answers. He really thought that if he could just find the person that knew, he could solve this and help Saben already.

    That could still happen. He had yet to talk to dozens of professors. There was research going on. He still needed to get onto that research team. He should find Professor Marjorie. He shouldn''t wait until the next combat class to talk to her.

    He could talk to the professors in the Wind Tower when he had class there about what his power was doing. And he still had both the Celestial and Circle Towers to attend.

    He needed to be a bit more patient. This was just the first day. He had time.

    As long as he didn''t get himself expelled.

 19 - You Can Wait Outside

    I clung to Seth''s shoulders as he walked to his disciplinary meeting with the red-scarved professor.

    After combat class we''d gone to a class on drawing sigils. It was like drawing calligraphy in the air. I don''t have fingers. My paws couldn''t do the fine work. Of course. And my control over the tip of my tail is inadequate. Like using your knees to type is inadequate.

    I''ll figure something out. I''m going to be able to cast this shit, dammit.

    Seth had asked the professor his box of questions about powers and got a blank look and some platitudes. Seth has high hopes for the tower classes. The first one is tomorrow. I''m skeptical. He really believes someone is just going to tell him the answer he''s looking for. Ah, to be a child.

    And then we had an hour-long search for Professor Marjorie. No luck. I don''t know why Seth couldn''t wait for class this week, but whatever. I think we have that class on Wednesday.

    Yup. Seven day week here. I don''t know what the days are really called, but since I hear English, I hear day names. Magic nonsense.

    "Hey," Owen called to Seth. He hopped off one of the magic pillars that were all over the place. "I thought I''d go with you."

    "Thanks, Owen." Seth tried to play it cool, but I could feel his relief. The kid was so anxious, having a buddy really did help.

    "Of course. Whatever it is, I''ll do it with you too, if they let me."

    Seth shook his head. So Owen was feeling guilty? Don''t blame yourself Owen. Blame Arnold. And that sneaky snake.

    The Fire Tower was where Professor Rebecca was. Seth stopped a moment to appreciate the tower before heading in. Well, I sure appreciated it. The thing was gorgeous. And it wasn''t on fire or covered in water.

    It was made of volcanic glass. Obsidian. And all the types of obsidian were used and probably a bunch more specific to magic land. I recognized snowflake, mahogany, and rainbow obsidian. There was also a variety that looked like lapis lazuli swirled inside the black glass. All these were inlaid in a magic wizard tower made of black glass.

    I wondered how expensive obsidian was as a gemstone in this world, and how difficult it would be to remove a few select pieces. Oh yeah. I wouldn''t want to trigger the thing bursting into flames. Death magic zones and murder wards were a thing here too. Ugh, I''ve got a lot to learn. I''ll put the thought of gemstones on the back burner for now, and just focus on attending classes.

    The exterior doors were open, and the foyer was empty. Seth opened the second set of doors into the tower. Inside was a common area. The couches and chairs were arranged in conversation groups for a handful of students at a time. Most were overstuffed and comfy looking. The room was lit with tall braziers, and was also cooking hot. I don''t know how the furniture wasn''t smoldering.

    All right, now where? There was no reception desk. I didn''t see a floor map either. Were we supposed to go to an office or some kind of meeting room? There were some students scattered around, most of them upperclassmen.

    Wait a second, that one''s Arnold. He was reclined on one of the chairs with his feet crossed on the table. And he was glaring at us. Aw, did we ruin your day?

    Seth spotted him too. Then as they stared at each other I noticed that Arnold''s expression shifted. He tried to hide it, but something surprised him and I saw recognition. He either remembered or recognized something about Seth. Then he went straight back to glaring.

    Professor Rebecca strode out of a side room and spotted Seth. "Good. This way." She strode right back into the room. Seth and Owen followed with Arnold trailing behind.

    The room was a small conference room with space for a half dozen people. A granite table was in the center of the room with benches on either side. Professor Laur was standing beside a fireplace. He nodded at the students as they entered. Professor Rebecca sat on the opposite side. As soon as she saw Owen she waved him out.

    "Nope, you can wait outside."

    "I just-"

    "Nope. Out."

    "But-"

    "Nope. Out. I say it once more and you''ll be in here for yourself." She watched Owen glance at Seth in apology and then leave. "You two keep your hands on your beasts. No incidents."

    "Yes, ma''am," Seth said. He picked me up off his shoulder. I cooperated.

    "Of course, Professor. Asclepios is very well behaved," Arnold said.

    I know a lie when I hear it. No way that sneaky snake was well behaved. Fucking thing scared the shit out of me on purpose!

    I had been minding my own business while checking out the magic in the dining hall table, and that freakish monster snuck right up and hissed like it was going to bite me.

    When you''re not real good with snakes in the first place, that kind of thing takes years off your life.

    The fact that it was only a couple feet long and pencil thin doesn''t make it less terrifying.

    Oh shit, I''m not paying attention to the meeting.

    "So instead of that, I''ve decided you both will be attending the Familiar Training Course offered at the Menagerie. It starts in three weeks and will run for six weeks. The course is an hour and a half twice a week. You both will spend an additional hour there each day cleaning every pen and cage they ask you to."

    She tapped her fingers in front of me and the snake. Why did I feel like this was directed at us two? "This period will also be your probationary period. If you can complete the training course without further incidents, your probation will be considered resolved."

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    "But Professor, Asclepios doesn''t need further training," Arnold protested and that damn snake smirked at me.

    "That''s convenient. The training is more for your benefit than your beast''s. It is to train you in managing your beast," Professor Rebecca said.

    "Six weeks," Seth said.

    "It is longer than a typical detention," Professor Rebecca sounded slightly apologetic, "but Professor Laur and I felt it was appropriate in this instance. It is better to train these issues out the moment they start."

    "I think it''s fair," Seth said.

    "I don''t. I have prior commitments, Professor," Arnold said.

    Professor nodded. "And now you have additional ones. Make it work. If you don''t complete the training, you''ll take it again. Probation will last until the training is completed."

    "What exactly does probation mean Professor?" Seth asked.

    "It means any infraction that assigns demerits will also trigger a review just like this one. This school has no intention of training mages who are indiscriminate in their carelessness or violence."

    I can understand the idea behind that. Let''s not train people to cast fireballs if they''re the type to cast it in a crowded restaurant. And it looks like you need more than one professor, or maybe even one of the Tower Wizards in on the review. I''m not real clear on the causes for demerits though. I bet that''s all in that handbook they keep talking about. I can also see many ways this system is ripe for abuse.

    "Is there a way for me to defend myself in one of these reviews?" Seth asked.

    Professor Rebecca''s eyebrows rose. I looked over at Laur, and he was smiling.

    "Bring a professor to the meeting as your advocate," Professor Rebecca said. "They will speak on your behalf."

    There was a pause and then Professor Rebecca stood. "Dismissed."

    <hr>

    After dinner Seth trudged back to his room carrying his exhausted familiar. She''d stolen all the meat from his plate and half of Duvessa''s. He hoped she didn''t grow too big too fast. He had no idea how long it''d take her to get to her mother''s size. For now, she was as small as a housecat.

    Owen walked next to him. "So, what is this Mange thing you have to do?"

    "The Menagerie. It''s basically a mix between a home for unbound familiars and a zoo for magic beasts. It''s near the Palace. I had visited it quite a few times when I was younger."

    Owen puzzled over that as they headed to the stairs in their dorm building. "How would they be familiars if they''re not bound? They wouldn''t be familiars then, would they?"

    "It''s rare, but sometimes someone can''t keep their familiar so they have it unbound. They still have the enhancements from being bound, so they aren''t normal magic beasts. The most common reason I know of is that the familiar is an aggressive or hostile species. I remember seeing a young manticore in the Menagerie when I was little. And someone talked about trying to capture one of the wyverns for it."

    "We don''t need wyverns inside the city. They''re bad enough outside it." Owen paused on the stair landing on his floor. "If you want, I could go with you to the Menagerie? It sounds different."

    Seth''s instinctive reaction was to refuse. He didn''t want to put pressure on a new friendship. On the other hand, maybe Owen was genuinely interested. "It''s not for a few weeks, we''ll see how it goes and if you even can come with me."

    They said their goodbyes and Seth headed to his own room.

    He paused in front of his door. He really didn''t want to deal with greeting whatever barbarian gardener was his roommate. The best he could hope for was that his own bed stayed clear.

    He also had homework to do for the Structured Magic class. He was worried about the single desk in the room and hoped his roommate was either already done or not there.

    He took a deep breath and opened the door.

    Isaac was seated at the desk with papers and diagrams strewn about. He turned around when the door opened.

    "Hey, Seth! I didn''t know you were my roommate." He stood up. "Sorry about the room before, I didn''t think I had a roommate since you hadn''t come by. I got a little comfortable."

    Seth looked around the room and saw it had been cleaned up. There was still a sword and shield in the corner but none of the strange things like buckets or rope were in evidence. Seth wondered where they''d gone.

    "Don''t worry about it. I wanted to spend my brother''s last few days in the city with him, so I waited until the last day. I''m glad I''m not rooming with a stranger, even if we only met today." And that he didn''t have to deal with a garden shed as a room. Seth eyed the small desk. "This room is really small though, how are we going to work out study times?"

    "Spending time with family is important. Your brother is heading home then?"

    "He''s leaving for work. We''ve been traveling a lot."

    Isaac nodded and surveyed his work spread out on the desk. "I figure we''ll take turns with the desk. I''ll let you have first go if you like. I''m a bit stuck anyway and could do with a walk."

    Seth laid his exhausted familiar on his bed. "Thanks, I''d like to let her sleep. She''s had a long day." The cat curled up and rolled on her back simultaneously, as only a cat could.

    "She''s an interesting familiar. Do you have to keep her with you all the time? Is there a problem if you''re not together?" Isaac asked as he closed his books and stacked them.

    "I don''t think it''s a problem really. She''s wandered off before and has been gone for hours. I do feel better when she''s nearby though."

    "Bird familiars are the most common I think because of the better eyesight they give you. What kind of power does she grant?"

    "Nothing yet. She is still both very young and very new. I''m told it could be months before I know what she can give."

    Isaac nodded. "She''s a snow leopard, right? Probably something physical, like balance or reflexes." Isaac looked Seth up and down. "That doesn''t seem to me to be something you''d be looking for."

    "I didn''t buy her or seek her out, actually. It was circumstantial that she ended up in my care. The rest of her family had been killed."

    "You found a family of dead snow leopards?" Isaac paused in cleaning up the desk. "Where did this happen?"

    Seth remembered Saben telling him not to talk about the entrance to Below, the big cat, or her horns. Thinking about her made him feel sad that she had died. She had saved both him and Mau.

    "There was an accident and I fell. I found Mau there." He''d probably said too much already. But this felt harmless.

    "That must have been quite the fall. How old was she when you found her? Did she still need milk?" Isaac''s hand hovered near Mau like he wanted to pet her but didn''t want to wake her.

    "It''s only been about a week. And she was fully weaned already. She''s just smaller than her siblings."

    "That''s too bad none of the others survived. She''s beautiful. She''s still lucky you found her since she''s still a cub. You''ll have to tell me about the power when you get it. I''ve never thought familiars were worth the trouble but maybe you''ll change my mind."

    "She''s not trouble," Seth argued, but they''d both seen her at the dinner table. "I like her."

    Isaac just smirked at him. "She''ll be fine in here, right? No accidents?"

    "She hasn''t had one yet." Seth was relieved Mau was asleep. She''d be really annoyed at him for this conversation. That''s when he noticed one of her eyes was slit open and staring at him.

    Isaac finished putting papers in a satchel and said he''d be back in an hour or two. Seth settled down to do his work. The first thing he wanted to do was start a letter to Saben. He could add to it every day and then mail it on the weekend.

    His first day of school was bumpy but he had new friends and a decent roommate. It finally looked like things were starting to get better.

    <hr>

    A student used the knocker on the wooden door of the tower, and the door opened on its own a moment later. He stepped inside.

    "So?"

    "It was him."

 20 - Im a Duck

    "It was him," Isaac said to Arnold, who was seated in a tall wing-backed chair.

    Isaac looked around at the common area of the Circle Tower. There were about a dozen upperclassmen gathered around a table covered with piles of seeds. They were having an enthusiastic discussion about what seeds should be put in a specific bucket.

    "Huh," Arnold said with a grim smile. "How did you find out so quickly? I figured it''d take a day at least to get him to talk about it."

    "We should go upstairs," Isaac said. He gestured towards the upperclassmen.

    Arnold stood and led the way to the elevating platforms. They got off on a floor with an indoor garden. Nothing was currently growing, but string delineated squares of soil and there were tiny signs in each of the squares. Arnold led the way to his room.

    "These rooms are so much nicer than the first year rooms," Isaac said, looking around at the spacious room. "How come?" The room had a decent sized bed, a desk area with bookshelves, and a conversation area with three chairs and a table.

    "I don''t know. I never cared to look into it, as I was here by second semester." Arnold tossed a book on his desk and plopped down in another wing-back chair. Isaac sat in a bergere chair opposite him.

    "So. How did you find out?" Arnold asked.

    "I''m his roommate."

    Arnold smiled and then laughed. "And here I was worried we''d lost our last lead and a new one dropped right in our lap." He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. "What did you find out?"

    Isaac leaned back and sighed. ¡°I like him. He seems like a good person.¡±

    Arnold scoffed. "I don''t care about that. I think he''s an ass. None of that matters. You said he was there?"

    "I asked him about his familiar. He said he got her after a fall about a week ago."

    "Well there''s no doubt then, is there? He was on the wagon that went over the cliff. That means he knows what that artifact was. I thought I recognized him. I just wish I''d noticed it sooner." Arnold leaned back and tapped his lips. "He seems pretty free with information. Do you think you get him to talk about the artifact? Did he give it to the merchant?"

    "We only talked about the familiar. It''s possible I could find out more on the artifact. How direct should I be?"

    "I don''t think it matters if we tip them off. We''ve made a move on the artifact already. The merchant is running more caravans now. He''s got shipments going in and out to every nearby town. He knows we are watching."

    Isaac shook his head. "But he doesn''t know who we are yet. And the raid has not been connected to any of us yet. If the kid tells the merchant about us, things could get really hard."

    "You''re right. Go lightly then." Arnold scowled, clearly unhappy with needing to be patient. "We need to know what it was and how they''re using it. They''ll be choosing a new target soon. We can''t wait long."

    "I''ll talk to him. He''s pretty talkative, it shouldn''t be hard to get what we need."

    "I''ll leave that up to you. We''ll need him expelled soon too."

    "I don''t think we should do that," Isaac disagreed.

    "Why not? I figured you''d want him gone before we even found out what they''re using."

    "I don''t think he''s actually involved. He seems pretty na?ve. And as I said, I like him." Isaac shifted uncomfortably.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you like him. He is involved. We need to get rid of him and quickly.¡±

    "He is friendly, tries to help out, and is still just a kid. He¡¯s the youngest student I¡¯ve seen here at school."

    "Exactly. He¡¯s too young to be here. He could be dangerous for other students. He''s not worth the risk. You just met him today, and he''s an ass. Why are you defending him?"

    "He''s not an ass."

    "He hit me with fish! Fucking fish!"

    Isaac chuckled. "I think that might have something to do with how eager you are to get him expelled."

    "No, it doesn''t. I can keep my personal feelings out of my work."

    Isaac smirked. "Also, his brother lost his power. I don''t see this kid doing something like that to family."

    Arnold sighed. "You just found out that kid was on the caravan moving the artifact. And he was the only one to see it after it fell. For all we know he brought it to school with him. Do you really want to risk leaving him be?"

    "He''s not a mastermind. If anything, I think he''s pretty gullible. He doesn''t have a remarkable power either."

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    "No, he doesn''t. But he befriended some of the most powerful talents in the year on the first day. Maybe he''s trying to make a deal to get his brother''s power back," Arnold argued.

    Isaac sighed. "I''m not going to do anything to an innocent kid."

    "You don''t know he''s innocent."

    "And I don''t know he''s guilty."

    "Fine. We just wait while you question him. Though I think we should at least consider more robust questioning if you don''t get anywhere. If he has the artifact with him¡­"

    "If he is dangerous to other students, then yes. I''ll help to get him expelled."

    "Good." Arnold leaned back and put his feet on the table. "That water power girl is probably the next target. Her power has gotten all kinds of attention. Stay with her as much as you can. If she leaves the school, absolutely go with her."

    Isaac nodded. They both fell silent for a few moments.

    "How about that familiar?" Arnold asked. "Could that have been what they were moving and not the artifact we thought they took?"

    "No. Seth said he found the family there too, all dead."

    Arnold accepted the argument. "I''ve been wondering about if what they actually found wasn''t an artifact. What if it was something else? They got to that chamber before anyone else and stripped it. It could have been something else."

    "The simplest answer is an artifact," Isaac said. "Only an artifact could do what they''re doing. I can''t think of anything else it could be."

    "It took them so long to move it though. Unless they have more than one."

    "Don''t invent problems, man. We chase this bit down to the end, and then see where it leads us," Isaac said. "We get the kid to tell us what it was. Then we can look for more."

    Arnold sighed. "I can''t stand that kid."

    "He¡¯ll be in your class later this week.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately.¡±

    <hr>

    The following day Seth¡¯s class schedule had more but shorter classes and each class was significantly smaller, with only about ten students in each. The morning was focused on magic courses while the early afternoon was more general topics.

    The first class was on magic materials, and involved memorizing lists of materials and their classifications. Mau paid attention for about ten minutes and then went to sleep. When Seth asked the professor about power loss, the professor theorized about environmental contaminants poisoning a person''s mana source.

    The second class was Ritual Geometry. Ten minutes after the start of class Seth and the other students were still waiting awkwardly inside the classroom for the professor to arrive. The room was circular with a ring of tables around an open area in the center. Designs were painted on the floor.

    Finally a familiar young woman entered. She slammed the door shut behind her and locked it.

    "Bastards," she said as she looked around the room. Seth couldn''t tell if she was talking about him and the other students or someone else. Then he realized he recognized her. It was Isolde, the woman who''d done the familiar ritual for him and Mau.

    "Right. Class. If you''re here, say ''here''." She looked around expectantly. No one said anything. "Wow, we got some sharp ones today. Let''s try that again. Everyone say ''here''."

    "Here," Seth and a few other students said.

    "You didn''t call anyone''s name," a girl said.

    "Of course not. Because I don''t actually care who you are. But I am required to take attendance. And I''d say that sorry performance is good enough." She walked to the center of the room and dropped the box she was holding. "This is Ritual Geometry. I am Professor Isolde. This will be a necessary but boring hour for all of us. I get the wonderful privilege of teaching you brats how to draw lines and connect them to other lines in ways that don''t mess up their magic power. You will have homework every class. You have to turn it in. And I don''t actually care if you pass. I''m not graded on that. You do need to do the homework and I need to take attendance." She pulled a rod out of the box and extended it. She did something to the end of it and used it to draw on the floor.

    "We''ll start with the basic circle."

    Several student''s hands went up.

    "I don''t care if you have questions," Professor Isolde said without looking up.

    "Are you really the professor for this class?" a girl with a small deer asked.

    "I''m actually a rich noble and I''m just doing this because I''m bored. Yes, I''m your professor." Professor Isolde kept drawing on the floor. "Being able to draw an actual circle and not some squiggly blobish shape is actually difficult."

    "You''re not acting like a professor," another student said.

    "You brats are judgmental today. Fine. I''m a duck wearing human skin. Pretending to be a professor is how I get fed. Now back to circles."

    "Are you for real?" the first girl asked. "Is this a real class?"

    Professor Isolde sighed and pointed her stick at the girl. "Would you feel better if I told you no, I''m not the professor, I''m just a substitute? I''m lying. Yes, I am the Professor. No, I did not want to do this. I am the best ritualist in the city. I am being blackmailed by my father to teach here. Or I really am a duck. I don''t really care what you think or believe. I''m here to talk about circles today."

    Class settled down after that. Professor Isolde was actually very competent at the material. She also had a way of explaining it to make perfect sense. Seth had a feeling that a lot of what she was telling the class would work in his Sigils class too.

    She assigned a single page of homework, saying, "I don''t want to have to look at more than that."

    Seth waited for most of the class to clear out. Professor Isolde was using her extended stick with a sponge on the end to wipe away all the lines she''d drawn. Seth was distracted for a moment when he realized the sponge was wiping away an area much larger than itself.

    "Yeah, I recognize you, kid. No refunds," Professor Isolde said.

    "Oh, not that. I''ve still got my familiar," Seth said.

    "Good. That one had gone a little wonky. You got about thirty seconds before I''m done here. What''s on your mind?"

    "I was wondering if you knew why or how someone could lose their power, and how to get it back."

    Professor Isolde paused a second and turned to him. "What the fuck, kid. That''s not a thirty second question. The thirty second answer is ''lots of ways'' and ''you don''t''."

    "Saben lost his power. I want to help him get it back."

    "Things don''t always work out how we want them to, kid."

    "Is there anything you can tell me?"

    Professor Isolde cocked her head. "Let me think about it for a bit. Ask me again later. Your best bet is going to be¨C"

    "The Circle Tower," Seth and Professor Isolde said together.

    "If you already knew that, what are you bothering me for?" Professor Isolde asked.

    "I''ll ask everyone until I find someone who knows."

    "Huh. It might not be a person that knows, kid. You just might need to discover it yourself."

 21 - The Celestial Tower

    After lunch Seth had Zoology and History. Mau was very interested in both classes. Seth wasn''t able to catch his Zoology professor, but he did manage to ask his History professor about power loss. The professor''s opinion was that Seth should just learn to accept the happenings in the world. He told Seth that only by accepting what had happened can he find a way forward.

    Seth thought that opinion was trash.

    That afternoon Seth had his first Tower class. This one was in the Celestial Tower. Seth knew this was a difficult tower to get into and taught the most esoteric subjects. The magical forces of space, dimension, force, time, and more were taught here. Seth was really excited to get started.

    He and Owen waited outside the tower. It was made of translucent black stone and strongly resembled the black volcanic glass of the fire tower while having a distinctly different feel. Sunlight didn¡¯t reflect off the tower or pass through it, but passed into it and stayed there, lighting a distant darkness they couldn¡¯t see.

    The formerly open foyer was closed and the arched double doors were locked. Owen and Seth were the only ones waiting when the time for class to start came and went.

    ¡°Are we the only ones who got in here?¡± Owen asked.

    ¡°I thought at least one other student got in. Maybe not?¡± Seth pulled out the class list he had. ¡°It says today, at this tower with Professor Kaban.¡±

    The boys tried using their bracelet keys but the door was still physically latched as well as magically.

    ¡°I get the feeling Professor Kaban forgot there was class today,¡± Seth said.

    ¡°Do you think this is another test?¡±

    ¡°Actually,¡± Seth said thoughtfully, ¡°I think it could. Good thinking.¡± He backed up and scanned the tower, but didn¡¯t see any clues all the way up. ¡°Any suggestions?¡±

    Owen stood at the door a moment, his aggravation growing. ¡°Start simple, I guess.¡± He turned and pounded on the door as hard as he could.

    Seth snickered. ¡°If that¡¯s not loud enough, try kicking it?¡±

    Owen did kick the door after a few minutes. While they waited Seth noticed all the students at the other towers had gone into class and the courtyard was empty. Mau was looking up at the Celestial Tower and had wandered off in a circuit of the tower

    The minutes continued to tick by. Owen wound up to kick the door even harder this time and just as his foot lashed out the door jerked open.

    ¡°Gggglll,¡± the professor choked and fell backwards clutching himself in an unfortunate area.

    Owen stood frozen in open mouthed shock, just as surprised as the professor but in significantly less pain.

    ¡°We¡¯re so sorry!¡± Seth apologized for the both of them as he rushed over. ¡°No one was answering and the door was locked.¡±

    The professor was curled up on the stone tiles and ignored the boys. He wore the blue of professors, but his clothes were rumpled and dirty. Seth recognized him as the vagrant looking man from the Rainbow Tower test and wondered what he was doing in the Celestial Tower. Maybe he was a school employee instead of someone affiliated with a specific tower? Seth still didn¡¯t understand the nuances of how the school was administered.

    ¡°What the fuck was that for?¡± the professor managed to finally choke out.

    "I kicked the teacher," Owen said, still standing there in shock.

    "We have class here," Seth tried to explain, "and the door was locked."

    "So you kicked me?"

    ¡°I''m sorry, It was an accident,¡± Owen explained, ¡°I meant to kick the door. I wasn¡¯t expecting you to open it.¡±

    ¡°If you are banging on a door loud enough to summon demons why wouldn¡¯t you expect it to open?¡± the professor demanded.

    ¡°Because it hadn¡¯t opened any other time we knocked,¡± Owen answered.

    The professor pushed himself up and waved off the boys¡¯ attempts to help him. He staggered into the common area and collapsed into a plush chair. ¡°I need a few minutes and then you can tell me why the fuck you were kicking my door in.¡±

    ¡°We¨C¡± Owen started but was cut off with a sharp gesture by the professor.

    ¡°What part of ¡®I need a few minutes¡¯ are you having trouble with?¡± The professor shot Owen a dark look before closing his eyes again.

    Seth looked around the tower. The entire first floor was open, and was a rather comfortable common area that looked thoroughly lived in. He hadn¡¯t paid any attention to it his first time through, having been in a hurry to fetch the keys. There were chairs and couches arranged in a few distinct conversation areas. One of the couches still had blankets on it like someone was sleeping there. There were also desks and tables and one wall was all bookshelves. Papers and books were scattered over all of them and the bookshelves had random items stacked up in all the gaps where books were missing. There was no dust or dirt anywhere. The mess was more a mid-project disorganization than the dirt of someone who never tidies up, but clearly this project had been going on for a while.

    The professor let out a big breath. ¡°Fine. Now why are you two assholes bothering me?¡±

    ¡°We have class scheduled for today,¡± Owen answered.

    ¡°So?¡±

    ¡°We have class here, sir. In this tower, with Professor Kaban,¡± Seth clarified.

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    ¡°I don¡¯t teach first years. None of you have enough basics for it to be worth the effort.¡±

    ¡°Are you the only professor for this tower?¡± Seth asked, surprised.

    ¡°Of course not. I am the only professor for this tower on campus now though. Dimensional mages are in high demand, and the second year class isn¡¯t until tomorrow so you two can piss off.¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t teach first years, then why were there keys during the Gauntlet?¡± Seth asked.

    ¡°The school requires a minimum number of slots, but I just put a dimensional warp up so no one can get in. Even a third year can¡¯t bypass it.¡±

    ¡°We got in,¡± Owen said. ¡°We both got keys.¡±

    Professor Kaban scowled at him and got up, somewhat painfully, and went over to the table in the foyer.

    ¡°Well, shit. There are keys missing. How the hell did you manage that?¡±

    Seth and Owen exchanged a look and Seth shook his head.

    ¡°Are you going to teach us?¡± Owen asked.

    ¡°Are you not going to tell me unless I agree to teach you?¡± the professor scoffed. ¡°I already told you there¡¯s no point. Neither of you have the basics you need to do anything that I could teach you.¡±

    ¡°Why do we need basics to even study?¡± Seth asked.

    ¡°Because dimensional forces are dangerous. You can¡¯t experiment with them without serious effects happening. And most of those effects will kill you or someone else.¡±

    Seth thought about the exploding ink bottles and burning papers from the copy spell practice.

    ¡°We earned the right to be here,¡± Owen argued. ¡°I¡¯m here to learn more about my talent and what it is.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here to learn more about magic sources and how someone could lose their power and ways to regain it,¡± Seth added.

    Professor Kaban snorted. ¡°Powers don¡¯t get misplaced where you can just find them again later.¡±

    ¡°My brother lost his power. I want to help him get it back.¡±

    The professor raised an eyebrow and considered Seth. ¡°That sounds like a Circle Tower project.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m signed up for class there too.¡±

    ¡°Then why here? What made you think the Celestial Tower could help you?¡±

    ¡°Magic comes from the celestial, right? The aether in the Above or something? If I could learn more about that and how it relates to how someone uses magic, I thought I could find out what isn¡¯t working anymore for my brother.¡±

    ¡°There are plenty of people smarter than you working on that.¡±

    ¡°Then they are smart enough to accept whatever help they can get. I don¡¯t expect to solve it before them, but I do want to know and learn whatever I can that will help both them and him.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t think that they will tell him if they discover a cure?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure they will, but he is not going to be a top priority.¡±

    Professor Kaban nodded and looked at Owen. ¡°You don¡¯t know what your power is?¡± He sounded slightly incredulous.

    ¡°I know what I can do with it. I¡¯m not stupid,¡± Owen defended himself. ¡°What I don¡¯t know is how I can do it or what else I could use it for.¡±

    The professor sighed and tilted his head back with his eyes closed.

    Seth and Owen waited. Seth noticed Mau walking through the things on the tables, clearly very interested in what she was looking at. He was tempted to go look himself.

    ¡°Can I ask you a question?¡± Seth asked the professor.

    ¡°You already did,¡± he answered.

    Seth ignored the professor¡¯s flip answer. ¡°Why were you in the Rainbow Tower during the Gauntlet? Do you teach there too?¡±

    ¡°I was never in the Rainbow Tower.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I talked to an illusion of you then during the Gauntlet.¡±

    ¡°My brother likes to make sure people see me and think I¡¯m useful around the school. He seems to think I¡¯m in danger of losing my job.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine why he¡¯d think that,¡± Owen said.

    The professor glared at Owen. ¡°I am very good at my job.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯ll teach us then?¡± Seth asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t teach first years.¡±

    ¡°So what job are you good at then?¡± Owen asked.

    ¡°Not wasting time and effort on smartasses who will only kill themselves and others. I''ve more important things to do.¡±

    ¡°You are supposed to teach us.¡± Seth pushed. ¡°We won this tower in the Gauntlet. Your name is on my course list.¡±

    The professor scowled. ¡°I¡¯ll let you read from the tower library. Not all books, and nothing leaves the tower without permission.¡±

    ¡°You know that¡¯s not what we want,¡± Seth said. ¡°We want to learn. Actual teaching. I can read on my own time.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like a me problem. If you¨C What the hell is that?¡± The professor spotted Mau sitting amongst the papers on a table.

    ¡°My familiar, Mau.¡±

    ¡°Your familiar. You sure about that?¡± He walked over to the cat to get a closer look, but didn¡¯t reach out to touch her. ¡°Who would do a familiar ritual for that?¡±

    Seth saw no reason to keep Isolde a secret. He explained her to the professor who laughed at the story.

    ¡°Why is it weird that she is my familiar?¡± Seth asked.

    Professor Kaban just shook his head. ¡°The heavens love idiots and fools. I¡¯ll tell you what, if you can master some fundamentals, and not die while doing so, I¡¯ll put something together to teach you. It¡¯s going to work like this: I give you each one book. Study it and bring it back and I give you another. One book at a time.¡± He pulled a book off a shelf for Seth, and another from a different bookcase for Owen.

    Seth looked at the title, ¡®The Travelog of Jacques de Faere¡¯. He had no idea why Professor Kaban would choose this book. It had nothing to do with learning fundamentals. He looked at the bookshelf. There were over a hundred books on it.

    Owen looked at his book. ¡°You didn¡¯t ask me what my power was, how do you know this book will help me?¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t know how your power works, I¡¯m not likely to figure it out just by you describing it. A fire power doesn¡¯t work like an earth power. That one has a bunch of cantrips in it, simple stuff all of it, and if you find you¡¯ve an affinity to any of them it¡¯ll give you clues where to look for more answers.¡±

    ¡°Why a travelog for me?¡± Seth asked.

    ¡°You¡¯ll figure it out as you read it. Ah, and one more thing." Professor Kaban walked over to a cabinet and rummaged through the drawers until he found what he was looking for. He held it out to Seth.

    It was a rock. It was heavy like it was made of metal, but had a crystal like structure to it.

    "What do I do with this?" Seth asked.

    "Do I get one?" Owen asked.

    "Consider that a group project. Your first lesson is identifying objects. You need to know what you''re working with before you can actually work it. When you can tell me the properties and makeup of that rock, I''ll give you your next lesson. Now get lost.¡±

    Seth stood there for a moment. ¡°There are hundreds of materials we''ll need to test this for. And it¡¯ll take us all year to go through that bookshelf. You¡¯re stalling and this is a tactic to get rid of us.¡±

    ¡°I thought the books weren¡¯t supposed to leave the tower?¡± Owen asked.

    ¡°Without permission. You''ve got permission. And if you want to feel like this is a real assignment, then how about an essay on what the book is supposed to teach you and why I gave it to you? Say, five pages?¡±

    Seth walked over to Mau and set the travelog on the table with a snap. He picked up a pile of messenger tubes on a chair and dropped them on the floor before sitting down. The tubes clattered and rolled across the floor.

    ¡°No, no, no. You two can get lost now, I¡¯m busy.¡±

 22 - Pinwheels

    The following afternoon Seth was on his way to the Wind Tower for his first official instruction in how to use his talent. Or at least he would be on his way if his familiar would cooperate.

    Seth had decided to work on training her to follow him and stay nearby. He told her what he wanted, and then put her on the ground. He walked a few steps away, and she stayed sitting where she was.

    "No, Mau. Come. Follow me. Come on." He turned around and went back to stand her up. She lay on her stomach. "I know you understand me, so stop it. You need to stay with me. Follow me by my feet. Walk next to my heels, okay?"

    She yawned and closed her eyes.

    He picked her up so only her feet touched the ground and started walking with her. "Walk next to me like this, Mau. Follow me. Do you understand?"

    She went completely boneless.

    "There''s nothing like trying to train a cat, huh Seth?"

    "Oh, hey Blaise." Seth tried to get a good grip on his seemingly liquid cat. "Somehow I need to teach her to behave."

    "The only method I know of training animals is the carrot and the stick. Reward good behavior and punish bad behavior."

    "I don''t want to punish her or she might smother me in my sleep. She is a cat."

    Blaise chuckled. "Oh, it doesn''t need to be much. Like right now, is she behaving badly?"

    Mau lifted her head and narrowed her eyes at Blaise.

    "Uh-huh. You know you''re giving your buddy a hard time, don''t you?" Blaise smiled at Mau. "Bad kitty." She flicked her fingers and a spray of water hit the cat. It hit Seth too, but mostly Mau.

    Seth squeaked in startled pain as Mau suddenly ran up his arms and behind his head. Mau glared at Blaise from her perch on Seth''s shoulders.

    "Oh! Did she scratch you?" Blaise asked. "I''m sorry. I didn''t think she''d hurt you."

    "She didn''t do it on purpose. Her claws weren''t out, but they''re so sharp she got me anyway." Seth lifted a hand to scratch Mau''s head. "I think that''s enough for now anyway. Are you heading to the Wind Tower now too?"

    "That I am! I''m going to learn to blow dry my clothes every two minutes."

    "That''s¡­ a lot of mana. I suppose you''ve got plenty to spare though."

    "Do I. I haven''t been dry in almost a year now. I''m sick of my clothes being salty all the time too."

    Seth turned in surprise. "It''s not fresh water you produce? I thought you were getting it right out of the air."

    "Nope. Seawater. It''s not even useful water." Blaise sighed.

    The double door entrance to the Wind Tower was wide open. The tower itself looked like it was sculpted by wind out of white sand. Inside, the foyer led into a center atrium that was open all the way to the top of the tower. As Seth watched, an iris in the roof opened the tower to the sky. The floors going up had balconies open to the interior column of open space.

    It was bigger inside than it should have been. Seth hadn''t noticed that with the other towers, but in thinking about it, it was probably true that all the towers were expanded internally. That was some impressive, and old, magic. To the best of his knowledge, no one knew how to do that to a building any more.

    He followed Blaise into a large auditorium. It had benches and narrow tables similar to the Structured Magic classroom. The front of the class had a series of six pinwheels set up. There were probably about fifty students in the class. Seth noticed that at least some of them were second year students.

    He sat down next to Blaise and put Mau on the empty desk next to him. He hung his bag from the back of his chair so it wouldn''t sit in the puddle Blaise generated. Blaise was busy setting up her towels.

    The teacher walked into class a few minutes early and waited for everyone to get settled. He was a slender man on the short side with black hair and a closely trimmed goatee.

    "Good afternoon," he said and smiled at the class. "I am Professor Armand. I am the Wizard of the Wind Tower. I am very pleased to meet you all."

    There was a smattering of "Good afternoon, Professor," from the class.

    Professor Armand smiled and rubbed his hands together. "Excellent. We''ll get to know each other during class. How this will work is I will be presenting spells to you, and explaining the theory behind them, and then we''ll get right into practice. Most of the class will be practical. All of the spells presented will be wind based structured type spells. We have a number of people here without a wind affinity. Never fear, you''ll be able to participate fully. The first spell we are going to be working on is called ''Breeze''. It is one of the most fundamental uses of wind and ¡­" the professor continued to explain the spell and how it was structured.

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    Seth listened to the professor and was reminded of classes he''d taken with his father as the instructor. His father loved teaching. These spells were probably the exact same ones he had taught Saben when Saben first got his wind power. Seth remembered how happy their father had been when Saben got the same talent their father had. His father never got the opportunity to teach Seth.

    Seth pushed the thoughts away. A crowded classroom was not the time for that. Just don''t think about it, Seth told himself as he rubbed the affinity bracelet. Focus on the lesson.

    This spell was the structured form of what Saben had tried to teach him. Seth had used a variant of this to move the banners during the Gauntlet. The one Saben had taught him had a little more oomph to it, but this one sounded simpler.

    Professor Armand then called a small group down to the front to cast the spell at the pinwheels, including Seth. Seth glanced over at Mau. She was sitting attentively on her desk, absolutely focused on the professor. She stayed put on the desk when he got up and he felt he didn''t need to worry about her. Good.

    Professor Armand asked each student in the group their name as he coached them. The first had no trouble and the pinwheel spun briskly. The second had a little more trouble getting the spell right, but within a minute or two had his pinwheel spinning.

    Then it was Seth''s turn. All right, Seth thought to himself. I can do this. This is normal, structured, magic. I don''t need to hear the wind to make it work. He concentrated and shaped the spell in his mind, and did the incantation and gesture.

    The wind resisted him. It didn''t want to move the way he wanted it to, just like always. So he applied more energy to it, like he usually did, to force it to do as he wished.

    All six of the pinwheels spun, but slowly.

    "That''s quite a bit there, son. Seth, right? Let''s try that again on a smaller scale. Keep to the structured form, and don''t try to alter it." He gave Seth more advice on narrowing the focus of the spell by adjusting his concentration. "Intent is an important part of spellcasting," Professor Armand advised Seth and also the rest of the class. "Magic will often reflect what your true intent is. If you are not specific enough in your intent, some types of magic will fail entirely. Now, try again."

    Nervous that the whole class was watching him fail, Seth tried again. My intent is to spin that one wheel. He did the spell again. He fought the wind again. This time only three pinwheels spun, but still slowly.

    Seth looked at Professor Armand who was gazing at the pinwheels with his eyes half shut.

    "Hmm," the Professor hummed thoughtfully. "Try this. You see where that pinwheel is? Hold that location in your mind. Now close your eyes. Cast the spell again without looking. Just the spell as structured. Don''t try to add anything."

    Seth took a deep breath to calm himself. He tried not to glance at the rest of the class and tried not to think of everyone watching him. This wasn''t failure, this was training. He looked at the pinwheel and then closed his eyes. Not being able to see it made it hard for him to focus on it the same way. Nervous, he cast the spell. He didn''t feel nearly the push back from the wind as he did the first two times he''d tried to cast it. He released the spell and then opened his eyes. One pinwheel was spinning rapidly. He''d cast it flawlessly.

    "Good job," Professor Armand said, patting Seth''s shoulder. "All right. That''s three examples. Now you three, all give it a go together and we''ll get the next group down."

    Seth headed back to his seat and puzzled at the Professor''s solution. Casting with his eyes shut worked. He could cast with his eyes open too, but it wasn''t as effective. What was it that made casting difficult? Was he too focused on his target? Was closing his eyes making it easier to ''listen to the wind'' like Saben always told him? How did having your eyes shut help you hear better?

    It didn''t sound different to him though. He did feel a difference in focus, and he did feel more¡­ connected wasn''t the right word. Aware maybe?

    Well, he''d practice with it. He could cast with his eyes shut for a month or two while he sorted out his ability to use his wind. Casting blind would be a disadvantage, but he figured this would be temporary. And the structured form was so much easier than the unstructured form Saben had tried to teach him.

    He watched the other students practicing, and noticed some ways he could improve more. Blaise got hers the first try. And there wasn''t much water in the stream of wind she created either.

    "Alright. Any questions before we move on to our next spell?" Professor Armand asked.

    Blaise held her hand up and when called upon she asked, "Why is this spell so much easier than the copy spell?"

    "The copy spell you are learning in Structured Magic is actually considered a medium difficulty spell. The academy chooses to teach it as the first structured magic spell for several reasons. One, it''s a very useful spell. Two, it utilizes several aspects of spellcasting that you will need to master. By having a spell you''re working on to relate those concepts to, it makes using and understanding those concepts easier in the long run." Professor Armand nodded to Blaise. "And the breeze spell is cantrip level. It''s one of the most basic forms of using wind and is usually the first thing unstructured elemental mages learn to do with it."

    Seth wrote down the basics of the spell, but didn''t think he''d need the notes. He considered writing some of his thoughts on how his power was reacting but decided against it.

    "All right," Professor Armand said. "Let''s start on the next spell. This one is ''Whisper''. It will allow you to send a very brief message to someone a short distance away."

    This one was a beginner level spell. It was more complex than the cantrip, but still not too complicated. The spell could only send about five syllables worth of a message, and the range was less than a mile. It was also not secure, as anyone who could ''listen to the wind'' could hear the message being carried on the wind.

    Most of the rest of class was each student practicing sending their name to the professor in a whisper. When he got it, Professor Armand wrote the student''s name on the board. Seth was really pleased with himself when he managed it before Blaise did, and not everyone succeeded by the end of class. Seth felt he was finally making good progress and Professor Armand was an excellent teacher.

    It wasn''t until class was dismissed that Seth realized Mau wasn''t sitting on her desk anymore.

 23 - There Were Treasures Here

    I''m not one for self torture. When Gandalf and his classmates were practicing a magic that I couldn''t participate in, I decided I''d entertain myself elsewhere. It didn''t hurt that the door was conveniently left open so cats without thumbs could walk out.

    I sat just outside the door for a moment and glanced back. No one had noticed me leaving as they were all focused on their work. Such good little students.

    It was beginning to frustrate me, some of the things about magic that I just didn''t get. I could feel magic in my whiskers. I could sense it very clearly now, although I can''t yet determine the type of magic or what it does. I am getting very good at knowing where mana is. Actually, I should differentiate those. Mana is not quite the same as magic. Magic is made of mana, and mana is what you use to do magic. But it''s more like the difference between fuel and fire. It did make me wonder if there were other sources of magic than mana.

    Eh, that doesn''t matter right now. I''m still learning mana and I don''t need to complicate this shit any more than it already is.

    But back to mana. All the kids could use it. They could move it through spells and trigger effects with it. None of the lessons were about how to access it, how to touch it, or how to move it. It was expected that they''d all already know.

    I can''t do those things.

    There are things the professors have talked about like ''intent'', ''shape the spell'', and ''concentration''. All of these concepts don''t actually tell me anything about how to use mana.

    Why can''t I use mana? Is it because I''m a cat?

    Ugh. I''m done with these thoughts again. Let''s go check out this tardis. I stood and walked along the balcony.

    Yup. That''s another thing. I know that a tardis is something that''s bigger on the inside than it is outside. And maybe it can do something else? Eh. Where do I know that from? No idea. Who uses a tardis? No clue. I guess they were normal things in my old world. I don''t actually know.

    I''ve already taken a moment to appreciate the beauty of the place. The primary materials were wind sculpted white sandstone, with blond wood balustrades curving as if the tree grew that way in high wind. Sharp color accents gave the feel of petals on the wind. Whoever designed this was an artist. All of these special towers were gorgeous, honestly. But what was their purpose? They weren''t spread about the city like trophies, so beauty wasn''t the main point. And there was mana here. A fair bit of it.

    And also birds. A fair bit of them too. Familiars, I bet. I peered around the atrium at the swooping avians.

    I''ve got an entire magical tower to explore and about a half hour or so before class ends. What do I want to do? Find something shiny and valuable of course. Like a hidden secret.

    Wandering aimlessly around corridors was boring. I wanted the good stuff on this field trip. And since this was a tower, that meant either going way up or way down. Since I didn''t know if these things had basements, I decided up was the most interesting choice. It had nothing to do with that''s where I could sense the most mana.

    I walked with purpose, like I knew where I was going. It''s the easiest way to be invisible. There were people who were aware of me though, like those three upperclassmen over there. They were talking to a professor and all of them had wing patches sewn on their shoulders. Either these guys were in a club of some type or had learned how to fly. Or something else entirely. I liked the idea that they could fly though. That would be fun.

    Oh look, stairs! I wasn''t sure I would find any, this being so open and presumably the go to magic tower for flight. The other towers used elevating platforms. In this one I guess you walked or flew. Or I just haven''t spotted the platforms yet. The stairs were tucked away so that was a possibility. As I went up the floors there were classrooms, boring, what looked like dorm room hallways, more boring, and then offices. Those piqued my interest a bit, but most of the doors were shut. Oh the tribulations of a thumbless cat.

    I sat in a shadow and looked around. This was the sixth floor of the tower, which from the outside looked to have no more than seven floors. From this vantage point, It felt like I was half way up. I could tell there was more mana up here. I bet the top floor was loaded with the stuff. Alas, I couldn''t fly and the stairs ended here.

    Getting an accurate sense of this building was impossible. I knew how to judge a space and know when there were secret rooms or hidden safes. But that was all moot when a wizard could just create space out of nothing.

    I have so many things to learn here before I can pick up my old trade. I''d get rusty if I wasn''t careful. Actually, I hadn''t given that much thought. Do I want to keep doing my old trade?

    I looked up at the open iris at the top of the tower, and then at the surrounding spaces where there had to be unique and valuable prizes. There were treasures here that did more than look pretty.

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    Yes. I liked my job.

    As I was looking up I noticed a shadow under the balcony above me. There was an open duct or tunnel there, and it was the perfect size for a cat. I''d need to make a leap from the floor to the ceiling to get in.

    My body knew what to do, but it wasn''t actually that good at it. It took three tries to make the height, and then I discovered that my claws were sharp enough to sink into the soft sandstone here. I clawed the last few inches into the tunnel.

    There was a stiff and steady breeze in this tunnel, far more than a typical air duct. I think I''ll call this a breezeway. At no time did the breezeway darken, even though it was made of stone. It was like the white of the sandstone defied darkness. I trotted down what proved to be a maze of connecting tunnels. There were openings into the offices that had their doors closed. Others went down to the dorms and classrooms, and the ones I followed went up. I wanted to see what was at the top of this tower.

    I wasn''t going to get there through these ducts though. I quickly figured out that the tunnels didn''t connect the whole tower. I would have to exit this breezeway and enter a different set in a room somewhere. I was also running out of time. Class would be ending soon.

    I could hear talking occasionally from the breezeway. People were so polite. I heard lots of "Excuse me," and "Sorry, I''m running late,'''' or "Pardon me, coming through."

    I came to the highest room I could get to and figured this would be the best bet for switching breezeways. It looked like someone''s workroom. Bookcases lined half the room and there were three tables. One was covered in apparatuses that I didn''t know the use of. Another had maps and diagrams. The third had a young man with the wing patch doing something with a small flat object and taking notes.

    There was another breezeway opening on the other side of the room. By the looks of it, I could walk all the way around on the tops of the bookcases, with only two jumps between them. The problem was the bookcases had lots of junk on top.

    Normally a cat would have no trouble with this. I should have no trouble with this. But I was still relatively new at being a cat. And this cat body was actually still a cub. My legs were shorter than they would be if I were an adult housecat, and my feet were so big they were practically clodhoppers. I was awkward and clumsy still.

    Could I land silently? Could I jump without being seen? Unlikely. Go back?

    Nah. I decided to carefully make my way around. I took my time across the first bookcase. The second was more clear, and an easy jump across. The wing guy never looked up. From the second bookcase I could get a better look at what he was doing and what was on the second table.

    It wasn''t a map or diagrams on the table, but a blueprint. I couldn''t read the words, but I can recognize building schematics when I see them. And the naked bones of a building sitting on the table like that got my curiosity up.

    It was a building with areas blocked off, and what looked like cells. There were a few open spaces that had notes on them. Arrows pointed to a few spots here and there with more notes. Access points?

    This looked like a prison. Some of the layouts struck me as odd, but I didn''t know much about keeping magic people behind bars. I focused on the blueprint and did my best to memorize it. As soon as I tried I thought of several different mnemonic tricks to help me and knew I''d done exactly this before.

    One of these days I''d figure out what exactly was going on with my memories.

    I was distracted by sound coming from the coin-like thing the guy was fiddling with. He gave a relieved sigh and titled his head to listen. I focus both ears.

    "If he comes by again, will you go?" I heard someone saying from the coin.

    "No way. Scorpius hasn''t been back at all. I''m not going." This one sounded really young to me.

    "It''s got to be better than here," another young one said.

    "Or he''s dead and can''t come back. I''m not going to go."

    "Scorpius is an ass. I like it better with him not here."

    There was a shout from outside and the wing guy tossed a book on top of the coin before heading to the door.

    I had a split second to make a decision. The coin thing was some sort of spying device. The guy was looking at prison schematics. The possibilities as I saw them were: he was investigating a jailbreak, he was planning a jailbreak, or he was involved in some type of trafficking.

    The fact that he hid the device cinched it for me. I was taking it. If he were an honest investigator he wouldn''t have felt the need to do that.

    I was down off the bookcase, slid the book out of the way, grabbed the coin in my mouth, then back up onto the last bookcase and into the breezeway in less than three seconds.

    "Just a sec, I''ll be right there," the wing guy said and came back into the room. I could hear him rummaging around and then, "oh shit, oh shit, oh shit."

    I scooted as silently as I could away from him. I took the next shaft upwards and then turned right to head to the balconies. Once I was somewhere level I spat out the coin.

    It was made of stone and the size of a coin. It resembled a sand dollar as it wasn''t truly flat but peaked a bit in the middle. It was cloudy white quartz with a hint of green. I don''t know if by taking it I turned off the spy feature, but it was quiet right now. This wasn''t what I had in mind for this adventure, but that was fine.

    I picked it back up in my mouth and once again cursed my lack of pockets. Time to head back to Seth.

    I rounded a corner and got a face full of bird.

    "Gack!" I said as I nearly choked on the coin.

    "Aahk!" said the bird as it tumbled by then kept flying.

    Shit. I had swallowed my stolen magic spy gadget.

    "Watch where you''re going, dumbass!" I hissed quietly. Not like the bird would know what I''m saying even if it did hear me. But it made me feel better to say it. Fucking inconvenient. I was not looking forward to retrieving that spy gadget.

    I kept going to the end of the breezeway and was about to hop out when I was struck by another fucking bird.

    This one was big. It swooped out of a bigger side tunnel just as I was jumping out onto the balcony and we collided in mid air. The eagle crashed into the balcony. I sailed over the railing and into free fall. I was heading for the floor some eight or so stories down.

 24 - Spyglass

    Seth scooped his notes and supplies into his bag, hardly pausing to even make sure his ink bottle was securely closed. He rushed out to the atrium and tried to sense where Mau was. She''d just gone from angry to panicked.

    She was straight up. And falling.

    Seth ran to be positioned directly under her. Just catch her? No, wind to break the fall first. He shut his eyes and cast Breeze smaller and more focused than he''d ever done before. With his eyes closed, he used the familiar link to ''see'' where she was.

    It was enough. Her fall was significantly slowed and he caught her gently.

    "I should strangle you," Seth said between his teeth.

    "Nice catch!"

    Seth turned to see three people drop to the ground beside him. He looked up at the tower''s upper floors wondering where they came from. "Did you drop down from way up there?" Seth asked.

    "Sure did. Name''s Ace. Leader of the Wingmen." Ace showed Seth his wing patch. "That was some quick casting. Sorry about your familiar. There was a collision up there and mine knocked yours over the edge." Ace gave the cat a little bow. "Auru apologizes."

    Mau grumbled. Seth held her firmly and told Ace, "Mau apologizes too. Are you Ace from Lilandrium? I think you know my brother, Saben."

    "Of course!" Ace indicated his two mates. "We are all friends with Saben. I was really hoping he''d be able to take over as leader when I graduate this year. He was fantastically talented." Ace shook his head and put a hand to his chest. "I am so sorry about what happened last spring. We did everything we could. We really did."

    Seth nodded. "Thank you. I''m still doing what I can, too. If you''re available, maybe we can talk about what you''ve tried and what happened? Saben hasn''t really wanted to talk much about it."

    "You bet. Anything to help out a friend. As Saben''s brother and with a wind talent too, you''re a shoo-in for the Wingmen! You''ll have to come to our tryouts in a few weeks. Boss says we''ve gotta give the fresh meat time to acclimate first. But joining the Wingmen is the best. All of us can fly! You start as a plebe and learn all the best stuff. And after, when we leave school, we join the Windguard and are part of the first line of defense against wyverns. Wingmen are top tier and the place to be. Don''t listen to any sparkies or charheads."

    Seth wasn''t so sure about fighting wyverns. He''d rather pass on that. And he''d never heard of sparkies or charheads.

    Another Wingman dropped to the ground nearby and Mau got really tense.

    "Hey, I gotta scram. I''ll catch you later and we''ll talk. In the meantime settle in. I''ll send Auru with a message in a few days." Ace pointed finger guns at Mau and winked. "Flying familiars are the best familiars. And you, kitty, practically flew!"

    Ace and his buddies joined the newcomer. After talking for a moment all four shot up to the upper floors.

    "I might join them just to learn the fly spell," Seth said. "And now you." He turned the familiar to look her in the face. "Just what were you thinking? I''m still on probation! You can''t be wandering off like that."

    Mau blinked slowly. Seth sighed. He didn''t know if that meant she was sorry or if she didn''t care. "Let''s go."

    Outside Seth decided to head for the dining hall. It was a little early for dinner, but he figured he could get at least one assignment done before it was served. He was about half way there when Mau suddenly struggled to get down.

    "No, I''m not letting go of you. You''ve been a bad kitty."

    Mau struggled more and Seth tightened his grip. Until the cat started gagging. Then he put her down in the grass. She immediately took off but only to run behind some bushes. "What''s wrong, Mau?"

    Mau started coughing and gagging.

    "How did you get sick so fast?" Seth asked. "You were fine just a minute ago!" Seth paced around the puking cat as much as the bushes would allow. "I don''t actually know if there are healers for familiars, or what to do if you''re sick." He looked over at the Circle Tower and debated running over there. He didn''t want to leave the cat though. He tried to figure out if he could carry her while she was coughing or if that would make things worse.

    Finally the cat finished coughing. In front of her, in a pile of cat puke, was a whitish object. Mau brushed her tongue through her teeth as if clearing a bad taste. Then she blinked smugly up at him as if she''d done something amazing.

    Seth looked from the pile of puke to the cat and back. The object made a noise. It was magic.

    "Oh, no, no, no. What is that? I''m on probation Mau! What did you do? Did you steal that by swallowing it?" Seth ran his hands through his hair and kept pacing. "I can''t return it. If I go back there with this they''ll know we took it and I''ll be expelled. I can''t keep it. If they find it on me or can detect it somehow, I''ll get expelled. Why would you do this?"

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    Mau looked from the slimy object to Seth and meowed, clearly still proud of herself. Seth had no idea what she was trying to tell him, but answered anyway. "I have no idea if they can track this. I don''t even know what it is." Seth paused his pacing and looked at the cat. "We can leave it here. This has nothing to do with us. We''ll just pretend you never touched it."

    Mau shook her head.

    "I said we''re leaving it."

    Mau stood and lashed her tail. She turned to face him and sat firmly. She tilted her head and shook it ''no'' again. The message was clear to Seth. She wanted it and was going to keep it. If he tried to leave it she''d just come back for it. And probably puke it on his bed next time.

    Seth closed his eyes and sighed. "Fine. Just what exactly do you want me to do?"

    She pointed a paw at Seth and then the stone and flexed her claws.

    "You can''t pick it up or carry it, so you want me to."

    Mau nodded.

    Seth stared at the slimy thing. Why would she take it? Was she attracted to its magic? Was it doing something she was interested in? He didn''t think it was an artifact, it was more likely to be someone''s enchanted trinket for something minor. Actually, he had no way of knowing that other than he really hoped it wasn''t an artifact.

    "Actually, I do know where I can put it. All right. Let''s hope Isaac is out of the dorm." Seth snapped a twig off the bush and flipped Mau''s stolen loot onto a piece of paper. He then folded up the paper and stuffed it down the bottom of the bag.

    Seth didn''t pick up Mau and didn''t let her climb up to his shoulder. "No. I''m really mad at you right now. You can''t be doing this to me. I can''t get expelled, Mau. I can''t. I need you to be working with me on this."

    Mau followed dutifully, keeping right at his heels. Mostly.

    Seth made a quick stop in a washroom to rinse off the slimy stone. Thankfully, it wasn''t making noise anymore. Seth was relieved to open the door to the tiny room to find it unoccupied. Isaac wasn''t bad as a roommate, but he was pretty casual about keeping his things to his side of the room. There was currently a pile of dirty clothes at the foot of Isaac''s bed that was transforming into a carpet. Isaac''s sword and shield were currently under the bed with other mostly unseen junk.

    Seth sighed and stepped over to his trunk and unlocked it. He pulled out the long wooden box. It had been months since he last opened this.

    Mau meowed at him from the bed. Seth realized he''d been standing there just looking at the box.

    "Sorry," Seth said to the cat. He turned and sat down on the floor and leaned his back against the trunk. He laid the box in his lap.

    Mau hopped down and sat next to him.

    "This was my father''s," he told the cat quietly. "He gave it to me a couple years ago. There are enchantments on the wood, so your stone should be safe in here."

    Seth gently worked the lock and opened the box. Inside was his father''s spyglass lying on rich blue velvet, just as it was when he''d given it to Seth. It was made of polished black metal trimmed in copper. Leather wrapping covered the eyepieces.

    "He loved the stars," Seth told Mau. "I loved them too. He was a teacher, and he would show me charts and we''d go look at the stars. I know every constellation in the sky, and almost all the names of all the stars. I loved it, watching the sky with him."

    Mau shoved her head under his arm and leaned into him.

    "It should have been him teaching me today." Seth took an unsteady breath. "It should have been him teaching me wind spells, like he taught Saben."

    Seth felt the hole in his heart where his father had been. It had been months now, but the hole was every bit as empty now as it had been then. He rubbed a palm on his cheek.

    This wasn''t helping anything. He needed to get a handle on himself, but couldn''t quite manage it. "I''m sorry," he apologized to the cat again. "Today was a bit rough, you know?"

    Mau snuggled up to him and mewed, the tiny sound of a little kitten. He hugged her close until he felt calmer.

    "Thank you," he whispered a little while later.

    He let go of the cat and pulled over his bag. "Here," Seth started to pull out Mau''s stone. He indicated a depression in the velvet at the far end of the box. "We can put it here where my mom''s necklace was. I lost it not long after my dad gave this to me." Seth chuckled sadly. "I never told him I lost it. I suppose it doesn''t matter now."

    Mau put herself between Seth''s hand and the box, and put a paw on the stone. She shook her head.

    "This is the safest place for this," Seth said.

    Mau shook her head, then patted the spyglass with her paw, and then shook her head again.

    Seth puzzled over that for a moment. "Not the spyglass? Don''t risk the spyglass?"

    Mau nodded.

    "I don''t think you understand, Mau. I cannot get caught with your stolen stone."

    Mau gently closed the wooden box with one paw. Then she got down off his lap and trotted over to Isaac''s dirty laundry. She snagged a sock in one claw and brought it back to Seth.

    "You want me to hide this stone in Isaac''s dirty sock? That''s not going to stop someone from tracking it."

    Mau nodded.

    Skeptical of the cat''s plan, Seth put the stone in the sock. Mau made a circle motion with her paw, and Seth bundled the stone more securely.

    "All right, now what?"

    Mau snagged the dirty bundle and dragged it with her under Isaac''s bed. Seth lay on the floor and watched her navigate through Isaac''s junk and slice a hole in his mattress with her sharp claws. She stuffed the sock into the hole.

    Seth blinked at her. "They''ll think he''s the one that stole it."

    Mau nodded.

    "That''s not right."

    Mau shrugged. She pointed to the bed, then to Seth, then to the spyglass in its box.

    "I get it. What would be the biggest risk." Seth considered it. "Isaac doesn''t know anything about it. He might be able to claim it was there all along. No one saw you with the stone because you swallowed it, and I never went up the tower. And because Isaac hasn''t been in any trouble, he''ll probably just get probation even if they think he did it."

    Mau nodded again.

    "Alright. We''ll leave it there. I hope this thing is worth it." Seth gently put the spyglass box at the bottom of the trunk. He covered it and shut the trunk.

    Mau jumped up on the trunk and Seth picked her up and hugged her. "Let''s go get dinner."

 25 - The Circle of Life

    Seth picked up the random rock Mau was using as a toy and then picked her up.

    "You can play with this later," he told her and stuck the rock in a pocket. She''d found a rock that was about the same size as her stolen stone and had been playing with it almost all day, picking it up and dropping it and then picking it up with a different foot. Seth didn''t let her play with it during class that morning though, much to Mau''s annoyance.

    It was afternoon and he was heading for the Circle Tower today. He was both nervous and excited.

    Mau climbed up to his shoulder and grumbled at him before rubbing his face with her cheek. Through the familiar link he could tell she was concerned.

    "I know, I know. I may have to wait a bit for the answers. But they''re going to know here."

    Mau shook her head at him.

    "Professor Marjorie should be here. I can ask to get on the project at least."

    The Circle Tower had the images of living things, animals, plants, and monsters, all carved into the white stone. As Seth got closer and got a better look, it wasn''t made of stone, but carved from bone and ivory. It was as beautiful as the other towers, but had a more austere feel. Inside, the common room was very similar to the Celestial Tower. It had chairs arranged in conversation areas, tables and study spaces, and walls of bookshelves. After the Wind Tower, it was underwhelming.

    The classroom was up a floor. Instead of a lecture hall like Seth had been expecting, this was a work room. Eight tables were arranged in two groups of four, with four students to a table. On one side were shelves with potted plants and trays of supplies. On the other were shelves with pots and bags of dirt.

    The girl with the pearl earrings, the one he''d seen in the Rainbow Tower, was seated at one of the tables. Seth headed over to her table, hoping to at least get her name this time.

    Seth debated what to say to her as he put his bag on the floor and turned to the girl.

    A clink on the table got his attention. Arnold had just put a bottle of brown liquid on the table with a bit more force than necessary. What is he doing here?

    Seth and Arnold stared at each other for a moment. Arnold looked like he was going to say something, but decided against it. He just gave a forced smile and moved on to the next table where he put another bottle down.

    "Oh, no. You can''t sit here, sorry. This side of the room is for second term students," said an upperclassman that was putting out bottles of green liquid. She had red hair escaping a ponytail and looked to be a year or so older than Arnold. "See?" she said, and indicated the potted plants. "They''ve got all their projects here already. You two need to be on that side." She indicated the half of the room near the planting supplies.

    "Oh, sorry," mumbled the girl as she scooped up her bag.

    "No worries! Arnold should have told you. I don''t know why he didn''t." The redhead frowned at Arnold who was fetching something else from a cabinet.

    "It''s fine," Seth said. He hurried after the girl but there wasn''t a seat available at the table she''d chosen. There were no tables with two seats open anymore. Seth sighed and sat at a different table. One of these days he''d actually have a conversation with her.

    Three professors walked into the room. One of them was Professor Marjorie. Yes! He wouldn''t have to go looking for her again, and could just ask her all his questions after class and get onto that research team.

    Then she left the room.

    A grandmotherly woman with huge spectacles stepped to the middle of the room. "Greetings, class. I am Professor Cicily. I''ll be your instructor this term."

    As Professor Cicily introduced herself and outlined her expectations for the class, Seth watched the male professor carry in a box and place it on a low cabinet. Maybe he wasn''t a professor, but an assistant? He was just filing papers. He also moved really slow.

    "Both terms will be sharing this room," Professor Cicily continued and Seth dragged his attention back. "I will be doing a lesson with the first term students while the second term students do their maintenance on their projects. Then I''ll be doing the lesson for the second term students while the first term gets set up. We will be continuing this way for this term, and may need to continue it for next term as well. Now, you all know what you need to do, so you can get started." She gestured to the second term students. Seth guessed that these were second years that didn''t get the circle tower at the beginning of last year, so were only half a year ahead of his group.

    "We start with a project. You all will be given a tray of seeds that have been curated by your upperclassmen. You will be using a Detect Life spell on the seeds, and choose the one that you feel will thrive the best. Some of your upperclassmen like to put some ringers in the batches that are very difficult to grow, so choose carefully. You want a strong and healthy plant at the end of the year."

    Professor Cicily opened a book and cast what Seth recognized as the Copy Spell and the formula for Detect Life drew on the board at the front of the class. She then proceeded to explain the spell and demonstrated casting it.

    "All right. Arnold and Miranda, please pass out the seed trays and planting materials."

    "Excuse me, Professor," one of the other students said. "How is growing a plant a year long project? You just plant it and it grows. Most plants do best when you leave them alone and just water them."

    "These are not normal plants. All of these are magical in nature, and most of them are ingredients used in advanced healing. You will need to provide life energy and sometimes even death energy to them to keep them thriving. For now, choose the one you think will thrive the best. Now, homework for this side of the room. I want a description of each of your seeds and how the Detect Life spell felt for each one. You can turn in the homework if you can finish it before the end of class. If any of you are not able to cast Detect Life enough times for all of your seeds, that''s fine. Just pick the best one and plant that. You can take your spare seeds with you if you need to cast it later."

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    The redhead, Miranda, and Arnold gathered the trays of seeds and passed them out. Seth looked at the potted plants the second term students had in front of them now. Some of them were unusual looking. There was a small round bush with red tipped leaves, a spindly tree sapling that looked like it had claws for leaves, and one that looked like purple grass.

    Mau hissing brought Seth''s attention back. Arnold had just placed a tray of seeds in front of him and Mau was growling at him.

    "Hush, Mau," Seth said and picked up the cat. She wiggled her whiskers and hissed again, this time at the tray of seeds, then looked at Arnold. Arnold just smirked and continued passing out the seeds.

    Why was she mad at Arnold? Did Arnold''s snake do something? What was wrong with the seed tray? Seth didn''t know.

    Seth decided he may as well get started on the assignment. He sorted the dozen or so seeds in his tray. There were five different types of seeds with two or three of each. Most were the size of apple seeds, but of differing shapes. One type was a bit larger than an acorn, and another was the size of strawberry seeds. He started with the largest one.

    Detect Life was a cantrip level spell. It was different structurally than the Breeze spell, but it was equally as simple. Seth felt like this shouldn''t be too hard. He cast the spell.

    Nothing.

    He cast it again, being as meticulous as he could. Still nothing. He put aside that seed and chose another and cast again.

    Again, nothing.

    He took another seed. This time he cast the spell with his eyes closed. He tried to feel if his wind power was interfering at all.

    Nothing.

    "Mau, come here please." Seth cast the spell on Mau. She growled a bit at him, but let him. The spell worked. He could sense her life, and a vibrancy he didn''t expect. It felt like cold lightning. So that''s what he was supposed to be looking for. He was expecting something warmer and calmer. Thinking about it, he didn''t really know why he had any expectations. This was all new.

    Seth cast the spell on each of the remaining seeds. As he was casting the last one, he wondered how many more times he''d be able to cast it. It was only a cantrip, but still. Casting even a minor spell over a dozen times in half an hour will use up the mana pool of a new wizard.

    All of the seeds were dead.

    Mau cocked her head at him. She then looked over at Arnold, then at the tray of seeds, then back to Seth.

    Seth sucked a breath in. Mau thought Arnold had sabotaged his seeds? That wasn''t something he could really accuse the other student of. Seth looked around. Professor Cicily was still giving a lecture to the other half of the class. Miranda and Arnold were moving between tables, offering assistance. Then Arnold glanced over and smirked at Seth. Arnold was waiting for Seth to need assistance.

    Seth smiled back. He wouldn''t ask Arnold for help. As soon as Arnold looked away Seth stood up and walked over to the shelves that had all the trays and pots on it. There were no more trays of seeds. Sure, he could ask one of his table mates for spare seeds, but Seth didn''t want a second best plant.

    He looked through the jars and trays until he found a couple small chests. They weren''t locked so Seth unlatched one. There were seeds in this one, and they were probably the spare seeds for this project. Some looked like the same seeds on his tray so he palmed one of each. Curious, he looked in the other chest. This one had four types of seeds in it. One of them was pure white and round like a pearl. It reminded Seth of the color of the base of his mana tree before it turned minty green. He glanced around the classroom. Everyone was busy with their own work. Seth cast Detect Life on the white seed.

    It was strong. It was vibrant in the same way Mau was. This one was a contender.

    He scanned the classroom again. Professor Cicily was demonstrating for the second term students a spell that would reduce the need for water for a day. It was much more advanced than anything Seth could even attempt. It also had catastrophic ways it could go wrong. None of the second term students were allowed to try it yet. Both Miranda and Arnold were at a second term table talking to one of the students there. Their backs were to Seth.

    Seth quickly cast the spell on three of the other seed types. All were living seeds, and he could tell there was something different about each of them, but none resonated for him the way the pearly one did. He thought these might be the ringers the Professor had talked about. He palmed it and went back to his seat.

    Seth put together his pot and soil and followed the instructions on the board for planting his white seed. Then he put the biggest of his dead seeds on top, planted very shallowly. The rest of the new seeds he dumped in his bag to do for homework later.

    "How many times did you cast that?" the boy next to Seth asked. "I couldn''t cast it enough for all my seeds, and you did some of them twice."

    Seth just shrugged. "I''m not sure I was doing it right at first."

    "All right, that''s time," Professor Cicily announced. "Clean up your area and put your pots on the shelf with your name on it. Dismissed."

    Seth rushed to get his pot away and ran to the door before the Professor could leave. "Professor, could I ask you a couple questions please?"

    "Of course you may. I only have a few minutes though, as I have another class to get to. How can I help you?"

    "I heard that a healer in this tower lost their power and got it back again? Do you know anything about that?"

    "Why yes, he''s right here. Arnold," Professor Cicily called and gestured him over.

    Seth felt like the floor dropped out from underneath him.

    "Arnold here is one of the most talented healers this tower has ever had. He is also one of the lead assistants to Professor Marjorie''s research team. His power was one of the first to have issues this year." She turned to Arnold. "I believe your power was unusable for close to three months?"

    "Just under three months, yes." Arnold smiled at Seth.

    Seth had no idea what his expression was at this moment. This was a disaster. All his plans were dying right in front of him. He tried to think if there was any way to salvage this. He made the effort to be calm and professional. To the professor he said, "I would like to volunteer for the research team."

    Arnold shook his head. "I''ll mention it to Professor Marjorie, but I don''t see you having any talents we''d be interested in. The Professor, of course, has final say."

    Seth looked at the floor. This was too important to walk away from. But he also knew that Arnold would never let him on the team. Maybe if he asked Professor Marjorie directly?

    "Don''t worry," Arnold said, his smile getting wider. "There''s always next year. Study hard, and with some more experience, I''ll put in a good word for you. So long as you do well in this class."

    Seth did his best to squash the anger and frustration he felt. "How did you get your power back? My brother''s power is still missing. It''s been over three months."

    Arnold''s smile faded. "I didn''t do anything to make it come back. It just did."

    "I''m sorry, boys, I have to get going," Professor Cicily said.

    "Where can I get information on power loss Professor?" Seth asked before she could leave. "I want to know as much as I can."

    The Professor called over the man still filing papers. "This is Jay. He''s a research assistant and is very familiar with all publicly available material and can answer any questions you have." Both the Professor and Arnold left.

    "Could you possibly give me a brief overview of the known causes of power loss? Or at least direct me to where I can do some independent research?" Seth asked Jay.

    The assistant looked around the mostly empty classroom. "Very well. Let me explain to you what we know about internal magic sources." Jay walked to the teacher¡¯s desk and pulled out a piece of paper and started writing. He wrote slowly and talked in a slow monotone. "Magic is powered by mana. Mana is what we call the power that magic uses."

    As he continued his explanation, his voice was a steady drone and he often repeated or rephrased the same statement. Seth was consumed with thoughts of how to get his plans back on track and didn¡¯t realize until the end of the mini lecture that he had zoned out for almost all of it. All he had was the list that had been written for him and vague recollections of the explanations as he was sent on his way.

    He needed a different plan.

 26 - Theories

    Owen and Blaise were waiting outside the Circle Tower when Seth finally exited. Owen was sprawled in the grass. Nearby was a bench situated beneath one of the rare trees on campus. Blaise stood a little bit away, shredding the leaves on a weed she''d plucked. Seth looked at the bench and then at Owen.

    "Why the ground? Why wouldn''t you lay on the bench instead?" Seth asked.

    "Because it''s a nice day, and the grass is warm. Also, grass is always more comfortable than a slab of rock."

    "Except when it''s wet," Blaise said.

    Owen pointed at Blaise. "The grass is still comfortable. The muck, not so much." Owen sat up and brushed little bits of dead grass from his hair. "How''d it go? Get what you needed?"

    "Oh? What were you looking for?" Blaise asked, looking over at Seth.

    "Yes and no. I had been told about a healer who had lost his power and then got it back a few months later, but the person who told me couldn''t remember his name."

    "Ah, and did you find him?," Blaise asked.

    "I did. I found out who the healer was, and that he did indeed get his powers back. He was helping out in my class. He''s also the lead assistant in the research that will help my brother."

    "That''s great news, Seth!" Blaise said.

    Seth shook his head. "It''s Arnold."

    "What?" Owen said as he stood up. "The jerk?"

    "That guy is a healer?" Blaise asked.

    Seth nodded. "He told me I won''t qualify for the team." And since Arnold would only change his stance if he passed, and has already made an attempt to sabotage his project, that was unlikely.

    "Oh no!" Blaise reached out and left a damp handprint on his shoulder. "I''m sorry."

    "Maybe I should try apologizing." Seth hated the idea. It would be awkward and embarrassing and he was sure Arnold would rub it in. But Saben was worth more than Seth''s pride, and he''d do what he needed to do.

    "No. It won''t work. That guy will eat it up, make you crawl, and then not help you anyway," Owen said. "Don''t do it to yourself."

    Seth sighed and plopped down on the bench. "I need ideas." Mau jumped up on the bench next to him.

    Blaise leaned against the tree. "I don''t see how anything is different. Just because you''re not on the research team doesn''t mean the research isn''t happening. If they solve it, they''ll tell your brother."

    "I wanted to be more involved. I don''t want to just sit around and wait for someone else to solve it."

    "You''ve been asking everybody," Owen said. "What did they tell you?"

    Seth pulled out the paper from Jay and scanned it. Most of the theories of the other professors were on the list.

    "A new one I was just told is a theory that a person has only a finite amount of mana, and once used, it''s gone," Seth said.

    "What does that mean?" Owen asked. "Finite?"

    "It means that when you use all your mana, it''s gone," Seth explained. "You don''t get more."

    "They said that?" Owen asked, his eyes wide. "You can use up all your mana?"

    "That''s the theory." Seth shrugged.

    Owen stared at him dumbfounded. "All your magic can be used up?"

    "There''s no way that one''s true," Blaise said dismissively. "That''s hogwash."

    "But that''s what they said, right?" Owen asked. "They said it''s a theory?"

    "Yeah." Seth looked at the list. "A bunch of these involve a problem with a person''s ability to use mana,"

    "That makes sense. No mana, no magic," Blaise said.

    Seth looked back at the page. "An injury affecting the ability to use mana. Environmental damage, environmental contaminants, disease, parasites," Seth read.

    "Parasites?" Blaise asked. "That''s creepy."

    Seth nodded. "I''ve never heard of any. You?"

    Blaise shook her head. Owen was staring at his hands looking very worried.

    "So just practicing, doing normal class stuff, could use up all the power you''ll ever have?" Owen asked.

    Seth ignored Owen''s question, having already explained it was just a theory. "Then the theories go into it being natural for some young mages to fail to develop properly and the power fades."

    "If using mana will use up your power, why didn''t any of the professors warn us?" Owen asked.

    "Because it almost never happens," Blaise answered. "It''s only a theory anyway." She turned back to Seth. "So what was the one about kids losing powers being normal?"

    "I missed a bunch of this explanation. I''ll have to read up on it. I have a hard time believing this one though. Saben had such a strong connection to his power. It worked so well for him."

    "Power has been in my family for a long time. Once someone developed a power, it never just ''went away''. Until your brother, I''d never even heard of someone losing their power," Blaise said.

    "I''ve been told it happens very rarely," Seth said. "But it''s happened to at least two people in the last year, and I get the feeling maybe a couple more based on things people have said."

    "I thought this was just a pet project of yours," Blaise said. "This is sounding more serious to me. What are some of the other things on your list?"

    "Damage to the ability to convert aether into mana."

    "That one sounds weird," Blaise said. "Nobody''s mentioned aether at all in class yet."

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    "I''ve heard of it," Seth said. "But I didn''t think people used aether. I thought it got converted naturally in mana wells."

    Blaise nodded. "I could see it being damage to the ability to use mana, not aether."

    "How big of a reservoir do people have? Can you feel it? How full it is?" Owen was starting to sound a little panicked.

    "Dude, you need to let this go," Seth said to Owen.

    "But I don''t use my power on purpose, what if I''m running it out without even knowing it?"

    "Then you''ll stop using it when you run out," Blaise said. "Problem solved."

    "You could use up all your mana really easy," Owen said to Blaise. "Your power is on all the time. What would you do if that happens?"

    "Be dry for the first time in a year," Blaise answered wryly.

    "No, I mean really. How can you stop your power from getting used up?" Owen asked.

    "I''m not worried about it, Owen. I think that theory is wrong. My power is in no danger of getting used up."

    "But Seth said the people in the tower said it. They said it was a theory."

    "A theory is a guess at why things happen, Owen," Seth said. "It''s just a guess, not an explanation."

    "Oh." Owen got quiet.

    "So, the theories are mostly that something physical happened, like an injury, sickness, or parasite. Or something unknown happened, to mana or the power." Seth pulled up one leg and rested his arm on his knee.

    "That covers most of them," Blaise agreed.

    "I wonder how to test for any of that. How would I find a parasite? I just learned Detect Life. I wonder if it could detect parasites."

    "The Circle Tower would have tested for the easy stuff already. While your brother was here," Blaise said.

    "Yeah. Maybe I can look up aether in the Celestial Tower next week."

    "Hey, did your brother get his tree read like we did? What did his look like?" Blaise asked.

    "I don''t know. I''ll have to ask him."

    "Or maybe we could ask that Ollie guy. He might have a shop in town. Speaking of town, I am picking up a commission this weekend. My brothers don''t want me wandering in town by myself." Blaise rolled her eyes. "Would you two like to join me in shopping on Saturday?"

    "Sure, I''ve got a letter I''d like to send off too," Seth said.

    "I''ll go too," Owen said. "I haven''t seen much of the city."

    "Great. I''m heading to dinner now, you coming?"

    "In just a minute," Owen said. "Seth, can I talk to you a second?"

    "Sure, we''ll catch up." Seth watched Blaise leave and waited for Owen to sort out what he wanted to say. He looked nervous, or embarrassed.

    "I was thinking I should ask you," Owen said. He wasn''t looking at Seth, but studied the grass. "But I think you might have noticed. About me,"

    Seth didn''t know what Owen was referring to. "The only thing I noticed is that you''re taller than me."

    Owen looked at Seth in surprise. "That I am," Owen said and chuckled. "No, I mean, I''m not the smartest guy."

    "Are you having trouble in your classes?" Seth asked.

    "Yeah. I never got educated. Not really. I don''t know what some words mean. And I''m having a lot of trouble with reading and writing."

    For some reason Mau got really excited. Seth had to turn to look at her to make sure she wasn''t doing anything weird.

    "My uncle taught me some," Owen continued. "When he figured out I was using magic, he made my dad let him teach me. I thought I learned it pretty good, and it only took me a couple months. But I''m having loads of trouble with the books here. They''re a lot harder than the ones at home. And my writing is bad here too. I learned using my gramma''s pen. It was an Everfull Pen, and I think it was enchanted for neatness too. It wrote really smooth. I''ve tried all kinds of quills and pens since, and none of them are even close to how neat that one wrote."

    "Of course I can help you with reading and writing," Seth said. "Do you want to start right after dinner?" He watched Mau twining herself between Owen''s legs and wondered why she was so happy with him.

    "That would be great. Thanks, Seth."

    After dinner Owen led the way up a spiral staircase to an upper floor of the dining hall.

    "I don''t remember this on my tour," Seth said. "What are these?" There was a maze of small rooms made of glass and stone blocks. Many of them had the glass frosted so you couldn''t see inside.

    "My roommate showed me these. They''re practice rooms for the second years, but we can use them too." Owen walked up to a room with clear glass and put his left hand where the lock would be. Unlike the dorm room doors which would simply open, this one displayed a white circle surrounding the lock. "This is the timer and this much is an hour. During busy times of the day, it can go down to just ten minutes. The white means us. I don''t know how they figure it, only that white is the lowest and that means we get the least time and can get bumped. My roommate didn''t really explain much, but did tell me the basics."

    When the door shut behind them the glass wall turned frosted.

    "So that''s how that works." He couldn''t resist summoning a bit of wind to get the feel of it in the room. He could tell there were wards in here. It would be hard to do really destructive magic, both because the walls were protected and because the magic was suppressed. Casting wasn''t difficult though, just less powerful. "What kinds of things have you tried in here?" Seth asked.

    "Not much, really. It''s just a lot more private than the library."

    "This is fantastic." As long as there was space here, he wouldn''t need to compete with Isaac for desk space. There was a desk on one wall, a predrawn circle on the floor, and one wall looked like a blackboard. Seth would have to bring some chalk next time. "Okay. Let''s get started. What do you want to work on first?"

    "I was wondering if you could maybe tell me what''s different about this book that Professor Kaban gave me, the cantrip book. I''m having trouble reading it."

    Seth opened the book and flipped through it. It seemed normal to him. It had descriptions and explanations of cantrips in it. Maybe Owen''s reading skill was worse than he thought and he didn''t want to admit it?

    "Let''s start at the beginning," Seth suggested. "Can you write the alphabet?"

    Seth set Owen to practicing letters. Mau was planted on the desk watching him avidly. Seth was happy she wasn''t sticking her head in the way like she''d been doing to him lately. He flipped through the cantrip book again, looking at the names of the spells. One in particular got his attention, Detect Mana.

    Seth laid the book on the floor and tried to work out how to cast the spell. Owen was done with his page before Seth had worked it out.

    "It''s really messy still." Owen said. "I don''t know why."

    "You need to train your fingers to write the letters the way you want. I bet that neatness enchantment didn''t do you any favors. The only way to fix that is repetition. Do you want to do another sheet, or work on reading for a bit?"

    "Reading. This is getting boring."

    "Okay. You said the cantrip book was harder to read. What''s an easier book?" Seth asked.

    "I don''t have any with me. What do you have?"

    Seth rummaged in his bag. "How about the travelog Kaban gave me?"

    Owen opened it up. "Yeah, this one is much easier."

    Seth frowned. "Read it aloud."

    "My name is Jacques de Faere. Two weeks ago I started a journey that has taken unexpected turns, and therefore I have decided to document this adventure¡­" Owen read it slowly but clearly.

    Seth let him continue for a few paragraphs before stopping him and taking the book. There was nothing different about this book that Seth could see. "Now try this one," Seth said and handed the cantrip book back, open to the Detect Mana spell.

    "T- no, Th-is s-p-ell w-ill¨C"

    "Okay," Seth said and took the book back. "There''s no difference between these books. I can''t see any reason why one is harder than the other."

    "Is the cantrip book newer?" Owen asked. "Old stuff works better for me. I didn''t think that would have anything to do with reading though."

    "It doesn''t look new," Seth said, turning the book over in his hands. "Let''s test it anyway." Seth took out his almost new textbook for Structured Magic. "Try this one."

    Owen was just as choppy as the cantrip book, sounding out each word.

    "I don''t know what''s happening here. Are you using your power on the book?" Seth asked.

    "Not on purpose. But then, I never use it on purpose. It just happens."

    The light lock on the door chimed and the frosted glass turned clear.

    Seth wondered if the equivalent of a sharper sword was a more understandable book? That didn''t feel right, but he couldn''t think of what else it could be. "You need to be able to read new books too, so we''ll just have to keep practicing. Back here again tomorrow?"

    Owen nodded, resigned.

    Mau was thrilled.

 27 - Blue Teardrop

    Seth worked hard in Professor Laur''s class on Friday. There were plenty of ink jar mishaps again, and Seth noticed the spell Professor Laur used to clean up the ink. He wondered if there was a way to look up spells that you''ve seen cast. No one had talked about that yet. He didn''t feel comfortable enough with the class or Professor Laur to ask the question yet. He wrote it down to ask later though.

    The afternoon combat class was nearly all physical training and instruction on the wussticks. Mau insisted on having her own wusstick. The other students thought that was cute and let her have it.

    Seth didn''t know why she was so mad at the stick though.

    That night Seth finished his letter to Saben. There was a lot to tell his brother, and he didn''t hold back. He also wrote a much shorter letter to Benjamin. Seth wasn''t sure if Benjamin would be in Rosia much, or even at all, but it felt like the thing to do.

    Isaac never came back to the room that night. Seth figured he''d gone home to his family for the weekend.

    The next morning Duvessa was already waiting with Owen by the Fire Tower when Seth got there. Blaise was crossing the courtyard at the same time.

    "Yooo!" Duvessa called when she spotted them, her dagger straight hair swaying as she waved at him. "We are going to have the best day!"

    "Hey Seth," Blaise said when she spotted him. She still looked like she''d gotten straight out of the shower. Or more accurately, like someone who''d just climbed out of the sea. "Were you able to tell Isaac we''re heading into the city?"

    "No, he never came back to the room last night. Is it just us?"

    "Nope. Booth mentioned wanting to go and Pendra was a maybe," Blaise said.

    "Pendra is a no," Booth said, coming up from behind Owen. "He went home last night." Booth looked like he probably should have shaved, but could go another day or so.

    "Oh, hey! I didn''t see you!" Duvessa said. "Does that mean we''re all here now?"

    Blaise looked around. "Yup, that''s everyone."

    "We are starting with getting your commission, right?" Duvessa asked Blaise.

    "I''d like to post a couple letters on the way," Seth said.

    "Of course! We are going to have the best day." Duvessa nodded to everyone.

    Reginald swooped by, cawing "Fish day! Fish day!"

    "Why ''fish day''?" Seth asked Duvessa.

    "I don''t understand him sometimes, but to Reginald, a fish day is a good day to do things. He''s a shadow of the original, so there is probably context he simply doesn''t have."

    "What else are we doing?" Booth asked. "Walking around doing nothing sounds boring."

    "I wouldn''t mind that," Owen said. He pushed his floofy hair out of his face. It was just long enough to cover his eyes. "I''ve not really seen the city. It''ll be nice just exploring it and seeing what''s there and where everything is."

    "I know a cool place that overlooks the Palace," Seth offered.

    "That would be beautiful! I hear the gardens there are amazing," Duvessa said. "Okay! The plan for today is to go to the magic district and the markets there, then we''ll find somewhere for lunch, and see the Palace afterwards and do some exploring, and be back for dinner." She hooked arms with both Seth and Owen and headed for the gate. "The carvings all over the place are really pretty. Do they tell a specific story?"

    Seth was surprised everyone looked at him for an answer. "Am I the only one who''s lived in this city before?" Seth asked.

    "I''m from Lilandrium," Duvessa said, referring to a city only somewhat smaller than Rosia. "Not a place I can go home for weekends."

    "Mariglade for me," Blaise said.

    "I''m from near Blue Ridge. I think I mentioned that before," Owen said.

    "Yeah, a farm boy," Blaise said and smiled. "Booth?" she asked, turning to the last boy.

    "I''m from here and there," Booth said.

    Duvessa frowned at him a moment then nodded her head firmly. "Right. You can be our tour guide then, Seth. Tell us what this one is about!"

    Seth looked at the carvings on walls of the gatehouse. He''d never really paid any attention to them before, and didn''t really know the story. "Um, that one is a carving of a demon. And that one is a person fighting the demon. And that one has a tower..."

    "You''re bad at this," Blaise said and laughed. "If you didn''t know any of the stories, why didn''t you say so?"

    "I didn''t realize I didn''t know anything about it until now. It''s not something I ever thought about."

    "Ugh, do we need to fire you as tour guide already? You''ve only had the job for two minutes." Duvessa said.

    "They tell the story of the Demon War," Booth said. "Before the Floran Empire. The school used to be a fortress and was used in the war. Rosia is an old city and stories like these are all over the place."

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Seth should have known that. He knew those stories but never really connected them with the wall carvings before. Mau was really interested in them.

    "You''re hired, Booth. You can be our tour guide now," Duvessa announced.

    "Does the job come with pay?" Booth asked.

    They posted Seth''s letters and headed to the magic district. The place Blaise had her commission was the same carving shop Saben had used to have their pendants made.

    "This is the best carver in the city. Maybe in the whole region," Blaise explained. "We searched for months to find someone who could make what we needed and get the materials we needed it to be made of. It has to be really robust to handle all the mana I''m going to put in it. This shop was the only one who could do it. The things he can put into objects are amazing. The only way to get something better is to find an artifact."

    "My grandmother prefers to use crafted magic rather than artifacts," Duvessa said. "Sometimes artifacts can have weird aspects that can make them dangerous to use."

    "What''s the difference?" Owen asked. "They''re both just magic things, right?"

    "Something that is crafted means someone made it. They either forged or carved it, and put runes and enchantments on it during the crafting process. They know exactly what it is and what it can do," Seth explained. "An artifact is something that either originated in the Below, or was down there for a long time. The mana down there changes things. It can make normal items magical."

    "That''s right," Duvessa said. "I know of a comb from Below. It was just an ordinary comb, there''s no carvings on it at all. And whenever you use it, it makes your hair longer. But if you use it too much, all your hair falls out. It''s so weird."

    "How long does it take for something to get magical like that?" Booth asked, his attention piqued.

    "Centuries, as far as I know," Duvessa said. Booth lost interest.

    Blaise talked to the shopkeeper while the others looked around the small shop. There was a small seating area, walls with displays, and the service counter was a glass case with lots of expensive looking ornaments. Blaise retrieved her commissioned item. It was a dark blue stone the shape of a teardrop and wrapped in silver. The symbols carved into it were tiny. She put it on and held it as they walked out of the shop. Booth lingered a little, gazing around the shop.

    "I''ve already started putting all the mana I can into it," Blaise said. "I really hope this works. It''s supposed to be a really deep mana vault that I can siphon off all the extra water mana into."

    Owen frowned. "Won''t that use up all your mana?"

    "That''s what''s great about this. I can just use the mana from the vault. Can you hand me another towel, please?"

    Owen handed her a fresh towel from the duffel bag he was carrying for her.

    They decided to take a look around the market before moving on to another area. Seth was glad Mau was content to lay on his shoulder and gave her a little head scratch. She was very interested in everything around them, though sometimes she seemed to be staring very intently at nothing. Seth wasn''t concerned about that though, cats did that all the time.

    Booth was unexpectedly clumsy though. He kept bumping into people or letting people bump into him.

    Or, that was what Seth thought until Blaise called him out.

    "Did you really just do that?" Blaise said to him.

    "Do what?" Booth asked.

    "I saw that. You just took a knife from that guy. It had a red handle," Blaise said angrily.

    "I did not." Booth showed his empty hands. "I''m not a thief."

    "You got pockets," Blaise said. "Show them."

    "I don''t have to show you anything. But you know what? Just to prove it, did you mean this?" Booth took out a smooth red stone. "This is mine, and it''s just a fiddle stone. Something to play with."

    Blaise frowned suspiciously.

    "I really don''t like what you''re accusing me of. I thought we were friends," Booth said.

    They glared at each other. There was a long, uncomfortable moment. Seth didn''t know if he should be defending Booth because Seth hadn''t seen him steal anything, or if he should support Blaise because she had seen something.

    "Blaise!" Duvessa exclaimed.

    Blaise turned her glare to Duvessa. "What?"

    "You''re not dripping!" Duvessa said. "You''re almost dry!"

    Blaise looked down at herself and ran a hand through her still damp hair. No water dripped from her hair. And when she shook her hand, she didn''t fling water everywhere.

    "It''s working. It''s working!" Blaise grabbed her new pendant and closed her eyes.

    Duvessa grabbed her in a hug, then let her go. "Oh no!"

    "Now what?" Blaise asked.

    "Your clothes," Duvessa said.

    "What''s wrong with my clothes?"

    "They''re wet. We need to go buy new ones! Right now. Let''s go shopping."

    Duvessa glanced at Booth as she and Blaise headed to another market. Owen picked up the duffel bag of towels and followed.

    Seth waited a minute with Booth. He wondered what he should do. He didn''t know anything about Booth''s situation. He didn''t know if Booth had actually stolen anything. He didn''t know if there was another reason Blaise would accuse Booth of theft. He wasn''t good enough friends with either of them yet to really make a call on who he would want to side with. Duvessa had provided an out for both of them.

    Maybe he didn''t need to make a decision just yet. He''d let the situation develop a bit more. He could always decide later.

    "You coming?" he asked Booth.

    "Should I?" Booth sounded skeptical.

    Seth watched the others get further away and shrugged. "Come if you want," he said before following the others.

    Booth hesitated another moment and then followed.

    The girls had found a clothier on the main street and left Owen standing outside. Seth took a look inside. There were some premade clothes on racks, and pinned to the walls were other styles that could be made to order. There was a dressing room across from a service counter and an exit into what was probably a back alley.

    "Animals outside," the clerk said firmly. She waved at Reginald who was flying in circles inside the store. "This thing and the cat. Outside, please."

    Reginald dutifully swept out on his next circuit. Mau jumped down and wandered out too.

    "This one has fur! It''s so fluffy! You have to try this on," Duvessa sounded more excited about the clothes than Blaise.

    Blaise took Duvessa''s offerings and dutifully entered the dressing room. Seth had no interest in watching the girls shop, so he went outside where Owen and Booth were having a low conversation. They quieted when he approached, so Seth decided to keep walking. He hated the awkwardness.

    Seth looked around at the other storefronts on the street. There was a narrow alley that divided the clothier from a cobbler next door. Seth was looking down that alley when he saw the back end of an unusually fancy carriage for a back alley.

    Reginald suddenly started squawking in alarm, intermixed with cries of "Blaise! Taken!"

    Duvessa ran out the front of the store. "Somebody grabbed Blaise! They took her out the back!"

    The carriage Seth had spotted took off at high speed.

 28 - Pursuit

    You know, I really hate it when I feel stupid. It was my own fault of course. Well, mine and that stupid birdbrain.

    There I was, existing in a world with crazy magic, with wackadoodle killer monsters, in a city I was warned that something might happen to Seth, or to me, and I allowed myself to be careless. I was dodging the rocks that the birdbrained raven was trying to drop on me, and not watching what was going on around me. Unforgivable.

    At least the birdbrain was aware enough to spot the snatchers as they dragged Blaise out the back and into a carriage. Seth and Booth were tearing cobblestones after it. Duvessa was yelling instructions to the birdbrain.

    Owen ran into the shop and I followed him. I had no idea how I could help. I''m a foot high, slow, clumsy, and a cub. For the love of little green apples, there ain''t no way I''m catching that carriage by running after it.

    Owen threw open the curtains to where Blaise had been changing. Her pile of wet clothes were on the floor, and at least two other outfits were hung up. In the middle of the floor was a climbing pick with a gold symbol on it. Right.

    He glanced at the bags he''d been carrying for the girls and then turned to the shopkeeper. "Get the guard here. That girl was taken by these people." He held up the pick so the symbol was visible.

    I was out the back at this point. The carriage had already turned the corner but I could still hear it. Booth and Seth were rounding the corner themselves.

    "Taken?" the shopkeeper said. She stared at them in a daze.

    "Abducted!" Duvessa shouted. She ran through the shop and out the back door. "There was a kidnapping on your property! Get the authorities! Now!"

    "Which way?" Owen asked.

    "North! They turned north. Let''s go!"

    "Tell them that!" Owen said and chased after Duvessa.

    Despite them having a whole conversation, however brief, Duvessa and Owen both passed me. So I did the only thing I thought I could do to actually help. I climbed a gate and up onto the thatch roof of the nearest building. I cut across the rooftops and was able to somewhat catch up to Duvessa and Owen.

    Well, I could catch Duvessa. She was nearly as slow as I was. Owen slowed down and glanced at her, then at the retreating carriage. He would need to choose, and soon.

    The only reason we had a shot at catching the carriage was it still had to navigate the narrow back streets and sharp turns. Once it was out onto a thoroughfare, it would be gone.

    Duvessa realized this. She paused for a moment and waved Owen on. She then summoned two lizards. They were large for lizards, maybe iguana sized, and as black as all her shadow summons. She then stepped on them, one foot on each like a pair of shoes, and they took off running. I almost fell off the roof. Well okay then.

    Clearly the logical solution to not running fast enough was to stick lizards on your feet.

    Lizard surfing Duvessa was leaving my slow ass in the dust. I had to race to catch up. It startled Owen too and he nearly tripped. "Lizards?" He didn''t stop and got his stride again quickly. Now the two of them were gaining.

    I jumped onto a higher roof. I needed to cut some distance off or I''d be left behind. I could see a corner up ahead and leaped across to the next series of roofs. If there is one thing my fabulous cat body can do, it''s leap.

    Just a few more turns and they''d be at the thoroughfare. I got to an alley just after the carriage had passed. Reginald was circling overhead. At least we''d be able to follow him if we did get left behind.

    Seth and Booth were still just behind the carriage and Seth was shouting for them to stop. The guy next to the driver knocked over a crate of apples as they passed, trying to slow the kids down. I liked the vocabulary of the guy that owned the apples.

    I glanced down the alley just as Owen and Duvessa rounded the corner. Well, Owen rounded it. Duvessa went flying. Running lizards apparently are very difficult to balance on when rounding corners. Owen stopped and ran back to her. I started climbing to a higher roof so I could leap the next alley.

    "The heels on those boots are too high. It won''t work. Here, I''ll snap them off," Owen said. He reached for one of Duvessa''s boots. Because of course Duvessa was lizard surfing in heels.

    "No! These are my favorites!" Duvessa jerked her feet away from him. "Pull them off!" She practically kicked Owen in the face, she shoved her feet back at him so fast.

    Owen got to yanking them off. "Can you balance on the lizards? Couldn''t you summon something that runs smoother?" he asked.

    "Snakes make me seasick," Duvessa said.

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    Owen handed her the first boot. "Something else then."

    "Ugh. Fine." Duvessa dismissed her lizards and took the second boot. Then she summoned an enormous centipede. It was about half my height but about five times as long, and with so many legs it looked hairy. Because those are things here. And if you need to chase kidnappers, giant centipedes are the way to go.

    "Is that a cave crawler?" Owen asked as he backed away from it. Should I feel better if I''m not the only one horrified by such things?

    "Yes." Duvessa''s face was pained. "Bare feet too," she whined. She curled her toes and stepped gingerly on the shadow insect. "Hurry!" she said and the centipede took off. Holy fuck that thing was fast.

    I caught sight of the carriage as it turned onto the thoroughfare. Booth and Seth had paused, panting. They were both watching Reginald.

    "What are you waiting for?" Duvessa demanded as she caught up, Owen only steps behind.

    "If they stay in the city, Reginald will see them. If they go left there, they''re heading for the main gate. If they go right, they''re heading for the Palace tunnel towards Mariglade. We might be able to cut them off. You two keep going," Seth said.

    "That''s right," Booth said, glancing at Seth in surprise. "We can cut down Waterside and beat them to the bridge."

    Duvessa was off like a shot. People jumped out of her way too. Zippy shadow centipedes will do that for you.

    Owen hauled ass after her. I took that opportunity to jump on his shoulder. I was happy it didn''t faze him at all. And if he got close enough, I was hopping on Duvessa. This way Seth would know where they were, and I''d know where he and Booth were.

    Too bad I couldn''t tell Owen and Duvessa that.

    Moments later the carriage whipped right and picked up speed. I looked back and saw that Seth and Booth started moving too, in a different direction.

    My next goal was to get my ass on that carriage. I didn''t think I could stop it, but I could be the tracking device.

    There, I just saw somebody move a donkey cart to block traffic from another thoroughfare so our kidnappers could speed by. I got a good look at him too as Owen ran by. This wasn''t an opportunistic grab. Somebody planned this and they''ve got help elsewhere in the city.

    Duvessa was doing a good job at getting us some help too, as she was shouting for help to stop the carriage. People were noticing and some tried to help. But I hadn''t seen any police, or guards, or whatever they are here. And no one wanted to risk being run down by the horses in order to stop the carriage. People tended to scatter when they saw the centipede too.

    Midday traffic was the only reason we hadn''t lost them yet. But we weren''t getting any closer. At this rate they''d be at the bridge and to the tunnel out of the city before we get there. If they manage to block the bridge, they could fully get away.

    But humans were humans. And when a vehicle cuts you off, the natural reaction is road rage. And when people carry horse whips, road rage becomes a whole new sport.

    A young guy driving a fancy looking open carriage with a couple old ladies in the back nearly got clipped by the back wheels of the kidnappers. His vocabulary was super tame compared to one of the ladies in the back. He got his single horse up beside the two horses of the other carriage and was whipping the other driver. It was glorious. And let Owen catch up to Duvessa and the carriages.

    Suddenly Seth was in pain, and I could feel startled terror.

    Fuck fuck fuck. Was there another group? I shouldn''t have left him. Wasn''t I just thinking just a few minutes ago that I had been warned the city might be dangerous for him specifically? How far away was he?

    No. Stay on target. I''m not in a position to help him. He''s too far, and I''m working this part of the job. He has Booth with him. Let''s hope that''s enough.

    As the seconds passed and he was still in distress, I mentally closed the window that was the familiar link. I wouldn''t be aware of Seth''s pain until I opened it again. I could only hope I didn''t hate myself for this later.

    "Ow. Mau, pull in, your claws," Owen panted.

    I''d missed the opportunity offered by the road rager. His horse had decided it had enough and wouldn''t get close again.

    Owen was close enough to Duvessa, so I made the jump. Sort of. I jumped to the centipede. The crazy thing didn''t even twitch when I landed on it, it just kept on running. It was a smooth ride too.

    I caught a break when we came to a traffic circle. Roundabout. Rotary. Whatever the fuck they''re called. I leapt ahead, and then across, and aimed for the roof of the kidnapper''s carriage. I missed.

    I caught the side and clung to it with all my claws like I was a piece of velcro. I felt pretty secure on this thing despite it rattling over the cobblestones. And then I noticed my whiskers trembling. There was magic on this carriage.

    This was a full carriage. There were the two guys outside driving and riding shotgun, Blaise inside with two other people, and by the smell of it, there was also an animal inside.

    Was there something I could do that would stop or slow the carriage? I could head down and look underneath, but I could fall off. The wheels and springs would also be pretty dangerous for me. I doubt these things were manufactured with stowaway safety standards in mind.

    I decided to climb up to the roof. Mostly because my claws were starting to carve holes in the side as the vibrations from the wheels rattling over cobblestone caused me to slowly slide down. From the roof I could still sense magic. That gave me the idea that the whole carriage was enchanted, but for what I didn''t know. Definitely a spell or something had been cast on it.

    I still needed to figure out what I could do. When I looked ahead, I could see the bridge and the bridge was clear. When I looked back, Owen was way behind, and Duvessa was losing ground too. These bastards were going to get away.

    The guy riding shotgun climbed up to the roof. When he saw me he swore and tried to kick me in the face. He missed. He didn''t bother to try again and started messing with latches at the back of the carriage. The carriage also slowed down.

    So I attacked him.

    Feline combat is not my strong suit. I don''t think I''ve ever tried to deliberately claw someone before. I may have never tried to deliberately hurt someone else in my life. It felt really wrong and I didn''t want to do it.

    I knew it was necessary. I knew Blaise was in serious trouble. Seth was in trouble. Shit, I was in trouble too!

    But attacking a person was not something I could easily do. I utterly lacked killing intent, so my wussy little swipes did nothing. The asshole got the back of the carriage open.

    And released an enormous fucking hyena.

 29 - Pursuit 2

    The city of Rosia surrounded a small but deep lake. On this side of the city, the main thoroughfare skirted closer to the mountains than the lake. If Seth wanted to catch the fleeing carriage, he would need to know what side of the lake they were heading towards.

    It turned north, towards the Palace. Both Seth and Booth took off running. They raced through alleys and darted across squares, and in a couple instances, even jumped gates and ran down private ways.

    "They''re that way," Seth panted. He pointed east towards where he could feel Mau was. They''d both slowed to a jog to catch their breaths. "We''ll get there before them."

    Booth nodded.

    "Then, how can we stop them?" Seth asked.

    "Dunno," Booth panted. "Think of something."

    They started sprinting again. They darted around people and jumped over crates and trash, and even dodged the occasional table and chairs.

    They were about three quarters of the way there. A big man in workman''s clothes was walking towards them and stopped and stepped aside into a narrow alley when he saw them running. Seth was going to say "Thanks," as he ran by but before he could the man grabbed the back of Seth''s shirt and whipped him around, sending him sprawling into the alley. Seth barely had time to yelp.

    In an instant, the man pounced on Seth, grabbed him by the throat, and slammed him against the wall.

    "Well, well, well. Lookie what I caught. I thought you was locked up tight in that school o'' yours."

    Seth''s feet weren''t touching the ground. He couldn''t breathe. He grabbed the scratchy fabric on the man''s arm and pulled at the fingers squeezing his throat. Seth had no idea who this was or why this was happening. Panicked, Seth kicked at the man and tried to wiggle away.

    "No, no, no. None ''o that." The man hip chucked Seth''s knees to the side and then pressed Seth''s legs against the wall with his knee. He gave Seth a quick punch in the side.

    Seth choked in pain and what little air he had escaped. Desperate, he tried to scratch at the man''s eyes.

    The man jerked his face away, and caught Seth''s arm in his other hand. He slammed Seth against the wall again, and pinned Seth''s arm with his other hand. Seth couldn''t move.

    "We''re gonna have a little conversation," the man said. "And I better be liking the answers."

    What? Why? Seth didn''t know anything! Who was this? Did the man think Seth was someone else?

    "Let him go!" Booth shouted from the entrance to the alley. Seth felt a surge of hope.

    The man looked over at Booth calmly. "Walk on, little boy. This doesn''t concern you."

    "I said, let him go."

    "Keep walking or I snap his neck, and then yours."

    Booth glared at him for a second, and then left. Hope died, and it took fear with it, leaving only anger.

    Seth closed his eyes. He didn''t want to die here. He didn''t have time for this. Blaise didn''t have time for this. He poured all his anger into his power, and tried to bring the wind.

    The man squeezed. Seth could feel himself starting to black out. Seth struggled, but the man was twice his size and he had no leverage. The wind was there, but it was waiting for direction that Seth couldn''t give it.

    "That''s right." The man smiled with white teeth and a breath that smelled foul. He loosened his grip enough for Seth to take a breath before squeezing again. "Now, where was we? Ah, yeah. I got questions."

    "Let him go," Booth said. This time Booth had two knives out, and was approaching in a fighter''s crouch.

    "I''ll make you eat those pig stickers, boy."

    "Try me."

    The man stepped back and threw Seth at Booth, knocking them both to the ground. The man moved a few steps down the alley and jumped a wall at the end of the building.

    Seth realized he''d landed with one of Booth''s knives at his stomach. "Your knife!" he croaked and rolled over to look for a wound.

    "It''s fine, there''s no knife," Booth said. "It was an illusion. See?" He showed his empty hand. "No knife." Booth stood up and extended a hand to Seth. "Are you all right?"

    Seth accepted Booth''s help and got to his feet. "Yeah," he croaked. "Hurts to breathe," he whispered. "You came back. Thanks."

    "Of course. And don''t sound so surprised." Booth looked in the direction of the bridge where Blaise was being taken and then back at Seth. "Stay or go, right now."

    "Go," Seth said, and started staggering into the street himself. On impulse, he picked up a broken wooden dowel, about three fingers thick and as long as his arm. It was pointed at one end.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Seth touched the pendant Saben had given him and mouthed the command for healing. He focused on his ability to breathe and let the power do its thing for a few seconds. As soon as he felt he could breathe well enough to run, he took off. Booth followed.

    Booth glanced at Seth''s pendant a few times as they ran. Seth made sure it was tucked safely under his shirt again.

    The delay cost them. The carriage would get to the stone bridge before them and there would be no way to get ahead of it now. Owen and Duvessa weren''t very far behind it, but too far to help. Seth watched Mau trying to attack the guy on the roof of the carriage. Her single paw slaps were not hindering him at all.

    Seth tried to think how he could turn the situation around. "Here," he said and tossed the wooden dowel to Booth. "The spokes."

    Booth nodded and kept running. Seth stopped and tried to focus. He would try Wind Blade. He had to be careful though, not to hit Mau or the others.

    Do I aim for the horses? It felt horribly wrong to target them. But not targeting them meant they could get away with Blaise. He decided he''d aim for the front of the carriage. If he hit the horses, so be it. He''d cast it horizontally and aim for the driver. Seth closed his eyes and cast the spell, just as Saben had taught him, and used Mau as a reference point for targeting.

    Either it was too weak, he was too far away, or he''d missed. The blade of air flew by without cutting anything. He''d have to try casting while moving next time or he wouldn''t be close enough. As it was he might be able to cast two more times while the carriage passed by.

    The carriage reached the bridge barely a second before Booth. The man on the roof kicked at Mau again and got a hatch at the back of the carriage open, releasing a giant hunchbacked dog from a cage there. Not a dog, a hyena, Seth realized. There was a family famous for raising them as guardians, and some of them even became magic beasts.

    The hyena was wearing stiff leather armor on its chest with little metal spikes embedded all over the leather. Owen jumped in front of Duvessa who stepped off the cave crawler and pointed at the hyena. The cave crawler surged forward.

    Booth paused and looked from the hyena to the carriage. He stabbed the dowel into the wheel spokes of the rear wheel. The dowel thwacked against the carriage body and locked the wheel. The carriage jumped, jerking the horses to a stop.

    The hyena was startled by the stopping carriage and skittered forward, barking its laughing bark. It locked eyes with Owen and charged.

    Seth closed his eyes and tried again. Lower, he thought. More forward and vertical, catch the front wheel. He cast the spell again. It was denser, and more cutting. It hit the front of the carriage causing chips and splinters from the base to the roof. It was not enough. All the damage was superficial.

    The man on the roof kicked at Mau again and turned to look at Seth and then Booth. He reached into the compartment where the hyena was and pulled out a crossbow. Mau leapt at the man''s back. Booth pulled open the door of the carriage and jumped in.

    The driver slapped the reins, urging the horses forward again. The jerking of the carriage had knocked the dowel loose and the carriage started moving again. It was now at the far end of the bridge. The man on the roof ignored Mau and aimed at Booth.

    Seth decided to just try Breeze, as strong and focused as he possibly could. He hoped to knock the carriage over. He closed his eyes and again used Mau to target the spell, aiming below and forward. He put everything he could into it.

    The carriage rocked and tipped up on two wheels. The back wheel scraped the wall of the bridge and the horses screamed. Mau yowled and clawed at the man in her efforts to stay on the roof. The man screamed in pain and fell off himself. For the briefest of moments, Seth thought it worked. Then the carriage stabilized.

    Booth was sent sprawling out the open door when he was kicked in the face by the man inside.

    The man from the roof struggled to his feet. His arm had been completely shredded, right down to the bone, and was covered in blood. The man who had kicked Booth grabbed the injured one and dragged him inside just as the carriage surged forward. Booth staggered after them.

    Seth spared a glance at Owen and the hyena. Owen was fending it off while Duvessa''s cave crawler attacked from behind. Seth skirted the hyena and ran towards the carriage.

    The cave crawler was faster than the hyena, and darted in for fast bites and sped away before the hyena could react. Owen was using the climbing pick to block the hyena''s crushing bites and swiped at the beast to prevent it from turning on the cave crawler. Then the hyena darted to the side, whirled on the cave crawler, and mauled it. The cave crawler disintegrated into shadows that dispersed. Duvessa cried out and staggered.

    The hyena looked from Owen to Seth, trying to make up its mind who should be its target. Duvessa threw her boots at it but it lunged after the fleeing Seth. Owen tried to intercept it.

    "Reginald! Stay with it! Don''t let them out of your sight!" Duvessa cried.

    Booth chased after the carriage. Seth paused on the bridge, looking for a way to help either Owen or Booth. Running after Booth would leave Seth open to the hyena. He needed to get rid of it first.

    The hyena paced with its eyes on Seth, giggling and laughing in a very disconcerting way. Past the bridge, Seth saw Mau climbing out of the river. That gave him an idea. It was risky, and he only had enough mana left for one more powerful blast. Timing it with his eyes shut would be really difficult and potentially deadly.

    "I need it right in front of me!" Seth shouted.

    Owen immediately circled to Seth, fending off a couple of testing bites by the hyena.

    "All right, turn this way. Now, the instant it starts to jump, say ''now''," Seth instructed. Seth closed his eyes and prepared Breeze again.

    "Now!" Owen shouted. The hyena was faster, reaching Seth and Owen before Seth got the spell off. But the spell did go off, and the beast was blasted off the bridge and into the river where it panicked. But not before it caught the edge of Owen''s arm with its teeth and tore a nasty gash in his flesh.

    Several hundred feet away the carriage passed an empty gatehouse and entered the tunnel. Reginald swooped after it, and collided with a barrier of yellow light. The shadow bird sparked and fell to the ground, but did not disperse like the cave crawler did. Duvessa cried out again, and collapsed to her butt.

    Booth banged on the barrier, sending sparks and light skittering on the surface. The barrier stayed up, and continued to hold no matter how they beat on it. They were all exhausted, winded, and thwarted.

    The kidnappers had escaped and they still had Blaise.

    Duvessa collapsed to the ground and started to cry. "This is the worst day ever."

    Seth sat on the ground too. Mau walked up to him, her paws still slightly bloody despite her dip in the river. That guy was going to need healing, probably something better than a potion too, if he wanted to keep the use of his arm.

    "We are going to find her," Seth told them. The authorities arrived moments later.

 30 - Aftermath

    I walked over to Seth and climbed right into his lap. The kid didn''t flinch at all, despite the fact that I was freezing cold and soaking wet, and he gave me a hug. I really appreciated that because I needed it in that moment.

    I''m not a violent person. I don''t want to injure people. And what I did to that guy completely by accident was pretty horrific to me. I didn''t mean to shred his arm. I was just trying to hold on to him so I wouldn''t get blown away.

    What if I''d done that to one of the kids?

    I''d been working on getting better control of my new body. It''s working too. I have much better control over my paws, and I''m getting good at picking up and holding the rocks I''ve been practicing with.

    My claws were not something I''ve been working on though. I knew they were sharp. I could hold onto sandstone pretty easily. Now I was wondering just how sharp they really were.

    Violence was a thing here. I saw a lot of it my first day. I didn''t really believe it then, as I was having trouble believing any of my whacked out circumstances that day. But I believed it now. And I am going to be involved with this violence. And the cause of it sometimes. I needed to get my head around that and figure out where my boundaries needed to be, and what my moral standards should be.

    I don''t think I could ever kill anybody. And I don''t ever want to. But would I to save one of the kids?

    Speaking of violence to save the kids, I took a good look at Seth. He''d been in trouble earlier, and I chose to leave him to it. He''d come out of it, but wasn''t entirely okay. There were marks on his neck that would turn into bruises, and little red dots around his eyes. The kid had been strangled.

    The bastard who did that could have killed Seth.

    I''ve seen so many bizarre and weird things here that I just haven''t been able to take it seriously. How do you take lizard surfing seriously?

    But some of this shit was serious. And speaking of that, Owen was currently bleeding. He was standing on the stone bridge looking out over the water with his left arm wrapped and cradled against his body. I did a quick check of the others. The only injured ones were Owen at needing immediate attention, and Seth at fine for now.

    I meowed at Seth and looked at Owen. That woke him up from his funk and he scrambled to his feet and rushed over to Owen. I got tucked awkwardly under his arm with my butt way higher than my head. Dude, just put me down.

    Owen never took his eyes off the river, but did present his wounded arm to Seth. I realized Owen was watching the hyena.

    "There''s not much left in this," Seth said apologetically, as he pulled out his amulet. "I can only do a little for you."

    "It''s fine," Owen said. "I''ll need a full healer for it anyway."

    When Seth used his healing amulet on Owen, I could feel a resonance to it in my whiskers, and in the amulet I wore. It didn''t feel the same to me as using regular spells. I wanted to explore that some more, but six people in royal blue uniforms were trotting right at us. They stopped at the gatehouse, talked to Booth, and checked out the barrier on the tunnel.

    Owen''s wound wasn''t healed when Seth stopped. It wasn''t gushing blood anymore, but it was still bleeding a bit. Based on how much it had healed, it would take at least an hour, probably more, of using that amulet to actually heal the whole wound. That was consistent with the healing potion I''d seen Seth use. It visibly healed things, but it did take hours to do. Seth had slept through most of it at the time.

    I watched as another group showed up. There was a lord of some sort with an entourage of four bodyguards. They were on horses and dismounted when they got to the guards.

    I was baffled by how law enforcement worked here. There wasn''t an actual police force. It was more like private soldiers who worked for lords in the city who would beat the crap out of someone they deemed a perpetrator, and drag them in front of the lord who would decide what to do with them. Trials weren''t really a thing. Fucking scary. If you were falsely accused, your only recourse was to convince the lord, who may not even listen to you speak.

    Lawyers weren''t a profession here. Vigilante and mob justice were common.

    It turned out that Seth was pretty well connected. He knew the guy in charge of this troop of guards, and the lord on the horse, though the lord didn''t remember him. But business was getting done. The guards talked to all of the kids, they got the barrier down, they sent a message to the gatehouse at the other end, and they woke up the two guys at the gatehouse on this end. They called for mounted soldiers who arrived within a few minutes and sped down the tunnel. All that and they caught the hyena too.

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    I didn''t know how long that tunnel was, but if it went all the way through the mountain, the bad guys wouldn''t be getting out the other end. I didn''t think whoever had planned this missed such an obvious failure point. I was expecting shenanigans.

    Blaise''s family, the Firesands, were important people. They were all fire mages, and were competing with another important family, the Stoneholds, for a shot at a noble title. The symbol on the pick that Owen found and the crest on the carriage were of the Stoneholds. And the Stonehold family was famous for domesticating hyenas.

    It''s like these guys were saying ''Hey! We did this! Look at us!'' So either they wanted to be caught, or someone else wanted them to be caught. I could see it going either way.

    The kids were sitting down out of the way and near the stone bridge. Booth had brought the unconscious Reginald to Duvessa as soon as the guards started working on the barrier. Seth started healing Owen again. The two of them had discussed how much healing he should do. Apparently there was a chance for it to be healed improperly when done using items or potions, so they decided to only go so far as stopping the bleeding, and then going to the Circle Tower for it to be checked. Booth was really interested in the healing too, and watched them both.

    The Lord of Derinheld walked over to us. This wasn''t actually the first lord I''ve seen in this world, I''ve seen a princess too after all. This guy was skinny, on the older side, and kept covering his face with a lacy handkerchief. He oozed the air of middle management.

    "Ew. What am I supposed to do about this?" he kept asking the guard in charge. "Fine, fine." He''d wave the handkerchief dismissively. "What am I supposed to do for that?" he asked and pointed at the hyena.

    "How about having it held at the Menagerie, my lord?" the guard said.

    "Ugh. Fine, fine. You, boy, you''re bleeding." The Lord of Derinheld waved at Owen. "No, no, don''t stop healing him, boy," he said to Seth. "What am I supposed to do about them?"

    "Perhaps my lord will arrange transport to return them to school?"

    "Fine, fine. I am generous that way. Do that."

    "You girl, I know you, don''t I?" the lord said to Duvessa.

    Duvessa was still crying and only nodded. The lord handed her a fresh handkerchief.

    "I understand," he said. "Dreadful and inconvenient. I thought I should recognize you. My apologies, my lady, but I''m absolutely dreadful with names and faces. Hmm. I seem to have forgotten what I was going to ask of you."

    I watched him. The dude looked at absolutely everything. For a guy who was so dismissive of all of this, he seemed really present in the scene. He even looked me in the eye. Then he waved around his handkerchief again and dismissed it all. But he didn''t look away.

    "Right! Right, I remembered. You can summon shadows. Give me one and I''ll send along a note with it when we find your friend."

    Duvessa struggled to get her sobbing under control. "You, will you really find her?"

    "Me? Heavens no! But someone will, and then tell me about it. Maybe you should give the shadow to someone else then. I''ll probably forget to pass on the message."

    "My lady Duvessa," the guard said, "you look exhausted. Are you able to cast?"

    Duvessa shook her head and blew her nose in Lord Derinheld''s handkerchief.

    "My Lord," the guard said as he turned back to the lord, "the young lady is clearly mana exhausted. She won''t be able to call forth a shadow for you."

    "Fine, fine. What am I supposed to do then?"

    The guard sighed. "I will update the young lady when we update the school of our findings. I''ve already sent messages ahead, and have contacted the missing student''s family."

    "Ah, fine, fine. Looks like everything is handled here then. Good work lads." With another wave of his handkerchief, the lord mounted his horse and trotted off down the tunnel, his entourage following behind.

    The lord guy wasn''t middle management. He was a master of upper management. Didn''t actually do anything, yet will get all the credit for everyone else''s successes. Unless there was more to him than that, the dude was just an extra. The real mvp was the town guard that got everything done.

    And true to his word, we were given a lift back to school.

    <hr>

    It was distant, but Blaise could hear talking. She wasn''t able to move, and she couldn''t see anything. So she listened.

    "This was not the plan. She was supposed to be taken to Mariglade, not here. You risk exposing everything!"

    "You worry too much my friend! This is exactly the plan. My plan." Hands were being rubbed together.

    "You don''t seem to understand that your plan will be cut short if we are discovered. She is too close to too many other pieces in this game. Have you already¡­?"

    "Pshaw, it''s done. And the dogs will be chasing the wrong rabbits. I''m not playing a game here. I am orchestrating a revolution. The unworthy need to know their time has come."

    "Those rabbits will still lead directly to both of us if we don''t step carefully now. It would not do for your revolution to be snuffed before it gains the momentum you wish it to have, my lord. Please trust in me, and trust in the plans I laid out for you."

    "My friend, I appreciate you and all the help you have provided me. But don''t overstep yourself. I am Lord here. You work for me."

    "Of course, my lord. I am just asking, please, don''t change plans without informing me. I can''t make adjustments in the moment if I don''t know what the plan is."

    "If it concerns you so much, use the cup and muddy the waters. Take it, give it, whatever you like. Once this test is complete, we''ll be ready for part two!"

    There was a heavy sigh. "Then what shall we do with the girl? She cannot be stored here, and we can no longer bring her to Mariglade as planned."

    "Her purpose has been served. You may dump her somewhere. I don''t care if she is found or not, do whatever sets your mind at ease."

    Heavy footsteps stopped by her head and a hand tugged on her pendant.

    "This could work. Cast the spell again, the girl is waking up."

 31 - Eureeka

    The return trip to school was subdued. Seth never let go of me. It was kinda uncomfortable how tightly he was squeezing, but the kid needed it. I can be generous and tolerant. I am a cat after all.

    At the school gatehouse there were professors waiting for us. I recognized Laur, Kaban, Cicily, and Rebecca. There were several more I didn''t know.

    Owen had gotten his arm rebandaged, and was packed off to the Circle Tower with Professor Cicily moments after we arrived.

    Booth and Duvessa were taken by two professors I didn''t know. Professor Laur was the one to collect Seth. One of the first things he did was lift Seth''s chin and take a look at his throat.

    "Does this pain you?" the professor asked. "Perhaps a healer first?"

    "No, it''s fine," Seth said. He gripped me a little more firmly too. If he kept this up I might have to bite him. "Have you heard anything about Blaise? Have they found her yet?"

    "Nothing yet. Let''s go have a conversation. This way, if you please."

    He led Seth to an office in the Rainbow Tower. My impression of Professor Slick here was of a man that was stiff, unyielding, and straight-laced in every aspect of his life. The soft and plush luxury in this office made me rethink that impression a bit.

    What followed was a kind, gentle, but thorough, interrogation. He did ask again if Seth wanted a healer when Seth started looking pained, and provided beverages and even lunch. Seth only picked at it though.

    I was perfectly happy to eat Seth''s fish too.

    This lasted hours. He went over every single detail that Seth could remember. He asked if Seth had written down anything about the day, or made any lists, or a calendar or anything. He asked about who was where, what the people were wearing, everything. He did ask the same questions in slightly different ways too, a common interrogation practice. He reassured Seth that this would not be negatively affecting him, despite being on probation. And before he sent us on our way, he told us that the carriage had been found in the tunnel, but was empty. He also told us Professor Armand was heading the search for Blaise from the school.

    I gathered from the conversation that there were lots of easy ways for finding spells and scrying to be interrupted. Depending on the spell and the skill of the caster, simply being indoors was proof against some spells and there were wards that could be used against the more fancy stuff.

    That information arms race had been run centuries ago and arrived at a stalemate. Current advancements were either secret, or non-existent. A pity for Blaise right now, but I wasn¡¯t too bothered by the lack of magical voyeurism.

    Seth was instructed to get some healing and then to head to bed. I led the way to the Circle Tower and stopped outside the main door.

    Seth stopped a short distance away and just stood there. So I meowed.

    "Sorry, Mau," Seth said. "I can''t deal with Arnold right now. I wanted to see how Owen was, or Booth and Duvessa, but I think I''m done. I''m going to bed."

    Seth skipped dinner that night and went straight back to his room. I honestly didn¡¯t mind that I had to skip too, because the poor kid was exhausted. He didn''t stay laying down long though. After about fifteen minutes he got up and pulled out a pen and paper and started making a list.

    I couldn''t read it. So I sat on it.

    "Come on, Mau." Seth picked me up and put me on the bed.

    I gave him a few moments. He went right back to his list. I meowed at him and jumped back on the desk.

    "Please don''t, Mau. I''m trying to work here."

    I meowed and got in the way again, looking at what he was doing, and then at him.

    "You''re not going to let me work, are you?"

    I meowed.

    "Do you want me to go to sleep?"

    I meowed.

    "Does that mean yes or no?" Seth looked at me for a moment. "We never really worked out a way for you to talk to me at all, have we?"

    Fucking eureeka. I¡¯ve been waiting for this idea to cross that little mind. I shook my head.

    "All right. You can say yes and no by shaking your head."

    I always have been. You just ignore me a little too often. Probably my fault for playing up the whole ''I''m just a cat'' nonsense. Anyway, I nodded.

    "You want more?"

    Damn fucking straight I do. I nodded.

    Seth looked at his list and back at me. "Do you want to know what I''m doing?"

    I nodded.

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    "Should we have a sound for that? Or an action?"

    Actions, yes! Finally, you thought of it. Sign language for the win. I flicked my right ear. I figure this will be my ''tell me more'' action.

    "What did you want to do?"

    I flicked my ear again. How many times did you have to repeat an action before a puppy learned it? Ten? Twenty? I might be here a while.

    I managed to train Seth in yes, no, tell me more, this, important, stop, and later. I was debating on teaching him ''feed me'' when he yawned. All right. I double tapped his list, my ''this'' motion, and flicked my ear in ''tell me more''.

    "I''m making a list of what I know about what happened to Blaise, and what I can do to find her."

    ''Later,'' I signed. Nothing he did right now was going to help. The adults were on the problem, and they had more resources than Seth did. We could check their work later. I hopped over to the bed and tapped ''this'' on his very inviting blankets.

    "I can''t sleep knowing she''s out there, Mau. I have to try something."

    ''Later,'' I signed again. I walked over to him and tapped ''this'' on his amulet.

    "I used it up earlier. It''ll be a while yet before I can use it again."

    ''This'' on the amulet again, this time with the high pitched mew of ''important''.

    "Mau, I used it up. I can''t use it."

    Fair. I tapped mine.

    "You should know how to use yours. It should be instinctive."

    Yeah, I don''t have those instincts.

    I wanted to use my amulet on him, or use the power in mine to fuel his. But I couldn''t get that idea across. Seth kept thinking I wanted him to use his. He kept trying to explain to me that it was out of power.

    Eventually, Seth decided he was sleepy enough for bed and pretty much passed out as soon as he laid down. There was a knock at the door a little while later and I heard Booth call out, but Seth didn¡¯t wake up nor did I try to wake him. He needed his beauty sleep.

    I was very happy Isaac stayed away from the room last night. He''d apparently gone home for the whole weekend.

    Seth used his amulet the following morning to heal up most of his bruises. I focused on what I could feel through my whiskers as he did so, and I could feel a resonance in my own amulet. That really interested me. Seth was starting to ignore my ''tell me more'' signs.

    So I paid close attention to what my whiskers told me. I tried to see, and sense, everything that happened as Seth used his healing amulet.

    And when I wasn''t getting enough info, I shoved my face right up to it and tried to interrupt what he was doing. Yup. I was willing to mess up his healing spell.

    If he was ever in a situation that he couldn''t use it himself, I would need to. I needed to know how to do this. I had first hand experience now how violent things could get here.

    "Stop, Mau. What are you doing?"

    ''Tell me more.'' I also wiggled my whiskers.

    "Use your own."

    I think my eyes might have rolled out of my head. I had tried using mine. I could never get the thing to activate. I don''t have those instincts. So show me already. ''This. Tell me more.''

    Seth sighed. "I don''t know what you want to know. Come here, I guess. I''ll use it as slow as I can and explain what I''m doing. Do you want to put your paw on it? I''ll hold yours too. Is that what you want? To learn to use yours?"

    ''Yes!''

    Seth was patient. He also explained a bit about how magic healing worked. There was a time element involved in healing potions, where they would identify a previous state, and then attempt to heal the injury back to that state. What that meant was if you used multiple potions over several days, you could be healing yourself back into an injury. Having someone direct the healing consciously with an item would be safer. Seth''s amulet, and mine, could be used either way. You could deliver a large dose of magic like a potion, provided the amulet had the power in it at the time, or you could slowly direct the healing specifically. The slow healing was generally considered better and safer, but took a long time.

    And then there were injuries that would require healer assistance. Those tended to be serious and potentially life threatening.

    Seth was slowly healing his bruises. I could feel the mana moving, but I couldn''t do anything to manipulate it. I couldn''t activate Seth''s amulet, or my own. As I focused I started to feel a resonance.

    Seth''s amulet pulled in mana, and output mana. It also stored it, but that wasn''t happening right now. My whiskers could feel the mana moving, and there was a resonance in my amulet. So I focused on my amulet.

    That resonance intrigued me. I knew all of these amulets were carved from the same horn, and fitted together on purpose. Could the enchantments have been linked on purpose?

    I ran through all the lessons this week in my head. The only one that really got into mana usage was the combat class with the wussticks. I¡¯d messed with them a bit, but my inability to grip them and use them properly irked me enough I lost interest far sooner than I should have.

    And the other classes? The whole way magic was taught felt entirely ass backwards to me. Each spell was taught in its whole form, and at no time were any of the component pieces explained or discussed. What the hell was up with that anyway? Even the sigils class never translated or indicated what they meant, just how to draw them and what they were called.

    Back to the wusstick''s mana sensing, oh yee wandering thoughts. Could I use some of that here? Instead of making a mana ball, I wanted a connection, some kind of thread of power from me, to my pendant, and then to Seth¡¯s.

    Nope. I felt like I was trying to poke a needle through metal armor.

    Maybe I needed to be more specific? I just wanted to activate the healing rune. Not the other ones. And then I noticed it. Just the tiniest dip in the way the mana was moving. Like it was recognizing its name and pausing for a fraction of a second. And its name was the rune I was trying to turn on.

    And there it was. Healing energy flowing into me.

    No! Not me! Seth!

    I pushed the power at Seth, from the rune on my amulet to the rune on his, and then to him. It was an instinctive action. I guess I¡¯m beast-like after all.

    "Oh!" Seth exclaimed. The kid caught on quick, and made good use of the extra oomph I was sending him.

    When he was finished, he looked at me speculatively. "I didn''t think you could use yours on other people."

    I shook my head ''no''.

    "Then how¡­?"

    Like I really knew. I had figured there was a connection between the pendants. How could I explain that when I couldn''t actually speak?

    I jumped down and walked to the door, and looked back at Seth. It was time to feed this kid, and me, before he decided another nap was in order after being healed. I made the opposite sign for ''later''. I hope he got the hint that I wanted to leave now. Maybe I should have taught him ''feed me''.

    There was a banging at the door. "Seth!" Owen shouted.

    Seth scrambled to the door and jerked it open. "What''s wrong?"

    "They found Blaise. They''re talking to her right now."

 32 - Bougie Bathing

    Seth waited for news of Blaise in the common area of the Circle Tower with Owen, Booth, and Duvessa. He''d tried a few times to read the handbook, but couldn''t really concentrate on it. Then he''d pulled out the travelog Professor Kaban had given him, but wasn''t having much luck with that either since Mau kept trying to catch Reginald out of the air.

    "Will you stop that!" Seth scolded quietly. "You are going to get us kicked out."

    Mau lashed her tail and turned to face Seth on the table. The second her back was turned, Reginald swooped in and plucked hairs from her tail.

    She mewed ''important'' and shook her head ''no,'' and then leapt at the bird again.

    "Duvessa, could you maybe get them to stop?" Seth asked.

    Duvessa paused in her pacing around the table and looked for Reginald. "Naughty Reggie. Be nice to the kitty."

    "Tasty kitty," Reginald said from his perch on the top of a bookcase.

    Booth had pulled a book down and was flipping through it. "Getting the boot now might be a blessing. All our nerves are cooked."

    Seth glanced at Owen who was draped on a settee and snoring lightly. "Not all of us." Seth reached out and grabbed Mau by the back of the neck. "No. You are not sneaking off."

    Mau glared at him and huffed. This was the third time she''d tried to sneak off to the elevating platforms.

    "We''re not doing that again. Once in the Wind Tower was enough. You''re staying put," Seth scolded.

    Mau went limp like all her bones had suddenly been stolen. Seth changed his grip on the now liquid cat before she could slip out of his hand. He put her on the table where he could watch her more easily.

    Booth chuckled. "Now I see why people think familiars are a hassle. Sure, I bet the perks are sweet, but I think I''d be looking for a taxidermist."

    Duvessa gasped and whirled around. "You wouldn''t! Such an adorable little kitty! That''s murder!"

    Booth sighed and put the book back. "It was a joke, Duvessa."

    "So mean!" Duvessa insisted.

    At that moment Blaise and Professors Laur, Cicily, and Kaban stepped off the elevating platform. Professor Kaban nodded curtly and left the tower.

    "Blaise!" Duvessa squealed and nearly tackled her in a hug.

    "Hey, hey! Duvessa, calm down. I''m fine," Blaise said while trying to get an arm free to hug Duvessa back.

    "You''re dry! And dirty! What did they do to you? Where did they take you? Who were they? Did you beat them up? Did you escape or did someone rescue you? Did-"

    "Duvessa, stop. I''m fine. Yes, I''m dry." Blaise glanced at Professor Cicily. "I apparently have mana exhaustion, so I might be dry for the rest of the day without needing to use my pendant."

    "Let us know as soon as your mana returns," Professor Cicily said. "And if anything at all seems unusual, come straight to me."

    "I would like to reiterate, you should not leave the school grounds without speaking to the faculty," Professor Laur said. "And be back this afternoon. We still have more to discuss."

    "Of course, Professor," Blaise said. With that, both professors returned up the platform.

    "Mana exhaustion sucks," Duvessa said. "I still can''t summon a full size shadow yet. But I can do a few small ones."

    "Are you hungry?" Seth asked. It wasn''t time for lunch in the dining hall yet, but he didn''t think Blaise would want to dig into heavy stuff no matter how much Duvessa asked.

    "Actually, what I really want is a bath. My skin feels so weird to me right now and it itches." Blaise looked at Owen who was still sleeping on the settee. "Should we wake him or leave him here?"

    "If we leave him here, we need to balance a book on his forehead first," Booth said and reached for a book.

    "Owen!" Seth said.

    Owen startled awake, and fell off the settee when he tried to jump up.

    "Aw, you''re no fun," Booth complained. But he offered his hand to Owen to help him up.

    "Blaise!" Owen said. He rushed forward like he was going to hug her, but then stopped and stood awkwardly.

    "I''m fine," Blaise said again, and patted Owen''s arm. "Let''s get going, we are starting to get attention in here."

    Seth saw that she was right. The other people in the common room had started watching them.

    Once they were outside Owen asked, "So, you are completely dry for the first time in a year, and the first thing you want to do is take a bath?"

    "Yes," Blaise said. She headed out across the courtyard to her dorm room and everyone else trailed after.

    "Enough of that, tell us what happened!" Duvessa said.

    Blaise sighed and was silent for a bit. "Well, I don''t remember being taken. I had just gotten changed and the next thing I know everything is dark and I''m tied up with a hood over my head."

    "No," Duvessa exclaimed. She continued to exclaim like that throughout Blaise''s description of events.

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    "There were two people talking, and one was upset with the other. Something about how I was supposed to be taken to Mariglade, but then they didn''t? They talked about plans getting changed, and put me out again. Then I was found by the lake."

    "The people who took you just left you beside the lake," Booth said. "Why?"

    "That''s the big question. One of the guys said he was done with me," Blaise said. "That''s what the professors want to talk more about later. I just wanted a break for now though."

    "We''ll meet you guys at the baths in half an hour?" Duvessa said. She looped her arm in Blaise''s and headed off. "Let me tell you about how Owen fought off a hyena."

    <hr>

    I hated the dorm bathrooms. They were rudimentary bordering on crude. There were trough-like sinks with multiple faucets. The toilets were little more than holes in a bench dropping down into pits. I sometimes think a hole in the woods would be more advanced. Or a litter box. Sheesh.

    So what kind of baths would crazy magic land have? Magic Roman baths of course. I was really interested in seeing these finally. I hadn''t seen more than the shower room so far.

    On the far side of the campus next to the coliseum, snug up against the mountain cliffs, there was a cave into the side of the mountain. It had all the same extravagant carvings as other places in the school. These ones had more of a slice of life theme than slaying demons though, with images of bathing. Naked bathing, which was better than naked demon slaying I suppose.

    I was surprised at the crowd wandering into the bathing cave with us. Apparently bathing at the end of the week was a social thing here.

    I liked the fairy light strings these caves were lit with. Very magical, and very clean too. I saw sigils all over the place, and didn¡¯t recognize any of them, not yet anyway. One day I¡¯d be able to read all of these, the regular writing and the magic stuff too.

    We came to a good sized antechamber with racks full of fluffy towels and what turned out to be lockers that opened with the magic tattoo bracelets all the students had. From here, it led into gender segregated changing and bathing rooms, with saunas and everything.

    This was some fancy shit. It made me wonder again why the school had such shitty dorm bathrooms and tiny dorm rooms.

    Seth waited on a stone bench for the others. Owen joined him, but Booth said he wasn''t waiting and headed in. Finally the girls arrived.

    "Oh, you didn''t have to wait," Blaise said. "I didn''t think about the baths being separated."

    "It''s fine," Seth said. "We can meet up after."

    So I naturally followed the girls to the female side. Because, you know, I¡¯m female.

    Seth scooped me up and carried me into the male side with him.

    ''No,'' I shook my head. I pointed a paw towards the girls.

    Bastard ignored me. Like all that time working out communication was for nothing.

    Off we went to the men''s room. Filled with students. Children. Naked male children.

    Nope, nope, nope, not a pedo, and I was not going in there. Seth naturally had other ideas.

    Well then, I accept your challenge, and we will be having a duel. Not of pistols or swords, but of wits and water. Ha! I will win this one for sure.

    Once we were in the changing room Seth put me down and hung up his towel. I took this opportunity to saunter away like I was just exploring. And I was back in the antechamber before Seth knew I was gone.

    I really need to stop being smug when I win. Because I never noticed Owen sneaking up behind me.

    ¡°Got you!¡± Owen pinned me to the ground. And there was nothing I could do to wriggle free. Bastard held me so I was on my back, his hands on my waist and shoulders, and even with my claws out I couldn¡¯t do anything. When I tried to turn for a good look at how he was holding me, he twisted me so I couldn¡¯t bite him. Not that I had thought of that. No way, humans don¡¯t bite, and I used to be human. I totally wasn¡¯t going to bite him.

    ¡°Thanks, man,¡± Seth said. ¡°She got away from me again.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep hold of her for you until you¡¯re ready for her.¡±

    Oh, fuck me. This was supposed to be a one on one duel here buster. You¡¯re cheating!

    And now he¡¯s getting naked.

    Seth had gone back into one of the changing stalls and quickly came out again wearing only a towel and his pendant. The tattoo-like marking of his key ring on his wrist was now visible too. I did notice he took off the other bracelet he had. Wait a second, what was I looking for? These are kids! I am not a pervert!

    ¡°Shall I take her while you get changed?¡± Seth asked.

    ¡°No, she¡¯ll get loose. I¡¯ll get changed after you¡¯re in the water with her.¡±

    "I should rinse her off in the shower first too. I''ll rinse quick and then take her while you change."

    Each side of the gender divided bath had a line of showers and stools before you entered the pool chamber. There were also convenient cubbies for soap carved directly in the walls. There were more magic sigils all over the place in here. I was starting to notice that some places had lots of magic like this, and some places had nearly none. I wondered what was up with that.

    Seth dropped his towel.

    No, no, no, no! Maybe I can kick free while Seth is rinsing? Nope. I got handed off and held under the shower. Owen joined us a few minutes later.

    You know what happens when you get soapy?

    That¡¯s right. You get slippery. And once Seth started lathering me up, I shot out of his hands like greased lightning.

    The other thing that happens when you get soapy?

    You got no traction. I ran in place like a cartoon coyote only to get caught again.

    "Poor thing is scared of the water," Owen said. That was bullshit, I wasn''t scared, and Seth should know that too.

    I got rinsed off and then that bastard Owen dunked me full in the pool before even handing me over. Oh hey, the water is nice. Hot without being too hot, and not hard to adjust to at all. I took a look around. The place was Roman bourgeois. Carved out of natural stone, heated, fancy lighting, vaulted ceilings, seating all around. Bougie bathing done right. No! Not taking a bath with naked kids!

    I was resigned. I still did my best not to look, but I was gonna drown if I kept struggling.

    I was mostly fine being a cat and all, but there had to be lines. And I felt like naked kids was a damn good line to have. Until I noticed that teachers used the bathing pool too. What the fuck.

    Welp. It was time for me to accept the culture I was living in and cast aside the hangups from my previous culture. That I didn''t even remember. What shit.

    <hr>

    An hour later I was wrapped in a towel being comforted by Seth and Owen. We were waiting for the girls in the antechamber. The boys were trying so hard to make me feel better, making soothing sounds and telling me it was okay. Damn. If I was actually just an animal it might have worked. They were both such sweet fucking assholes.

    ¡°She¡¯s trembling,¡± Seth said, his worry evident in his voice. ¡°Do you think we had her in the water too long?¡±

    ¡°She wouldn''t have gotten cold if she hadn¡¯t kept jumping out. She was super slippery.¡±

    ¡°I don''t know why she kept wanting to leave," Seth said. "The water was really nice."

    "She is just a cat and cats don¡¯t like the water.¡±

    ¡°I really don¡¯t think you can say she is ¡®just a cat¡¯.¡± Seth said. ¡°She is definitely more than that.¡±

    ¡°Well, she absolutely needed that bath. I think she turned the whole pool gray.¡±

    I glared at Owen. I did not turn the pool gray. At all. Not even a little bit. Well, maybe I was a little dirty though. But they even gave me a shower first!

    I was still being rubbed dry and enjoying the massage when the girls came out to the antechamber with the lockers. They both looked really subdued.

    "What''s wrong?" Owen asked, and stood up.

    "We don''t think Blaise has mana exhaustion," Duvessa said. "We think her power is missing."

 33 - Broken Pendant

    I followed Seth''s gaze as he looked up at the Circle Tower, the ivory carvings gleaming in the midday sun. These towers were so different from most other buildings here, and so beautiful. Seth had gone with Duvessa, Owen, and Booth to bring Blaise back to the tower and tell the professors there what they''d discovered.

    Blaise''s pendant was cracked. She had no idea how or when it had happened. She also had no mana whatsoever.

    It turns out mana wasn''t a resource you spent like coins in your pocket. It was not really something you can measure easily. Instead of points, it was more like water in a cloth that you could wring out. So even when you''d cast everything you could, there was usually a little bit left. That cloth would be damp even if you couldn''t squeeze more out. And as time passed it would absorb more.

    Blaise had no mana and it had been hours. She should have recovered at least a tiny amount by now. But she couldn''t feel any, and couldn''t manage even the simplest ''move water'' unstructured spells. Blaise had described water as having pressure, or weight, and right now, there was no weight to feel.

    That gave me the idea that maybe some of my issues getting mana to move was because I didn''t have any?

    Seth explained that Saben had a similar experience. Saben had said when his power first started acting weird that he couldn''t hear the wind anymore. And within a couple days he couldn''t cast anymore.

    But they didn''t know if it was the same. Blaise lost her powers more quickly than Saben had.

    "You put together a list of causes," Duvessa said to Seth. She was glaring at the tower like it had personally offended her. "What was the list?"

    Reginald was perched on her shoulder, a very unusual spot for him. I thought Duvessa must be wildly upset despite how calm she looked.

    "I don''t have the full list with me, but the ones I remember are burnout, injury, contamination of some sort, disease, parasite, something to do with aether, and natural loss."

    "I''d say natural loss ain''t it," Booth said. "Too pat, the timing of it."

    "You talked about having a finished amount of mana," Owen said.

    "Right, finite," Seth said. "I think burnout is similar to that and more likely."

    "You think using her pendant burned her out?" Booth asked.

    "It''s the most likely. Unless the guys who took her did something," Seth said. "Did they confirm it was the Stonehold family?"

    Duvessa scoffed. "It was them. Who else has hyenas?"

    Only whatever people who want to frame the hyena trainers. I know the simplest solution is the most likely, but some answers are too obvious. But I appear to be in the minority since the kids were all nodding.

    And Owen in particular was convinced she''d used up all her mana when she put it all in the pendant. That she overloaded it and that''s why it cracked.

    Seth wasn''t as convinced. "We both saw Blaise drown the Fire Tower, Owen," Seth said. "She used a ton of mana there, and still had more. Blaise had a really deep mana pool and really fast regeneration. Whatever is going on now, it isn''t because she used it all up."

    I nodded. Not that anyone was looking at me.

    "I''ve asked every professor I could about power loss. Burnout is what they will probably decide the cause is," Seth said. "That makes two, no three, people in less than a year. One, Arnold, got his power back. Saben has not. And now Blaise."

    "You don''t think that''s what it was, do you?" Booth asked Seth.

    "I don''t know. It could be, I mean she did start dumping a ton of mana into the pendant, but I don''t think so. I don''t know if the guys who took her did something to block her power, or if there is something about the pendant that is holding the power."

    "We don''t actually know," Booth said. "Maybe she''s just slow to get it back this time. Tomorrow she could be fine."

    "Do you really think so?" Owen asked. He was giving a grass clump little kicks.

    "We can hope so," Duvessa said firmly. Abruptly Duvessa summoned a shadow sparrow and set it to perch above the door to the tower. "I have something I want to look into. I''ll see you at dinner or when Blaise comes out."

    The boys watched her go. "Today''s our day off," Booth finally said. "I don''t want to just wait here. What do you want to do?"

    "You don''t think we should wait?" Owen asked.

    "I don''t see the point," Booth said. "They''re not going to tell us anything. They''ll be at whatever they''re doing for ages. And if Blaise wants us to know, she''ll tell us herself."

    "I feel like we should be waiting," Owen said. "So we''re here when she gets out."

    "Well, we don''t have to be doing nothing, but we can still wait here," Seth said. "Do you guys have things you''d like to work on? Sigils or anything?"

    "Right, we can practice spells," Owen said.

    Booth shook his head. "No spells out here. If you get it wrong and it affects someone else, you''ll be in trouble."

    "Oh, right," Owen said, shooting an apologetic look at Seth.

    "How about we scrap for a bit?" Booth suggested.

    "Sparring?" Seth asked. "I don''t know how to fight at all. You''d both just beat me into the ground."

    "I can toss a mean punch," Owen said. "I''ll show you."

    And there I got to spend an amusing afternoon watching children who didn''t know how to fight try to teach each other how to do what none of them could really do. Owen had lousy form, but he put his whole body behind each punch. Booth was fast and could dodge really well.

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    And Seth just sucked.

    The poor kid couldn''t get out of his own way, never mind dodge a punch. And I''d be surprised if he didn''t break all his fingers the first time he tried to actually hit someone with that sloppy fist. At least Owen taught him not to put his thumb inside his fist.

    Good thing this was magic school, Seth would flunk out of martial arts school. Actually that was unfair. Maybe the kid could learn. Just not from the two bozos trying to teach him now.

    Blaise came out for dinner, but had no more answers for us. Her pendant had been left with the Circle Tower. She stayed dry through dinner, and in class the next morning.

    The first class the next day was Structured Magic with Professor Laur. In what was becoming his signature move, he manifested in the classroom in swirling smoke. I figured that had two possibilities. Either the guy could teleport, something I''d seen no other evidence of, or that whole smoke thing was an illusion.

    I''m betting on illusion. I wondered if there was some way to prove it. And if it was an illusion, the guy had to have some form of invisibility too. I was very interested in that.

    We were still working on the copy spell in class. About half the class had it down somewhat well and were working on more complicated source material to copy, while those not able to cast it yet were getting more focused attention.

    Blaise wasn''t in Combat class that afternoon. Or in any classes the next day.

    Overall, it turned into a pretty subdued week. Seth did more reading lessons with Owen. He''d decided to get the basics down for Owen before doing a lot of experimenting with Owen''s power. Owen had said he needed help reading the blackboards in class, so Seth focused on using the blackboards in the training rooms. While Owen was practicing his writing, Seth was practicing the cantrips in Owen''s book.

    Duvessa wasn''t around much. I wasn''t really sure what she was up to, but she was very dedicated to whatever plan she was concocting. I figured she''d share when ready.

    It was Friday night, probably about two in the morning, and I was having trouble sleeping.

    Seth was sleeping like the dead as usual, and Isaac was soundly sleeping too. That guy was a light sleeper I''d discovered. I couldn''t play with my stolen stone with him in the room. So tonight I walked over to the desk and made the leap to the window sill.

    The wall the window was set into was thick like a castle wall. I could have a barbeque on this window sill. And out the window was a beautiful view of the city, and the Palace on the far side. The towers of the Palace were lit up with blue lights that for some reason made me think of sirens.

    I spent a fair bit of time thinking things over as I stared out over the city. I was getting close to the one month anniversary of my arrival here. I still didn¡¯t understand or even know what had happened to me or why. My choices were to freak out about it, or accept things as they were and map a new way to go. And if I get home again, then I can pick up where I left off then. But for now¡­

    If this is my life now, what do I want it to look like?

    I want to be human again. If that isn¡¯t possible, I want to be recognized as a person. I want to be able to talk to the people in my life. If that isn¡¯t possible, well fuck. No, I¡¯m going to find a way.

    I want to do magic. And I want to know how the fuck I got here. And why I can remember what Roman Baths are, but I have no idea who the Romans were. My memories are so weirdly selective.

    And how am I doing with these goals? Seth still thinks I''m just a really smart cat. We are starting to get the communication thing down. I''ve realized he likes the idea that we can communicate secretly and doesn''t really want to share that with the others.

    I guess I''m fine with that for now.

    I''m learning a lot about magic. Just not how to do it myself. Yet. I''m getting the feeling though that if we solve the problem with Blaise and her mana, I''ll get somewhere on that front.

    Yeah, Seth''s goal of helping his brother just became a more immediate thing for me.

    I''d always intended to help him out, but it wasn''t really a thing that interested me or felt like a priority. I thought of it more like his brother had suffered a permanent injury and Seth had to learn to accept it, and it was just going to take the kid a while to get there.

    Now it''s looking like something else.

    There were quite a few puzzle pieces right now, and I had no idea if they all went to the same puzzle, or if there were several all at once.

    I considered the people we knew and what I knew about them. The most important one, of course, is me.

    I''m a fucking cat. Not a normal cat, mind. I knew that from the beginning, of course. I¡¯m a truck-sized, magic, horned, snow leopard thing. A baby one. That can¡¯t fucking talk. And several people have recognized what I am and seemed surprised by it. So, either the cat part is what¡¯s special, or me being in here is what¡¯s special.

    I¡¯m leaning towards thinking it¡¯s the cat part. As near as I can tell, no one realizes that I¡¯m an actual person here, and not just some smart cat. Though why a smart cat isn¡¯t a person is super insulting. Sapience is enough. Seriously.

    I spent a moment or two wondering if using sapience as a delimiter for personhood is fair. I swear some humans don¡¯t qualify.

    Then there is Seth. Gandalf. My guide to crazy.

    Honestly, he is probably not the partner I would have chosen. He¡¯s got a moral compass that is very different from my own, and I know we are going to clash eventually. But I like the kid. He¡¯s sweet and optimistic and idealistic and stupid. He¡¯s doing his best to help out the people he cares about. And trusting as all shit.

    That whole demon circle ritual bonding shit aside, he¡¯s been nothing but good to me. And even that shit hasn''t done anything bad to me that I can tell. I''m not a servant. Since I can actually sense how he¡¯s feeling a lot of the time, I know he¡¯s honest and genuine. I¡¯m happy to keep him and don¡¯t really want to leave.

    He also has some unusually influential connections. Could this be related to Dad?

    That brings me to Saben. The guy knows stuff. He seemed to know what it means to be the kind of cat I am. He also is really scared of something. Something he is hiding from Seth and by extension, me.

    He¡¯s having middle of the night excursions. He¡¯s meeting people in alleys. And he wants me to keep Seth safe. He might be mixed up in something that has nothing to do with us. I doubt that though. I get the sense that it has something to do with their dead dad. And might be the reason dad is dead.

    I have no idea what actually happened to dad though. Just a hint that he''d been murdered and that whoever did that might not be done with the family.

    Then, of course, is bestest bud Benjamin. He could be what he appears to be. An altruistic guy helping out a couple of kids in need, and a middle grade merchant making a decent living.

    He¡¯s got bodyguards. He doesn¡¯t seem to like Saben very much, but is fond of Seth. His caravan was attacked. A caravan that had weird hidden cargo.

    Saben and Benjamin are unknowns. I get the vibes that Saben cares about Seth and wants his safety and happiness. Benjamin, I get none of that. I also shouldn''t forget that for an instant I thought the guy was going to try to snap my neck. Maybe he is paying back a favor to the kids¡¯ dad, or maybe he¡¯s doing something else.

    I thought about the two of them for a bit and decided it didn¡¯t matter right now. Saben had left the city and Benjamin was doing Benjamin things not at school.

    Arnold and Isaac. Arnold is an asshole, and Isaac is friends with that asshole. That means Isaac is not a reliable friend to the other kids, especially not Seth. I glared down at his sleeping self. If there was something on this window sill I could knock onto his sleeping noggin right now I would.

    Arnold was also involved in the research being done on power loss in the Circle Tower. Not having seen what they are doing, I have no idea how scientific they''re being with this research. And I haven''t seen it because Arnold is an asshole.

    Owen. He seems like a stand up guy. Farm boy. Ignorant. Loyal. Dedicated. A bit simple. The kind of guy that becomes the chosen one in some story. Heh.

    Duvessa. I love her. Reginald needs to drown.

    And the topic of the day, Blaise.

    As they say, two is a coincidence. Three is a pattern.

    None of the kids have come to that conclusion yet, and maybe none of the teachers either, but I think Blaise''s missing power is not an accident. Which also means that Saben''s isn''t either.

    The rival family setup with the pet hyena? They''re a false trail. I''d bet on it. I just don''t know where to look or how to find the right lead.

    And I still haven''t figured out how to open doors.

 34 - Dorm Sweet

    Seth was awoken abruptly by a shoe hitting his head. It still took him several seconds to realize there was someone banging on his dorm room door.

    "Get that." Isaac ordered.

    "Why me?" Seth asked, even as he pushed aside his blankets.

    "I''m comfortable. It''s probably for you anyway."

    Seth sighed and got up. Despite his efforts not to disturb Mau, she grumbled and repositioned after he left the bed. He ran his fingers through his short brown hair, doing his best to tame the worst of his bed head. His bed clothes were a simple shirt and loose shorts. He wasn''t getting dressed for this guest, so he hoped not being naked was good enough.

    "Duvessa?" He asked after opening the door. She was in her sleeping clothes too. Seth glanced over at his window. It was still dark, with just the faint glow of predawn. "It''s crazy early and a Saturday. What are you doing here?"

    "I am holding a meeting. You need to be there or everything is ruined." She turned and stalked away.

    "Wait, what? Duvessa!" Seth called after her, and stepped into the hallway.

    "Be there!" She yelled back.

    "Be WHERE?"

    "Oh! Uh, my room!"

    Seth closed the door and face palmed. Well, no point trying to sleep anymore. He opened his chest and pulled out the only clothes he had that were not sleeping clothes or uniforms.

    "What the hell was that about?" Isaac asked.

    "I dunno. Only way to find out is to go, I guess." Once he was dressed, Seth scooped up Mau and headed to the washrooms. Mau demonstrated her displeasure by being completely boneless the whole time.

    Not long afterwards he was leaning against the wall in the hallway outside Duvessa''s room. Isaac had come too, and was standing with his arms crossed. The room was in a different building to Seth''s own tiny room. Mau was still pretending to not have bones.

    Booth showed up before Duvessa, and so did Owen.

    "You all look tired," Owen said.

    "Ya think?" Booth said. He slid down the wall to sit with his knees bent.

    Duvessa stormed up a moment later. She paused in surprise when she saw Isaac. "Oh! I intended it to be just the people that were there that day, but I guess this works too!"

    She swept into her room and then graciously invited them inside.

    Booth stopped in the doorway and looked around. "Sweet," he whispered.

    When Booth moved aside and Seth could enter he was instantly envious. This wasn''t a room at all, but a full suite. The boys entered a living area that had a plump chair next to a tall reading lamp with a stained glass lampshade, a velvet couch in front of a cherry table, and a wide desk also made of cherry. There was another lamp, this one had a leather shade with dark cut outs. A glass door opened onto a balcony, and Seth could see a separate bedroom and her own private washroom through another solid door. Duvessa also had no roommate.

    "How did you score a room like this?" Booth asked, looking around. He poked at the plump chair and then flopped down in it. He looked small in the big cushions.

    "My grandmother is a former student and still has some pull in the school. Naturally I should get my own space," Duvessa said matter of factly.

    "Paying for it probably helps," Isaac said.

    Owen nodded. "Money."

    "Well, of course people pay for what they have," Duvessa cocked her head at Isaac, clearly confused. "She also makes considerable donations every year."

    "Never mind," Seth interrupted. "Why did you call a meeting so crazy early?"

    "I couldn''t sleep. There has been no meaningful solution to Blaise''s missing mana. Therefore it is we who must do something." She walked over to the wall next to her desk where a large board was hung. It was covered in scraps of paper, bad drawings, and somewhat legible text. Bits of string were pinned to the board. "I''ve been investigating," she declared dramatically.

    Seth put Mau down on the back of the chair Booth was lounging on and then walked over to study her board. "What do you mean, ''investigating''?" he asked.

    "I think you''ve all seen my shadow sparrows before." Duvessa held out a hand and summoned a small bird shadow in her palm. "I can use my shadows to listen and watch what''s going on in different places," Duvessa began. "There are limitations, however. But I''ve sent my sparrows to watch and wait in several key locations."

    She pointed to a piece of paper that looked like the hand drawn map of a blind cartographer. Seth couldn''t identify any locations on the map, save for the blue squiggle in the middle he thought was the lake.

    "What are these locations, Duvessa?" Seth asked.

    She pointed to a red X next to the blue squiggle. "The location near the lake where Blaise was found. I''ve had a sparrow there ever since, waiting for the bad guys to come back." She pointed to another X beside a colored in black square. "This is where the hyena was, that''s the bridge, and the tunnel. This spot over here is the shop she was taken from." Last she pointed to a location that also had a pin with a string tying it to another piece of paper. "And this is the carver shop where she bought her pendant."

    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

    "You got sparrows at all of those?" Booth asked. "Does it get confusing in your head keeping track of all that?"

    "It doesn''t," Duvessa said.

    "Why the carver shop, Duvessa?" Seth asked. "And why isn''t Blaise here?"

    "The carver shop because that''s where it started," Duvessa said. "Blaise isn''t here because she''s upset. Her family will be here tomorrow, and they will be deciding if she will stay at school or not. So we need to fix this today."

    Everyone was silent for a long moment.

    "She lost her power." Owen broke the silence. "Hard to do magic school without it."

    Seth glanced at Isaac, he was still leaning against the door and his expression hadn''t changed. He already knew. Booth was surprised though.

    "Why didn''t Blaise say anything to us?" Owen asked.

    "She was told yesterday," Duvessa said. "She didn''t want to talk to anyone."

    "Is that why Blaise isn''t here? She doesn''t want," Seth waved at everyone, "what we''re doing now?"

    "I didn''t want to make her more upset. I haven''t been able to sleep either," Duvessa said. "So we are going to fix it." She pointed to a paper with squares on it. "I listened in on a discussion about her power. They said she still has the power, but not the mana. We just need to refill her mana, and bam. Solved."

    "It doesn''t work that way," Isaac said.

    "Oh?" Duvessa turned to Isaac. "How do you know?"

    "Because it doesn''t. They''d have fixed that already if that was the problem. The city is surrounded by Mana Wells, so refilling a mana pool would not be a problem. It doesn''t work."

    "If we can''t just refill her mana, then we need to find out where it went," Duvessa said.

    "It didn''t just wander off, Duvessa," Isaac said.

    "Somebody must know something," she insisted.

    Could this be the same thing that happened to Saben? Or was it different? Just because they both lost their power doesn''t mean they lost it the same way. It was very suspicious though.

    Seth glanced over at Mau who was sitting on the table looking at the wall of papers and string. A thought suddenly struck him. "Duvessa, where''s Reginald?"

    "He''s on a mission," she answered absently. "Look at the smart kitty! You know exactly what''s going on here, don''t you!" She gave Mau head scratches.

    "So, what do we do?" Owen asked.

    "Well, I''ve also been watching the crafter that made the pendant." Duvessa pointed to a frowning stick figure with glasses. "I think he was hired to sabotage her power and he used the pendant to do it," Duvessa declared.

    Seth considered that. Could it be the pendant, like Duvessa thought? Saben didn''t have anything like that, so if it was the pendant then this was different from what happened to Saben.

    "I can''t see a reason why he would agree to do that though? It''s not worth the damage to his reputation." Seth asked.

    Duvessa waved her hand. "I don''t know, but that doesn''t matter. The answer is in his shop somewhere. We just need to go in and find it."

    "You want to break into the crafter''s shop?" Booth asked.

    "What would we be looking for? I don''t like the idea of stealing from somebody." Owen asked.

    "I want to look at his papers. Other than that, we''ll know it when we see it. It should have a lot of ocean mana in it, just like Blaise''s power," Duvessa said confidently. "We aren''t stealing anything, just looking. I have a plan!"

    This felt like a stretch to Seth. He looked at the others, wanting to gauge how on board they were with Duvessa''s ideas. Isaac was shaking his head. Owen looked really confused. Booth was interested, a bit of greed in his eye.

    "I''m in," Booth said. Seth was sure the reason had little to do with Blaise.

    "This feels wrong to me," Owen said. "I don''t think we should be busting into someone''s shop on a hunch."

    "Well, consider this then," Duvessa said. "We were the only ones who knew we were picking up the pendant that day. Yet, the kidnappers knew she would have it, and that her power would be at its weakest. They knew." Duvessa pointed at Owen. "Did you tell anyone about going to pick it up that day?"

    "No."

    "Who would I tell?" Booth asked when she pointed at him.

    "I didn''t know anything about it and didn''t go with any of you," Isaac said.

    "I did write about it in a letter to my brother," Seth said. "But I mailed that letter like an hour before she was taken. Our mail system is pretty good, but not that good."

    "So that means it had to be the crafter," Duvessa announced. She pointed to the stick figure on the board. "He must have done something to the pendant and made it drain all her mana. And he was in league with the kidnappers." Now she pointed to a paper on the far side of the board that was covered in what looked like dancing squiggles.

    "What about the kidnappers? Did your sparrows find anything on them?" Seth asked.

    Duvessa shook her head. "Blaise already knows all about that. It was the rival house."

    Seth could follow Duvessa''s logic, even though she didn''t explain most of it. She thought that the crafter either made an item that would permanently drain Blaise''s mana, or that he tipped off the kidnappers by telling them that she was getting the pendant made. If she''d had all of her mana, she would not have been easy to take. And Duvessa thought that there would be a receipt or log of this transaction somewhere that they could find. It was a potential lead, but a really thin one in Seth''s opinion.

    "I think this is the wrong track," Seth said. "We don''t have the information we need to act on this yet. We should find out more about this crafter, and what exactly Blaise''s test results were. Also keep in mind there are smart people with more experience than any of us working on this too. We should be working with them, not randomly raiding a local business because we find it questionable. We also have the kidnappers to be looking into and I think they''re the most suspicious out of everything. If you want to help, there are far more productive ways to do it."

    "Seth, I know you''re younger than the rest of us," Duvessa said, "it''s okay to want to trust in the teachers here. But we need to be able to look out for ourselves too."

    "That''s right," Booth said. "I know you''ve got good reason to be scared, but don''t hold us back."

    "I''m not sure about this either," Owen said.

    "I''m out," Isaac said. "I won''t say anything, but I''m not doing this." With that, Isaac left the room.

    "This is the best we''ve got right now for a way to help Blaise," Duvessa said. She stepped in close to Owen and laid her hand on his arm. "We''re all friends, and friends help each other, right?"

    "Yes," Owen answered.

    Duvessa patted his arm and looked up at him earnestly. "Please help us."

    For some reason Owen started blushing. "Of course."

    Mau choked a little and shook her head. Seth thought she seemed to be laughing.

    Booth turned to Seth.

    "So, are you in or out Seth?"

 35 - Wall of Crazy

    I couldn''t believe it. Duvessa had made an ''evidence board'', more commonly known as the ''wall of crazy''. And all her clues were hand drawn preschool art. This shit was adorable.

    "Okay. You¡¯ve decided you want to ''investigate'' the carver." Seth walked up next to me and searched the board. I wondered what he was looking for. If it was weirdness, there was plenty here. "What, exactly, is your plan, Duvessa? What are you looking for in there?"

    "Oh, it¡¯s simple. Booth picks the lock on the door, we have a look around, and leave."

    That got Booth''s attention. Apparently he¡¯d thought something different was going to happen.

    "That¡¯s not going to work," Booth said. "And what makes you think I can pick locks?"

    "Oh, you can''t?" Duvessa patted his shoulder reassuringly and didn''t notice him pulling away. "Don''t worry about it then. I can pick the lock."

    "You really think you can pick that lock?" Booth asked incredulously.

    "Of course I''m not sure. If I was, I wouldn''t have asked you to do it."

    This was such a comedy of errors. I couldn''t help but wonder if Duvessa could actually pick locks or if she just thought she could. My faith in her competence at the moment was pretty skinny.

    "Do you know what kind of magic protections are on that shop?" Seth asked Duvessa.

    "We don¡¯t need to worry about that. There¡¯s nothing there," Duvessa said, and waved her hand.

    "One of the premier creators of magical tools and items is going to have something protecting his shop from theft, Duvessa," Seth said.

    "But he doesn''t," Duvessa insisted. "I''ve had a sparrow in there for three nights. He just locks things in cases and locks the door. We don''t care about what''s in the cases because we''re not stealing from him."

    "I find it hard to believe a store filled with valuable magic items has no magical protections on it all," Seth said skeptically.

    "I can¡¯t speak to the foresight of a random shopkeeper," Duvessa said dismissively.

    "How about formations and stuff?" Booth asked. "Did you look for those?"

    "I did." Duvessa pointed to what looked like a checklist underneath a stick figure with glasses. "It''s all there."

    "If you have a sparrow in there," Seth asked, "then why do we need to break in and look around? Can¡¯t your sparrow do it?"

    Ooh, good question, Gandalf. I turned around to better watch this trainwreck.

    "Oh yeah, that doesn¡¯t make sense," Owen agreed. He wasn''t looking at the evidence board but had taken a seat on the velvet couch.

    "Oh no. The shadows can¡¯t read. Paper is always blank to them," answered Duvessa. She went over to her desk and pulled out paper and a pen.

    "Why?" Owen asked.

    "Because paper looks like paper. That¡¯s what they see." Duvessa said, exasperated. She waved a piece of paper in the air like, oh I don''t know, like she thought no one had seen paper before?

    ¡°Paper is paper. Of course,¡± Seth said, deadpan.

    I''m going to laugh my ass off over here. Or I would if cats could laugh. Instead I was wheezing. Close enough.

    It was an interesting clue to Duvessa''s power though, that her shadows couldn''t read the writing on paper. Hmm. You could read using night vision, so the shadows saw some other way? Maybe it had nothing to do with darkness?

    "You''ve had sparrows in this guy''s shop. Did he say or do anything to make you think he''s connected to Blaise¡¯s power loss?¡± Seth asked.

    "No, nothing! But he is a stinky fish and we need to find evidence!"

    Seth turned and looked at me. I shook my head. There was inadequate recon, no plan, no getaway, and a sketchy purpose to this job. This was doomed.

    "You need a better plan, Duvessa," Seth insisted.

    "This plan is simple and simple is always best." Duvessa nodded to show she was right.

    "Duvessa, this is a bad idea. Blaise commissioned that pendant. That crafter is the best carver in the city, possibly the whole kingdom. He made exactly what she asked for. That does not mean he stole her power or sold her out to kidnappers," Seth argued. "If anything, the kidnappers might''ve taken her power since they let her go before anyone even found them."

    Duvessa shook her head. "Everyone agrees that the kidnapping was a rival house. They couldn¡¯t have stopped her power from working, so the carver had to have done something to that pendant." She pointed to a place on her wall. "See, look. I tied strings where all the connections are. The carver has strings connecting him to Blaise, to her power, and to her power loss! He¡¯s connected!"

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    "I dunno, Seth. I kinda think this guy is fishy too,¡± Owen said. ¡°The kidnappers knew just when to swipe Blaise. It''s gotta be him."

    Duvessa smiled at Owen and the big lunk blushed again. And the best part? Duvessa had no idea what she was doing to him.

    "All right. So once you¡¯ve gotten inside the shop, what do you do if the town guard is called?" Seth asked.

    "We leave of course. I¡¯ll have plenty of warning from my sparrows," Duvessa said. She waved her hand dismissively. "But if you want, I''ll add it to my new checklist."

    "And if you''re seen inside the shop by the shopkeeper?" Seth asked.

    "We''ll just be quiet. No one will see us." Duvessa nodded again.

    In her mind, I''m sure, she thought it easy-peasy to just be silent and nothing would go wrong.

    "This is dangerous, Duvessa," Seth tried again.

    Duvessa waved off his concern. "It¡¯ll be an adventure!"

    They were determined and wouldn¡¯t be dissuaded.

    Booth was practically rubbing his hands. I knew he intended to profit off of this endeavor, but I was rather surprised he was willing to attempt it. He should understand the risks in a way I didn''t think Duvessa could. Maybe he was more motivated by money than I''d thought.

    Owen''s brain had turned off. A pretty girl touched his arm and asked him to do something stupid. Of course he said yes.

    "What will you do if you are caught?" Seth asked.

    "Call grandma," Duvessa said, unconcerned.

    Oh ho! There it was, the reason Duvessa thought this was in the bag. She didn''t think anything bad could possibly happen.

    I could see Seth giving up.

    "I''m on probation, Duvessa. I can''t be caught up in stuff like this. I don''t think even your grandmother could keep me from being expelled," Seth said. "And you all need a better plan. You need a way to get out without getting caught." He held out his hand to Booth. "Are you really confident that your friend''s grandmother will get you out of trouble too? Or will she blame you for corrupting her granddaughter?"

    "Of course grandma will help my friends!" Duvessa was scandalized at the thought that grandma wouldn''t.

    Yeah, I know, Duvessa. Of course our parents and guardians always do whatever we want however we want. That always works out great for everyone. I snorted. Not. One day you''ll realize that knocking over businesses isn''t normally rug swept, even when you''re affluent.

    "My answer is no. I just can''t. I''ll be expelled for sure," Seth said.

    Duvessa didn''t like that. "This is so unfair. Stupid probation." She slammed her pen down. "We need your help. Blaise needs your help."

    Oh, no, Don''t yield to their guilt trips, Seth! This can''t end well for anyone.

    He looked at me finally, and I shook my head again. This was bad from start to finish.

    Seth turned away from Duvessa''s wall of crazy to face her. "I want to help Blaise, but this isn¡¯t going to help her. And we are just going to get ourselves in trouble. Trouble I can''t afford."

    ¡°You know,¡± Owen said thoughtfully, ¡°we don¡¯t actually cast any spells or do anything when we close our doors, but all of our doors have magic locks on them already. Are you sure you can pick this lock?¡±

    For a moment Seth felt really relieved.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure I can get it open,¡± Booth said. ¡°I know a guy with a skeleton key. It can open any lock, unbar any door, and allows passage through any barrier.¡±

    Waaaah? Booth had my complete and undivided attention now.

    ¡°And he will give that to you?¡± Duvessa asked excitedly. ¡°You have such great friends!¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Give it.¡± Booth rubbed his forehead.

    ¡°That¡¯s a really powerful artifact,¡± Owen said to Booth. ¡°Are you sure it can do all that and it¡¯s not just a rumor?¡±

    "It can. It''ll take some convincing to let me borrow it though."

    Yeah, I know you ain''t gonna borrow it. No one would ever lend something like that. And if you can lift it from them, maybe I can lift it from you. I don''t like taking from the people around me though. This isn''t a matter of honor amongst thieves so much as you don''t shit where you eat. But by the grace of itty bitty pineapples I''m not passing up the opportunity to acquire a universal door opener. We''ll just have to see how that part shakes out.

    ¡°Is that your whole plan, Duvessa? Booth uses this artifact, you walk into the shop, search it, and leave?¡± Seth asked.

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    ¡°And you have no contingencies for guards in the area, for wards or alarms, or any traps or such in the shop?¡±

    ¡°There aren¡¯t any of those,¡± Duvessa said with confidence. ¡°It is just a regular store.¡±

    ¡°Alright. What will you do if something goes wrong? Like the shop keeper wakes up, or hears you, or something else happens?¡±

    ¡°Ugh, you are such a worry wart! This is going to be super simple, we walk in, be quiet, find the papers we are looking for, and leave. Since we aren¡¯t touching anything in the shop, we don¡¯t need to worry about all that other stuff!¡± Duvessa insisted.

    ¡°Seth, this guy is just one shopkeeper. What could he have that would stop us from just looking?¡± Booth tried to reassure Seth.

    Oh I dunno, Booth. But there is a tree carving in a coliseum here that was protected by murder wards. I''d want to be way more careful than you bozos are being.

    Poor Seth. Here he was, watching his friends blindly jump off a cliff without knowing what they''d be landing on. ¡°When are you doing this?¡±

    ¡°Tonight,¡± Duvessa said. ¡°There¡¯s no class tomorrow, so we can sleep in afterwards. It¡¯s the perfect time!¡±

    Seth found himself shaking his head. ¡°This is crazy.¡±

    ¡°Ugh. If you aren¡¯t going to help us, then you should leave.¡± Duvessa stamped her foot and then pointed a finger under his nose. ¡°And you better not even think about tattling.¡±

    ¡°I get it, Seth,¡± Owen said. ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it''ll be better if you go, but no snitching, yeah?¡± Booth said.

    ¡°I¡¯m your friend, I wouldn¡¯t do that. I seriously think you guys are not thinking this through. Be careful, okay?¡± Seth scooped me up and left the room. As soon as we were out the door I wiggled down.

    "I''m right, aren''t I? This is a bad idea?" Seth asked me quietly once we were in the hall.

    ''Yes,'' I nodded as firmly as I could.

    "We can''t just let them burn." Seth had both his hands on his head and was pacing in a circle.

    I fundamentally disagreed. If you did stupid shit, you deserved what you got.

    "There is no way they don''t get caught." It suddenly looked like he''d had a bit of inspiration. ¡°Keep an eye on them for me? I¡¯ve got some things to take care of.¡±

    Well okay then. So much for staying out of it. At least the kid didn''t seem to want to participate directly. I watched him stride purposefully down the hall.

    Then I scratched at the door to be let back in. Man, my claws are sharp.

 36 - Moonlit Strands

    Well, I have to say that Seth did have a positive effect on the other delinquents. They beefed up their plan a bit. Not enough in my mind, but a bit.

    The most successful thief was an unseen thief. And the best heist was one that wasn''t noticed right away. The longer the time between execution and discovery, the better your getaway.

    Duvessa wanted to steal information. The biggest problem with this was that she had no idea if what she wanted even existed, so she needed to take everything. Her idea of the copy spell to copy it all wasn''t bad, but that was going to take time. A lot of it.

    They were so gonna get caught.

    Seth was working on a plan, but I doubted it could rescue this shipwreck. I hadn''t seen Seth since early that morning, so he was still working on it.

    It was afternoon when the three blind mice went their separate ways. Of the three, I decided to follow Booth. No particular reason. Yup, none.

    He spotted me while I was in the school courtyard and he was leaving the school. I don''t think he saw me again after that. He didn''t try to ditch me again anyway.

    He went to the east side of town, the poorest side. This was a sad place. There was garbage everywhere, the buildings were run down, and the homeless - especially children - abounded. He greeted several of these homeless children by name, and no one accosted him or tried to peddle anything to him.

    The place he went to looked like it was once a very expensive home a century or two ago. Although it was no longer in its glory days, it was still better maintained than its neighbor houses.

    Booth knocked and waited for the doorman.

    I couldn''t hear the conversation from my hiding spot, but the guy at the door was boisterous and friendly. Not at all what I expected out of what I had thought was a street gang or mafia organization. Honestly, the guy reminded me of a pirate. He wore a black bandana with a skull on it, he had long blond hair, and a flowy white shirt.

    Maybe criminals here were just friendly pirates?

    Nah. People were people, wherever they were from. If a guy who makes his money from shanking and stealing is being friendly, it''s because you have something he wants that he can''t just stab you for. So what did Booth have to offer? An inside into the school seemed most likely.

    Come to think of it, a few of the people around here were wearing black with skulls. Was Booth a member of this gang?

    Welp, the kid went inside, and I wasn''t privy to Booth''s activity anymore. Unless, of course, I went to peek in a window? Hmm. Yup, that upper story looks promising.

    All the fancy detailing on this old house made for easy perches. With a little climbing and a strategic leap, I was sitting on a second story windowsill just out of sight of anyone inside. And I guessed it right! This window was right behind a guy at a big fancy desk. I knew it. I''m awesome.

    I pointed my fantastic cat ears at the window and listened.

    And I couldn''t hear a thing. Shit.

    I didn''t want to be seen, so I couldn''t just plaster myself to the window and watch everybody, but I could get glimpses here and there.

    The big guy had Booth brought in after waiting for a while. Honestly, their conversation was pretty brief. Booth was not invited to sit down and fidgeted quite a bit. It ended with the big guy pointing angrily at Booth, and Booth being dragged out a bit unkindly.

    So much for friendly pirates.

    Once tossed outside, Booth walked dejectedly down the street. Around the corner he stopped and pulled out a ring and studied it. He slipped it onto his finger and took off running.

    Guy was acting. He got whatever he came for, and I bet they didn''t mean to give it to him. And damn, the kid was pretty good. I never saw him take it. Only way I could figure that was if he took it from someone else and not the big guy.

    Oh Booth. That''s not going to go over well.

    That was okay by me though. Because if that was that skeleton key thing? Booth wasn''t going to be keeping it either. I followed him.

    <hr>

    It was just before midnight. The kids had left the school grounds just a bit ago, and I beat them here. So, the guard at the gate wasn''t even slightly surprised at a pack of students wandering out in the middle of the night. The guard didn''t even look at them as she waved them through. Cultural differences I guess. Kids were allowed to manage themselves here.

    I climbed up to perch on a nearby roof and watched the three blind mice. I was expecting entertainment from this fiasco. I could see the three blind mice hiding in the shadows and pointed both of my ears in their direction.

    "What about opening the magical locks?" Owen asked as they scanned the market. "You said you got something for it Booth, what is it?"

    Booth showed them a bone ring with a skull carved into it. "This is a skull key ring. It''s part of a set the Skull Gang have. This one is just a copy I got from the lieutenant, and will only work for a couple days. They have a bunch of them and they power them up from the master ring. They shouldn''t miss it."

    Well, fuck. I tried to curb my overwhelming disappointment that my door issue was not going to be solved.

    They talked some more about the plan. I thought it weird that they didn''t have the details already memorized.

    "We all need to be sure about this," Booth said. "This is dangerous. If we''re caught, we will be expelled from school, and likely will be tried as thieves, even if we haven''t taken anything."

    "Fshh. There is no way my family will allow that to happen to us," Duvessa said, and waved a hand dismissing Booth''s concerns. "We aren''t stealing anything, and we have a worthy cause. This will work out fine."

    "I dunno," Owen started.

    "We''re fine," Duvessa insisted, and rested a hand on Owen''s arm. "You just stick with me and it''ll all work out."

    Booth stared at Duvessa, far more calculating than Owen. "You''re sure your family can definitely protect you. Are you sure they will protect us too? We are strangers to your family."

    "You''re not strangers to me, and all I have to do is insist. We''ve got this, it''ll be fine."

    Owen looked a bit queasy so Booth gave him an encouraging pat on the back. Still, Owen followed them.

    Before entering the square they stopped and watched.

    "That guard over there," Booth said softly. "How often does he leave on patrol?"

    "I watched the inside of the shop, not the outside," Duvessa whispered back. "Why is the shop guarded?" Duvessa asked softly.

    Duvessa, I love you, but you are never planning anything ever again.

    "It''s late at night. It''s normal for there to be guards," Booth said. "If you never watched the outside, then you have no idea how many guards there even are."

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    "What do we do if he doesn''t leave?" Duvessa whispered, distressed. "The plan will be ruined!"

    "Be patient. If he''s a guard, he should do rounds," Booth answered, also keeping his voice down. "Send your shadows around and find out if there are any other guards in the area. Check out at least two blocks in every direction."

    "Right." Duvessa sent nigh invisible sparrows winging into the night.

    The kids waited. Owen was the calmest and stillest of the three. Duvessa was so antsy I thought for sure she''d just blurt something out loud and alert the guard, but she never did. After twenty minutes the last of her sparrows returned and Duvessa quietly declared this guard as the only one.

    "Should we activate the muffler?" Owen asked.

    This was an interesting item and the biggest addition to the plan. It''s something Duvessa paid an upperclassman to make for them. It created a field that muffled all sound within it from the outside. She expected this little device to prevent the shopkeeper, who lived on the upper floor, from hearing them. It had a range of about ten feet. It would be tricky for me to stay inside that bubble if I had to stay outside the building, but I figured I could manage it.

    "We''ll wait until we need it. It''ll only last about two hours. I don''t want to burn it up waiting for that guy," Booth said.

    And then it was another half hour or so before the guard finally wandered off down an alley. Duvessa quickly summoned a shadow sparrow and sent it winging after the guard.

    "My sparrow will let me know if he comes back. Let''s go now," Duvessa darted out and across the square to the door of the crafting shop.

    Booth muttered something under his breath before he took off after Duvessa. It wasn''t anything polite.

    Duvessa was waiting at the door with one hand on her hip and waved at the door as if the fact it was still locked offended her.

    The sparrow that was watching the approaching guard plonked down in her outstretched hand. Duvessa inhaled sharply and looked down the street. "Oh, no," she whispered.

    Booth pushed the door open, the skull ring activating automatically, and snaked his hand around quickly to silence the bells hanging inside. The three of them piled quickly inside and shut the door, still holding the bells.

    I leapt across the roofs to the shop next door, and then dropped to the ground. I found a window on the side of the building that was in deep shadow and I hid on the sill. I wasn''t sure if the muffler would extend past walls, but it did. I could press my ear to the window and very faintly could hear the kids as I watched them. I needed a spell that would let me listen better through walls. I needed to learn how to fucking do magic at all.

    Using a claw, I pricked my paw sharply twice. It caused stabs of pain, so Seth should feel that through the familiar link. It was the signal that they''d gone inside.

    I could see Owen and Duvessa were both peeking out the same small window in the door. "Move over," Duvessa whispered sharply.

    "Shush," Booth hissed. "Hold still, what''s wrong with both of you?" His voice was quieter than a whisper, but sounded like normal speech.

    "The guard is right outside," Owen whispered. His whispers were more breathy and hissing sounding. "He''s not walking a route."

    Duvessa turned around and scanned the shop, so I did too. It was dimly lit by the moonlight through the barred windows, the bars casting ominous shadows. I figured the kids might have trouble seeing in those shadows, but I didn''t. There were displays along the walls, and chests at the base of them. The displays were mostly empty. The side opposite me had a seating area next to a fireplace. A place to shmooze important guests, I imagine. There was a wall along the back, and I could glimpse a staircase going up and more rooms beyond. Probably a workshop and an office. The kitchen might be on this floor too, instead of upstairs. I wasn''t familiar enough with the architecture of this place to know for sure how the rooms were likely to be laid out.

    But the main thing I saw in this space? Criss crossing lines, throughout the space. Almost like laser beams, but not red. These were lit by the moonlight.

    "Wow, it''s dirty in here. Look at all these cobwebs," Duvessa whispered. She reached out to touch one of the moonlit strands.

    Booth snatched her arm and pulled both Duvessa and Owen back against the door before they could step fully into the room. "Those aren''t webs, they''re an alarm spell."

    We''ll have to have a talk later about why Duvessa''s shadows couldn''t detect the alarm. If I ever wanted to use them for reconnaissance, I''d need to understand their limitations. Assuming Duvessa''s grandmother would be successful in rescuing the kids.

    There was a thump from upstairs, like someone had dropped something. Duvessa looked sharply at Booth. He calmly held a finger to his lips and kept a hand on her shoulder. Owen shook his head as he scanned the shop, clearly questioning his life decisions.

    Heh. Shoulda thought this through a little better bucko.

    Booth examined the doorway and the space around it. Since they hadn''t set off the alarm yet, he was probably looking for a way to disarm it from the door. Whatever the method was, he couldn''t find it. He did notice that the webs radiated out from a location across the room, I followed his gaze and spotted a crystal spider perched on the counter display case. He carefully pointed to it.

    "Oh no," Duvessa moaned softly. "Not a spider. I hate spiders!"

    "Owen, you''re best at dodging. You think you can move through the web without touching any strands and catch the spider?" Booth asked.

    "I guess. I reckon taking the muffler with me to shush my landings would be good?"

    "All right. That means no more talking, Duvessa, not even whispers," Booth whispered.

    That''s not happening.

    "Wait, I have an idea. We should slow the spider down or pin it or something," Duvessa whispered.

    "Can your shadows do something?" Owen asked, his voice the quietest of all of them.

    "I''ll make a fat toad that can hop through the strands and sit on the spider."

    "A toad," Booth said.

    "Of course. Toads are adorable."

    "What is a toad sitting on the spider going to do?" Booth asked.

    "Pin it of course," Duvessa whispered. "Toads are heavy."

    "No they ain''t," Owen said. "What''s a shadow weigh, anyway? Can shadows even have weight?"

    "Toads look fat and heavy, so they are. How am I supposed to know how heavy a shadow can be?"

    "Because it''s your power, Duvessa. Can you actually make a heavy toad?" Booth asked.

    "Humph. I''m feeling attacked here. My toad will totally be very heavy."

    "Fine, Duvessa, send the toad and give Owen the muffler. Then neither you nor I can say anything, not even a whisper, until we are back in its range. Silence. Got that?"

    "Of course." Duvessa handed over a ball of wool with string wrapped around it. Then she stretched her arm out past the first strands of the alarm web and summoned her toad. It was a wide and squat thing, completely black, and didn''t look anything like any toad I had seen before.

    This made me pause for a moment. I couldn''t remember ever having seen a toad. Yet I knew by looking at that thing, I''d never seen anything like it and it didn''t look like a normal toad. My memory loss was somehow selective.

    But I didn''t have time to ponder this right now. The toad immediately started making its way towards the spider, mostly crawling under the strands, but occasionally hopping over them.

    "Is there some kind of light I can use?" Owen whispered. "I''m not sure I''ll be able to see all the strands to avoid them."

    Booth pulled out a small rock from his pocket and held it a moment. "Here, this is now a light stone. It won''t last long, but should be enough to get you across."

    Owen held the stone up and gauged the best path through the web. He started out heading more towards the seating area with the fireplace than directly at the counter where the spider sat, now with a shadow toad covering it. The seating area had the fewest webs in general, so would be the best place to move through.

    Owen moved carefully, stepping over and ducking under the strands of web. Until he got to a section of the web that he couldn''t easily move through. This spot had a gap at waist height that was about two feet in diameter, with webs both above and below.

    The only way forward was to dive through the gap, but not go too far or he''d land in the strands after the gap.

    He''d made leaps and ducked through hurtling manaballs when playing with the wussticks. He''d done very similar things before, so this should be well within his ability. Owen took a deep breath, carefully lined up, and made the leap.

    He managed to tangle in every single strand nearby. His arms too low, his feet too wide, his butt too high. He landed both awkwardly and heavily, the thud was fortunately muffled by the muffler, but he tangled in all the strands with his off-balance landing.

    Duvessa and Booth saw the toad on the spider''s back rise up as the spider started to move. It was hard to tell if the toad was having any effect as the spider still moved quite quickly.

    Duvessa reacted the fastest, leaping through the strands in front of her and grabbing the toad covered spider. Her hand sunk through the shadow toad and it hopped off, leaving her pressing the crystal spider to the floor where she had caught it.

    She opened her mouth to announce her success but was stopped by Booth covering her mouth. She glared at him and he let go. They both turned to the spider on the floor.

    It was breaking. Apparently it was super frail and she had shattered it. The legs had fallen off and now the body was cracking and falling into pieces. Booth jumped back and grabbed a blue bowl on the display table behind them.

    The shadow toad''s tongue flicked out at one of the small crystal pieces and the toad swallowed the crystal shard.

    Duvessa quickly scooped the remaining crystal shards into a pile and then froze staring at her hands. Booth slammed the bowl over the pile of broken crystal shards. But it was too late.

    The broken shards of the large spider had transformed into dozens of tiny spiders. Many of which were now crawling on Duvessa.

    She screamed.

 37 - Ravenshroud

    I saw Owen tackle Duvessa, the muffler he carried muffled her scream for the half second until he could get a hand over her mouth. Booth grabbed them both and dragged them quickly behind the sofa and out of sight of the stairs. The front door wasn''t an option because of the guard, and to get out the back they''d have to cross in full sight of the stairs.

    Owen wrapped his arms around Duvessa and held her still despite her attempts to flail at the tiny spiders. Booth did a quick brush of both her arms before all three held still. The three of them huddled there and waited for inevitable doom. If they spoke at all, I couldn''t hear it from where I was.

    I heard a creak from the stairs and held my breath. Poor kids must be melting down. Owen still hugged Duvessa tightly and Booth kept a hand firmly over her mouth.

    The moments ticked by very slowly.

    There was no bright light. No shout of discovery.

    I heard a noise from out front where the guard was. I risked getting down to go check on him. I shouldn''t have worried though. The guy was tossing a knife and catching it, clearly bored out of his skull. And that''s when I noticed that from the back of his belt hung a black bandana with a skull on it.

    Could Booth''s buddies be running a protection racket?

    I left the guy to his knife juggling and hopped back up to the window.

    Owen had finally let go of Duvessa and Booth was peeking over the sofa.

    Duvessa created a shadow sparrow and sent it to investigate. While it was gone she wiped herself off, any place where she imagined a spider, and her face where she had tear tracks. When the sparrow returned, she shook her head. There was no one there.

    Could the shopkeeper have really slept through the spider alarm and Duvessa''s screech?

    Booth got up and carefully crept to the stairs and listened. I quickly scooted to a window further down the building. Booth waved the others over. He handed Duvessa and Owen light stones. "Find it quickly. Our crazy good luck can''t last."

    The two of them immediately headed to the back rooms to find the office and started looking through the papers there. Duvessa quickly started casting the copy spell on everything in a pile. Owen added some documents to the pile to be copied. I knew the plan was to sort through all that later.

    Booth watched them get to work, and with a final look up the stairs, crept back into the store where the display cases were.

    I moved to the roof. I wanted to see anyone approaching, and the building seemed empty. I did wonder if Seth might have something to do with that. Duvessa screaming would have gotten them caught for sure.

    I was surprised they hadn''t been caught yet. A well researched job would go off smooth as a frog''s ass. This one was as smooth as a pineapple nose picker.

    And then I saw someone carefully climbing down a trellis on the back of the building. If I hadn''t been on the roof, I might have missed it. I poked my paw four times, the signal for disaster. I got my bearings and leapt to the ground. Seth should be on his way, and now I had my own work to do.

    There had been someone in there. And they just went for help.

    <hr>

    Seth fled down the alleys as fast and as silently as he could and skidded to a stop behind the carver shop. He knew there was an outside door here. It was concealed, but since he knew it was there he spotted it. Right, the latch. Stupid! Of course the door was locked. Did he risk knocking?

    He didn''t need to. The light from Owen''s and Duvessa''s light stones flooded into the alley when Duvessa opened the door.

    "You''ve been caught," Seth gasped out. "Someone ran out a few minutes ago and is heading to the guard, you''ve got to get out of here now."

    Duvessa looked at the pile of documents she hadn''t finished yet. She started to shove the originals into her bag, then stopped and dropped them on the desk. She only kept the copies she and Owen had made.

    Booth silently appeared behind them. "Out, now," he whispered.

    The three of them followed Seth to the far end of the alley, at the edge of the market square. Seth turned to direct them when a large man grabbed Booth by the back of the neck.

    "I thought I told you ''No'' scumstain?" the man growled in Booth''s face.

    A second bruiser grabbed Owen and Duvessa by their arms. Owen swung at him with his free arm. The bruiser leaned away from the punch, shoved Duvessa hard enough for her to fall, and whipped out a knife and held it to Owen''s throat. "Wanna try that again?"

    Owen held still. Duvessa sat up, but didn''t stand. "Don''t you dare hurt him," she said.

    Seth had been so worried about the guards approaching from the square, he never noticed the men waiting behind an alley gate. Stupid, stupid, stupid! He pinched himself hard four times, short pause, then once more. He turned to get enough distance for a spell and found himself face to face with another bruiser.

    This one was dressed better than the other two. His suit was tailored, with discreet skulls embroidered on a handkerchief in his pocket. He looked like a newly appointed lordling, displaying the latest in fashion but without quite the same posh that made up true money. The other two bruisers were more typical of East End thugs with somewhat shabby clothes and worn boots. The one holding Booth was wearing a gray shirt with skulls embroidered on the collar, Both wore skulls on bandanas. Seth knew about the Skull Gang, which meant the man in front of him was probably Matthius, the crime boss himself. Was this who Booth wanted to ''borrow'' the skeleton key from?

    "Lay off," Booth snarled back, as he tried to jerk away.

    The big man holding Booth, one of Matthius'' lieutenants, grabbed Booth''s hand and pulled a ring from it. "This isn''t it." He held up a plain gold ring to Matthius before turning back to Booth. "You stole from us, you piece of trash. Where''s the real ring?"

    "I didn''t take nothing."

    "You are going to be paying for this," Matthius said. "I told you this square is under protection. And you decided to knock it over anyway. And on top of that, you stole from me."

    The lieutenant yanked a bag from Booth and handed it to Matthius, along with the phony ring.

    Seth frantically tried to think of what he could do. He could make a mana ball, but they generally weren''t dangerous. Wind blade was the only attack spell he knew, but he wasn''t good at it and hadn''t practiced it at all since coming to school. Even if he could get the spell to cut, it was more likely to hit one of his friends. Breeze wouldn''t help here either.

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    "Go ahead and break bones if anyone tries any funny business," Matthius said. He examined the ring before putting it in a pocket and looked in the bag. "Quite the haul. You picked the stuff easiest to move too." Matthius tucked the bag away and smiled menacingly at the captured teenagers. "Let''s all take a walk, shall we? Behave, and we might allow you to go home."

    A shadow dove directly into the face of the bruiser holding Owen. The shadow squawked "Freedom!" as it collided. Seth had the stray thought that Reginald was finally making sense. In an instant Owen was loose and Duvessa was on her feet.

    They were still surrounded. Seth started summoning air for a spell when Matthius stepped forward and punched him in the gut. Seth hit the ground unable to breathe. Damn, but he really needed to learn how to fight, or at least dodge. Not that he could do much at his age against a full grown adult, but still, getting stomped on the regular was really getting old.

    "Stop right there!"

    If Seth could breathe, he''d have sighed in relief. The guards had followed Mau right here like he''d planned. They were out of the pot, now to get out of the flame.

    The four town guards that Seth had talked to several minutes before were in the market square. However, the paid protection guard, who worked for Matthius, was also in the market square, and was currently talking to a teenage girl who was pointing at the back of the shop.

    That flame of impending consequences suddenly felt really hot.

    "Excellent timing, gentlemen," Matthius said. "We''ve caught ourselves a pack of thieves."

    "Liar," Seth gasped out. He was on his knees still. "He hit me for no reason. I''m just looking for my cat. These are the friends I already told you about."

    "Master Wulrind has engaged us as security for his business. I had heard of a plan to steal from Master Wulrind, and came personally to fulfill our contract. I caught these thieves sneaking out the alley door of Master Wulrind''s shop," Matthius told the guards.

    "I couldn''t have been in that shop. I was talking to you, sir, just a few minutes ago," Seth said. "He''s lying and trying to move blame. We don''t have anything, and didn''t steal anything."

    The sergeant turned to the protection guard that had been outside the shop. "What do you know about this?"

    "Uh," the guard looked at Matthius, clearly trying to get a clue about what he should say. The sergeant noticed it too and moved on. "And you are?" he asked the teenage girl.

    "My name is Selendrith, and I am Master Wulrind''s granddaughter."

    "Who did you see in your shop?" the sergeant asked the girl.

    "I didn''t see them. I woke up when the alarm went off. Then I snuck out the back window while they were in the front room looting it. I came directly to find you."

    "Where is this loot now?"

    "I have it here," Matthius said. "I took it from that one," he indicated Booth.

    The sergeant frowned. "Four teenagers are looting a magic shop and there is only one bag of stolen items?" He gestured to one of the other guards. "Search them. All of them."

    "I will demonstrate that I have nothing on me, but you will keep your hands off my person," Duvessa declared.

    "You will do as you''re told, girl," the sergeant said.

    "I am Duvessa Ravenshroud of Lilandrium, granddaughter of Countess Duvonica Ravenshroud. You will keep your hands off my person." Duvessa spread her arms wide and shifted her coat side to side. "As you can see, I am not carrying anything." The bag she had of copied papers was lying forgotten on the ground a short distance away.

    "Countess," Booth whispered, giving Duvessa an alarmed glare. The Skull Gang thugs shifted uneasily also.

    The sergeant studied her then gave a short bow. "My apologies, Lady Duvessa. You haven''t been to the palace at all."

    "No, sir. My grandmother believed it would distract me from my studies."

    The sergeant glanced around at the situation. "I can''t imagine why," he muttered too softly for Duvessa to hear.

    "This one is a known thief," the Skull Gang lieutenant insisted, giving Booth a shove. "I can''t speak for the company he keeps. He''s the one we caught with stolen merchandise." He indicated the bag of loot Matthius still held.

    The sergeant retrieved the bag and looked in it, then walked back to the girl. "Are these your goods?" he asked Selendrith and handed her the bag. She nodded. "Your grandfather has a protection contract with these people?"

    "I believe so."

    Seth got to his feet. This whole mess could easily fall either way. If he didn''t get a handle on this he''d be expelled for sure.

    "Sergeant Nathan, Sir," Seth said, his voice still gaspy from the gut hit. "We were talking just a couple of minutes ago. If I was part of a plan to steal from this store, would I have asked you to come here to help me find my familiar? Wouldn''t it have been smarter to send you far away from where this ''crime'' was happening?" Seth did his best earnest little kid look.

    "I did see your familiar near here," the sergeant said. "And I''ve never known you to be a liar, Seth."

    "I believe him," the girl said.

    Seth was surprised and stared at her. He suddenly recognized her. Her hair was down and she wasn''t wearing her earrings, but she was the girl from the Rainbow Tower. The same girl he''d been trying to have a conversation with on several occasions now.

    "Seth is my friend," Selendrith said. "All of them are my friends. They wouldn''t steal from me or my grandfather."

    Seth wondered when they''d become friends. He hadn''t even known her name until just now.

    Mau chose at that moment to rub up against Selendrith''s leg. She immediately scooped the cat up.

    "Leave Lady Duvessa, and search the others. All of them," the sergeant ordered.

    Seth cooperated, and the guard quickly found his pendant. "This?" the guard held it up.

    "No," Selendrith said firmly. "That was a commission piece made by my grandfather. It belongs to Seth."

    Seth put it back on as the guard moved on to Owen. When he finished he turned to the bruiser, who shoved the guard.

    "No, let it happen," Matthius said and the bruiser reluctantly complied. The search went smoothly until the guard found the ring in Matthius'' pocket.

    "A Skull Ring," the guard announced and held it so the sergeant could see it.

    Matthius was startled and snatched the ring. "How did you¨C"

    The guard reached for the ring again and a fight broke out.

    It was fast. The bruiser and the lieutenant rushed the other guards as Matthius sucker punched the guard holding him. He turned to flee and tripped over Seth, sending them both sprawling.

    Duvessa sent sparrows flying in the faces of the Skull Gang members, including the one who had been on patrol. By the time Seth rolled over and sat up the town guard had the Skull Gang members on the ground. The sergeant held a sword to Matthius'' throat. The gang members finally submitted and were bound.

    The sergeant examined the ring he took from Matthius. "I recognize this. This is a magic tool that lets you into any locked door or chest. There''s been a few of these floating around. I think I know who the real thieves are. You''ll be explaining yourselves to his lordship. I''m sure he''ll be interested in where the ring came from." He dropped the ring into his pocket.

    Selendrith sneezed. Then sneezed again as Mau wriggled loose. "I''m so sorry, I can''t hold her!"

    Mau jumped down, then ran up the sergeant and leapt over to Seth who grabbed her and locked her to his chest. "I''m so sorry sir! She''s new, and I''m still working on her training. "

    The sergeant brushed off his coat and straightened it, then shook his head. "It''s fine. It''s not unusual for familiars to get aggressive or protective of their masters, and she was clearly eager to get to you. Do work on her behavior though. She had the four of you wandering the city in the middle of the night." He gestured at the bound gang members. "And put all of you in danger."

    "I will, sir, thank you. And thank you for your help in finding her."

    The sergeant turned first to Selendrith. "I will be reporting this to Lord Derinheld. He will likely be sending someone by tomorrow to take a statement from you. And you as well, Lady Duvessa."

    Selendrith nodded. "Of course."

    "I should think so," Duvessa said.

    The sergeant looked back at Seth. "Give my regards to your brother, Seth. I was sorry to hear about your father."

    "I will, sir. Thank you."

    As the guards led Matthius and his men away, Matthius glared back at Booth.

    After they had left Seth turned to Selendrith. "We¨C"

    "Hey! I still got your book!" Owen announced. After a moment of awkward silence he muttered, "I''ve been meaning to give it back to you."

    "Why don''t you all come inside and I''ll make tea." Selendrith glanced over Duvessa and then Booth. "And you can explain to me why you are covered in spiderlings."

 38 - Red Teapot

    Whooee. That was dicey! I gotta say though, that worked out fantastic. For me anyway.

    Of course, because I had a very special thing in my paw. And I wasn''t moving from Seth until I could make sure I wasn''t going to drop it. Picking pockets as a cat without thumbs is thieving on hard mode. Thank little green apples for claws though. That and a week of practicing picking up rocks.

    "And you can explain to me why you are covered in spiderlings," Selendrith said.

    Caught you! I watched Duvessa and Booth with keen interest.

    Owen was first. "Yeah, I owe you some apologies."

    "We''ll talk inside," Selendrith said. "Are you all right?" She asked Seth as she opened the door.

    "A little bruised, but I''ll be fine."

    "Have a seat. I strongly suggest not trying to pocket anything again," Selendrith said. She led them to the seating area at the front of the shop and then left to go upstairs.

    Duvessa, Owen, and Booth all sat on the sofa, while Seth took the chair. There was one chair left. I considered hopping over to it, but I wasn''t sure about my grip on my new toy.

    Duvessa was examining herself, clearly searching for crystal spiderlings. Owen was leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. He looked so guilty. Booth was leaning back with his arms and ankles crossed. This probably wasn''t his first rodeo.

    When Selendrith entered carrying a tray Duvessa asked her, "Will you be removing the crystal spiders? They are making my skin crawl."

    "Not yet, no." Selendrith set the tray of red teacups and a red teapot on the low table and sat in the empty chair. "I didn''t heat the water. I''m not spending my mana on you lot, so one of you will need to heat it."

    "I will," Seth immediately offered. "What do I do?"

    "Channel mana into this symbol here." She pointed to one of the four symbols on the teapot. Seth did as instructed and the teapot darkened.

    "Keep going until it''s red again," Selendrith instructed. "I have sand flower tea from Mariglade. It''s my favorite."

    When the teapot had turned dark red Selendrith told Seth to stop. She opened a jar and dropped a metal sphere into the pot. The silence stretched.

    "Thank you for helping us, Selendrith," Seth finally said.

    Selendrith nodded, but continued to stare judgmentally at the three on the sofa. "I''d like an explanation please. Why exactly did you break into my home and rob me?" She poured the tea.

    "I''m sorry," Owen said. "I thought we were just gonna look around."

    Note to self, Owen cracks under pressure. To be honest, his composure had been going to pieces for a little while now.

    "We were looking into the connection between the pendant that was sold to Blaise of the Firesands, and with the loss of her ability to use magic that same day," Duvessa said. "I wanted to know if anyone had asked for the pendant to be altered or tampered with, and any communications that would indicate the kidnappers knew she would have been filling the pendant that day."

    Selendrith''s teacup clinked on the saucer. "So you believe my grandfather and myself have colluded with those people to remove a person''s ability to do magic?"

    "Of course not¨C" Owen started.

    "Yes," Duvessa interrupted firmly. "I don''t know what the connection is, but I came here to find it."

    "Are you aware that all our records about that specific piece have already been requested by the Circle Tower?"

    "I was not. Do you still have the records and may we see them?" Duvessa asked. She still held her tea, untouched.

    "I am not inclined to show private business affairs to a pack of thieves," Selendrith retorted. "As it is, you are incredibly lucky my grandfather left town today. If he''d been here it would have been you going with the guards tonight."

    Seth shifted and studied his tea. Then he looked up like he was going to say something but I stabbed him with a claw. Don''t say it, kid. "Ow, Mau, watch your claws," Seth said quietly.

    Wait a second. I just realized that no one brought me tea! Unacceptable. I eyed Booth''s cup and debated taking it. Was stealing tea worth the risk of dropping my new toy? Tragically, no.

    "You wouldn''t have been successful robbing us anyway," Selendrith continued. "There are a variety of actions I can order the spiders to take, including returning anything stolen."

    Duvessa and Owen both glared at Booth.

    "I''m sorry, Selendrith," Seth said again. "Our friend Blaise won''t be able to continue school without her power. Her family will be here tomorrow to take her home. We didn''t have time to do this a better way."

    Selendrith nodded. "If I''d said no I may have been more alert to you entering." She swirled her tea in her cup. "I can appreciate wanting to help a friend, and you''ve already done me a favor, Seth. I''ll fetch the records for you." She set her tea down and went to another room.

    Seth looked at the others. "You should all apologize."

    Selendrith returned almost right away with a bundle of papers she handed to Seth. "Take a look. There''s nothing there."

    Seth read in silence for a bit until Duvessa said, "I''m sorry to have insulted you. I sincerely hope that my suspicions are unfounded."

    "There may be a way for your friend to stay in school." Selendrith looked in her empty cup and put it back down. "She will need to learn mana manipulation and how to create a harvesting formation. Then she should be able to use the mana in the pendant to perform at school."

    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    Duvessa clapped happily. "Is that something that we can do? Who can teach her that?"

    I could clap too. Learning mana manipulation? Woot!

    "I don''t see where the source material for the pendant was obtained," Seth interrupted, holding up a couple of receipts. "It looks like some information was redacted."

    "It''s there," Selendrith said. "I remember that piece because the material was so rare. A local merchant in the city got it for us."

    Seth flipped through the pages again. "No, I don''t see it here. This is where I''d expect to see it." He handed Selendrith the page.

    She frowned at the page and then asked for the rest of the pages. "Some of these have been altered," she said.

    "How can you tell?" Duvessa asked.

    "Each page has a number written in pencil right there. But on this page, the number is in ink. This page was copied and modified," Selendrith said.

    "Would the Circle Tower have done that?" Owen asked.

    "I don''t see why," Selendrith answered. "There''s nothing remarkable here that needs hiding."

    "Did it have the name of the merchant?" Seth asked.

    "It did, and that''s not here. But I remember him. He''s a new supplier for us, by the name of Benjamin. He used to deal with ordinary materials," she gestured to the teapot, "and some minor enchantments. But he''s started sponsoring explorer teams and said he might have some infused material soon."

    Seth tensed up at the mention of Benjamin. I might have too, to be honest. But this wasn''t proof of anything yet. Just a thread that might go somewhere, and might not. I didn''t think the other kids knew the name of Seth''s guardian.

    "So, the documents were altered?" Duvessa asked. She tapped her lips thoughtfully. "We need to see what these look like in the Circle Tower."

    Seth shook his head. "Do you know who you gave the records to?"

    "I made copies to give them for my grandfather. They never had the originals," Selendrith said.

    "Another mystery!" Duvessa declared. She stood up and put her teacup down. "I need to go make notes. It''s late, and I am grateful for your hospitality." She gave Selendrith a little bow. "I apologize for the misunderstanding, invading your space, and breaking your spider. Your ideas on how to help my friend are greatly appreciated, and now I consider you my friend too." Duvessa gestured to the others. "Let us take our leave, and let our friend get back to bed. We can talk more at school." She was rubbing her hands together as she strode to the door.

    Owen scrambled after her, Booth followed more slowly. Seth was watching Booth until they were outside.

    "Wait," Selendrith called. "The three of you, stand right here," she indicated for Owen, Booth, and Duvessa to stand at spot just outside the shop door. "And close your eyes and keep them closed."

    "Why?" Booth asked.

    "Do you trust me?" Selendrith asked, the question directed at all of them.

    "I do," Seth answered.

    "I guess," Owen said.

    Booth just hummed noncommittally.

    "Of course I''ll trust you," Duvessa said and closed her eyes. Because of course Duvessa was the type to completely trust the person she''d just got caught robbing.

    Selendrith laid a white crystal box on the doorsill and opened it. She activated something inside it.

    "Keep them closed for a minute," Selendrith said.

    Tiny crystal spiders started crawling off Booth, Owen, and Duvessa. Booth choked back a shout and swatted at the spiders but they kept marching down and into the crystal box.

    Duvessa giggled. "That tickles."

    "Just keep them closed," Seth said. "I can tell you when to open them."

    When the swarm had finally filled the box Selendrith examined the contents. "There''s nothing missing. The spiders have left you all."

    "Thank you, we really owe you one," Seth said.

    "I was just repaying the favor I owe you, Seth," Selendrith said. Then she spun around and closed the shop door behind her.

    Owen stared at the shut door and then down at himself. The night air had given him goosebumps, or maybe that was the memory of the spiderlings. "That was actually terrifying," he said. "I didn''t even know there were so many."

    "Let''s just go," Seth said.

    "That was a close one," Booth said.

    "What were you thinking?" Owen demanded. "Actually taking stuff? We were supposed to be finding out who took Blaise''s power, not swiping magic trinkets."

    "No harm done, man. Don''t get all twisted about it," Booth said dismissively.

    Owen snapped his mouth shut and stalked ahead.

    The four students walked back to school in mostly silence. It wasn''t until they were halfway back that Booth finally asked, "So. Who exactly is that girl?"

    "I met her during the Gauntlet and helped her out. I haven''t actually talked to her since," Seth said.

    "She knows us though?" Owen asked.

    "Luckily," Seth said. "You''d all be in serious trouble if she didn''t cover for you."

    "Lucky it was just her and not the old man," Booth said.

    "That wasn''t luck," Seth said. "I got him out of the city."

    Duvessa stopped and spun around. "You did what?"

    "I knew this was going to go badly," Seth said. "You wouldn''t listen to me. So I tried to think of what I could do to stop you from getting caught. One thing I thought of was for there to be nobody home to see you. So I had a courier deliver an invitation to an auction out of town for tomorrow morning. I didn''t realize Selendrith would still be there."

    "Wow, that''s lucky you knew about the auction," Owen said.

    Seth shook his head. "The auction is next week. I changed the dates."

    "How about the guards? Is it luck you knew that guy?" Booth asked.

    "No. I went to the barracks right after I left your room, Duvessa. I made an excuse to talk to one of the officers I knew, and I switched tonight''s patrol plates on the schedule board when he wasn''t looking. Nathan was supposed to be over by the west piers tonight, not the magic market. But the guy that was supposed to be here is an ass. He would have roughed up everyone and then demanded bribes. I bet the Skulls already pay him off. But Nathan did training with my brother and I knew he was an honest guy. I told him you all were helping me find my familiar, and asked if he could help me corner her."

    "So you set it in his head none of us were in the shop before he even got there," Booth said.

    "Right. And Mau could lead him to where we needed him to be." Seth shook his head. "It was the best I could think of, and it wasn''t really enough. If Selendrith didn''t cover for us, we''d all be done."

    I dunno kid. It was a trainwreck with minimal casualties. I think you did fine.

    Back in the dorm Seth used the light from his pendant on at its dimmest to change into his sleeping clothes. While he was occupied, I slipped out of the cord on my neck with my own pendant and put it down next to my new bestest prize, the skull key ring.

    I needed to get that ring on that cord without thumbs.

    And I''m talented. I managed it. I put a claw through the ring, and pulled a loop of cord through and then pulled the rest of the cord through that loop. Et viol¨¤.

    I was a free kitty.

    For a little while at least. This would only last a couple days and I was excited to try it out.

    But not tonight. Seth climbed into bed and put the light out. I was sorely tempted to try out my new ring right now, but restrained myself. I knew staying was the right move when I curled up next to Seth and he gripped me much tighter than usual. As late as it was, it took him a long time to fall asleep. I''d been up for nearly 24 hours already myself, so I was looking forward to at least a couple of hours of sleep.

 39 - Sticky Wicket

    We slept in the next day. Isaac was a bit of a dick and made no effort whatsoever to be quiet and let us sleep. Well, let me sleep. Isaac didn''t manage to wake Seth up. I swear that kid dies in his sleep every night.

    Sleepyhead finally woke up a little bit before lunch. While he was rummaging for clothes in his trunk I gave the dorm door a try.

    It opened. Just a crack too, just barely wide enough for me. I backed up and it closed, all on its own.

    Thank tiny tin boats, I don''t even need thumbs for this. I was so excited, Seth almost stepped on me.

    "Woah! Mau! Why are you spinning in circles?"

    Oh, my friend, I''m not sharing this secret. I did give him a shoulder bump on the leg and he gave me a head scratch.

    "All right then, come on. If you''re that excited about lunch, we''ll start with that."

    Oh, yes. I''m famished. Let''s go.

    Outside it was breezy, and the temperature felt like it had shifted. It would be chilly tonight. I spotted a shadow winging off, and a moment later another one. I paused for a moment to look for more of Duvessa''s shadows. I should get in the habit of looking for them.

    Seth kept walking, oblivious to the fact I wasn''t following him anymore. He might''ve never noticed if he hadn''t spotted Selendrith crossing the courtyard. She spotted him too, and beelined right for him. She was carrying her school bag with papers in it even though it was Sunday. So studious.

    "Hello Selendrith," Seth said when she was close enough. She didn''t answer, and wouldn''t look at him. She walked right up to him though.

    "Is everything okay?" Seth asked.

    She stared at the ground for a moment more, then her head snapped up and she stared at him. "I owe you an apology," she said.

    Seth was taken aback. "How do you figure?"

    Selendrith pulled papers out of her bag. "I''ve been over all the receipts. There are discrepancies. I had written some of the originals, and that''s not what''s here." She shuffled the papers and pulled out a specific sheet. "This is a list of all the discrepancies I found, and what was on the originals as best as I can remember."

    "Somebody messed with your stuff before we did," Seth said.

    "Yes."

    Ah, That meant someone else got there first, or grandpa was sketch. I''m leaning towards someone else. Grandpa would have just cooked it from the start and never had different records that needed concealing. I kept an ear pointed at the two of them.

    "So you were right to be suspicious, and didn''t deserve me being so angry and hostile last night."

    "You weren''t hostile at all, Selendrith. You made us tea."

    "No I didn''t. I made you do it, and that was rude."

    "You have nothing to apologize for. Seriously. What we did was a lot more rude than you were."

    There was a long awkward moment as both avoided looking at the other.

    "I should¨C" Selendrith started.

    "Join me for lunch?" Seth asked. "Mau might eat me herself if I don''t feed her soon." He looked around for me. He spotted me before I could decide if I wanted to play hide and seek or not. Maybe next time.

    "I don''t¨C"

    "I have been looking everywhere for you!" Duvessa declared as she trotted up next to them and linked her arm in Selendrith''s. Selendrith squeaked in surprise. "You''re coming with me. I have questions!"

    Of course you do, Duvessa. My question this minute is where is that damn raven, and if the bastard is done with his dropping rocks phase. I''m gonna make a pie outta him one day.

    Selendrith''s mouth hung open and she looked over her shoulder at Seth, unable to prevent herself from being dragged away by Duvessa. Seth and I tailed them. In the dining hall Duvessa plunked Selendrith down at the table in between her and Blaise.

    Owen and Booth arrived together, Owen with a split lip, Booth with a black eye.

    "You two were in a fight!" Blaise said.

    Owen looked guilty. Booth waved a hand dismissively.

    "We had a disagreement. It has been resolved," Booth said.

    "With who?" Blaise asked.

    "Me and him," Owen said, indicating Booth.

    Teenage boys sorting out who was right with their fists. Checks out. Now they''ll be friends. Or at least, not assholes to each other.

    Owen looked like he was going to sit beside Duvessa before moving to across from her. Isaac was not there, and in a look around the dining hall I couldn''t spot Arnold either.

    "Uh, Seth?" Selendrith said. "Is there a reason you don''t have Mau get her own food?"

    What now?

    "You should have Mau sit on your lap or on a seat, at least until dinner arrives. The formation will detect her then and she''ll get her own dinner."

    I cocked my head at Selendrith and meowed. I also did the ''tell me more'' ear flick, not that she knew what that was.

    "Oh! Yeah. Each table is a formation and is linked to the kitchens. Portions are granted based on the seats being occupied. That''s why empty tables stay empty, and food isn''t wasted at a table with only one person," Selendrith explained.

    "You know a lot about formations?" Seth asked.

    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    "Yes. It''s my focus." She shifted like she was going to say more but stopped.

    "Mau?" Seth indicated an empty seat.

    Ugh. I hate not being able to see the table. I feel like a toddler. I paced around the table for a moment before it struck me that I was, in fact, a toddler. Just a feline one. What shit.

    I hopped down and sat on my own seat like a little kid invited to the adults table. I tried not to gouge the seat with my claws. I just wasn''t in the mood to be patient.

    The conversation moved around the table. Selendrith was introduced, Blaise didn''t have any towels with her nor did she need them, and Owen and Booth were sitting next to each other. I was relieved the kids were smart enough to not directly mention last night. But they weren''t smart enough to not refer to it. Blaise figured out something had happened pretty quick.

    Suddenly I felt a thrumming in my whiskers. Lunch was arriving, and it felt just slightly differently to me from the seat than the table.

    Platters of fruits, salads, and sandwiches appeared. Yuck. There was also a plate of lightly grilled fish. Selendrith, I now love you.

    I devoured my fish. I wasn''t trying to be messy, but I very soon had a pile of napkins surrounding me as I tore my fish to pieces and inadvertently flung fish chunks about. Seth was trying to hang a napkin off of a pitcher to better shield his plate from my enthusiasm.

    The kids talked about Blaise''s power loss, and her family. Her brother, Brand, would be staying at school for a bit with her, so she wasn''t leaving just yet. As they discussed that, my thoughts wandered.

    I had one good night of my new ring. Maybe two. I had to decide where I wanted to go.

    So many possibilities. So many choices.

    I could go anywhere I wanted to in the city. Maybe even the Palace. There would be treasures there, no doubt about it. But there could be other types of protections than just locked doors. Something like crystalline spiders or murder wards. Ugh.

    For some things, I''d need a broader education on what''s possible in the world before I can do that kind of thing. Some day though. Some day.

    To be honest, there was nothing specific I wanted there anyway. Until I could do a little recon or get a guest tour or something even the Palace wasn''t all that high on my list of excursion destinations.

    I should use it for something I probably wouldn''t be able to do later. Something that wasn''t likely to be dangerous, but still had interesting secrets.

    The towers called to me. These were the bastions of magical power within the school. And I already liberated one magic toy from one of the towers, there were likely to be others. Or did I want to explore elsewhere in the school instead? On one paw, the towers were crazy magic and powerful. On the other paw, they were just dorms and classrooms.

    Sure, the classrooms might be on fire sometimes, but they were still just classrooms.

    Am I getting jaded?

    Nah.

    Actually, there was one tower that was likely different from the others. One I probably wouldn''t get the opportunity to go in for a few years, if at all.

    The Last Tower.

    The tower of the headmaster, whom I''d never seen nor knew the name of. The tower for which you needed to have access to all the other towers first. A dark and mysterious tower.

    A restricted space is always so much more mysterious. And I was a curious creature.

    I finished my fish and looked around at the kids. I walked over to Seth''s plate to see if he''d taken anything interesting.

    "Stop it, Mau. You had your own food."

    I meowed at him, a short ''mua'' sound. I decided on the spot that this would be my sound for ''Bye'' and I hopped down. Nobody even noticed I walked away. Heh.

    Outside I took an indirect route to the Last Tower. I paused briefly to look at the Water Tower on my way by. I always liked looking at this tower.

    It looked like an aquarium. The blocks of the tower looked like the glass of a shark tank, and the water inside was deep and dark. And the most amazing thing about it was that you could see things living in the blocks.

    Right this moment a bioluminescent jellyfish swam by. It looked like it swam right through the tower and kept going. These towers were somehow connected to weird shit. I had no idea why or how, but what you saw was from somewhere else.

    Some of them anyway. I couldn''t see how the Circle Tower could be connected to anything.

    I sat outside the Last Tower. It looked like it was made of glass, but it was dark. It was like a window with the shades drawn on the other side. Wherever this tower went to, I couldn''t see it.

    I waited for a while, but no one went in or out. No one was nearby either.

    Okay. Time to go in.

    The door opened as easily for me as the dorm room door and I stepped inside. I let the door shut silently behind me.

    The place was empty. Like empty empty. There wasn''t even furniture. This was easily the narrowest of all the towers, the whole interior space was at best twenty feet in diameter. Which was crazy, because the outside was bigger than that. Who ever heard of bigger on the outside?

    A spiral staircase was made out of the same glass and wound up the outer wall. As I followed the staircase up I realized where all the rest of the space had gone.

    Up.

    And up.

    Climbing those stairs all the way to the top was going to be brutal. Do I really want to do this? I''m a lazy kitty. I don''t want to do that work.

    I heaved a sigh and started up the stairs. I may be lazy, but I was way more curious than I was lazy.

    I got tired a few times and stopped to rest. I lost track of the stairs somewhere around three hundred and started over. Then I lost track again around four hundred. At that point I decided, screw it, and took a nap. My kitten body just couldn''t deal with this. It was a bad idea anyway, because when I woke up, I was super sore. I kept climbing though.

    Finally, finally, I reached the top. The top floor was a ring around the walls of the tower with the middle open to the ground far below. There was almost nothing here. Just three stone slabs resembling gravestones. All three were covered in text. The light had changed in here, and the place was filled with dim light and long shadows.

    I could see out the walls of the tower, but I couldn''t see the mountains that surrounded the city. I was looking out at somewhere else.

    Leaning on an arm and gazing out the side of the tower was Professor Kaban.

    Well then. I''m caught. If that means I don''t need to walk down all those stairs, I''m perfectly fine with that. Stairs suck.

    But first, let''s take a look at these stone slabs. I''ve been studying hard with Seth and Owen. I couldn''t read yet, but I had memorized the new alphabet. Maybe I could memorize what''s here and have Seth translate it for me later. I headed over to the first stone.

    Nope.

    It wasn''t the local language. I walked over to the next one. Still no. None of them even had the same language. But I recognized them. I didn''t speak them, but I recognized them.

    Chinese. Japanese. And German.

    If I really worked at it, I might be able to puzzle out some of the German. It wasn''t a language I knew, but it felt really familiar, like I had studied it at some point even if I hadn''t fully learned it. Or maybe a language similar to it. I couldn''t actually remember. But I could look at these and know what they were, even if I didn''t know how I knew them.

    So the million dollar questions are how and why were these three languages here? There was also a million dollar answer in these stones.

    I''m not the only one like me here.

    "How the fuck did you get in here?" Professor Kaban asked. He walked over to drop off - there were no railings anywhere - and peered down. "There''s no way I left that door open."

    I ignored him and studied the stone slab in front of me. After a minute or two he walked over next to me. "Got your interest, hmm?"

    Out of habit I flicked my ear in ''tell me more''. Professor Kaban obliged even though he hadn''t noticed the gesture.

    "These were made by the enemies of your species. The enemies of the world, really. I''m not surprised you''re drawn to them. These ones are relics from before the Sundering, so somewhere between one and two thousand years ago."

    What the fuck. I gave Kaban the side eye. Languages don''t exist unchanged for over a thousand years. I recognized these.

    And Kaban here thinks people from my home world are enemies?

    Maybe it''s better that I can''t speak yet or that could''ve been a sticky wicket.

    What shit.

 40 - Study Group

    Seth pretended not to see Mau leave. He''d considered grabbing her and making her stay, but decided against it. She had played her role perfectly the night before. He knew she could manage herself fine despite how young she was. And if he did make her stay there was a high chance she''d send every single thing on the table into his lap. He thought about whether or not he could prevent that for a moment. No, he was right. The best thing to do was to let her go.

    He reminded himself he needed to learn more about what kind of cat she was.

    Blaise had talked quite a bit about what they worked on and tested in the Circle Tower. Saben hadn''t told him nearly as much, but many of the processes seemed the same.

    Either way, Seth was convinced the two were related. But it hadn''t happened the same for the two of them. Saben hadn''t been kidnapped or anything.

    And then there was the matter of Blaise''s pendant. Selendrith had a list of materials and transactions that she remembered differently than what was in her records. There were three names associated with those transactions. One was a local lord, the other two were merchants. One of them was Benjamin.

    Seth didn''t want to think that Benjamin would do anything to Saben or Blaise. Confronting him directly was potentially very dangerous. Right now Benjamin had a great deal of control over both Seth''s and Saben''s futures. Saben in particular.

    Not only that, but accusing the guy who took you in of ruining lives would be unforgivable if he was innocent. Benjamin deserved more consideration than that.

    Seth rubbed the bracelet Benjamin had given him. If he had the opportunity to talk to Selendrith''s grandfather, Seth would ask about the bracelet and see if there was anything suspicious about it.

    He''d look into the other two names too. Seth did wonder if it was the Circle Tower that changed Selendrith''s records. They''d been given access. But Seth couldn''t figure any reason why they would.

    Seth grabbed a napkin and started wiping up Mau''s mess.

    "I''m being allowed to stay," Blaise was saying. "My mum wanted me back right away, but my dad said it was fine if I stayed. Since that''s what I wanted too, they let me. But, I still need to pass the final exam. I need to be able to cast the six spells, or I''m done."

    Owen shifted uncomfortably. He was falling behind in casting too due to his trouble reading. They''d been working on it, but learning to read didn''t happen in a couple of weeks.

    "We can form a study group!" Duvessa announced. "We need a club house, a schedule, and a secret password."

    "No. I ain''t joining no gang and I ain''t joining no club," Booth said.

    Duvessa waved her hand and popped a grape in her mouth. "It''s fine. I volunteer my room for meetings."

    "Your room is fancy," Booth said, more interested now.

    "Won''t work," Blaise said. "If Duvessa isn''t there, no one can go in."

    "No, they can''t, but this is actually a perk. Since it''ll be mandatory for me to attend all meetings, I also volunteer as leader," Duvessa said.

    "No," Seth, Booth, and Owen all said together.

    "Yeah, that''s kinda weird," Owen continued. "We''re just friends, right? We don''t need someone to be ''leader''."

    "It''s normal for someone to be in charge though," Duvessa argued.

    "Not amongst friends, Duvessa," Seth said. "We all make our own decisions."

    "Ugh. I wanted people to call me ''Mistress of Shadows''."

    Seth paused while reaching for a grape to look at Duvessa, searching for a sign that she was kidding or serious. He really couldn''t tell.

    Booth snickered. "Why not go for the whole ''Queen of Darkness'' thing then?"

    "Because queens are old and I''m not. Duh."

    "About the ''clubhouse''," Seth said, "is there any class or tower we all have together?"

    Blaise shook her head. "Unless all of you grabbed keys when I flooded the Fire Tower, I doubt that we do."

    "That''s okay, Duvessa," Seth said. "We should probably use one of the library study rooms anyway."

    "Ugh, that''s lame. This isn''t math class," Duvessa argued. "In that case, how about outside in one of the quiet courtyards past the coliseum?"

    "That''ll be fine for as long as the weather is good. Not that I mind getting wet," Blaise said. "But that isn''t going to matter. I can''t pass if I can''t cast. I have no mana. Practice won''t change that. Although, it was recommended that I talk to Professor Laur after class tomorrow."

    "Professor Laur¨C"

    "You still have your pendant!" Duvessa interrupted and turned to Selendrith. "You mentioned casting out of a mana vault, and learning mana manipulation. Are you able to teach this, or do you know who can?"

    Selendrith fiddled with one of her pearl earrings as her gaze flicked from Duvessa to Blaise and back. "I do know how to do that. It''s part of learning how to be a carver. I could be persuaded to teach one person."

    "Done then!" Duvess cried happily. "You can teach Blaise and she can stay at school."

    "I''ve not been persuaded yet."

    "Saw that coming," Booth muttered.

    "What are you looking for?" Seth asked Selendrith.

    "An equivalent exchange. Knowledge for knowledge," Selendrith said.

    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    "What kind of knowledge?" Blaise asked. "I''d happily share anything I know."

    "I''m a student of the Ten Thousand. I would like ten spells that I don''t already have," Selendrith said.

    Seth knew that group. It was widely accepted that there were only ten thousand spells in structured magic. They had been gifted to people in ancient times and due to time and calamity many of the spells had been lost. The Ten Thousand was a group dedicated to collecting all ten thousand spells. The members tended to be secretive about what spells they''d actually acquired. To the best of Seth''s knowledge only a couple thousand of the spells were still known, but there could be secret libraries somewhere with many more.

    If Selendrith had access to the library of a former student here, she likely already had all the spells the school could offer.

    "Done!" Duvessa said. "Finding a few spells should be no trouble."

    "I''m not committing to nothing," Booth said.

    "No, I''m the one benefitting," Blaise said. "I''ll provide the spells. Ten is a lot though, unless you think there are spells here in school that you don''t have?"

    Selendrith shook her head. "I don''t know. I''ve not had the opportunity to search the library here. Most of the missing spells aren''t in spell books, but are in with other things. Finding them can be hard."

    "How about this then. For as long as I''m in school, I will actively look for spells and see if you have them. I won''t stop at ten. However, if I don''t pass and don''t stay at school, I only need to find three for you."

    Selendrith considered this and then nodded. "That is acceptable. And if anyone else wishes to sit in on lessons, they also need to commit to a minimum of three spells."

    Seth was excited to see this. Mana manipulation without the use of talents? Taking power only from a mana vault? That was definitely something he was interested in and wanted to learn.

    "You can teach all of us how to manipulate mana?" Duvessa asked Selendrith. "How is that different from what we can already do?"

    "Most of these techniques will train you to use less mana in all of your spells. When you only have what''s in a vault, you have to have a light touch," Selendrith said.

    "How do you cast spells without your own mana?" Seth asked.

    "You can only use mana that is tied to you somehow. Either it''s your own mana, or it''s mana from a vault attuned to you. There are other ways, like forming a contract or something, but I don''t really know those," Selendrith said.

    "Contract? Like a familiar contract?" Seth asked.

    "I think so? I''ve never studied them. I''ve focused on vaults." Selendrith shrugged. "If you fill a vault with your mana, it''s already attuned to you," Selendrith explained. "If you don''t have mana, you need the vault attuned to you specifically, so that all the mana in it will be attuned."

    "Is my pendant attuned to me?" Blaise asked.

    "As long as it hasn''t been drained, all the mana in it is still yours. If it was drained, we''d need to have it attuned. My grandfather would need to do that."

    "I''ll need your grandfather to repair it anyway. It''s cracked." Blaise showed Selendrith the broken pendant. "I don''t know if it can even hold mana at the moment."

    Selendrith took the pendant and examined it. "It was overfilled. Forcefully too. It looks like it was broken on purpose."

    "I didn''t do that," Blaise said.

    "The Stonehold bastards did," Booth said.

    "I was thinking," Owen said. "If you''re empty, like a well, sometimes when a well pump goes dry, you gotta prime it with water. Do you think we could prime you up with some mana? Maybe we could give you some? And yours would start working again?"

    "Isaac said that wouldn''t work," Seth said. "We talked about that yesterday."

    Owen shrugged and looked away. "Thought it was an idea worth mentioning."

    "No, it''s a good idea," Blaise said. She looked at Selendrith. "You mentioned charging a vault with a formation. Could I charge me with a formation? Has anyone ever tried that?"

    Selendrith popped a grape in her mouth and chewed thoughtfully. "The formations are harmless to people. It''d take a long time though unless we find mana stones or something infused."

    "How long is a long time?" Blaise asked.

    "It can take a week to charge up one of my vaults. And the school grounds are pretty mana rich. I have no idea how long it''d take."

    "How about if we were somewhere more mana rich than the school?" Seth asked.

    "Like where?" Duvessa asked. "I thought the school was the best place."

    Owen''s eyes widened. "It''s not better than an actual well."

    "The mana wells are guarded," Duvessa said, scowling. "You can''t be scolding me for bold ideas when you get them too."

    "The East Well isn''t guarded," Seth said.

    "The East Well is busted," Booth said. "There''s nothing there."

    "The tower is busted, yeah, but the well itself should still be there and working at least a little. It won''t be quite as strong, but it didn''t just go away when the tower collapsed," Seth argued. "And mana wells are upside down from water wells. The mana comes from Above."

    The table was quiet for a bit while everyone thought about that. Booth snagged a grape and puckered at how sour it was.

    "Wyvern season is soon," Owen said, shaking his head. "The weather''s changing. It''s much too dangerous."

    "There''s never been a wyvern before the equinox. It''s still too warm for them to be out," Seth said.

    "Will someone be explaining ''wyvern season'' to the non-residents?" Blaise asked.

    "Every year during the winter a few wyverns show up and camp out by the mana wells," Seth explained. "Most attack the city within a couple of days of showing up and are killed quickly. Some will just stick by the wells to absorb magic and get stronger."

    Blaise blinked. "They''re trying to evolve into dragons."

    Seth nodded and continued, "There''s a nesting ground somewhere in the mountains. And before you ask, they did go on an expedition to eliminate the nesting grounds. The results of that are the busted East Well, and the ruins along the road that way."

    "I don''t think I want to run into any wyverns," Blaise said.

    "Let''s do this. It''ll have to be this weekend before there''s any chance of wyverns. We go up Saturday, spend the night with Blaise in a formation, and come back Sunday," Duvessa said.

    "What are the things that could go wrong with this?" Seth asked.

    "The East Well has no guards. It''s all ruins, so it doesn''t have any mana stones or anything," Owen said. "So iffing a wyvern does show, it won''t go there anyway."

    "Right! Nobody to see us," Duvessa said. "That means there''s no one to get in trouble with!"

    "If it doesn''t produce anything, then how is that useful to us?" Blaise asked.

    "Because the well is still there. We just find a place where the mana concentration is as high as we can find it, and set up the formation there. As long as the concentration is at least double or triple what''s around the school, it''ll be worthwhile," Seth said.

    "I''m game," Selendrith said. "I could fill a bunch of vaults myself. And this sounds like just a weekend camping trip."

    "For a chance to get my power back at least a little¡­ Okay. I''ll do it," Blaise said. The others nodded too. "Everyone plan for an overnight on the mountain then. We''ll head up first thing in the morning on Saturday."

    Seth had wanted to try this with Saben. He was glad everyone agreed it was a good idea. And if it worked, Saben would have his power back soon too.

    "And we can start on the mana manipulation now!" Duvessa said. Seth was excited to see that.

    "We should be working on your fighting," Booth said to Seth.

    "Yeah, we got a good start the other day," Owen said.

    "We start dodge training with Professor Mick tomorrow," Seth tried to argue.

    "Then we''ll get you doing good in class this time," Booth said.

    Seth tried not to visibly deflate, but Booth was right. Seth badly needed to learn how to not be a sandbag. He just wished he didn''t hate it so much. Saben was an excellent fighter, and since Seth was taking Saben''s place here, he should learn to fight too.

 41 - Detect Mana

    I pretended to ignore Professor Kaban. He wandered back to the windows after only a moment. I watched him through the corner of my eye. I got the sense he was looking for something, so I wandered over to have a look myself.

    And I was too small to see out the windows. And there were no window sills to speak of. Screw it, I decided, and tried to hop up on the half inch ledge in front of the window. My success was laughably non-existent.

    Kaban sure thought it was funny. Bastard.

    I was studying the windows and trying to figure out the best spot to try again when Kaban did something and the windows all darkened.

    "That''s enough for today, I think. Let''s get you out of here before you cause real trouble."

    He walked over to where the floor ended and open space began. Off that ledge was where the ground floor was a bajillion steps down. I quashed the impulse to push him. I may be a cat, but I''m not evil. Heh. That sounded like an oxymoron.

    Kaban cast a spell and I could faintly see a translucent platform, very similar to the elevating platforms in other towers. Then he looked at me. "I''m not going to make you get on, but if you don''t want to walk down all those steps, I suggest you come on over."

    Well shit. I didn''t actually want to leave yet. I took my time looking around, but there wasn''t a whole lot to see. Then I looked up at the ceiling.

    The tower kept going. There were no stairs, but the tower continued up for quite another long ways.

    "Not today, little one. If your buddy earns access, I''ll show you what''s up there. For now, it''s time to go."

    I heaved a dramatic sigh, and slunk slowly to the platform, dragging my paws. The Professor chuckled.

    Down on the main floor, which we reached annoyingly quickly considering how much effort went into going up, Professor Kaban held the door open for me and waited. I walked to the door and sat on the threshold. I didn''t really want to leave yet.

    "Uh-ah. Out, little one. Don''t think I won''t boot your butt."

    Bastard. I left.

    It was late afternoon and I still had plenty of time on my magic ring. What did I want to do now?

    I headed off towards Seth, figuring I''d check to see if he was doing anything interesting first. I got to the grassy corner where the boys were ''training''. Seth was panting and lying on his back. Booth and Owen were play fighting. Or more accurately, Booth was running away and Owen was trying to hit him. Owen needed to learn to pick his feet up because Booth was pretty quick.

    This little corner was honestly a nice and secluded space, on the far side of the coliseum and near a row of buildings I wasn''t familiar with. I decided I''d become familiar with them.

    I trotted across the grassy corner, across Seth''s face, and continued on my way to my new playground.

    "Ack! Hey!" And then a big sigh from Seth. "Thanks for checking in, Mau."

    I spent the rest of the day exploring the campus. I discovered a bunch of empty buildings, A building that looked like teacher housing, and lots of other things you''d expect to see at a school.

    The only really interesting thing I found was in one of the empty buildings. It was actually a tunnel that fed out into the city and let out in the basement of another building. Unless I missed my guess, this was pretty darn close to where Isolde''s magic basement was. That could be handy.

    I buzzed by Seth at dinner time, but again, didn''t stick around. I swung by just long enough to steal a chicken leg from his plate. I was out most of the night too.

    That made me sleepy during class. I stayed up for the lecture though. Well, I tried to. We were still covering the Copy Spell. About a third of the class still didn''t have it down, including Owen. According to Professor Laur, they''d be moving on to a new spell next week. So, time to get it or miss it. I couldn''t cast it at all. I did have it memorized though.

    Later in Combat Class they started working on dodging. Professor Mick''s training methods struck me as a bit sus, but hey. At least the kids were getting practice.

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    None of what he was teaching was stuff I could use anyway. All the mana balls the kids were practicing dodging flew right over my head. No points for tagging a familiar. So I caught up on my beauty sleep.

    I was gonna need to find these kids an actual trainer. Especially since Owen had expressed interest in sword work. I was a bit surprised that I didn''t see much of the girls doing any training. Then again, they probably knew better than to flounder around like this. Maybe tomorrow I''d tail them and find out what they were up to.

    It was late evening when Seth and Owen reserved one of the private training rooms above the dining hall. Once inside Seth dropped his bag in the corner and plunked down cross legged with his back leaning against the wall.

    ¡°Class. Homework. Spell practice. Your lessons. Training. There¡¯s just not enough hours in a day," Seth complained. "Especially since you said we should add a run in every morning."

    Seth expects me to go with them in the morning. I expect Seth to carry me. To be fair, I might do the run on occasion, but if I''m tired? Nope! Damn, but I hope I don''t get too big too quick. How fast do cats grow anyway?

    "A run every morning will be good for all of us," Owen said as he pulled his books out and laid them on the desk. "I find it peaceful. I like hearing the birds all wake up."

    I stared at Owen in distaste. Figures. A morning person.

    "Do you want to work on the Copy spell some more, or do you want to practice reading?" Seth asked. "There was also a spell in your cantrip book I wanted to try to learn."

    "Oh, yeah. I wanted to see if the cantrips are numbered for Selendrith." Owen pulled out the book. "I didn''t ask, seeing as everyone else already seemed to know, but what''s the Ten Thousand?"

    Oh, what''s this? Did I miss juicy tidbits while I was off exploring? I flicked my ear in ''tell me more''.

    Seth described the ten thousand spells being gifted by a forgotten source in ancient times. I bet this was before the Sundering that Professor Kaban was talking about. I had only a passing interest in ancient history, except when it came to old and valuable things. Knowledge that helped you appraise your treasures was worth knowing.

    If all spells were gifted to humans by magic spell fairies and no one actually understood how they worked, then I found the weird teaching methods here suddenly making sense. Nobody thought too much into the spells because they were thought to exist as whole things. They weren''t made or created by any means known to humans. I imagine some people tried to reverse engineer some spells, but if the majority just accepted that structured spells don''t change, and there are only so many structured forms, then you only need to remember what they are. And honestly, ten thousand was quite a lot.

    Although, that could depend on how specific they got with the variants.

    "Go ahead and read the spell titles out loud and pick one you like. Maybe practicing something else will help with mastering Copy."

    "Yeah, okay." Owen struggled through the names. "Soften Stone. Breeze."

    "We did Breeze in the Wind Tower the first week. I thought that was an easy one," Seth said.

    Owen hummed noncommittally. "Spark. Moonlet, no Moonleet?"

    "Moonlight," Seth corrected. "That sounds like a light spell."

    Owen nodded. "Chill. Detect Mana."

    "That''s the one I wanted to learn," Seth said and stood up. "We could really use that one right now. We can use it to find the thickest mana we can find up at the mana well."

    "Yeah, okay. We can both do it. Should I try it first, or do you think you should have first go?" Owen asked.

    "If you don''t mind, I would like to try. I had played around with this one a bit before and I want to see if I''ve got it." Seth took the book and set it on the floor so he could use both hands to cast.

    I watched him mutter the incantation a few times, and practice the sigils. I memorized all of it. One day I''d be able to do this too, dammit.

    "All right, so for this one it says to focus on feeling the density of the mana. I guess that means you want to feel how deep it is? Like the pressure when you''re swimming and you dive down deep?" Seth said.

    "Feeling the density?" Owen asked. "Isn''t it just doing what the spell says and knowing where the mana is?"

    "Well, mana is everywhere so if you just want to know if it''s there, you''ll always get a yes. The intent here is to get an idea of just how much mana there is."

    "Intent is what Professor Laur said I was doing wrong."

    "All right, how can I explain this. Professor Laur explained it as magic does not decide what will happen. Your intent during the casting of every spell will affect the outcome of the spell. If you are not perfectly clear in what you want to happen, then misfires and backlashes might happen. You have to know precisely what the spell is going to do, and you have to intend for that thing to happen when you cast the spell."

    I must have missed that bit during class. So how you want a spell to work, even in structured magic, has a big effect on the outcome. The main differences between structured and unstructured was what happened when you went off script. Structured magic wouldn''t cooperate. Unstructured would. But unstructured became really hard to do if you didn''t have the right elemental or specific talent for what you wanted. It was making sense. As much as magic could make sense.

    Seth practiced it a few times, and pretty quickly got the spell right. Owen gave it a go. I guess backlashes on these minor spells were no big deal. No ink everywhere. No pages on fire. I was kinda disappointed. My whiskers did tingle a fair bit, so I was guessing the backlash was mana related.

    "I''m going to need to find stuff with mana in it to really practice this," Seth said. He''d cast it on the air in the room, on the books they had, and on his amulet. He was pretty impressed with the results from the amulet.

    When the frosted walls turned clear, Owen picked his book up off the floor and shoved it in his bag.

 42 - Strings of Bells

    The following day Seth met Owen outside the Celestial Tower.

    "We didn''t get all the cantrips done," Owen said. "You think the professor would care? He wasn''t even here last week."

    "Probably not. I didn''t read the travelog either." To be honest, Seth was pretty mad about the travelog. He wanted to learn about dimensional magic and mana sources, not read some guy''s diary. Which he found weird, because normally he''d have loved to read something like that. But right now it felt like a waste of time.

    At least the tower wasn''t locked. Mau clung to his shoulder and refused to get down. He was going to need to put pads or something in his uniform before too long. Her unintended claw usage was becoming more and more painful.

    On that thought, Seth asked Owen, "Hey, do you think Mau is getting bigger?"

    Owen examined the cat. "Hard to say. I see her every day, so I wouldn''t really notice. Maybe we should measure her or something?"

    Mau jumped down and sauntered off. "I don''t think she likes that idea," Seth said. He dropped his bag on a table in the tower common area and looked around. Last time the tower was empty, and Seth expected the same to happen this week. Instead the professor was partially reclined on a couch reading a small book. He was watching the two of them with mild irritation.

    Seth noticed he didn''t look homeless anymore. His hair was combed and his clothes were clean.

    "You showed up," Professor Kaban said.

    "You didn''t show up last week," Owen said.

    The professor shrugged. "It happens. It''ll happen again."

    "What will we be working on today?" Seth asked.

    "Got your essays for me?"

    "We''re still learning all the cantrips," Seth said. "We haven''t done them all yet."

    "Then do that. If you haven''t done your work I don''t see why I should do mine." Professor Kaban picked his book back up and started reading again.

    Seth sighed and scanned the bookshelves. He was sure there were books about the stars on those shelves. There was a time when he''d happily have spent all day reading. He had loved learning new things. Maybe someday he could be that person again.

    Right now he was here in place of Saben. And Saben wouldn''t waste time that way so Seth shouldn''t either. Being a bookworm hadn''t helped Seth with Dad, the caravan, or with Blaise. Indulging in books was time he needed to be training or practicing.

    Later. After I master my power and can stand firm. When I''m not a sandbag anymore, I can get back to what I like to do.

    Fortunately learning spells was something that did both for Seth. It scratched the itch to learn and felt like he was making progress.

    "Do you want to practice more cantrips?" Seth asked Owen who shrugged and pulled out the book.

    Seth wanted to ask the professor about the difference between the two books, to try to find out why Owen could read the travelog better than the cantrip book, but that wasn''t really his choice to make. Owen''s inability to read was likely embarrassing.

    "You don''t think you''re going to practice here, do you?" Professor Kaban said.

    "Why not?" Seth asked.

    "Spell practice is in classrooms or designated spaces only. It''s in the handbook."

    "I haven''t read the handbook," Owen said.

    "Me neither," Seth said.

    "Then start with that. You should''ve read it before school started." Professor Kaban shook his head and turned back to his book. "First years."

    "How do you want to do this?" Seth asked softly.

    "You read it," Owen said just as softly. He sat down next to Seth so he could read over his shoulder.

    "A guide to the Magic Academy of Rosia," Seth began.

    "Don''t tell me you are going to read that out loud?" Professor Kaban interrupted.

    "Why not?" Seth asked. "You''ll know we read it."

    "Do you look for new ways to get under my skin?"

    There was a resounding crash from the hallway.

    "Now what the fuck?" Professor Kaban was on his feet and over by the hallway before Seth and Owen had gotten to their feet.

    "How did you even find this? This room was locked," Professor Kaban said. He planted his fists on his hips and glared at Mau.

    Mau was inside what looked like a weapon storage room with nearly every weapon now on the floor. She sat with her tail curled gracefully around her paws while surrounded by the sharp edges of swords, spears, and axes.

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    "How did you get every single one of them on the floor? They were all hung up individually," the professor said.

    Mau yawned widely, showing off her fangs and stretched, putting gouges in the floor, and then sat calmly again.

    "You brat." Professor Kaban turned to Seth. "I''m not cleaning this mess."

    "Why are there so many swords here?" Owen asked. "Isn''t this the space tower?"

    "Myself and a few others associated with the tower are proficient," Professor Kaban said.

    "Would you be willing to teach me?" Owen said. "Instead of the space magic you said we can''t learn yet, can we learn swords?"

    "No. I''m retired."

    Seth bent down to pick up a slender sword with a white blade. The pearly sheen reminded him of the seed he''d chosen for the Circle Tower project. Before he could touch the blade Professor Kaban stepped in the way. Seth saw that Mau was looking over the swords too.

    "No, You need to stop," Professor Kaban said. "None of these are for you." He turned to Seth. "Get her out of here."

    Mau did her ''important'' meow, and looked from the swords, to Owen, to Kaban and back.

    "Come on, Mau," Seth said. He navigated the swords to pick her up. She ducked and put her paw on the white sword, with her claws just peeking out. She meowed again.

    "Not that sword." Professor Kaban''s tone was glacial.

    Mau nodded and moved her paw to a plain looking sword with a hilt wrapped in scaleskin.

    "You seriously intend to hold swords hostage to coerce me into teaching these boys?" Professor Kaban asked Mau.

    She cocked her head and flicked her ears. Then slowly extended her claws.

    Professor Kaban folded his arms and glared at the cat. "Damage that sword and I''ll report you for damaging school property. I''m aware Seth is responsible for what you do and he will be punished, not you."

    "Mau¡­" Seth eyed the sword and the cat. He might be able to grab her before she could claw the sword. He watched her as she engaged in a battle of wills with the professor, each glaring at the other.

    "No," Seth said firmly. The cat ignored him as expected. He stomped on the pommel of a nearby sword with a basket hilt, sending it clanging through the other swords. Mau jumped straight up, and Seth snatched her before she could do more mischief.

    "I''m sorry, Professor," Seth said. "She is definitely a handful."

    "She has good taste. That is the most valuable sword here after the white one."

    "We''ll get this righted up," Owen said. "I don''t reckon you should put the cat down though."

    "Definitely not," Professor Kaban said. "How did she get in here anyway?"

    "I don''t know, sir. She just does things," Seth said. He held Mau in his left arm and started picking up swords with his right. Mau continued to glare at Professor Kaban. Seth was just glad she wasn''t trying to get down.

    The professor picked up the white sword. He gazed thoughtfully at it while the boys picked up the others. The boys got the weapons put away pretty quickly, with Professor Kaban directing them on where to put specific weapons. He hung the white sword last. When the professor closed the door to the weapon room the door instantly blended with the hallway, looking like an empty wall.

    "How did you know this was even here?" Seth asked Mau.

    She growled and lashed her tail, still glaring at Professor Kaban.

    The professor nodded as he studied the cat. "You''re going to be a problem forever more if I don''t agree to train these boys, aren''t you?"

    Mau blinked slowly.

    "Yeah, I thought so. Fine. It''s been a long time since I trained students, but I''ll make a deal with you. I will train these two so long as you stay out of¡­ no. That list would be too long. You are only allowed to go to the places that Seth is allowed to go. And you agree that you won''t go where he isn''t."

    Mau flicked her ear.

    "If you break that promise, I will stop teaching."

    Mau cocked her head and then nodded once.

    "Bullied by a fucking cat. All right then. Looks like we''re going to be doing training after all, boys. Get your crap and get over here."

    Professor Kaban led them to the elevating platforms they''d used during the Gauntlet. "Floor six. Do not, ever, go higher without a professor with you." The professor cast a spell on Owen and then Seth. Seth felt the Celestial Tower symbol on his wrist change slightly. He looked at it but didn''t notice anything different.

    "I just gave you access to the sixth floor. Class will be there from now on." The platform stopped and the Professor stepped off.

    The whole floor was a training gym, very similar to the ones at the Royal Palace. There was a section of the floor that was covered in soft mats, another area was sandy with targets, one had what looked like an obstacle course, and last was a large section where the floor was springy wood. The pillars with sigils that were everywhere outside were also here. This space was clearly expanded.

    "Neither of you know how to use those yet, right?" Professor Kaban gestured to the pillars.

    "No sir," Seth answered while Owen shook his head.

    "Right then. Over here." Professor Kaban led them over to a section that had black lines on the wooden floor. There was a weapon rack with wooden training weapons along the wall.

    "You. Your power lets you make old stuff better, right?"

    "Yes, sir," Owen answered. "If I can look through them I can find the best one."

    "Won''t be necessary." Professor Kaban tossed him a wooden sword. "Brand new, never used. Your talent should leave it alone." He tossed a second sword to Seth who promptly fumbled it.

    "Your cat has decided you should have weapon training. So here we are. There are changing rooms over there and the gym uniforms are clean. You have five minutes."

    Seth and Owen trotted off to the changing rooms. Seth was surprised to find shower stalls and sinks in there. Come to think of it, they had come in through a bathroom window during the Gauntlet, so maybe it wasn''t too unusual. The gym uniform Seth pulled on was a little too big, but was comfortable and smelled clean.

    When they trotted back into the gym, Professor Kaban was just finishing attaching strings of bells to the ceiling with a spectral hand.

    When he was done Professor Kaban turned to face Mau. "I''m thinking you should get some training too, since you started all this. You, cat, need to get up to that platform there," he pointed to a platform near the ceiling. A line of cylinders of various heights made steps up to the platform. The strings of bells hung down around the cylinders. "And do it without ringing a single bell."

    Mau looked at the obstacles and circled them.

    Professor Kaban smiled smugly. "That should keep you¨C"

    Mau leapt directly from the floor to the platform.

    "Brat. That''s not what I meant and you know it."

    Mau shrugged and walked down the cylinders. The first one she stepped on swayed beneath her and her tail slightly jingled one string of bells. None of the cylinders were stable and swayed when unbalanced. Each one was only a couple of inches around. Mau paused on the first one and examined the other cylinders.

    "Fine then. For now, practice that, and maybe see how quick you can do it. I''ll think up something harder for you to try later."  Professor Kaban shook his head and turned back to Seth and Owen. "All right. You two. We''ll start with warmups and then do forms. Let''s begin."

 43 - No More Trouble

    The next couple of days was school as normal. I''d forgotten what it was like to be in school. Because, you know, I can''t remember anything about my former life, so of course I did.

    I''d promised not to go places I wasn''t supposed to without Seth, so my explorations have been somewhat curbed. I was being more cautious anyway. My magic open-any-door ring was still working right now, but that could stop at any moment. I really didn''t want to get stuck on the wrong side of a door I couldn''t open myself.

    I had decided not to go wandering in the Wind Tower as Seth was practicing another new spell. This one was Stillness, of the air variety. Apparently there was another one for water, and probably more.

    This spell stopped air from moving. It didn''t stop a person from breathing, or from something moving through the air like a bug, but it did stop smoke from rising and was useful in containing poisonous gasses or nasty farts.

    It was basically the opposite of Breeze. And when I compared the sigils and stuff for both spells? Nothing in common. I honestly expected to see something that would indicate wind, or air or something in both spells, that there would be some component that I could look at and say ''this means this and that means that, so this is how the spells work''. Nope. They were completely different.

    Maybe when I''ve seen more spells I''ll find something that lets me go ''Aha!'' Until then, I can only keep memorizing them. One day, I''ll be casting this shit myself.

    I''ve had so much to memorize lately, and it''s not like I can take notes. Memorize spell formulas. Memorize the alphabet. Memorizing words. Oh, speaking of that, I noticed a neat little cheat. If I sound out a word I''m reading in my head, my brain will translate it into English for me. So I don''t actually need to learn the new language to understand it. But that doesn''t help me with communicating with the kids. I''d need to be able to write in their language, and the translation doesn''t go that way.

    Just the thought of that made me growl a little bit.

    "Easy, girl," Seth said, and scratched my head. I was riding on his shoulder as usual and we had just gotten to the Circle Tower. "Be nice today, please? No more trouble."

    Oh come on kiddo. I never start shit that''s not deserved. Or necessary. Or entertaining. Okay, I see where this is going. I''ll try to be good. Maybe. I gave him a headbutt.

    Seth just sighed. I don''t think he was convinced of my sincerity. Which was fine, because I wasn''t terribly sincere.

    Seth looked around the classroom. I didn''t know what he was looking for. Our little life project was in its pot on the shelves with everyone else''s pots. The tables were filling up with the other students. And Arnold was over by the pots messing with shit.

    I was about to hop down and head over to mess with his shit when Seth headed over himself.

    I took a look at all the projects. It''d been two weeks now since planting, and about half of the pots had sprouted already. One girl''s project was looking pretty full and lush already. Good for her.

    And then there was Seth''s pot.

    "Aw, looks like your project isn''t doing so good," Arnold said with a smile.

    "It''s early yet. It''ll sprout soon," Seth said.

    "I''m glad you''re confident. How long do you figure it''ll take at this point?"

    "I don''t know. I''ll wait and see,"

    "If you say so. I''m just trying to help you pass. You know, as a show of no hard feelings." Arnold just smiled and pushed past Seth. Rude bastard. As I recall, he''d killed all of Seth''s seeds the first time around. Just because it was in a pot now didn''t mean he wouldn''t still sabotage the plant. I looked at the rest of the plants on the shelf and leaned in to see if my whiskers could pick up any magic.

    There was just the slightest bit of mana in the pots that had sprouted. These were magic plants, but they hadn''t accumulated much mana yet. The pots that hadn''t sprouted yet felt no different than the table.

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    Then I took a closer gander at Seth''s project. I could feel mana in the whole pot. Somebody, read ''Arnold'', had been casting spells on it.

    I looked at Seth and nodded at the pot and then Arnold.

    "I figured," he said. He dug a finger down to the bottom of the pot and cast Detect Life on the seed down there. "It feels like it''s still alive. But it has a different feel to it now. Can you get anything from it?"

    I concentrated. I was getting pretty darn good at sensing mana if I do say so myself, and I was starting to get a feel for different mana types. I wasn''t sure, but that asshole was still casting death spells on that seed. The seed didn''t seem to mind so much though. Well, I suppose I shouldn''t be at all alarmed that a magic seed isn''t bothered by death magic. Maybe it''s a death tree. Could there be zombie bushes in my future?

    Eh, that''s a later problem. I shrugged at Seth who sighed and studied the pot.

    What could I do to protect Seth''s project?

    My magical repertoire was nonexistent, so it''d need to be something mundane. Glitter bombs? I have no idea how to get the supplies for something like that, or how I''d deliver the payload. Did they even have glitter here? Oh! What about magic glitter?

    I entertained myself with the idea of magical glitter that you couldn''t wash out of anything sticking to Arnold. Dude would sparkle in sunlight for the rest of his life.

    Turns out Seth was pretty quick himself. He put a mark on his pot and swapped it with another student''s. That poor schmuck was gonna lose their plant in the crossfire. Better them than Seth though. And it''s not Seth''s fault anyway, he''s not the one doing the sabotage.

    Instead of taking the seat he''d been in the last couple weeks, Seth grabbed the seat next to Selendrith. The guy that usually sat there made a little bit of a stink, but seats weren''t assigned so, tough noogies.

    And on with the lecture. The care and feeding of magic plants. The formula and schedule for fertilizing. How to feed it mana. How to bore a cat to death.

    I was really regretting that promise not to wander off. Maybe if I just didn''t leave the room? Maybe I could find some glitter. Or shiny dirt. I don''t know, maybe there''s unicorn manure here somewhere.

    "Hey, do you think you could help me with something?" Seth asked Selendrith quietly.

    "What do you need?" Selendrith answered. I noticed she didn''t just agree. Smart girl.

    "I think my plant is getting sabotaged. I need a way to either protect it from whatever is getting done to it, or stop it from happening to begin with."

    "Why don''t you just report who you think is doing it?"

    "Because I don''t have any proof he''s doing it, and we''re both on probation. If I''m not careful, I could make things worse."

    "Do you know what you want to do?" Selendrith made sure none of the nearby students were paying them any attention. "A trap, a ward, or what?"

    "The safest thing to do is just prevent anything from happening to the plant," Seth said. "But I think I''d rather he get slapped a bit for messing with things that aren''t his."

    "We''d need to set up a ward. The biggest problem with those is keeping them powered. You''d need to have something that can contain mana that the spell can use over time, otherwise the spell would only last a couple hours at most."

    So, this is news to me but at the same time it made sense. For a spell to stick around, it needs fuel. I glanced up at the light strings on the ceiling. That means all those spells are cast on something that can hold mana. Like the horn that Seth''s amulet is made out of. Speaking of which, Selendrith was wearing rings made of the same material. That did make me wonder if there was more left.

    Eh, I couldn''t use it right now anyway. But that whole fuel idea, and mana needs to come from somewhere got me to thinking. Do I have a source of mana?

    Could this be why I can''t cast spells? I don''t actually have mana?

    No. I''m sure I''ve got mana. I can feel it in my whiskers. I just don''t know how to use it. And at the very worst, I''ll wait until my horns grow in. Considering the power I can tell is in these amulets made from mama cat''s horns, I''m going to have a crap ton of mana one day.

    Selendrith and Seth talked about setting up a ward that would prevent any spells from affecting the protected object. The main problem they were discussing was that a protected pot would prevent Seth from casting spells on it too, and he''d have to redo the ward every time he did need to cast on it.

    I dunno. I''m thinking maybe just let the seed eat the death spells. Zombie plants can''t be that dangerous.

    I had been as good as I could manage and now I was done with that. I hopped off the table and decided to take a look around for a little green snake that I knew should be in the room.

    I found him in just a few minutes. He was sound asleep in the sun on a high windowsill. The little worm got there from the shelves nearby. And what was also on those shelves? More flower pots.

    And what does a bored cat do when she finds a stack of flower pots above a sneaky little snake?

    I didn''t do anything to hurt the snake. And no one noticed that the little snake was trapped under one of the heavier pots either, because at the same time I was dropping one on the snake, I conveniently knocked over a different pot that made a ton of noise when it hit the floor.

    I got in trouble. But it was a teeny tiny bit of trouble. And it was totally worth it to get a back at that sneaky snake, even if only a little bit. I knew that Arnold would find it. Eventually.

 44 - Hiking a Mountain

    Seth sat on one of the stone benches beside the Thunder Tower as he waited for the others to arrive. Mentally he went over everything he knew about the East Well, and the plan for jump starting Blaise''s power again.

    The timing should be fine. And even if it wasn''t, the East Well was the safest of the five. There were also no rules against visiting the wells. The main ones just had guards there, and they were there to protect the wells from beasts, not humans.

    Seth just hoped the well would have enough mana to make the trip worthwhile. Between his spells and Mau''s natural talents, if there was a strong mana location then they''d find it.

    The mana within the school was already higher than in the city. The towers pulled in mana that was then contained by the formations on the walls of the school. Where it went from there, Seth wasn''t sure.

    Owen and Duvessa arrived next, followed by Selendrith. Selendrith didn''t approach the group though, and sat down on a bench a little bit away from them. Finally came Booth and Blaise.

    "I don''t think we''ll be hunting or fighting anything," Blaise said, looking at Duvessa and Owen.

    "Oh! But I like my bow," Duvessa said. "I even know how to shoot things! And you can never be too prepared when you''re wandering in the wilderness."

    "It''s a few hours hike further up one of the mountains we are already on. It''s hardly ''the wilderness'', Duvessa," Seth said.

    "I feel better having it," Owen defended Duvessa. "I brought one of the school swords too. It''s one of Professor Kaban''s."

    "Are the guards at the gate gonna just let you walk out into the city armed like that?" Booth asked.

    "We won''t use the main gate," Seth said and Booth''s interest was piqued. "I know another way, and it''s closer to where we''re going anyway." He didn''t actually know the way, but he trusted Mau.

    Seth gestured to Mau. The previous night Seth had wondered aloud about the city guards and his concerns for being seen, and Mau let him know he should follow her. So they did and she led them to the school wall that bordered the East Side of the city and into a tunnel that let out in a basement near Isolde''s place. Mau opened the gates and doors with none of the others even realizing that they were locked in the first place. Booth studied the passage and exit carefully.

    From there they crossed the city and followed the winding road up the mountain. There were small farms eking out a living in the rocky soil along the way. Goats and chickens roamed loose from most of these farms, with most of the small herds minded by dogs. After a few hours of walking and climbing there were no more farms, and the road turned into a steep path littered with boulders.

    "Ugh, I''m done walking," Duvessa complained. "My feet hurt."

    "We can stop for lunch," Seth suggested.

    "That sounds fabulous. Who brought the food?" Duvessa asked. She sprawled on a boulder.

    "We were all supposed to bring our own food," Blaise said. "Didn''t you bring anything?"

    "Dumbass," Booth muttered.

    "Don''t call me a dumbass, dumbass!" Duvessa retorted. "How was I supposed to know? I was told to pack for two days. I did."

    "And you don''t think you''d need food during those two days?" Booth replied.

    "Food is different!"

    "Stop it, stop it," Seth said. "It''s fine. This is not a big deal. I have some jerky. I''ll share what I have with anyone who didn''t bring any, and we can hunt for rabbits or something tonight after we make camp."

    "Do you think someone else was dumb enough not to bring food?" Booth asked.

    "Actually, I thought I was bringing a tent, so someone else would be bringing my food," Owen said.

    Blaise nodded. "Who else has a tent?"

    No one answered.

    "Really? There''s six of us, and only one tent?" Blaise asked.

    "Who brings tents to school?" Duvessa asked.

    "This is a school tent," Owen said.

    "I didn''t know I was supposed to have one," Selendrith said. "That would be a lot for someone to bring, if everyone had to carry separate tents and all their food and supplies too. I thought we''d be sleeping inside somewhere."

    "I expected to just sleep with a blanket," Seth said. "I''ve done it before. And yes, there should be some kind of shelter up there."

    "There''s more nip in the air here than in the city," Booth commented. "Is just a blanket warm enough?"

    "Oh, we''ll light a fire!" Duvessa said. "Maybe we should light one now?"

    "We ain''t staying here," Booth said.

    "Maybe we do need a leader," Owen muttered and put his pack down next to a boulder.

    Seth nodded. "This is a mess."

    "We''ll deal with that later," Blaise said. "Let''s just take a break and eat. How much further to the top, Seth?"

    "We''re going a lot slower than I thought. Two or three hours I''d guess?" Seth answered.

    "We''d be faster if we didn''t stop to gawk at every tree or rabbit," Booth muttered.

    "It''s not wrong to be aware of your surroundings," Duvessa said haughtily. "And those goats were soo fluffy!"

    Duvessa sent Reginald looking for water, and Owen, as the least tired of the group, was sent to fetch it. Blaise took stock of who had what food. No one had pots to boil water or cook with. Selendrith did know a spell for purifying water, but nothing that would help cook anything.

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    They cleaned up and continued up the mountain. Finally they came to an abandoned guardhouse a short distance from the peak. It looked like someone came by infrequently to check on things. The single room house was dusty but in good condition and there were even logs stacked for a fire. A good sized flock of chickens roamed free outside.

    "Oh, will this work?" Duvessa asked. "It would be so much better if we could stay here for the night, and not be camping outside."

    Seth looked at Mau who shrugged and headed outside. He pulled out his notes on Detect Mana he had copied and prepared to cast it.

    "Hold it, hold it!" Blaise shouted. "Have you ever cast that spell before?"

    "Yes?" Seth questioned.

    "Oh." Blaise relaxed. "I thought you were trying a brand new spell when you pulled that out. It would be right in line with everything else for you to try a new spell and knock this hut down."

    Detect Mana was just a cantrip, and even if it exploded Seth didn''t think knocking the guardhouse down was possible. Not that Blaise would know that. "I thought it better to refresh my memory before casting it. I''m still pretty new at this one."

    "Maybe cast it outside then. Just in case."

    Seth shrugged. It didn''t hurt anything to be careful. Outside Seth studied the spell and then focused. He didn''t target anything in particular and just focused on getting a feel for how much mana was in the area.

    It detected that the mana in the area was much lower than in the school. Seth''s heart sank. This might be a wasted trip.

    He walked up the road a bit towards the ruined mana well tower and cast the detection spell again. Still low, but slightly higher. He walked another couple minutes and tried again. Slightly higher still. Seth headed back to the guardhouse.

    "We need to go all the way up," he said. "There isn''t enough here, so we''ll need to go up the rest of the way."

    "I can stay here and make a fire," Duvessa said.

    "You want to stay by yourself?" Seth asked.

    "Of course not. Who wants to catch a chicken for dinner?" Duvessa said. She started searching the guardhouse for cooking utensils.

    "I think we should stay together for now," Owen said. "Once we know what we need to do for Blaise, we can come back and get settled then."

    "But I''m done with walking," Duvessa said.

    "It''s just a little bit more," Seth encouraged. "There might even be someplace better up there."

    Duvessa scowled. "All right, fine. But this means I''m not going to cook dinner."

    "Small blessings," Booth muttered.

    The well tower was only another fifteen minute hike. It was a large and squat building with everything above the second story having been knocked down. It had been a dual tower, and one half was just walls open to the sky while the other still had two complete floors. Building stones and sections of the upper walls were scattered quite a distance, making traversing the courtyard treacherous. A rooster crowed from the top of the broken tower.

    The group searched through the tower, finding nothing that was still intact. Seth continued to cast the mana detect spell, with Selendrith also casting it now, with no success. The mana here was only slightly better than the school.

    "So this was just a waste of time," Booth complained. "We walked all this way for nothing?"

    "We are having an adventure!" Duvessa replied. "Nothing is wasted."

    "You''re the one who didn''t want to walk anymore," Booth shot back.

    "We''ve only been here a few minutes," Seth cut in. "We aren''t going to be walking home in the dark, so let''s just use what''s left of daylight to see what we can find. I don''t know what the well actually looks like inside."

    "Whatever," Booth said and went back inside the tower. Seth figured he was probably looking for anything of value that he could take.

    "If you want to catch a chicken, Duvessa, go ahead. We''ll be staying the night either here or at the guardhouse, so dinner will be nice," Seth told her.

    The group split up but stayed in shouting distance. Reginald circled high above the tower, Mau wandered off to who knew where. Booth and Blaise were in the tower, Selendrith was examining a formation she found on the broken stones, Owen walked the perimeter, and Seth could hear Duvessa chanting "here chicky chicky chicky."

    Seth himself was searching through the open air half of the tower. He noticed that Reginald''s circling was directly above the open portion of the tower and wondered if the shadow raven was attracted to some kind of mana thermal. Come to think of it, Seth thought the thin air of the mountain was dangerous to chickens, yet there was a whole collection of them here. Maybe this one wasn''t too high for them?

    Gazing out at the distant mountains, Seth felt that this peak wasn''t lower than any of the others. Maybe all the towers had livestock around? He supposed it might be easier for the people manning the defense of the towers. But also, having animals around could just as easily make the towers even more appealing to wyverns and other dangerous creatures.

    Seth cast the mana detection spell again while standing in the middle of the destroyed tower. To his surprise and relief, he picked up a distinct increase in mana. Maybe if the tower had a basement or something they could find a strong source.

    Mana was such a funny resource. Intellectually he knew that all mana came from Above. It was why the most powerful mana wells were on mountain peaks. Yet when looking for mana, the best places to find or use it came from underground, or in the Below.

    Seth didn''t want to keep casting the mana detection spell over and over. It would use up his mana pool too quickly and not tell him how to get to where the mana was. So he turned to the wind version of a detection spell, one that he only knew how to use unstructured, and wasn''t terribly good with yet.

    All you have to do is listen, Saben had told him. The wind will tell you all kinds of things if you learn to listen to it.

    Saben had an uncanny knack with his power, one Seth wasn''t anywhere close to. Saben had tried to teach Seth when Seth developed the same wind power, but Seth just wasn''t the natural Saben had been.

    Seth sat down on a large block and closed his eyes. He cast the spell, but didn''t specify looking for anything. Instead he focused on listening.

    He could hear Booth rummaging inside the tower. Owen kicked rocks down the mountainside. Chickens clucked and squawked. And the wind drifted by in near silence.

    He focused on the wind, and the faint sounds it made. The wind was all around and far away, but Seth wasn''t interested in the far away, he wanted to hear about what was right here. As the minutes ticked by he noticed the wind drifting, then pausing, then drifting again, like it was breathing. And in the moment it started drifting again there was a faint whistling.

    If the wind was whistling, then there was an opening nearby. Seth poured more mana into his active detection spell and focused on pinpointing where that whistling was coming from. He was close to it, he was certain, but he just needed to know where to look.

    The rooster crowed again just feet from Seth, startling him and breaking his concentration.

    "Hey, look at this!" Owen called out.

    Seth sighed and stood up. "What did you find?"

    "There are animal crates down there. Quite a few. Take a look," Owen said. He was down a path winding behind the tower along a cliff face. He picked up a broken piece of wicker and pointed down the side of the cliff. "Someone tossed wicker crates down there. Most of ''em look like the fall and the weather got ''em, but there''s some that look like the type chickens go in."

    "That explains why there are chickens here," Seth said.

    "What would someone be bringing chickens up here for?" Owen asked.

    "To eat them, silly," Duvessa said, walking up next to Seth and looking down at Owen. "Why else?"

    "Ain''t nobody here to eat them. The well has been busted for decades. Those wicker cages would have rotted to nothing if they were that old," Owen argued.

    "Patrols still come up here though, yes?" Duvessa asked. "They need to eat."

    "The patrols don''t live or stay up here though," Seth said. "It would be easier to just bring food instead of live chickens." Could someone still be living here? He hopped down next to Owen and searched the cliff face. It was a weird place for someone to toss away a pile of chicken cages. Could the opening he''d sensed be near here?

 45 - The Nature of Humanity

    I hate camping. Sleeping outside? Not for me. Campfire food that is both soggy and burnt at the same time? Not for me. Bug bites, lumpy ground, cold nights, damp misery? Not for me.

    Yet here I am with a pack of magic school cub scouts who couldn''t even coordinate a cooking pot.

    This is one of those moments I am so very glad I have a permanent fur coat. I''m less glad that I can''t tell these chuckleheads how to plan shit. Damn, but they need guidance. And as much as I''d like to say ''Not my problem'', Gandalf there is giving away my dinner, which absolutely is ''my problem''. Dammit.

    The guardhouse is the best bet for comfortable camping. It''s rustic, but a decent building. As far as housing goes, this building ranks higher than ''wooden tent'', but below ''log cabin''.

    Seth gave me a look and sent me outside. I knew what he wanted. I''m to find the highest concentration of mana in the area.

    I''m game, of course. If nothing else, I''ll get a gorgeous view of the city, and let me make a good mental map of the nearby areas.

    While Seth was doing his thing, I went off to do mine. Without the kids it was a fast and easy hop up to the peak. I must say having a cat body is really convenient at times. Moving near vertically was a breeze and I could take the short way.

    I wanted a look at this mana well. Which turned out to not be a well at all. It was a fortress. In ruins.

    There was a battle here, and there were hints of the fight all over. The scars of ash and fire had been eroded by time, but blackened stones and bits of rubble still poked out of the weeds. The stone walls of the fortress weren''t blown up, they had been ripped down. I couldn''t imagine what they had used as a wrecking ball, or what kind of siege engine they could tote up here. That shit was just too crazy to think about. But! I forgot! Magic.

    My whiskers weren''t triggered by anything nearby and I wasn''t interested in exploring the ruin just yet so I hopped down to a ridge that overlooked the city. Rosia, the blue rose of the mountains. And it deserved its name.

    From this distance the walls formed blue petals as they separated the different city districts. The blue thatch on the roofs filled in each petal with glorious color. The deep lake in the center of the valley made the rose look a little lopsided, but only added to the organic shape of the city. The Magic Academy and the Palace were clearly older than the rest of the city, and had been fortresses in their own right. The Magic District grew around the Academy, and another school, the Combat Academy most likely, grew around the Palace. Spacious noble estates made up the west part of the city, and then there was the very crowded, and very poor, East Side. This mountain, with the busted mana well, was lined up with the East Side. There were five mountains total, each with a fortress on the peak. The largest fortress was the one above the Palace.

    That mountain had more than a mana well on it. There were stone structures going all the way up, and a waterfall shot out of the mountain and into the lake. Magic bullshit, for sure. All that water couldn''t be coming off that mountain naturally.

    I had been sitting enjoying the view for probably a lot longer than I should have. Until a tiny tremor in my whiskers had me glancing beside me. A white chicken had joined me in my contemplations of the city. A magic chicken, apparently.

    "Lovely view," I said. Well, I meowed. What can I say? I was feeling conversational, even if it was just a stupid chicken, and I was a stupid cat who could only stupidly meow.

    "Lovely?" the chicken replied. "Perhaps it is."

    I think I lost one of my nine lives when the bird talked back. Not only could the damn thing talk, but it understood my meows!

    "I beg your pardon. Did you not realize I was here? I thought you were speaking to me." The hen was weirdly formal. At least, I think she''s a hen. The translated voice in my head is definitely female, though the chicken was clucking at me, not actually speaking words. I thought large combs on a chicken meant rooster? Eh, what do I know. Nothing about chickens, apparently.

    "I¨C uh, yes. I was speaking to you, but I was surprised you could answer," I explained.

    The hen nodded sagely. "You are newly awakened?"

    "Sure?" Let''s go with that.

    "A magic beast can speak and be understood by all magic beasts, not just their own kind. Part of the magic that empowers us grants us understanding. Surely you''ve noticed you can understand the humans you''ve arrived with?"

    I had noticed that. I could understand the humans even though they didn''t speak English. "I thought humans were different?" I mean, humans thought they were the only ones with souls. Or was this a sentience vs sapience thing?

    The chicken cocked her head. "Humans use magic. That makes them magic beasts too."

    "But they don''t understand us?"

    "They do. They just pretend not to. They don''t like feeling bad about killing and eating beasts that can talk, so they pretend not to hear."

    I knew that wasn''t true. Seth wouldn''t have ignored me. Humans were different in some way.

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    I decided I didn''t want to get into a philosophical discussion with a chicken on the nature of humanity. Especially since I wasn''t human myself anymore. "How did you become a magic beast? I don''t think I''ve met a magic chicken before."

    The chicken shivered and plumped out her feathers. "It is dangerous what we do. Not all who try gain magic, even if they return. Many never return."

    "But you did and succeeded." Maybe the kids'' plan to help Blaise has a shot. "Is it dangerous to everyone? The humans I''m here with are searching for a way to fix the magic in their friend. Will they find this, and will it be dangerous to them?"

    At that moment Duvessa started calling out, "Here, chicky chicky chicky!" The hen jumped and skittered back, more skittish and startled than I thought normal.

    "I will take you to First Hen. She will know best what to do."

    "First Hen? Is that her name or rank?" I asked.

    "They are the same, obviously. I am Second Hen."

    Obviously. It''s going to be a challenge not to roll my eyes at these bird brains. "I''m Mau."

    I followed the hen down a craggy cliff. I wouldn''t call it a path, since I doubted the kids would be able to follow. The hen jumped and flapped her way down while I jumped from boulder to ledge to boulder and stopped when I could see to a grassy outcropping loaded with wildflowers. This was the nesting place of the flock. It being fall, there were no new chicks, but I did notice skinnier chickens that had the gangly look of juveniles. The chickens weren''t competent nest builders either. The ''nests'' were mostly just holes in the dirt.

    A cacophony of bachs and clucks greeted us. There was a mess of chickens here and they all gathered together below me. I lost sight of Second Hen almost immediately since she was smaller than a lot of the other chickens.

    It occurred to me I might need to fight these birds. The last time I needed to fight someone I was bothered by the violence. I needed to get my head clear on what I''d be willing to do beforehand, so I could take appropriate action in the moment.

    My aversion to violence felt like a cultural thing to me. Similar to the idea of bathing with the children. If that''s the case, I''d need to let that go. This world was clearly more violent than my last one. Was I willing to kill these chickens?

    I''d rather not. They were just chickens, and I didn''t see them as being all that dangerous. But if it came to it, then yes. I would kill the ones I needed to.

    With that clear in my head, I jumped down next to the flock and they immediately mobbed me. I kept my butt on the ground as I stared down the mob. I couldn''t stop my ears from flattening either. I wasn''t scared, not really. But having a horde of flappy magic birds as big as I was surrounding me was a teensy bit disconcerting. I growled a little when a couple got too close for my liking, and thankfully they backed off.

    Their clucks were a mix of gossip and just clucks. I paid attention to it and realized a bunch of these chickens were not magic beasts. They were regular chickens. The ones closest to me, however, were all magic chickens.

    Abruptly the flock parted like a sea and a large chicken, buff orange in color, strode forward. This had to be the First Hen. She regarded me calmly, in direct contrast to the skittering clucks of the other chickens. Finally she nodded.

    "You have strong magic," the First Hen said. "Second Hen tells me you are looking for magic?"

    "Yes, First Hen. My humans would like to help their friend who is having difficulties with her magic. We are looking for a place high in mana. I''m told this used to be a mana well. Do you know of a place here that is still mana rich?"

    "There is a place high in mana, and good for magic." The First Hen continued towards me and started to circle. I was fine with that, since the other clucky hens made space. A chicken trying to be menacing was hilarious.

    "Could you show me where this place is?" I was relieved my ears weren''t dropping anymore. It felt rude and I couldn''t stop it before. It also made me feel like I was on the back foot and I have no reason to feel that way. I''m confident this pack of birds can''t do anything to me, even if their leader is bigger than me.

    "But it is dangerous to chickens without our magic power," First Hen said. "It would be dangerous to you too, unless you have a magic power too?"

    "What kind of power do I need?" So these chickens had talents, like the kids did? Why didn''t I have a talent then? "And what is this danger?"

    "Oh, no, you can''t, First Hen!" a brown chicken exclaimed. "Those are ours! You can''t give them away!"

    "I don''t want to share either! Ours!" an orangey-brown chicken squawked.

    "Enough, ladies," the First Hen said. "Ninth, go entertain the humans. Twelfth, go with her."

    "Twelfth?" a black and white chicken said. "What did I do?"

    The orangey-brown chicken cackled. "I''m Eleventh now!"

    "Oh, honey, don''t be so disrespectful," another mostly black chicken scolded. The squawking and bickering got worse for a moment as more chickens piled on the scoldings.

    "Enough, Ladies!" First Hen said again. "Ninth and Eleventh, go entertain the humans. If you don''t then Twelfth, you''ll be Tenth in a moment."

    The two chickens scooted off right away. First Hen glared around at the flock until they were all staring at the ground, suitably chastised. Second Hen stayed behind First Hen, calm and a little smug. Well, maybe smug. I''m kinda shit at reading a chicken''s expression.

    First Hen turned back to me. "You want to go where the magic is, yes?"

    "It''s what I''m here for."

    "Then show me what your magic power is. I would not wish to send you to certain death." First Hen had completely circled me and now stood directly in front of me.

    "I''m not sure what kind of power you mean. Why don''t you show me yours?"

    First Hen bobbed. "Yes. I can show you. Then you show me what you can do. It is my hope you can remove the danger for us. Are your claws sharp? Are you a good hunter?"

    "My claws are plenty sharp. And you still haven''t told me what this danger is." If they want me to hunt this danger it must be some kind of animal or monster. There being a monster guarding the mana spot was a bit alarming. Memories of table sized spiders danced through my head. But these were chickens and they seemed to think I could hunt whatever it was. Foxes and weasels were lethal threats and would likely be considered very dangerous. I think I could hunt a fox. And if it''s a magic fox, I bet I could just talk to it.

    "I will demonstrate my power. All you need to do is try to catch me," First Hen said. "If I scare you, you can try to catch someone else instead."

    "I''m not scared," I scoffed. Of a fucking chicken? I don''t think so. Before getting into it with the chicken I took a second to check the link with Seth. He was calm and above me, so probably just looking around still. I looked up towards the peak where he was, but didn''t see any of the kids.

    I sensed the movement of all the chickens around me and snapped my attention back to First Hen.

    And got kicked in the face hard enough to fling me through the air.

 46 - Menaced by a Chicken

    I skidded to a stop using my face as a brake. I leapt straight up as fast as I could, and spun around in mid air.

    "That was a cheap shot!" I complained.

    "No, it was fair," First Hen argued. "Do you wait for the mouse to see you before you pounce?"

    "Fucking chickens," I muttered, more angry that the bitch was right. I was going to pounce on her ass all right, looking or not.

    I took off running, but didn''t head straight for First Hen. I wanted to thin the peanut gallery a bit first and charged into the heart of the flock and pounced at the black and white chicken, Twelfth. Not because I was angry with her or anything, she was just the most convenient target.

    And I missed. I had her by surprise and came in fast, but she was still faster. Now she was standing next to me, still squawking, faint surprise the only expression on her vapid face.

    "What did I do?" Twelfth asked.

    I didn''t answer but spun around, claws out. I didn''t think I''d injure anyone too badly with my claws so long as I was careful, but I was perfectly fine with little cuts.

    And I still missed.

    She squawked again and was standing right next to me, but now a single step to the left. I didn''t even see her move.

    This time I tried subterfuge. Whirling the other way, I feinted towards another chicken before swiping both paws at Twelfth in a pincer move.

    This time I saw the blur. The chicken moved so fast for just an instant it was like she blipped out and rematerialized a step away. Her running away was a normal chicken waddle, no special magic there.

    These chickens were fast. Magic fast. How exactly did that work? How did they go from standing still, to standing still but somewhere else?

    Enhanced leg strength? Nah, it wouldn''t matter how strong the legs were, there was a limit on how fast anything could move on flesh and bone.

    Actually, I can''t assume that. The rules of physics as I understand them don''t necessarily apply here. But that doesn''t mean some old fashioned experimentation won''t work. I looked around the outcropping. Many of the chickens had fled with most of them watching from the cliffs. First Hen was watching me from the base of the cliff.

    It didn''t matter which one I caught. Maybe taking a dumber bird hostage will let me take a swipe at First. I saw what was one of the dumber chickens eating a rock. I crept up on my chosen victim, gathered my feet under me for a powerful lunge, and got kicked in the rump so hard I went airborne again.

    "Fuuuck!" I yowled. First Hen had come up behind me when I wasn''t looking. I''m doing a shit job of keeping track of my environment.

    Where is my brain at? I should already know exactly how many chickens are here, how many went to the cliffs, and the dimensions of the space I''m fighting in. I should know exactly where the edges are and already have plans to use them. Damnit, I should have already worked out which chickens were magic and which ones weren''t. When the hell did I get so sloppy? If I was losing core skills and habits here¡­ Fuck. For just an instant I had the sense that someone I cared about would be upset with me over that, but I couldn''t quite grasp it.

    Not the time. I''ll get kicked in the face again that way.

    Get it together, self. There are sixteen chickens down here, and eleven on the cliffs. This field of wildflowers is narrow, varying between about twenty and thirty feet, and about a hundred and twenty feet long. There is mana here, I can feel it, but I can''t tell if it''s from the chickens or the location. My goal here is to catch a magic chicken. I''d prefer First Hen, but I''d take any of them.

    Some chickens have power, some don''t. I''d bet most of the ones that fled were the ones without power. But normal chickens can be pretty stupid, so I bet at least a couple were still down here. I started stalking the flock. I crouched down to make it harder for them to keep track of where I was in the flowers.

    Whenever I got close to First and Second Hens my whiskers let me know they were there. I didn''t notice that when I was pouncing on Twelfth. But, I hadn''t been paying enough attention. I''m gonna need to refill my attention wallet and fix this lazy habit.

    I circled them, and took notice of which chickens positioned themselves strategically, and which ones didn''t. The non-strategic chickens had a tendency to peck at random flowers and scratch at the dirt the moment they weren''t looking in my direction. There were three of them, and I could safely ignore them. Seven other chickens were still down here and close to me. First, Second, and five others. One was the mostly black one, a reddish orange one, two were brown, and the last one was speckled cream.

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    I decided to be simple. I figured I would be faster than them, having four feet and all, so I chased them.

    I run, I leap, I pounce, I miss. Chickens dodge, chickens scatter, chickens peck my ass. Repeat. All this needed now was some Yakety Sax.

    Yup, I was a faster runner but I couldn''t get a claw on a single one, and I would wear out long before they couldn''t dodge anymore.

    Alright. Next tactic. They knew I was here, so sneaking wasn''t going to work, but I could possibly get close enough for a good pounce.

    I kept trying to maneuver, but I could not get into pounce range on First or Second. They always knew exactly where I was no matter how I ducked into the wildflowers. Speckled cream was the most skittish. She never stopped running, and she bawked and dodged if I so much as looked at her.

    I kept my eyes locked on First, and tried to line up on the black one. When I charged, First darted away before I was even half way there. That was fine. I twisted in midair and got a claw on the tailfeathers of black.

    It wasn''t enough, she dodged away.

    If they could see me, they could dodge. Physical contact wasn''t enough to stop them from dodging. The movement was instantaneous. The dodge range seemed limited though. Let''s test that.

    First Hen was near the cliff, so I tried to herd her into a corner. She was the one I wanted most. I got her between the cliff and a pile of rock. The only way she could go was straight up or out through me.

    With three rapid bawks she dodged right around me.

    Honestly? I was fucking impressed. I wished I had that talent too.

    There wasn''t going to be anything physical I could do to catch these chickens. Under almost any circumstances they''d be able to dodge away. The only exception that might exist, is if I had a solid grip on them, not just touching them. Getting that solid grip was the puzzle.

    New plan.

    "That dodge ability you have is amazing," I said. I made my body language as open and friendly as I could with my tail straight up. I wasn''t hiding anything. Really. "Do you all have that same talent?"

    First Hen clucked, "We do. There was a rooster that had a different ability once. He could snuff out fire. Alas, he could not dodge and he was eaten." Her clucks turned mournful.

    "I''m sorry to hear that. So this dangerous thing is something that eats chickens?" And whatever gave them magic could give different stuff. Blaise was in luck. Though the image of Blaise dodging while bawking like a chicken was hilarious.

    "It will be dangerous for you too," First said. "You need to be able to catch it, or dodge it."

    I nodded and climbed up the cliff a short ways. "You haven''t told me anything about it. Is it dangerous to humans too?" I tried not to eye the orange chicken on the cliff ahead of me. She was gossiping to Twelfth and not looking at me.

    First Hen cocked her head. "Humans kill everything. Nothing is dangerous to humans."

    Well, that was seriously not true. But things dangerous to chickens were likely not dangerous to humans.

    I made eye contact with Twelfth and smiled. The vapid chicken smiled back and did nothing to tip off the orange chicken for the instant before I landed on her. "Caught you." Instinct took over and I grabbed the chicken''s neck in my fangs. I was just able to stop myself from biting, but I still tasted blood.

    The orange chicken panicked, flailing and screaming beneath me. She couldn''t move or dodge with me holding onto her. So this dodge talent did have some limitations. I still wanted it.

    The chicken shivered. I shivered too. It felt like she was trying to activate her power and pass right through me. My whiskers were positively vibrating. The moment passed and the hen stilled. She didn''t get away.

    I had to force myself to let go of her throat. I wanted to bite down so badly. Instead I turned to First Hen. "I caught one of you. Now you''ll show me where the mana concentration is? And tell me how you all became dodge chickens?"

    "Your ability to capture one of us is not the only question here," First Hen said. "You are a cat. All cats are hunters. You need to be able to not get caught."

    I let my captive go. I didn''t mean to traumatize her as much as I did. The poor thing staggered away. "Me not getting caught isn''t going to do bupkis for my human friends."

    First Hen cocked her head like she didn''t understand me. "Humans kill everything. You don''t need to worry for the humans."

    "These humans are children. They can''t kill anything."

    "They are still humans," First Hen said, spreading her wings in a shrug. "Now dodge."

    First Hen did that funky blur thing and kicked me again. I dodged most of it this time, at least enough that I didn''t go tumbling. Next followed several minutes of me feeling like the mole in a whack-a-mole game until I managed to jump away.

    I was so done with this shit. I didn''t know if she was actually trying to teach me something, or if this was just an opportunity to bully a cat. No matter how I tried, I couldn''t get a claw on her. I watched First Hen fluff out her feathers, lower her head, and stalk towards me. I was being menaced by a fucking chicken.

    No more fancy moves, no more darting and weaving. I pounced straight at that bird. She dodged. Her dodge was faster than Twelfth''s, with less blur and more blip. It honestly was a really sweet power.

    That didn''t matter though. I owed that bitch a bunch of kicks. Mine would come with claws.

    Ninth suddenly came flying down the cliff. "First Hen! The humans have gone inside!"

    "Well then. No reason not to show me too then," I said. I''d have to wait to get back at her. I needed a counter to her dodge first. My time will come.

    First Hen clucked in agreement. "I will show you. I will show you the magic berries and Chicky Chicky."

 47 - Here Chicky Chicky Chicky

    "Oh, guys?" Duvessa called down to Seth and Owen. "I came over to ask, are these chickens weird?"

    Seth was searching for a cave or opening in the rocks out of sight of the tower. Owen was peering down the cliff, searching for more clues about why someone brought the chickens here.

    "What would be weird about chickens, Duvessa?" Seth answered. He sent a questioning glance at Owen who just shrugged.

    "I can''t catch any," Duvessa said.

    "So?" Seth said.

    "I mean that they''re super tricky!"

    "And what is tricky about you not being able to catch a chicken?" Seth asked.

    "They''re fast! Weird and tricky fast, not speedy fast." Duvessa sounded exasperated. She poked her head over the side and looked down at where Seth and Owen were on a path beside the cliff. "You gotta come see this."

    "I don''t want to be chasing chickens right now," Seth said.

    Owen spoke up, "Don''t worry about it, I''ll go catch one for her."

    Seth had already walked the path looking for anything obvious. Next he searched methodically up the path, but without luck. He could hear the clucking and scrambling of the chickens as Owen and Duvessa attempted to catch one. By the sounds of it, they weren''t having any luck either.

    Finally Owen called out, "Hey Seth? Duvessa''s right. These chickens are weird."

    Seth signed and headed up top to where the two of them stared at a chicken just a little ways off. "What''s going on with the chickens?"

    "They''re blinky! Watch this," Duvessa said. "Owen, go that way and then chase it over here."

    Selendrith walked over next to Seth to watch.

    The two set out and quickly cornered a chicken. Just when Owen was about to pick up the chicken, the chicken darted right so fast it was nearly invisible and bolted to the far side of the yard.

    "Did you see that?" Owen demanded. "It looks like all of them can do that."

    "Let''s grab a blanket or something and try again," Seth suggested. Using the blanket as a net was no more successful than catching them by hand.

    "I''ve never seen this before," Owen said. "They are just chickens, right? Chickens can be a pain to catch because they''re tricky. But these ones can dodge anything, and when you do think you''ve got one, it''s like it wasn''t ever there."

    Seth eyed a brown hen that he would have sworn was mocking him as it sauntered away. "I''ve an idea. Let''s herd them towards where you found the crate pieces."

    "What is that gonna do?" Owen asked. "There''s nothing there."

    "That chicken over there," Seth said, ignoring the question. "Hold up that blanket and come this way." In short order the four of them got the chicken down the cliff path. Seth watched from above. "Okay, now try to catch it."

    "Here chicky chicky chicky," Duvessa said.

    As if on cue, the chicken fled. It ran further down the path than Seth had been looking for the opening, leapt up and disappeared. Excited, Seth hustled down to where the chicken vanished. There, at about knee height, was a deep shadow. "Found it."

    It was a hole leading into the mountain, not much bigger than the chickens. Seth could belly crawl inside without too much trouble. Owen or Booth would have a tight fit, provided it didn''t get more narrow further in.

    Owen stared at the hole skeptically. "You think we should go in there?"

    Seth cast the mana detection spell. It was the strongest he''d found yet. And if the chickens were magic and got their power from in there, this could be the solution for both Blaise and Saben. "Right here the mana is high. Inside, it is probably even higher. This is our best shot."

    "I got a bad feeling about this," Owen said.

    "I''ll go first, and make sure there is room for everyone," Seth offered.

    "Yeah, no. I don''t reckon the best thing to do is crawl into a tight space that might go to the Below, and has who knows what in it, and where you can''t see or turn around. Brilliant." Owen shook his head. "Wait here, I''ll go get the others."

    Duvessa sent several small bird shadows into the hole.

    "That''s right, we should really scout it first," Seth said. Duvessa only raised an eyebrow at him.

    The others arrived quickly.

    Two of Duvessa''s shadow birds flew out of the hole and she caught them, letting them melt into her hand. "This hole goes several feet into the mountain, and then opens up into a room. There''s some kind of plant in that room, and a broken hall or archway that goes further in. There is a bigger room past it, but none of those shadows returned yet."

    "Do we go now, or do we wait for the shadows to come back?" Seth asked.

    "If we wait too long we''ll run out of daylight. It''s getting pretty late already," Blaise said.

    "If we don''t wait, we could run into something dangerous," Owen said.

    "We are up a mountain. The Below is going to be really far down. I don''t think that is anything we have to worry about," Blaise argued.

    "Shall we put it to a vote?" Seth asked.

    "That works for me," Blaise said, and got a round of assenting nods. "All right. All in favor of going now?" Blaise raised her own hand, and counted herself, Seth, Selendrith, and Duvessa. "And in favor of waiting?'' Owen raised his hand, as did Booth.

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    "Okay. We go in. Anyone not comfortable going in, doesn''t have to," Blaise said. "Selendrith, make sure you have everything you need to do the circle. Should we bring the rest of our gear too?"

    "Mine won''t fit down that small hole," Owen said.

    "Best not then," Booth said. "Better to come back for it."

    "All right. Who first?" Blaise asked.

    "I''ll go, I''m the smallest and I can let you know if it gets tighter further in," Seth said. He pulled out his pendant and activated the light before belly-crawling into the hole.

    "Whew, it stinks in here," Seth called back. "It widens up a little here, but there''s a lot of rubble too, making it¨C Ah!" Seth abruptly fell as the chunk of stone at the end of the tunnel collapsed under his weight and sent him tumbling into the darkness. He landed in a pile of clay that was crusty on top but soft underneath.

    "Seth!"

    "Are you all right?"

    "No, you''re not going in there, give him a second to answer!"

    "Did anyone bring rope?"

    "I''m all right," Seth called up. "There''s a pile of clay or something here. This is a pretty good sized room. I can see a plant or something down that way. It has glowing berries on it, so there''s some light in here."

    "Can you get out again?" Owen asked.

    "Yeah, the drop is only about four or five feet, and it looks easy enough to climb. I bet the chickens come in and out this way all the time," Seth answered. "There''s also some weird marks here."

    "I''m coming down," Blaise said. "Don''t let me fall."

    In short order all the others had come down except Booth who chose to remain outside.

    "Ew, you weren''t kidding about the smell," Duvessa complained. She wiped off her bow with a handkerchief but ignored the clay smears on her clothing.

    "I guess with chickens pooping in here for years the smell would build up," Owen said. He buckled his sword belt and pulled out a torch. "Can anyone give me a light?"

    "Here," Selendrith said, and cast a candle lighting spell, Small Flame.

    "I recognize that one!" Owen said. "That''s one of the cantrips I''m supposed to practice. I haven''t gotten to that one yet."

    "The small utility spells are really useful. I personally think they should be mandatory," Selendrith said.

    "This clay is stinky too. It has a really weird consistency," Blaise said.

    "Look at these marks," Seth said. "What do you think caused that?"

    Seth set his pendant to maximum brightness and examined the chamber. There were deep furrows in the rock surrounding the tunnel to outside. There were similar gouges on the floor and bits of broken stone all over.

    "Do you reckon there was a fight in here between some beasts or something?" Owen asked.

    "It could be left over from when the mana well was working," Seth suggested. "Maybe a wyvern from a long time ago?"

    "These berries are so pretty! Do you think it''s okay to eat one?" Duvessa asked.

    "No!" Seth, Blaise, and Owen all said. Selendrith snickered.

    "I was just asking," Duvessa huffed.

    Seth walked over to where the huge bush blocked the way out of the chamber. It was a spindly thing, the branches long and thin and splitting dozens of times. How it had gotten so large while growing in a dark cave was a mystery. The leaves were blueish green, and the berries were glowing the same color blue as Seth''s pendant. Short needle-like thorns rimmed each leaf.

    "Selendrith," Seth said, "have you ever heard of a bush like this? That can grow underground?"

    "No, I haven''t." Selendrith reached out to touch a berry. The leaves trembled when her hand got close and she pulled back.

    "Let''s get the spell done for Blaise," Owen said. "In here works, right?"

    "We should look for a mana pool," Selendrith said. "There might be a small one left in here somewhere, even though the well doesn''t work anymore."

    "Yes, let''s. Watch the thorns though. They look really mean," Duvessa said. She ducked past the bush into the chamber beyond.

    The weird bush was even bigger in the next chamber, with more berries lighting up the room. This chamber had a large spiral staircase in the center that was broken off before it reached the ceiling. Big stone doors formed a closed hatch that was embedded in the stone ceiling directly above the stairs. The floor around the staircase was broken away with a bigger than needed opening around the stairs where they descended into the floor. Many of the stairs were also broken, with more gouges and furrows in the stone. There were scorch marks on the ceiling, but the hatch into the floor above was fully intact.

    "Booth and I found doors in the basement of the tower," Blaise said. "They were sealed shut with some spell, and we couldn''t deactivate the spell or open the doors. By the looks of it, those are the doors we found."

    "Oh, look! There are the chickens, and they''re eating the berries!" Duvessa clapped her hands together. "Maybe that means they are edible? We could try the berries?"

    "Why are you so keen to eat the berries, Duvessa?" Seth asked.

    "Because they glow!"

    "It''ll make your poop glow," Selendrith said.

    Duvessa stared at her, simultaneously excited at the prospect and disgusted by it. "That would be amazingly weird."

    "Let''s take a quick look around here," Blaise said, getting everyone back on track, "and then head down a level. I''m sure the mana levels down there should be perfect for what we need to do."

    "I want to get a closer look at the formations on those doors," Selendrith said.

    "Go ahead and look. Let me know when you''re ready to head down, If anyone else sees anything interesting, call it out," Blaise said.

    Owen started searching through a pile of debris on the far side of the room. Duvessa tried unsuccessfully to catch a chicken again before joining Selendrith. Blaise made a circuit of the room. Seth stood by the hole in the floor and peered into the unsettling darkness below.

    Selendrith climbed the stone staircase to where the upper portion was completely broken off, the stairs not reaching the upper floor. She cast a light spell so she could better see the formations that were sealing the upper doors closed. Owen found something in the pile of trash in the corner and was trying to dig it out.

    Seth considered what he should do. He''d cast a number of detection spells already today, and although they weren''t especially taxing, they did add up. He could listen to the wind again, but that used a fair bit more mana than the mana detection spell.

    He peered down the stairs, the light of his pendant reflecting on a shallow puddle below. He didn''t see anything that would make him think there was something dangerous down there. It was just creepy darkness.

    "There looks like a mana pool down there," Seth told the others. "I''ll try to get a better look."

    "Don''t go down there yet," Owen said. "Let Duvessa''s shadows do the scouting. You don''t even have a weapon on you."

    Blaise scoffed. "Mages are weapons, they don''t need to carry one."

    "Student mage at best, Blaise," Seth said. "And I''m not very good at offense."

    "Being offensive is not usually a life goal, you know," Blaise said.

    "I forgot about my shadows!" Duvessa said.

    Seth crept carefully down the stairs, watching his step on the damaged treads. The room below was completely dark, and Seth couldn''t get a sense for how big it was or how far down the stairs continued or if they stopped on that level.

    He heard a high pitched and breathy "Chicky chicky chicky."

    "Would you stop hunting chickens, Duvessa?" Seth asked exasperated.

    "Uh, I''m not?" Duvessa said.

    Seth looked up the stairs. Duvessa was standing beside Selendrith at the top of the broken staircase. As he stared at her he heard it again, "Chicky chicky chicky."

    Two chickens scrambled past them and into the small tunnel to the outside.

    "Owen, could you toss your torch down there?" Seth said.

    Owen peered down into the darkness. He handed Seth the sword he''d brought from school and picked up another sword that he''d found in the pile of trash. Duvessa nocked an arrow.

    "Ready?" Owen asked. The others nodded. He tossed his torch down the stairwell. The torch landed beside the stairs and cast light and long shadows in the chamber. They could see the reflection of the torch on a small pool of water near the stairs. Further away a pair of huge eyes caught the light and reflected it like twin moons.

 48 - Here Chicky Chicky Chicky 2

    The twin orbs swayed as they moved closer to the light. It moved slowly, as if hesitant to leave the darkness. Finally its head entered the circle of light from Owen''s torch.

    The largest wyvern Seth had ever seen stared at them from the lower chamber. It was emaciated; its skin hung loosely over its bony body and the flesh of its face was sunken and skull like. Its mouth didn''t close properly and some of its fangs were broken. The green scales were pale and gray, and utterly lacking in the luster a healthy creature would possess.

    "Chicky chicky chicky," the creature crooned, its eyes locked on Seth in ravenous intensity.

    "Out! Out out out!" Seth cried as he scrambled backwards. The huge wyvern lunged at Seth. The beast was unexpectedly quick despite the awkwardness of crawling on its wings. The beast was faster than Seth.

    Owen reacted by kicking Seth off the staircase. The wyvern missed Seth and snapped at Owen instead who blocked the maw with his found sword.

    Seth landed heavily beneath the stairs and had the wind knocked out of him. The sword Owen had given him clattered a few feet away. He had the presence of mind to extinguish the light of his pendant so the wyvern wouldn''t be drawn to him. The wyvern crawled to the stairs instead, its long neck giving the maw free rein to snap at Seth''s friends.

    "Owen!" Duvessa cried. "Why did you kick Seth down there? He''s trapped with that thing now!"

    "Dead later is better than dead now," Owen said. Seth could see Owen at the top of the stairs, blocking the creature''s snaps with his sword.

    "Chicky chicky chicky," it repeated in its eerie, high pitched voice. It pulled back to consider Owen. Seth tried to get to his feet. There was no way Owen could hold off this monster on his own.

    "Blaise, get outside," Owen ordered, "Selendrith, you go next."

    Seth could see Duvessa''s arrow strike the wyvern. It bounced harmlessly off the loose skin of the creature''s neck.

    Seth didn''t know what Blaise was doing, but Selendrith stood frozen on the stairs, staring wide eyed at the monster on the floor below. Seth backed away from the wyvern. The space was dark, and although he could see the wyvern in the light from above and the torch at the bottom of the stairs, the rest of the chamber was pretty dark, and the footing was treacherous. Seth found and retrieved the sword he dropped.

    Duvessa fired another arrow, missing the wyvern but coming frighteningly close to Owen. The wyvern snapped repeatedly at Owen, quickly changing the direction of its strikes at the last moment, causing it to miss. It was like the wyvern expected Owen to dodge but he instead held firm. Seth knew that once the wyvern figured out it could bull through Owen''s defenses and knock him down, Owen would be eaten.

    "Selendrith!" Owen shouted. "Go!"

    Selendrith scrambled down and jumped off the side of the stairs. "What about Seth?" She called back. "He''s behind that thing!"

    "I''m fine!" Seth shouted. He circled to the back of the wyvern and considered his options. He had the school sword Owen had handed him. In typical Owen fashion, it was the oldest and dullest sword Owen could find. Seth figured it might be useful as a metal club. Either way, the likelihood of him being able to do real harm to the wyvern with that sword was small.

    "Duvessa, you''re next," Owen said. "We are going to need you to use shadows to distract it so Seth and I can get out."

    "We''re not going to kill it?" Duvessa asked, shooting another arrow at it.

    "That ain''t happening. If it spits fire in here, we''re all dead. We gotta get outside," Owen said. "It wants to eat us more than it wants to kill us. If it changes its mind, we''re done."

    Duvessa nodded and jumped off the stairs and out of Seth''s sight.

    Owen continued to fence with the wyvern, but the creature was learning. Its bites no longer expected Owen to dodge, forcing Owen to block and defend with his sword. He did not get the opportunity to counter attack. Seth swung the dull sword as hard as he could at the wyvern''s tail. He couldn''t penetrate the creature''s scales, and it hardly noticed Seth''s effort, merely raising its tail up and sweeping left and right.

    Suddenly the wyvern changed targets, snapping at one of the girls that Seth couldn''t see, who screamed. Owen jumped forward and slashed at the wyvern''s neck and it swung its head back, knocking Owen from the stairs.

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    The wyvern shrieked gleefully as it hopped and pinned Owen to the ground. The claws on its foot pierced his shoulder. It leered down at Owen with hungry satisfaction, then regarded the two girls above greedily. "Chicky chicky chicky."

    From his position behind the wyvern, with a dull sword and no real skills, there was only one thing Seth could think of to do. He shoved the sword into the only soft spot in the wyvern''s backside, the one beneath the tail, and shoved it as deep as it would go as hard and fast as he could.

    The wyvern screamed and jumped straight up the stairs, bashing its head against the ceiling and making the whole cavern shake. There was an ominous crack in the stone stairs.

    "I have an idea!" Selendrith shouted. "I just need a minute!"

    "Do it faster than a minute!" Duvessa screamed back. "These won''t last long!"

    Seth couldn''t see what was going on up the stairs, the wyvern''s thrashing body blocked the view. He could only hope the girls could hold the beast off. He ran over to check on Owen, hoping he wasn''t crushed by the beast''s weight or slain by its claws. The moment he saw Owen move slightly, Seth activated his healing pendant and put all the power it had into Owen. A quick burst like that wouldn''t do much for long term healing, but it should be enough to prevent death and help Owen escape. He dragged Owen away from the stairs and helped him to his feet.

    Seth looked around the dark cavern. He could see no further than the guttering torchlight. If there was another exit to this cave, there was no way for him to know.

    Seth focused and cast wind blade. The spell struck the wyvern but did so little damage the wyvern ignored him. Seth internally cursed his lack of skill with the spell.

    "Do we try to go by the wyvern, or do we look for another way out here?" Seth asked Owen. "Wrong answer means we die."

    "I don''t know," Owen said. "What about the girls?" He scooped up the sword he''d found in the trash pile earlier.

    "They have a way out at least. I lost my sword, and my spells don''t work on it."

    "I''ll get it riled at me, so the girls can get out. Take a look for an exit down here. You got light, right?" Owen said.

    "No, I put everything into healing you. I can light it in another couple minutes."

    "We don''t have minutes." Owen tried to approach the wyvern, but the tail whipping back and forth kept him back.

    Seth didn''t have his sword anymore, his wind blades were ineffective, and he had no other weapons. He spotted the torch still guttering beneath the stairs and got a new idea. He scrambled to retrieve the torch. It was nearly out, so Seth took a second to turn it, and give it a small amount of wind to get the flames going again. Saben had told him that some air burns better than others, but Seth had no idea how to control that. Fanning the flames with normal air would have to be enough.

    Owen grunting in pain got Seth''s attention.

    The wyvern had turned sideways on the stairs, both clawed feet gripping the staircase. Its long neck reached into the floor above and harassed the girls. One wing had flailed out and knocked Owen to the ground.

    Seth jumped up the stairs and held the torch to the wyvern''s foot. Come on, burn! he thought at the torch. Even trying to provide wind to the flame didn''t get the fire that Seth was hoping for. The wyvern was mostly unaffected by the fire and just reflexively kicked out with one foot, sending Seth and the torch flying. The torch landed in a mana puddle, mostly going out. Then the puddle started burning with a low blue flame and spread over the whole puddle.

    In the dim blue light Seth saw that Owen was having trouble getting up. The battle upstairs was sounding bad too, with Duvessa screeching at the monster.

    Seth closed his eyes, focused, and cast wind blade, this time focusing on the thin wing membrane. It didn''t do a lot of damage, but did make a small hole in the wing. The wyvern peered down and shook the damaged wing before pulling it up to the floor above. It glared at Seth, seemingly torn between crushing Seth and trying to eat the girls again. It pulled back and turned to the girls, out of Seth''s line of sight.

    Seth rushed over to help Owen. "Can you stand?"

    "Yeah. Just knocked about a bit," Owen answered as Seth helped him up. This time he hadn''t dropped his sword.

    The wyvern abruptly screamed again and fell down the stairs, flailing in the confined space. Seth pulled Owen behind the stairs and out of the way.

    "It''s Mau! Mau is on its face!" Seth said once he caught a glimpse of the wyvern''s head. "Up! Go!" He half shoved half dragged Owen up the stairs while the beast was trying to shake off Mau''s claws.

    "Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry," Duvessa chanted, reaching to help Seth and Owen up. "Out, out, out!"

    Selendrith was just completing her spell. She held it while she waited for the right moment. Duvessa, Seth, and Owen ducked into the side chamber they first entered in.

    "Mau!" Seth cried. "We''re leaving!"

    The wyvern''s head poked up the stairwell and its hungry fury landed on Selendrith. The ridiculous sight of a cat on top of its head did nothing to diminish how terrifying the monster was. It jumped up the stairs, its huge body completely filling the stairwell.

    Selendrith activated the spell. The doors on the ceiling glowed, resisting the spell. The wyvern''s head swung around, maw wide open.

    The foundation of the tower above cracked. The doors had resisted the spell, but the stone frame could not. The wyvern tried to avoid the falling stones but was caught and pinned. The big doors fell, balancing briefly on the broken staircase before it collapsed under the weight. The whole ceiling collapsed on the wyvern, filling the cavern with dust and rubble.

    Seth had just enough presence of mind to cast Stillness on as wide an area as he could.

    After several seconds of collapsing stone, everything quieted.

    Duvessa sighed deeply. "No chicky for you," she said.

 49 - That Wasnt Clay

    Seth looked around at the destruction of the mana well. The sealed doors above the stairs had crashed down along with most of the ceiling.

    "Mau?" Seth called. She''d been on the creature''s head the last time he''d seen her. He ducked around what was left of the mana bush by the entrance to the chamber with the exit tunnel. Behind him Selendrith had collapsed to her knees and was taking deep breaths.

    "Mau?" Seth called again, creeping cautiously into the destroyed chamber, watchful of any sign of the wyvern. He was on the verge of panic when he realized he was being stupid. The familiar link would tell him if she was all right.

    "Mew," he heard to his enormous relief, before he could focus on the link. She jumped onto one of the doors that had fallen from the ceiling, and looked up at the tower above. Seth glanced up at what she was looking at and saw that this whole thing was going to come down any minute.

    And sticking out from the rubble, Seth could see the tip of the wyvern''s tail. It had been crushed and buried.

    "Let''s get out of here," Seth said and helped Selendrith up. Although he could now see the sky, the narrow tunnel the chickens used was still the only way out.

    One by one they crawled out, helped by Booth and Blaise. Once outside, they trudged up to the now gaping hole in the bottom of the ruin. They could still see the tip of the wyvern''s tail in the rubble.

    "It looks like you killed it." Booth said.

    Owen stared at it and sat down heavily. Then he began to laugh until he was lying on the ground gasping for air.

    Blaise stared at him, incredulous. "I think you''ve lost it. There''s nothing funny about this. That thing was about to eat you."

    Seth knew Owen wasn''t laughing because it was funny. "Give him a bit. He''ll calm down."

    Booth stepped away from the hole and looked everyone over. "Why are you all covered in shit?"

    Seth looked down at himself. Yeah, that wasn''t clay in there, was it?

    "Ewww!" Duvessa looked like she was going to cry. Seth thought it bizarre that she seemed more upset about the ''clay'' than nearly dying to the wyvern.

    "Why did you bring the tower down?" Blaise asked Selendrith, changing the subject. "You could have crushed everyone inside."

    "I was trying to open the doors by breaking the seal," Selendrith said. "I didn''t mean to break the tower."

    "That would have just let it outside. How would that have made anything better?" Blaise asked.

    "I thought the mages in town would be much better equipped to deal with it than us."

    "Your plan was to release a monstrously sized wyvern onto the city several weeks before the typical little ones arrive?" Blaise asked. "When no one would be prepared for it?"

    "Better them than us," Booth said. "You''re lucky to be alive, you know."

    "And if it decided to stay here and eat you?"

    "Not so lucky, then," Booth answered. "It''s dead now though, right?"

    "Buried in the rubble," Seth said and gestured to the tower. One of the corners was leaning inwards precariously, giving the whole structure a saggy look. "And that will probably come down any minute." He turned to Owen. "Let''s take a look at that shoulder."

    Owen shook his head. "Let''s get to the guard house first at least. If that thing isn''t actually dead, I want to be far away."

    Blaise had a bitter expression as she gazed at the destruction. The previous damage to the tower was exacerbated, and there was now an open hole into the basement of the tower where the wyvern was buried. If there was another chamber below the one the wyvern lived in, none of them knew. "We''re not going to get anything out of being here anymore."

    "Oh, I''m so sorry!" Duvessa exclaimed. "We were supposed to try for you to get your mana back! The bottom of the well is way too dangerous now." She turned to Seth. "What can we do? There''s something else that''ll work, right?"

    "I don''t think so," Seth said. "It was only inside the well that we were getting any good amounts of mana. Out here, there just isn''t enough."

    "Then we go to another one!" Duvessa declared.

    "That will get complicated," Seth said. "Once the authorities see this, all the wells will be locked down. For a while, at least. Getting permission through the Circle Tower might be the only bet."

    "We''re going to have to tell someone about this," Owen said as he sat on a boulder and held a torn bit of his shirt to his bleeding shoulder. "That was dangerous."

    "This was a secret mission," Duvessa said. "We didn''t tell anyone we were doing this. It''ll be bad if anyone knew we were here now."

    "It''s not secret anymore," Booth said. "Anyone who looks up here is going to see the tower fell down. I don''t know how a dust cloud didn''t alert the whole city. Here, this is the last of the water." He handed Seth the last waterskin. "You should at least wash that before we go. A few minutes shouldn''t make a big difference."

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    "All right, shirt off," Seth said to Owen. Owen shot an awkward glance at Duvessa who was looking down at the city before grumbling and pulling the torn garment off with help from Seth.

    "They''ll come up and investigate and find the dead wyvern then," Blaise said.

    "We should just leave," Booth said. "We don''t need to do anything."

    "We''re not going to report this?" Owen asked, a bit incredulous.

    "Owen, what do you think is going to happen if one of the royals finds out a bunch of students went to a mana well, discovered a giant wyvern, and collapsed the well?" Blaise asked.

    "Oooh, yeah. Bad stuff!" Duvessa said. "We''d be expelled, locked up, and yelled at! It would be a very bad day."

    "Yeah. Getting yelled at. Such a bad day," Booth said, shaking his head.

    "We have to report the wyvern," Owen argued. "It''d be wrong not to. It''s dangerous."

    "It''s dead. It ain''t dangerous no more and there ain''t nothing anybody is gonna get by reporting this," Booth said.

    "The right thing to do is make sure the authorities know about the wyvern," Seth agreed with Owen. "But the guards are probably already on the way up here. They''ll find it. No one will be getting hurt, and no one will get in trouble. Besides, I''m on probation, Owen. Even if they decide we didn''t do anything wrong, and did the right thing by notifying them about the wyvern, I''ll probably be kicked out anyway."

    "Fine," Owen capitulated, resigned. "We don''t report it ourselves. Duvessa, can you put a sparrow here and make sure the guards come?"

    "Of course," Duvessa said and summoned a shadow sparrow.

    "Leave it over there," Blaise said, pointing to a rocky outcropping on the edge of the mountaintop. "It probably won''t be noticed over there. Your power is well known in school and by the guards. We don''t want anyone knowing we were here."

    Seth let go of Owen''s shoulder and his pendant stopped glowing. "The best I can do is stop the bleeding. I used up everything in my amulet so we''ll need to bandage that so it holds. I can give you more later."

    Blaise helped Seth fashion a bandage and tie it in place. Owen was blushing and staring at the ground when Blaise reached around him to tie the bandage. When she was done he shot a look over at Duvessa, but she was looking down at the city.

    "We''ve got a little more than an hour of daylight left," Seth said. "If we are going to make a camp somewhere, we need to find a place really soon."

    "Why would we camp?" Duvessa said. "There''s the guardhouse just down the way."

    "Do you think guards will come up tonight?" Blaise asked.

    "Can we risk it if they do? We''ll be caught and blamed for the destruction here," Seth answered.

    "I need a bath," Duvessa declared.

    "Send Reginald to find water somewhere. A stream or pond or something. We''ll hike there and camp for the night," Seth suggested. "Booth, let''s divide up Owen''s camping gear. He shouldn''t be carrying anything."

    "Fine. I have no idea how you plan to heat that water for my bath," Duvessa said.

    "I''m injured, not broken," Owen protested. "I can still carry my share."

    Seth and Booth ignored them both and divided Owen''s gear. They spread it out amongst everyone else to Duvessa''s loud complaints.

    Before they headed out, Seth went looking for Mau. He found her on the path just outside the tunnel. She had a small bag full of the magic berries.

    "You did this on your own? Do you think these berries are safe to eat?" Seth asked.

    Mau nodded authoritatively, looking smug and pleased with herself.

    "Yeah, Duvessa will try them either way. All right, I''ll pack them up. We can try them after we make camp."

    They hiked as quickly as they could down the mountain and followed Reginald. It was just after dark when he led them to a narrow clearing below the tree line with a shallow pool and sheltered by evergreens.

    With light provided by Mau and Seth they had a basic camp set up. No one allowed Duvessa to bathe in the spring, but everyone got to wash themselves off and clean their clothes using a bucket Booth had taken from the guardhouse. Seth used the Breeze spell to dry their clothes more quickly.

    "Hey Seth, where is the sword I gave you?" Owen asked as they were eating.

    "I, uh, lost it," Seth said as he handed Duvessa a piece of bread.

    "Aw. That''s a school sword! I''m responsible for that." Owen looked up the mountain. "Do you think we should look for it tomorrow?"

    "No!" Everyone responded.

    "It was the best one," Owen muttered sullenly.

    "It was the worst! I don''t think I could cut paper with that thing. It was old and dull and almost completely useless!" Seth exclaimed. "It''s crazy that your power likes the crappy weapons best. Why can''t you make newer weapons sharper?"

    "I don''t know. They just don''t work as well unless they''re well used," Owen defended himself.

    "You came up with a sword though," Booth said. "Why not just return that one?"

    "Because it''s a different type of sword. And it looks a lot different from the school swords. Here, look." Owen pulled the sword out and held it so everyone could see it in the firelight. It was once a magnificent sword. The blade had once been silvered steel, but was now coated in a layer of corrosion. The golden hilt was also encrusted with grime, but looked to have once had a phoenix motif.

    "Do you think a blacksmith could clean that up?" Blaise asked.

    "Use a weaponsmith," Booth said. "You''d get more value back on the sword."

    "I don''t care about what it''s worth," Owen said. "It''s a really good sword. It feels better than the school swords too."

    "You mean it''s older and duller than the practice swords used by a magic school?" Booth sniggered. "Even a weaponsmith might not be able to fix it then."

    "Shut up. This crappy sword kept that wyvern from biting anyone," Owen protested.

    "Until you fell off the stairs," Selendrith said quietly. "Then it was Duvessa''s shadows and my barriers."

    Seth looked over to where Selendrith sat a little ways away from everyone. Her fists were clenched.

    "We''re okay. All of us are okay," Seth said, and tried to be reassuring. "We all did what we could when it counted. Owen stood right in front of that thing and kept its attention for as long as he could," Seth said. "If he likes that sword, it''s his. You and Duvessa did a fantastic job too. Nobody died even though that thing wanted to eat all of us very badly."

    Selendrith wrapped her arms around herself and hid her face in her knees.

    "Eh, fine," Booth said. "Keep the sword, Owen, and don''t worry about returning anything. I''ll take care of it."

    "Blaise, we didn''t get to do the mana collection ritual," Seth said, "but these have a lot of mana in them, and the chickens were eating them. Do you think we should try them?" Seth pulled out the sack of berries Mau had collected.

    "Oh! Me! I want one!" Duvessa stood up and practically danced. "I want to eat the glowing berries!"

 50 - Glow in the Dark Food

    I sat calmly by the campfire while magical teenagers made camp. Well, they weren''t using magic now, but they had magic. I really should be used to all this shit by now.

    And I was. Or I really thought I was. Magical Dodge Chickens? Got it, no problem. Dodge Chickens eating from a magic berry bush? Yup. Normal in crazy land, not even weird.

    Fucking dragon monsters calling ''chicky chicky chicky''?

    Nope.

    I''m done.

    The kids were shaken up too, but were pretty resilient. The mundane tasks of digging a pit for a fire and figuring out how to get Owen''s tent less lopsided were done quietly and with minimal bickering.

    If I was human right now I''d probably be having a nervous breakdown. But instead, I sat quietly on my butt, my tail curled around my paws, as I waited for the teenagers to finish camp.

    I think I didn''t believe that those table-sized spiders were a common thing. I didn''t want them to be common, so I believed they were an anomaly instead.

    But then there were bus-sized starving dragon monsters that wanted to eat everything nearby. That was something else again.

    I did not want to be food.

    And the kids had faced that fucking thing on their own. I was late to that party.

    I had already sorted out that I was fine with violence. I had come to the conclusion that I was fine killing the chickens if necessary. I expected to have to fight or kill ''Chicky Chicky'' too.

    That was when I thought ''Chicky Chicky'' would be dog sized or smaller.

    I arrived to see Owen, a fifteen year old kid, holding a ton of hungry reptile at bay with a bit of dull metal. For a moment I was simply too shocked at the monster to comprehend it.

    And then Owen was down with Seth and that thing was going after the girls. Damn but those girls held it off too. But that wasn''t going to last either.

    So I, a sneak thief with an aversion to violence, jumped on the face of a beast that was big enough to swallow me in one bite so I could scratch its eyes out. What the fuck. Crazy land has made me crazy too.

    I''ve entirely lost who I was.

    I''m not human anymore. I don''t remember my real name. I don''t remember hardly anything about my life before, just scraps intermittently. I felt like there was a pattern to what I could remember, or a rule, but damned if I could work it out.

    I needed to know how I got here. Why I was here. What happened to my memories, and if I can get them back from whoever or whatever took them. I no longer thought I ''forgot'' them. That white space in the time before I met Seth, that weirdness there, that was significant. Shit was happening to me, and I didn''t know it.

    Making a field trip to wherever that egg came from is on my to-do list. Seth would know where that caravan left from. He might know where that egg was found.

    But I need to be careful about how I go about that. For now, Seth thought I was just one of the kittens. I think I was in that egg, and then I inhabited one of the kittens, or became one, or something. I''m pretty fuzzy on those details.

    Professor Kaban said that people from my world are enemies. If anyone finds out I''m not just a smart cat, I could have problems. I''m not sure I want that cat out of the bag yet. Even with Seth.

    Well, that''s a thought. I am the cat. I''m not who I was. And who I was before isn''t going to work anymore anyway in this world full of monsters. I needed to be someone new.

    And after this little adventure, the new me needs to be able to battle monsters. Fuck. I still don''t want to be food. That thing was fucking scary.

    Wait a second. Those fucking chickens set me up. They could have told me what the fuck ''Chicky Chicky'' was but they stayed vague about it. They wanted that thing to eat the kids so it wouldn''t eat the chickens for a while. I don''t know if they thought I could actually kill it or not, or if they were trying to feed me to it too. I was so going to kick First Hen''s ass the next time I saw that bitch.

    I must have zoned out for longer than I thought because suddenly Seth was pulling out the berries I''d collected. The kids were now sitting around a deeply dug fire pit, with the light of the fire hidden from most angles. They even positioned the tent to block the view from the mountain peak.

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    Those stupid berries were a whole other thing. Him just moving that sack of berries had my whiskers trembling. There was so much mana in those things, I could feel the sack being taken out from behind me.

    Duvessa nearly pounced on the berries in her excitement.

    "Mau collected these," Seth said, not letting Duvessa take the bag. Yay for giving me credit kid, it''s appreciated. "If we''re going to try them, it should be up to Blaise."

    "You want me to eat the glowing magic berries from a bush none of us have ever heard of before?" Blaise asked. Oh, Blaise, this is crazy magic land. Of course we''re going to eat the mysterious glow-in-the-dark food.

    "If you won''t, I''m going to!" Duvessa said. "Can I go first?"

    "No, let Blaise go first," Booth said. "It''s the point of the whole trip."

    "Alright. I''ll try it. Give me one, Seth." Blaise held out her hand.

    Seth pulled a berry out and dropped it in her palm. The berry was grape sized with three points. It glowed a soft blue with the light concentrated at each of the points. Blaise took a deep breath, then popped the whole berry into her mouth.

    "Oh! I wasn''t expecting it to be salty!" Blaise said. She kept chewing. "It actually tastes good. Not as tart as most berries, but not super sweet either. It reminds me of the beach."

    They waited a bit. "So now what?" Booth asked. "Was something supposed to happen?"

    "Try using your power," Owen said. "Does it feel any different?"

    Blaise closed her eyes. A moment later she said, "Nope, nothing. Do you think we need to wait a bit longer?"

    "Magic potions work right away," Seth said.

    "This isn''t a potion though," Blaise said.

    "Magic effects are usually instantaneous. I think if the berry was going to do something, it would have happened right away?" Seth suggested.

    "Not necessarily," Selendrith piped up. "Many effects only trigger when they have sufficient power."

    "So, more berries then?" Blaise asked. "They''re good. I don''t mind having more."

    "My turn too," Duvessa said.

    "Do we all get to have some berries?" Booth asked. "Or are they all for Blaise?"

    "I think we should share," Blaise said. "It doesn''t feel right for me to get them all. They could benefit everyone, I think?"

    Seth laid the berries out on a blanket. "There are twenty six berries here. Blaise already had one, so that''s twenty seven, and there are six of us,"

    Uh, no way kid. I count too. I yowled, putting as much of my annoyance into it as I could.

    "Aww, Mau wants some too!" Duvessa said and clapped her hands in delight. "That is soo cute!"

    Seth looked around at the group for confirmation.

    "Mau picked them," Blaise said. "We wouldn''t have any without her help."

    "That''s right."

    "Sure."

    "Okay."

    "All right then, there''s seven of us," Seth said. "Instead of four each with two left over, there are three each with five left over."

    "I''m fine with Blaise getting the extra," Owen said. "I don''t need them." He poked suspiciously at the pile of glowing berries. "I''m not sure I want the three I''m getting."

    "We''ll leave the five extra as free," Blaise said. "If I need them, I''ll take them then. Does that sound fair?"

    Seth quickly divided the pile into groups of three. I could see he tried to balance each group to have similar sizes.

    "I want to pick first!" Duvessa declared and scooped the pile that she judged was glowing the brightest. Booth was next, scooping up the berry pile with the largest berry. Greedy guts, the both of them. Eh, I get it. If I was an immature child, I might grab excitedly at magic berries too.

    Blaise and Selendrith were next, then me and Seth, and finally Owen.

    Duvessa had popped all three in her mouth at once and was chomping happily. Booth was nibbling the corners of his. Blaise ate another berry, but was chewing it really slowly, as if she was trying to suck all the magic out as she chewed.

    Selendrith had pulled a plate and knife out of somewhere and was delicately slicing a berry. She also had a notebook out and was writing furiously in it as she went.

    Owen sat quietly and stared at the berries like he thought they would bite him.

    "You''re right," Duvessa said to Blaise with her mouth still full. "They are salty. And so so good! I could eat these all day."

    Seth popped a single berry into his mouth, chewed it slowly, and swallowed. "Do you think anything will happen to any of us?" he asked.

    "Of course not. They''re just berries, " Duvessa said. "Shiny, glowy berries, but still just berries."

    "They have a ton of mana in them though, don''t they? Isn''t that the whole reason we''re giving Blaise so many? To feed up her talent and get it going again?" Owen asked. "That much mana might not be safe for everyone." He still glared suspiciously at his three berries, as if they might leak their mana onto him.

    "Oh yes, I can feel it," Duvessa said. "It normally takes a whole day or more for me to get my mana back when my shadows are slain. It feels like I just got all my shadows back and then some." She waved her hand in front of her. "It just got really warm here. Anyone else feel that?"

    "The fire isn''t that high," Owen said. "Is it the berries making you feel warm? You''re not going to burn out, are you?"

    Booth got up and walked a short distance away. I could see him using his power on the rocks there. He was turning them into giant fucking rubies. That was something I could vibe with. Too bad I still don''t have thumbs.

    "Oh! I''ve never had enough shadow for this. Have you ever seen an animal like this one?" Duvessa summoned a huge shadow, larger than everyone there. I had a hard time determining what the huge, blobby thing was until it turned and I saw the enormous ears flapping and the nose that touched the ground.

    Duvessa summoned a shadow elephant.

    And it wasn''t friendly.

 51 - Shadow Elephant

    Seth scrambled to his feet. It was a small elephant. But even a small elephant was big. It was stopped, but swayed back and forth, swinging its trunk. Its movements were difficult to discern in the dark, the flickering firelight not illuminating the shadows that comprised the elephant. To Seth, it was behaving like a very agitated and unpredictable animal. It wasn''t acting like Duvessa''s normal summons at all.

    "Woah, that''s big," Seth said as the elephant backed up. "That''s like three times your total summon volume isn''t it? Duvessa watch it, it''s going to knock the tent over."

    "No, no, no," Duvessa said. "Move that way! What are you doing? You''re my summon!"

    "Can you calm it, Duvessa?" Seth asked. "It looks scared or upset."

    "It''s a shadow. It shouldn''t be feeling anything at all. It was supposed to walk around the camp and then come back to me. I''ve never had a shadow disobey me before."

    Duvessa stepped towards the elephant, and it backed further away. It tripped over one of the tent ropes making the tent sag drunkenly.

    "Is it hostile to you?" Blaise asked, surprised. "I didn''t think summons could do that."

    "They''re not supposed to," Selendrith said. "A summon is a manifestation of the mage''s power. A mage has control over their mana, so too should they have control over their summon."

    "But she ain''t using her own power," Booth said. "This is that berry stuff. Can you at least get it away from the tent? It took us ages to get that up and now it''s lopsided again." Booth retreated to the other side of the campfire from the elephant. Selendrith and Blaise followed.

    Duvessa walked up to the elephant with her hand out, clearly intending to reabsorb the elephant. Apparently, the elephant didn''t want to be reabsorbed. Before Duvessa could touch it, it stomped its feet and charged. Duvessa missed grabbing it as it swung its trunk and flung her away. Then it whirled and charged across their small camp sending everyone scattering to the edges of the clearing. Duvessa huffed as she sat up, clearly offended.

    The elephant skidded to a stop just past the fire, and started rocking back and forth while swinging its trunk again. The dark body swayed aggressively.

    "Duvessa!" Blaise exclaimed. "Stop it already!"

    "I can''t! It''s not doing anything I want it to."

    Owen darted towards his sword where it had fallen near the tent. Booth was picking up rocks and changing them to glowing stones before chucking them at the elephant. That enraged the shadow and it charged at Booth.

    Mau darted at the elephant and jumped straight at it. The elephant skidded to a stop and raised its trunk defensively while backing up. Mau landed in front of it and circled.

    "Now, Duvessa, while Mau has its attention. Sneak up on it now!" Seth said.

    The moment Duvessa was even slightly near the beast it whirled around and swung at her.

    "Why is my own summon attacking me?" Duvessa cried as she darted behind Booth.

    "Why are you hiding behind me?" Booth asked as he ran away too.

    Mau jumped at the elephant again and it ignored everyone else for a moment.

    Seth wasn''t getting nearly the sense of danger or malice from the shadow elephant that he did from the wyvern. It didn''t feel like the elephant was out to get them, but more casually hostile. If they stayed clear of it, it would probably wander off.

    "Maybe we should just get it out of camp," Seth suggested. "How long do your summons usually last?"

    "I would need to resummon them after a few days. It really depends on how often I''ve summoned that particular animal type. My sparrows can last a week, but I wouldn''t expect this elephant to last more than a day or two."

    "Should we just drive it off then?" Blaise asked. "Let it disperse on its own?"

    "Right. An angry shadow beast wandering the mountain is such a good idea," Booth said, throwing another light stone. "You think nobody''ll notice?"

    Mau still had its attention, and was steadily leading it to the edge of the clearing.

    Owen gave the sword a test swing. "Will you be alright if we kill the elephant, Duvessa? Your shadows getting killed bothers you."

    "This one doesn''t feel like mine. Go ahead and kill it," Duvessa said. She put a hand on her hip and pointed at the elephant. "Hold still," she commanded.

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    It didn''t. It charged Mau and attempted to trample her. She was faster than it by a lot. She squawked and was behind it in an instant, confusing the shadow. Owen stepped up to block its way back into the camp.

    Seth backed up and focused. Closing his eyes, he really concentrated on the wind blade spell, and tried to do it as close to its structured form as he knew how. He could feel the extra power from the berry and tried to use it to connect better with the wind. The instant before releasing the spell he opened his eyes to verify his aim on the elephant was clear of Mau and Owen.

    He released the spell and immediately thought it backfired on him. Pain unlike anything he''d ever felt before stabbed through him and he fell to his hands and knees and nearly fainted.

    For the next several seconds he had no idea what was happening as he just tried to stay conscious. Then he tried to take stock of where he was hurt. Everything ached in a sharp, stabby way. He looked down at himself but saw no injuries. As the seconds ticked by and some of the pain faded he realized it wasn''t physical pain he felt. Some other essential part of him was hurting. It was like his mana was electrocuting him from the inside. He focused on his breathing and enduring the pain.

    Blaise had her hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright? What happened to you?"

    "I don''t know," Seth panted. "It just hurts." Seth looked past Blaise to where Duvessa was absorbing the elephant. "You got it, good. I don''t think those berries are a good idea."

    "I''m thinking no too," Blaise said. "You really don''t look good."

    Seth barely had time to turn away from Blaise before puking his guts out. Mau leaned against him, lending him her support until he was done.

    "Those chickens were eating these berries, right?" Owen said. He was standing on the other side of the fire where the elephant had been and was watching Seth with concern. He leaned his sword against a large rock next to him. "Someone actually saw the chickens eating them? That means they''re safe for us to eat too, doesn''t it? They''re not poisonous or nothing, right?"

    "I didn''t see them, no," Blaise said. Selendrith shook her head.

    "I thought I did, but now I''m not sure," Seth said.

    "I did!" Duvessa said. "The berries are safe for chickens."

    For a moment Seth doubted Duvessa really saw that. She wanted to eat the berries bad enough that he thought she might make up a reason it was safe. Then he felt bad for doubting her. To the best of his knowledge, she had never lied to any of them.

    "Do you think there''s something different between the chickens and humans that the berries work differently for us?" Blaise asked.

    "There''s stuff chickens can eat that people can''t," Owen said. "Maybe these berries are too."

    "I''ve always been under the impression that humans are just a type of animal," Selendrith said. "How it works for chickens is how it should work for us. Duvessa got more and stronger summons. Booth feels like his power is leaking and he needs to use it."

    "People are not animals¨C" Booth started.

    "I feel that too! What should I summon this time?" Duvessa interrupted.

    "Nothing!" Booth said sharply. "We did that once already!"

    "But I''m so full! Maybe if I pick something harmless?"

    "Please don''t summon anything, Duvessa," Owen said as he walked over to Seth. "How are you feeling?"

    "I''m all right," Seth said. He wasn''t though, not yet anyway.

    "You''re shaking," Blaise said. She turned to the others. "What do we do if this is serious? There''s no way we can get him down the mountain tonight. What if he can''t walk back to the city tomorrow?"

    "I can carry him," Owen volunteered.

    "No you can''t, your shoulder is still injured," Blaise said. "And Seth isn''t well enough to heal you again."

    The shadows around camp gathered around Duvessa.

    "What the hell, Duvessa? We said not to summon anything!" Booth exclaimed.

    "But this one is harmless!" A large, vaguely bean shaped shadow creature with stubby legs stood calmly by the fire. "It''s a capybara. They are super gentle and it won''t hurt anyone. The one I saw at the zoo let baby goats climb all over it."

    The placid shadow creature turned its head to each of them in turn and then slowly wandered the clearing.

    "At least it''s calmer than the elephant. Smaller too," Blaise said. "But you really shouldn''t have summoned something again, Duvessa."

    "It was necessary," Duvessa replied airily. She refilled her borrowed water container and brought it over to Seth. "Maybe you should get the tent tonight."

    "I''ll be fine," Seth said. He was sitting on the grass and leaning against a boulder. The pain was lessening, albeit slowly. "I just need a bit. I don''t want to be in the tent if I need to throw up again." He watched the shadow capybara nosing through the grass.

    Everyone else was watching the capybara too. And they continued watching it as it wandered off into the forest.

    "No way am I chasing that in the dark," Booth said. "Right now I don''t care if someone finds it."

    "Aww. It''ll come back when it''s ready. I guess it just needs some space," Duvessa said.

    "I''m going to put away the rest of the berries," Selendrith said. She pulled a large jar out of somewhere. "I''ve got a preserve jar that''ll keep them fresh for a long time. I really don''t think we should be eating any more of these without knowing a lot more about them."

    "Yeah, like knowing what they are and if they''re poisonous," Owen said. "Why is Seth the only one puking though? Selendrith, did you try any?"

    "I did not. Mana potions don''t work for me, and I figured these berries would have similar properties. But based on Seth''s reaction, there are more factors here than we know."

    "Is he going to be alright?" Owen asked.

    "I want to know why the berries worked fine for the chickens but are doing weird things to us," Blaise said. "Who tried the berries? Me, Duvessa, Booth, and Seth? Owen and Selendrith did not, right? So, there was no real effect for me, and I had two. Duvessa had three, and her summons effectively don''t belong to her. Booth tried one, and feels like he needs to use up excess mana. Seth got sick and isn''t doing well."

    "Any chickens that got sick probably got eaten right off," Owen said. "And any chickens that had bad reactions probably did too. I''d say these berries ain''t safe to eat."

    "They''re so tasty though," Duvessa lamented. "I would love to turn those into a fruit tart or something."

    Seth and Owen both shuddered.

 52 - A Sinister Cup

    Duvessa was the first of the three girls to crawl out of the two person tent. The shadow sparrow from the mountain top was waiting for her.

    "You will all be glad to know that there are indeed a number of people at the ruin, and they are digging in the rubble," Duvessa announced. "We don''t need to worry about that."

    "They must''ve gone up last night," Owen said, stretching out a crick in his neck and poking at his shoulder where Mau had healed it. "Good we didn''t stay at the guardhouse then."

    Duvessa heaved a big sigh. "You''re right."

    "Did your capybara come back?" Owen asked.

    "Nope. No idea where it is either." Duvessa waved a hand dismissively. "I''m hungry. What do we have to eat?"

    "Magic berries?" Blaise said, smirking.

    "Please, no," Seth said. He was still in pain, but it was much more manageable. He physically felt okayish if a bit queasy still, but he was certain any attempt to use his power would make him hurl again, so he didn''t try.

    "Nobody else had the reaction you did," Booth said. "You got an allergy, you think?"

    "I''m not allergic to anything else that I know of," Seth said. "I''ve never had something like this happen before. It didn''t hurt until I tried to use magic after eating the berry."

    "I bet it has something to do with you having a familiar then. A familiar is some kind of soul link or something, right? The power in the berry might be doing something to that."

    "Nope!" Duvessa said. "Reginald the Second is my familiar. I had more berries than Seth and I''m perfectly fine."

    "Reginald is a shadow summon though," Booth argued. "Not a real familiar."

    Duvessa gasped and whirled on Booth. "Reginald is absolutely a real familiar. You take that back! You''ll hurt his feelings."

    They took their time getting camp broken down to give Seth more time to recover. Mau crawled into Seth''s almost empty knapsack and went to sleep, not waking even when he put it on. It was late morning before they set out and Seth was both grateful and embarrassed that everyone walked slow for him, especially considering they stayed off the paths. He was feeling more normal by the time they started passing farms in the afternoon.

    "Should we be worried about people seeing us walking down the mountain?" Booth asked.

    "Oh! Yes! People talk. Are we going to get in trouble anyway? Should we report this after all?" Duvessa said.

    "It''s late enough we can tell people that we went up this morning," Seth said. "We should talk to someone though so they get the right idea."

    The farm they were passing had a large pen full of fat orange chickens. A woman was working in the garden so Seth and Owen walked over and greeted her.

    "You kids coming from up top?" she asked.

    "Yeah. We''re mage students and were up there this morning." Seth told her.

    She nodded. "Been a busy day for the mountain. There''s been people trotting around all day. You know what happened up there?"

    "The building there collapsed," Seth told her.

    "What would cause that?" she asked, surprised. "Did something happen up there?"

    "We don''t know," Seth said.

    Owen was blushing hard and Seth thought Owen might tell her everything. Grasping for the first thing to come to mind Seth blurted out, "You have a lot of the same chickens that were up at the peak."

    "These beauties?" The woman smiled proudly. "Best layers and fattest birds both. There was a guard that came by every month or so and would buy some to take up with him. He really liked my birds."

    Seth was surprised by that. A guard was buying chickens? There were different breeds up there, so he was stopping at different farms. Was he feeding the wyvern on purpose?

    "When was the last time he came by?" Seth asked. "I wonder if he knew about the structure being unsound."

    "Oh, I haven''t seen Gavin in nearly a year. Pity too, he was such a sweet young man and the other guards that head up just aren''t interested in buying my chickens."

    Seth''s stomach clenched and he suddenly felt just as sick as he had yesterday. "Gavin? Was he a palace guard? A small scar in his beard just here?" Seth pointed to a place beside his chin.

    "Why yes, he did. And he had the red sash and trim on his uniform. Do you know him?"

    "I- yes. I did. He passed away last winter."

    The woman''s face fell. "I''m sorry to hear that. Ah! Where are my manners? Can I offer you something to drink?"

    "No thank you, ma''am," Seth said. "We need to get going and have a report to make ourselves. If I could ask you to direct us to the road?"

    They got directions to the main road and then promptly ignored them once they were out of sight. Seth followed blindly until he needed to stop. He leaned against a tree and tried to process what he''d just learned. The only clear thought he had was that he needed to talk to Saben.

    Owen stopped next to Seth. "Who is Gavin, Seth?" he asked.

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    "He was a friend of my dad''s. He died the same day my dad did." Seth closed his eyes and slid down the trunk to sit at the tree''s base.

    "I''m sorry," Blaise said, the sentiment echoed by the others.

    "But why¨C" Owen began before being shushed by Blaise. "No, this is important. This guy was a palace guard and was buying chickens to feed the wyvern. If he was your dad''s friend¡­"

    "He killed my dad."

    Seth had been at the manor the day it had happened. Gavin had betrayed Seth''s father and murdered both him and the lady they were meeting with that day. If Seth had been inside the room at the time instead of the hallway, he''d probably be dead too. As it was, the resulting fire nearly killed him. He was lucky Benjamin had found him.

    And that asshole had been feeding a wyvern. Helping it grow. If that wyvern had gotten big enough, it could have evolved into a dragon. A dragon that could have devoured most of the city and utterly destroyed it.

    The loss of his dad had upended Seth''s life. Dealing with the loss of his only remaining parent was painful enough for anyone. Then on top of that everything he had expected and wanted for his future had been taken away too.

    Seth had hoped to never hear about his father''s murderer ever again. To now learn that he had other plans he was working on, that other people were in danger from this asshole, was disturbing and raised all the feelings of helplessness and insecurity he''d felt in the days following his dad''s death.

    What else had Gavin done? What other plans were in progress that would harm innocent people? The bastard was dead and yet he could still reach out and steal Seth''s peace and safety.

    He had to tell Saben. Seth wasn''t sure he should put this kind of information in a letter, but Saben needed to know what Gavin had been doing. This was probably related to what Saben was worried about.

    Booth was the first to speak. "The wyvern''s dead. The well was already broken. The guy feeding the wyvern is also dead, so it probably would have died soon anyway."

    "Seth," Blaise asked softly, "did you know about the berry bush? Or the wyvern?"

    Seth opened his eyes and looked at her. "No."

    "How could you ask that, Blaise?" Owen demanded.

    Blaise shook her head. "I''m sorry. It''s just that coming here was Seth''s idea. And he found the entrance. There wasn''t much ambient mana here, but those berries, and well¡­" Blaise spread her hands and shrugged.

    "I had no idea the asshole that killed my dad was also raising a wyvern to kill the city," Seth said flatly.

    Blaise stepped back. "You''re right, I''m sorry Seth. I didn''t think it through."

    "We killed the wyvern. Coming here was the right thing anyway," Owen said. "It was a good idea, and a good thing to try."

    "We''re in the same spot as before," Booth said. "Blaise hasn''t got a power."

    "Not quite," Selendrith said. "The mana berries are new. We can take them to the Circle Tower and have them studied. They might be able to be used in a potion or something to cure Blaise."

    "We can''t tell anyone about the berries without also telling them where we got them," Blaise pointed out.

    "We could have purchased them," Selendrith said. "They''re obviously magic, so it would be reasonable to buy them."

    "And if the authorities find the mana bush in the wyvern''s lair they will know where they came from," Blaise answered.

    "Then we wait. We let this cool for a couple days," Booth said. "I''ll see if I know anyone that we might be able to use as a cover. I bet some berries show up in town somewhere anyway."

    "Yes! I want more berries too. I''ll have to tell my grandmother about them," Duvessa said.

    "I gotta be careful in town for a bit," Booth added.

    "Those Skull jerks! I can send sparrows to watch them for you," Duvessa said. "I can let you know where they are and what they''re up to."

    "I can probably have the Tower do tests after eating another berry," Blaise said. "They''ll figure out if and how it''s working, and if I just need more berries. We still have plenty."

    "The charging ritual is still an option, too," Selendrith said. It was what they''d gone up there to do in the first place. "It''s just a much slower process with lower ambient mana."

    "Oh! Can you take the mana in the berries and use that in the ritual to give power to Blaise?" Duvessa asked.

    "Not directly. There is a transference ritual that can be done that transfers power from object to object. That one is pretty tricky, and I can''t do it. The one I can do is a gathering ritual I use for filling mana vaults," Selendrith said.

    Seth stood up. "Let''s get back. I''m going to bed, getting clean, and eating. Maybe not in that order."

    "Oh!" Duvessa cried. "A heated bath! I forgot I wanted one. We should hurry."

    <hr>

    Two men sat in what had once been an upstairs parlor in a run down mansion. Now it was used for drinking and cards. One looked like a pirate, with long blond hair, a loose white shirt, and black bandana. His guest looked like a plain and typical man of business.

    The pirate poured from a brown bottle into two mugs. "The boss says you''ve got something from his ''benefactor''?" He enunciated the word like he didn''t know what it meant.

    "I do. I think you''ll find this very useful," the guest said. "It just arrived this morning, and I''m sure you won''t be disappointed. I''ve done some initial tests and it works perfectly." He pulled an ornate wooden box out of a metal crate. He brushed a few stray pieces of the straw packing material off and placed the box on the table. "Go ahead, open it."

    The pirate gazed suspiciously at the box and then the other man. He abruptly leaned forward and tossed the box open. Inside was a sinister looking, lacquered cup. It could have been called a bowl, but it was small, and sat on a short and stubby stem, like a wine glass for a toddler.

    "How does it work?"

    "The trickiest part is targeting the magic you want to capture. It works quite differently to the other options we''ve talked about. For one, it will not work at all on structured magic. However, you do not need the source of the power to be nearby when capturing it. Shall we step outside for a moment and I''ll demonstrate?"

    "It''ll work on those?"

    "I guarantee it."

    The guest picked up the cup and stepped out onto the balcony.

    "Hold the cup so you can see your target between these two points, and then activate it like this," he instructed and handed over the cup. "Give it a try."

    The blond man in the bandana looked around and spotted a black bird nearby. He held up the cup and activated it. The shadow disintegrated instantly. Within the cup a teaspoon of shadow stuff pooled in the bottom. "That was easy."

    "Indeed. It''s a simple but powerful tool."

    "How many of these are out there?" the pirate asked.

    "This is the first. No one else has this."

    The pirate hummed skeptically. "Then I drink this?" The stuff looked like inky sludge.

    "Yes. Or you can continue to collect them. As near as I can tell, the cup can hold power for a long time and will deny the original caster access to the power for as long as it is being held."

    "How long do I have the power for?"

    "If you use it? It depends on the power. Instant effects, which is most magic, are used up instantly. However, this particular power is summon based. You will maintain control as long as the summoned creature has not been slain. At that point it returns to the original owner. If you call the summoned creature back, you can use the summon again."

    "Can I change the creature summoned?"

    "Yes. You can make it anything you want. And do anything you want with it."

    "How much can these shadows do, then?" The pirate was grinning.

    "I think you''ll have a lot of fun finding out."

 53 - Menagerie

    I couldn''t believe I slept all the way until Monday. That was weird and unlike me. In thinking about it, I''d done that the day after I got here too.

    Was there a connection? I thought there might be. I just wasn''t sure yet if it had to do with the dodge chickens or the berries.

    Twice now, I''d gotten out of the way of something, and I wasn''t entirely sure how I''d done it.

    I got out of the way of the falling ceiling, and I straight up dodged Duvessa''s delinquent elephant. Was it the same power as the chickens? I didn''t know. I tried to trigger it on my own, and haven''t been able to.

    I only had one berry. It was possible that was enough. But I didn''t feel anything from it, just a little bit of itching where my horns would grow in.

    I thought about the funky feeling I got when I''d pinned that other chicken. That''s what I felt when jumping clear of the wyvern and distracting the elephant. It felt more related to the chickens than the berries. Eh, I''ll give it a couple days and maybe try more berries. And I''ll be sure and kick the ass of any chicken I see.

    I stretched, trying not to claw the desk I was lounging on. Professor Laur would get testy, and I didn''t want Seth to deal with that. We''d moved on to barriers today. This was what Selendrith had used to defend herself and Duvessa from the wyvern while the boys were downstairs. Good thing she was an overachiever and wanted to impress Professor Slick by already knowing the spell.

    My mind wandered back to the berries. Seth was doing better, thankfully. I didn''t like what I was getting from the familiar link. The poor kid was suffering from existential crushing. That''s how it felt to me, like the soul link was badly over weighted. If I was good at meditating or some shit I might have been able to do something through the link. Maybe ease the pressure, or something. I don''t know. But meditation sucks. And it sucks entirely because I suck at it.

    The kids mostly just accepted it was probably an isolated reaction, and the berries were dangerous for Seth. I kinda think they''re dangerous for everyone, but it''s just more apparent with Seth for some reason.

    Duvessa''s summons behaved oddly and Booth created rubies that disappeared before morning. That was a bummer. Some of those things were beautifully huge.

    That got me to thinking about mana. Were there different types? Was berry mana different from atmospheric mana? I''d heard of mana stones too. And mana water. Ugh. I really hope one of the professors here eventually get to all this. I''m getting tired of memorizing spells I can''t cast.

    Selendrith has been teaching Blaise how to manipulate a mana vault. I saw her give a lesson, and that''s going to be something that takes a shit ton of practice. I''ll need to sit in on a few more lessons, but I''m pretty sure I can get there too.

    Oh, hey. It''s the practical portion of the lesson. I feel like being a nuisance. Let''s go see what everyone is up to.

    <hr>

    I was disappointed in combat class that Mighty Mick never busted out the magic measuring tree. I wanted to see if there were changes in the kids. No research professor Marjorie at all either, just Edmond recording numbers before getting to practicing with the wussticks some more. Aiming and dodging again today.

    And that asshole Gregory with the thunder talent still thought of Owen and Seth as his rivals. He was constantly targeting them, and poor Seth was getting his ass beat. The kid was a trooper and took it with grace, but it had to be frustrating getting stomped by a kid three or four years older and half again your weight. Owen was better than Gregory though and defended Seth when possible.

    I enjoyed the Celestial Tower class on Tuesday. Professor Kaban had me practicing leaps. I loved it. Professor Kaban was teaching Seth proper forms. He hated it. Every time Seth let his sword tip drop or had a foot out of place, the professor would rap the offending limb with a bendy stick. It was intended to just sting, but would bruise if it hit the same spot often enough. Seth was getting ''corrected'' often. Much more than Owen.

    He''d hit Seth often enough that the kid was using his amulet for some healing while we headed to the front gate to meet our carriage. We were off to the Menagerie this afternoon, and I have to say, I was a bit excited.

    Owen was tagging along too. I still wondered about that, seeing as he didn''t have a familiar.

    The punishment wagon, as I thought of it, actually looked a bit like a horse drawn trolley car. It was long enough to seat eight to a side comfortably with bench seats that faced each other. The driver dropped a ramp down the back. I wondered at that until a student approached pushing what looked like a portable washing machine.

    It was square, enamel white, on wheels and had a lid. He pushed it right up the ramp like that was what was expected. I supposed it was. Then I realized I recognized that guy. He was the upperclassman in the Celestial Tower the day of the Gauntlet. He was the guy that had his desk in his bathroom.

    This checks out.

    Hmm. I wonder if the horses are special? I hopped down off of Seth''s shoulder as he offered to help the washing machine guy and I circled to in front of the horses. There I sat on my butt and looked them over. My whiskers told me there was magic nearby. I couldn''t tell for sure if it was the horses or if the carriage was magic, or both. I''d need to get closer to find out, and that felt rude. I''m not a dog to be shoving my nose up someone''s ass.

    "So. Can you guys talk?" I meowed.

    One of the horses turned its head so it could see me past the blinders it was wearing. It snorted without answering.

    "Maybe not then. If I were a horse that could think, I wouldn''t want to wear all the crap you two have on."

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    They were both looking at me now, and one shook its head.

    "You don''t mind it? I suppose. Anyway, thanks for bringing us." I gave them a moment to reply, but there was none. There was a dog sitting next to the driver''s seat. He didn''t say anything either.

    Maybe animals were generally not very talkative? Or maybe these were all normal animals. I headed inside and hopped up on Seth''s shoulder again.

    "Sit here, Mau," Seth said, and plunked me down between him and Owen. Across from us was Arnold. And his sneaky snake.

    "Yo! Greenie," I said. "What''s your name?"

    "It''s not Greenie," the snake hissed.

    "Of course not. That''s why I asked what it was. I can make it Greenie though."

    "You can''t change my name," the little snake said, affronted.

    "Then tell me your name."

    "No."

    "Why not?"

    "You''re mean."

    "And you''re green. I will tell everyone your name is Greenie now."

    The snake crawled up Arnold''s sleeve. Arnold glared at me. I yawned at him and made a show of my fabulous teeth. Dude rolled his eyes.

    Another guy showed up. If I remembered right, this was the dude that had an itty bitty deer for a familiar. There were two more people, and then Duvessa.

    "Why are you attending familiar training?" Seth asked her.

    "Why wouldn''t I? I have a familiar!"

    "I know, but Reginald doesn''t really need it, does he?" Seth asked.

    Au contraire, mon ami. That fucking bird needs a shit ton of training.

    "I''m actually having some trouble with my summons. They''ve started not coming back on time. I''m wondering if there''s something I''m missing," Duvessa explained.

    "How will familiar training help?" Seth asked. Good question kid. I don''t consider myself anything like her shadows.

    "I''m looking for perspective," Duvessa explained. "Having other views on the proper care and training of familiars will likely help my thought processes as I create my summons."

    "You''re having trouble with your power now too?" Arnold asked Duvessa. "Is this recent?"

    "I had a few shadows not come back to me last night," Duvessa said. "That''s really unusual, and it doesn''t feel like they''ve been slain. I''m wondering if I had stray thoughts and they wandered off."

    Yeah, like the capybara did. I guess the glowing fruit was having longer lasting effects than we thought. Arnold thought it was something else, clearly. He was giving Seth the stink eye.

    "That''s time!" the driver called, and pushed up the ramp. The carriage set out moments later.

    The Menagerie was across town. The school was in the north east and the zoo was on the west side. We took the shortest route, which brought us over the bridge we''d fought the hyena at. We passed in front of the Palace, but I didn''t see anything other than the walls as we rolled past.

    We finally rocked up to a walled estate. This place looked like a luxury villa. It was surrounded by high walls and a portcullis. Inside there were several buildings and lots of fenced paddocks. It was probably about half the total size of the school.

    One of the first animals I noticed was a lion looking thing with bat wings. It was chained to a post in the middle of a field. I couldn''t see its face, but based on its body language it seemed pretty pissed about the situation.

    There was a young woman waiting for us as we disembarked. She had a perky ponytail and was dressed in coveralls and barn boots. She was accompanied by a lion fish rolling around in a water bubble. Because of course that''s the kind of familiar you can expect in the mountains.

    "Welcome, everyone!" the woman said. "I''ll be your coordinator and instructor today. My name is Robin, and my familiar here is Louis. Louis can''t hear very well because of the water, so don''t be surprised if he ignores you. Right, Elias, will you need help with Wadsworth today?"

    Elias turned out to be the Celestial Tower upperclassman and he was rolling his washing machine down the ramp. It was making rather violent thunking noises. I noticed one of the latches was jumping with each thump.

    "The quicker we can get him settled the better," Elias said. "If you don''t mind, I''ll take him right in while you talk to everyone else."

    "Of course! Okay, we''ll be bringing our little ones into a place they can be safe while I talk to their humans. There''ll be snacks, so be excited! Come on and follow me."

    She led us to a single story building that had multiple doors out into small pens. The first thing I noticed once we got inside was all the cages. The second thing I noticed was a crate of chickens on the far side of the room. There were five chickens, and much to my dismay, none of them were First or Second Hen. If I had to guess, I''d say most of these were the regular chickens. I did recognize Twelfth though.

    Seth noticed them too. "Why do you have chickens here?" he asked Robin.

    "''Cause they got magic! Yup, even ordinary chickens can get magic and become magic beasts. These ones have an ability that makes them really hard to catch so no letting them out! They''ve got some sort of phase or short range teleport. They just arrived today and we''re excited to learn about them."

    "Oh! Dodge Chickens!" Duvessa exclaimed. "How did you catch them?"

    "With a baited trap. We''re expecting to get more over the next few days as more of the flock are caught." Robin led everyone to the cages. "Okay, reptiles over here in these tanks. They''re heated, and should be super comfortable for those guys. Anyone have predator birds? No? Okay this over here is an aviary and they should all be able to go in together. Birds like being with other birds. Okay, what else do we have?" Robin scanned the gaggle of students. "Oh what an adorable little deer! What kind is he?"

    "Uh, his name is Mouse. I think he''s a horned mouse?"

    "Adorable. He can go in here. This has an outside paddock, and the roof is fenced, so it should be perfectly safe for him. And last we have a gorgeous little kitty! A silver leopard? She has fantastic coloring. Right next to Mouse for her. She can go outside too if she wants."

    I don''t want. I''m not going into a cage. It was pretty easy to put my feet on the door jambs. Seth tried to wiggle me around and put me in butt first, but I wasn''t having it.

    "I see. We have a troublemaker here! Give me just a moment," Robin said. She went to a large bin and pulled out a metal bowl and filled it with raw meat. "See! Snacks!" She waved the bloody meat under my nose.

    Raw meat was gross. I did not want it. I was not so easily manipulated. It smelled delicious.

    Robin walked into the pen and put the bowl down. Seth tried to follow her in, but I got the door shut first.

    "Oh ho! Did she just try to lock me in the pen?" Robin laughed and opened the pen door. "I bet you thought you got me? Magic keys, little one. Now come on. You''ll only get to relax in here for a little while. We are doing training for your human, and you don''t need to sit around for that. So you can relax here where none of the other animals can bother you."

    Robin took me from Seth, and she was much harder to squirm away from. She set me down right next to the bowl of meat. I hate to say it distracted me for the instant it took her to slip out. Dammit.

    Good thing my skeleton key ring was still working.

 54 - Familiars

    Seth glanced behind him at Mau as he left the barn. He was a little worried about what she might do. But Robin seemed to know how to handle all the animals, so he''d trust that Mau wouldn''t be able to cause too much trouble. She was also leaving her familiar behind. As the striped fish swam in its water bubble, the bubble rolled around the barn.

    "Normally we''d have someone else do your training while I worked with the familiars. But we''ve been badly understaffed lately. A few of you are helping out later, right? I''m so grateful for that. I''ll leave Louis here to keep an eye on things. He can let me know if anyone gets up to shenanigans. This way." Robin led them to the neighboring building and into a mostly empty room with benches along the walls. It was a good sized room, and would accommodate a much larger class as well as some large familiars.

    "Okay! Go ahead and get comfortable and we''ll get started. Now some of you may know a lot of this already, but I think it''s best to start at the beginning. Let''s start with names." Robin smiled and rubbed her hands together as she looked over all the students. "You with the silver leopard, you start, and we''ll go down the line. Tell me your name and your familiar''s name."

    They went one by one down the bench. Everyone introduced themselves, and each time someone said their familiar''s name, Robin would tell everyone what type of familiar they had. Owen was an exception, and Robin promised the training could be used later when he got his own familiar.

    "Should we wait for the guy with the white thing?" Michael, the student with the tiny deer asked.

    "Elias? No. His familiar is Wadsworth, and he needs special attention. Elias isn''t here for training but so he can use some of our facilities. Okay! The reason I separated you all from your familiars is so they don''t hear this. Many of the critters are really smart, and they can get ideas if they think they can get away with it."

    Seth was glad Mau wasn''t listening to whatever Robin planned to tell them. She didn''t need any help with having her own ideas.

    "First, there is a lot of variety with species. And I mean a lot, a lot. Some are smart, and some are really dumb. Even though the familiar bond makes an animal smarter, it does not make them people smart. It''s not common for familiars to become a public menace, as the bond influences their behavior and they are not feral anymore even when they are wild caught. But your familiar is still an animal, and is dependent on you for care and guidance. I find it best to consider familiars like toddlers. They have their own opinions, they can understand what you tell them, but you still need to teach them to do as they''re told."

    Mau was definitely smarter than a toddler. Bossy too. Seth had no idea if toddlers were bossy.

    "Due to the nature of the familiar bond, your familiar will naturally assume you are in charge. You need to reinforce that with training. Just like you would with a non magical pet, you need to teach your familiar acceptable behaviors. This is made easier with their ability to understand all forms of speech, but just because they understand the words does not mean they understand what you want them to do, so you need to remember to be patient with them."

    Seth wanted to shake his head. There was no way Mau thought he was the one in charge. And she understood him perfectly, all the time. She chose not to listen.

    The guy with the small deer raised his hand.

    "Yes! Michael, you''ve a question." Robin pointed at him.

    "I was wondering if the magical strength of the familiar had an effect on how smart or capable the familiar could be?"

    "Yes, actually it does. This gets tricky though. Stronger beasts with more mana and more innate magical power are more intelligent and capable. And by stronger, I don''t mean bigger, but more powerful or more varied magic. The tricky part comes in with the bond of such a beast in the first place."

    Robin held her hands palm up, and moved them up and down like balancing a scale. "On one hand, the beast will have power. This gives it weight in the link. To bond a strong beast needs a strong link. That means what you get from the beast is strong too." She raised the other hand. "If you don''t have a strong talent, then you will need a strong will to maintain the link, if you can maintain it. When a master is weaker than the familiar, the bond will deteriorate until it fades completely."

    "Links can deteriorate?" Duvessa asked.

    "Yes. It is very common with powerful beasts as familiars, actually. Also, if a familiar is unhappy with the relationship, it will resent the link and emotionally attack it. Eventually, their souls will reject it and the link will dissolve. A powerful beast can willfully dissolve their link in a matter of days, weaker beasts may take months."

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    "How often does that happen?" Michael asked.

    "Not very often. Most people who have familiars have them because they like animals and want both the companionship and the power the beast provides. But it does happen. We have a beast here now that has dissolved its link."

    Duvessa jumped up. "What kind of beast? Can we see it?"

    Robin smiled at Duvessa''s excitement. "Later. He''s a manticore. His owner caught him while young enough that he could be bonded easily. But as he got older, the owner couldn''t maintain the bond."

    "Is that due to the power of the manticore, or because the manticore wanted the bond dissolved?" Seth asked. Mau was likely to get really strong too. He didn''t want the bond to go away just because she was strong. If she didn''t want it anymore, well, he could only hope she did want it.

    "It''s hard to say, really. Most really powerful beasts don''t stay as familiars past adolescence. That''s not true of evolved beasts though. If you bind a beast, like Michael''s small deer, and it evolves into something higher, like a mist doe, or forest walker, then the beast usually stays. I personally think this is due to a good relationship between the familiar and the master that let the beast evolve in the first place."

    "Why would anyone want a manticore as a familiar?" This question came from Arnold.

    "Because manticores grant immunity from venoms and poisons," Robin answered. "And their masters get it almost instantly. A strong familiar can also produce a strong link. Not only can you gain some of the attributes of your familiar, but they can gain aspects of your power. For example, my familiar Louis can take control of my summons."

    Duvessa hopped in place, having not yet sat down from the last time she jumped up.

    "Can you bond two humans?" One of the girls asked.

    "Ew, no. That would be like slavery," Robin said.

    "But can the ritual do that?" the girl asked.

    Robin shook her head. "No. There is a hierarchy of souls in the ritual. You can''t have two beasts, and you can''t have two humans. The ritual wouldn''t work. Now, that hierarchy of souls is one of the things I wanted to talk about without your beasts here. As the master, you can use the link to send commands to your familiar. A weak familiar is easy to command, but a strong one can be very difficult. A familiar can actively resist commands, so I didn''t want them to know they can be commanded this way. And since the strong ones are also smarter, they can become almost impossible when they know that''s what you are trying to do. Always, always, include verbal commands when using the link to command your familiar. They will fight the link commands so much less."

    Seth had tried before to use the link to command Mau, and never succeeded. "Is there a technique or something to using the link? I''ve never been able to manage it."

    "Silver leopards are strong, but they are not outside the typical scope for familiars, so you should be able to do it. We''ll go over the technique¨C"

    "Robin!" A woman burst into the room. She was wearing the same coveralls and barn boots that Robin was wearing. "It happened again!"

    "I knew it wasn''t Martin! Which ones are out? And does the Director know?" Robin asked the newcomer.

    "I haven''t told him, and he''s not in the main hall. The five from Section C got out. If we hurry, we might be able to find them all before he comes back."

    "Check that every door is shut and locked. I''ll be right there." Robin faced the students. "We''ve been having a problem lately with the beasts escaping their cages. We''ve actually lost several beasts in the last few weeks. You''ll need to wait here while we deal with this problem, or you can help us find the escapees."

    "I''ll help," Seth offered. Owen, Duvessa, and Arnold stepped forward also.

    "What kind of beasts escaped? Are they dangerous?" Michael asked.

    Robin rushed over to a hidden closet and rummaged inside as she answered. "The five in Section C are a fire hound, a fox, a badger, a housecat, and a monkey. The hound is the only one with an elemental aspect."

    "If you are having a problem with beasts escaping, what has your Director done to solve it?" Arnold asked.

    Robin sighed unhappily. "The first time it happened, the manticore was the one that escaped."

    Duvessa inhaled dramatically.

    "Exactly," Robin said, nodding at Duvessa. "We reported it, and got help searching for him. He was found a couple days later wandering the basement of our main building. That got the old Director fired. We got our current Director, Lord Henry, shortly after that. But it happened again, but with a group this time. The new Director, Lord Henry, fired the person who had last checked their cages."

    She found what she was looking for and pulled out light stones and capture sticks. The capture sticks were long poles with a loop of rope at the end that could be tightened.

    Robin handed each of the volunteers a capture stick and a lightstone and headed for the door. "He still thinks it''s sabotage by an employee. So far he''s fired three people, and two more quit. We''ve had all the locks on all the cages re-enchanted. We are working on acquiring a tracking artifact that has linked collars. But if we do that, we won''t have the budget to hire back the staff we lost." Robin glanced around outside before leading the group to the barn with the familiars. "We tried to get the beasts to tell us what happened. They wouldn''t really talk about it though. I don''t know if that''s because they can''t, or won''t."

    "You can talk with the familiars?" Seth asked.

    "Martin has a parrot as a familiar. He made it really easy to talk to them. Unfortunately he''s been fired. We don''t have another beast that makes communication easy. Let''s collect your familiars. They could be a big help in tracking down our escapees. Unfortunately Louis doesn''t talk well with other beasts."

 55 - Bawk like a Chicken

    I watched Seth leave with the others and then glanced over at the chickens. Other than Twelfth, I didn''t recognize any. There were no other non-familiar beasts in the barn with us.

    I saw no reason to stay put. But I did want to check out the facilities here. Maybe they had something that would appeal to my feline sensibilities. I decided to wander over to the outdoor area attached to my holding cell. And if I happened to nibble at the meat in that bowl a little, well, I was a cat now. That makes that okay. And delicious.

    Ugh. If I wasn''t careful I''d be catching and eating live mice. I shuddered.

    The tiny deer was in the fenced yard next to mine, munching on grass. A bit of a distance away, was the lion creature. A manticore, I think they called it.

    And here would be the first mouse I don''t plan on ever eating. I turned to the little deer and greeted it. "Hello Mouse. My name''s Mau."

    The little thing startled when I started talking to it. "I''m not a m-mouse! M-My name is Ba''al. I shall be the g-greatest d-demon lord of all!"

    Well that wasn''t what I was expecting. "Bawl? Like bawling your eyes out?"

    "I knew I should have picked Diablo," the little deer muttered. Then it puffed itself up. "Ba''al! The g-greatest of all d-demons!"

    Little dude was nutso. Was this a trend in magic beasts? The chickens were a different kind of whacked, but they were there too. "Never heard of you, sorry. Good luck on your journey to demonhood. Have you ever talked to a manticore before?"

    "I- What? No I haven''t."

    "Thanks bub." There was a gate in the paddocks, so I walked up to it and right on out. It didn''t shut behind me, I think it caught on the grass, but that was fine.

    The manticore was pacing in a line on the opposite side of the pillar that tied him. I eyed the chain and stopped close to the edge of where it could reach. There I sat and waited for it to either look at or acknowledge me. As I waited I studied it.

    In this world a manticore was a lion-bodied creature with bat wings, a weirdly flat tail that curled and an uncanny valley looking man''s face. It reminded me of the chimera we''d gone over in one of Seth''s classes. Add some reptile and goat into the creature blender and you were there.

    What I found interesting about this was that this amalgamation creature was apparently naturally born this way. Like natural selection took the day off and let a bunch of super high monkeys decide the next creature design.

    He noticed me. As we looked at each other, I got the sense that this guy was pissy by nature. That was fine. I just wanted a conversation.

    He jumped up in the air and flew over to me. He was tethered still, so his flying was clumsy and awkward. I think he wanted to impress me with the fact he could fly, and swoop down and be all intimidating. Instead the chain tangled in one wing and he sprawled on his face in front of me.

    "Fucking shit," he muttered and glared at me like it was my fault. Then he pounced at me.

    I''d judged the distance correctly. The chain prevented him from reaching me. At least with his face or feet. His flat tail shot out to stab me. In that instant I realized it was flat like a scorpion''s tail, complete with venomous stinger.

    I squawked and dodged it. Like, out of the way in a blink dodged. Just like the chickens.

    My surprise was mirrored on the manticore. "Did you just bawk like a chicken?" he asked.

    I totally did. "No!"

    "You did! I heard you!"

    I had the chicken dodge power. Did that come from the berries? No way, it made me squawk like a chicken. I had to have gotten it from the chickens somehow. They squawked when they dodged too! I was almost as fast as First when I dodged¨C Hey! He tried to sting me!

    "What the fuck did you try to sting me for, asshole? What did I do?"

    The manticore shrugged. "I''m having a bad day and you were there. That makes it your fault."

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    "What kind of bullshit is that? That''s no reason to sting me. I came over to have a conversation. But I think I don''t want to talk to you anymore." I made sure there was more room between us. I might have judged the chain length accurately, but I didn''t judge that tail length or purpose well.

    "Why would you want to talk to me?" The manticore sounded really baffled. His back end was all the way behind him like it should be. But that stinger was up in the air now. I backed up some more.

    "I don''t anymore. I thought you looked like an interesting person. Possibly smarter than a bunch of these other beasts. I don''t think that anymore."

    The manticore blinked, then growled and glared. "Did you just call me stupid?"

    I walked away. I would rather puzzle out what I''d just done than navigate a contentious conversation with a murderous manticore. I could see the tiny deer watching me with wide eyes.

    "Hey! Get back here!" the manticore yelled.

    Nope! I didn''t even bother saying it out loud. I just walked back inside, right out the door of my pen, and over to the cage with the chickens. "Hey, Twelfth. How do you activate your dodge power?"

    I ignored the fish in his bubble. He was swimming back and forth in wide motions like he was trying to wave to me.

    "Oh, I''m not Twelfth," the chicken said. "There''s only five of us here, and I''m the best! I''m First Hen now!"

    "I don''t recommend that. I''m going to kick First Hen''s ass. Do you want that to be you? Or should you just leave your name as Twelfth?"

    The chicken looked blankly at the other chickens. "There''s only five of us. How can I be Twelfth?"

    "I''ll change your name to Peabrain then."

    "Oh. I think I like peas." The chicken frowned. "No I don''t. I''ve never had peas. I don''t think of them much so Peabrain isn''t me."

    "Are you thinking about them now?"

    "Yes.

    "Then your new name is Peabrain. It won''t change. Okay? Now. How does your dodge power work? How do you activate it?"

    "You are so rude," the green snake piped up. He was still in his tank, coiled up and draped over a large stick in the tank. "You can''t just change her name."

    "Stuff it, Greenie. I''m having a conversation here," I snapped at the snake.

    "Stuff it, Greenie," Reginald piped up. "Stuff it, Greenie." I really think Reginald said some stuff just because he liked the sounds of the words. Fucking birdbrains everywhere.

    "My name is not Greenie!"

    The fish was still trying to herd me back into my pen. I still ignored him.

    "You''re a green snake," I said as I paced over to its tank. "You are Greenie now. Everyone here heard it."

    The snake buried its head in its coils and muttered to itself.

    "So. Twelfth. Peabrain. Chicken. How do you do that dodge thing? How does it activate?" I turned back to the chicken.

    "I think AH! And get out of the way."

    I stared at the chicken. The bird was probably being very literal. So, that meant the power probably activated on its own when the chicken was startled. I was startled when it activated. No, that couldn''t be it. First Hen had used it to dodge around me when I had her cornered. Probably it was a reflexive action under most circumstances, and First Hen had learned to control it. I couldn''t trigger it before because the instinctive action was either fear or startle based.

    That was enough to work with. I could figure it out from there. I was smarter than a chicken. I let the fish in a bubble herd me back into a pen.

    The next thing I needed to work out was how I got the power from the chicken. No, that wasn''t next. More important than that was not bawking like a chicken every time I used it. Because priorities.

    I shook off the water where Louis had been bumping me in his attempts to keep me where I was supposed to be. That''s when the kids came back.

    Robin led the way. She burst into the barn, quickly glanced around like she was looking for someone, and then sighed in relief. She started opening cages.

    "Mau, Reginald, and Asclepius, I would like to ask you to help us find some missing beasts," Robin said.

    Asclepius, huh? No wonder the snake didn''t want to say it. What a mouthful. Greenie it will stay.

    "We are looking for a fire hound, badger, fox, cat, and monkey," Robin continued. "If you are nervous, you can stay near your human the whole time. But if you hear or sense them, please help us find them."

    "Hide and seek!" Reginald cried and swooped around Duvessa.

    Robin took a moment next to the chicken cage to count them, gestured to Louis to follow, and rushed out the door.

    Seth carried me as everyone hustled after Robin. In the back part of the property was a large building, what would have been the manor house if this was a rich person''s home. The windows were tall but barred, the doors were wide and made of stone. This place had none of the bas-relief I was getting used to from the older parts of the city. It did have a moat. And a bridge.

    Robin poked her head in and searched around before waving the students in quickly. She jerked the door shut the instant the last person was inside.

    The foyer was grand, more like an atrium, and had sweeping columns up to a circular mezzanine. On the edge of the mezzanine was a shelf containing stone statues. Most were of plain brown stone, with detailed shapes of various beasts. In one section the statues were different. The artist for this section was significantly more skilled, and absolutely morbid. They were carved from the same brown stone as the other statues, but they depicted animals in the moment of death.

    Hallways led off the mezzanine, both above and below. And down each hall were banks of cells.

    I recognized this building. I had memorized its blueprint only a couple of weeks ago.

 56 - Sounds Mysterious

    I gave this situation a bit of thought. I believed this building to be the one in the blueprints I had memorized. I''d have to take a better look around to confirm it though.

    This building started life as a prison, but was now a holding facility for familiars. Pet prison, basically. Things change and stay the same.

    A guy that was being shady and whom I had the passing thought that he was participating in trafficking of some sort had those blueprints.

    Trafficking was pretty much confirmed to me. Missing familiars? If they''d actually escaped and wandered off into the city, someone would have spotted them and either picked them up and returned them or reported them.

    Well, maybe not. I might think it weird that animals with magic powers were wandering around loose, but that didn''t mean it was weird here. Familiars were not strange or unusual in the city, and there were plenty of people with exotic beasts as pets. Eh, maybe not plenty. I really hope not anyway. I don''t want to run into more hyenas.

    Manticores were strange though. He definitely would have been reported if he''d been seen wandering the city. His charming personality absolutely demanded it. Speaking of personality, I wondered if the manticore was the Scorpius guy the voices in the stone were talking about. If I remembered correctly, he''d been missing for a while.

    So if that guy had gotten loose, he didn''t wander the city. Which means he went somewhere specific. Or someone took him somewhere specific. Was it somewhere in this facility? Or were they taken to another location?

    I remembered Professor Laur talking about badly behaved familiars going missing. So familiars could go missing from the school grounds. That tells me that this is actually a bigger ring than just here at the Menagerie.

    That wingman guy I stole the stone from could be involved. Or he could have been investigating the situation. I kinda felt bad for stealing his magic rock for a moment.

    Nah. It didn''t make sense that a student would be a major investigator in a ring like this. Also, that guy didn''t have a familiar of his own. While that would mean he wouldn''t be at risk of losing a familiar during the investigation, it also limited his ability to interact with other familiars. Because familiars can talk to familiars.

    So the questions here were who was trafficking the familiars, what were they doing with them, why familiars, and what that wingman guy''s involvement was.

    I brought my attention back to Robin. She was making a pulling motion over a fountain of water in the atrium, like she was pulling a string out of it. And a string made of water pulled out of it. It formed into a small snake, maybe half an arm in length and only a finger wide. She''d just finished creating a dozen or so of the snakes out of water.

    "These guys are just for me to keep track of everyone," Robin said. "They don''t fight, won''t bite, don''t talk, don''t do anything but follow you. They will let me know everything that is going on. The way to let me know is to just touch the snake and it will return to me. If you catch one of the missing familiars, if something goes wrong or bad, or you need me to come to you, tell the snake and then touch it. When it returns to me I''ll get the message."

    "These are amazing!" Duvessa said as she tried to pick up the water snake that had slithered over to her. Her fingers passed through the summons and the snake darted back to Robin.

    "No! Please don''t touch them unless you intend to send me a message." The snake touched Robin and then splashed to the floor. "They make a mess and I don''t have time to mop right now."

    Louis was bouncing back and forth in his water bubble and shaking his head at Duvessa. He rolled his bubble over the water on the floor and it absorbed into his bubble.

    Reginald was posing amongst the statues.

    "Let''s cover this quickly," Robin said. She had resummoned the water snake and now led them to the second floor. She walked quickly backwards as she talked. "Some of these are actual wild animals. They are not bonded so they can be unpredictable and might be aggressive. Do not, I repeat, do not do anything that might harm yourselves, or the animals. If you cannot easily capture it with the catch pole, send my summons back to me and I''ll come to you."

    Robin stopped and gave a quick demonstration on how to use the catch pole. "Don''t bother trying this on the fire hound, he''ll just burn through the rope. For him, just call me. Once you catch one, stay put and send my summon. Now, these hallways. Each wing is a big U. On the inner part of the U are habitats, and the outer part are cages. These guys have been loose long enough that they could be anywhere. They should not be able to leave the wing, or the building, but they have surprised us before. We''ll search this wing and then meet back here."

    Robin stopped at an interior metal gate and gazed around at everyone. "No questions? Great! Louis, you stay here at the door. We''ll do two teams of two, and then me. One group will go down the left hall, the other will go right, I''ll go through the habitats. Keep an eye out for them visiting other beasts in their pens. They might not be wandering the halls. Let''s hurry."

    Seth put me down, and I let him. I kinda didn''t plan to stay with him. There were a couple of marked places on the blueprint that I thought warranted more attention.

    Duvessa took off, trotting to the left.

    "Duvessa, a moment please. I''ll go with you," Arnold called. He trotted after her, stepping right in front of Owen as he did so.

    "Good!" Robin said and turned to Seth and Owen and pointed down the other hallway. "You two go that way and we''ll catch these guys!"

    Owen looked like he was going to follow after Duvessa and Arnold. Poor kid looked so conflicted. After a second he joined Seth. I wondered what Arnold wanted to talk to Duvessa about. Eh, I''d find out later. Duvessa liked talking.

    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

    I mentally compared the layout of this wing to the blueprint I''d seen. I was now sure this was the same building, but it had been changed since the blueprint had been drawn. For example, the habitats in the center of the U had once been a double row of cells. Now the cells had been opened up and soil brought in for bushes and plants. And that one even had water! Was that a turtle in there?

    At some point in time, someone had put a lot of thought and effort into this facility. The small cells had been modified into miniature terrariums for a variety of creatures. Bigger creatures had cells that had been expanded by knocking holes into neighboring cells. Little cards attached outside each door had what I guessed was information about the animal, care schedule, and a list of bullet points.

    A lot of the cells were empty, with the cards blank. We checked them anyway. One of the easiest ways to escape was for everyone to think you were already gone and then to follow them out.

    I let Seth and Owen get ahead of me. They were being quick and methodical, and I wasn''t super interested in putting critters back in cages. So I was taking my time and looking around.

    I did notice that all the creatures in this section were natural animals. There were ferrets, foxes, what looked like groundhogs, and others. Some of them were actually non-magical critters. I expected some of the non-magic chickens from the mountain would end up here the same way.

    They didn''t explicitly state this in Seth''s zoology class, but there was a category difference between normally not magic animals and normally yes magic animals. Cats, dogs, rabbits, these were normal animals. Any of them could have magic, but none of them were magic. Then there were manticores, wyverns, unicorns, etc. These were magic beasts and all of them always had magic.

    The manticore was the only yes magic beast I''d seen here so far.

    That surprised me. I''d seen enough crazy magic monsters so far that I expected them to be all over the place. But they probably didn''t make good familiars, so there could be some self selection going on here.

    I''d never seen Duvessa summon a shadow of a naturally magic beast, only normal animals. I had the hunch there was a reason for it. Even that woman Robin only summoned normal snakes of water.

    Seth and Owen were quite a ways ahead now. And I was coming up to where I''d need to sneak anyway. One of the spots on the blueprint that had notes on it was nearby. Not that I memorized the notes since I couldn''t read them anyway, but I remembered where they were.

    The minutes ticked by. "Come out, come out, wherever you are," I meowed.

    I heard a commotion in the distance. That sounded like a monkey screaming. I sat down.

    "I promise I won''t turn you in," I lied. "I just want to talk. I''ve got questions." I moved on to the next cell.

    "What''s the deal here, anyway? Why bust out and then just hang around inside? Is someone letting you out and then ditching you?" I asked.

    "Shut up, fuzzface," a lizard in a glass tank hissed.

    "No, thank you," I said. "You are so polite in your requests, I almost couldn''t refuse. What the fuck is going on here?"

    "Shaddup, shaddup, shaddup," the lizard said. It repeated as it rhythmically nodded its head.

    I sighed. "Why is it so difficult to have a conversation in this place? Does magic make beasts mental?" Oh that was a scary thought. What if mana rotted your brain? Nah, the humans I''ve met weren''t crazy. Mostly.

    I heard snickering coming from a gap in the cells. That was where I was headed anyway, so I checked it out. Honestly, it took me a minute to spot him. My whiskers let me know he was there before my eyes did.

    This gap looked like it was a storage closet, but the door had been removed. According to the blueprint, this also connected with a hidden passage in the ceiling. And on top of a stack of boxes was a black tom cat.

    He was grizzled, and old. There were rips in his ears and scars on his face. He still had both eyes but that looked like it had been a near thing.

    "Good morning. You''re one of the missing," I said. "My name''s Mau."

    "Morning? It''s getting dark, kid. I''m Tom. You gonna call the humans over?" The cat sounded like a heavy smoker.

    I looked down the hall. Owen was pointing to something and Seth was fiddling with the catch pole.

    "I don''t see any reason to," I said.

    Tom stretched and jumped down. He was a good sized tom cat, but I was just a little bit bigger. "Are you a silver leopard? A snow leopard variant?"

    "Something like that. I''m not entirely sure myself."

    Tom sat beside me, and we watched the boys attempt to capture an animal.

    "I don''t see what they''re trying to catch. Is it the fox?" I asked.

    "No, the badger is over there. The fox is down stairs."

    "Hmm. I thought I heard the monkey a moment ago. That leaves just the fire hound."

    Tom nodded. "They won''t find the fire hound. He left."

    "Oh? Is that what y''all were doing? Covering the hound''s escape?"

    "Not exactly. The monkey and badger are not fully aware yet. Their cages were opened and they wandered out. The fox would like to leave, but is fine staying and hoping for a decent familiar bond. The hound volunteered for a new employment opportunity."

    "Sounds mysterious."

    Tom chuckled. "I suppose. Some secrets aren''t mine to tell."

    "When I heard about the escape, I was concerned that someone had bad intentions." I didn''t know where Tom was yet on the scale of sketch, but he was on it somewhere. Whether he was protecting or profiting was the big question.

    Tom watched me. "I don''t see it that way. As long as the ones that go want to, no harm done. No snitches here."

    I got it. "Inmates don''t talk to the guards. So nothing nefarious is happening here?"

    "Oh, there is." Tom faced me seriously. "But for now, I believe my beasts are being as well looked after as possible while they," he paused and considered, "expand their horizons."

    "Your beasts?"

    "Damn straight. I had been the familiar of a former Director of this place for more than fifty years. When she died, I stayed."

    I nodded. "Would the familiars at school disappearing be related to these employment opportunities?"

    Tom examined a paw and flexed his claws. "They shouldn''t be. Bound familiars cannot participate. It would require unbinding them first, and most would refuse that."

    Okay, so that was probably something else. It was also good to know that it was possible to unbind a familiar. If I wanted to be free of Seth, I could. Then I wondered if a familiar could be forcefully unbound. I decided I didn''t like that idea.

    And whatever is going on is a participation event. The animals that go are doing something as a group. "Are you the one facilitating these excursions?"

    "I would be foolish to answer that no matter what the answer is."

    I might have huffed a little bit. I tried not to. Because I knew the answer anyway.

    We watched Owen dive after the badger as Seth reset his catch pole for the third time. "He''s going to get bit."

 57 - Leave

    Seth guarded the door as Robin put a very angry badger back into its enclosure.

    "Right! Two down, three to go!" Robin declared as she slipped out of the enclosure. She spotted one of her water snake summons darting towards her and reached for it. A moment later she said, "The fox was spotted downstairs. No sign of the cat or hound."

    Seth looked at the others while Robin considered her options. Owen was ripping off the torn pieces at the bottom of his pants. Fortunately the badger hadn''t bitten flesh and only tore his clothes. Duvessa was soaking wet, and Arnold was dirty. Duvessa kept flicking her wet fingers at Arnold and scowled at him.

    "Knock it off," Arnold muttered and glared at her.

    The monkey in the nearby cell was screaming and shaking the bars.

    "All right," Robin said. "If I knew where the hound was, we''d go after him first. I''m not actually worried about the cat, he''ll turn up on his own no matter what the Director says. I need two of you to go down those stairs and the other two to head back to the atrium and start there. We''ll be trying to corner the fox. Oh, but first let''s replace these." Robin pulled out a water bottle and used it to summon more snakes.

    Duvessa stalked off to the stairs. Owen hurried after her leaving Seth with Arnold.

    Seth wondered what Arnold had done to make Duvessa so angry at him. Actually, it was probably just existing nearby. Arnold was abrasive even when he was trying to be nice. Seth nodded at Robin and headed for the atrium with his water snake following. Mau was in the hall here somewhere too, but he wasn''t worried about what she was up to. She would probably turn up with the other missing animals in tow. And she could signal him if she wanted his attention.

    Seth considered not waiting for Arnold at the gate. They were supposed to work together on this, but Seth really didn''t want to. But Seth also wanted things to improve, so that meant not creating more animosity. Be polite, he told himself. No matter how awful he is, just be polite.

    Seth scanned the area around the gate, just to be sure that no escaped animal would be slipping by when he opened it. When he looked back Arnold was staring at him with a combination of curiosity and hostility.

    "Should we search the atrium before we go in the first floor gate?" Seth asked. He gave a cursory look around the nearly empty mezzanine and headed for the stairs.

    "Naturally. Why would you think we shouldn''t?"

    "Time, mostly. We''re supposed to be helping to corner it. That won''t happen if we''re out here."

    "Just take your side and don''t be stupid about it."

    "I''m not stupid." Seth wondered if it was possible to stay polite with this type of asshole.

    "Stupid or malicious. Take your pick."

    "What''s that supposed to mean?" Seth had started to use his catch pole to poke around in the potted plants but whirled back on Arnold.

    "We both know it''s you. Duvessa wouldn''t hear of it though." Arnold was scanning the shelf of statues.

    "What''s me? What did I do?"

    "You''re in the center of all of it. Did you really think no one would notice? You''d have to be both stupid and malicious."

    "Fine. I''m stupid. Explain it to me."

    "Your brother. Blaise. And now Duvessa''s power. You''re the common piece." Arnold wandered absently to a row of potted plants, but his attention was on Seth.

    "Duvessa''s power?" Seth rocked back on his heels. "She didn''t lose her power. Some of her summons aren''t behaving properly. And that''s probably because¨C" Seth cut off. He didn''t want to tell Arnold anything about the mana well or magic berries.

    "What are you doing to them, Seth? Is it an artifact? Did he give it to you or are you supposed to bring people to him?"

    "What artifact? Bring people to who? You''re crazy and I have no idea what you''re talking about."

    Neither of them were pretending to search for the fox anymore.

    "I know who you are," Arnold growled. "Who you work for. You get close to the people with the strongest powers and then you steal those powers." Arnold was furious. And wrong.

    "I haven''t stolen anything." Seth did think that Blaise''s power had been stolen. He also thought the Circle Tower had decided it was a natural phenomenon. Had they lied? Could the Tower have more information? If they thought he was behind the thefts, that led to so many problems.

    They would never share any information with him if they did think he was involved somehow. Nor would they share it with Saben. And if they decided they could prove it, he could be facing worse than expulsion.

    "If you think I''m a thief, why are you telling me this?" Seth asked.

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    "I tried to warn Duvessa. I told her to stay away from you. She wouldn''t listen to me and I know she''ll tell you what I said. So I''ll tell you. And if there''s any chance you aren''t a garbage person, you''ll leave school."

    Seth took a moment to appreciate Duvessa as a friend. She might be a little dramatic, but she was also solid.

    Seth shook his head. "If your only evidence is that I know the people who have lost their powers, then that is really flimsy. I honestly thought you were smarter than that. And what about you? I hadn''t even met you when you lost yours and you got yours back. How do I know you didn''t offer to trade other people''s powers to get yours back? You know more about people''s powers than I do. You''re on the research team." Seth watched Arnold''s face. He had no idea how to tell if someone was lying. "I think you''re trying to set me up."

    "I have more evidence. Maybe some of it is circumstantial and maybe it isn''t. But I am doing my best to protect the other students. You are a liability. It is too risky to let you stay. You should leave school. Leave Rosia. If you don''t, I''m going to make you and it won''t be pretty."

    "Duvessa didn''t believe you because you are completely wrong. I''m not stealing powers. I''m trying to help people get them back. Including Blaise and Saben."

    "I''m not wrong. If it''s not you directly, then it''s your benefactor. That merchant, Benjamin. He was moving an artifact and you know what happened to it. What was the artifact, Seth? Where is it now?"

    "What artifact?"

    "The one on the caravan. You were there. You told Isaac you were there. What did you do with the artifact? How does it work?"

    "I didn''t¨C" Actually, he had talked about that a little bit with Isaac. Had they been interrogating him without him noticing? They''d jumped to wild conclusions. Seth took a deep breath. Maybe he could get Arnold to see reason. "There was no artifact. Nothing I saw. There were only plates and stuff. If there was something there, it broke and I couldn''t tell what it was." A partial lie. It was an egg, but it did break.

    Arnold glared. "You''re lying. We know it was there. The only things we don''t know is what it was and where it went."

    "Then go down there and look for yourself if you know so much about it." Suddenly Seth realized why Arnold would know so much about it.

    Arnold saw the realization on Seth''s face. "I was already at the Circle Tower that day."

    "You''re lying."

    "So are you. If you want to stay at school, just tell me what you know. Tell me who''s next. Why are you taking them? Are you just trying to weaken Rosia? Are you doing something with the powers? Who is the merchant working for?"

    "It''s not me. It''s not Benjamin. He would never do that to Saben. You''re wrong about all of this. There is something happening to people''s powers, but you''re looking in the wrong place. This is going to keep happening even if you do get rid of me."

    "If there''s even a chance that it stops by getting rid of you, then that''s the right thing to do."

    Seth stalked over to the front door and slammed it shut behind him, right in Arnold''s face. Petty and childish? Sure. But satisfying. From the front door the wings of the main building extended off in both directions at slight angles. The building was on a slight hill, and he could see the other buildings of the compound, including the paddock where the manticore was tethered. He stared out without really seeing what he was staring at.

    Could Arnold be right? Could Benjamin have something to do with powers being stolen?

    Seth didn''t want to believe it. Benjamin was a friend of his dad''s. Benjamin was the one who rescued Seth the day his dad died. Benjamin took in both boys, helped Seth with his admission to the Magic Academy, and arranged for Saben''s apprenticeship with an explorer team.

    Benjamin also traveled a lot. Seth didn''t think he was in town the day Blaise''s power was taken. Benjamin had mentioned going back to Vernar. He wasn''t anywhere near Mariglade, where Blaise had said they were going to take her.

    Seth tried to think of any evidence that Benjamin was involved. Benjamin had never met Blaise or Duvessa. Blaise was kidnapped by a rival house. Seth couldn''t think of anything that could be a direct line between Benjamin and the power thefts. The only connecting factor was Seth himself.

    Seth rubbed the beads on the affinity bracelet Benjamin had given him. Benjamin had said it would help stabilize his power, and improve his ability with spells he cast often. Seth was still nowhere near Saben''s skill level with his wind talent. It still resisted him and while casting with his eyes shut helped, it couldn''t be a permanent solution.

    Seth wondered about his wind power. He had so much trouble with it. But Dad had a wind power, so it was expected that Seth would get one too, just like Saben. If Benjamin had taken Saben''s power like Arnold thought, then why wouldn''t he have taken Seth''s power too? Seth''s power developed really early too. If Benjamin was taking powers, he could''ve easily taken Seth''s.

    It couldn''t be Benjamin then or Seth''s power would have been taken too.

    What should he do?

    He needed help and advice.

    Saben hadn''t replied to him yet. There were a few things Seth wanted to talk to Saben about, but he was hesitant to put them in a letter that could be intercepted. He could use Dad''s code, but Seth didn''t think Saben had ever learned that.

    Seth thought through his professors. There weren''t any that he felt really connected to. If the Circle Tower already suspected him, there might be no one at the school who would help him.

    Seth decided he should tell Benjamin. If there were accusations, then Benjamin would need to know so he can defend himself. He would also know what Seth should do to protect himself.

    Seth looked around again to get his bearings. He should be looking for the missing fox, but he just couldn''t bring himself to go back inside.

    If he hadn''t just thought of the fox again, Seth might not have noticed it. It was standing a little ways away, crouched in the grass, and staring intently at something near the barn. Seth made sure the catch pole was set, and walked quietly up to the fox.

    He wasn''t quiet enough and the fox heard him. One of its large ears rotated towards him almost as soon as he started walking.

    But it didn''t run. Instead it looked at him and he could see the intelligence in its eyes. It gestured with its nose down at the barn. It let Seth walk right up next to it and Seth looked for what it had gestured at.

    A man in a deer mask was talking to another man behind the barn. The man in the mask gestured forcefully, like they were having an argument. The other man threw his hands up and handed something to deer mask. Then deer mask jumped up onto a two wheeled cart, flicked a whip, and the horse took off. He was out the front gate within seconds.

    Seth glanced down at the fox. "That was the Director, wasn''t it? Talking to the guy in the mask?"

    It nodded.

    Seth sighed. This really wasn''t something he wanted to get involved in. "I''ll let Robin know." Seth reached down and touched the water snake following him.

    He just hoped Mau would steer clear too.

 58 - Grab the Stone

    We had a nice conversation while watching the boys attempting to both untangle the badger and not release it. Honestly, I rather liked Tom, even though I thought he was probably sketchy. He was the first non-stupid, non-bonkers animal I''d spoken to.

    I asked him about the Menagerie, and what he thought of it. To him, it was home. He was fond of the keepers. The Director was new, and Tom didn''t want to talk about him.

    I could look deeper into what Tom was up to, but I didn''t see the need. I wasn''t law enforcement, and I didn''t have a hero complex. And I thought it was funny that a bunch of animals were out maneuvering their keepers. I''d be here twice a week for the next month or so too. If something major happened or I got curious enough, I could look then.

    "Oh, hey," I said to Tom, "I was wondering about the manticore."

    "Scorpius? What about him?"

    I guessed right. Scorpius was his name. That meant the conversation I overheard in the Wind Tower had happened here, so the other end of that stone was in this compound somewhere. "Is he always an asshole? He tried to sting me."

    Tom chuckled. "Yes. Manticore and asshole are the same word. But don''t worry about it. He''ll be gone in a week or two."

    "He''ll be expanding his horizons again?" I said, surprised.

    "Again?" Tom was instantly suspicious.

    "Yeah. I assumed that was why he was tied up in a field. I heard somewhere that he was gone for a bit too."

    "Yeah, he was." Tom looked down the hall. I followed his gaze and saw a water snake coming this way. "I should go. Take care, little leopard." Tom leapt up onto the boxes near the hidden entrance in the ceiling. As soon as he stepped into the shadows he seemed to dissolve into darkness. My eyes couldn''t see him, but my whiskers still knew he was there.

    That was a neat trick.

    Speaking of tricks, I had to do some work on mine. But not quite yet. First I wanted to find that listening stone. The voices in it were discussing if they wanted to go wherever Scorpius was. That tells me they were animals, and it seems to be their choice if they go or not.

    So it was probably in this building. Based on the acoustics here, the atrium was likely the best bet. All the sound from the different hallways could be heard there.

    I padded to the atrium and saw Seth snap the door shut as he went outside. Arnold glared at the door before stomping off through the first floor gate and slamming that.

    Nice, I had the atrium to myself.

    If I was going to hide a listening stone where would I put it?

    It would need to be somewhere that could pick up sounds, not easy to see, yet still retrievable. I hopped up on the shelf with all the animal statues. The thing about putting it high is it might get too many echoes distorting the sound. If it was in one of the potted plants, you might only hear something when someone was standing right next to you. Too close to the fountain and all you''d hear is the water. Where could it be?

    Or it could be in a different building altogether. I had a hunch it was here though and kept looking.

    When I got to the end of the statue shelf, I got pretty distracted by the death poses. One in particular got my attention. It was a troll looking thing, about the size of a dog. Make a person out of potatoes and that was pretty much the critter. Bulbous nose, stubby legs, sausagey limbs. The thing that got my attention, besides the fact that it wasn''t a natural animal, was the apparent means of death. This guy had a giant lump on his neck with a small wound in the center. Like a sting.

    Somebody wanted to carve what it would look like if Scorpius killed something. I decided I didn''t like this artist, or their taste.

    I was still contemplating that travesty of art when the front door burst open and a trio of the Wingmen from Wind Tower strode in with Ace in the lead. Seth was trailing behind them holding the missing fox.

    "Hey Robin!" Ace hollered. He put a crate of chickens on the floor. "I got something for you!"

    I was delighted to see the chickens. Maybe First Hen was here! I was doubly delighted to see the wingman I''d stolen the stone from! I was looking for the stone, and lo, here''s the schmuck I''d taken it from to let me know where it was!

    I crouched down on the shelf and watched him. Any place he looked at that wasn''t a person was a possibility for the location of the other stone.

    Robin trotted out. "I''m sorry guys, we''ve got a situation¨C Hey! You found her!"

    "She was just sitting outside, enjoying the view," Seth said as he handed over the fox.

    "And more chickens!" Robin exclaimed. "We haven''t got the space ready for the other ones yet."

    "Ah, sorry," Ace said. "We just flew down from the mountain. There''s a chance we''ll have more chickens every day or so until the whole flock is captured. There''s a bunch of them up there. Crafty buggers too."

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    "Crafty. Quick too. I don''t think we can put them in a regular enclosure, they''d just blip out of it I think." Robin sighed as she regarded the chickens.

    I was regarding the chickens too. But I was looking for a fat orange one. No such luck.

    I did have luck with Ace''s little sidekick. He kept looking at the top of the column left of the fountain. That wasn''t in my top three possible places.

    I strolled over, casual like, and took a peek. My vantage point from the statue shelf gave me a good view. These columns had decorative, damn I should know the word for this, finials? No, that wasn''t right. Whatever. The fancy shit at the top. The fancy shit on these stuck out a bit and yup, the stone was there. I couldn''t move it with everyone here, and doubted my ability to paw the thing without being seen.

    No worries though. I could wait. These guys should be clearing out soon.

    "Right! Let me put her away," Robin said, referring to the fox. "Can you take the chickens down to the barn? There''s only bonded familiars in there so they should be safe enough. I need to get an enclosure ready for them. We still have two other animals that have gotten loose too." Poor Robin was looking overwhelmed.

    "No worries! You got help, right boys?" Ace was confident in the support of his fellows and didn''t glance at them. He was right though, they both nodded. "What''s still loose, and we''ll catch them for you."

    Ace cast a spell once Robin had described the fire hound. Seth looked a little pained when he saw it. Was it a spell he knew but forgot about? He shouldn''t feel bad. He had trouble with a lot of the wind stuff still.

    A moment later Ace said, "I''m not sensing the hound anywhere in here. If he''s in a closed room with a shut door, I wouldn''t sense him."

    "If he''s in a closed room then he''s not loose and we can find him. Can you give a try outside while I put her away?" Robin asked. She was stroking the fox who was leaning into her administrations.

    "Sure thing," Ace said cheerfully. He and one of the other wingmen picked up the chicken crates and headed outside.

    Robin headed through the gate. Seth followed the wingmen outside. And the sketchy wingman darted over to the stairs.

    Damnit, He was going to grab the stone already. I had a split second to figure out what to do.

    Eyes are naturally attracted to movement. He was going to see me move unless something else was moving too. The only thing I could make move was a nearby statue.

    And I did. It was a plain looking owl, not one of the death statues unfortunately. The thing was solid too. It only chipped a bit as it clattered and spun across the floor.

    It scared the bejeebies out of the wingman. He screamed and nearly fell down the stairs, clutching the railing.

    In that moment I was leaping to the column and off it again.

    And I dropped the fucking stone. My paw dexterity was not where it needed to be yet. And I still didn''t have fucking thumbs.

    The only good part of that was the stone landed in the fountain. Hopefully wing guy won''t look there.

    I scooted behind a dog-sized dog statue and out of sight. Now, I wait.

    The guy collected himself quickly, accompanied by muttered curses. I got a little nervous when he stopped right above me to lean out and look at where the stone used to be. His next batch of curses were more colorful and vehement.

    He moved closer to the fountain and peered around, scanning for where the stone could have gone. He cast a detection spell.

    I thought I should bail as soon as he wasn''t looking. I didn''t actually need to take the stone now, I''d be back in two days. I could move or retrieve it then.

    Flyboy headed down the stairs. He was going to be able to see me from his new vantage point. I needed to be somewhere else, and I needed to move while he wasn''t looking.

    I only had a split second while he glanced forward at the stairs. I leapt straight up to the railing and away from his line of sight. As quietly as I could, I opened the gate.

    My skull key ring was still working. I had been under the impression that it''d only last a day or two. Now I''m wondering if it had a set number of opens or something. Because seriously, this thing should have been done ages ago. I''m not complaining, but I do worry it''ll give out at the most inconvenient time.

    The gate was not quiet and flyboy heard me. I decided not to run away, but to play like I''d just walked in.

    He came back up the stairs and saw me. "Just a stupid cat," he muttered. "Hey kitty, are you one of the missing animals?" he asked me.

    Stupid cat? Dude, I shall school you, and it''ll be easy.

    I walked into the cell wing and flyboy followed me through the gate. I didn''t hurry, but stayed just enough ahead of him that he couldn''t catch me. And here we go. The turtle habitat with mostly water was perfect. I nosed the door and it opened. I tried to make it look like the door was already open.

    "No, don''t go in there. Here kitty, kitty."

    I stayed right by the door, where he''d think he could grab me. And that''s exactly what he tried to do. I didn''t even use the chicken power to dodge him. I just jumped right up and over him, giving him a shove as I did so, and shut the door behind me.

    Flyboy was now soaking wet and locked in with the turtle.

    The turtle rolled its eyes. "Really?"

    I chuckled to myself and headed outside. Time to catch up with my boy Seth.

    Ace was chatting with Seth just outside the door. The third wingman was almost to the barn with the chickens.

    "It''ll have to be after you''re, ah, done here," Ace was saying. "I am sorry about that."

    "No, it''s fine," Seth said. "I''m way too busy this semester anyway."

    "Just do me a favor and don''t go joining the charheads," Ace said. "They''ll take anybody. You can do better than that."

    "I don''t have time to join anyone, Ace," Seth insisted.

    Ace looked up as a golden eagle swooped by. It waggled in the air as it went by. "Auru says that''s not our fire hound. Okay! The only other dog out here is on the other side of that building. If that''s not him, take a look around and be back in like ten minutes. I know it''s getting dark." Ace pointed and the eagle soared away.

    "I''d love to get better with the detection spell," Seth said.

    "It takes practice. We can do drills after you try out next semester," Ace said with a smile.

    "Actually, I''d like that," Seth said. I could feel he was relieved and hopeful. I thought it was nice he was making friends with these guys. Mostly.

    I thought about the flyboy I''d stolen from. I wondered what his connection was to what Tom was up to. Was he trying to stop it? Discover it? Was he already involved?

    He''d snuck back to look for the rock, and didn''t get help or mention it to his friends. If he was keeping this secret from his friends while they searched for missing animals, then I wasn''t inclined to let him off the hook. I thought he was up to no good before, and I still thought so.

    I stretched and let my claws rake the ground. Then I hopped up on Seth''s shoulder and draped myself there. Once Robin was done looking for a dog she wasn''t going to find, we still had a lesson to finish and chores to do.

 59 - Is It Related

    When we got to the barn, I decided I was done with lessons and looking for missing animals. I also decided I wasn''t going to help Seth with his chores. Part of his probation was helping with the animals.

    I''m not shoveling shit.

    Seth tried. The poor kid really tried to get me to cooperate. But I had other things on my agenda so I walked right into the pen they''d put me in to start, and I went right on through and outside.

    He gave up quickly when he and Robin realized the little deer was off talking to the manticore. Whoops, did I leave that gate open?

    I chuckled a little. Apparently the manticore was a fan of aspiring demon lords. Or he wanted the thing to get close enough to eat. Heh.

    I headed to the most remote part of the paddock. There was no place here that was truly private, but it was getting dark. There were light posts in front of the barn and the city was lighting up, but this field would be pretty dark soon. I found a spot in some scraggly grass that was high enough so I was somewhat concealed. Between that and the darkness, that was about as private as I was going to get.

    I wanted to practice my new trick. And I didn''t want anyone to see me because my new trick was also mortifying. As long as I could plausibly claim my chicken noises came from a chicken, my pride would be intact.

    I settled down to consider this new power. I had eaten only one of the berries. It didn''t have any remarkable effect, at most it made where my horns would grow in itchy. I didn''t think I got this power from a single berry. I''d gotten the impression that the chickens ate lots of berries before they developed a power.

    The power came with a chicken squawk. To me that was concrete proof I''d taken the power from a chicken. The question was how.

    I doubted getting kicked by a chicken gave me dodge powers. It had to have been when I pinned that chicken.

    What exactly did I do there?

    Whatever it was, it happened quickly. I don''t think I was using mana at all. I certainly wasn''t trying to. I was angry. I bit the chicken harder than I intended to. I remember tasting blood.

    Do I get powers by biting people? Am I a reverse werewolf?

    That felt ridiculous to me. So it totally fit the theme of this world.

    If I ate magic fish, would I get fish powers? What if those powers were detrimental to a cat? Would I need to be careful about my food?

    That was a sucky idea. I didn''t want to have to deal with that shit.

    Without testing, there was no way for me to know. And testing would be randomly biting things with powers. And there was a whole building over there that was full of animals. Many of them had cool powers. Some of them had weird and useless shit too.

    It bothered me a little how easily I was considering just going around and biting things like a rabid raccoon. As a human I should be horrified at the idea. Nope, not me. Things are a changin''.

    I should be careful about it though. Like if I decided to just go nibble on the manticore while I''m here, I don''t think even a supernatural dodge would save me.

    I''ll put that idea on the shelf for a bit. If I don''t work out a plan for that tonight, I''ll be here often enough that I can mess with that another day.

    Next point. The chicken didn''t die. So at least I don''t have to kill to get a new power.

    Does that chicken still have their power? Did I take it from them? Crap. I have no idea which chicken that was. What happens if the chicken dies? Do I lose the power too, or is it mine to keep?

    What kind of abilities could I take? Can I have only one stolen power at a time? How long does the ability last?

    Okay. I think I''ve got a fair list of things to explore. I should probably start with figuring out what happened to that chicken. Barring that, I could just see what happens the next time I find suitable prey.

    If I can only have one power at a time I want it to be a good one. I don''t want to be taking powers from¡­

    Taking powers.

    Is it related?

    Is what''s happening to the kids the same thing I''m doing?

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    I sat there as the sky darkened, mulling that thought over.

    The answer was, it could be. Or at least, something very similar. The thing I didn''t know is whether or not the powers still existed. They could be getting destroyed instead of stolen.

    I decided that it was best if I treated these as thefts.

    Because if these were thefts, and that was a very big if, then several other things could also be true. One, there were other beasts like me out there. Two, someone would have the powers and potentially be using them. Three, Benjamin was, in fact, complicit. Wait a second, maybe he wasn''t. If he were searching for causes and discovered the egg, he might have been trying to identify the process or research how to undo it. But that was a really charitable thought towards an already suspicious guy.

    Complicit or not, Benjamin needed further attention.

    Should I share any of this with Seth?

    That was a hard one. Professor Kaban thought people from my world were the enemy. Could all of them steal powers? Is that why they''re the enemy?

    Wait a second, wait a second. I''m jumping to conclusions. There were several factors about me that applied here. One, I was pretty sure I was from that egg. Two, I was the same type of cat as the giant leopard with the pronghorns. The intensely magic pronghorns. Three, I was from elsewhere.

    The power taking ability could just as easily be from the cat. A few people have recognized the cat type and it seemed significant.

    Then there was the possibility that Seth and the kids would jump to the conclusion that I was responsible for all the thefts. That would suck.

    No, I won''t share any of this with Seth. He''s a sweet kid, but he just isn''t jaded enough yet to keep his mouth shut. I''m sure I could get him to believe it wasn''t me, but I''m less sure of the other kids.

    I''ll tell him as things become relevant. That''s how it works, right? Adults keep important information from kids until the last possible moment? Yeah, I know this will bite me in the ass, but I''ll try to tell him in a timely manner. The minute he demonstrates the ability to keep it to himself, including from his friends, we''ll have a talk.

    Presuming we can, of course, talk. Our sign language was progressing nicely, and I was working on learning the language so I could read it. And spell it. After that we would have more options.

    In any case, all that was trouble for another day. Right now, my goal was to practice this power.

    All right. I used this power at least twice. The most distinctive time was against the manticore. I''m pretty sure I used it against the shadow elephant too. I shouted when I dodged it, and now I''m thinking that I actually squawked. There was also the possibility I used it when the ceiling collapsed on the wyvern. I''m not as clear on that one though, as I was running and jumping at the time.

    Neither time I used the power did I do so intentionally. It was reflexive. Should I try triggering the reflex? Or should I try to activate it intentionally?

    I am not practicing with anyone, so using it reflexively would be really hard. I don''t think I can feel threatened when shadow boxing a clump of grass.

    Intentionally it is. That peabrained chicken Twelfth said just think ''AH'' and dodge. Let''s try that.

    I imagined that there were snakes in the grass. Ah! Jump. Ah! Jump back. Ah! Straight up.

    Cats have fantastic reflexes. As soon as I think to move, my body is already doing it. But it ain''t doing the stupid dodge.

    Maybe I need to put magic into it? It''s a magic power, so it''s got to get its power from somewhere. Can I use mana that way?

    I''d only ever tried using mana to activate items. Can I use mana to activate me?

    I nearly scoffed at the idea. I''m not an item. But then I thought about it some more. My whiskers sense mana. They vibrate ever so slightly. The effect is much more pronounced when I think about it.

    How about my claws then? They seemed supernaturally sharp. They could rend stone easily. I actually haven''t tried metal yet. I stretched and extended my claws, focusing on what was happening. Did mana go into my claws when I extended them?

    Damned if I knew. My whiskers told me I was a magic beast.

    This wasn''t something I had the skills right now to tackle. I had a hunch it might have to wait until my horns grew in.

    So I can''t control the power just by thinking about it. I can''t trigger it by jumping around. It does trigger when I''m startled. Most people shout or scream when startled.

    I don''t like this train of thought. But, I needed to try it.

    I squawked while I jumped sideways. And fuck me, the dodge triggered. I tried again without the chicken noise. Nope. How about a hiss or meow? Nope.

    It has to be the fucking bawk noise.

    Well then. I can use it in a pinch, and in any circumstances where I have no self respect as a cat.

    Unacceptable. I continued to practice. I paid extra special attention to what was going on in my body when I dodged. There was mana being used, but I did not have direct control over what was happening.

    "I''m going to be having chicken for dinner in the next minute if you don''t shut up," the manticore growled.

    For the briefest of moments I considered biting the manticore.

    Nah. I kept practicing, and kept bawking, until Scorpius was practically roaring. He was yanking on the chain that bound him, throwing all his weight at it.

    In that time I learned I could dodge through grass without disturbing it. I could not dodge to a place I could not fit, and if I couldn''t pass through normally, a dodge wouldn''t let me pass either. I could not dodge through the fence.

    This wouldn''t let me get out of locked rooms, or out of a cage. It was very short range too, about a body length. Chaining dodges together stopped at three, then I had to wait a few seconds before I could do one more. That last one felt trembly, like a muscle that was getting overworked. I thought I might be able to force more, but it might burn out the power.

    What would happen if I did burn it out? If I could only have one stolen power, then if I burned it out I probably wouldn''t be able to steal another one. But if I could have multiple stolen powers, what would burning one out do?

    Could I have multiple of the same power? Or would it make the power stronger instead?

    I was going to have so much fun with this.

 60 - Report Back to Me

    Seth tried to ignore the uncomfortable atmosphere as the students rode back to the academy. Duvessa had stayed behind to help out Seth and Arnold with Owen, and spent the entire ride glaring at Arnold.

    Seth was impressed with how long she could stay mad. He would have thought she was the type that would forget as soon as she saw something cute or shiny. Instead she was quietly raging and held firmly to her grudge.

    Arnold was staring out the window at the dark streets, his face periodically illuminated by the passing streetlamps. His clothes were still muddy. He wasn''t the only one who stank though, they all did.

    When they were only a few minutes from school Seth decided to address the brewing storm. If things got out of hand it would only be a few minutes before they could separate.

    "Duvessa, is there a problem with your power?" Seth asked her quietly. "You mentioned a few summons not coming back earlier. Did they just get destroyed or something?"

    Duvessa waved her hand dismissively. "It''s fine. I had a couple sparrows watching those people for Booth that haven''t come back on time. I was probably not specific enough with their instructions. And that capybara from the mountain hasn''t come back, but I didn''t expect it to. Everything else is working fine."

    Arnold kept staring out the window.

    "Arnold told me your power was being stolen. You don''t think so?"

    "He''s being dramatic and making everything ugly. Don''t listen to anything he says," she answered.

    "Forgive me for being concerned about your well-being," Arnold snapped. "I assure you, it won''t happen again."

    "You told nasty lies about a friend of mine!" Duvessa had shouting quietly down to an art. "I better not hear another thing like that again. If I hear you''re spreading rumors¡­"

    Mau shifted on his shoulder. That''s right, she hadn''t heard any of this. He should probably take a few minutes and tell her everything that happened. He''d do that once they were alone.

    "I appreciate it, Duvessa," Seth said as they pulled into the tower courtyard.

    Arnold was out the door before they''d fully stopped. Seth, Owen, and Duvessa watched him leave.

    "I have somewhere to be tomorrow evening. Can we reschedule or skip our lesson, Owen?" Seth asked.

    "Oh, we do lessons too!" Duvessa said brightly, her whole demeanor having changed with Arnold''s absence. "You can join us! Selendrith has been trying to teach Blaise mana control. I''m trying to learn it too. It''s really really hard."

    "Why is it hard?" Seth asked, confused. They manipulated mana all the time in class. You just focused on the spell, and the mana moved.

    "Because she doesn''t let us use our own mana. We have to use a circle to fill a vault with attuned mana and use that without converting it to aspected mana. It''s really hard and confusing." Duvessa groaned dramatically. "Selendrith says we have to do it that way because it''s a necessary skill for creating certain objects. Aspected mana can corrupt the results of certain creations. Like a healing spell aspected to lightning isn''t actually going to heal."

    Mau shifted again and gave him a look. She tapped ''This'' and flicked her ear in ''Tell me more''.

    "Mau wants to see that," Seth told Duvessa. "I do too. Would you mind if we join sometime? Just not tomorrow."

    "Of course!" Duvessa told them where and when they practiced.

    "I don''t know about you two, but I''m heading for the baths before bed," Owen said. The others agreed.

    The following afternoon Seth left campus right after his last class. Mau rode on his shoulder. He spent the walk to Benjamin''s townhouse composing his thoughts and working out what he''d need to do about Arnold. He just hoped Benjamin was actually in town. A lot of Benjamin''s business was in Vernar. There was a permanent and managed entrance to the Below there, and that was where Saben was training to join an explorer team.

    Saben had hoped he could work the entrance Seth had found, but the last Seth had heard was the Palace was still assessing it. Typically an entrance would be explored for a month or so and closed when near a city. At about a half a day away, this one was on the cusp of being too close.

    If the entrance led to a place too dangerous or too shallow to be profitable it would just be sealed. Otherwise there was a chance they''d keep it open for a few years or even make it a managed and permanent entrance.

    That was what Seth was hoping for. A managed entrance nearby, so Saben could come back to the city.

    Seth wished he could talk to his brother in person. He wanted to tell him about the wyvern, and Arnold''s accusations against Benjamin. Those were things he couldn''t put in a letter. He could have used Dad''s code, but Saben had never learned it.

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    Seth took a slightly longer route and went down the main thoroughfare into the city. He''d seen the princess and her guard there before school started and he secretly hoped to see her or anyone from the Palace that he knew. Saben would have scolded him for it.

    Instead, he just encountered normal traffic. Horses and carriages clopped by while pedestrians ebbed and flowed. Seth did pause to watch someone shuffling a ball under shells. Seth waved his hands in a universal ''I got no money'' when the guy called him over. The guy promptly ignored him and called over a well dressed young man who had a young lady with him.

    Saben had said the whole game was a trick. Seth watched as the young man won twice. Following the ball under the shells was easy. Then, the third time when the young man made a bigger bet, he lost.

    Seth couldn''t see why he lost. He chose the same shell Seth would have. Saben was right. There had to be some type of trick. Booth would probably know it.

    He didn''t take any more detours and knocked on Benjamin''s townhouse door shortly before sundown.

    John promptly opened the door. John was middle aged and thin, the kind of man you''d see anywhere. He was also Benjamin''s office manager for business in Rosia. When Benjamin was present he acted as an assistant and butler as well.

    "Seth, this is unexpected." John stood aside to let him enter. "The Master has an engagement tonight, but I''m sure he''ll be pleased to see you." John led Seth into the front office to wait. The room was furnished with a dark wood table and ornate chairs. Portraits of people Seth didn''t recognize were on the walls. Seth felt uncomfortable here, he was used to sitting in the kitchen or upstairs.

    Seth took a seat and Mau jumped down. She walked around the office as they waited before hopping up on the table. She settled down and curled her feet under her. Pleased with her good behavior, Seth scratched her head.

    Benjamin entered a few minutes later. "Seth! It''s good to see you! I wish I had known you were coming. I''m sorry I only have a few minutes before my carriage gets here."

    Seth started to stand but Benjamin waved him back into his seat and sat opposite him. Benjamin''s eyes lingered on Mau for a few moments. Mau glanced at Benjamin and then looked away and closed her eyes.

    "I''m sorry for not sending a note ahead," Seth said, "but something''s happened and I wanted to talk to you directly about it."

    Benjamin leaned back. "All right. What can I do to help you?"

    "One of my classmates thinks I''m stealing people''s magic. I''m pretty sure he was involved in the attack on the caravan last month. He thinks you had an artifact that takes powers, it was on the caravan, and that I now have it."

    Benjamin''s expression was serious. "Tell me about the stolen powers."

    Seth briefly explained what he knew about Blaise, that Arnold''s power also went missing and returned, and that now Arnold believed Duvessa''s power was also being stolen.

    "Does he think you were involved in his own power loss?"

    "I don''t think so. Just Saben, Blaise, and now Duvessa."

    Benjamin raised an eyebrow. "Saben''s power was lost months ago. Long before any of this happened. And you know there was no artifact on the caravan."

    "I know. There''s no way. But he sounded so sure of it. And he''s one of the people researching power loss at the Circle Tower. He could get me expelled. This could be a problem for you too. He is certain you have something to do with it, but I have no idea why he''d think so."

    Benjamin drummed his fingers on the table. "What''s this student''s name?"

    "Arnold. I don''t know who his father is. He has a snake familiar, Asclepius. I think he might be from Vernar."

    "He is. I know of him. One of the explorer teams I sponsor had a run in with members of his family that also explore the Below. It went poorly. That is likely what this is about."

    "It sounds so flimsy to me now that I''ve told you all that. But he is really sincere in his belief that I was responsible for stealing people''s magic. He could easily convince other people." Seth stood up and paced to the far side of the room. "I got put on probation already for fighting with Arnold."

    "Everything you''ve described is circumstantial," Benjamin agreed. "But we''ve become targets for investigation. We''ll need to step carefully. Do you think powers are being stolen, Seth? Do you think someone is intentionally doing this?" Benjamin studied Seth.

    Despite all the natural possibilities, Seth didn''t think there was any other reasonable explanation. "Yes I do. After what happened to Blaise, I''m convinced it was either theft or the deliberate destruction of her power."

    "Speaking of destruction, how is your power? Are you still wearing the affinity bracelet I gave you?" Benjamin asked.

    "Yes, I have. I haven''t noticed any real effect from it though." Seth realized he was rubbing the beads on the bracelet. It was becoming a common fidget action for him.

    Benjamin pursed his lips. "If I may? I''d like to run a calibration test on it."

    "Sure." Seth removed the bracelet and handed it over. Benjamin was only gone about a minute and Seth sat down again while he waited.

    "I was thinking," Benjamin said when he returned. "Only people with powerful or desirable powers have been targeted. Who do you think is the next likely target? Do you know who is at risk?"

    "There are a bunch of people at school that I don''t know," Seth said. "I don''t even know what my roommate''s power is. He gets all mysterious about it when I ask." Seth thought for a moment. "They did power tests the first week of school. One of the tests was a wall with a tree carving on it. It showed, I guess it was the size? Of a person''s power."

    "That kind of information is probably exactly what we need."

    Seth nodded. "There was a man in the stands making copies of the tree image that he would sell to us if we wanted. His name was Ollie. I think he has a shop in the city."

    Benjamin smiled broadly. "That''s exactly what we need. I can hunt him down and see what he has for those images."

    "If we can determine who might be at risk, we can at least warn them," Seth said.

    "That might not be a good idea," Benjamin said. "If we know who is next, Arnold will likely take that as proof we are responsible. We shouldn''t mention this to anyone. Not even your friends. We should quietly determine who the likely targets are, and take steps from there. Anything you learn, report back to me."

    Seth reluctantly nodded. "I can see that." He felt better having told Benjamin. There was something else he could use advice on. "A few days ago," Seth started when there was a knock at the door.

    "Pardon, sir. Your carriage is here," John said from the door.

    "I''m sorry Seth, I''m out of time." Benjamin glanced at Mau who hadn''t moved the whole conversation. She may have dozed off. "I''ll fetch your bracelet before I go, and John, could you see that Seth gets something to eat? I believe he''s missed dinner at school."

 61 - A Challenge

    I watched Seth leave with Benjamin and John.

    Who knew me pretending to be a meatloaf was such an effective disguise.

    I had been in a room with a guy who had previously considered snapping my neck. I figured my best bet was being unthreatening and in plain sight. If he never needed to wonder where I was or what I was up to, he wouldn''t think of me at all.

    It worked.

    The problem was, Benjamin''s plan worked too, and I didn''t have the vocabulary to warn Seth.

    It wasn''t bad or wrong for the kid to trust someone he viewed as an ally. Someone who''d helped and supported him before. Someone who''d stepped into the parent role for an orphan.

    But that guy had Seth dancing in his palm.

    If you get warned about a guy who is swiping magic powers, you don''t make a plan to tell that guy about all the best and most powerful powers in school. Or give him a source for getting that info himself.

    Oh, his pretense was sound. It really sounded believable. But I wasn''t falling for it.

    Just as Benjamin and Seth were persons of interest to Arnold, Benjamin was a person of interest to me. I had no more charitable thoughts for the guy.

    I pointed my ears at where Benjamin and John were talking. But they weren''t saying anything interesting, just that he''d be back late and not to wait up. Make sure Seth heads back to school at a reasonable hour.

    On the way to the kitchen Seth scooped me up as we followed John. The soup pot was hanging in the fire, the same as the last time I was here.

    At least John didn''t try to feed me on the fucking floor.

    Once he''d wandered off to do whatever it was that he did, I turned to Seth. ''Dangerous,'' was the best sign I could think of. I didn''t have signs for liar, trick, or don''t trust that guy.

    "What is?" Seth looked suspiciously at the soup.

    I pointed a paw at Benjamin''s office.

    "John?" Seth whispered.

    No, no, no. I shook my head. Dammit. Maybe it would be best to just get the kid out of here and work on communication later. I was tempted to take a look around, but John was a little too aware of us. Not to mention that my ability to read was still a work in progress. I likely wouldn''t recognize what I needed when I saw it. I''d need Seth to do it.

    Could I get the kid to search Benjamin''s office?

    Seth was the loyal type. He wouldn''t without really overwhelming evidence. And if I had that evidence I didn''t really need to search his office.

    Maybe I should start elsewhere. Selendrith had a list of three names. Benjamin was one. The other was Lord Thurstan. I''d not seen or heard of him since. There was a third name, but no one had said it so I didn''t know it.

    I wonder if I could get Seth to ask John about this Lord Thurstan. I focused on the familiar link and tried to think ''Thurstan'' really loud.

    I spaced out too long and for nothing. I was only half done with dinner when John came back and cleared our bowls. He then ushered Seth and I out into the night.

    "You''re really tense," Seth said as he scratched my head.

    Well, yeah. I was annoyed by all the shit going on, but Seth was unbothered. Because he was a sweet and innocent imbecile.

    "If you have that much energy, you can walk yourself," Seth said when I tried to pace back and forth on his shoulders.

    We hadn''t gone a full block before I noticed the guy waiting in the alley. Seth didn''t see him though, and Seth was too absorbed in his own thoughts to notice me meowing in warning.

    "Hey kid," the guy said. "Wanna buy a magic ring?"

    Well, fuck. This guy was familiar.

    "I''m good," Seth said and tried to skirt around the guy.

    He had a knife to Seth''s throat faster than I thought possible. And damn if the street wasn''t just deserted enough for no one to notice.

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    "Make a sound kid, and it''ll be your last." The guy guided Seth into the shadows of the alley. I debated the speed and distance of my leap. I could kill this guy, but I might not be fast enough to prevent him from killing Seth first.

    "You and your buddies stole something from us, and we want it back," the guy said and I suddenly knew where he was familiar from. This guy was one of the Skull Gang members Seth had run into outside the crafting shop. One of the guys who owned the ring I was still wearing. He didn''t have his bandana on, and instead of being dressed like a lordling he was wearing street laborer clothes.

    Seth apparently had the same realization. "I didn''t take anything from you. The town guard took it."

    "Call your cat off. That thing makes a move at me and you''ll be breathing out your throat." The guy pressed the knife into Seth''s neck, just below his ear.

    "Mau, sit." Seth commanded. The kid didn''t sound scared, more frustrated and angry.

    I growled. I could see the blood dripping from where the guy was cutting Seth. I also wasn''t a fucking dog. But still, I sat. And tried really hard to conceal how I was arranging my backside for a leap. No cat wiggle butt here. Nope. My pounce would be sudden and unexpected.

    "Ah, but your buddy took it from us first. And he needs to return it. Do you understand? I want you to deliver a message to him. He needs to find and return that ring or things will go badly for him."

    "That ring is in the hands of the Palace by now," Seth said. "I don''t know why you''re so worried about it. Those only last a few days right?"

    "Some are more valuable than others. We want that one back. I''ll tell you what. You''re just going to be a messenger here. Since your buddy''s been hiding behind the school walls we''ve had some trouble making contact. So you tell him to come talk to us and we can come to an arrangement. He has a debt to pay and we''ll be collecting. One way or another."

    "And if I don''t tell him?" Seth asked.

    "Then your friend gets a nasty surprise the next time he leaves school."

    "All right. I''ll tell him."

    "Good kid." The Skull Gang member moved the knife away from Seth''s throat.

    I leapt. I was going to shred that asshole.

    Seth also moved. He threw an elbow at the guy''s solar plexus and tried to shove away.

    First, I bounced off solid air. Or rather, magic. Second, the guy shifted faster than Seth moved, and Seth missed the solar plexus. The guy grunted and brought the knife down.

    I couldn''t move fast enough to stop the knife from connecting with Seth''s gut. But the guy didn''t use the blade, instead he punched Seth with the handle. Seth dropped and the guy ran. I leapt again, but the barrier was still there.

    The guy hadn''t cast a spell. Either that was an effect he put up ahead of time, or he had an item that did that effect. I didn''t chase him.

    Seth was coughing, but already getting back up. I looked him over.

    He''d been cut on his neck, and his hand. He must''ve grabbed for the knife when he''d been punched. He was very lucky the asshole hadn''t intended to kill him.

    "Dammit," Seth gasped out. "I am so sick of getting jumped." He sighed and looked at his hand. "This is going to make a mess." He glanced back at Benjamin''s house only half a block away. "Come on Mau."

    John was surprised when Seth knocked on the door and asked permission to clean up. To his credit, John fetched bandages and hot water quickly. He did insist on a full explanation though. It was fine, I thought. John and Benjamin knowing about gang members on their street would likely make things difficult for the gang. I was down for that.

    When John left the room to dispose of the bloody bandages Seth activated his amulet.

    "This thing is never going to fully recharge," Seth muttered. "At least I won''t have dried blood everywhere."

    "If you wait, I can arrange an escort for you," John offered when Seth met him in the foyer.

    "No, it''s fine," Seth said. "I''ll be more careful." He paused at the door before turning back to John. "Do you know a Lord Thurstan? I''ve heard the name before, but I don''t think I''ve ever met him." Whoa, did my message send work?

    I was not impressed by John''s poker face. Dude was thinking of lying. I was impressed with my telepathy. I was pretty sure I was deluding myself though and Seth thought of the question on his own. Time will tell.

    "I do. He is a business associate of Master Benjamin''s," John answered.

    Seth hesitated like he was going to ask more but decided against it. "Thank you, John."

    This time when we left, I stayed on Seth''s shoulder. The walk back to school was uneventful.

    "Booth is in trouble," Seth said to me during the walk. "If they want that ring back, I don''t see how he can do that."

    I could solve that. I wasn''t going to, but I could.

    Was there a circumstance where I would give up the ring? Probably. Not anything that came to mind though. I didn''t steal it from Booth, so I didn''t feel any need to return the thing I stole to someone else who also stole it.

    "Who should I focus on Mau? It feels like there are too many mysteries here."

    I didn''t think so. These were different pieces of the same mystery. We just needed to dig deeper.

    As Seth walked across the tower courtyard he stopped and stared at the Circle Tower for a few moments.

    "I bet all the evidence that Arnold has on me and Benjamin is in there somewhere," Seth said very quietly. "Professor Marjorie also made copies of what everyone''s trees looked like that day."

    Oh, good point. That Ollie guy wasn''t the only one that would have records of those results.

    "I wish they''d let me help."

    Seth, you should just bust in and read whatever you want from in there.

    "I wonder," Seth mused aloud.

    Yes! I know what you''re thinking. You totally could do it. Especially if I helped with the planning and not Duvessa. Not only that, we had class there tomorrow, so doing recon should be a breeze.

    Yeah. I''m totally going to plan a robbery of the tower that uses death magic in its defenses. And my crew will be a student that''s studied magic for less than a month. This will be a challenge.

 62 - Zombie Fish

    I didn''t sleep much that night. Seth was pretty restless too, and jerked awake a couple times. That was weird for him, it usually took a shoe to the face to wake him before morning. Isaac was a little bit of a dick about it but wasn''t too bad.

    Seth was fretting over those guys hunting for Booth. I didn''t think it was something to be upset over. Just avoid the city for a bit and stay on campus. There was always the possibility of reporting it too. I wasn''t sure how law enforcement worked here, exactly, but I imagined there was a professor around somewhere who''d champion a student. I was a bit concerned that it might not be Booth he was having nightmares about but the attack itself.

    I curled up on Seth''s face to reassure him while he was sleeping. It was a warm and comfy spot too. I don''t think he appreciated it though since he kept moving me.

    Anyway, morning school was boring. I couldn''t wait for the afternoon stuff. Circle Tower today followed by the Menagerie. I had some planning to do before either of those so it was just as well I didn''t really care about the differences in using graphite, lead, or chalk in certain base circle types.

    It was drizzling out when we headed for the Circle Tower. Annoying, but it didn''t really faze me the way I thought it would have. The water rolled off the longer hairs in my coat and I felt dry. Except my face. That was the annoying part.

    Seth was more annoyed than I was. He took a couple of deep, calming breaths before casting a wind spell to keep the rain off. When I felt just a little twinge of pain through the link I realized why. He really hadn''t cast much all week, and whatever that berry had done to him it was still lingering a bit.

    That and his spell was ineffective. It blocked the light rain coming straight down, but the way it circled the air, Seth was getting it under his chin instead. Yeah, using unstructured spells for something not completely thought out had drawbacks. Or maybe the wind wasn''t behaving for him again. The wind changed directions a few times before Seth just dismissed it. I think he ended up wetter than if he''d just let the rain fall.

    I made the noise that meant ''I''m leaving'', and nodded at the tower. When Seth looked at me I flicked my ear in ''tell me more''.

    He paused for a moment and then looked around. Most people were darting through the rain, so there was no one nearby. "You''re going to search the tower. You want to know what things you should look out for. You plan to do that while I''m in class?"

    I nodded. It only took him a second to put it all together. I knew he was a smart kid.

    "I have no idea where or what we could find or should look for. A pile of papers or research isn''t actually going to help us much. I won''t know how to use it. We''d need finished stuff, what they give to other people that don''t do research."

    That''s right. Professor Marjorie was doing the research, but she had bosses. Maybe I should be looking for them? I flicked my ear again.

    "I don''t suppose I could talk you out of this? You could get me in trouble."

    I scoffed. Cats make a marvelously dismissive scoffing noise. There was no way I''d let anything snap back on Seth.

    Seth sighed. I felt him fiddling with the familiar link. "Please don''t, Mau. You almost got hurt in the Wind Tower when you wandered off. Please just come to class with me?"

    Hoo, that''s some heavy guilt. Could this wait? Could we wait until after Seth''s probation was completed before scoping out the tower? I didn''t think so and shook my head. Whatever evidence Arnold claimed he had could get us in more than school trouble. And I was pretty sure there would be more victims soon.

    I tried to send reassurance through the link. I solemnly swear I''ll not get caught. Seriously, this was just a little bit of recon. I had no intention of actually swiping anything. I just needed the lay of the land and a mental blueprint of the place. I didn''t plan to do more than that. Not yet, anyway.

    "I thought not. There will be privacy protections. None of them should be lethal or dangerous because this is a school and people go in and out of the tower all the time. There are exceptions, but they are rare."

    Yup, the coliseum was just such an exception.

    "Don''t go to the higher floors. I don''t know what floor is too high so be careful. Stay out anywhere you see barrier symbols. Do you remember them from Laur''s class?"

    I nodded.

    "I figure if they want barriers on the inside, it might be to keep something inside, so stay out." Seth picked me up and brushed the rain off my fur. "Be careful. Please."

    I climbed up from his arms to his shoulder and rubbed my wet body across his face. It was fine because he was already wet. I also got my muddy paws prints on his clothes. I didn''t mean to do that part, so I made some reassuring grumbly noises. Sorry kid, I don''t know how to purr. And don''t worry so much, I''m a professional. With no memory of actually doing my job.

    I didn''t actually follow Seth into class. You can''t see someone leave if they never arrived. I walked along the hall with purpose. Familiars were common enough and sent on errands all the time so most people wouldn''t pay any attention.

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    What was I expecting to see here? This was the Tower of Life, Death, and Healing. Maybe plants and shit. Animals maybe? Ah, don''t forget, this is crazy magic land, so probably something weird. Talking trees and zombie fish or something.

    The first floor was the common area, with some conference rooms and libraries. Honestly, the Celestial Tower was more impressive than here. I decided I wasn''t a fan of ''dainty'' as a decorating style. I went up to the floor Seth''s class was on.

    There were more workroom-like classrooms on this floor. Boring, and not helpful. Oh well, map it and go up. After climbing to the sky in the Last Tower, I wanted to be sure I could use the elevating platforms myself. I''m never doing stairs like that again.

    The third floor had classrooms too, but they were smaller and had weirder stuff. Instead of potted plants I saw what might be a windchime made of bones. The next one had jars of pickled ¡­ things. Most were small animals of various types, but there were also mushrooms, leaves, and rocks. Because rocks needed pickling, clearly.

    This was the floor where I found the air ducts, similar to what the Wind Tower had but smaller. They had symbols on them too, and many of the symbols I saw were active. That was not going to be a viable avenue of exploration.

    After a quick canvas I went up another floor. I felt like I was getting to the edge of the students-allowed zone. Here I found the first offices and what I guessed were research labs. I would open each door a crack, take a three second glance around the room, and close the door. I''d then walk to the next room while cataloging everything I''d seen in my mind as if I''d taken a picture.

    It was easy to peek in. The doors opened for me with a magical nudge from my skull key ring. The hallways were curved so I didn''t need to worry too much about being spotted. When people were present, I just kept walking with purpose. No one looked twice at me.

    I''d find a lab room with wonky stuff in it and the room next door would be an office. This was fine until I found one with an active experiment going on.

    Two older students were using three foot feathers to prod a severed hand around a glass terrarium. The feathers sparked with electricity and the hand was crawling away on its own. There was a body laying on a table at the far end of the room. A sheet with symbols on it covered the body and I could see a diagram on the table where the sheet didn''t cover.

    There was a third student, or maybe a young professor, standing at a counter with a pen in hand. The door closed.

    What the fuck. Necromancy is really a thing.

    You know, world, I was kidding about the zombie fish? What shit.

    I sat outside the lab for a moment, trying to get a grip on this new reality. I shouldn''t be having these types of surprises anymore. Fucking crazy land.

    I knew death magic was a thing. I''d seen it already. I don''t know why I didn''t connect that with the idea that necromancy was a thing that would happen in a tower with the reputation for healing.

    I needed a second look. I knew it was risky but I needed to get a better understanding of what the fuck they were doing. I peeked in for a few more seconds.

    "Four days after binding and the soul does not instigate movement on its own. There is no sign of lingering intelligence," the professor said as his pen scratched across the paper. The three of them watched the severed hand as it scrabbled away from the electric feathers. "Animation of the flesh and locomotion appear to be at the same speed as previous days. Don''t just poke it, guys. Command it to do something."

    I let the door close silently.

    Okay, so my moral compass was a little askew at times. I knew that. Necromancy though. Wasn''t that usually considered a universal evil?

    I did wonder if there was a connection between the soul binding they talked about and the soul binding that happened between me and Seth. Soul magic was clearly a thing.

    Maybe this field of study was related to the demons people had talked about? Did demons use necromancy? Soul magic felt like demon related shit to me.

    I decided I wasn''t going to pass judgment on this. Murder was bad, but maybe necromancy was much more gray. And we were in a school. Someone with authority had to know this shit was going on and thought it was okay.

    I know. Naive. But it''ll get me through today and I''ve got enough on my plate.

    I moved on down the hall. I was here to find out where Professor Marjorie''s lab or office or something was. I was not here to get sidetracked by creepy wackadoodles.

    Thank itty bitty cherries I found what I was looking for in the next room.

    I heard footsteps and decided I wanted a longer look, so I darted into the room and let the door shut. I was sure this was the right office. A long table along the wall was heaped with books and papers. There were five stacks of books of various heights. Pinned to the wall was a rubbing of the tree carving from the coliseum. It was unfilled. I guessed the notations on it described what each section meant when lit up by someone''s mana.

    There were pencils all over the place, and Marjorie''s bag was hung on a peg by the door. There was the vibe of organized chaos going on in here.

    Definitely the right room.

    The footsteps from the hall stopped right outside the door. Shit.

    I was under the table and behind a stack of books almost instantly. There was also an air vent down here that I could slip into if necessary. It was blowing slightly warm air.

    I recognized the guy that came in. It was Jay, the slow and monotone research assistant guy that gave Seth an overview of mana and power loss.

    He looked around the room and then started moving stuff. He took a stack of papers, divided it up and shuffled it. He then mixed those in with other stacks of papers. He took some books out of the piles and moved them to other piles. He dropped one book behind a filing cabinet. He checked the drawers on that cabinet. Only one opened, and he then moved around a few things in that drawer.

    On a shelf above the desk, he pulled a couple jars down and erased the labels on them before putting them back. He messed with the tools and devices on the desk.

    He picked up a pile of tree images and flipped through it. He took two out, and cast a copy spell on them. The copies he made were slightly different from the originals. He shuffled those back into the pile and took the originals with him. Then he took Marjorie''s bag off the hook. He pulled ink bottles and papers out of it, and put other papers and random books in it. He then dropped it in the middle of the floor and let it spill everywhere.

    The room quickly went from organized chaos to disorganized mess.

    Jay gave a last look around and then left the room.

    Well then. I had thought Professor Marjorie was absent minded and disorganized. Perhaps bordering on incompetent. Instead she was the victim of sabotage.

 63 - Wrong Image

    Seth picked up his pot from the shelf. It was still in the wrong spot when he collected it, so he was somewhat optimistic that it hadn''t been tampered with.

    Not that it made much difference. Nothing had sprouted yet and it had been nearly a month. At least his wasn''t the only one that hadn''t had anything growing yet. There were still a handful of other stragglers, including the guy Seth had swapped positions with.

    Class mostly went over nuances of the detect spell they''d learned the first week and what they could expect when casting it on different things. Then Professor Cicily explained how those nuances related to an analysis spell they''d be learning once everyone''s plants sprouted.

    Seth glanced over at Arnold. If Arnold successfully killed Seth''s plant, the whole class would be held up and Seth could be blamed.

    Selendrith''s plant had sprouted. It already had several palm-shaped leaves tipped with black. It was one of the most robust in the class.

    Seth suppressed a sigh. He might as well find out if the thing still lived. Detect Life generally required direct contact with what he was casting it on. He didn''t want to dig up the pearly seed and risk it harm or Arnold discovering it, so he decided to just try to cast it through the pot.

    Detect Life was similar in concept to Detect Mana, even though the structure was pretty different. Seth didn''t want to use an unstructured variant, as that would involve his wayward talent and probably ruin the spell. His Breeze attempt to blow the rain away was a wet and painful failure.

    At first, he closed his eyes. Then he decided to open them since he didn''t need to listen. He wanted to see.

    He imagined the pot and everything in it as the target of the spell. And it worked. He could very faintly sense the soil as alive, dead, and inert. He could sense the dead seed he''d been using as a decoy, and near the bottom was a tiny white star blazing with life. Not only could he feel its vibrancy, but he could ever so slightly see it too.

    The spell ached. There was a rushing noise in his ears. He could only hold the spell for a couple of seconds before the aching became sharper. He cut off the spell well before it would have ended naturally.

    Seth tried to keep his breathing even. He wondered if he''d made a noise because Selendrith was watching him closely. He needed a minute before he could try to cast the next spell.

    When he didn''t feel the ache anymore he cast Detect Mana. He kept his eyes open for this one too, and used only the structured version of the spell.

    It, too, worked differently than before. Like before, he could sense the mana in the pot, denser than the mana around him and stronger than he expected it to be. But for the first time he could faintly see mana. He couldn''t see it clearly. It was more like looking into water that light was reflecting on. He could just catch glimpses of what was beneath the surface.

    He could vaguely see most mana as translucent. Seth recognized that as unaspected mana. There were other types around too, but he couldn''t see them well enough to guess at. Except for one. He could sense, and somewhat see, death mana lingering in the pot like a faint white smoke.

    It was concentrated near the pearly seed.

    Seth cut that spell off quickly too, as the pain became sharper and more intense faster this time. He thought about what was going on with casting spells. It was like he was casting a higher tier spell with all the extra information he was getting. Maybe there was residual mana from the berry overcharging the spells?

    That didn''t explain why he could see the spells though. Always before the spell results were something he could sense, an awareness, not something he could see. He wondered if he''d still be able to see the spell results when the leftover mana was used up.

    That could wait a bit. Right now he needed to figure out what to do about Arnold casting death spells at the seed. Not that the seed seemed to mind all that much. It was strong. It just wasn''t sprouting.

    "Hey," Seth said quietly to Selendrith, "I was thinking about using one of those berries to power a protective circle on my plant."

    Selendrith followed Seth''s glance to Arnold. "Not a fan of the free spells you''re getting from the upperclassman?"

    "Not when one of them is supposed to kill the plant."

    "Then I''d say first make sure the plant isn''t dead."

    "It isn''t, but there is a fair amount of death mana lingering in the pot."

    Selendrith stared at him from the corner of her eye as she reached for one of the plant food decanters. "Detect Mana doesn''t identify mana types with the structured spell."

    "I cast the structured spell."

    "I know. But you sensed death mana?"

    Seth nodded. "I''d put other seeds in here as decoys. I think they caught the death spell instead of the seed I want to grow."

    "How did you get mana aspects out of a structured spell?" Selendrith glanced from the decanter in her hand to her notebook and pen and then at Seth.

    Seth didn''t want to become a subject of study at the moment. "I have no idea. I can''t cast it again now either. It''s painful to do it."

    "Huh." Selendrith finished measuring out a portion of brown liquid she then added to her pot. At least she didn''t start quizzing him like a research project. "I wonder if that plant likes death magic. I can think of a formation we can do, but we''ll need something to attach it to and a way to power it."

    "Like attached to what? Stone, wood, something else? Would that make it easy for me to be able to cast on the plant?"

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    "Well, that depends on what you want it to do. Do you want the spell to be blocked or repelled?"

    "Can a formation just hold the mana from the spells?"

    Selendrith shook her head. "No. If that were possible, it''d be really easy to fill mana vaults."

    "I think the seed needs more mana to sprout. Is there a way to do that?"

    "Probably just putting berry slices in there with it would do that."

    That was true. Those things were dense with mana. He didn''t want to accidentally grow a mana berry bush, though. "You cut one of those open. Were there seeds in it?" Seth asked.

    "There were." Selendrith followed Seth''s gaze to the trays of plants and growing material. "I thought of that, but not here," she said. "I''d feel better¨C"

    "Aw, look at that. Looking a little barren there, kid," Arnold said as he walked up behind Seth.

    "It''s fine," Seth said coolly. "Just a late bloomer."

    "It''s late all right. That was an interesting choice, Selendrith. Did you choose poison tip on purpose?" Arnold asked.

    "Of course not. I didn''t know how similar its seeds were to jewel leaf. I''d prefer to assist with healing potions, not poisons."

    "Poison tip is good for fighting infections and curing disease. Sometimes curing one thing means killing another," Arnold said, looking at Seth.

    "Actually, Arnold, could I talk to you after class?" Seth asked.

    "No. I''m busy." Arnold''s response was instant.

    "Me too. We both have the Menagerie after this. But we don''t leave for at least a half hour after class."

    Arnold''s expression soured. He flipped his hand dismissively and turned away. "Fine. Catch me after class. I won''t wait."

    Near the end of class, Seth decided he wouldn''t switch or conceal his plant. Arnold had been casting on it anyway and it didn''t seem to be fazed by the death spells. Seth would rather not have classmates caught up as collateral damage. He''d get berry slices from Selendrith later to add to his pot. He might even just take the pot back to his room later so he didn''t have to worry about a formation.

    Despite having his area cleaned up and being ready to go, Seth still had to run after Arnold when Professor Cicily dismissed the class.

    Arnold also sped up when Seth fell in step beside him. He headed for the elevating platforms.

    Seth was surprised they were going up. Moments later, they were away from the other students and heading to the fourth floor.

    "You said you had proof," Seth said.

    "No. I didn''t."

    "What?" Seth was incredulous.

    "I told you I had evidence. If I had proof, you both would be talking to the Palace, and I wouldn''t be worrying over the safety of every other student in this school."

    Seth scoffed. "You are not responsible for every student. How arrogant can you be?"

    Arnold halted and faced Seth. "When it comes to you, yes, I am. I will not let you keep hurting people."

    "I''m not hurting anyone." Seth managed to stop himself before saying that neither was Benjamin. "I thought about what you said. I want to know what the evidence is. Why are you so sure about Benjamin. Convince me."

    "No. I don''t have to convince you. I don''t care what you think or believe. I want you gone."

    "It sounds like you don''t actually have any evidence. I talked to Benjamin, and he said your grudge was because your family was competing with him in the Vernar Below."

    "And you believed that?"

    "I don''t know what to believe, Arnold. After what you said, I talked to Benjamin. And now I''m talking to you. I want the truth."

    "You told him."

    "Did you really expect me not to?"

    Arnold started walking again.

    "Well?" Seth asked after a moment.

    "Well what? I told you I don''t care what you believe." Arnold stopped outside an office.

    "Fine. If you don''t want to show me what evidence you have, then what do I need to look for to find it myself?"

    "You want me to explain to you how your benefactor screwed up? So he can cover his tracks better? Fuck no."

    "I want to do what''s right, Arnold. Show me it was Benjamin, and I''ll help you find proof." If Seth actually believed that evidence. He''d started this line of questioning impulsively. Seth believed Benjamin far more than he did Arnold.

    Arnold had one hand on the door to an office, but didn''t open the door. "Not for free. If you want to see something I have, you need to give me something you have. Why do you think it isn''t your benefactor?"

    Seth considered his options. You often needed to give some to get some. That was fair. "I found a piece of evidence that indicates a Lord Thurstan. I don''t know who that is though. I don''t think I''ve ever heard of or run into him before."

    "Why him? And what is this evidence?"

    "As I said, I don''t know more about him, but his name came up connected to Blaise." That was true. His name was one of three removed from Selendrith''s shop records.

    "All right, fine. You gave me one thing, I''ll give you one thing. Come on." The door unlocked with a touch and Arnold opened the door to Professor Marjorie''s office.

    "Wow," Seth couldn''t help saying. The place was a mess.

    Arnold sighed. "I don''t know why she does this. I''ll spend hours getting things organized and within an hour of her being in the office this happens." He picked the bag up from the center of the floor and scooped its contents back inside and hung it on a hook. Arnold then opened a filing cabinet and pulled out a folder.

    "Some information we have on the people who lost their powers," he said and handed Seth the folder.

    Blaise was right on top. There was a description of her power, some notations about how powerful it was, and her tree image. Except, it was the wrong image.

    Seth flipped through the folder. His own tree image was in here.

    "This is labeled wrong," Seth said.

    "What are you talking about?"

    "This isn''t my image. Mine didn''t look like this. Blaise''s is wrong too."

    "Those are copies taken the day the tests were done. They''re right."

    "No, they''re not. I was there. Blaise''s was denser on the edges than this one. Mine isn''t right either. Blaise might still have her copy. You can double-check what I''m saying."

    Arnold muttered some colorful words about anatomically impossible acts. "I knew she should have been replaced already. This has gone from a little disorganized to outright incompetent."

    "If this is wrong, could you be wrong about Benjamin too?" Seth asked.

    "No. That''s different. I showed you this because I knew you had seen most of it already."

    "Then how do I find out if Benjamin really is involved in this? What can I look for?" Seth asked.

    "I would have said that we knew what was happening, just not how. I''m not sure of that anymore. If these are wrong then all of it is likely wrong. That''s a ton of work to just go poof like that." Arnold stuffed the folder back where it came from and shut the drawer again. "There''s a meeting tomorrow about all this. Explaining this screw up is going to suck."

    "Could someone have come in here?" Seth asked.

    Arnold shook his head. "This office is always locked. There are limited people with access." He picked up a sheaf of papers and flipped through it before tossing it dejectedly back on the table.

    "A piece we''re missing is how," Arnold finally said. "That''s why we wanted the artifact you had. We don''t know how he''s doing what he''s doing."

    "They took Blaise away," Seth said. "Like out of the city, away. That means they have to bring their victims to a specific location. How can we find that out?"

    "Good question."

 64 - I can do that

    I waited a bit before I followed after Jay. My recon adventure had been derailed a bit. I had been trying to discover where I could find Arnold''s evidence that would incriminate Seth. Instead, I found a saboteur.

    I couldn''t decide if that was good news for Seth or not.

    Anyway, Jay headed back down to the third floor. I was worried I''d lose him, since I couldn''t actually get on the platform going down alongside him.

    The third floor was bigger, like it was more expanded than the fourth. This dimensionally modified spaces bullshit wreaked havoc with my ability to know the dimensions and volume of a space. There would be no way for me to recognize hidden rooms or concealed vaults in a place like this. Most of the towers I''d seen so far were the same. It was frustrating. I was hopeful I''d learn how all this shit worked eventually and be able to account for it. If I could sense or identify expanded spaces, I''d be able to find the neatest stuff that people wanted to hide.

    I caught up to Jay when I heard him in an office talking to someone. Professor Cicily? Probably. I think she was the head of the tower. I thought it interesting that her office was up here while Laur and Rebecca had their offices on the ground floor. Maybe those were just public offices, and this was a more personal workspace?

    Eh, no matter. I couldn''t hang out in the hallway, and I couldn''t slip into the room with them. And there was nowhere to hide. There were no plants, no art, nothing. Welp, I knew where her office was, and I could look through it later. This floor was too occupied for me to stick around, so off I went.

    Class had ended a few minutes ago, so I headed down to the lobby. I took the long way. I wanted as good of a mental map of this place as I could get. I didn''t expect to be doing an actual heist here for a while, but the day could come. For now, if Arnold had evidence here then Jay probably fucked it up too.

    Security was mild. At least on these lower floors. Magic got stronger and more dangerous on the upper floors, at least if this tower worked like the Celestial Tower. Could that be why offices were down here? Why not have better security then?

    Maybe they didn''t consider notes and reports all that dangerous? Information security wasn''t a priority in a healing tower?

    Something felt off here. Jay was going to talk to the head honcho Cicily. Was this something that went all the way to the top?

    Well that was a sucky thought. If the person in charge of solving the problem was also trading in it? They''d know all the ways to stall everything. Like assigning a mole to find himself. Ugh. Nothing coming out of the Circle Tower could be trusted anymore.

    Jay could be an agent for someone else that was not Cicily. There was the possibility he was working for himself, but I didn''t think so. Jay had a pretty strong lackey vibe.

    The only real way to find out would be to listen in on what happened in that office. And I knew just the thing to do that with. As luck would have it, I would be retrieving that stone very shortly.

    Seth was ahead of me when I left the tower. I cried at the door for someone to let me out. I saw no need to reveal that doors couldn''t stop me. I chuckled internally at the grumbling of the student who got up to do it. Heh, even strangers can be my servants.

    I was surprised to see Seth and Arnold walking together, or at least near each other, on their way to the punishment wagon. Arnold had an umbrella. Seth did not. Every now and then Arnold would spin the umbrella and send extra water flinging Seth''s way.

    Seth either didn''t notice or didn''t care. It was raining and he was wet anyway. It was still a dick move, Arnold.

    We got down to the open courtyard across from the gatehouse near the obsidian Fire Tower. No punishment wagon. Ugh. Were we going to have to wait in the rain? Maybe we could hide out in the Fire Tower near a toasty fireplace.

    Professor Rebecca was waiting for us. She had an arc of steam overhead, wide enough to accommodate the handful of students. It looked to me like she''d cast some sort of heat barrier that was sizzling away the rain before it could land on anyone.

    That was a neat trick.

    "Your attention please," Professor Rebecca called out.

    This wasn''t quite the same group as the other day. The girls and the guy with the deer were here, and so was Owen, but Duvessa wasn''t. There was no mysterious Celestial Tower washing-machine familiar either.

    "There will be no Familiar class today, or for all of next week," Professor Rebecca announced. "The Menagerie is having staffing problems and there are no instructors available."

    No no no. I don''t want to hear this.

    "There was hardly a class last time either," one of the girls muttered.

    Professor Rebecca gave her a scorching glare and snuffed any further comments. She then continued, "If a qualified instructor is not available after next week, other arrangements will be made. Until then, have a good evening. Arnold, Seth, a moment please."

    Oh! Please say we are going anyway! Please! Seth can muck stalls and I can bite all the animals and get new magic and I can also collect that magic listening stone.

    Michael, with the aspiring demon lord deer, griped about getting wet for nothing. Cry baby. The others dispersed, but Owen gave space while waiting for Seth.

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    "You both are still on probation," Professor Rebecca said quietly. "The length and criteria have not changed. You will get credit for today and next week. You both will receive special instruction here if classes cannot resume after next week, and your service hours will be waived." The Professor studied them both in turn. "Any questions?"

    Yes! Can we go anyway? I want to go to the Menagerie! I need that stone. I need to practice stealing powers from animals.

    "No ma''am," both Seth and Arnold said.

    "Very well. Have a good evening." Professor Rebecca strode off into the Fire Tower, taking her steaming shield with her.

    Ugh. My plans are destroyed. My day is ruined. Everything I ever wanted has been stolen from me in an instant. I collapsed to the wet ground as if my bones had turned to water.

    I think I''ve been around Duvessa too much.

    Arnold was staring at me. "What''s wrong with it?"

    I am not an it! How rude. I remained motionless on the ground.

    Seth sighed. "This is what her tantrums look like. She wanted to go to the Menagerie today and is upset she can''t."

    I swear I heard that stupid green snake chuckling. Arnold snorted. "Stupid cat." He walked away.

    Yeah, you better walk away, buddy! I''ll¡­ I''ll¡­ I have no idea but I''ll think of something that won''t get Seth in trouble and will still ruin your day! Come to think of it, did I have outstanding revenge to enact on anyone else? Hmm. I forgot. That''s fine. When I remember, they''ll get cold revenge. The best type. For sure.

    "Hey, Seth!" Booth called out.

    I had to move my head to see him. Booth was with Isaac. Arnold stopped to talk to Isaac for a moment while Booth approached Seth and Owen.

    "I was hoping to hitch a ride on the wagon today," Booth said. "I hear that''s not happening now."

    Owen shook his head.

    "Why would you head out into the city?" Seth asked. "I told you about¨C"

    "Yeah, I know," Booth interrupted. "That''s why I wanted on the wagon. Easier to slip out, you know? Anyway, I''ve got something I have to do. Do you think you both would be okay to come with? The more the merrier and all that."

    Safety in numbers is what Booth was saying. He thought the Skull Gang would leave him alone if he had company, but I wasn''t so sure about that. They had no qualms about accosting four students before.

    "Sure," Owen said without hesitation.

    Seth nodded too, but he was more hesitant. He was nervous. I couldn''t blame him. Those guys had already jumped him, what, twice now?

    "Thanks guys. Isaac said he''d come too," Booth said.

    Isaac had been pretty friendly with everyone, and in public that included Seth. In private, he was more reserved and a bit dickish. He wasn''t awful as a roommate, but he wasn''t great either. He was Arnold''s friend, so he was probably in the camp of ''Seth is guilty! Boot him!''

    I gave up being boneless and stood up to get a better gander at Isaac. I''d never compared him to Owen before, and I did that now.

    Isaac was on the bigger side, much like Owen, but not quite as tall. He was a year older than Owen, and a bit chunkier. His dark hair was cut close, the kind of cut that went well under a helmet. Owen''s normally fluffy hair was more boyish, even plastered to his skull in the rain it had cute curls.

    Isaac was taller than Booth too. With Owen and Isaac flanking Booth, he''d look like a crime boss with bodyguards. Poor Seth. He was the kid brother tagging after the cool kids.

    I jumped up onto Seth''s shoulder to show him my support and rubbed up against his face.

    "Ack, Mau! You''re all muddy!"

    Whoops.

    "This way?" Seth asked Booth after repositioning me on his shoulder and wiping his face on a sleeve. He nodded at the front gate.

    "Yeah. Locked the other way," Booth answered as he led them out.

    Isaac looked speculatively at them, but didn''t ask.

    Owen went first, followed by Seth and me. The guard at the gatehouse hadn''t noticed anyone unusual around. Out in the street I didn''t see anyone looking suspicious and neither did Seth, so off we went.

    Booth led us on a round about way to a shop at the edge of the Magic District and East Side. If I had been awake that day, I''d have recognized this shop as where Saben had sold the cat fangs and furs. Booth asked us to wait outside for him. I knew he was fencing shit he''d stolen, even if he didn''t let on to the others. As it was, I''d remember this place now. Always good to know good fences.

    We weren''t waiting long, but it was long enough for the rain to get heavier. It was still more than an hour til sunset yet the sky was already pretty dark.

    After Booth was finished there we followed him deeper into the East Side. The boys chatted about classes and the teachers and other things. I only listened with half an ear. There were Skull Gang lookouts in places around here, and I wanted to be sure to spot them before they spotted us.

    Booth knew what he was about. We wound our way into the garbage-strewn neighborhoods of Rosia''s slums. The number of people huddled in doorways and under overhangs steadily increased as we went.

    I noticed the color of the thatch on these buildings was slanting towards purple rather than the blue of almost everywhere else. I wondered at the significance.

    There were more outside staircases on these buildings. Many of the staircases were rickety and looked tacked on with scrap. This was different from other parts of town too, where there was almost no wood anywhere. There was the bas-relief that was elsewhere in the city, but it was so caked in muck and dirt that it almost looked like it had been covered with stucco.

    Every now and then, I''d think I saw something. Something dark. But with the rain and dusk, I just couldn''t be sure. I tried using my whiskers to sense magic, but that was coming up empty, too. Either there was nothing magical there, or it wasn''t close enough for me to sense it.

    At the end of an alley behind a questionable bar, Booth finally led us to a door leading into a basement. It looked abandoned. Booth got the first door out of the way, there was a small foyer and then another door that was much more sturdy.

    Once everyone was inside and the outer door was shut, Booth turned to the other boys. "So, this is where my family lives," he said quietly. "My siblings depend on me. If shit happens and I can''t come check on them for a while, I wanted to ask if one of you could look in on them. Make sure they ain''t in trouble."

    "You''re not expecting us to pay rent or anything for them?" Isaac asked.

    "Of course not. This building is owned by a distant relative. My sister has a job and can mostly feed everyone. She just needs a bit of help. I won''t expect you to do that. Just make sure some assholes didn''t decide to move in or give them a hard time."

    "If''n you need me to come look, I can do that," Owen said. "I can take out trash."

    Isaac nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I can do that too."

    Satisfied, Booth knocked four times on the solid door and called out, "Hey, it''s me."

 65 - Ticky

    Booth opened the door into a large single room. On one side was a fireplace that was giving considerable warmth despite being nothing but ashes. A steaming pot hung over the ashes. Near the door was a large barrel of water. There was a table so heavy and solid it looked like it was here before the building had been built. There were no chairs, just a couple of stools and overturned buckets. Clotheslines crisscrossed the room, simultaneously dividing the space and letting clothes dry. Beyond the hanging laundry were piles of blankets on the floor. The only light in the room was a lantern hanging over the table.

    Half a dozen children materialized when we entered. All but one was ten or under and they mobbed Booth as soon as they saw him. He greeted them all but fended off their clingy hands.

    Considering the number and ages of the children and the lack of an adult present, the place was surprisingly clean. I also noticed that despite the number of rats and vermin in the neighborhood, there were none here.

    I jumped down off Seth and scooted out of the way. I did not want to be the target of those grasping child hands.

    "Alley, these are my friends from school," Booth addressed the oldest child in the room. She was about Seth''s age and wore her hair in pigtails like her little sisters. She smiled warmly and studied everyone sharply. Booth introduced Seth, Owen, and Isaac. The bastard didn''t name me. "Guys, this is my sister, Alley, and my other siblings." He didn''t bother naming them, either.

    "I''m pleased to be makin'' your acquaintance," Alley said.

    The oldest boy scoffed. "Whatchu puttin'' on airs fer? ''Pleased to makin'' yer acquaintance''," he mocked.

    "Shut it, Hayfield," Booth said, cuffing the boy on the back of the head. "It ain''t wrong to be polite."

    Hayfield dodged and snorted at Booth. "I''m just sayin''. She ain''t needin'' to be uppity."

    "Being polite ain''t uppity. I gotta talk to Alley," Booth said, "so you play host to my friends. Be nice." Booth turned to Seth and the others. "The brat is Hayfield. I just need a minute."

    Hayfield eyed the boys. Isaac crossed his arms and stayed in the back. He had a stiff expression as he stared at one of the younger kids. Seth was watching the little ones too, and Owen put out his hand to Hayfield. Booth and Alley ducked behind a blanket hanging by the corner.

    Naturally, I wandered over to where they were talking. I wanted to hear the interesting stuff.

    "I''ve got money for you," Booth said quietly.

    "Good," Alley said. "Mom was ''ere a few days ago. She took the last we had."

    "Did she find it, or did you give it to her?"

    "She found it. She came in an'' was telling the little ones how much she missed ''em and how much she loved ''em. Then she was saying how she''s got this new place all lined up and we was gonna get to live in a fancy house and everyone gots their own room and new clothes."

    Booth shook his head. "She''s told that story before."

    "I know. I jus'' wish it was true. She brung shoes fer Loft and Pantry."

    Booth snorted. "Did they fit?"

    "Loft''s did. Pantry can grow into ''em. After she gave ''em the shoes she said she just needed a little money to get things started and then everyone could have new things." Alley shook her head. "She got so mad when I said we ain''t got none."

    "Did she hit you?"

    "Not this time. She was throwin'' things instead. She broke the last mug from grandma. Then she took Loft''s doll and cut it open lookin'' for money. Loft cried and told her where the money was." Alley absently straightened the blankets on the floor.

    "It wasn''t there, was it?" Booth''s voice was pained.

    "I did have a bit there. So now she knows we hide money." Alley paused her tidying and twisted her fingers together. "I blamed you. I told her you musta been the one to hide it."

    "That''s fine. She can''t do anything to me."

    "She got nice again once she got the money. Maybe we should just give her more?"

    "No. She''ll just get used to us giving her money and get worse once we don''t have any more." Booth pulled out a small bag of coins. "Here. Put a little bit where she found the money last time, and hide the rest somewhere else. Don''t let the little ones see where. There should be enough here to last a long while."

    Alley accepted the bag and stared sadly at it. "You''re in trouble, ain''tcha? You comin'' by durin'' the week. I wish you didn''t ''ave to steal so much."

    "I might not be able to come by as often for a while, but I''m fine. How''s your job going? They treating you okay?"

    "It''s goin'' good. The owner has been talkin'' about me comin'' in more."

    "Don''t. I mean it Alley, do not work the afternoons and never go over there at night."

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    "I''d still be in the kitchen just washin'' dishes."

    "I don''t like it that you''re working in a bar as it is. People are shitty, Alley. Do not take more hours. Say you''re stuck with the kids. I''ll get more money for you so you don''t have to."

    "Don''t worry, I won''t. I''ve been talkin'' to a seamstress on the corner about learnin'' to sew."

    "That''s a good idea. That''s something you can do here so the little ones aren''t left alone."

    "When can you come by more? Hayfield is really gettin'' it out. He''ll be in trouble that way."

    "Is someone picking him up?"

    "Not yet. What can I do if''n they do? You ain''t gonna be here."

    I wasn''t hip to this slang but it sounds like Alley was worried Hayfield was going to get recruited into a gang.

    Booth shook his head. "I''ll come out if I need to, Alley. The trouble ain''t that bad. If I can''t come I''ll send one of those guys. You need anything, you can ask them and either they''ll help you out or they''ll tell me."

    Alley sighed. "What kind of trouble is it?"

    "I pissed off a gang called the Skulls."

    "You stole from them and they found out." It wasn''t a question. "Will they come here?"

    "No. They don''t know about this place. I''ll let things cool off for a couple weeks."

    Alley stared at the little bag of money in her hand. "I think Mom''s pregnant again," she said quietly. "I don''t want to deal with this alone, Booth. I just can''t."

    Booth pulled his sister into a hug. "If I need to leave school, I will. I really thought it was our best bet to get out of here."

    "It is the best way. Wizards make a ton of money. But I don''t know if I can wait those years. Not if there''s another baby."

    "I''ll solve this as fast as I can. And I''ll have a talk with Hayfield. He needs to stop giving you grief."

    "Thanks, Booth," Alley said and pulled back. She wiped the corner of one eye with her wrist. "I''m fine, really. It was just so much easier with you ''ere."

    Alley stepped out and Booth called Hayfield over. I wasn''t terribly interested in listening to a punk get lectured so I wandered out into the room.

    Booth and his sister were both really sharp kids. They were stuck in a really shitty situation by other people being shitty and they were solving it. I really hope the younger ones recognize what a treasure they''ve got in their older siblings when they get older.

    Yeah, their mom was a piece of work. Maybe she meant well and was just a trainwreck, and maybe she was selfish and didn''t actually care about anyone besides herself. Either way, it was none of my business. For a pack of children, Booth''s family were surviving okay. Those kids deserved mad respect.

    Over at the table, the little ones were still enthralled with the boys, asking them questions about school and asking them to do magic tricks.

    I took a walk around the room. I''d thought I''d sensed it before, and now I was sure. There were a few magic things in here.

    The first was the fireplace. Sure it looked like wood ash in there, and that''s actually what it was, but there was something under that ash that was magical and really hot. I figured Booth had probably stolen something like a fire stone, or cooking stone, or maybe it was a piece of wood that burned forever, or something. That made sense. Keeping a fire burning all winter would be crazy expensive for these kids. And leaving it buried in ash meant Mom wasn''t likely to notice it and try to pawn it.

    "Ticky!"

    Oh shit. I got careless and the youngest spotted me.

    "Ticky!"

    The little bugger was chasing me, and there weren''t many places for me to go. There were no rafters for me to jump onto. I didn''t want to accidentally tear down their clotheslines. I''m probably way too heavy to hang on those.

    Seth was sitting on a bucket, Isaac was on one of the only stools. Owen was standing nearby. There we go, the tallest object in the room. I was up on Owen''s shoulder in an instant.

    So, there''s this thing I hadn''t really thought about. I''m not super familiar with kids, and with the little ones, there''s this phenomenon where they can climb other people like cats do trees. And that little bugger screaming ''Ticky!'' was hanging off Owen''s bicep the moment after I was standing on it.

    "Why me?" Owen asked, trying to catch the toddler, get a hand on me, and fend off three other little ones all at once.

    Neither Seth nor Isaac made any move to rescue him either. Ha. My amusement was cut short when the four year old got a hold of my tail. And yanked.

    I howled. I very nearly reflexively grabbed Owen with my claws. It would have been so easy, just like opening your hand. If not for having accidentally shredded someone like that before I might have done it to Owen. Instead, I had to allow myself to become the plush victim of an enthusiastic toddler.

    "No no no!" The second oldest girl, probably seven I''d say, rescued me from the toddler''s death grip. And now I was in her death grip. She didn''t pinch like the toddler did, but she had no idea how to hold a cat. My rear paws and back half of my spine were dangling free as the girl clutched my neck and chest in her arms, with my front paws locked over my head.

    Seth was coming to my rescue! And the little girl ran away with me.

    "Careful with her!" Seth called. "If you hold her like that she might bite you!"

    "My kitty!" the girl announced.

    "Mine!" yelled a five-year-old and made a grab for my tail.

    "Ticky!" yelled the toddler, who launched himself at us like a spider monkey crossing the jungle.

    Fuck my life.

    <hr>

    Booth visited with his family for a while, and everyone was entertained by the children mauling me. I did have to resort to nips and growls to stop the more enthusiastic manhandling. The seven-year-old girl, Loft, was absolutely fascinated by me. She had a thousand questions about what I was and how to take care of me. Seth was really patient with her. I was impressed.

    And then, thankfully, it was time to go.

    Seth had to swear that he''d bring me the next time he came by.

    It was still raining. And now it was dark. The East Side didn''t get fancy lights like the western side of the city where the rich people lived, so it was really, really dark.

    Booth made a couple of light stones and handed one out. They didn''t last long, a few minutes each, but Booth said he could keep it up until they got to the Magic District. He was transforming a new stone for Isaac when Owen spotted something.

    "Did you see that?" Owen asked. "That looked like one of Duvessa''s shadows."

    The streets were still really narrow, and there were water barrels and broken crates here and there. In the rain and dark, shadows were everywhere when the light stones moved.

    "I didn''t see anything," Seth said and peered after where Owen was pointing.

    "May I?" Owen asked, and Isaac handed him the light stone. Owen held it aloft and moved a crate with his other hand. "Yeah, it''s a small dog shadow. Hey, Duvessa!"

    Owen reached out to touch the shadow. It spun around with teeth bared, snarled silently, and then leapt for Owen''s face.

 66 - An Important Piece

    Owen caught the shadow dog by the neck, stopping it from biting him. Because it was a shadow it wasn''t truly solid and he couldn''t hold on to it. With a wiggle it was on the ground again. The second dog darted in at Isaac who kicked it away.

    "What the fuck, Duvessa?" Booth swore.

    "I don''t think this is Duvessa," Seth said. "This is someone else."

    Isaac shot Seth an angry glance. With a quick gesture and a word, he lifted his hand and suddenly held a sword. He did the same again, lifted his other hand, and held a shield. "Behind me," Isaac said to Owen.

    "I''m fine," Owen said, keeping his position. The shadow dogs in front of them vanished into the surrounding darkness.

    "Is that it? Are they gone?" Seth asked.

    Mau hissed and jumped down.

    "I''ll take that as a no," Seth said. "Can you see them, Mau?"

    The leopard cub stood at full alert, ears pricked and tail lashing. She growled and jumped in front of Booth just as a shadow dog darted at him. Shadow teeth met feline claws, and the dog vanished into the shadows again.

    "Why aren''t they just running away?" Owen asked. "Are they after us or something?"

    "Who knows?" Isaac said, his shield held forward and his sword ready to thrust. "We need to kill them."

    Seth saw another shadow from the corner of his eye. "Are there only two?" Seth asked. He spun around to search behind them. The four boys were quickly back to back in the narrow street.

    "I can''t tell," Booth said. "You can''t hardly see these things in the dark."

    "The rain don''t help," Owen said. He picked up a broken crate and gave it a test swing.

    The boys waited in the rain as the seconds ticked by, searching for a glimpse of moving shadows. Mau''s ears swiveled rapidly and she turned her head back and forth, searching the darkness.

    Then the light stone Owen held winked out.

    Two shadow dogs attacked at the same time. One tried to flank Isaac, the other knocked down Booth.

    Isaac''s shield fended off his dog, but he couldn''t get a good stab at it. Owen smashed the crate at the dog on Booth and missed both the dog and Mau who leapt after it.

    "More light, Booth," Isaac demanded.

    "Busy," Booth snarled back. He was flat on his back with the dog above him. He yanked at the dog''s face where it was latched onto his other arm.

    Seth hated using his amulet out in the open like this, but it was necessary. Actually, maybe not. One of the cantrips in Owen''s book would probably be better. "I''ll cast a light," Seth said. "I need a few seconds."

    "Dunno if we have seconds!" Booth said, still struggle to get his arm loose. The dog let go a second after Mau landed on it with claws out.

    Seth shut his eyes for an instant before snapping them back open. Stupid, we''re in a fight. This was structured magic, the Moonlight spell. He wanted it brighter than the standard spell but there was a risk to doing it unstructured. He could only hope that the structured version would get a little more oomph like his Detect spells had.

    Seth cast the spell. A circle of light surrounded Seth like he was standing beneath the full moon on a clear night. The light was brighter than it had been the last time he''d cast it. The spell also had the same ache as the Detect spells.

    He''d have to tolerate the ache for as long as they needed the light. This spell would normally last only as long as it was being fed mana.

    In the light they could see there were actually three dogs. They were only a little bigger than Mau, so on the small side. They had looked bigger when they were mostly hidden by the darkness.

    The light changed the pace and nature of the fight. Isaac lunged at the nearest shadow dog, stabbing it in the back leg. It silently howled and fled.

    The remaining two shadow dogs attacked Booth, who had only gotten to his knees before the dogs were on him. Owen tackled one, and the other grabbed Booth by the shoulder and started dragging him. Mau attacked that one, sending it fleeing too.

    Owen tried to keep hold of his while punching it, but he couldn''t keep his grip on the shadow and the dog fled too.

    Seth held the spell. The ache had become sharp pain. "Booth, more light stones," Seth ground out between clenched teeth.

    Booth didn''t question it and quickly cast four stones. Seth couldn''t hold the spell past Booth casting the third one.

    Seth took deep breaths, trying to calm what felt like an unnatural unruliness inside.

    "What''s wrong with you?" Isaac asked, staring at Seth. "Did those dogs scare you, or is casting spells that hard for you?"

    "I''m not scared," Seth said. "I''ve always had trouble with magic. It''s just doing something different now."

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    "I think those dogs were after you, Booth," Owen said. "Twice they tried to grab you and drag you away. Do you know someone else with shadow summoning? Other than Duvessa I mean."

    Booth glanced at Seth and then shook his head. "I don''t know nobody else with it."

    Isaac saw the glance and turned towards Seth. He still gripped both sword and shield and he reflexively lifted the shield. "You knew. Before anyone else, you knew those shadows weren''t Duvessa''s. How did you know, Seth?"

    Mau growled and her ears flattened. Owen and Seth both looked at her and saw she was preparing to leap at Isaac.

    "Dude. Put the sword away. His familiar doesn''t like how threatening you''re being, and frankly, I don''t either." Owen stepped in front of Seth, blocking Isaac.

    Isaac lowered his sword. He looked past Owen at Seth and then nodded. "Fine, then," he said. "Sword and shield are away." He repeated the word and gesture and they both vanished. "Your turn now, Seth. That was Duvessa''s power. How did you know it wasn''t Duvessa?"

    "Because they were too big and too many. Duvessa can''t summon more than one thing about twice the size of Mau."

    Owen opened his mouth but Booth kicked him. Owen looked at Booth in confusion.

    Isaac never took his eyes off Seth. "We thought there were only two at first, and the two together are about twice the size of your cat. You still knew."

    "Duvessa said her summons were not coming back on time," Seth said.

    "That''s right! She did say that," Owen said.

    "She doesn''t have her full capacity at the moment. Those shadows couldn''t have been hers."

    "Who sent the shadows, Seth? Is someone after Booth? Is he next?" Isaac asked.

    "Am I next for what?" Booth asked.

    "Arnold, and clearly Isaac here too, thinks I''m the one responsible for people losing their magic," Seth said. "Arnold told Duvessa about it the other day, and told her I''m the one taking her power."

    "That''s bullshit," Booth said. "Some guy nearly killed you the day Blaise''s power was taken. And Duvessa still has her power." Booth stepped up to Isaac. "What the fuck, man?"

    "Shadow summoning is Duvessa''s power," Isaac said. "Unless you know of someone in her family that wants you, Booth, then someone has her power and is using it to get more."

    Seth knew someone who did want Booth. It was the reason Booth wanted an escort to visit his family. And Duvessa''s missing shadows had been watching them.

    "Power types are not restricted to families," Seth said. "Someone else could have it. They often follow families, but it''s more a matter of location than bloodline."

    "And how do you know that?" Isaac accused.

    "Genealogy charts and studies done by the Palace," Seth answered promptly.

    Isaac snorted. "More likely that there are hidden bastards in the lines instead."

    "Can we not talk about this in the rain?" Owen asked. "My stone just went out and I don''t want to wait around for those dogs to become something more dangerous."

    Seth took the lead with Mau on his shoulder. She leaned forward rather precariously and on full alert the whole way back to school. Booth was in the middle and Isaac took the rear.

    They paused once they were under the shelter of the school gatehouse. The guard just glanced at them and went back to reading. Seth felt awkward and the others looked the same. He didn''t know what the next move should be.

    "I''m not a thief, Isaac," Seth said firmly. "I''m not hurting people."

    "By the deepest, darkest pit Below, he isn''t," Owen declared. "And I don''t want to hear about you telling people that. Or you and I are going to have a problem."

    Owen and Isaac stared at each other for a very long moment. Seth thought they might start fighting and quickly ran through a list of what spells could be useful if they did and how best to use them. It was a short list.

    "I know things are a little weird at the moment," Isaac said and stepped back. "I''m not trying to start anything. Just be careful, alright Booth? I said I''d look out for your siblings, and I will. If you think it''s at all risky, I''ll go instead."

    The three of them watched Isaac leave.

    "Let''s get a training room. Have a talk, yeah?" Booth said.

    <hr>

    In a rundown mansion on the East Side, a man holding a short cane walked into an office on the second floor. The three men inside the room all stood up in surprise.

    "Hey!" shouted the big guy guarding the door. "You''re not¨C"

    "No, Rick, it''s fine," the blond man behind the desk said, holding out a hand to forestall violence. "Let him in."

    The man with the cane nodded his appreciation to the blond man and closed the door. "Thank you for seeing me unannounced. I don''t like doing business this way, but in this instance, I find it necessary." He studied the third man in the room for a moment before turning back to the apparent boss. "I''m here to make sure we all understand the nature of our relationship."

    "Excuse me?" the blond man said.

    The man tapped the cane against his palm. "I provide you things. You do things for me. You don''t cause me trouble. Is that clear?"

    "I don''t think I like your tone," the blond man said.

    "Ah, my apologies. It would appear there is a misunderstanding. Yesterday, a member of your organization accosted an asset of mine and did him harm. A boy of about thirteen, over in the business district."

    The third man in the room scoffed. "I didn''t harm him. I just roughed him up a bit. He''s got the message."

    The man with the cane turned to him. "You are the one that sent the message? You harmed the boy?" he asked with friendly calm.

    "I just cut him a little bit. No harm done. What''s the big deal about a random brat?"

    No one saw the flash of silver before blood splattered on the blond man''s white shirt.

    "Rick, if you move, you''re next," the man said. Instead of a cane, he now held a thin silver short sword with the point lightly touching the adam''s apple of the blond man.

    The blond man looked from the body of his lieutenant, to the lieutenant''s blood on his desk, to the thin silver sword. He looked past the man who held it to the bodyguard, Rick.

    "You bastard¨C" Rick said and took a single step forward.

    "Stop!" the blond man shouted.

    Rick was already on the ground screaming, one leg missing below the knee.

    The man with the sword dropped what looked like a cotton ball on Rick and the screaming became very soft. He didn''t bother pointing the sword at the blond man again.

    "I can kill every single person in this building and there is not a thing you can do to stop me," the man said as he flicked the blood off the sword. He then gestured to the cup on the desk. "And toys like that won''t make any difference. I think I''ve made my position to your organization clear. What say you?"

    The blond man swallowed. "Perfectly clear."

    "And my tone? Do you still have a problem with it?"

    "No, sir."

    "Excellent. That boy I mentioned is my asset. He is not to be touched. In the grand scheme of things, he is a far more important piece than you. Understood?"

    The blond man''s gaze flicked to Rick bleeding out near the door, and then back. "Yes, sir."

    "Good, good." The man put the silver sword back into its cane sheath. "Now that the unpleasantness has been handled, I have a job for you. This is what I need done¡­"

 67 - A Hot Mess

    The boys were silent the whole way up to the second floor of the dining hall. Booth went straight to one of the mid-sized training rooms and put his hand on the timer. We would have a whole hour. Good. The boys were still quiet for several seconds after the door closed and the glass frosted.

    "I guess I should start," Seth said, "and explain why Isaac acted that way. Arnold thinks I''m connected to people''s power being stolen. Isaac apparently agrees with him." Seth sat down on the floor and leaned against the wall. I climbed into his lap in a show of support. Seth absently stroked my fur.

    Owen took the desk, as he usually did when he and Seth were working on his reading lessons. This time he pulled the chair out and sat facing backwards on it, resting his arms on the back of the chair. Booth sat cross-legged in the center of the floor, facing Seth.

    Seth told them both the whole story. How he''d been on a caravan on the way into the city, it had been attacked, and Arnold was connected to the people who attacked it. Arnold was looking for an artifact that they believed was on the caravan that allowed someone to steal powers, but Seth never saw any such artifact.

    I could steal powers. Animal powers, anyway. Maybe Arnold wasn''t so wrong.

    He also told them about Benjamin, that he had taken in Seth and his brother when their dad died, that Arnold thought he was the one behind the thefts, and what Arnold had told Duvessa.

    Then he told them that the Circle Tower researcher in charge of finding a solution had all the wrong information, and none of their conclusions could be trusted. Arnold was on the research team and hadn''t known they had bad information until Seth had told him earlier today.

    I knew more about that than he did, what with the whole Jay business, but I''d wait for later to try and relay it. I had no desire for the other two boys to know I was more than a leopard cub. Owen already had an inkling, but Booth was in the dark and could stay there.

    "So, they can''t solve it?" Owen asked.

    "You can''t fix something if you have all the wrong parts," Booth said.

    "No, you''re right," Seth said. "I can''t think of any reason why she would mess that up so badly. It''s like she doesn''t want it solved and is trying to make sure it doesn''t."

    Smart kid. Someone is definitely making sure it doesn''t get solved. But not Marjorie.

    "So, does that mean it could be solved?" Owen asked.

    "If someone other than Professor Marjorie was working on it, maybe," Seth said a little bitterly.

    Solving the thefts and returning the powers was our primary goal. I was pretty sure I''d learn a crap ton about my own thieving power in doing so, too.

    As far as Marjorie went, I disagreed there. There were two possibilities as I saw it. One, someone put Marjorie in charge as a plausible scapegoat. Her disorganized personality was being used as a cover for the sabotage. She couldn''t conjure up good solutions if all her sources were bad. That would delay the project and divert any suspicions. That scenario had the culprit as someone high up the chain of command at the Circle Tower, with possible outside connections.

    The other scenario was that Marjorie was actually a capable researcher chosen for her ability, and Jay the Saboteur was working directly for someone on the outside.

    That person on the outside? The power thief. No one else that I could think of would arrange to quash that information.

    Previously, I had considered the possibility that Jay was working on his own and dismissed it. I thought it over again and agreed with my first take on it. While it was possible he was sabotaging Marjorie for his own personal gain, Jay had too strong of a peon energy. That guy had a boss.

    That made Jay the best lead we had. I might take it upon myself to ''investigate'' him.

    Shit. I don''t have the other listening stone, and I still can''t fucking read. Sure, I''d only been learning to read for three weeks. That shit takes time, but it was still frustrating.

    Seth lightly banged his head against the wall. "I just want to help my brother out. Get his power back. Get Blaise her power back. I knew it was going take time and it''d be hard to find answers. Saben told me he''d already done all of this and that I should let it go. But this is getting so messy now, and I don''t know what to do. Do I go to Professor Cicily? Tell her about the bad research? Or do I trust Arnold to do it?"

    "I don''t reckon that trusting Arnold with anything is a good idea," Owen said.

    But if Cicily were in on the sabotage, Seth talking to her would be a very bad idea.

    Booth snorted. "How can Seth explain that he knows better than the professor in charge of the project what the source data is? We''d need proof first."

    "Blaise''s image should be enough to convince them, but I don''t know if Arnold will get that proof," Seth said. "Arnold might decide that I was lying and never check."

    "But he knows it''s bad, yeah? Then leave that mess to him," Booth answered. "He''s on that team, they''ll listen to him more than you anyway."

    "If''n we can find more proof," Owen said, "we should probably try to get it. I dunno that we can count on the people at the Circle Tower to get it right when they''ve already done it wrong once."

    The boys were quiet. Then Booth said, "And I thought I was in the middle of a hot mess with the Skull bastards."

    Owen nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that''s another mess." He looked over at Seth. "And you knew the guy feeding the wyvern. And there was the guy that attacked you the day Blaise was taken."

    "I don''t think they''re related to this, but I don''t know," Seth said.

    "So, what''s going on with Duvessa''s power then?" Booth asked. "That wasn''t her running those dogs, right?"

    "I''m sure it wasn''t," Seth said. "Duvessa''s shadows aren''t normally aggressive, especially not to her friends. Even the elephant wasn''t out to get us. It acted more confused and agitated."

    "What happened to the thing she made after the elephant? The cap burrow?" Owen asked.

    "Capybara," Seth corrected. "Yeah, that one just wandered off. Duvessa said it never came back."

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    "Think someone else caught it?" Owen asked.

    "How would they turn it into dogs?" Booth asked. "It''s gotta be someone else with a similar power. Shit like that isn''t unique."

    "We''ll need to talk to Duvessa about it. I don''t know if something is really happening to her power or if this is all a side effect of the berries she ate. She had no control over her summons that night," Seth said. "She wasn''t worried about it a couple of days ago."

    "Duvessa isn''t the type to worry about much," Booth said.

    I saw the girl''s wall of crazy. She may not worry about much, but she can get obsessive about shit too. I wondered what that wall looked like now.

    "I knew the berries were a bad idea," Owen said. "No one should eat any more."

    "She had some summons out in the city watching the Skull Gang for me," Booth said. "Last I talked to her about it, a couple didn''t come back."

    "A Skull Gang guy wants to talk to you," Seth said to Booth, "and gets me to deliver the message. Some of Duvessa''s shadows don''t come back from watching the Skull Gang, and then shadow dogs try to drag you away."

    "You think Arnold''s right, and there is a thief taking powers," Booth said. "Including Duvessa''s. But it''s not you. You think the Skulls are behind it all?"

    That was a lot all pointing to one group. I could see how they might be related to Blaise, but that connection was weak. I saw no connection to either Saben''s or Arnold''s powers though.

    "I kind of do. But like you said, powers aren''t unique," Seth said.

    "Would talking to them help?" Owen asked. "The Skull Gang I mean. We could clear the air and sort that mess out?"

    Booth and Seth both shook their heads. "We might end up knifed that way," Seth said.

    "I dunno why they want that ring back," Booth said. "It should''ve run out ages ago."

    "It''s in the Palace somewhere for sure," Seth said. "Nothing we could do about it anyway."

    Doo ta doo, Just an innocent little cub over here. No magic rings on me! No sir.

    "If you don''t have to go to the Menagerie, Seth, you don''t need to be in the city at all. Neither do you, Booth. We just stay put for a while, that''s all," Owen said. "The school is safe. Do you think the Menagerie will be open again next week?"

    "No, I don''t," Seth said.

    Don''t say that! I want to go back! Actually, could I get there on my own? It was on the west side of the city, clear on the other side of the lake. It''d take me half the night to walk there because I''m a feline toddler. Nightly trips over there were not really feasible, dammit.

    "I think Robin, the woman in charge of the animals, got fired," Seth said. "The new Director has been firing a ton of people, and I saw him talking to a suspicious guy wearing a deer skull mask. I told Robin about it. She probably did something about it and got fired."

    "Well that''s creepy," Booth said.

    First I''d heard of it and yeah, that was creepy. I wondered if the skull motif was a coincidence or if the deer skull guy was part of our Skull Gang. I was thinking the deer skull was different enough not to be connected, but who actually knows. I thought it more likely that the deer skull guy was related to Tom the Housecat''s ''expanding horizons'' that the manticore and firehound were partaking in. The Skull Gang could be related to that I supposed, but I really didn''t think so.

    "What should we do?" Owen asked.

    "Lie low, mostly," Booth said. "Things are getting a little hot. I can ask Arnold what he knows about Benjamin and the power thefts. He wouldn''t tell you, Seth, but he might tell me."

    "That''s a good idea," Seth said, relieved. "The other lead we''ve got is that Lord Thurstan guy that Selendrith noticed from her records. It was him, Benjamin, and another merchant named Samuel."

    And there was the third name. And it was no one I''d heard of or heard anyone else mention. At this point, that guy might as well be a non-player. Benjamin was absolutely the type to muddy waters. Until Samuel came up again, he didn''t warrant much attention.

    "You could ask Duvessa about the Lord. She might know who that is," Owen said.

    "Hey, you know the Palace guards and stuff. How come you don''t know this Lord?" Booth asked Seth.

    "My dad was a teacher at the Palace, not a lord or anything. And it was two years ago that his assignment was up and we left. I never attended court or anything. I just know people who my dad talked to or worked with," Seth explained.

    "You knew the guards," Booth said.

    Seth nodded. "My brother Saben liked training with them. He became like their mascot."

    The boys fell into silence again for a few moments. Finally, Owen asked, "Will you be fine sharing a room with Isaac, Seth? He seemed really aggressive towards you earlier."

    I meowed and then growled.

    "I think Mau will prevent any problems," Seth said. He scratched my head and smiled at me.

    "That was a funky power he had. What is that, object summoning?" Booth asked.

    "Whenever I asked him what his power was, he got evasive," Seth said. "He didn''t want me to know what it was."

    "Well, yeah. He''s friends with Arnold, so he thinks you''re connected to the thefts, too. I bet he''s scared you''ll take his power next," Booth said.

    <hr>

    The following afternoon, Seth took his freshly cleaned gym clothes out of the enchanted bin he''d put them in before his shower. After folding them, he put them away in his cubby. He finger-combed his still-wet hair and waited for the last person to leave the changing room before stumbling after them. The student with the thunder power, Gregor, had been enthusiastic today, like he was almost every day. He had pelted Seth over and over, to the point Seth could hardly function, much less retaliate.

    It was still a mystery to Seth why Gregor thought Seth was in his league, but the big guy had decided they were rivals and stomped Seth thoroughly in every gym class with cheerful dedication. The guy''s thunder power gave every ball he hit Seth with just that much more oomph.

    It didn''t bruise. Technically. It still sucked.

    Seth hated it. He hated gym. He hated fighting. He hated getting hit. He hated ending up on the ground all the time. He hated the disappointed looks from Professor Mick. He hated feeling like he could never measure up.

    He realized the direction of his thoughts and tried to rein them in. Saben loved all this stuff. And Seth was here in Saben''s place. He had to do these things. He was supposed to love them too, and he needed to get over it. But knowing that and feeling it weren''t the same thing.

    Saben had loved the idea of exploring the Below. Seth had always been more interested in the Above than the Below, but mostly he wanted to explore. If he ever wanted to explore on a team with his brother, Seth needed to be able to do the job that his brother had been going to do. He needed to be able to fight.

    He thought about the guy two nights ago who had held a knife to his throat and had cut him. If that knife had been turned the other way when he gut-punched Seth, Seth would have died. And then there were the shadow dogs last night.

    Things were going to happen. And they were going to continue to happen. He could go back to other incidents, like the wyvern, the spiders, the fire.

    I hate being a sandbag, he reminded himself. I want to get better for me, too. I wanted this. I hate being helpless more than I hate training.

    He just wished he didn''t suck so bad at it. Maybe then he''d hate it less. He was really trying so hard.

    Done, he told himself. Done for today, don''t think about it anymore.

    After his last class ended a little over an hour later, Seth headed to where he''d meet the others. They had some serious things to discuss. But after that he was looking forward to seeing Selendrith''s demonstration on how to use mana vaults without talents. Seth had been managing to use structured magic without calling on his talent lately, and he wondered if the technique was like that.

    He was interested in anything that would let him cast spells faster and more easily than trying to tame his unruly talent.

    Would he need a vault to try it? Selendrith had several vaults. Actually, Seth was pretty sure her pearl earrings were vaults. And recently she had started wearing rings made of the same blue horn as Seth''s amulet.

    His amulet could be a vault. Seth would have to ask Selendrith if it worked that way. And if it was a vault, maybe there was a formation he could use to charge it faster. With all the healing he constantly needed to use it for, he didn''t think it would ever fully recharge on its own.

    Seth quickened his step, interested and excited at the prospect of learning new ways to cast.

 68 - It Has to Be Unanimous

    When Seth got to the meeting place, Mau was already there, along with most of the others. She was lounging up a tree, with her paws dangling on either side of a big branch. He was glad she found a different perch. It was starting to get uncomfortable for her to ride on his shoulder. Another few weeks and she''d be too big.

    On another smaller branch, Reginald the Second was sprawled, as much as a raven could be, in the same position as Mau. It looked weird.

    The meeting area was beyond the coliseum, behind an unused building. The grass was well-kept, and there were benches beneath a pair of trees, but the area was little used and felt private.

    Blaise was lying on her back on one of the benches, tossing a large mushroom high in the air and catching it. Every time she did, a little puff of spores exploded out. Selendrith was sitting on the other bench with a notebook in her lap, watching Blaise disapprovingly. Booth was leaning against a tree, fiddling with a small knife. Duvessa held a blanket and poked her foot at a spot on the ground. Then she moved to a different spot and poked again.

    "Ugh! Everywhere is wet!" Duvessa declared.

    "It rained all day yesterday, stupid," Booth said.

    "I am not stupid," Duvessa said haughtily. "I know why the ground is wet. I am upset that it is still wet. The sun has been out all day today."

    "Hey everyone," Seth greeted them. "No Owen today? I thought he was coming."

    "Probably just late. Like you," Booth said and put his knife away. "Actually, there he is now. Is that your brother, Blaise?"

    Blaise looked over without sitting up. A young man in his early twenties with the same reddish brown hair as Blaise walked next to Owen. "Yup. That''s him." She threw the mushroom up again.

    "Quite the crowd here," Blaise''s brother said when he got close. "Hello Blaise''s friends. I''m Brand." Everyone introduced themselves to him, and Duvessa introduced Mau and Reginald. After that was done, Brand headed over to Blaise''s bench and watched her throw the mushroom. "Why are you doing that?" he asked.

    "For like a year, I couldn''t even touch a mushroom without it getting soggy and slimy. I''m enjoying the dust."

    "You''re getting filthy," Brand said, indicating the spores that covered her in a thin layer of brown.

    Blaise tossed the mushroom to the ground and sat up. "Good. I like baths."

    Brand shook his head. "I was looking for you. I''m heading out today, and¨C"

    "You''re leaving? Did Dad come home?" Blaise interrupted.

    "No, he didn''t, he¨C"

    "Is Mom still in Mariglade then?" Blaise interrupted again.

    "Yeah, she hasn''t left, she¨C"

    "I don''t have to go home yet, do I? I thought I could stay at least until exams!"

    "Blaise!" Duvessa said sharply. "Let the man speak!"

    "But¨C"

    "Blaise!" Duvessa repeated. Then she looked at Selendrith. "Have you got a muffler on you?"

    "Don''t you dare muffle me!" Blaise said.

    "Leave me out of this," Selendrith said.

    Brand looked from Blaise to Duvessa in amused confusion.

    "It is rude to interrupt," Duvessa declared. "Be polite or be muffled."

    "If you''re muffled, can you hear what people say outside the muffled zone?" Seth asked.

    "Yeah, that works fine. Mufflers only stop sound out," Booth said.

    "There you have it," Duvessa said. "Please continue," she said to Brand.

    Brand''s amused smile widened. "All right. I am heading to the East Well to join an expedition. I''ve been looking for you since noon."

    There was a sudden tension in the group.

    "An expedition?" Blaise couldn''t quite keep her voice from getting higher pitched. She glanced around at everyone else. "Why there?"

    "When the well collapsed, it opened a passageway into caverns inside the mountain. It might connect to the Below, and I volunteered to join the first explorer team," Brand said. "You don''t need to worry about it being an entrance. Even if it does connect, beasts won''t exit there. It''s too high up the mountain," he explained, misinterpreting everyone''s apprehension.

    "Wasn''t there a beast or something already there?" Seth asked.

    Brand nodded. "There had been something there. It looks like it came up to the bottom of the well and collapsed the fortress when it tried to escape. It''s gone back into the Below now, so you don''t need to worry about that."

    Booth was furiously shaking his head at the others from behind the tree. Mau had lifted her head and had both ears and eyes pointed at Brand. Duvessa had a hand over her mouth.

    "So, there was a beast there," Blaise said.

    "Yeah, it''s gone now, though," Brand said reassuringly.

    "There was no body?" Owen asked.

    "Like, a monster body? No, none that I heard of," Brand said. He looked around at the silent teenagers. "It''s okay, you don''t need to be worried about it. The Palace has a team there already, and they''ve recruited a couple of professors, and a bunch of the elemental crews. I''m heading up with the Fire Brigade, and I hear the Wing Guard has been there from the beginning. They even let some of the student groups go up, like the sparkies, wingnuts, and blockheads."

    Seth figured the Fire Brigade was probably the charheads that Ace had talked about, or at least the post-school group the charheads joined. That meant the wingnuts were Ace''s Wingmen. Sparkies were probably a Lightning Tower based group, and the blockheads would be stone or metal. Every group had disparaging nicknames from the other groups.

    But all that didn''t matter nearly as much as the fact that Chicky-Chicky was alive and had escaped into the Below.

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    Booth was still shaking his head. Owen was staring at the ground and rocking slightly on his heels. Selendrith was hugging herself.

    "Hey, it''s okay," Brand tried to reassure his sister who was staring at him in horror. "The Below isn''t that scary. Here, I got this for you." He pulled out an inkwelll. "It''s an Everfull that''s been twinned. I''ve got the other bottle so you can write to me anytime. Just don''t use it for your homework or anything. I won''t have that much paper on me."

    "Twinned?" Blaise asked.

    "Yeah. These can be pricey, but they''re worth it," Brand said. "Basically, anything you write with the ink in this bottle, the ink in the twinned bottle will reproduce the next time it''s opened. The range is pretty short, like only a few miles, so it''s not good for long-distance communication, but it''s really handy for short-range stuff. If you need anything, you can write me a letter with this, and I''ll get it almost right away."

    Selendrith latched onto the topic. "They are often used for communication relays through distant towns," she explained. "But they are expensive, and the twinning isn''t permanent, so they are expensive to maintain. My grandfather makes them occasionally."

    Brand perked up at that. "Is your grandfather an alchemist?"

    "No, a carver. He makes the inkwells for the alchemist to put the enchanted ink into."

    "Nice. So you know all about this stuff and can help Blaise out if she needs it," Brand said. "Blaise, you can write to me every night and I''ll write back. You''ll see that the Below isn''t that dangerous to an experienced team. We''ve got several crack teams checking it out."

    "I¨C I''m worried about wyverns," Blaise said. "It''s wyvern season soon, right?" She looked over at Owen and Seth.

    "Wyverns like the wells around here," Seth said.

    "I''ve fought wyverns before," Brand said dismissively. "I can handle them." He looked around at the other teenagers with his sister. "I''m going to trust all of you to keep her out of trouble until I get back, so don''t do anything stupid."

    "Didn''t Mom say you have to stay with me at school?" Blaise asked.

    "I''ll still be in Rosia, like Mom wanted and I''m getting bored just sitting around. This way, I''ll still be nearby while doing something productive. Trips into the mountain should only take about a week, so I''ll be back before you miss me." Brand mussed his sister''s hair and strode away.

    "Well, shit," Booth said softly.

    "That thing isn''t dead," Blaise said. "How can it not be dead? We dropped a building on it!"

    "We gotta tell someone about it now," Owen said. "We can''t leave it."

    "And how exactly is that conversation supposed to go?" Booth demanded. "Oh, you destroyed the Mana Well, released a giant wyvern, and opened a hole into the Below! No prob, we got it, you kids go back to class!"

    "We''d be lucky if all they did was lock us up," Seth said.

    "They won''t send us in after it, will they?" Selendrith asked. She pulled her feet up on the bench. "I don''t want to fight that thing again. That was really scary."

    "No, they won''t," Booth said. "Because we ain''t doing nothing. We ain''t telling no one."

    Seth agreed. "We have to trust that the people there are smart." He tried to sound as reassuring as he could. "You remember the piles of poop in the cave? The adults there would have seen that too, and they''d know what it was. Faster than we did. They know more spells and can do more than all of us put together. It''s their job, so let them do it."

    "I dunno man," Owen said. "It feels slimy letting anyone go into that hole knowing that thing is in there somewhere and not telling them about it. What if it evolves into a dragon down there?"

    "It won''t," Seth said, his voice higher than he intended.

    "It needs the well for that, right?" Blaise asked. "It can''t do it while in the Below, can it?"

    "They go up mountains for that," Seth said, more hopeful than convinced himself.

    "It is wounded now, yes?" Duvessa asked. "The explorers would have the advantage then. We held it off, so surely they could too."

    "We put it to a vote then," Booth said.

    "No, not a vote, that won''t work," Seth said. "It has to be an agreement, and it has to be unanimous. Otherwise the people outvoted would feel pressured to tell anyway. If anyone decides to tell, we should make a plan together on how to do that."

    "I say don''t tell," Booth said.

    "I say not," Selendrith said.

    "No for me, too," Seth said.

    "I don''t see how it would make a significant difference," Duvessa said.

    Owen nodded. "Alright. If y''all reckon no, I''ll agree."

    "Blaise?" Duvessa asked.

    Blaise was staring at her hands and slowly brushing the mushroom spores off. Finally she looked at Duvessa. "Would it be bad if I just told Brand?"

    "Yes, it would!" Booth exclaimed. "He''d have to tell his team, and then everyone would know. It''ll come back and bite us."

    "Is there a better way to let people know about it?" Seth asked. "Some way we can reveal it without anyone knowing it was us?"

    "I dunno, I think the big piles of wyvern crap is probably the only reveal they need," Booth said.

    "That''s true," Seth said. Soon everyone was watching Blaise.

    Blaise finally nodded. "Yeah. That''s probably enough. I won''t tell Brand."

    "Or anyone else," Booth pushed.

    "Or anyone else," Blaise agreed.

    "Okay," Seth said. "We''ve all agreed. If someone does change their mind, they need to let the group know. This could go very badly for some of us, so we''d need to plan it carefully."

    "I forget you''re on probation, Seth," Blaise said. "Yeah, that would be very bad for you."

    Seth took a deep breath. "And since we''re talking about serious stuff anyway, I have another thing we all need to discuss." He looked up at Mau who was now sitting on her branch, perched like a gargoyle. Reginald was perched on his branch with his wings forward, doing his best to copy Mau. He was a weird bird.

    "Duvessa, do you know anyone else who has a similar shadow summoning power as you do?" Seth asked.

    "Nope. No one else. Just me and my grandma."

    "Your grandma is someone else, Duvessa," Booth said.

    "Of course. But I already knew about her. I don''t know anyone else."

    "Duvessa," Seth said, trying to head off an argument or tangent. "The reason I''m asking, is because we were attacked by shadow dogs last night. The exact same type of shadow summons that you can do."

    "Nope! My grandma would never do that," Duvessa said confidently.

    "We don''t think it was her, stupid," Booth said.

    "You need to stop calling me stupid, stupid," Duvessa said angrily. She faced Booth with her hands on her hips, the blanket still in one hand.

    "Yeah, enough of the name calling, Booth," Owen said. "Duvessa ain''t stupid. Don''t say that again."

    "I call it like I see it," Booth said.

    "Then you''re not seeing," Blaise said, arching her eyebrows. "We''re all mage students. None of us are stupid or we wouldn''t be in this school. So knock off the name calling. It''s disrespectful."

    Booth glared back at everyone glaring at him. For a moment, Seth thought Booth was going to leave. He probably felt like everyone was dogpiling on him for no reason.

    "Tsch," Booth said, stomped over to the furthest of the two trees, and plopped down on the damp ground.

    Seth sighed. While he was relieved Booth didn''t just stalk off in a huff, there was still a fair bit of tension in the group and Seth didn''t know how to relieve it. They were all still new as friends, and had only known each other for less than a month. The group could still fracture at any time. On top of that, Seth felt like he''d have more success getting Mau to obey him than keeping this pack of opinionated teenagers on task.

    Duvessa walked over to Booth and there was a pregnant pause. But she just handed him the blanket. "The ground is wet," she said quietly. "You''ll get muddy."

    Booth stared at the blanket and then at her, uncomprehending.

    "Take it, say ''thank you'', and then we never mention this again," Duvessa said.

    Booth took the blanket and mumbled at Duvessa. He then sat on the still-folded blanket. Duvessa walked over to Blaise, sat down next to her, and crossed her hands on her knee. "Continue, please," Duvessa said regally and looked to Seth.

    "Right." Seth had to gather his thoughts. "As I said, last night three shadow dog summons attacked Booth, Owen, Isaac, and me. They were particularly after Booth and tried to drag him away."

    "You don''t think I had anything to do with that," Duvessa said. It wasn''t quite a question.

    Owen shook his head, and Seth said, "Of course not. We discussed it last night and we think something might be happening to your power."

    "Like what?" Duvessa asked.

    "Like it''s getting stolen," Seth said.

 69 - Its Rude

    "Nope! My power still works fine," Duvessa said cheerfully. She waved her hand dismissively and leaned back on the stone bench. "Arnold was stuck on the idea of someone taking it too."

    "You sure?" Booth asked. He was sitting cross-legged on the blanket Duvessa had handed him and absently fiddled with the corner. "You mentioned the other day that they ain''t all coming back, and I don''t just mean the ones you summoned on the mountain. So, what''s happening to them?" Booth gestured to Owen and Seth. "We were wondering if someone was swiping them."

    Duvessa blinked. "But I haven''t summoned any dogs. And I still have my power. Blaise lost her water power all at once. Why would mine be different?"

    Seth didn''t have an answer. Her situation was very different from that of both Blaise and Saben. "We should look into this. We really can''t afford not to if something is stealing your summons."

    "If they''re your summons we ran into, we should know for sure," Booth said.

    "How much can you summon right now?" Blaise asked. Blaise was seated next to Duvessa and had one booted foot up on the stone bench.

    "A normal amount, I''d guess," Duvessa said. "My maximum and the behavior of the summons have been weird since the berries."

    "It''s rude to ask someone the particulars about their power," Selendrith piped up. She sat on the bench furthest from the rest of the group while still being included.

    Owen and Seth were both leaning against the same tree. Mau was up the tree on a wide branch, and Reginald was on a smaller branch nearby.

    Owen agreed with Selendrith. "Yeah, we''re getting pretty nosy. Duvessa, you don''t have to answer nothing."

    Seth should have realized that, too. He tended to be an open person, and keeping secrets was new to him. He needed to be more aware that some things were intrusive or rude to talk about. But in this case, it was necessary to know those things to get to the bottom of the mystery.

    "Of course I don''t, and I don''t mind. All of you are my friends. I don''t think anything is wrong with talking to you about this since I believe all of you are trying to help. So I will help you help me."

    For the next half hour, Duvessa experimented with her power. The result was that the size of the summons she could do was down about a quarter, and the total number of different summons she could have at a time was at half.

    They discussed the behavior of her summons and how they usually worked compared to how they''ve been lately.

    When she summoned a creature, she imbued it with an intended purpose. Sometimes, she included specific instructions, and other times it was more of a nebulous desire. If she wanted to change the instructions, she needed physical contact with the summon or to let Reginald take control of it.

    Seth recognized the instructions as part of the intent necessary in any spell. For summoning, intent included not just the spell''s result but also its behavior.

    Unstructured spells also had that. What the spell did and how you wanted it to work, it was all there. If you could intent the behavior of a summon, Seth wondered if you could intent the behavior of a structured spell into something slightly different from the original purpose.

    No, that wouldn''t work and would change the spell. Without the right intent, the spell would become an unstructured variant. Most unstructured magic still needed a structured form to start with. Even Duvessa''s shadow summons had a basic summoning spell as its base.

    Seth could learn to cast a summon, but it would be much harder for him and use a lot more mana. People who had summoning talents had their talents do a lot of the heavy lifting in creating and controlling summons. It was similar to how Seth''s wind talent was supposed to work to move more air than the standard Breeze spell. Or how when the wind was cooperating, he could sense more with it.

    Towards the end of their experiments with Duvessa''s power, Blaise got up and started pacing. She walked a figure 8 between the two trees. "This is different," she muttered to herself. "It''s not the same. My power was gone right away, so this is different."

    "Don''t worry so much about it," Duvessa said. "It''s been funky since the berries. It''ll settle down in a few more days."

    Seth thought that was possible. His own magic was acting differently. But that didn''t explain the shadow dogs that attacked them. The most reasonable explanation was someone else with the same power.

    Seth also knew summoning solid shadows was a very rare talent. Whether the summoner was a stranger with the same talent or this was Duvessa''s talent in a thief''s hands, Seth didn''t know which was more likely. Both were outliers in probability.

    If her power was being stolen, and Arnold thought it was, it meant the thief had a new method, or there was another thief. The thought that there could be another thief was alarming.

    Jumping to conclusions wasn''t smart. They should work through this and find the right answer, not the easy one.

    "I''m not convinced," Seth said to Duvessa. "I was under the impression your talent was pretty rare."

    "We could find out if it''s her power," Selendrith said.

    That had everyone''s attention. Even Blaise paused in her pacing. Selendrith shrunk a little under the scrutiny.

    "Well? Are you gonna explain that?" Booth asked.

    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    "Oh, of course. The exams at the end of the semester have signature testing. The professor doing the testing can absorb a portion of a spell and compare it to another absorbed portion and identify if the same person cast the spells," Selendrith explained. "You all should have had a mana signature taken when you were granted your keys."

    "Yeah, I remember that. It was in a jar or something?" Owen said.

    "How do you know that?" Seth asked.

    Selendrith looked puzzled and raised an eyebrow at Seth. "How do you not know that? It''s in the student handbook. It describes the whole process."

    Seth had completely forgotten about that stupid handbook. He really needed to get around to reading it. Later.

    "Never mind that. What do we need to do to test this? Can we go back to where those shadow dogs were?" Seth asked.

    "Unless the dogs are still there, that won''t do anything. Mana doesn''t keep a signature after the spell is completed. You would need to capture a portion of an active spell, and then compare it to what''s in Duvessa''s jar," Selendrith said.

    "I wanna know why they gotta check our mana at tests," Booth said. "What difference does your signature make?"

    "It''s to prevent cheating," Selendrith explained. "A mana signature is unique to a person and can''t be duplicated by any known means. Whereas someone could have a twin, or use an illusion, or some other method of pretending to be the student, and cast the spells in their place. There could even be unknown artifacts that would let something like that happen."

    "How complicated of a spell do we need to cast to capture another spell?" Blaise asked.

    "Oh, you can''t use a spell," Selendrith said. "That would just make the result the signature of the person who cast it. They have gulliants, these little spike things, in Administration that are really sensitive to magic and will absorb the signature of a spell they touch. Each one can only be used once though."

    "So how does it work then?" Booth asked. "We get one of these spike things and we stab it into one of the shadows, and then what? Is there another spell to check it?"

    "I''m not really clear on that," Selendrith admitted. "The description in the handbook says that the gulliant will change color when touched by personal mana and will darken when checked against that person''s recorded signature."

    "Recorded, meaning the jars they took," Blaise asked.

    "That''s right," Selendrith said, nodding.

    "That sounds like it just needs to be touched by the same signature again," Seth said. "So if we can get one, we could have Duvessa cast on it, and then we''d touch it to another shadow, and if it darkens, it''s hers."

    "Oh, that would make contamination easier to deal with," Blaise said.

    Selendrith was shaking her head. "Touching other spells would still contaminate it. It just wouldn''t darken."

    "Well, we just don''t cast then!" Duvessa said.

    "There are hundreds of active spells all over the place," Selendrith said. "Light spells for the streetlights. Locking spells. Privacy wards. Temperature spells. Most of these are on objects or formations, but they are still effectively spells. I would still be worried about contamination."

    "We can work out the details later," Booth said. "We don''t know if we can even get those spike things. Can we get them ourselves?"

    "They are called ''gulliants.'' I think they are grown on a sea creature," Selendrith said.

    "So, we can''t just go pick some then," Blaise said.

    "We talked about not leaving campus for a while," Owen said. "We shouldn''t go picking anything anyway."

    "Right. We should just turn this over to the Circle Tower anyway," Duvessa said. "I''ll talk to them tonight."

    "About the Circle Tower," Booth said.

    "Yeah," Owen said. "That isn''t going to work."

    "Now what?" Blaise demanded.

    "So, yesterday¡­" Seth gave the girls a brief explanation of what he''d seen in Professor Marjorie''s office. "I''m certain the image of your mana tree is wrong, Blaise. Arnold might ask to see the copy you have."

    "Oh, that''s right! Everyone got one!" Duvessa said. "But yours was wrong too, Seth?"

    "Yeah, and the color copy of mine that the guy did was ruined when the yellow ink was sprayed everywhere." Seth glanced up at Mau. She was the one that had caused a lot of that mess.

    Mau was standing on the tree branch and meowing at Reginald. He was still copying everything she did and was pretending to stand on all fours, his wings touching the sides of the branch he was standing on.

    "Stupid say it!" Reginald said. "Stupid say it! Jay jay jay jay."

    It wasn''t unusual for Reginald to yell nonsense or for Mau to be annoyed at him. Everyone ignored them.

    "So we can''t trust what the Circle Tower is doing," Seth concluded. "But if we can get the gulliants from them, that would simplify things."

    "They told me it was burnout from overusing the pendant," Blaise said. "They also said they would do more testing. I thought at the time they were trying to be reassuring and not telling me the whole truth."

    "Arnold is convinced it''s theft," Duvessa said. "Mine included. That means at least some people on that research team must think so, too."

    "Saben was told it was burnout too," Seth said. "Arnold''s power was lost for a while, but he got it back. He didn''t want to talk to me about it much."

    "I''d say it''s clear that part is all bullshit," Booth said. "Marjorie is blocking finding answers. We can''t leave it for the Tower."

    Reginald was still repeating, "Jay jay jay jay, stupid! Stupid cat!" Nobody paid him any mind.

    "Alright. So we''ll ask at the Circle Tower for gulliants, and if they give us some, we''ll find more shadows and check them to see if it is Duvessa''s power. Booth, you''re going to see if you can get answers out of Arnold. Is that right?" Seth asked and got general agreement.

    "If someone else has Duvessa''s power, does that mean someone has mine?" Blaise asked.

    "It would be easy to see if someone had your power, Blaise," Selendrith said.

    "Yeah, they''d be wet," Booth said. "We gotta find out if that''s what''s happening. We should get proof."

    "You should ask Arnold about getting new tree readings," Owen said. "If the ones they have are messed up, they''ll do new ones, right?"

    "Yeah, I can do that," Booth said.

    That was feeling settled, for now. Next thing. "Duvessa," Seth said, "we wanted to ask if you knew who Lord Thurstan was? Or maybe you Selendrith? He was one of the names you mentioned was erased from your bookkeeping."

    "Hmm. I do remember him," Duvessa said. "He''d lost his wife some months back. There were a lot of people talking about it. I think she was murdered? It was sad, and I didn''t really want to hear much about it."

    "Murdered?" Booth asked. "Did he murder her?"

    "Oh, no. He was devastated," Duvessa said. "One of her guests killed her and some other people and burned her house down. Lord Thurstan wasn''t there at the time."

    Seth felt really cold all of a sudden.

    "He''s rebuilding her house. It''s out the north tunnel, on the Mariglade side. She was the lady of a farming estate, and there''s a small village there. Ah, Lady Jonetta. That was her name."

    Seth had trouble catching a breath. Lady Jonetta''s estate was where his dad was murdered.

 70 - Vaults

    Seth was leaning against a tree in a far corner of the school campus, past the coliseum. Duvessa was still talking about Lord Thurstan to Blaise, Selendrith, Owen, and Booth, but Seth wasn''t listening anymore.

    Instead he was remembering an explosion of fire and concussive force, the lady''s house breaking around him, the light of flames, the smell of smoke and burning hair and flesh.

    He felt like he was tasting the ashes again.

    Then Mau landed heavily on his shoulder, snapping him out of the memory. He grabbed hold of her and hugged her tightly.

    She bit him.

    It was just a little nip, but the shock of needle-like teeth and unexpected betrayal startled him enough that he dropped her. She didn''t fall. Instead, she clung to his clothes and climbed up to rub her face against his cheek. She was right, of course. She had snapped him out it and brought him back to now. He hugged her again, gently this time, and stroked her fur. Simply holding her was calming, and petting her was soothing.

    Mau was watching him, and he had no doubt she would bite him again if he couldn''t sort himself out. He chuckled a little. She would protect him, even from himself.

    The others were still talking, and he ignored them. He didn''t want to remember that day, but this was important. Seth sat down against the tree and continued to pet Mau. He tried to sort out what he knew, and how what happened then might affect now. He tried to be as detached in his thinking as he could.

    Saben was at school then. Seth had gone with his dad and Gavin to meet with Lady Jonetta. Gavin was a Palace guard who had been friends with Seth''s family for years.

    Seth thought his dad had become friends with Gavin when they lived at the Palace. It was possible they''d been friends longer than that, but Seth didn''t know.

    Seth had liked Gavin. He was friendly and kind. His betrayal was devastating. Gavin had died along with everyone else when he exploded the house. Seth still had no idea why Gavin had done that.

    Seth didn''t know the lady. He''d been introduced when they''d first arrived and then left to his own devices in a parlor. He also didn''t know what business his dad was meeting with her for or who the other people in the room were.

    Lord Thurstan wasn''t there. Seth hadn''t known about him. But he was involved now, and was apparently a business associate of Benjamin''s. Seth didn''t know if that meant that Benjamin worked for him, if he was a client of Benjamin''s, or how that relationship worked.

    Seth supposed it wasn''t strange that Benjamin would know and work with Lord Thurstan. Benjamin was one of the first people to arrive at the manor house when it was on fire. He was also the first one to help Seth immediately after. Since Lord Thurstan was Lady Jonetta''s husband, then of course they knew each other.

    But what were they doing?

    Saben had advised Seth to leave it alone and not try to find out why Gavin had killed Dad. Saben said he''d deal with it, and at the time Seth had been willing to leave it at that. It had been too hard to deal with back then.

    It was still hard now, but things were changing. That mess wasn''t resolved. Sooner or later, Seth would have to deal with it, hard or not.

    Before he left Rosia, Saben had been really uneasy. Seth wondered if Saben had discovered something, and he agreed to leave Rosia because what he knew was dangerous. He''d advised Seth to stay at school and implied that the campus would be safest.

    How did any of this connect to Blaise? Or Arnold? Why them? Why Duvessa now? Was Duvess''s situation something else?

    And then there was Chicky-Chicky, the wyvern hidden beneath the East Well that Gavin had been feeding. That thing was alive and had escaped beneath the city. If it found a mana pool down there, it could evolve into a dragon before they saw that thing again.

    With a silent apology to Blaise, Seth really hoped Brand found the wyvern and killed it.

    Why would Gavin do that? Why put the city at risk like that?

    Then Seth had a new thought. What if Gavin was actually working for someone in the Palace? He was a Palace Guard, could he be working under orders? But whose?

    Seth really needed to talk to Saben. But so far, his brother hadn''t answered a single one of his letters and Seth was getting worried.

    "Hey!" Isaac called out as he approached the group, bringing Seth''s attention back to the group.

    Seth gave an annoyed snort at the sight of his roommate. Dealing with Isaac was so hot and cold for Seth. Sometimes he was fine and friendly, and others he was rude and difficult. Mau made the same noise, clearly agreeing with him.

    "You guys weren''t at dinner. I was worried." Isaac looked around with his hands on his hips. His gaze lingered on Seth and then Duvessa for a moment longer than anyone else.

    "Is it that late already?" Blaise asked and looked up at the sky. The sun had long passed behind the mountains but the campus lighting masked the darkening sky.

    "Damn, we missed it? I''m hungry," Booth said.

    Duvessa stood up and brushed off her hands. "I planned for this," she said, and retrieved a large basket from behind the bench. "I planned our lesson to be a picnic, but I couldn''t find a good spot for the blanket. We''ll just have to eat standing."

    "If people scootch over, there might be enough room on the benches," Selendrith said.

    "Your roommate was looking for you, Booth. And did you say ''lesson,'' Duvessa?" Isaac asked.

    "I did! We are learning new things! Oh wait." Duvessa turned to Selendrith. "Is it okay to talk to Isaac about this? I don''t think he was there when we were making the rules."

    "I wasn''t," Isaac confirmed and looked to Selendrith.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    "If he is willing to abide by the same rules as everyone else, I''ll show him too. It''s not actually a secret. Professor Laur talked about it in class. He just hasn''t demonstrated it," Selendrith said.

    "Right!" Duvessa clapped her hands and rubbed them together. "If you want lessons, Isaac, you need to agree to find three spells that Selendrith has not seen before and teach them to her. You can find the spells later. Do you like bacon?"

    "Bacon? What¨C" Isaac started.

    "Tuna!" Blaise shouted. "How did you get tuna?" She was handing out paper-wrapped sandwiches and had just opened one herself. "We''re in the mountains!"

    Duvessa waved her hand airily. "We are at a magic school. Use your imagination."

    Owen piped up, "That guy Elias from the Celestial Tower got it for her. His familiar likes tuna too."

    "Hush!" Duvessa scolded Owen. "Don''t give away my best secrets!"

    Seth watched Owen actually blush and mumble an apology. Blaise walked over to him and gave him a sandwich and a hip chuck.

    "I appreciate it. I love seafood and I never get it," Blaise said.

    Owen looked from Blaise to the sandwich to Duvessa and back to Blaise who was still leaning against him. He blushed more.

    Mau was watching them too, and she made a soft wheezing noise that Seth thought was her laughing.

    Blaise handed out the rest of the sandwiches, including a wrapped fish for Mau and a small bag of nuts and grapes for Reginald, and sat on the stone bench next to Duvessa.

    Seth''s sandwich had bacon on it. And lettuce, and something green that he didn''t recognize. It was delicious.

    "So," Blaise said, her mouth full of a bite of tuna sandwich as she tried to chew, swallow, and talk at the same time, "you gotta agree, Isaac. Three new spells for special lessons on mana control."

    Isaac was looking skeptically at the sandwich he hadn''t unwrapped yet. "What do you mean spells?"

    After a moment of silence, Selendrith looked uncomfortable but answered. "I''m a student of the Ten Thousand. I''m trying to grow my library. I would like three spells not currently in my library in exchange for teaching mana manipulation using a mana vault."

    "I don''t have a mana vault and I''m not really interested in learning that," Isaac said. "Would you mind if I just hung out for a bit and ate my sandwich?"

    "Sure!" Duvessa said. Blaise and Owen shrugged.

    Selendrith scowled and narrowed her eyes at Isaac. "Just for today, I suppose."

    Selendrith gave them all a lecture on manipulation practices. Professor Laur had taught many of the same things in their Structured Magic class but in more general terms. Selendrith focused on specific methods of not using talents to get the same effect.

    A person''s talent was their source of mana and most of their magic power. Seth could have his talent conjure a little wind even without any gestures or words. That wind wouldn''t do anything specific, but he could call it.

    Owen used his talent without any words or gestures. That was one of the problems they were having with it. They didn''t know the source of the power and so couldn''t channel it properly. Once Owen learned the cantrips in the book Professor Kaban had given him, that Seth had finished learning and could now teach, they should find one that resonated with his talent.

    The nature of a talent was its aspect. Seth''s was wind, Duvessa''s was shadow, Blaise''s was water. Booth hadn''t explained his, but it was probably stone.

    According to Selendrith, a person''s talent did most of the work when casting a spell. Casting a spell without using talents would be significantly harder.

    "It''s like trying to write a letter with your mouth instead of your hand. You can do it, but it''ll be messy and difficult. It''ll take a lot of practice to do it right," Selendrith said.

    "Why would you want to?" asked Booth. "Just cast normally."

    "In Blaise''s case, she doesn''t have a talent anymore. She has to do it this way," Selendrith said.

    "Right," Booth said in embarrassment. Selendrith continued.

    Mana in a vault was usually preferred to be unaspected, meaning it wasn''t mana from a talent. Blaise''s pendant was different on purpose. If a vault was unaspected, it could be used in any circumstance the wizard needed it to while aspected mana could only be used for an aspected purpose. This came back to the idea that you don''t want to use lightning mana to cast a healing spell.

    When using a talent to cast a spell, you did not have to use it aspected, it was just easier if you did. That was why when someone with a fire aspect tried to use the Copy Spell for the first time, their aspect leaked in and they lit papers on fire.

    However, when filling a mana vault, using a talent always aspected the mana. Its nature would invariably leak in, contaminating the whole vault.

    "So what''s your aspect, Selendrith?" Isaac asked.

    "Hmm, I''m not going to answer that," Selendrith said.

    Seth thought she looked offended at the question. She was the one who found power questions rude in their discussions earlier.

    "Let''s go on into attunements and how they work with vaults," Selendrith said instead.

    Attunements were different from aspects. An attunement was a personal connection to mana. In short, it was a mana signature. A person always had an attunement to mana produced by their talent, and that mana was always easy to use.

    To use the mana in a vault, you needed to be attuned to that mana. There were a few ways to accomplish this.

    One, you could put mana directly from your talent into the vault. That was what Blaise had done with her pendant. That would result in aspected mana inside the vault, which was less desirable but fast and easy. Not all vaults would allow you to do this. Also, to change the vault to unaspected mana, you''d need to drain it completely and refill it.

    Two, you could use an attuned formation to fill the vault with ambient mana. This was the most common practice. For someone else to use the vault, it must be emptied first and refilled with mana attuned to the new person.

    The third method was similar to the second, but instead of using an attuned formation, you used an attuned vault. That was very simple to do. All it took was to have your name carved into the vault and channel a small amount of mana into your name. The problem with that was no one else could use the vault unless they had the same name and took ownership of it. It also restricted the vaults to objects that could have a name carved into them. Some vault types couldn''t accept any carvings on them. Since it was the vault that was attuned, any generic formation could fill the vault. And some, like in the case of Seth''s amulet, could refill themselves from the ambient atmospheric mana over time.

    Seth examined his amulet as Selendrith gave her lecture. His name was carved on it, and so was Saben''s. Either of them could use the amulet by changing its attunement. Mau''s amulet was smaller, and she didn''t have her name at the time, so hers wouldn''t have any name on it. He looked over to where she was happily making a mess of her fish and left her be. He could always check it later.

    After explaining vaults, Selendrith pulled out a tool. It was a small spoon made of clear stone with a Y instead of a single handle.

    "This is a crutch," Selendrith explained. "It forms a connection between a vault and a person without using talents. By practicing with this, you can learn to use unaspected mana from a vault without tapping into your talent to do it for you. To use it, you''d put your vault in the bowl and the Y against your skin. I find it easier to use if it''s right on your chest, but anywhere would work."

    Vaults required skin contact to work. You couldn''t have one in a pocket, or even in your hair, and have it work. It had to be directly on your skin, like a ring, or Selendrith''s earrings.

    Blaise practiced the most with it before Duvessa asked for a turn. She had a black and silver chain wrapped around her wrist that she used with the crutch.

    "Oh, this is hard," Duvessa said. "It doesn''t want to go on its own. It feels like I''m trying to make water move on my arm by making my skin wiggle."

    Owen had joined Booth on the blanket and they were talking quietly. Isaac sat next to Selendrith and just watched silently.

    "Hey, can I have a go?" Seth asked the next time Duvessa complained.

    "Sure," Duvessa said. Seth glanced at Selendrith who also nodded.

    Seth accepted the crutch and settled down to give it a go.

 71 - Using a Crutch

    Seth examined the crutch Duvessa handed him. It was completely clear and smooth. There were no apparent carvings on it at all. There had to be some somewhere, Seth knew. How else would they be able to put spells on an item? But however it was done, Seth couldn''t see it.

    Feeling self-conscious, Seth glanced around at the others. Duvessa was back next to Blaise, and Blaise was asking her if she could find clams. Booth and Owen were chatting to each other, too. Selendrith was watching Seth with clinical curiosity while Isaac stared at him suspiciously.

    Seth tucked the crutch inside his shirt collar where it would be out of sight and put his amulet in the bowl. He didn''t want Isaac to see it, even though he''d probably seen it before. Seth didn''t want any questions about it.

    He wasn''t sure if he had established an attunement to the mana in the amulet. He''d used it, and Saben had gone over instructions for it when he first got it, but Seth couldn''t remember everything that they did. He mostly remembered being amazed at such a powerful gift and surprised at what Saben had done with the enormous leopard''s horns.

    Not sure what would happen, he tried to feel for the mana in the amulet through the crutch. The crutch worked almost exactly like the wussticks and it made using and channeling mana easier. In this case, the crutch was facilitating the connection from Seth to the amulet. But that connection wasn''t exclusive.

    Seth''s own mana was still present, and perhaps by habit, the first and easiest to reach for.

    Using mana had been uncomfortable to the point of pain since the mountain. The more he used his talent, the more it hurt. Structured spells relied less on his talent and so hurt less.

    He explored the feeling a little more and tried to sort out what was going on. His talent hurt. Whatever the berries had done, his talent felt wounded by it and was more unruly than usual. It wasn''t as bad as it had been, but the mana provided by the talent was still achy.

    But with the crutch there, he could feel the other source of mana, one that didn''t hurt to use. He could pull on that mana, but then¡­ nothing. He made the motions and said the incant, but couldn''t move the mana into the spell.

    It was as if Seth''s talent normally cast spells, and not Seth himself. But that was a ridiculous thought, because his talent was himself.

    Well, talents could be stolen. So maybe the talents were something that could cast spells that people could call on. Just like you could do things with your hand, and your hand could be severed.

    So then, a vault was like a second hand. The off hand, that was never quite as skilled as the dominant hand.

    One of the things that Professor Laur often repeated in the Structured Magic class was the need for clarity of thought and intent. Maybe Seth just wasn''t being clear enough with what he wanted for the ''off hand'' mana to function?

    Seth thought about that for a bit. When writing with an off hand, you had to think about each line as you drew a letter. With your main hand, you just had to think of the letter and your hand drew it. And spells were more complicated than simple letters. So if he needed to go through each little piece of the spell in order, wow. He''d need to know the spells way better than he did. He realized there was a lot of wiggle room in the accuracy of most of the spells he knew. That was probably why these were all cantrips. The only higher tier spell he knew was the Copy Spell, and even that was on the lower end of medium.

    He decided to try the Breeze spell. It was simple, it was well aligned with his talent, and it was the first spell he''d ever learned. Saben had taught it to him when Seth first discovered his talent had manifested. Most of the students in the Wind Tower had learned it from scratch in under half an hour, compared to two weeks of study for the Copy spell.

    Normally when he cast it, he''d just think about where he wanted the air to move to. He didn''t normally think of where the air was coming from, or where it would go after. The time he''d tried to get fancy with moving the air, he''d been trying to use it to keep the rain off. But instead, he''d just been cycling wet air back at himself. That had been both painful and embarrassing.

    Then he also needed to consider timing the gestures with the cadence of the words. A big part of casting spells was putting the mana into the gestures. In Seth''s mind, casting cantrips was the same as writing a sigil in the air with mana and speaking a command. That was the way most people thought of spells, and how they were described in the cantrip book.

    Saben had described casting as a song and dance of mana. It was sound and movement with purpose and cadence. He was always telling Seth to listen. While Seth understood, he never really got it.

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    Professor Isolde often scolded students for tracing spell geometry in the wrong order even when they got the shape right. That got Seth thinking about the star charts he''d studied with his father. The stars were always named in order through a constellation. Seth traced the sigil for Breeze, imagining it as a constellation and hitting each star in order. That felt right. Okay, next piece. He traced through the spell, thinking star, syllable, star, syllable, star.

    That wasn''t quite right, but it felt close. Then he remembered intent. He needed to have the right intent at each spot in the spell. He practiced it again. It was too jerky to work that way. He practiced it slower until it felt smooth. Then he turned his attention back to the crutch and the amulet.

    Seth reached out for the mana in the amulet. He could feel the crutch acting as an avenue for the mana to travel. He concentrated on the difference in avenues for mana in the crutch. He found reaching past his talent mana easy because it was so sensitive. He paid attention to how the crutch was connecting from the vault to the spell as he cast it.

    The mana obeyed his call. Tiny, steady sips of mana at the points of the stars, flowing into the words and the next star, and becoming the shape of Seth''s intent. It was the very thing he''d been fighting with his talent over since his power manifested.

    And a soft whisper of air moved, ruffling Mau''s fur and tousling Selendrith''s hair.

    "You did it?" Selendrith was incredulous. "Already?"

    "How did you know that was from my vault?" Seth asked.

    "Because the crutch prevents it from working the other way," Selendrith said. "Unless you were not using it?"

    "No, I was. I think that''s the only spell I can get to work. It''s the only one I know well enough," Seth said.

    "How did you do that?" Blaise demanded. "I''ve been practicing all week. I''ve spent hours on this, and you get it in what, ten minutes?"

    "Here, try it again," Seth said and handed over the crutch.

    "Show off. You''re gonna try it without the crutch," Booth said. He was smirking.

    Mau meowed at Blaise and tried to take the crutch.

    "Oh, that''s so cute!" Duvessa declared. "Little kitty wants to cast magic too!"

    Mau growled. Seth knew that Mau didn''t think she was being cute, and she was actually mad she wasn''t being granted a turn.

    "How were you able to get that to work?" Blaise demanded as she put her pendant in the crutch. She completely ignored the cat who was still growling.

    "Your own mana is much easier to reach for, and the first thing you''ll feel. You have to go past it to the vault, or like Selendrith says, it won''t work. You also have to be really, really precise with the spell. Talents let you cast so sloppily. I think they help out even with structured magic, making all magic somewhat unstructured. If you try to cast sloppy it won''t work," Seth explained. He described what it felt like to reach past his talent to the vault and then how to move through the spell a bit at a time.

    "Talents do make casting easier," Selendrith said. "I told you form was important."

    "You never explained how important," Blaise complained. "I thought I could just cast any spell I''d cast before the same way, because they''ve always worked before. I thought my hangup was only connecting to the pendant, not casting the spell entirely."

    If Seth''s talent hadn''t been so sensitive, he might not have noticed the difference either.

    Selendrith just shrugged. "I explained it to you how it was explained to me."

    Seth gave them all a lesson on casting Breeze, and they both got a chance to practice with the crutch. Blaise was finally successful in using the crutch, but only Seth was able to cast without it. Duvessa still struggled with the crutch. At Seth''s request, Mau did get a turn to her delight. She didn''t cast any spells, to no one''s surprise. But she was happy anyway.

    "Since we''re wrapping up now," Isaac said, "I wanted to talk to you, Duvessa."

    "I''ve already heard this conversation," Booth said. "Catch you later."

    "Don''t forget your roommate was looking for you," Isaac said. "You leaving too, Seth?"

    That was a very unsubtle hint. "Sure. I''ll head out with Booth. You''re done Mau, come on." Seth handed the crutch back to Selendrith. "Thank you for the lesson."

    "You took to it really easily," Selendrith said.

    "Just lucky, I think," Seth said. There were a lot of things he didn''t want to mention in front of Isaac. The others were friends with him, but Seth didn''t feel that comfortable. Maybe if things settled down between Seth and Arnold, things would be friendlier for him with Isaac too.

    Seth followed Booth towards the dorms. He wondered for a moment if Mau was going to follow him or stay with the others, but she trotted after him. Apparently, she wasn''t worried about what Isaac had to say, or she expected Duvessa to just tell them later.

    The boys chatted a bit on their way back to their rooms. Seth was hoping to get to use the desk for a bit before Isaac returned. Booth said he was going right to bed because he was tired and didn''t get good sleep.

    Sitting on the top stair at the landing to Booth''s floor was Booth''s roommate.

    "Man. I''ve been looking for you all over, and waiting for ages." The boy stood up and backed out of the way so Booth could pass.

    "You didn''t look that hard. I''ve been on campus all day," Booth said.

    "I was supposed to tell you that you''ve got a message. In the room. You should go alone."

    Seth didn''t like how shifty the boy looked. "What kind of message?"

    The boy looked at Seth. "The kind that means trouble."

 72 - About the Ring

    Booth''s roommate was a squirrelly bastard, and I didn''t like it. The kid was super sus, all sweaty and shifty. Considering our recent adventures, I had an inkling what this message was about. So did the boys.

    "What did you do, you asshole?" Booth demanded of his roommate.

    "Nothing! I didn''t do anything! He just said to give you a message!" the backstabbing punk insisted.

    "Who?" Seth asked. "Who gave you that message?"

    "Nobody! This is none of my business, and leave me out of it!" The kid hustled down the stairs.

    "Hey, what the fuck, man?" Booth called after him.

    "Do we get a professor first, or read the message and then take it to a professor?" Seth asked.

    "Snitching is your first thought? Really?" Booth eyed him consideringly. "We gonna have to fix that mindset. No wonder you''re on probation." Booth shook his head. "We read it first and we don''t squeal at all. I''m not a rat." Booth ruffled through his pockets and pulled out a small knife he then concealed in his palm. "Let''s go."

    Seth followed, and I decided to hop down. I would have more flexibility of movement when walking on my own paws.

    The door to Booth''s room was open a crack. Not a good sign. I crept right between Booth''s feet when he pushed the door open.

    There was a guy sitting backwards on the chair at the desk, facing the door. It was that blond pirate-looking guy from the Skull Gang. He held a handful of papers he''d taken from the desk.

    "Hey, Booth," the guy said, sounding genuinely friendly. "Your handwriting sucks. I can hardly read most of this."

    "What the fuck are you doing in my room, Jimmy?" Booth demanded.

    "Shut the door. We need to talk." Jimmy gestured at Seth. "Your buddy can wait outside. I told your little roommate that I only wanted you."

    "No, Seth you stay," Booth said. "I''m not gonna be in a locked room alone with you, Jimmy."

    I scooted under one of the beds in the room. I wasn''t sure if Skull Dude Jimmy had seen me, and I''d rather he not notice me. If he made a stink, at least I''d be around to back up Booth.

    Jimmy put his hand to his chest, "I''m hurt. Seriously, kid, I''m not here to break knees. Not today, anyway."

    "I''ll stay," Seth said. He stood behind Booth and leaned against the closed door.

    Jimmy''s gaze landed on Seth and stayed there. The guy suddenly got real tense, and a moment later he acted relaxed again. Something about Seth bothered this guy and made him nervous.

    "All right. As a show of good faith that I genuinely mean no harm, your friend can stay." Jimmy dropped the papers on the desk. "I meant what I said about your handwriting. I''ve wondered how you managed to get into this school. Your talent isn''t exactly amazing." Jimmy eyed Booth and waited.

    "None of your business," Booth said flatly.

    "Aww, don''t be like that. I know a few kids with rinky dink powers that could benefit from a fancy school like this."

    "That doesn''t sound like a ''me'' problem. What do you want Jimmy?" Booth demanded.

    "Well, I''ve got a situation, and in my mind, it very much is a ''you'' problem."

    "Is this about the ring?" Booth asked.

    Jimmy nodded. His smile faded and his tone turned serious. "You don''t know what you took. We need that back, and we need it back now."

    "Why don''t you guys just make another one? That one shoulda run out ages ago," Booth said.

    "As I said, you don''t know what you took. You''re going to need to give it back."

    "I don''t have it. One of the guards took it from Matthius. I haven''t seen it since."

    "Then you need to go get it."

    "No, I don''t. Come on man. That wasn''t the first time I swiped one of those. What''s the big deal with this?"

    Jimmy spun a ring on his finger that looked just like my ring. He considered Booth and Seth for a long moment before he explained, "The skull rings are copies made from a master ring."

    Fucking little green apples. No wonder my ring never stopped working. Booth stole the master ring! Oh oh oh, and I can make copies! I couldn''t wait to try that out. This was a crazy powerful ring. I had no intention of turning it over. Not ever.

    It didn''t take the boys long to catch on to that either.

    "It was another ring that did that?" Booth asked. "I know people called it an artifact, but I thought it was bullshit that you made up to look all mysterious." Booth waggled his fingers. "You know how rumors are. I thought you were lying about it and had somebody that could do temporary enchantments."

    "Nope. You swiped the real deal."

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    Artifacts were something people hadn''t actually explained around me, but I''d gathered a few things about them. They were somewhat rare, usually unique in some way, and performed some specific task. As far as I knew, they could only be found in the Below. The kids, including Arnold, thought the power thefts were happening courtesy of an artifact.

    As for what exactly the Below was and why there were artifacts there? I had no idea. I felt I could spend decades here and not uncover even half of the crazy shit around. The whole Below thing was a facinating topic I would be exploring in detail, but not right now. Today we were chasing different mice.

    "So you used the master ring to make the temporary ones that you handed out." Booth looked at the skull ring Jimmy was wearing. "And you made the rings all the same to hide the master ring."

    Jimmy nodded. "And the guy that gave us that artifact wants payment. An act of service, if you will, and we need that ring."

    "As I said, we don''t have it. It''s gotta be in the Palace. There''s no way for us to get that back."

    "You need to figure that out."

    "No, I don''t. I''m sorry about the artifact. I thought I was swiping temporary junk. But I ain''t got it, and I can''t get it. It''s not my problem."

    Jimmy glanced at Seth, who was still standing quietly by the door.

    "I''ll be blunt, Booth. Once Matthius is out, the gang isn''t going to be as kind to you as I am. You have until sundown on Sunday to get that ring back. If you don''t, we''ll have a new pledge do it. I think you might know him, a kid about eleven or so. Spunky. He''s got quite the mouth."

    "You fucker," Booth breathed. "You leave Hayfield alone."

    Well, shit. The gang sniffing around Booth''s wayward brother was this one. I might just be losing my magic ring after all. I wasn''t going to let a kid bite it over a piece of bling.

    "The shadow dogs were yours," Seth suddenly piped up. "Last night. You were the one controlling those dogs that tried to grab Booth."

    Jimmy''s eyebrows shot up. He looked startled, but he looked surprised startled, not confused startled. It only lasted an instant before he had his expression schooled again, but I caught it. He knew what Seth was talking about, and that meant yes. The Skull Gang at the very least knew about the shadow dogs. And if they knew about them, then chances were they controlled them.

    "Shadow summoning is a Ravenshroud talent. You should talk to your friend, not me," Jimmy said.

    Booth glanced sharply at Seth, and made the same connections quick enough. "Nah, I''m pretty sure it was you guys," Booth said. "And I think you stole Duvessa''s power."

    "Did you take other powers?" Seth demanded. "Do you have Blaise''s water power? What did you do with it?"

    "You boys are asking some dangerous questions," Jimmy said, staring at Seth. "I don''t know shit, and I''m not telling you shit."

    "I bet that''s another artifact," Booth said, "to be able to take power like that."

    "Two artifacts?" Seth asked. "Who''s the dealer you''re working for? Is he the one stealing other powers?"

    Jimmy stood up and turned to Booth. "You need to shut your mouths. If you poke that nest, you won''t walk away. I''m serious. You''re kids, but if you get mixed up in that shit, they''ll kill you and everyone standing near you."

    "You''re actually nervous," Booth said, surprised.

    "You have until Sunday, Booth. Get the ring back, or we send your brother to do it."

    "If the ring is so important, why are you trusting us to get it? Why aren''t you doing it yourself?" Seth asked.

    "It would be real inconvenient for Matthius if we were to get caught up in that mess right now. You caused the mess, so you get to fix it," Jimmy said. "And personally, I''d rather you risking a prison cell than me."

    "There is no possible way for anyone to break into the Palace and steal a single ring in two days," Seth said. "We have no idea where the ring is, and no way of getting into the Palace."

    "Those don''t sound like ''me'' problems," Jimmy said. "I will give you this, though. There''s a big party happening there on Sunday afternoon. Beyond that, you figure it out."

    Jimmy opened the door. "See you Sunday at sunset." He walked out.

    The boys were quiet for almost a full minute. Me too. That was a lot.

    We got as good as confirmed that the Skull Gang had the missing pieces of Duvessa''s power. And I bet they had direct connections then to the power thief. And they were scared of the thief. That bit worried me. There was a lot of crazy that could happen here.

    And then there was the ring. I would totally give it up before I''d let something happen to Booth''s siblings. But the problem with blackmail was that it never stopped. We turn over the ring, and then they''d just demand the next thing. Hmm. I had the inkling of a plan that I would totally try out first. It had some serious flaws, though, but it might work out well enough.

    "We need to tell a professor," Seth said.

    "Oh, fuck no. I will beat the shit out of you myself if you go squawking," Booth growled. He lifted his fist like he''d punch Seth.

    Uh, that''s a hard nope, kid. Maybe Seth isn''t the one you''re really mad at, but I''m not gonna tolerate that. I growled loudly and scooted forward with my back arched.

    "No, Mau, it''s fine." Seth reached for me but I scuttled sideways away from him. I continued to growl at Booth. Dude doesn''t get to threaten my pet wizard.

    Booth and I glared at each other. Finally Booth looked away. "Fuck. What is a professor going to do? They go in and talk to the Skulls, or even burn the place down and capture everyone they can. It only takes one or two guys to get away and know it was me that got them busted. Nobody is going to keep an eye on my sibs. The minute the professors are done and go home, my family is dead."

    "We know what happened to Duvessa''s power. We can''t keep that a secret," Seth said.

    "It''s an artifact. Maybe we can steal it like I stole the ring," Booth said.

    "We''d need the ring first."

    "Yeah. But we can use it to make copies before we give it back, right?"

    "You seriously think we can get the ring back from the Palace?" Seth said, incredulous.

    "If I don''t try, they''ll make Hayfield do it. If I do try and fail, they might not. I don''t see a choice in trying here," Booth said.

    Seth nodded. "I''m the only person you know who''s familiar with the Palace."

    "You''ll help?"

    Putrid pocky sticks. I had planned to spend my weekend hunting down familiars in the school and trying to steal their powers. You know, since the Menagerie was out of reach. Once again my nefarious plans are getting kaboshed.

    But the Palace is a good second choice. I can work with that.

    "We need a plan. A good plan, not a Duvessa plan. If the plan is good, then I''m in," Seth said. "I owe it to you. Should we talk to the others?"

    "Owen and Duvessa, probably. They were both willing to break into Selendrith''s shop."

    Seth agreed. "Blaise and Selendrith, I''m kinda thinking no. Blaise got real mad when she saw you stealing. And Isaac, definitely not."

    "All right. I''ll get Duvessa," Booth said and headed for the door.

    "No wait, let''s leave them be tonight. They''ve got enough to worry about already. We''ll get them in the morning. I want to think about this and get some plans ready first."

    I jumped up on Seth''s shoulder and rubbed my face on his cheek. I had some planning to do too.

 73 - Reproduce

    Seth headed up a floor to his own dorm room. Mau perched on his shoulder with her long tail wrapped around his neck.

    Booth was in some serious trouble. That guy, Jimmy, didn''t admit he took Duvessa''s shadows, but he didn''t really deny it either. Seth thought about ways they could be connected to Saben''s power loss too. If they could take her power and use it, then someone might have Saben''s and Blaise''s powers.

    Blaise''s power wasn''t subtle. Seth figured he just had to look at all the gang members and find the wet one.

    Unless they were the buyers and not the thieves. Could they be getting Duvessa''s powers from someone else?

    Seth opened the door to his dorm room to find Isaac already at the single desk.

    "Hey. I''ve got some work to get done, do you mind if I take the desk tonight?" Seth asked. Mau hopped to the floor and under the bed.

    "I''m working." Isaac didn''t glance at him.

    Seth sighed. Isaac was so much friendlier with everyone else around, and so curt with him when they were alone. Seth opened his trunk and pulled out his sleeping clothes. He supposed he could try to work on his bed. His ink bottle was an Everfull, though. If he fell asleep and it spilled, that would be a disaster.

    Maybe Isaac would be more cooperative if Seth could show that he was helping solve the thefts and not the one doing the stealing. "I was expecting Professor Marjorie to be redoing the mana tree readings in combat class today. I was surprised she didn''t."

    "They''ve locked down the mana tree and several other things." Isaac didn''t bother looking up.

    "What? Why?" Seth asked. "I''m sure Arnold told you about the professor having the wrong copies. Why wouldn''t they be fixing that?"

    "After the incident at the East Well, the faculty and the authorities are concerned about more attacks."

    "They think what happened at the Well was an attack?" Seth asked. He stared at Isaac''s back with one hand hovering over his trunk lock.

    "I don''t know what they think," Isaac said curtly. "The mana tree is unavailable until further notice. You do know that''s the only one left in the whole kingdom, right?" Isaac turned around to look at Seth. "All the others were destroyed."

    Seth puzzled that over for a bit. "Why would anyone care about a mana mapping tool? The only thing they do is make a picture of a mana tree, right? Why destroy those?"

    "How should I know?" Isaac turned back to the desk.

    Seth watched Isaac for a moment as Mau hopped up on the bed. Seth considered the small room. There was no way he could work out how to find that ring with Isaac here.

    "It''s my turn with the desk tonight, Isaac. You''ve had it all week."

    "Tough shit. I''m busy."

    Seth realized there was no win scenario here. Impulsively he shoved his clothes in his school bag. After locking his trunk he left the room and headed downstairs to outside, Mau trailing behind him.

    "I need a place to think. I have some things to talk to you about too, Mau. I don''t want people around." Seth considered the training rooms over the dining hall. He got shorter usage times with those than the other students, a drawback of being on probation. He didn''t want the hassle of needing to re-up the room even if the place wasn''t terribly crowded this late in the evening. There was the library, but that had the same drawbacks and was even less private. But it was quieter.

    He also had access to the Towers. The Circle Tower was a hard no. It was crowded and he''d be questioned. The Wind Tower was a strong possibility, but also crowded. He had a key to Fire, but wasn''t interested in going there. That left the Celestial Tower. It was the quietest space he knew of. Seth had only seen a handful of students there at any time, and quite often it was empty.

    As Seth headed to the Tower, he wondered if there were time restrictions on the Tower keys, preventing access off hours. That was the kind of thing that would be in the handbook that he still hadn''t read yet. Thankfully, the door opened for him.

    The common area was deserted. Seth circled the space until he spotted a reading alcove in a far corner. It had a couch and low table on a plush area rug and was tucked behind a bookcase. It felt very private. Perfect.

    Seth sat down on the rug in front of the table and pulled out paper and ink.

    Mau hopped onto the low table and watched him. "Meow," she said firmly.

    "I''m not doing homework. I need to figure out how to help Booth."

    ''Before,'' she signed and meowed again.

    "You want to talk about something before that?"

    ''Yes.''

    "I have no idea how we can do that."

    She tilted her head and looked disgusted.

    Seth felt sheepish. "We are having a conversation already, aren''t we?"

    Mau rolled her eyes and nodded.

    "Alright. What do you want to talk about?"

    She mimed biting him.

    "You want to know what I was upset about when you bit me?"

    ''Yes.''

    Yeah, he should tell Mau. Seth stared at the rug and briefly gave her an overview. He didn''t get into details, just named names and the major events. He told her his father had gone to meet Lord Thurstan''s wife, Lady Jonetta, when he was murdered by a long time family friend and Palace Guard named Gavin. He told her about Benjamin having rescued him. As much as he hated thinking about it and remembering, Seth knew it was the only way to finish it. These things were still causing problems for him, and could be dangerous to Saben too. As Seth told the story Mau climbed into his lap.

    She stayed put for a few minutes after he''d tapered off. Then she nuzzled his cheek and hopped back up on the table.

    ''Now. This. Mau.''

    "I don''t understand."

    ''Yes.''

    Seth stared at her blankly. "Yes I don''t understand?"

    ''Yes.''

    "You want me to understand something?"

    ''Yes.'' She made a rolling motion with her paw and then flicked her ear in ''Tell me more.''

    "Tell you more of what I don''t understand?"

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    ''No,'' the cat shook her head.

    "More."

    ''Yes.''

    "Oh! More signs!"

    ''Yes!'' Mau was emphatic.

    Seth thought about it for a moment. "We should probably figure out signs that don''t look like you''re dancing around when you try to talk to me."

    Mau nodded enthusiastically.

    "All right. How complicated can we get with this? I know you''re really smart, but this won''t be too much, right?"

    This time she showed teeth when she firmly said ''No.''

    "I''m sorry, that offended you?"

    ''Yes.''

    Of course it would. Seth knew better, too. He''d known for a while. "You''re not a three month old silver leopard cub, are you?" Seth said. "If you were, you''d be much too young to understand all this."

    Mau cocked her head, and nodded ''Yes,'' and then rolled her paw, ''more.''

    "Did you mean ''yes you are, and you''re more''? It''s the horns, isn''t it? What the big one had, those blue horns. They make you more than the silver leopard."

    Mau thought for a second before nodding.

    "You can understand everything, can''t you?"

    ''Yes.''

    "Do you think we should help Booth?"

    ''Yes. More.''

    "There''s more you want to say about that?"

    ''Yes.''

    "All right. Let''s work out a vocabulary. We''ll start with simple stuff, and a way for you to say you want to be more complicated about it. I don''t think we can make up signs for too much vocabulary tonight. We''d probably both forget it all by morning."

    Mau chuckled that wheezy laugh she had and they got to work.

    Over the course of the next couple of hours they worked out various signs and Mau also managed to convey that Professor Marjorie was being sabotaged. Seth had to write the name of every person he knew in the Circle Tower before Mau was able to get him to understand Jay was the culprit.

    "Jay! Is that why Reginald was saying ''Jay'' over and over? You were trying to get him to tell us that?"

    ''Yes!'' Mau growled in frustration as she nodded.

    "Reginald the Second is just a shadow of the original. He''s not terribly smart."

    Mau rolled her eyes and flexed the claws on one paw.

    "Oh, be nice. He''s not that bad."

    ''Next this,'' Mau tapped the paper.

    "Right. The Palace layout." Seth got to drawing the layout as best as he could remember it. Mau wanted every door, every window, and every closet on the drawing. Seth''s memory wasn''t that precise but he did his best. Then they discussed some strategies they could use to crash the party.

    "You know," Seth said, tapping thoughtfully on the map he''d drawn. "The easiest way to get inside is if we were supposed to be there."

    Mau''s ears were up and alert. ''Yes. Tell me more.''

    "Well, I can think of a couple of ways. Getting into the guardhouse long enough to search it is going to be the most tricky."

    ''Owen.''

    "Yeah, I''m thinking that too. So here''s what I''ve got for ideas¡­"

    It was after midnight when Seth put his papers and ink away. "We should go back." Seth didn''t want to. Isaac would probably raise a stink about being woken up and Seth was too tired to deal with it. He lay down on the thick rug for a moment.

    <hr>

    I looked at the kid as he literally passed out on the floor in under three seconds. He''s had a long couple of days, and the next few would probably be just as long.

    He knew I was more than a cat. He would figure out that I was more than the magic horned leopard too, I was sure. But we''d go with the ''horns are what''s special'' idea for now.

    I wasn''t completely fine with our current vocabulary, but the poor kid was starting to have trouble keeping track of some of the signs. We''d practice those and add more later.

    Right now I needed to figure out how this magic ring works. It can make duplicates? What shit! This thing was crazy.

    I wasn''t worried about Seth waking up and seeing me, so I just moved to the other side of the table.

    Okay! I channeled mana into the ring just like I did when using my amulet. Magic ring duplicate!

    Nothing.

    More mana then. Copy!

    Nope.

    I put everything I had into the ring.

    Reproduce! Spawn! Make babies!

    Nada.

    And now I was almost out of mana. Not that I had a ton. Would I need to channel mana from my amulet? I''d done that earlier today.

    While using the crutch earlier I realized that, for me at least, using a vault was the same as activating the healing power in Seth''s amulet. I was connecting my amulet to Seth''s in a similar way to how the crutch was connecting me to my amulet. The flow of mana from one to the next made it clear to me how I could use items and activate vaults.

    I could also move mana between my amulet and Seth''s like we shared the same mana signature. I didn''t know if that was because both amulets were made from the same horn, or because there was a ''soul link'' between us.

    I needed to work on that connection to Seth through the familiar link a little more. With practice, I thought I might be able to move mana through that link too. Seth, you''re gonna get upgraded from pet wizard to mana battery. Someday. Once I figure out how to cast.

    Mana manipulation was literally the casting of the spell. You used your mana during the motions and the words. Until I could draw sigils or speak, I would need to find a different way.

    But I could use items and I understood how casting worked now. My participation trophy of the day.

    And this fucking ring was going to work for me as soon as I figured it out.

    Maybe I needed a ring to copy it onto? It couldn''t create one out of thin air?

    That made sense. Hmm. Seth didn''t have any rings. I wondered if I could find one around here somewhere.

    The common area here was a combination of comfy living room and library. There were a few interesting instruments on the tops of the bookcases¨Cthings like balance scales, a sextant, a large prism, and more. None of them were radiating magic, so I couldn''t tell if they were ordinary tools or just not powerful enough for me to sense their mana from my position on the floor.

    None of that mattered though. There were no rings here.

    What''s a cat to do? Go upstairs and search people''s personal belongings of course.

    Wait a second. I had promised Professor Kaban that I wouldn''t go where Seth wasn''t allowed. If I got caught, Seth would have consequences. Fine then. Publicly accessible personal belongings. Unless I still couldn''t find anything and then bedrooms were back on the table.

    I headed upstairs. Similar to the other towers, these were classrooms and offices. Different from the other towers, many were empty and unused. And unused rooms did not contain jewellery.

    I did spot a bit of brass pipe in a box of random junk in a classroom. When I saw it I wondered just how sharp my claws were. Not that I truly expected it to work, but I was lazy and didn''t want to search all night.

    So as carefully as I could, I sliced off a thin ring of brass from the pipe. What shit. My claws were sharp enough to slice metal. That had to be magic bullshit.

    I was now certain I could use my claws to walk up any wall. The only drawback was that I would be leaving holes everywhere, so that wasn''t a thing I should do casually. Intentionally was fine though. Wait a second, if they were that sharp, I might slide down any wall I tried to climb.

    Inconvenient. Eh, I''ll worry about that later.

    Right now I had a ring to experiment with. A jagged, ugly, brass ring. I was delighted anyway.

    My mana had recovered enough by the time I was done to give it another go. This time I focused on copying the skull ring onto the brass ring. I pictured it as exactly like the skull ring. And I felt it do something. Power moved from the master ring to the brass ring.

    Was this success?

    I headed out of the classroom and towards the elevating platforms. I''d test it out on one of the locked offices on the first floor.

    When I got off the platform, instinct and habit were the only things that had me scurrying for cover when I heard voices.

    Professors Laur and Kaban had just shut the door to the tower and were heading for the platform I''d just vacated. It was the wee hours of the morning! What were they doing wandering around so late at night? Yes, I''m a hypocrite. I can accept that about myself with pride.

    "It''s definitely in the city," Professor Kaban was saying. He sounded pissed. "The longer we wait, the more entrenched it will get."

    "You know as well as I do we have to be patient. If we spook it we could be years trying to track it down again," Professor Laur said calmly.

    "We''ll go¨C" the rest of what Professor Kaban was saying cut off as the platform went up.

    Huh. Sounds like those guys have a problem of their own they''re working on. As long as they weren''t hunting me, it was none of my business. I''m just an innocent little leopard cub.

    At least the professors didn''t spot Seth sleeping on the rug back there.

    Not to get distracted, I tested out the brass ring. I pulled off the cord with my amulet and the skull ring strung on it and headed to the door. The brass ring worked just like the master did. I put my amulet back on, making sure the skull ring was buried in my fur.

    Then I headed over to Seth and curled up to get some sleep.

    So. This part of my plan almost works.

    Almost. Because now I had to find a skull ring to copy the master onto.

 74 - Disemboweled Mouse

    Seth woke up to Professor Kaban slapping him somewhat lightly. His cheek stung, so he''d be slapped a few times.

    "Are you all right?" Professor Kaban asked. "You weren''t waking up."

    Seth blinked and tried to focus. "Just a heavy sleeper. What time is it?"

    "Not yet dawn. What are you doing here?"

    He hadn''t meant to fall asleep and had only gotten a couple of hours. He had too much to get done and frankly, not nearly enough time.

    "Well? Did you sleep here last night?" Professor Kaban asked. He looked rumpled, like he''d taken a nap in his clothes, and his hair was sticking up all over.

    "I did, sir. I was having a ¡­ disagreement with my roommate and I didn''t want to deal with him, so I came here."

    "My tower is not a hotel."

    "But your rugs are comfy." Stupid, you''re supposed to apologize, Seth chastised himself.

    Professor Kaban raised an eyebrow. "Indeed they are. I may have napped on them a time or two myself." His frown returned. "Don''t let it happen again."

    Seth almost agreed out of habit but stopped. "I have a feeling I''ll have this problem again. Where should I go?"

    "Not here."

    Seth was more bothered by that than he expected. He liked it here¨Cit was quiet and cozy. He wondered what he could say to convince the Professor to let him stay occasionally. The Professor was right; Seth wasn''t supposed to be here. He couldn''t think of a convincing argument so¡­ next plan. Ask politely.

    "Please? I''ll stay out of your way."

    Professor Kaban studied Seth silently for an uncomfortable moment before shaking his head. "Fine. If I don''t see you, I don''t care. But don''t make it a habit. I don''t want to hear from Administration about this." He waved a hand over his shoulder and strode out the Tower door. "I''m getting soft," he muttered to himself.

    "Thank you!" Seth called after him.

    He stood up and gathered his stuff. Fortunately, his Palace maps were not on full display. He was going to let Mau sleep some more on the fluffy rug while he washed up, but she got up with him and didn''t do any of her usual ''this is too early'' nonsense.

    He mentally ticked over the list he and Mau had worked out. Mau had given the plan a poor but passing grade. Most of the things she was unhappy about were the things they simply didn''t know and had no way of finding out before they got there. The variety of magic possible also frustrated her. But in going over the possibilities, she realized and pointed out to him that most magic fell into certain categories. They mostly had to worry about alarms, traps, and locks.

    And since they were going to be at the Palace at a time when certain other guests would likely be there too, Seth had every intention of doing more than just searching for the ring. He was a little concerned he was being too greedy, but overall felt it was worth the risk.

    Seth hurried out the tower door and beelined for Duvessa''s room. The sky was still dark as he trotted across the campus. Even the birds were still quiet.

    He supposed he should feel bad about waking her up, but he didn''t. He knocked on the door loudly. He could hear Reginald screaming, "Intruders!"

    He waited. A minute ticked by. He pounded on the door again.

    Another minute. He knocked more. Reginald sounded like he was having a meltdown.

    Finally, Duvessa jerked the door open and scowled at him. "I was sleeping! It is sleepy time!"

    "I need you for a plan, or it''ll be ruined!" Seth declared. He couldn''t remember exactly what Duvessa had said when she had woken him up this way, but he thought that was close enough.

    Duvessa''s eyes lit up. She snatched him inside and snapped the door shut. "You found Blaise''s power and we are stealing it back! How are we doing this?"

    "No! No I didn''t. I haven''t found Blaise''s power yet and I have no idea how the thefts are happening."

    "Ugh! I don''t like that answer. You''re supposed to have the answer. See? It''s right there." Duvessa pointed to her wall of clues. There were considerably more hand drawn pictures and string tied between pins. None of it made any more sense now than it had the last time he''d seen it.

    "What does this mean?"

    "See? This is you. And that string is tied to your brother, and Isaac, and over there is Arnold, and Mau, and Blaise, and me, and that''s the hyena." The hyena picture looked more like a disemboweled mouse with round ears and whiskers. It took a moment before he realized the scribbles were supposed to be its spots, not its intestines. "And then over here, look at these," Duvessa continued to list all kinds of things that were mostly not at all related, and some Seth didn''t know anything about.

    Mau jumped up on the back of the plush chair and examined the wall. The cat was so intrigued, Seth wondered if she understood what Duvessa was getting at. Then he wondered if his familiar was crazy.

    Well, he was planning to steal from the Palace, so he was definitely crazy. Granted, it was a relatively minor thing he was trying to steal, and it was probably in the possession of a guard, but it was still theft.

    "I came here, Duvessa, to ask for your help in retrieving the skull ring. You know the one the guards took that night at the carver shop? The original owners told Booth they want it back by Sunday."

    "Oh?" Duvessa''s eyes were wide and blinked slowly. "I asked him to do that, so yes, I should help. I don''t suppose we could just go to the guards and ask for it back? You know the one that took it, don''t you?"

    "I do know him. And there is no way he would turn over what is effectively a lockpicking tool."

    Duvessa strode over to her desk and quickly scribbled key-ish shape in a circle and stuck it to her board in the middle of the lake. She tapped her lips as she examined her board. "He must keep it in the guardhouse. I know! We get Booth arrested and then he can search the guardhouse!"

    "Duvessa, if he gets arrested he will be expelled. I do have a plan, but we need your help."

    "But I''m busy today and tomorrow. It''ll have to be next weekend. Or Monday if we cut class."

    Seth shook his head. "It has to be now." He wondered how much to tell her. He settled on as little as possible. "There''s nothing you can do?" He glanced over at Mau, who was now standing and watching Duvessa. Her knowledge was vital in most of the plans they''d made. This got much harder and maybe impossible without her. On the other hand, it would also be simpler not needing to worry about what she was going to do.

    "Well, I was just going shopping with Blaise today, so I can give you some time. She doesn''t have anything appropriate to wear and her father is angry about it." Duvessa''s tone darkened. "He arrived last night and exploded when he found out Brand had run off to the mountains. That scoundrel could have mentioned something to her before leaving." Duvessa flopped into a plush chair. "Did you know that''s why her brother left? He didn''t want to deal with their father so he dumped those responsibilities on Blaise."

    Seth didn''t really know much about Blaise''s family beyond they all had fire talents. Blaise''s wardrobe also changed quite a bit when she stopped dripping. Leather, something she never could have worn before, tended to figure as prominently as allowed with the school uniform.

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    "I would need you for Sunday, and for most of the day."

    Duvessa shook her head. "I''m sorry, but I have never successfully snuck away from my grandmother."

    Seth mentally started removing Duvessa from his plans. He could see no way for several of them to work at all without her.

    "I could probably give you a couple of hours today before we head into the city," Duvessa continued, "but tomorrow is a full day."

    "Even a couple of hours would be¨C Wait a second. Were you planning to go into the city by yourselves? After Blaise was already kidnapped once, and your power is being reduced?"

    Duvessa rolled her eyes. "Of course not. My grandmother is accompanying us."

    That was a relief, at least. Surely, the Countess would have suitable security.

    "All right. But if you could do a couple of things for me before you go¡­"

    <hr>

    "Let me get this straight," Booth said. He sat cross-legged on top of the desk in a training room, munching on a pastry. It was barely dawn. Owen was on the chair and Seth was standing in front of the chalkboard, rolling a piece of chalk in his fingers. "You think you can get us into the guardhouse in the Palace? And you can tell me about where I should look for the ring?"

    "Yes," Seth said. He glanced at the map of the Palace he''d drawn, and the outline of his primary plan. There was also a list of other possible things they could do, and ways to get out of the Palace afterwards. "They way I figure it, that ring would only be in a few places. Since a Palace Guard took it, it could be in the guardhouse there, probably locked up somewhere. Or, one of the nobles that works with the guard has it, like that Lord Derinheld we talked to right after Blaise was taken. The last possibility is that one of the guards has it and is wearing it. Any other possibility, like one of the royal family having it, means we won''t be able to do anything about it anyway. But if it''s in the guardhouse or someone has it that we can see and talk to, I think we can get it."

    Mau was studying the ceiling for some reason, looking innocent. Seth glanced up but didn''t notice anything.

    "I''m fine with that," Owen said, gesturing to the blackboard. "I wanted to make sure we got a way out," Owen said. "Sitting in that shop, sure we was getting expelled and going to jail near killed me. I don''t wanna do that again. Ever."

    Booth shook his head. "I was thinking to climb the walls or something tonight and search the guardhouse. You sure walking in the front door is a better idea? They''ll know we''re there."

    "We''ll belong there, and have permission to be there," Seth said. He put the piece of chalk he was holding on top of the blackboard. "We''ll have to work though, the person I know won''t just let us in. I was hoping Duvessa''s would be able to help us, but she''s stuck with her grandmother."

    "What if we see more shadows?" Owen asked. "You said the Skull Gang might be the ones taking them. I reckon they''ll want to spy on us the way Duvessa was spying on them."

    "Yeah, we think it''s them, but we don''t have proof or anything. Just the guy that was acting suspicious," Seth said. "I want all of us to have gulliants on us in case we see more shadows."

    "The spikey things for testing powers, right?" Owen asked.

    "Right," Booth said, hopping down from the desk and heading for the door. "Let''s get going. We got a ton to do."

    "Maybe erase the blackboard first," Owen said.

    <hr>

    A few hours later Seth and Booth were in the basement of the Palace, covered in sweat, and hauling bags of laundry as big as they were up flights of stairs. When they were out of sight, they rifled through the bags.

    "Nothing in this one," Seth said disappointed. "Just table linens. Yours?"

    "Not here either. I don''t see how this is helping us," Booth said, short of breath. "We''re nowhere near where we need to be."

    "It''s fine. Just keep looking and we''ll find one. Don''t forget to check people too. Even if you think they''re definitely not involved, look anyway." Seth stretched his shoulders and then picked up his sacks.

    "I thought Owen was supposed to do the heavy lifting. I don''t think I''ve ever worked this hard before," Booth kept complaining.

    "We''re getting paid for this. I don''t know how you have so much breath to complain with."

    "I can''t believe that woman just hired us because you told her you wanted pocket money." Booth said as he tied his laundry bag shut.

    "She''s effectively the head housekeeper, just not officially. The official housekeeper is a guy that never does anything so there''s always more work to be done. I''ve worked for her before and knew she''d be happy to have help. Saben always thought doing real work was better for strength training than drills or weights, and sometimes we needed the money. Come on." Seth picked his bags up and headed up the stairs as quickly as he could manage.

    "Stealing is less work for more money, you know. We better find what we''re looking for soon. Table linens are not helpful." Booth picked up his bags and followed Seth up the stairs. "Where is Mau, anyway?"

    "Last I saw her, she was covered in flour."

    <hr>

    Seth met Owen as he left the Town Guard training yard. It was a small courtyard beside a squat and branching building.

    "Sorry, kid," the guard walking Owen out was saying. "Practice a bit more and come back next month. I''ll let you keep trying, seeing as you are so close to passing."

    "Thank you, sir," Owen said.

    Seth and Owen walked in silence for a moment until they met up with Booth in an alley.

    "So?" Booth asked.

    "I didn''t see any," Owen said. "I went through everything you said, Seth. I even got inside the guardhouse and was able to look around real quick. And I did training all day with them, like you said. There were two others there today, and they sent them home earlier."

    "Huh," Seth said, and smiled. "They liked you. If wizardry doesn''t work out for you, you probably have a career in law enforcement."

    Owen shook his head. "I get why you wanted me in here. But why waste the rest of the day doing training with them? They''re going to recognize me tomorrow, won''t they?"

    "That''s the point," Seth said. "Most of the Palace Guard are with the King and Queen outside the city. When that happens, the Palace Guard takes some of the Town Guard to fill in. The people that see you will remember they saw you in the yard training. While they''ll recognize that you''re new, most of them won''t know you were just a prospect. It won''t be strange to them to see you."

    "Someone will know," Booth said. "They''ll know he shouldn''t be there."

    "Of course," Seth said. "But in that case, they would''ve known anyway. It will be easier to avoid one or two people, than all of the guards. You''ll mostly need to avoid the Town Guard officers. You talked to some of the regular guards today, didn''t you?"

    "Yeah. Most were really nice. A few were serious jerks."

    "You''ve got some contacts then," Seth said.

    Owen shook his head. "This is so risky. What do we do if we get caught?"

    "I''m working on that too," Seth said. "But for now, cool and confident, and stick to the plan. We got this for you."

    Booth handed Owen a tote and a long wooden box.

    "A Guard uniform with armor, and a sword?" Owen asked, taking the tote and peeking into the wooden box.

    "I took the oldest sword I could find," Booth said. "I know you like them dull."

    When the three boys returned to school, it was after dark. Duvessa was waiting on a bench by the Fire Tower and stood as soon as they walked through the gatehouse.

    "Yooo! Finally!" Duvessa called out. "Why do you guys look so beat? Ugh, you guys head to the baths, right now." Duvessa waved her hand in front of her nose. "All three of you are stinky. Have you eaten? I''ll grab you something from the dining hall before it closes."

    "Please," Owen said. "I''m starved. It''s been such a long day."

    "Ooo, did you succeed?" Duvessa asked. "Show me! I want to see the ring!"

    Seth shook his head. "Not yet. Were you able to get the gulliants?"

    "Of course! I couldn''t get as many as I wanted, but I have enough for everyone to have one. I was shown how to use them and I''ll show everyone."

    "I didn''t ask Selendrith what she was doing this weekend," Seth said. "I just realized she might feel left out."

    "I haven''t seen her," Duvessa said. "I think she might be at her grandfather''s shop."

    Seth felt better that she was busy. Also, it wasn''t likely that she''d turn up suddenly. She still wasn''t very fond of Booth and might cause trouble if she knew what they were up to. Seth didn''t blame her. Booth was an opportunistic thief, and she had been one of his targets.

    But Booth also stood up for Seth against a stranger, and Booth was just looking after his younger siblings.

    After a somewhat hot meal and a much hotter bath Seth and the others headed to bed. They''d need to be up crazy early again the next day. Seth couldn''t afford to oversleep.

    Seth opened the door to his dorm room to see Isaac looking under Seth''s bed. Seth''s trunk had also been moved; it was slightly crooked instead of flush against his bed.

    "What are you doing?" Seth asked.

    "Nothing. Looking for a shoe." Isaac stood up and looked Seth over. "You didn''t come back last night."

    "No, I didn''t." Seth dropped his bag in his trunk and quickly got changed before heading straight to bed.

    "So where''d you go then? I stayed up waiting for you."

    "You don''t need to do that. If you''re worried about me waking you up, I''ll make sure I''m quiet if I come back late."

    "Did you go into the city?"

    "I''m tired, Isaac. Good night. Put the light out when you''re done."

    Mau growled at Isaac, and the two of them had a staring contest.

    Seth adjusted his blanket and called Mau over. "Mau, stop it. I want to go to sleep."

    She stopped growling and walked over to Seth, but she didn''t lie down.

    Isaac finally made a "Tch" noise and left the room.

    Seth was asleep an instant later.

 75 - Burning Motes

    The Palace gardens were not extravagant, but they were spacious and beautiful. The types and varieties of flowers that liked the mountain climate were on full display, as were many non-native flowers. Seth didn''t know the names of most of them, but he did recognize lilies, roses, and orchids. He didn''t know the names of the daisyish-looking flowers or the puffball things.

    Flowering evergreens and hedge rows bordered the walls and divided some sections of the gardens into separate conversation spaces. Two large statues of epicyons, a canine discovered in the Below, guarded the entrance. Unlike normal epicyons, these ones had curling ram horns.

    It was early afternoon and the first party guests were arriving. As Seth expected, security was both tighter and looser at the same time. More guards patrolled the gardens, but with so many guests and servants moving about Seth and the others easily blended in.

    A pavilion had been set up for the Crown Prince to receive guests, although he wasn''t at it.

    The gardens were scattered with tables and chairs, little shade tents and benches. Strategically positioned braziers took the autumn chill off for seated guests. There were also the occasional roped off areas, each about four paces square. These had stone pillars in each of the corners that reminded Seth of the pillars around school that could be used to dispel magic.

    There was a mixed feel to this event. Seth wasn''t sure of the occasion for this gathering, but it did not have the pomp of a formal event. One of the cooks had mentioned that this was a ''meet and greet'' for the Prince, whatever that meant.

    Many in attendance were minor nobility and wealthy locals. These were dressed somewhat casually for a Palace event. There were groups of guests in uniforms, too. Seth recognized members of the Water Guard, Fire Brigade, and Stone Defenders.

    Seth just finished dropping off a basket of apples to the kitchens and now carried a crate of bottles to a staging area for the waitstaff. This section of his route had a covered walkway with an excellent view of the arriving guests, so Seth dawdled.

    Most of those arriving were people he didn''t know or recognize. However, a few were such standouts that even though he''d never seen them before, he knew who they were.

    The first was a middle aged woman in a sandy colored tunic and her entourage. The remarkable thing about her was the pair of hyenas flanking her. That meant she was a Stonehold, the rival family to Blaise''s Firesands. The two families were competing for rulership and title of a town on the desert border to the north.

    Neither hyena was leashed or muzzled, yet both stayed glued to the woman''s side. Shortly after arriving the woman snapped her fingers at one of the hyenas and pointed to a young man with her. The hyena moved from her side to the young man''s and stayed with him wherever he went.

    They were really well-trained and well-behaved animals. Seth didn''t think they were familiars because the woman had two of them. He wondered why the hyena they''d seen before had been caged. The person who''d sicked the hyena on them should have just been able to command it to stay or attack.

    Seth idly wondered what happened to that hyena. It hadn''t been at the Menagerie. He watched the group split up and mingle with the growing crowd.

    At one end of the garden a woman with a white and gray rabbit familiar was pulling water out of a decorative pool and shaping it into an ice sculpture. Prince Aster stood beside her and gestured broadly as she worked, clearly invested in the outcome. The glass in his hand sloshed liquid everywhere.

    Princess Lily was not far away, her attention on the familiar of an old man. The familiar was a tall stick with arms and legs that the old man was using as a cane. Every now and again she''d look over at the rabbit or the hyenas.

    Seth delivered the bottles and slipped away before he got a new assignment. He wanted to pass through the garden and get a closer look at the guests. He had fingers to check.

    Seth walked with purpose to an outside table where a waitress was trying to set up trays. "Hey, let me give you a hand with this."

    "Oh wow, thank you." The waitress put down the pitcher she was holding and ran her hands through her hair. "The Steward''s been giving me the stink eye ''cause I ain''t got this done already. I''m Amy. I wuz just brought up from kitchen staff, and not used to this yet. You?"

    "Seth. I''m temporary help." Seth started arranging glassware on the trays.

    "Oh, no, we don''t need them empty, you gots to fill them! See? I''ll show ya. We do half this one and then half that one. One of these is supposed to be the smaller half." She picked up a bottle and added liquid to the glass she had partially filled before setting it on the tray. "There. Like that." She put down the bottle and picked up the pitcher and started to fill another glass.

    Seth watched for a moment and then continued arranging glasses. When he finished he grabbed the bottle and filled them all half way. "Okay, now can I have that pitcher?"

    Amy was amazed. "Oh, that''s so smart. I was doing it one at a time!" The waitress sighed. "Now I feel stupid."

    "Don''t feel stupid. You''ve never done this before. And I bet you know other things." Seth dropped his voice. "Like I bet you know all the people here, right?"

    "Oh, I do!" The waitress started whispering too. "I''ve been listening. There''s so much gossip." The waitress carefully arranged empty glasses on her tray and rattled off the names of a dozen nobles. As she indicated each one she went on about who was dating, who was related, and who was hated. She had numerous little stories about almost everyone. Seth filled the glasses slowly.

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    "And look there," Amy said, indicating a young man in his mid-twenties, "that''s a Lord Thurstan." Lost his bride he did, and less than a year ago. The lord''s already shoppin'' for a new one. For decency''s sake, let the grave get cold. That poor girl looks foreign. I bet she don''t know about the first wife." Amy eyed Seth.

    Seth knew what she wanted and played along. He was interested in anything about Thurstan he didn''t already know, and anything on the woman with him. "How did he lose his first wife?"

    Amy glanced around and dramatically whispered, "Murder."

    Seth blinked at her. He''d already known that, but he wasn''t really able to pretend this was just gossip to him. Yet Amy seemed to think Thurstan was the murderer instead of Gavin. Amy took his silence for shock and launched into the story.

    "These are full," Seth interrupted before she got too far. He indicated the tray of glasses. "Who''s that woman with him? She has her hair all wrapped up. Do you know where she might be from?"

    Amy turned to look at the woman beside Lord Thurstan. "I dunno. I ain''t seen her afore."

    The woman in question was young, barely out of her teens, and was wearing odd clothing. The dress and mantle she wore draped over her body and there was a dark cloth tightly wrapped around her hair. The clothing almost hid the fact that the woman was damp. Almost.

    She was definitely just damp and not dripping. It looked like she was sweating a lot, and not like she''d just gone swimming fully clothed the way Blaise used to. As Booth said, powers weren''t unique. Her situation could just be similar to Blaise''s. There was no proof she had Blaise''s power.

    But she was in the company of Thurstan, who was on their suspect list. And Seth had a way to prove if the power she had was Blaise''s. He just needed to figure out the details. He also needed to know more about her. If he couldn''t manage to test her power here at the Palace, he would need to track her down later and test her.

    He also needed to stay focused on the task at hand. He was here to help Booth. Finding the ring had to be the top priority. Booth''s family had immediate need, and Blaise wasn''t in any danger. Still, it was okay for Seth to multitask a little bit.

    The waitress scooped up her tray and indicated the other one. "Could you deliver that over there? That''s Sally, she''ll take it from you."

    "Sure thing. If you find out that woman''s name, could you let me know? I''m a bit worried about her."

    Amy shook her head. "Don''t. I''m tellin'' ya. Don''t talk to the nobles. Nuthin'' good will come of it."

    Seth pretended to be walking more carefully than necessary as he passed the woman and Lord Thurstan. Seth kept his back to the Lord, but Thurstan paused his conversation when Seth was near and then spoke in tones too low for Seth to make out afterward. Damn, he was hoping to at least get the woman''s name.

    A sudden shout caught Seth''s and Lord Thurstan''s attention. The woman took a step back.

    "Maude! You dare show your face here after what you''ve done to my daughter!"

    A tall, black-haired man of about middle age pointed at the Stonehold woman with the hyenas. He wore a perfectly tailored cotehardie in crimson, and the black buttons gleamed. Beside him stood Blaise, wearing a similar tunic in scarlet. She had her face in her hand.

    "I''ve done nothing!" Maude yelled back. "Your incompetence and inability to safeguard your wife''s bastard is not my problem!"

    Blaise looked at her father in surprise. His face went red and burning motes materialized in the air around him.

    "How dare you hurl such crass insults in the Palace!" Blaise''s father yelled. "A gutter-born dog-whore like you doesn''t belong here. Especially not with your filthy consort!" He pointed to the hyena.

    Seth gauged the distance between himself and the arguing adults. Crossfire was unlikely where he was, but he also was too far away to be of any use to Blaise.

    What should he do? Leaving Blaise to deal with this on her own felt wrong. On the other hand, this wasn''t any of his business. He had no authority here, and doing anything would only cause him trouble and prevent him from finishing the real mission. He considered the pros and cons of dumping the tray of drinks he was holding on one of them anyway.

    "Jesse here is female! Not that I''d expect you to recognize what a male looks like. When was the last time you''d even seen your¨C"

    A translucent bubble snapped into existence around Maude and her hyena, and another around Blaise and her father.

    Guards were trotting towards the two, one of them looked to be a captain.

    Seth glanced around looking for the source of the bubble spell. He spotted two Palace Wizards dressed in dark purple on a balcony overlooking the garden. Standing with them was Professor Laur in his blue professor robes.

    Seth immediately looked down and turned his back. He hoped Professor Laur hadn''t noticed him.

    Lord Thurstan turned to the woman beside him and said loudly, "Disgraceful. Respectable people should not have to tolerate such trash."

    Instead of dumping his tray on Maude, Seth instead thought about dumping it on Lord Thurstan. He headed over to Sally before he acted on that impulse.

    "Stonehold. Firesand. I''d like to remind you both that you are guests here," the Captain said.

    Seth could see Blaise''s father speaking and gesturing sharply. Maude folded her arms and smirked. Blaise was upset but her father looked to be ignoring her, pointing his finger at Maude instead.

    "Aw, don''t be that way Captain!" Prince Aster said as he wandered up. "And take those down," the Prince commanded and gestured broadly with his now empty glass before handing it to the Captain. "I want to see what these two can do!"

    The Captain frowned at the empty glass before tossing it at a table. "Your Highness. I must insist on the proper use of the sparring rings. There are too¨C"

    "Pshaw. Come on, then!" the Prince called up to the Palace Wizards. "Let them out!"

    "My apologies, Your Highness, that spell takes several minutes before it can be taken down," one of the wizards called down from the balcony.

    "Well, that''s no fun." The Prince scowled at the bubbles.

    It was like a pause descended on the people around Seth as they waited to see what the Prince would do.

    "Meh, waiting is boring," said the Prince. He looked at the people watching him. "Come on! This is a party. Everyone have a drink!" He snagged a fresh drink and raised it as he sauntered off.

    "Hey, kid," whispered Sally as soon as Seth put the trays down. "Do you wanna take a bet on who starts the first fight? I''m putting ten bur on the Prince."

    Seth looked at the collection of empty bottles on the table and shook his head. "No bet."

 76 - Bunnies and Bling

    I watched Seth for a little bit as I perched on a window sill. Honestly, I thought the kid had a solid plan. Easy in, look around, get what he needs, and then out. And none should be the wiser. The best burglaries were the ones no one knew happened.

    He was surreptitiously checking everyone he encountered, and gossiping with the waitstaff. He''d have all the dirt on everyone by the end of the party, and I was sure he''d find a ring for me, if I didn''t find one first.

    Booth was nearby too. He was doing his level best to not be seen by anyone. But the main person he was hiding from was the Steward. Kid didn''t like doing work.

    I did not have eyes on Owen.

    That was fine. As Seth did his thing and searched for a skull ring, I had work to do on the next part of my plan to keep my awesome ring. I''d keep an eye out for Owen while I did that.

    I knew full well that the Skull Gang would not be satisfied with a copy. They wanted the real deal. I needed a target for them to chase looking for the ''real'' ring¡ªsomeone powerful enough that the Gang couldn''t just send a few goons in to break knees, and small enough that it wouldn''t be a political disaster for the kids to run afoul of them if things did go to shit.

    I was looking for a patsy.

    This was challenging. I knew nothing about the political nuances here. I knew there was a king and queen. This was a typical kingdom, as near as I could tell, and there were no special councils or senates or anything that I knew of.

    I kept my ears pointed at the crowd below and listened. As the guests got introduced I discovered something interesting. Most of the titles tended to correspond to some type of administration task. For example, a baron tended to administer a smallish town. A count ruled a larger city, sometimes with smaller towns in its jurisdiction. In addition to administrators and city rulers, some lords were judges, and others were tax collectors.

    That was the part that interested me. If I could find a guy that was a tax collector, and make it look like they had the real ring, that would work perfectly. Tax collectors were generally hated, they traveled all over, and they took taxes from people in the form of both money and goods. I couldn''t ask for a better fit. Now I just needed to find one.

    Alternatively, I hoped to find a lord with a skull ring here. Lies based on truth were always the best lies.

    As the party ramped up, I hopped down to get a better look at some of these people. I headed to the cloth covered tables near the Royal Pavilion.

    From under the table I observed what was shaping up to be a nicely drunken frat party disguised as afternoon tea. Not that I knew what a frat was, but I could look out at this shindig and know what kind of party it was. Who knew royals would party like this?

    I guess it''s universal. When mom and dad are away, the kids will play.

    There were responsible adults present, of course. Can''t leave the kids without babysitters, such as the Palace Guard, professors from both the Magic Academy and Combat Schools, and some older family members of the young adults. But Crown Prince Aster wanted to have a good time, and he was being indulged.

    I moved to the shadow of some hedges where I could get a better look at the guests.

    Whooee. There was some money in this place.

    I was just looking for a skull ring. Really I was. I wasn''t that distracted by a fat oval-cut ruby flanked by diamonds. Or that triple sapphire wrapped in silver. And that''s a gorgeous opal; it had to be at least twenty carats. And what about that guy? Just how many rings could he fit on his fingers?

    The bling was blinding. I could totally make a living here in just a few minutes. But this was the type of shit I''d need to go out of town to fence, and my ride was a boarding school kid that didn''t travel much. Not to mention the kid would probably insist I returned anything I took. Noob.

    And then it occurred to me that these weren''t the valuable pieces.

    Some people were wearing magic. Not a lot, as near as I could tell. But what a few of the really wealthy people were wearing was just that little bit different.

    They still wore gemstones, sure, but they didn''t look like the clear and shiny gems I was used to. They had a cloudy look, and had carvings on them. That enormous opal was one of the cloudy gems.

    I didn''t need confirmation from my whiskers though. Not that I got a lot of that with all the ambient mana around here getting in the way. I liked the idea of there being fantastic magical jewels around, so I decided they were all magic. Don''t judge me, I know. Let a cat have her fantasies.

    It did make me wonder if people who had no mana could use magic items that were not vaults. Maybe you needed a vault to activate other items? Huh, probably not. How else was the Skull Gang using the ring?

    Back on task, Mau, I scolded myself. If I wanted to keep my special ring, I needed to find a suitable substitute.

    I glanced down at the far end of the garden. Seth was still searching the people over there. I could tell he was stressed, and he was getting a little conspicuous about checking fingers. I debated stepping in when he started chatting with a waitress again. That should keep him busy for a bit.

    I made my way towards the woman working on the ice sculpture. The Crown Prince had been talking to her a bit ago. There might be some leftover sycophants in the area. Owen should be near here somewhere, too. After I got eyes on him and looked over patsy candidates, I figured I''d go find Booth and see if he''s had any luck yet.

    It took me a hot second but I recognized the ice sculptor. She was none other than the Wizard of the Ice Tower. I hadn''t formally met her, but I''d seen her around campus. She was a short and dark woman with a gray and white rabbit familiar.

    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Her sculpture was shaping into an enormous and intricate ice wyvern. The tail coiled on the ground and swooped up as the support for the sculpture. The wings arched over a story tall. The head glared down at the guests below, the maw open and filled with icicle teeth.

    All I could think of was fucking Chicky Chicky. The lady nailed it, that thing was as creepy as the real thing. The bunny rabbit on its back didn''t lessen that creep factor at all.

    I didn''t consciously duck under a nearby table, but putting even a tablecloth between me and it made me feel better. I figured I''d see the rabbit around campus and I could strike up a conversation later.

    I was expecting to socialize with a pack of familiars around somewhere, but that wasn''t happening. All the familiars I could see stuck really close to their wizards. Weird. I didn''t feel the need to do that at all. Eh, it was probably better for the rabbit to not know I was here anyway.

    While I was distracted with bunnies and bling, the Prince had wandered back this way, and was currently daring a member of the Fire Brigade to cast a spell at him. Of course.

    Put a pack of twenty-somethings together with alcohol, weapons, and magic, and shit was going to happen.

    In this corner, we''ve got a young hopeful, a new and untested (I think) member of the Fire Brigade. Let''s call him Private Fire! Let''s hear it for this sucker!

    And over in that corner, well, not really a corner since he''s scoffing at the sparring rings, we''ve got the one, the only, Crown Prince! His name is Aster and he''s bringing the disaster! Woot!

    Welcome folks to the Rumble by the Dessert Table!

    The Prince of Disaster is leading off with a wicked rapier. The man''s got moves, I''m telling you. Look at those sweeping circles! With a quick one two three, he''s showing off just how fancy an education he''s got while not even coming close to little Private Fire.

    Private Fire is shaking in his boots (not really) and draws his own sword! Because who goes to afternoon tea without two and a half feet of sharpened metal? Idiots, obviously, because how else could we have duels by the desserts? Is that a cheesecake? Oooo with strawberries.

    Whoops, back to Private Fire. He''s casting a spell! I don''t recognize this one; what will it do? It''s coating his blade in red flames! The guy has a burning sword now and he''s swinging it dramatically! It looks like he might burn all the pastries! Save the cheesecake!

    And lo, we''ve got first contact. Prince Disaster is as fast as he is drunk. Amazing! Private Fire blocks! And his burning sword burns! That''s it. It''s just on fire and doesn''t do anything else. But it looks cool! Or should I say hot? Nah, it actually doesn''t look that hot, more flamboyant than anything, really.

    Private Fire is looking scared! He''s backing up. Could it be that he''s worried about harming Prince Disaster? Could he actually have a modicum of sense? He waves his glowy showy sword at the Prince.

    The Prince is not deterred. He presses the attack, and slices into Private Fire''s uniform! Woah, he cut the Fire Brigade emblem right in half! Prince Disaster is mocking Private Fire. How will the Private react? Will he do something more than light the grass on fire?

    No! He casts another spell!

    Private Fire flicks tiny candle flames at the Prince. But the Prince is not a birthday cake and is unfazed! Even the grass is unharmed, wow what an underpowered spell. Well that was a pointless round, Private Fire would have been better off flinging matches.

    Prince Disaster strikes again and again. He slices buttons, he severs a belt. Whahoo! Private Fire is getting fired up! (Not literally.) He''s lost his cool and wants to keep his privates private! He casts again! With his pants at half mast!

    I''m not sure what that was. Did he flub it? No effect? Flaming Privates thinks it worked, he''s pressing the attack!

    Prince Disaster sweeps Useless Burning Metal right out of Private Fire''s hand and it crashes into the dessert table. The tablecloth lights, and the pastries burn! Oh, tragic day, the cheesecake is doomed.

    Alas, my friends, we have no time to mourn. Prince Disaster stabs forward, but his blade hits a barrier! That was a barrier spell! Why the fuck was it different from the one Seth knows?

    Oh, this one works differently. It''s not a hard shell, like a shield. It''s a flexible one that covers the body. Okay then, back to our featured event.

    Hooray! Somebody saved the cheesecake! But Private Fire is looking in dire straits. He''s facing the drunken dasher Disaster with no weapon but his wits! Has he been fully disarmed? Who knows!

    Prince Disaster is shredding that barrier! I have no idea how those things work. I think it''s going to go down!

    Raging Flame Private Fire casts again! Just how many spells does this guy know? At least three! Maybe four! I kinda lost track a bit when I was worried about the cheesecake.

    This is a big one! There''s way more mana in this one. Oh fuck, I''ve seen this before; it''s a fireball. The Prince doesn''t have any protections up. The dude is totally going to eat it. I can hear other people chanting, but I don''t think they will cast in time.

    Private Fire cast the fireball at the Prince and the instant he finished the spell his eyes widened. "No¨C" but it was too late; the spell had launched.

    A concentrated ball of heat and flame shot at the Prince. On one hand, it was a muted fireball. There were the same suppressors here as in the school. On the other hand, it was still a fireball.

    When the flames cleared a Palace Guard with the Town Guard sash stood between the Prince and the Private, holding a shield that had protected them both.

    It was Owen.

    Damn. I hadn''t even seen the kid around. And I had no idea a physical shield could do that. Neither of them were even slightly singed while the grass had blackened.

    In a single second after the fireball, a bubble barrier snapped up around Owen and the Prince.

    "Care to explain why you are not sparring in one of the sparring rings, Thomas?" Professor Kaban asked Private Fire.

    "I''m sorry," Thomas exclaimed. "The Prince didn''t want to. I didn''t know how to tell him no, so I tried to use little spells, but then I got so mad, and I¡­" Thomas choked on a deep breath.

    "Go report to your captain," Professor Kaban told him. "This was really stupid."

    Thomas grabbed his sword and held up his pants with the other hand and scurried off.

    Professor Kaban touched the bubble surrounding the Prince and Owen and it dispelled instantly.

    "You''ve got great reflexes," Prince Aster was saying. "You''re wasted on the Town Guard. You absolutely should be in the Palace Guard."

    "Your Highness," Professor Kaban said, his tone strong with rebuke.

    "Oh, Sir Kaban. Um." The Prince looked around at the destruction his spar had caused.

    Sir Kaban? The ol'' professor was a knight too? Or was my brain interpreting that weirdly?

    "You''ve already been warned to use the sparring rings," Professor Kaban said.

    "They''re lame. It''s way more realistic without them."

    "I have the authority to shut your little party down, Prince Aster. And if you object, I can fetch your father."

    Heh. Disaster has been busted. He looked so sullen.

    "No Sir. I''ll use the rings." Prince Aster flicked his rapier before sheathing it and walking away. With a glare from Kaben, most of the gathered crowd dispersed too. The pair of guards that had arrived followed the Prince.

    Owen went to follow them when Professor Kaban laid his hand on Owen''s shoulder.

    "Excellent reaction, young man," Professor Kaban said. He leaned in close and whispered, "Care to explain why one of my students is masquerading as a Palace Guard?"

 77 - I Love Her

    "Professor," Seth said, wondering how to distract Professor Kaban from Owen. It turns out he didn''t need to say anything.

    Professor Kaban turned to stare at Seth and Booth. He stared for a long time at Booth who was glaring at the ground.

    "Okay, I give up," the Professor said. "I can''t think of any reason why you are soaking wet, colorful, and covered in sparkles," he said to Booth. "What exactly is going on here?"

    "We are here to work the event, Professor," Seth said.

    "No no no. Start with the sparkles," the Professor said. "I gotta to hear this."

    Seth glanced at Booth. "Well, a few minutes ago¡­"

    <hr>

    When the bubbles surrounding Blaise and her father came down, her father strode off without looking at her or Maude. The Captain directed two guardsmen, one to follow Maude, and the other Blaise''s father.

    Blaise was left standing in the empty space in the middle of the crowd, with most people pretending not to be staring at her.

    "Hey," said Sally when Seth moved to talk to Blaise. "If you''re headed to the Royal Pavilion, take these," and she handed him two fresh bottles.

    Seth approached Blaise, who was staring off at nothing while holding her arms. "Blaise." He had no idea how to make this situation less awful. It would probably be best to get her out of here and somewhere more private so she could process what just happened.

    She blinked at him. "Seth. What are you doing here?" She glanced in the direction her father had gone and then stared after Maude. "I had no idea that''s what people were saying about me. It makes so much sense now. Why Dad hasn''t been home, why he hasn''t been talking to me or Mom. And now it makes sense why Brand arranged this and why Dad was so mad about it. Brand wanted to force Dad to talk to me." She laughed bitterly. "That backfired, didn''t it?"

    Seth didn''t know what to say. Blaise noticed the bottles he was holding and took one. Seth didn''t think to stop her.

    "I''m gonna get that bitch," Blaise said, with a grim smile.

    "No, Blaise¨C" Seth started, but Blaise stalked off after Maude. "This isn''t the right way to do this," he said as he chased after her. "The guards will stop you."

    Blaise paused and glanced back at Seth. "What else am I supposed to do?" she demanded.

    "Embarrass her or something. Not that," Seth gestured at the solid, sealed bottle.

    Blaise looked at the bottle. "All right. I won''t smash her face." She continued, but her walk was less aggressive now. She started vigorously shaking the bottle.

    Seth glanced at his bottle as he followed Blaise. It was a bubbly wine. He decided he was fine with that plan. He subtly gave the bottle he was still holding a few good shakes too. Just in case.

    Princess Lily was questioning Maude, and gripped the hyena''s ears in either hand. "Oh, he''s so well behaved!" she exclaimed. "Is he a familiar?"

    Blaise hesitated, apparently not quite willing to instigate with the Princess there. Seth glanced around. The Royal Pavilion was on a raised dais to the right, with braziers, chairs, and decorations. The guard tailing Maude was now standing next to the Princess''s own guard. There were a few ladies on the dais and servants off to the left, but for the most part, this was a somewhat isolated knot of people.

    "No, she is not a familiar," Maude was saying. "Hyenas are the pride of my family, and we spend years training them. This is Jesse, and she is the matriarch of our hyena clan." Maude''s pride in her beast was evident.

    "I love her," the Princess said. "Can I have her? If she''s not a familiar, you can give her to me, right?"

    Maude was startled and it took her a second to hide how aghast she was. "Your Highness, I, uh, I have a younger one. She has a much more beautiful coat. I can give you that one."

    "I want this one." The Princess stood and patted the hyena''s head. "I''m sure Daddy will let me keep it," she said confidently. "What commands does it know?"

    Seth frowned at the Princess. He didn''t remember her being so demanding or spoiled. Granted, it had been a couple of years, and children changed as they got older. He himself sure had. Their eyes met for a moment. Some emotion quickly flitted across her features. Surprise? Confusion? Or was that something else?

    The Princess abruptly turned and climbed the stairs to the dais. Seth wondered if she was upset at seeing him. He also wondered what had been going on in the Palace since he''d been gone.

    "Come, dog," the Princess commanded.

    The hyena didn''t move, instead hunching down slightly with her back legs in a near squat. Her ears drooped. She cackled softly.

    "Sucks when someone takes something important to you, doesn''t it?" Blaise said quietly to Maude.

    "Don''t taunt me, child," Maude growled back. The anxious hyena swung its head back and forth before locking onto Blaise.

    "Why did you do that to me? What did I ever do to you? And then you publicly humiliate me? Why? Taking my power wasn''t enough?"

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    "I didn''t take anything from you."

    "Liar." Blaise passed the bottle from hand to hand. She wasn''t shaking it anymore. Seth set his bottle down and got ready to cast quickly in case Blaise decided to club Maude to death.

    "I didn''t," Maude insisted. "And your parent''s sins are not yours, girl, but that is still your family. You deserved to know what people were saying."

    "That''s bullshit," Blaise said, no longer speaking quietly. "You didn''t say that to inform me. You intended to ruin my reputation and humiliate my family." She jabbed a finger at Maude who was still several paces away. "So stop lying. What did you do with my power? What happened to it?"

    The hyena laughed and bared its teeth. Seth started casting. One of the guards next to the Princess stepped forward.

    "I didn''t take it, girl," Maude insisted.

    "I told you to stop lying!" Blaise shouted and hurled the bottle at the ground at Maude''s feet. Seth didn''t have time to appreciate Blaise''s restraint.

    The hyena snapped at the bottle. The cork exploded out towards the pavilion and the bottle became a spinning geyser.

    Seth got his barrier spell up in front of Blaise and blocked the spray from hitting either of them. The bottle whacked the hyena in the face, and sprayed bubbly wine all over it, Maude, and the servant directly behind her.

    The cork pinged off the guard''s shield that had jumped in front of the Princess. The Princess stumbled and fell into one of the decorations. The bottle stopped spinning and spilled the remaining wine on the ground. Seth glanced up at the dias. A moment later one of the decorations turned and exploded.

    It was a confetti cannon, and it blasted Maude, the hyena, and the poor servant behind her in magical color and glitter. Seth''s barrier protected him and Blaise from back splash.

    "Aw," the Princess said, disappointed. "I was planning to use that later." She let go of the cannon and examined Maude who was gripping the hyena''s collar. "I do apologize. It looks like it might take some work to get the color and sparkles out of the dog''s fur. I don''t think I want it anymore."

    "Thank you, Your Highness," Maude began. "I¨C"

    "I''ll accept the other one you told me about instead."

    Time to go, Seth thought as he dropped the barrier. He shouldn''t have gone along with this and staying would jeopardize their main mission.

    Seth worried that getting Blaise to leave might be tough. Instead the Princess solved that problem.

    "That was funny," the Princess said to Blaise and then waved her away. "Go enjoy the party. Or talk to your father. I suggest the party personally." The Princess turned to Maude. "Now, about that other dog¡­"

    "Thank you, Your Highness," Blaise said. She smiled at Maude, who was wildly colored, sparkly, and soaking wet.

    "Thanks for that," Blaise said to Seth as they walked away. "The look on her face! Now she has to leave or look like a clown for the rest of the afternoon." Blaise''s smile faded. "I wish she''d tell me what she did. I don''t know why she isn''t in custody or something."

    "Happy to help," Seth said. "But I''m not sure she was the one who took your power. I think she might have been set up."

    "How can you say that? Why would you defend her?"

    "I''m not defending her," Seth said. "I''m just not sure it was her. The hyena that attacked us the day they took you was in a cage at first. Neither of the hyena''s here are even on leashes. Whoever did the kidnapping didn''t have control of the hyena. In that case, why have it with them? Why use an animal that is so recognizable?"

    "You guys told me that the hyena is how they got away. That sounds like a good reason to have it to me," Blaise said.

    Seth shook his head. "I think someone is either trying to frame Maude, or shift blame so it''s harder to find them." He considered telling Blaise about the woman he''d seen that looked damp, but decided against it. Blaise would probably try to drag the woman to the nearby fish pool and drown her.

    Blaise took a deep breath. "I can''t deal with this." She gazed over to where her dad had gone. "I need to think. And there are a few people I want to talk to before I face my dad."

    Seth watched her leave before following the servant that had been behind Maude. He caught up to him behind a hedge. "So, what did you take?"

    Booth was wiping glitter off with middling success. "I''m offended."

    "No you''re not. I want to see what you took."

    "No, I''m offended that you caught me. It means my skills are rusting," Booth said. "I was being super careful."

    "Why else would you be standing right behind her?" Seth asked.

    Booth looked pained. "I was that obvious?"

    "Why would you risk stealing something right in front of the Princess?"

    "She took from Blaise, I took from her. Thanks for the assist, by the way. That was a fantastic distraction."

    "Fine then. I want to see it," Seth asked again.

    Booth rummaged in a pocket, picking through items he didn''t pull out until he found what he was looking for. He showed Seth a jewel encrusted dog whistle on a gold box chain.

    "I''m guessing it''s magic, and I bet it''s what they use to train the hyenas. There''s no way those beasts are well behaved normally," Booth said as he put it away.

    "How did you get that over her head without her noticing?"

    Booth just smiled smugly.

    The thoom of a fireball going off nearby got their attention.

    <hr>

    "And the Princess''s sparkle cannon went off, and Booth got caught in it. We were going to get him cleaned up when we heard the fireball. I knew my familiar was over here so we came straight over," Seth said.

    "All right. That explains why he''s sparkly. Why are you here? Last I checked this party was for Prince Aster to meet the city fighters," Professor Kaban said. "And none of you have earned your certificates yet, much less a defender badge."

    "We''re working the event, Professor," Seth said. "We have working papers. Here, see?" Seth pulled out a work form.

    "Do you all have these?'' Professor Kaban asked, frowning at the form.

    "Mine is illegible," Booth said, and handed over a folded and soaking wet form. It tore as soon as Professor Kaben tried to open it.

    "Where''s yours?" Professor Kaban asked Owen.

    Owen looked at Seth, alarmed. Seth tapped his own upper pocket and Owen pulled out a folded paper from a matching pocket on his uniform. Seth sent a silent thank you to Saben for having shown him those and where to get one.

    Professor Kaban frowned at the sheets. "Thorough, I''ll give you that. But I can''t leave you kids running around here."

    "Youooo!"

    Everyone turned to see Duvessa waving at them.

    "Just how many of my students are here today?" Professor Kaban said, exasperated.

    "Seth! Come meet my grandmother!" Duvessa called.

    Professor Kaban handed Seth his form. "Go see what she wants. Owen, take Booth to the guardhouse and wait for me there. And get him cleaned up."

    Seth glanced at Mau. Her tail was lashing as she clearly was trying to decide what she wanted to do. Go with Seth to meet Duvessa''s grandmother and potentially Reginald the First, or follow Owen and Booth to the guardhouse, the most likely location of the ring.

 78 - A Picnic

    Oooh, I had the opportunity to meet the Original. The One, the Only, Reginald the First. The magic raven that Reginald the Second was the shadow of.

    Nope! No thanks!

    One of those bastards is enough.

    And as much as I''d love to shmooze the Countess, I had work to do. I''m sure I could trust Owen and Booth to do the job they''d been assigned. But I had a side job I was still working on, and providing the kiddos some support in one of the most risky sections of this heist was just good business.

    It had always been the plan to get into the guardhouse. This wasn''t the exact way we''d planned, but as they say, no plan survives Prince Disaster. Or something.

    Owen knew right where he was going and led the way with Booth trailing after, still trying to wipe off sparkles. Neither boy glanced at me as I trotted after them.

    The guardhouse was on the opposite corner of the Palace ¡­ yard? No, that wasn''t right. Despite the fact that this was a Palace, it had once been a castle. There was a word for this area inside the wall, but I''m not the kind of geek that would know it.

    Owen walked right in. Man, this kid is rocking the ''act with confidence and no one will see you'' schtick. I didn''t think the kid had it in him. The front room was small. There were benches on either side and an empty desk in the center. There were two doors on either side of the desk. A young woman in uniform was seated on one of the benches fixing a buckle. She looked up when we entered.

    "The Sargent''s inside," the woman commented and went back to working on her buckle.

    Owen just nodded to her and marched in the right hand door. I was impressed! Seth hadn''t given us intel on this building. Owen must have gotten inside earlier when I didn''t see him.

    This was the command center. And there was almost no one here.

    Fantastic.

    The room was simple with a couple of desks and tables. A bulletin board was covered in notices and one whole wall was a blackboard with lots of notes on one end. The room had several windows and was well lit with natural light. There were a few doors leading elsewhere, and based on their location I''d say at least one was a stairwell up, and the others were probably offices or even a deep closet.

    That closet could be some kind of evidence locker. A cat can hope. Booth obviously can too, as he was eyeing those doors. Too bad there was so much light in here. It was going to make sneaking harder. At least the fresh air was nice.

    The only occupant of the room was an older guy with a dad gut. He had a basket on one of the tables and was laying out quite the picnic for himself.

    "Sergeant sir," Owen said. "I was told by Pr- ah, Sir Kaban to bring this worker here and get him cleaned up."

    The Sergeant frowned and studied Booth. He was wearing a servant''s uniform that had been magically recolored in a very multicolored and vibrant way. "Why here? I''d expect the servant''s wing would be better for that."

    "I didn''t question him, sir," Owen said. I saw Owen''s eyes quickly flick down to the Sergeant''s fingers and back up. So I looked too. Just a wedding ring, dammit.

    "Was Sir Kaban planning to come here?"

    "Yes, sir. I was told to wait here for him."

    The Sergeant studied Owen. "Town guard, hmm? Alright. Washroom is there. There''s nothing we can do about his clothes."

    "Thanks," Booth said and headed for the washroom.

    Owen waited outside the washroom like he was guarding it. There really wasn''t anything else he could do with the Sergeant here. The Sergeant ignored him and went about setting up his picnic.

    We didn''t have that much time before Kaban showed up. We needed to search that closet. That meant I had work to do. Sigh.

    Hey, something smelled good! The Sergeant pulled out folded cloth napkins, a real plate and a wineglass, and all the things for a fancy lunch. He had a cutting board with a small loaf of bread, and put a small chunk of cheese next to that. A bowl with sliced fruit followed, and then the main course.

    Freshly grilled fish. That was still steaming. What shit.

    The Sergeant sat at the table and picked up a lemon slice and squeezed it over the fish.

    I scooted under the table. I could hear the Sergeant picking up the salt shaker. I only had an instant.

    From between the Sergeant''s feet I reached up with one clawed paw and snatched the fish right off his plate.

    The Sergeant bellowed in rage and flung himself back to glare under the table. I crouched with my ears flattened and my stolen prize in my mouth. I was the picture of guilt. He got a good look and then I darted for the open window. I paused on the windowsill and glanced back, daring the Sergeant to follow me.

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    He did. He leaped up and tried to grab me, but I was outside before he could. I could hear him thundering out after me. Even better, the woman from the front room tailed him outside.

    With my mouth full of delicious fish, the fuzz hot on my tail, I led them a merry chase for at least ten minutes before I settled to eat my prize, in full view of the Sergeant, in the top branches of a tree.

    Sometimes I love my job.

    From up here I could see in the window at Booth and Owen. They were both leaving the room I thought was the closet, and Booth was relocking the door with a piece of wire. They both looked happy.

    Could that be success? Was I right in thinking there were more of these rings around and that the guards would likely have one?

    To the best of my knowledge, neither Booth nor Owen knew Detect Mana, so they wouldn''t be able to determine if what they found was magic or not. I would need to get paws on that ring before they gave it to Seth. Manageable.

    And this fish is delicious. Way better than the school food. No wonder that guy is swearing at me so much.

    I let the bones drop out of the tree and watch the Sergeants reaction. He''s upset, yes, but as a mature adult, he was accepting the situation. He was just glaring now, so I jumped down and meowed at him.

    It was risky, but I rubbed up against him. One of two things will happen here. I''ll get a kick, or a pat. Honestly, either is fine, and will tell me a whole lot about what kind of person this guy is. Well, it took a hot minute and a fair bit of buttering up, but I eventually got a pat.

    Heh heh heh. I am a fluffy kitty! Bow before my cuteness!

    Professor Kaban showed up just as we headed back inside. He eyed me sternly.

    "I see you''ve found our resident troublemaker, Sergeant," Kaban said.

    He nodded. "Stole my dinner a few minutes ago. She arrived with a young servant that had been hit with Princess Lily''s new sparkle cannon."

    Kaban nodded. "Mind if I talk to them in the office here, Sergeant?"

    "Of course, sir." The Sergeant nodded to the boys who had stood up when the adults arrived. "Just please, keep the cat with you. I don''t want to lose any more of my dinner."

    Oh? Does my nose deceive me? Could there be another fish?

    "Of course, sir," Owen said, and snatched me up.

    Traitor. After all I''ve done for you.

    Once in the small office, I hopped out of Owen''s arms and onto the desk. There were only three chairs in the room, and Kaban took the one behind the desk and waved the boys to sit on the other side.

    "I want a full explanation of why you are here," Kaban said. He studied Booth. "You don''t know the spells to fix that?"

    "I don''t, sir," Booth said.

    Kaban sighed. "First years," he muttered and cast a few spells in quick succession. His casting was way too fast for me to memorize them, but I could probably recognize them later. Maybe. I did recognize one spell. It was the spell Laur had used to pull ink out of people''s clothes during the Copy Spell practice.

    Soon Booth was dry, desparkled, and decolored.

    "Now, explain."

    Oh, I want to hear this. What kind of cockamamie story are you turkeys going to cook up?

    Booth took a deep breath, glanced at Owen, and began. "I''m having some family troubles, sir, and I asked my friends for help. Seth suggested we get temporary jobs here, so that''s what we did."

    Kaban raised an eyebrow. "Why the Palace?"

    "They pay the best," Booth said.

    "And that''s all you''re doing here? Nothing else?"

    "I''m here to help my family," Booth insisted.

    "And I''m here to help my friend," Owen said.

    Wow. I''m impressed. Every word was truth, and yet they told Kaban next to nothing. Meh, the guy''s smart. He might be able to infer things. But not enough.

    "Explain more about your family," Kaban said.

    Booth looked uncomfortable. "We''re poor, sir. All of my siblings are younger than me. I need to help them."

    Again. All truth. That''s twice Booth mentioned his family was in trouble. Is he trying to get the authorities to look out for his fam for him?

    Kaban tilted his head as if listening to something. "There is no other reason for you to be here?"

    "My only intention here is to finish working for that housekeeper lady that Seth introduced me to," Booth said.

    Booth, you gave him a point of contact. It''s a dead end, but I''m sure the Professor will chase it down. Nice.

    "Are either of you working for anyone else, or have any agreement with anyone else about why you are here today?"

    "No, sir," they both said.

    Again, all truth. There was no agreement with the Skull Gang, nor were any of us working for them. If Kaban had some lie detector spell, it wouldn''t have been triggered. And since they found a ring, they no longer had any other reason to be here, but to work.

    Kaban seemed to know there was wiggle room in those answers though, and still seemed to be listening to something.

    "You''ve both been tested at the start of school, and had a mana image done. They generally look like trees?" Kaban asked.

    "Huh?" The question confused Owen. Poor boy couldn''t follow the rapid shift in topic.

    "We did," Booth said.

    "I want you both to demonstrate your talents for me. Don''t cast, just show your talents. It can be something small, I just want to see them."

    Well, that''s unexpected. What do their talents have to do with anything?

    "I don''t know how to show mine," Owen said.

    Kaban opened the drawers in the desk and pulled out an old, dull knife now used as a letter opener. "Make this sharper."

    Owen picked it up. After a moment he showed the blade to Kaban, who dropped a piece of string on the blade. It sliced right through with hardly any force applied. The same blade when Owen wasn''t holding it couldn''t cut the string at all.

    Booth demonstrated turning a small rock into a light stone.

    Kaban picked it up and turned it over. "Nice trick," he said, staring straight at Booth, who shifted uncomfortably.

    Kaban then looked at me. What? I''m innocent! I swear! I slow blinked at him the way cats do.

    There was a quiet thoom from outside and Kaban sighed. "All right. Stay out of trouble and get back to work."

    We were off the hook! I don''t know what that guy was looking for, but we weren''t it.

 79 - Details

    Seth walked with Duvessa to the far side of the garden near the statues of the epicyons, the huge horned wolves.

    "I was so excited to see you!" Duvessa said. "This is supposed to be invitation only and I had no idea you were so well connected. You''ve been holding out on me!"

    "I''m not well connected. We''re here looking for those skull rings," Seth said. "I didn''t know you were invited to this." It would have been so much easier if he had known Duvessa would be here today. Keeping secrets and respecting other people''s privacy sucked. Maybe he should just do one or the other.

    "We! Oh! Did you bring the whole crew? Was that Booth in the funny colors?" Duvessa whirled around and lifted a hand as if she intended to call out and wave.

    "Stop it! We don''t want anyone to notice us."

    "You don''t think anyone noticed Booth''s colors?"

    Seth ignored that. "The rest of us are working, and I''m not even supposed to be talking to you right now." Seth glanced around. Fortunately, the people nearby were looking at where Prince Aster had gone. Chances were the Prince was already creating a new spectacle.

    "Oh, okay." Duvessa turned back and made a show of straightening her gown and smoothing the fabric. "But why are you here? The Skull Gang is in the East End."

    "The Skull Gang doesn''t have the ring, someone on the Palace Guard does."

    "Of course! I was thinking skull ring, Skull Gang, East End, they''re connected. I should write that down." Duvessa seemed to just be discovering that her gown didn''t have pockets.

    "I think the Skull Gang formed because of the ring. But that doesn''t matter. Booth''s family is in trouble if we don''t find that ring," Seth said.

    "That is serious. What can I do to help?"

    "I''ve been checking everyone I''ve seen to see if they have the ring. But I''m having trouble checking the nobles. I''m worried they''re getting suspicious."

    "Then leave that to me. Why do you think a noble has it? The Palace Guard took it," Duvessa asked.

    "We are checking the guards, all of them. But they may have turned the ring over to someone. I know Lord Derinheld is involved with the guard, but there might be others too that I don''t know. I don''t know who most of those people are."

    "If someone here has it, I will find it. But first, come meet my grandmother."

    For some reason Duvessa''s reassurances made him more nervous.

    Duvessa grabbed Seth''s elbow and dragged him with her over to a seating area behind the statues with a pair of braziers burning, taking the autumn chill off the air. Her grandmother was an elderly woman with the same long, dagger straight hair as Duvessa, but as gray as storm clouds instead of pitch black. She sat holding a tall staff with a raven perched on top. A second, shadowy raven perched right beside it.

    Seth bowed. "Lady Countess of Ravenshroud, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

    "Hmm. This one''s polite at least. Which one is he, Duvessa?" The Countess fixed him with a steady stare. Seth felt like a mouse being hunted by an owl.

    "Nana, this is my friend Seth! He has the amazing cat familiar, Mau. She is sooo cute!"

    "Oh? And where is this familiar?"

    Instinctively, Seth glanced in the direction of the guardhouse. "She''s doing her own thing right now. I don''t think she likes the crowds." Honestly he was glad. She caused issues with Reginald the Second all the time. With the original around too? Seth didn''t want to deal with that.

    "I''m disappointed. I wanted to see this ''silver snow leopard lynx''. Reginald here is also prone to doing his own thing. Keeping the more powerful and magical beasts as familiars can be quite the challenge."

    Since Reginald had been mentioned, Seth looked up to study the bird. He very nearly looked unremarkable. He was the same size and shape as a normal raven. There were only two noticeable differences. First, Reginald had two tiny tufts on his head, like a great horned owl''s but smaller. Second, he had several clear crystal-like feathers on his wings. They were flight feathers, and Seth thought those feathers near the elbow were called secondaries.

    "Yes, boy?" Reginald the First said.

    "Boy!" cried Reginald the Second. "Boy!"

    "I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Reginald," Seth said and bowed. "I was admiring your feathers."

    Reginald fluffed out his feathers. "Humph," he said and turned around.

    "I''m a handsome boy," Reginald the Second said and turned around too.

    There was a quick squabble as Reginald the First tried to knock the Second off the perch.

    Neither Duvessa nor the Countess paid them any attention.

    "Well? Have a seat, boy. Don''t stand there and loom over me."

    "Oh! Sorry." Seth pulled out a chair for Duvessa before sitting himself.

    "Pour some tea, Duvessa, dear. This is a fresh pot."

    The tea was piping hot. Seth blew on his cup a bit to cool it. Duvessa poured her cup last and let it sit for a bit on the table. The Countess stared at Seth and downed hers like it was merely tepid.

    "A little young for you, isn''t he?" the Countess asked.

    "He''s the youngest student in the whole school!" Duvessa said brightly.

    "He''s too young, Duvessa."

    "Oh, no. He''s a prodigy! He is one of only two first year students accepted into the Celestial Tower this semester," Duvessa bragged.

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Too young for what? Seth wondered. He studied his teacup.

    "High compliments," the Countess said. "You must be very advanced. The Celestial Tower is famous for starting with second years." She poured herself another cup. "What''s your favorite thing about Duvessa, Seth?"

    "My favorite thing?" Seth asked, confused.

    "Don''t you dare, Nana. I brought him over to meet you. What kind of sneaky plan are you doing with these questions?" Duvessa demanded. "Seth, don''t answer that."

    "It was just a question, Duvessa. I''m making conversation," the Countess said.

    "Nope! I know sneaky when I see it," Duvessa said.

    Seth wondered what kind of interview this was. He was getting confusing vibes from it. He glanced up at the ravens. They both were eyeing him¨C smugly, Seth thought.

    "What are your plans for the future, boy?" the Countess asked.

    "Ugh," Duvessa said.

    "For now, my focus is school," Seth said. That was mostly true. There were other things distracting him a fair bit though.

    "And after?" she pressed.

    "I would want to do research or exploration," Seth said. "Ideally, both."

    "Hmm." The Countess stared at him. "And what, exactly, are your intentions towards my granddaughter?"

    "Grandmother! No! Seth is my friend, not my boyfriend! He is a boy who is my friend!" She stood up and grabbed Seth. She first started to grab his hand, but quickly moved to grab his elbow instead. She also stabilized Seth''s teacup, so that not a drop spilled as she yanked him from the table.

    Seth glanced back at the Countess who had a satisfied smirk as they left. "What just happened?"

    "Nothing! It''s nothing because there is nothing there! Ugh! I can''t believe she is doing this. Oh! Blaise. I heard about what happened. We should find her."

    Duvessa practically dragged Seth until they were back near the Pavilion. Amy, filling a new tray glasses, had wide eyes as she watched him stumble after Duvessa. The Steward scowled at him, but made no move to step in. Blaise turned just in time to recognize Duvessa before being grabbed and dragged off too.

    "My grandmother has embarrassed me and I require company." Duvessa declared. She was already marching off to one of the hedgerow alcoves.

    "You''re not the only one embarrassed," Blaise said as soon as they got there. "Everyone is all ''Tsk tsk, poor girl.'' I hate it. I don''t want or need pity." Blaise plopped down on the stone bench. "My ''father'' won''t talk to me." Blaise made air quotes as she said ''father''. "I can''t just leave either. I tried."

    "Why can''t you leave?" Duvessa asked. "Just walk out."

    "There are two guards at the gate and they said I had to wait for a guardian."

    It would be really inconvenient if that happened to Seth, Booth, or Owen. But Seth was confident that wearing servant''s uniforms would protect them from that level of concern. Duvessa started to strategize with Blaise how to escape.

    Seth turned to stare out at the party. Several of the sparring rings were in use now, and the sounds of combat joined the sound of musicians. He saw a member of the Stone Defenders walk by, soaking wet. Despite that defender person being as drippy as Blaise used to be, he had no inclination to think anything fishy about him. He wondered why he was so suspicious about that foreign woman with Lord Thurstan. Was it because of Thurstan? Or something else that triggered his suspicions subconsciously?

    "Well, I suppose it''s for the best you haven''t left yet, Blaise," Seth said, deciding to trust Blaise not to be stupid. "I saw someone that I think we should get more information about."

    "Who? What kind of information?" Blaise asked.

    "I saw a woman wearing strange clothes. Most of them didn''t really touch her skin, and she had her hair wrapped up," Seth said.

    "So?"

    "She was damp. Not dripping, like you were, but she was either really sweaty, or she has a power very similar to yours," Seth said. "She was hanging around Lord Thurstan."

    "Oh! I looked into him," Duvessa said. "Since he is on our suspect list. He''s very vocal about wanting to repeal the restrictions on talents in titled positions. My grandmother has said that he uses her as an example all the time and it makes her so angry."

    Blaise nodded. "My father is supporting that too. He wants the title to Yuccasta, and he can''t do that with a fire talent unless it is repealed. The Stoneholds mostly don''t have talents, with only a few in the family having stone talents, but in my family it''s almost everyone."

    "And one more thing," Duvessa said. "He was a minor lord before he married Lady Jonetta. He''s been title climbing."

    "One of the waitresses I was talking to thought he was fishing for a new wife," Seth said. "If this woman has a talent, how would that affect his title if he married her?"

    Duvessa tapped her lips. "He''s already got the title. His tax collector title is his alone, his spouse wouldn''t get that upon marriage. The land title, since Lady Jonetta had no other heirs, would be hers upon marriage, but she couldn''t keep it upon his death if she has a talent. It would pass to an heir or return to the Crown."

    "You think she has my talent, Seth?" Blaise asked. She was glowering.

    "It crossed my mind. We need to verify it before we do anything." Seth pointed out the wet Stone Defender. "Other people can be wet for other reasons. We need to be sure."

    "How do we do that?" Blaise asked.

    "The gulliants! That''s why you wanted them," Duvessa declared.

    "Not just that, but yes," Seth answered.

    "Alright," Blaise bounced to her feet. "Let''s find out."

    "Wait a minute, what are you going to do?" Seth asked.

    "I have a gulliant," Blaise said. "I''m going to stab her with it."

    "So violent," Duvessa said. "I like it."

    What was with these people? "That''s not how those work! And you can''t just go around stabbing people because they might have done something," Seth protested.

    "Do you have a better idea?" Blaise challenged.

    "Not that! We need to make her use her power, not make her bleed," Seth said. What could he make her use her power for?

    "Oh, do you have a plan?" Duvessa asked.

    "Not really, but maybe a little, I think, yes. Yeah, it''s rough, but I think I''ve got an idea," Seth said.

    "Then let''s hear it." Blaise stood with her hands on her hips, facing Seth with her back to the party.

    "Well, to use a gulliant, she needs to cast something, preferably unstructured, with the gulliant either on her person or in her hand," Seth said. "So we need to get one into one of her pockets. And then we need to do something that will make her want to use her water talent."

    "Like what?" Duvessa asked.

    "I was thinking putting out a fire," Seth said.

    "I can have my dad light her on fire," Blaise said. "That''ll make her use it."

    "Light her on fire? What if she doesn''t have a water power, and we''re wrong?" Seth asked. How had he never noticed how bloodthirsty the girls were?

    "Pshaw," Duvessa said, waving her hand. "Details."

    "We act as if she has it," Blaise declared. "If she doesn''t, we can just apologize after and send her to the Circle Tower. No permanent harm done."

    Seth shook his head. Lighting people on fire? Just an apology if wrong? Expecting someone else to clean up after? That was crazy. But he was coming to expect a bit of crazy from these two. "That would trigger the gulliant to be attuned to your dad. We need fire without magic."

    Blaise looked so disappointed.

    "It has to be enough to make her use her power, but not enough to cause serious harm," Seth insisted.

    "Easy," Blaise said. "We dump a brazier on her."

    Seth shook his head. Blaise was determined to burn this woman. Seth wondered if it had less to do with Blaise being bloodthirsty and more with Blaise feeling angry, embarrassed, and helpless. Blaise has had a rough day, and probably feels it''s this woman''s fault and she deserves all of Blaise''s aggression.

    "Those are magical," Duvessa said. "They have Everburning Logs in them."

    Seth shook his head. "That could taint the result."

    "Where are we going to get non magical fire at a big enough scale to force her to use water magic?" Blaise asked.

    "I have an idea," Seth said.

 80 - Come in Here

    I trailed after Booth and Owen, wondering how to get my paws on the ring they found. Booth was a good enough pickpocket that he might notice me. He might not, because who''d expect a cat to pick pockets? But my paw dexterity wasn''t amazing, and I''d likely flub the attempt anyway.

    "I''m going back to rounds," Owen said. "Be careful."

    "Keep looking. There might be more." And the two of them split up.

    Shit. One of them has the ring. Which one do I follow?

    Booth. He''s more likely to meet up with Seth, having the same job here and all. I''m still hoping I can get a copied ring planted on a patsy, but I''m not stuck on the idea. I haven''t even found a candidate yet.

    I wonder if I can scope out Booth''s pockets? Maybe?

    As he was walking away, I leaped up onto his shoulder.

    "Ahh! What the hell, cat? Get off, you don''t belong to me."

    He dropped his shoulder and rolled it under me, trying to get me to jump off. Nope! I''m staying! I rubbed my face against him to show how useless his protests were and then leaned against his head and draped myself over him. I''m kinda surprised myself how long my body is.

    He looked at me in confused horror. "Get off, Mau. What are you doing?"

    I yawned. I''m going to be riding here, of course!

    "Ew, you smell like fish."

    Now, which pocket would have that ring? Booth raised a hand to pet me. I knew he''d give in.

    Next thing I knew he''d grabbed me under the shoulders and was holding me at arm''s length with my feet dangling. Dammit.

    He marched me right over to where Seth was talking to the girls in one of the little alcoves set in the hedges.

    "Your cat is annoying," Booth announced.

    "I''m sorry," Seth said as he took me from Booth. I grumbled my displeasure and glared at Booth. He was not impressed. I glared harder.

    I was interrupted by Seth slinging me over his shoulder like I was a fur boa. Well, I had the length to pull it off. I bet I looked good. You know, slinky, like a mink.

    Booth''s gaze flicked from Seth to the girls and back. "Success, sort of. I need to talk to you."

    "I need to talk to you too." Seth glanced past Booth. "We only have a couple of minutes at best. The Steward is going to be looking for us."

    Oh, right! These two slackers were supposed to be working! Okay Booth, hand that ring over so I can swipe it from Seth.

    Duvessa stepped between Seth and the Steward. "Not to worry. I will insist on your service."

    Seth nodded. "Thanks, but I''d rather not make trouble I don''t need to. Did you find it, Booth?"

    Booth hesitated a bit. I got it. The fewer people who knew you were up to shenanigans, the better. But honestly, Duvessa already knew, and she was not great with secrets. Blaise was going to find out anyway. Booth came to the same conclusion.

    He pulled out a bag that clinked. "There''s more than one. I don''t know which one it is."

    Oh, oh, oh! That was even better! No sooner than Booth handed the bag to Seth than I shoved myself forward and stuck my face in it.

    "Mau, stop it! What''s gotten into you?" Seth complained as he tried to push me away.

    None of my whiskers wiggled. Not even a smidge. These were all normal rings. Perfect.

    There were probably about eight or ten rings in that bag. I didn''t know if Booth had counted them or not. I suppose it didn''t matter. Seth jerked the bag away so I couldn''t grab one with my mouth. Instead, I tried to grab the bag with a claw, not really caring if I ripped it or spilled it. I did snag it. I got my paw inside as Seth tried to get it away from me, and that was all I needed to pinch a ring in the toes of my oversized paw.

    "Down, Mau," Seth said, aggravated with me now.

    And being dumped to the ground was the perfect opportunity for me to lick said paw and get that ring positioned securely and buried in the fur of one toe. I''d need to be careful, I didn''t exactly have fingers to hold the ring, and my toes were short. When the kiddos wandered off, I''d make it a copy.

    Ring obtained!

    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    "I need these checked, I don''t know if the master is in there," Booth said.

    Seth put the bag down, closed his eyes, and cast Detect Mana. "None of them are showing up as magical."

    "Shit." Booth kicked the grass.

    Duvessa picked up one of the rings. "So this is what we are looking for? I can help with this. Blaise," Duvessa showed her the ring, "can you check the elemental guards to see if any are wearing this, and I''ll check the nobles here?"

    "Sure. But what are we doing about our suspect?" Blaise asked.

    "The plan I have is rough, but pretty simple. Booth, see that woman over there? Can you get a gulliant in her pocket? Then we need her over by the wall there. Mau set up a distraction yesterday, I think this is the best way to use it."

    Kid, that was supposed to be a last ditch ''get out of jail fast'' plan. I flicked my ear in ''tell me more''.

    And Seth did. He explained the woman he guessed had Blaise''s power, her connection to Thurstan, and his plan.

    I eyed Lord Thurstan. I wanted a tax collector for my patsy. But this guy was a minorish lord and was also connected to a bunch of shit, and we didn''t know how he was connected.

    On one hand, siccing the Skull Gang on him might get some pressure off Booth, while also starting to crack open this whole power thieving mystery.

    Or, he''s connected to the whole thing, and the Skull Gang will see right through it. That could bite us in the ass.

    The likelihood of this guy being an innocent bystander is approaching nil. He was in it somehow.

    Someone has been swiping Duvessa''s power. We believed it to be the Skull gang. Speaking of that I took a quick look around. No shadow beasties here.

    I''m surprised by that. I''d expect them to be trying to spy. Unless the Palace has protections against that? I bet they do, come to think of it.

    Yeah, I want to use this guy. If nothing else, it''ll cause some mayhem. I''m kinda disappointed I probably won''t be able to witness that drama. The kids and I should be safe enough from that in school. And as long as no one knows I planted that ring, there shouldn''t be any blowback on Booth''s fam.

    Now I gotta figure out how to get that ring on his person in such a way that the kids notice it, and without him noticing I did it.

    The kids finish hashing out the plan and split up. Not a moment too soon, as here comes the Steward. Poor Booth. You gotta do some honest work now.

    As for me, I''m heading inside the Palace.

    The Great Hall is open to the guests, and there are several partaking of the hospitality. This wing is set up like a medieval fort or castle. There is a huge room that could easily fit hundreds of guests. It has a fireplace big enough for a horse to stand in. Stone staircases spiral upwards in the corners.

    None of the guests so much as glance at me as I slip in and wander around. I got time. The kids will take a bit to get set up anyway. One thing that gets my attention is the guard at the stairs up. So naturally I want to head upstairs.

    I don''t think the guard even saw me circling the stairs behind him, and it was super easy to make the leap up the spiral from behind him.

    Third floor, all kitties off. Except for furniture, this hallway is empty. I scoot under a chair and look around for a moment to be sure.

    Yup. My whiskers picked up a lot of magic in a spot along the wall. This particular spot had no furniture, just artwork. And I spotted the seams in the paneling.

    Yeah. I need a peek. Curiosity is totally my thing. Fitting I''m a cat now. But I do have self control. Mostly. I''m not here to take anything, I just want to know what''s available. You know, checking out the menu before committing.

    The door swings inward for me. It''s a treasure room. With more security inside.

    You can tell a lot about a kingdom by what they value. The things this country valued the most, what they secured, were weapons and armor. I was hopeful for crown jewels or something, but instead we''ve got spears, swords, and a white coat? It doesn''t even look like armor, but they''ve got it behind glass in an already locked vault behind a secret panel door.

    This was definitely a place that warranted attention. I don''t take more than a quick peek before I heard someone comming. Shit. My whiskers didn''t tell me about any alarms here, but that doesn''t mean there weren''t any. I booked it down the end of the hall to the room I was here for, trusting the vault door to close.

    I pushed open the door and dodged inside. Yes, I fucking squawked. The door shut behind me.

    This room is a storage room. Or rather, it had become a storage room due to disuse. Sheets draped over all the furniture, the light sconces were empty, the fireplace cold and swept, and piles of random boxes and things were strewn about. There was an armoire with railing pieces and paintings leaning against it. Flaking mirrors in ornate frames leaned against the fireplace.

    And what I was here for. Windows that opened and overlooked the garden. And a little thing I''d set up yesterday was here, waiting for me.

    I jumped up to the sill and looked out. I could see the whole party from here. Laur was still with the purple robed guys on a balcony. They were very focused on monitoring the people below them, and I didn''t think they would notice me.

    Professor Kaban was talking to people in the Fire Brigade uniform. The Ice Tower sculptress was working on another sculpture now, this one smaller and flatter. I wondered if she was doing that so she wouldn''t have to socialize.

    I saw Professor Isolde, the one who''d done the familiar ritual and the Ritual Geometry teacher, yelling at Lord Derinheld, the guy who''d been in charge of the Blaise kidnapping investigation. Whatever she was mad about she was very animated about it. Waving her arms, poking him in the chest. Guy had the patience of a saint though. He was just standing there, not looking at her, with a handkerchief over his mouth. He let her yell and didn''t react.

    Meh. She wasn''t the most stable of teachers. Letting the storm blow by might be the best tactic.

    Duvessa was actively helping the cause. She was greeting every noble she could, and would grab their hands as part of her greeting. I bet having a reputation for being a bit eccentric was probably helping there.

    I saw Booth walking away from the woman in the hairwrap. She looked at him and then headed over to the wall beneath my window. There was a seating arrangement there, with braziers and a cloth covered table. She looked under the table.

    And there we go. Seth just signaled.

    A quick swipe of my claws, and it was done. Now to get out of here.

    When I turned to hop down, the Princess was standing in the doorway, looking at me. I had no idea how long she''d been watching me.

    "I thought I heard a chicken come in here."

 81 - Mine is the Master Ring

    Seth watched Booth talk to the woman in the hair wrap. She was looking damper now than before, but still not drippy.

    He started to think about what they would need to do once they had proof. Talk to the authorities? What would they do? Seth thought about how he was shut out of trying to help Saben. That was very likely to happen again, probably more forcefully too.

    He didn''t think talking to the Circle Tower would be of any use. It would just tip off whoever was sabotaging the Tower.

    Should they tell Blaise''s parents? Blaise would want to confront the woman. Seth could see that going badly. They might get the breakthrough they needed, or the woman might end up dead.

    Whatever they did, they had to be careful about it. Benjamin could probably give Seth some decent advice here. Mau might have some ideas too.

    What would happen after that?

    Booth came over to Seth. "I asked her if the bracelet on the ground over there was hers. I figured she''d go check."

    And she did. She was next to the wall now, looking under a table. The closest person to her was more than twenty feet away. Seth signaled Mau.

    White powder fell from the window in a cloud and billowed out as it fell. When it reached the brazier, it exploded.

    "What the fuck!" Booth yelled, as both of them ducked and ran.

    Seth didn''t know what he''d expected, but it wasn''t that. Mau had told him that she set up a fire distraction, and he knew she couldn''t cast spells, so he thought it would work for what they wanted.

    This was overkill. It wasn''t like a fireball spell. Instead of a condensed concentration of fire, it was an explosion of flame that burst out wherever the dust was. The dust all burned away in an instant and left behind only ash.

    Bubble shields were going up all over, people were running and yelling, and then the Palace Wizards were there.

    Seth looked at the mayhem. The braziers had been overturned in the explosion and were lighting the tablecloths on fire. The wyvern ice sculpture had cracked but survived, and there were a few spots of fire in the grass. Most people had stopped running and were looking around now.

    The woman in the hairwrap was covered in a thin layer of water. It worked.

    "Go get the gulliant, and get it back in its case so it doesn''t get contaminated," Seth told Booth. He glanced up at the window, but Mau was nowhere to be seen. Then he felt four little prickles in the familiar link.

    Mau needed help.

    <hr>

    I watched as the Princess scanned the room. The second time her eyes looked directly at me and then skimmed right past I realized she couldn''t actually see me through all the junk piled between us.

    I held perfectly still, hoping my silver leopard camouflage worked on stone window ledges.

    She crouched down and looked under furniture and beneath the sheets. "I know I heard a chicken."

    There was noise from the hallway, and from outside. "Ugh, I''ll deal with you later," she said, and left the room. I heard the door lock.

    Heh. I won''t be here when you get back!

    Careful to avoid being seen from outside, I took a peek into the garden. Yup, absolute mayhem. I love it.

    I hopped down from the window and listened at the door. I heard the Princess talking to someone. It didn''t take long for them to leave.

    I pushed the door. I heard it unlock, but it didn''t move. Uh, what?

    Mine is the master ring. This door should open. I pushed a little harder. Nope. It ain''t budging. Can I pull it? Nope. This time I heard the knob rattling.

    I lay flat so I can see under the door. The crack was narrow enough that I couldn''t actually see out, but I could see the shadow of chair legs.

    The Princess stuck a chair under the knob to block the door. And my amazing, fantastic, magical ring, can''t unlock a chair.

    I knew I should have done more testing with this thing. I had wondered where the limits were. Locks? Latches? Bars? How much can it actually affect? Does weight matter? Type of lock?

    Eh, it''s all burnt strudel right now. I can''t move the chair, and I can''t open the door. I glanced over at the window. Normally I''d just climb out that way, but I kinda generated a shit storm out there, and that wouldn''t be safe.

    Ah fuck. I poke a paw with my claw to signal Seth I need some help. While I wait, I''ll see if there is anything interesting in all this junk. Might as well make my ring copy too. And I''ll give that ring as much oomph as I can, so it lasts as long as possible.

    <hr>

    Seth trotted along the hallway. This area was restricted from guests, but there was a servant area connected to it from the floor above. But it was a long way around, and it took several minutes for him to get to where Mau was.

    He could feel Mau behind a door blocked with a chair. Moving the chair was easy, but the door was locked, too.

    "Mau, I''ll be right back with Booth," Seth whispered.

    He glanced up and down the hallway before heading back. He noticed a section of the wall that normally didn''t have a door was open.

    Seth couldn''t resist looking in the open wall. He''d had no idea there was a room here. It had always been sealed when he lived here. For it to be open, during a party no less, was baffling to him.

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Inside, Princess Lily was staring at a display case. Seth was overcome with a lot of complicated emotions that he couldn''t really identify. She had been an important friend. He wasn''t supposed to talk to her. He also knew she didn''t value him the same way. He approached quietly, too curious to stay away.

    "Beautiful, isn''t it?" the Princess said, her tone inviting. She didn''t glance at him but continued to study the display. When Seth stood next to her he realized she could see his reflection on the glass case.

    "The regalia of the Flower Empress. I didn''t realize her regalia set was here," Seth said.

    The regalia were the most powerful magical tools used by the Empress. Within the case was a mannequin wearing a jeweled circlet, a form fitting white coat made with metallic fabric that had embroidered sigils in gold thread, bracers that looked like snakes coiling around its forearms, and plain black boots. Beside it was a sword that niggled at Seth''s memory, and a tall crystal staff. There were rings on each hand and a delicate necklace of golden flowers.

    "This represents most of it. She was absolutely amazing. Long lasting peace and prosperity, magic innovation, social progress. No ruler before or since has come close to her accomplishments." The princess watched him in the glass. "Too bad she was a demon."

    "She was. It wasn''t prosperous for everyone, and peace was a matter of opinion. I''m sure the Empire''s conquests would disagree."

    "Sad how that worked out."

    Of all the people for the Princess to become a fan of, this one was unexpected. "Her regalia is beautiful. It''s amazing that the whole set is here in Rosia."

    The Princess hummed in disagreement.

    Seth glanced at her in surprise. "Are there more pieces of the regalia?"

    "Not really. All the best pieces are here except the black cape. Too bad they are all fakes."

    "Fakes?" Seth glanced around the hidden vault. There were many more weapons and items in here, and it looked like a fortune in magic. Was everything fake?

    "I''m not sure about the rest of that, but the regalia is fake. I don''t know if my parents know. It''s possible these were replaced decades or even centuries ago."

    Seth wondered how she knew. "They look like the real ones I''ve seen in books."

    "There''s no point in making fakes that look fake, silly." Princess Lily smirked at him.

    "I know that. I guess what I''m trying to ask is how can you tell they''re fake?"

    The Princess stepped to the side of the glass case and did something behind it. A moment later the front plate of glass turned translucent blue. Princess Lily then reached through the glass and pulled a ring off the mannequin''s finger.

    "Woah," Seth said. He automatically reached to touch the blue glass.

    Princess Lily''s hand shot up and grabbed his wrist. "Nope, don''t touch. The security on the case is still there. I only turned it off for me."

    "Oh, sorry." Seth pulled his hand back. "I''d never seen that before."

    Princess Lily nodded and held up the ring. It was reddish gold and looked like a circle of flame. "Do you know what this is?"

    "The Empress could shape and manipulate fire, and bestow fire based powers to people nearby." It occurred to Seth that the powers granted worked a lot like talents. The Empress had the ability to grant temporary fire talents with this ring.

    "That''s right. This whole city was built to counter that power. The blue thatch that doesn''t burn, and greystone buildings that wick away heat. To this day people don''t build with wood here."

    "Of course not. We get wyverns every year that would burn the place down."

    Princess Lily blinked. "That''s right," she said and looked down at the ring. Seth didn''t know why that would surprise her.

    "Here," she said abruptly, and tossed the ring at him. Seth fumbled a little bit, but caught it. "Go on, try to use it."

    Seth had no idea how to use the ring. The Princess surely knew that. So instead he cast Detect Mana on it. It contained no magic power.

    "Did you just cast a spell on it?" Princess Lily demanded. She looked him up and down. Dressed as a servant, he supposed she would be surprised at his ability to cast.

    "Yes, and you''re right. It has no power at all."

    "Of course I''m right. Who taught you to use a mana vault at your age? Don''t you know how dangerous that can be? If you were going to develop a talent, you''d stunt it."

    "I have a talent, it already manifested."

    "No you don''t. That''s not possible. You''re too young." Princess Lily stepped closer, peering at him as though she was trying to see inside him.

    "I do have a talent. It''s a wind talent, see?" Seth summoned a tiny amount of wind.

    "That''s not how that works. You can''t rush talents."

    Why was she acting so weird about this? "Well, I do have a talent. I''m a student in Rosia Magic Academy, and I even have a familiar."

    "Huh. How old are you?"

    "You know how old I am Lily. My birthday is the day after yours," Seth said, and immediately regretted it. "I''m sorry, Your Highness," he corrected himself.

    She wasn''t offended, not that he expected her to be. "We know each other," she stated.

    "We were friends," Seth said. "It was a couple of years ago, but I''m surprised you''ve forgotten me." She was different from how she was. Louder, more forceful. Growing up definitely made her more confident. Two years was a long time to a kid, so maybe it wasn''t weird she''d forgotten. She must meet so many people as a princess.

    Princess Lily gave him a sly smile. "And how much do you remember about me? If we were such good friends, you''d know where I hide my diary."

    "Which one? The one you hide under your mattress for your mother to find, or the one you hide behind the loose stone in the mantle?"

    She looked startled, then smiled happily at him. "That''s right! We were friends!" She clapped her hands and looked him over. "Since we''re friends, you can tell me what you did to activate your talent so young. Was it a ritual? An artifact? Could I do it?"

    Seth glanced at the ring he was still holding. "I didn''t do anything. I don''t know why I have it early. The professors at school weren''t all that surprised by it."

    "Hmm. I suppose if they think you''re just an outlier¡­" The princess tapped her lips. "I''m going to put together a private guard. I''m looking for talented and dedicated people. As my friend and a magical prodigy, would you be interested? I would be delighted to have you on board."

    Live in the Palace again? Seth would love to! Be friends again? Also yes! But Seth had commitments, including a major one to Saben. "Would this be before or after I finish school?"

    "I want only the best people. I have no use for dropouts."

    "Then yes, after I finish school, I would definitely be interested."

    "Excellent! I''ve tapped a few other people already. I''ll send you an invite when I want everyone to gather. This is going to be fantastic."

    A sound by the door made them both turn.

    The foreign woman stood there, looking caught out. "Um, excuse me. I''m looking for a washroom or somewhere I can get changed," she said.

    The Princess scowled at her.

    "I can take you," Seth volunteered. He handed the ring back to the Princess. "If that''s okay."

    "Of course. You should introduce yourselves," the Princess said to them.

    "I am Lady Hellena, Your Highness," the woman said and curtsied.

    "I''m Seth, and I''ll show you the way, Lady Hellena."

    Princess Lily smiled happily at Seth as she escorted him out of the hidden vault. "Thank you, Seth." She nodded to the other woman. "Lady Hellena."

    Lady Hellena was peering past the Princess when the vault door was shut in her face.

 82 - Icy Effigy

    Hellena glared at the door, then at Seth, before stalking further down the hallway.

    "Lady Hellena," Seth said, "the washrooms are this way."

    "I came from that way. You are mistaken. Show me to the one down here."

    The way she wanted to go was restricted. Honestly, neither of them were supposed to be in this hallway at all.

    "I apologize, my lady, but there are none that way. Please follow me."

    Lady Hellena swore under her breath. She stared at the now concealed vault, where Princess Lily remained, for a moment and then conceded.

    "Fine," she said curtly and waved Seth ahead.

    "If you like, I can introduce you to one of the wizards here. They can easily dry your clothes for you," Seth offered. Blaise had never bothered with that. She never stayed dry long enough for it to be worth the effort.

    "No. I want to be shown to a washroom."

    "As you wish," Seth said. "Do you have a change of clothes, or would you like me to fetch some for you?"

    "Mind your business, servant. Just take me there already and be on your way."

    Seth forced a smile and made no more attempt to engage her. He had her name. That would have to be enough to get more information about her, but none of that would come from the woman herself.

    At the bottom of the stairs, the guard was across the Great Hall instead of standing at his post. Seth noticed a fair bit of water on the floor in the area, and wondered what Hellena had done to get the guard to leave.

    Seth watched her enter the washrooms and debated waiting outside to see where she went after, but decided against it. He still needed to get Mau out of that room.

    No, he didn''t. He could sense her out in the garden already.

    <hr>

    I ain''t waiting for Booth. I''m out before the Princess comes back.

    I slip out and scoot in the opposite direction of the voices. Seth was having a casual conversation. Bastard. He was going to leave me hanging in a locked room while he shot the shit with some rando.

    It didn''t matter. I was out.

    Now I need to figure out how to get this ring on Lord Thurstan, and get one of the kids to notice it and steal it from him.

    Sigh. Complications. And more complications. The party looked like it was breaking up.

    My flour bomb was a successful disturbance, and now the guests were disturbed. The Professors and Palace Wizards were casting all sorts of spells over there trying to figure out what happened and how.

    Physics baby. No magic at all. Maybe that was chemistry? What was the difference? Fuck if I knew. Hell, fuck if I used to know. I don''t remember it anyway.

    I needed this ring on Thurstan''s finger. I was thinking I could just leave the ring on a table near him. The guy would be curious, and probably take it, maybe even put it on. Who doesn''t like a gold ring that''s just lying around? And if the guy does know what the ring is, he''d take it for sure.

    The problem with that is if the guy is actually honest and leaves the ring or turns it in. He might even be savvy enough to not take the bait. I think the chances of that are near null.

    So, once he''s got the ring, I needed the kids to get it. Get Duvessa to greet him? I thought she might have done that already. Trip him so he falls into Booth or Seth? Maybe. Get him standing under the ice wyvern and then drop the statue on him? I liked that plan. It sounded the most fun, even if it was stupidly convoluted.

    I''d need to make some cuts in the ice statue so it''ll shatter and fall when I want it to. Timing will be crucial.

    A flaw with that plan was that most of the wizards were near the wyvern trying to figure out what caused the flour bomb. Someone will figure it out eventually, but hopefully we''ll be long gone by then.

    But until then, the wyvern was a bit too trafficked to make it easy to drop on one specific person. And that person was nowhere near it. I didn''t want the guy to leave before I can frame him with the ring.

    Suddenly Seth grabbed me by the scruff of the neck, and turned me so he could stare at me. "How did you get out of that room? It was locked."

    Whelp. Oh icy effigy of Chicky Chicky, you shall survive this party after all. I wished to destroy you, but I''ve been found out.

    I plunked the copied ring into Seth''s hand.

    "You did find it. Why didn''t you tell us?"

    ''Busy.''

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    "Who was busy, you?"

    ''No.'' I looked over towards where Blaise was. Seth followed my gaze and understood.

    "You got it while we were dealing with Blaise''s thing."

    I nodded.

    "Who did you take it from? Who had it?"

    I look over at Thurstan. He was in a crowd though.

    "I don''t know everyone over there." Seth sighed and started running through the name list of those he did know. Thurstan was pretty high on that list.

    "Thurstan." Seth frowned. "You were inside then, and Thurstan was near Lady Hellena. How did you get it from him?"

    ''Before.''

    Seth considered that. The timing didn''t really work well, but it was possible for me to have snatched it from Thurstan before getting in position for the flour bomb.

    "All right. I''m sorry I got suspicious of you, I should have known you were still on the job." Seth put me down and gave me some pets. I kinda felt bad for lying to him. Not bad enough to come clean though. I wanted to keep my ring. "I''ll get this to Booth, and then we wrap up here. Stay out of trouble while we finish cleaning up, okay?"

    Whew. I guess sometimes simple is best.

    <hr>

    "I still don''t like it," Booth said. "We''re going to be cutting it close."

    The three boys were in a hired carriage returning to school. Owen had worried a bit about the expense, but they were paid enough to cover the costs of rides both to and from the Palace with some left over. Seth saw that as a gain.

    "It''s our best chance to get into Administration and test the gulliant. Once we turn over the ring, we won''t be able to get in," Seth said. "We still have time before sundown."

    "I know. I agreed. I still don''t like it."

    Seth didn''t want to bring up the next topic, but it needed to be addressed. "So, what do we do if they don''t stop the blackmail?"

    "What do you mean?" Booth asked sharply.

    "Yeah, what do you mean? We did it," Owen said. "We got the ring. They''ve got nothing else on us, right?"

    "They got us to break into the Palace for them by threatening Hayfield," Seth said. "Who''s to say they won''t do that again? Or one of Booth''s other siblings, claiming it''s different?"

    Booth was shaking his head. "They won''t. They can''t. They said they''d leave him alone."

    "Do you think they will?" Seth asked.

    Booth thought about it. "Jimmy will. He''s always dealt straight. Matthius though," Booth''s expression darkened. "Guy''s a slimeball."

    Seth nodded. "He''ll be out eventually. And probably pissed off too. And that''s the thing about blackmail. It doesn''t go away," Seth said. "They still have leverage over Hayfield."

    "No they don''t. He just has to tell them no," Booth said.

    "Would they leave it at that?" Seth asked.

    Booth punched the seat. "I don''t know. Fuck. That stupid moron. I told him to stay away from the gangs."

    Mau made the motion for ''plan''.

    Seth agreed. "When we return the ring, we should get a promise that they won''t bother your family again. If that gives us some time, maybe we can get your family moved somewhere else." Seth couldn''t think of anything else they could do to guarantee the gang left Booth''s family alone.

    Booth shook his head. "My mom won''t let us move. Her cousin owns that building. Anyplace else we''d need to pay rent. We''d be on the street within a year. I''ve worked too hard to keep my siblings out of the workhouses or getting locked into a servitude contract to just end up in one anyway."

    "We don''t need to come up with a solution right now," Seth said. "But if we think about it for a bit, we might be able to come up with something that''ll work."

    "We better not need it," Booth said harshly.

    They lapsed into silence for the rest of the ride back to school. Seth wondered what things they might be able to do for Booth''s family. With his siblings so young, there wasn''t really a lot of options. Maybe getting Hayfield a job somewhere would be enough to get him out of trouble, and if Hayfield was working, he wouldn''t have time or be available to the gang to manipulate.

    But Booth was right. Workhouses and people looking for domestic servants were generally the only places that would take children. And once you were in a place like that, it was really hard to get out.

    No inspiration struck Seth before they arrived, so he shelved the problem.

    <hr>

    Blaise was leaning against the wall of the Administration building when they arrived. "What''s the plan?"

    "We keep it simple," Seth said. "We go in and walk to the offices near the back. That''s where they stored the signature jars during the gauntlet, so they should all still be there. The ring should let you just walk in. Owen and I will wait outside, and make any distractions we need. You two find your jar and dip the gulliant in it. If it''s black, it''s a match. If it''s white, it''s not. White can also mean it''s been contaminated."

    "Let''s get to it then," Blaise said. She marched into the Administration building.

    The main room had a circle of semi private booths, the same ones that they had done their assessments in. The Administration side of the booths had stacks of books and papers on top of filing cabinets, filling the interior of the circle. The student side of the tables were mostly clear, with a couple having stacks of blank forms. Seth didn''t see any of the scales that they''d used to take the signatures.

    There were no other students but there was a professor sorting a stack of files. She looked over at the group and sighed.

    Seth walked up to one of the booths and looked through the forms. Finding what he was looking for he, held up the form to the professor.

    "This is the familiar packet," Seth said. "I''ll go over it with you guys. Let''s go over here so we''re not disturbing anyone."

    The professor smiled and waved them off. "Ask if you have questions!" she called after them.

    "Why did you pick the familiar packet?" Blaise asked quietly.

    "Because it''s long and complicated," Seth answered.

    "It is?" Owen asked. "I was thinking it might be nice to have a smart familiar."

    Mau meowed at him and rubbed between his legs as he was walking, making him stumble as he tried not to step on her.

    "Pets are so nice," Booth said as he snickered.

    "This the right place?" Seth whispered to Mau. She was the one who''d been exploring in here. Mau walked up to a particular door and sat down.

    "Okay, Blaise and Booth, find the right jar. Owen, you and I will stand guard and distract anyone who comes by," Seth said.

    A moment after Booth opened the door and the two went inside, Blaise stuck her head back out into the hallway. "We need you too, Seth. There''s no way we can find it quickly without more help."

    Seth looked in the room. The room was easily twice the size of the main room and lined with thousands of tiny jars on dozens of shelves.

    "We don''t have time for this," Booth complained.

 83 - Hand It Over

    "I have no idea what to do here," Blaise said.

    There had to be thousands of the little jars here. Dozens were arranged on each tray, a half dozen trays in a box, and hundreds of boxes on the shelves.

    "They have to have some type of organization system," Seth said.

    "I looked at the first few boxes. They''re not alphabetical," Booth said.

    Seth walked along the first shelf, looking at the labels on each of the boxes and on the shelves. "The shelves are labeled. What do you think ''F16'' means?"

    "Why not just sort it by year? Or student name?" Blaise asked. "That would be so much easier."

    "Let''s just start looking," Booth said. "If you find someone you recognize, we''ll see if we can figure out the sorting system."

    "Whatever. Where should I start?" Blaise asked.

    Seth looked at the shelves. "These ones over here are less dusty than those that way. Let''s each take one of these and see if we can figure this out."

    Booth rifled through the boxes with careless speed. The only reason he hadn''t broken any jars yet was his hand speed and dexterity.

    Blaise was more thorough, each jar tinking as she quickly and carefully examined each one.

    Seth took a middle approach. He rifled quickly through the jars, but was more careful in his handling of them than Booth.

    After several minutes of searching he spotted an orangy-red jar with ''Brand/Ash/Firesands'' on the label. "I think I found Brand''s. Is your father''s name Ash?" Seth asked. A more reddish jar next to it was labeled ''Cole/Ash/Firesands''. "And there is a Cole here, too."

    "It is!" Blaise said. "Cole and Brand are twins. Okay, so they''ve been out for a couple of years now and they were first years six years ago."

    "If every shelving unit is a year, then it''s one of those over there," Booth said, shoving the tray he''d been looking through back onto the shelf. He beelined for the the shelf most expected to be theirs.

    "I''ll take this one in case we''re off a bit," Blaise said, and Seth took the one next to her.

    The minutes ticked by.

    "Yes! I know this guy," Booth said. "It''s this shelf."

    "I''ll help you," Blaise said. "They seem more organized by talent than by name. Did you notice that?"

    Seth looked over at them, his hand on the jar he''d just found. Saben''s.

    It was the same minty green color as Seth''s tree image had been. He thought it should be at least slightly different. Brand and Cole''s jars were distinctly different colors, and they both had fire talents.

    Seth thought about how the Princess was so certain that he couldn''t have a talent at his age. And how unruly his talent was, like it didn''t want to work with him. Then there was that little divide in his tree image.

    Arnold had been so sure talents were being stolen. His certainty was why they were now looking for proof of Blaise''s stolen talent. Honestly, most of Seth''s doubts were more due to Arnold being an asshole than thinking he was wrong.

    If Blaise''s power was stolen, then so was Saben''s.

    If Hellena had Blaise''s power, then someone had Saben''s.

    Seth put Saben''s jar in his pocket and headed over to the shelf where Blaise and Booth were looking. He wanted to find his jar and see if he remembered the color correctly. Green was a color with a lot of variation. Saben''s might just be similar. He would compare it to his own jar, and know for sure.

    The idea took root, and he couldn''t shake it.

    His talent was weaker than Saben''s, it couldn''t be the same. But Lady Hellena''s talent was weaker than Blaise''s.

    The timing wasn''t quite right. Seth''s talent showed up a few weeks after Saben had lost his. Maybe he just hadn''t noticed it? It wasn''t like he knew he could suddenly do magic. The first time he''d used it was completely accidental.

    How could it have happened? He hadn''t taken it from Saben. He would never do that.

    There were several questionable incidents that happened at that time, but Saben had never gone missing the way Blaise did. Unless he had after going back to school, and never told anyone.

    Talents aren''t unique, he told himself. Colors can''t be unique either. This isn''t what I''m thinking. It''s just coincidence.

    "Yes!" Blaise crowed. "Found it!"

    She practically tore off the lid and fumbled for the gulliant. She dropped it tip first in the jar.

    "It was blue, and now it''s black. What does that mean?" Blaise asked.

    "Black is a match," Seth said. "Your power and Hellena''s have the same signature."

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    Booth rocked back on his heels. "She really did steal your power."

    "Did you think she didn''t?" Blaise asked.

    "Honestly, I thought the stealing powers idea was a reach. Like, you can''t steal someone''s eyeball and have it still work. I figured talents were the same," Booth said.

    Blaise stared at the black spike. "I''ll kill her," she said calmly, as if it were the most logical solution. Seth thought she meant it.

    "I don''t recommend it," Booth said. He was rapidly putting things back in order. "She''s got title, you don''t. She is also connected to that Thurstan guy."

    "Yeah, that''s who Mau got the ring from," Seth said.

    "Hurry up and put all that back," Booth said. "I got places to be."

    Blaise put the gulliant back in its case and resealed her jar. "If I can''t kill her, what do I do to get my power back? Not the Circle Tower, right?"

    "That''s a tomorrow problem. This detour is making me late already," Booth said. He took Blaise''s jar out of her hand, had it back on the tray, in its box, and hustled her to the door before she could protest. "Done, let''s go."

    Seth glanced around. There was no obvious sign they''d been there. Booth was pretty thorough, considering how quick he was. Seth''s fingers sought the jar in his pocket as he shut the door.

    They collected Owen, who was still reading the familiar packet. Seth called out "Thank you," to the professor sorting files, who waved without looking at them.

    Outside, Booth turned to Blaise. "You weren''t part of this. I''m not going to ask to you come with me. I need to return this ring to a gang in the East Side. They''re a bunch of thugs and thieves and other things. It''s probably better for you to stay here." He glanced at Seth and Owen. "Same goes for you too."

    "I''ll finish what I started," Owen said.

    "I''ll help," Seth said.

    "Yeah, I''ll go too," Blaise said. "The only other thing I''d be doing right now is planning how to kill that bitch, and that''s not a healthy mindset."

    "Right. Thanks," Booth said. "We''ll go out the basement that your cat showed us. That''ll be the fastest."

    The sun had passed behind the mountains, casting the city in deepening darkness. It wasn''t long before the streets were dark, lit only by the occasional corner light. It was a sharp contrast from the western side of the lake, where lampposts lit every few dozen paces.

    Seth tried not to think of his talent or the jar in his pocket. Instead he thought about what he could expect from meeting with the Skull Gang. It wasn''t something he had any experience with.

    He''d been pretty sheltered, honestly. Dad tended to leave him behind when doing things like this, and would take Saben instead. Saben then tried to shield him too, and whatever mess he''d gotten into, he never told Seth about it.

    Could that be how Saben''s power was lost? Was this all something Saben had been involved in and Seth thinking he somehow had it was completely off base? Seth hoped that was it.

    Booth zigzagged through the footways and alleys, clearly avoiding certain areas. Seth guessed they were no more than a couple blocks away when Booth halted abruptly.

    "What''s wrong?" Blaise asked, as Owen scanned the dark shadows.

    Booth shook his head and stared down an alley.

    A young man stepped out. He was dressed in dark gray, and had a black bandana with a skull missing the mandible design. He''d been leaning against a doorframe in the alley, nearly hidden in the darkness. "Good eye, kid. I''ve been waiting for ya."

    Owen stepped up next to Booth, Seth turned around to watch behind them. The shadow dogs had come out of the darkness last time, Seth figured they might do that again.

    "I''m here to collect. You can hand over that ring now," the young man said and held out his hand.

    "Nah. I''m supposed to turn this over to Jimmy," Booth said. "I don''t think we''ve met."

    "Ned. And I know who you are Booth. You''re late. You can hand it to me now, or you can explain why you''re late yourself."

    Booth considered Ned for a long moment.

    Ned gestured to them. "Are you really going to waste their time? You need to hand over the ring. Hand it to me and you''re done. It''s what I''m out here for."

    "Done is nice," Blaise said.

    "Fine," Booth said and handed Ned the ring.

    "Pleasure doing business with you," Ned said, his smile smug. As he walked away he tossed the ring up and caught it.

    Mau growled, and was shaking her head.

    "Yeah, I''m getting a bad feeling from that, too," Booth said. "Hey, we''ll tag along," he called after Ned. "I should talk to Jimmy anyway."

    Ned didn''t wait for them and just shrugged.

    They followed Ned to the Skull Gang''s house, a shabby and run down mansion from when this section of the city had seen better days.

    The doorman glowered as they walked by. He was one of the oldest gang members Seth had seen so far, at least in his forties and built like a ditch digger.

    Inside, the mansion receiving rooms were being used for cards and a club bar. There were several members hanging out, most in their late teens or early twenties. There were a few younger boys too. A few paid attention to the kids as they trailed after Ned. Seth felt very unsafe, and thought coming here was a bad idea and they should leave as soon as possible.

    Ned led the way to a second floor office. "Hey, look at the rats that followed me home," he announced.

    Jimmy had been looking out the window and turned to see the kids file in. "Did you get it?"

    "Ned has it," Booth said. "We got it off a guy named Lord Thurstan."

    "I don''t have it. Why would you say that?" Ned said.

    "Because you asked for it," Booth said, incredulous. "You''re a member of the gang. Of course I would hand it over."

    "He''s full of shit, Jimmy. He never gave it to me. I think he never bothered to get it," Ned said.

    "We did get it," Seth said. "We took it from a Lord Thurstan. I don''t know where he got it from. We even checked it worked."

    Mau''s tail was lashing violently. Seth grabbed his familiar and held her tight. She was going to shred Ned. Bloodshed here would go badly for everyone. Seth doubted anyone downstairs would let them leave.

    "Search him, Jimmy. He has it already," Booth said.

    "I''m not searching my own people, kid. If Ned says you didn''t give it to him, then you didn''t give it to him. That means you still owe me that ring, and you are late." The normally friendly Jimmy looked so disappointed. "There''s a reckoning due."

    "You fucking liar!" Booth snarled at Ned. "You set me up! And now you got these idiots defending you!"

    "You never gave me nothing," Ned said. "You gonna let these shitstains talk to me like that?" Ned glared at Jimmy.

    "It''s easy enough to verify," Blaise said. "He has the ring. Look for yourself."

    "Nah, I know enough about Booth''s power to know that''s useless," Jimmy said. "I''ll tell you what. I''m gonna give you the opportunity to make this right."

    "We got nothing to make right!" Booth said. "I returned the ring."

    "Hear me out," Jimmy said. "That ring is needed for a job tonight, due at dawn. You lot are gonna do that job. You get it done, I''ll give you another week to pony up that ring." His eyes flicked to Ned. "From whoever has it."

    "How can we pony up a ring you''ve already got?" Booth asked. "Fucking slimeballs. I trusted you to play fair, Jimmy."

    "I am fair. You were told to deliver that ring to me. You didn''t. You do this job, you get more time."

    Seth eyed Ned, who maintained his air of wounded innocence. That double cross was infuriating. And Ned was betraying Jimmy too. Could that be why Jimmy wanted them to do the job? To get it out of the gang''s hands? Could there be internal strife here?

    "If I do this," Booth said, "I want a full month. You leave me and mine alone for a whole month."

    Seth wondered if that was enough time for Booth to move his family. He seemed pretty resistant to it before. Unless he planned to get the ring back from Ned? How could they get it from him?

    "Done," Jimmy said.

 84 - Thatch Roof

    "Did you really just agree to break into some poor sob''s house and rob him?" Blaise asked. "Why would you do that?"

    Seth thought it strange that Blaise was fine with murder but objected to theft. Though, the person Blaise wanted to murder was a thief. Mau apparently thought that was funny too, because she finally stopped squirming.

    Seth didn''t dare loosen his hold on her. If she shredded Ned, there was a chance none of them would be walking out of this house. As satisfying as making the asshole bleed would be, walking out under their own power would be better.

    Booth glanced from Seth to Owen, and then to Ned. Seth understood and gave a tiny nod. Mau also nodded. Owen''s brows furrowed. Booth must have signed him something because Owen''s eyebrows lifted in understanding.

    Jimmy had been studying Blaise. "There''s a shop near here, I''ll show you. You''re going to retrieve a chest on the second floor. I don''t care if you take anything else," he finally said, deciding to ignore Blaise.

    "Why us? I''m sure you''ve got people who can pick locks just as well as he can," Seth said, nodding at Booth. "What can we do that you can''t?"

    "There''s an alarm spell on the building. That ring you were supposed to fetch has the property of granting the holder permission to enter. It bypasses locks, silences alarms, and grants access. Without that ring, you get to deal with whatever the alarm is."

    "What do you think the alarm is?" Booth asked.

    Jimmy shrugged. "It could be a tracker. Or it could be just noise. Or it could be something I''ve never heard of. We just know it''s there. So, you get to turn over the ring, or you get to deal with it."

    "So, I bust in this place and get you the chest, and you leave us alone for a month, or I hand over the ring, and you leave us alone for good. That sound right?"

    Jimmy nodded. "That''s the deal."

    "No. This is wrong, Booth," Blaise insisted.

    "You don''t have to go," Ned said to Blaise. "You could always stay here." He couldn''t quite take the sneer out of his smile.

    "Shut your mouth," Owen said.

    "Or what?" Ned was openly sneering now.

    Owen''s fist shot out. It was a fast uppercut that should have put Ned on his ass, but instead it was stopped by a magical barrier that flashed into existence just inches from Ned''s face. Owen cried out and grabbed his fist.

    Ned laughed. "Convenient that." He watched Owen dispassionately as Owen cradled his hand and then Ned jabbed his fist sharply into Owen''s stomach. Owen doubled over, wheezing.

    Seth cried out and let Mau leap from his arms. She didn''t aim for Ned. Instead, she landed on a wall sconce and ripped it from the wall. It crashed to the floor and shattered, sending glass bits and dozens of weak glow stones spilling all over the floor. Mau then pounced on the desk and slid across, scattering everything on it. She gazed calmly around the room, looking for the next thing to destroy.

    Both Jimmy and Ned dove to grab the cat, but missed. She knocked over the chair behind the desk, darted through their legs, and then leapt up to Seth''s shoulder and started crying.

    Seth grabbed the cat. "You''re scaring her!"

    "Enough! Enough! It''s fine," Jimmy said to the goons that arrived seconds later. "Outside. All of you," he said to the kids. "Especially that fucking cat. Ned, get someone to clean this mess."

    Blaise helped Owen up and followed Booth and Jimmy. Seth was the last out and glanced back at Ned. Ned had circled the desk and righted the chair. Then he sprawled in the boss''s chair with a smug smile and put his hands behind his head.

    "Hang on a second," Seth said once they were out at the street. "Blaise, you don''t want to be involved, so you should go home. Owen, you should take her." Seth leaned in towards Owen and whispered, "The fewer of us here, the better."

    Blaise glanced up at Owen, who was breathing normally again. Owen looked like he would refuse but conceded when Booth shook his head, too.

    "It''s fine, let them go," Jimmy said to his goon. "We don''t need them. Let''s go." He lead the way through the dark streets.

    Seth whispered to Booth, "Did you get it?"

    "No. I couldn''t find it on him."

    Mau growled softly.

    "Your cat did great. The bastard must have stashed it on the way in. He probably thought Jimmy would search him," Booth said.

    Mau grumbled and shifted on Seth''s shoulder.

    "Yeah, I think he''s up to something within the gang too. I don''t see it having much to do with us," Seth said. "We''re just collateral damage."

    "We''ll collateral him right back," Booth said darkly.

    "What are you punks whispering about?" the goon demanded.

    "We were talking about that barrier," Seth said, saying the first thing that came to mind. "I''ve seen it before. What is that, an item?"

    "Yeah. We just got a hold of those recently," Jimmy said, proudly. He studied the left turn of a cross alley for a moment before continuing. "Pretty neat, huh? The town guard use them all the time. They''re a game changer for the gang."

    Seth gazed down the alley as they passed, wondering what Jimmy was looking for. He couldn''t see anything in the darkness. "That''s really impressive," he said. Let''s butter this guy up and keep him talking. "I didn''t see Ned trigger it."

    "They are speed activated. Relatively cheap to make, and good for several uses. They only trigger when something is about to hit you fast, like the fist of a farmboy." Jimmy smirked at the boys.

    "So slow actions don''t trigger it, like shaking hands, or someone touching you," Seth said.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    "Yeah, that''s right. Be real inconvenient if every time something was going to touch you they triggered. They''d not be useful for anything then."

    "Is there a spell for that, or does it just work from items?" Seth asked.

    "I don''t know," Jimmy said. "You''re the magic student, you figure it out."

    Seth nodded. That was the fourth type of barrier he''d come across lately. In class they were teaching a shield type barrier. It was hard, blocked everything, and only lasted as long as you concentrated and fueled it. It also was a decent size, and could be used to connect with another nearby caster, literally creating a shield wall.

    At the party earlier that day he''d seen someone cast a full body shield. It was flexible and moveable, but could only take a limited amount of damage.

    There was also the bubble barrier. It blocked everything, including air and sound, but was completely stationary.

    And now was this barrier. Seth liked the possibilities with this one. He also wondered if the other types could be attached to items also.

    Selendrith probably would know about all of these. He''d have to talk to her about it.

    "That''s the place there," Jimmy said, coming to a halt across from a row of businesses. The street was just a footway, too narrow for a carriage to fit. "It''s just a shop, no living quarters, so the guy won''t be there. You two go in, get the chest, and bring it here."

    "And if things go to shit?" Booth asked.

    "Not my problem," Jimmy said.

    "Let''s just get it done," Seth said. "We''ll start around back."

    They had to circle the block to get to the back of the shop. The alley was even narrower than the footway, so narrow their shoulders touched the buildings on either side.

    "This one," Booth whispered. He created a light stone and they examined the building.

    There was partially concealed door into the alley, similar to the carver shop. It was tall for two storeys, and they couldn''t see the thatch roof in the darkness.

    "What do you know about alarms?" Seth whispered.

    "Not a lot," Booth whispered back. "I haven''t done much housebreaking. I''ve always stuck to pickpocketing."

    "I was thinking about what Jimmy said, about alarms not tripping if you have permission to enter. Like during business hours or something."

    "It ain''t business hours."

    "Of course not. But I''m thinking of circumstances where we''d have permission. Like being invited. I was wondering if there is some way to trick the alarm into thinking we belong here."

    Mau rubbed her face right against Seth''s. "Ack, I don''t want to eat your fur, Mau."

    She gave a signal for ''wait'' then positioned herself right at the wall. Then she leaped nearly to the roof, and climbed the rest of the way up the vertical wall.

    "She''s climbing under the thatch," Booth whispered. "That''s right, an alarm isn''t going to trip every time a mouse or rat goes in or out. I bet she could open the door for us."

    "And if it opens from the inside, we are invited, right?" Seth whispered.

    "Should I pick the lock?"

    "Would that trigger the alarm?"

    "Probably."

    "Then let''s give her a few minutes," Seth whispered.

    The boys waited in anxious silence until the door opened and Mau stood there, looking smug.

    "I take back every mean thought I ever had about you, Mau," Booth whispered. "Good job."

    "One second," Seth said softly. He closed his eyes and cast Detect Mana on Mau. After a few seconds he said, "I don''t think this is sensitive enough for me to know if the alarm triggered."

    "Cast it on yourself," Booth suggested. "Then we''ll compare after you go in."

    "Right." He closed his eyes and then opened them again before casting. "I don''t know any Dispels. What do we do if there is something?"

    Booth shrugged.

    Seth sighed, and cast the spell. Nothing magical about him except his amulet. He stepped through the doorway and cast it again. He got the same result, nothing magical. "Looks like we''re fine. I guess Mau''s way in worked." He glanced at Mau and shook his head. Cats were such masters of looking smug.

    The shop looked like a mixture of copist and artist studio. Shelves held stacks of different sized paper. A long table had bins of ink and paint beneath it. There were jars with dozens of different types of brushes. It was a narrow space, only about five paces wide, and the only access to the upper floor was a ladder.

    "I hope the chest isn''t too big, or that''ll be a pain," Booth whispered.

    Seth shrugged and climbed up. The upper floor was entirely storage. Bolts of canvas, cut lumber for frames, jugs of different liquids that Seth had no idea what they were. There were also stacks of boxes haphazardly scattered in the space.

    "I hope there is only one chest," Seth whispered. "Come look."

    "How do we know which one?" Booth asked once he was up the ladder. "What are we trying to take? None of this crap is valuable. The only stuff of value I saw was the ink bottles downstairs. I think they were all Everfulls."

    Seth lifted drop cloths and canvas rolls. Then he saw a wooden box under a table. "Maybe that?"

    "It counts as a chest, I guess. It''s got hinges. Do we assume it''s the right one and just take it?"

    "Let''s open it," Seth said. "Is it locked? Can you pick it?"

    "Yeah, give me a sec."

    Mau watched Booth work the lock and lift the lid.

    "Paper? What are these?"

    Seth pulled out a handful of the papers and shuffled through them. Every single one had a colored tree of different designs on it. Each had a name and date in the bottom corner.

    "The mana tree images," Booth said. "This must be that Ollie guy''s shop, the one that was making copies."

    "Yeah. Why are the Skull Gang stealing all his copies? And why these?" As soon as he said the question, Seth thought he knew. He''d talked to Benjamin just recently about the tree images. Could he be the client? Or could it be someone else, like Thurstan, or Hellena? Or someone they weren''t aware of?

    "Well, ours aren''t in here, Duvessa bought them all," Booth said, putting the papers he''d pulled out back. "This has to be what they''re looking for."

    "What do you think they want them for?" Seth asked.

    "Nothing good. It don''t matter." Booth took the papers from Seth and shoved them back in the chest and started relocking it. "This ain''t our problem. We''ve got other shit to handle. Delivering this box gets us time to get the ring from Ned."

    Seth thought about what he should do here. If it was Benjamin who''d commissioned the theft, he was likely doing it to protect the people with strong powers. If it was one of the others, then it was likely to steal those powers.

    His fingers touched the jar which was still in his pocket. He was now wondering why he thought he somehow got Saben''s power. It made sense at the moment, but it was an absurd idea.

    "Wait, I want to see if my brother''s tree is in there."

    "Ugh, I''d just locked it. Fine, but hurry up."

    Seth flipped through the pages. They were in order by year, and then by name, so it was easy to find Saben''s tree. Seth folded it up while Booth relocked the box.

    Together they heaved it down and then outside. Mau shooed them out and then closed the door.

    "Can she lock the door?" Booth asked quietly.

    "I think it was a turn knob, so maybe?"

    A few moments later, Mau leapt down from the roof.

    The boys dropped the chest in front of Jimmy. "This was the only one. Done?" Booth asked.

    "Done," Jimmy agreed. "We''ll be in touch."

    "Ned has the ring, Jimmy," Booth said as they walked away.

    It was almost midnight when an exhausted Seth and Booth got back to school. They parted ways without a word. Seth didn''t bother turning on the light in his dorm room, and navigated by feel. Isaac snored softly.

    Seth paused with his chest open, and considered Saben''s jar again. Should he test it now? Should he test it at all? What if he did have Saben''s power? What if he didn''t?

    Seth decided these questions were too much for him right now and dropped everything into his trunk to deal with later. He was asleep before he could get under the covers.

 85 - Words for Lies

    Seth woke up with a start and realized sunlight was streaming in the little room. It was already mid-morning.

    "I''m late!" He bounded out of bed and Mau, who''d been sleeping on top of him, fell to the floor with a hiss.

    "I''m sorry, Mau, but I''m missing class right now!" He darted to his trunk and jerked it open, and then came to a complete stop.

    On top of his clothes from yesterday, that he hadn''t bothered to separate from his clean clothes, was the minty green jar.

    The seconds ticked by and he just stared at it. Mau jumped up and balanced perfectly on the open trunk lid.

    "Meow," she said, and then signed, ''This, tell me more.''

    Seth nodded. "Yeah. I guess I do need to talk this out with someone, don''t I?" He picked up the jar, and then fished in the trunk until he found the gulliant case and both Saben''s tree picture and his own ruined one. He set them on the desk and sat down. Mau sat on the desk in front of him and examined first the jar and then the pictures.

    "When I saw Saben''s jar, I noticed the color was very similar to mine. There''s still a corner of it visible here, see? They are the same color. You got yellow ink all over it, so I can''t compare them, but¡­" Seth put his picture directly over Saben''s and held it up to the window.

    ''Same,'' Mau signed.

    Seth tossed them on the desk. "It''s just a coincidence, right? It doesn''t mean anything." They couldn''t mean anything. What this was implying simply couldn''t be true.

    Mau paced the desk and flicked her ear. ''Tell me more.''

    "I talked to the Princess. She said it''s not possible for me to have a talent at my age." He stood up and walked away from the desk. There was only room for about three steps and no way to pace. "It''s not me, Mau. I didn''t do anything. I wouldn''t do anything. Not to Saben."

    ''What do?'' Mau turned in a tight circle, like she typically did when she didn''t have the vocabulary she wanted.

    "I''m worried my talent is actually Saben''s."

    Mau rocked back and cocked her head, considering. She shook her head ''no,'' paused, and then shrugged. ''This. This.''

    Seth puzzled at her meaning for a moment. "What is, is. You mean it doesn''t matter. Either I have it or I don''t."

    Mau nodded.

    "But it does matter, Mau. If I have it, if I somehow took away my brother''s power, I took away the one thing he valued most. That means I took his future, too. It''s unforgivable. That can''t be true. I can''t be that person."

    ''Fix it.''

    "Even if I do fix it, if Saben ever finds out¡­"

    Mau hopped over and walked along his shoulders to rub his face. After a moment she jumped back to the desk and tapped the jar. ''Now.''

    Seth shook his head. "Maybe it''s better if we don''t know. I could just dump out the jar, and no one would ever know."

    Mau growled at him and made the most disgusted expression. ''Lies.'' She pointed a paw at him. ''Stay broken.'' She tapped the jar.

    "Lying to myself would just make everything stay broken?" Seth took a deep breath and held it for a couple of seconds.

    "You''re right. I can''t get Saben his power back if I keep it. That would be so much worse, too, because I would be keeping it on purpose." Seth shook his head. "I hadn''t thought of it that way." And now he was disgusted with himself for even thinking of dumping out the jar. He had to make this right, and that meant facing the hard truths.

    Seth walked back to the desk and opened the gulliant case. He summoned a small amount of wind, just enough to ruffle the papers. The gulliant went from gray to a gray-green. Seth opened the jar and held the gulliant above it.

    "Please don''t be true, please don''t be true." He touched the gulliant to the liquid in the jar and it darkened to black.

    He laid it carefully on the desk with trembling fingers and resealed the jar.

    "I didn''t do this though," he whispered to Mau. "How do I have his power?"

    Mau climbed into his lap and made grumbly noises.

    Seth chuckled. "You should know that leopards can''t purr, but you keep trying."

    He hugged his cat for a few moments. "I think I knew. I was trying so hard to be like Saben. He was so much better than me at everything. Then when he lost his power and everything fell apart, I felt like I had to fill in, like I had to be the person he couldn''t be anymore."

    Mau growled and shook her head.

    "I don''t know why you think it''s dumb to try to be like someone who''s better than you. Ow! Don''t you dare bite me!" Seth dumped the cat towards the floor but she leapt onto the desk instead.

    "Bad cat. No! I don''t care if you think I''m being stupid. Don''t bite me! And stop calling me stupid!"

    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

    Seth picked up the gulliant and Saben''s jar and stashed them with the tree images in the bottom of his trunk. "I need to figure out a way to give him his power back."

    ''Talk.'' Mau pointed to the trunk.

    "Talk to Saben?"

    ''Yes. No lies. No secrets.''

    "I have his power. He''ll be beyond upset with me."

    ''Yes. Trust.''

    "I should trust Saben? I do trust him. But he''ll be so mad." Seth thought about what Saben would do when he found out. "He''d go fight that Hellena woman. And probably break into Thurstan''s house, and fight him too. Maybe even Benjamin. Saben was always telling me to be careful around him."

    Mau snorted. ''Bad do.''

    "Those would be bad things to do? Yeah. If he did that, every lead we had would dry up instantly and we''d never know for sure who did what." Seth thought about his brother''s temper. "Saben can be pretty aggressive at times. I think it would be hard to stop him from rampaging through all of our suspects looking for answers."

    Mau nodded and looked lost in thought herself. ''Wait. Talk later.''

    "Yeah. I agree I need to tell him, but we won''t do it quite yet. Let''s get some more info on these people, and see what else we can find out."

    ''Tell me more,'' Mau signed, pointing a paw at him and then the trunk.

    "Tell you more about Saben? No? About how Saben lost his power?"

    At Mau''s nod, Seth thought about it. "I don''t know exactly when he lost it. There were several things that had happened around that time. He got injured in a fight with a beast, a reptilian type chimera. I wasn''t in the city at the time. I was staying in Laureli at an inn with a friend of Benjamin''s. A few days after he was injured, he came to visit and Benjamin came too. It was my dad''s birthday that weekend, the first one since he''d died. I remember celebrating at the inn, and telling stories about Dad. We both drank a bit, but then just went up to bed. The next day Saben headed back to school, and we fought a bit because I wanted to go back to Rosia with him and he said no. Benjamin took me back to Vernar with him instead."

    Mau sat calmly on the desk and waited for Seth to continue.

    Seth remembered that day. "Laureli is a small village. It''s actually pretty nice there, but I hated it. I felt so isolated and alone. It''s also the town that belonged to Lady Jonetta, so we were a mile or so away from where my dad was killed." He shook his head. "I didn''t want to stay. I tried to convince Saben that I could stay in his dorm." Seth waved to the tiny room. "Which I now know was impossible. Or I could get a job and find a place to stay in the city. Saben refused. I think he was worried about the same things that Booth is worried about for his siblings."

    Seth moved the chair and sat down. "I told him I wasn''t staying, and he tried to make me, so we fought. But I never did anything that would make him lose his power. I didn''t."

    Mau just grumbled and signed, ''More.''

    "The end of semester testing was the next week," Seth said. "Saben flunked out. He couldn''t cast a single spell. The Circle Tower told him that his power likely had a complication from his injury, or he''d burned it out during that beast fight. He left school and met us in Vernar. My power showed up about a week after that, so about three weeks from when his would have been lost."

    Mau nodded and looked lost in thought. ''Tell me more, this.''

    "Which this, about Saben? Me? Yes, so more about what I did. In Laureli? Yes. More about Laureli, or¨C yes. Okay. Laureli is out the north tunn¨C" Seth broke off. "Its outside Rosia in the same direction they took Blaise. Towards Mariglade. Mariglade is decent sized town, but Laureli is just a village on the way. You think it happened there?"

    Mau shrugged and asked for more explanation.

    "More about the night we drank? There''s not much to say."

    ''Drink more more more?''

    "Did we drink too much?" Seth thought about it. "I suppose. I mean, I never drank wine like that before, and it did affect me. I remember Saben falling asleep at the table and when Benjamin got back he helped me get him to bed." Seth frowned. "I think I fell asleep too. But we didn''t go anywhere. We were still right there at the inn."

    Mau''s ears flattened.

    "You think that was it? I thought it was something to do with that chimera. An infection or something, and that''s why I wanted to get into the Circle Tower. I thought they would know how to cure it." He scoffed and shook his head. "They were part of the cover up."

    Mau nodded.

    "No wonder none of them wanted me there. That doesn''t explain Arnold though. He''s on that team. He thinks powers were stolen. No one is listening to him."

    ''Think him crazy.''

    "You think he''s the scapegoat. Anything they can''t explain, they blame on Arnold and his known craziness."

    ''Yes.''

    "He''s the only one that got his power back. I know he''s a jerk and he hates my guts, but do you think he could fix the power? Could he get it to go from me back to Saben?"

    Mau considered for a bit as she paced the desk. Finally, she shrugged. ''Don''t know.''

    "I could talk to him about it. He might be on board just to have the opportunity to take my power away and I think he''d be willing to help Saben. And he might listen to me if I tell him he was right. What do you think?"

    Mau flattened her ears.

    "You don''t like the idea. Arnold could screw me over. He could tell everyone that I have Saben''s power. He''s been telling people all along that powers are stolen, and no one believes him."

    Mau nodded.

    "You don''t like it, and there are risks. Yeah okay. The only other thing there is Arnold is convinced Benjamin is involved."

    Mau nodded, vigorously.

    "You think Benjamin is involved too?" Seth was really unhappy about that. "What makes you think he''s involved? He wasn''t there most of that night. And he''s been so kind to us."

    ''Sneaky, dangerous.'' Mau paced in her ''no vocabulary'' circle.

    "Mau, this is the guy that saved my life the day my dad died. He looked after both of us. He''s been a friend for a long time. I don''t want to believe he could do something like this. There are so many other people involved. Thurstan. Hellena. The Skulls. That guy Jay that was doing the sabotage in the Circle Tower. Just because he knows some of these people and has been around when things happened, doesn''t mean he did it."

    Mau''s ears flattened again. ''Bad trust.''

    "If it''s bad to trust him, then it''s bad to trust anyone."

    ''Yes.''

    "We''re going to need to figure out who we can tell. We know the Circle Tower is compromised. You suspect Benjamin. We could possibly go to that Lord Derinheld that was investigating Blaise''s capture? Or maybe one of the other professors? Laur, maybe?"

    ''Not now. Owen. Booth. More.''

    "Heh. We never worked out names for the girls, did we? We have words for lies, trust, dangerous, and stairs, but not the girls'' names or words like ''things''." Seth sighed. "Yeah. I''m sure I can trust my friends. They are all involved in this, too. But if they find out I have a stolen power, they might think I did it on purpose. They''d think I''m a liar and betrayed them. Blaise, anyway." Seth couldn''t think of any realistic way that conversation could go any way but badly. "I will tell them when we know more. When it''s okay to tell Saben, I''ll tell them too."

    Mau agreed. ''First.''

    "What to do first? That''s a good question. There are so many things to chase down." Seth looked at the bracelet Benjamin had given him. "I want to prove to you that Benjamin isn''t involved, so I think we should start with this. I''ll ask Selendrith to look at it and see if it is what Benjamin claimed it was. Then, we should find out what Blaise and Duvessa did about Hellena. We might be in the middle of an incident and not know it yet."

 86 - Need to Breathe

    It was nice to be getting lunch finally. I rode on Seth''s shoulder as he trotted down the dorm stairs, with my tail tightly wound around his neck. I''d been really patient with Seth while he angsted and woed about all his troubles for a bit. I deserved some nice compensation for that now.

    To be fair, I did not see him having his brother''s stolen talent coming. I mean, yikes. I knew he had trouble with his talent. It didn''t work consistently for him, and the amount of power he could use tended to vary pretty wildly. But I didn''t really give it much thought. I figured mastering his talent was part of the reason why the kid was in magic school.

    Getting worked up about that, especially as a kid, was perfectly normal. Him wanting to be like his brother, also normal. Him trying to be his brother, eh, not so much. I''ll get that shit trained out of him, and I won''t let him dwell on it either.

    I thought about my training methods and rubbed my tongue over one of my teeth. I wondered when I''d be losing my baby teeth. I didn''t know if they''d get wiggly first or not.

    Anyway, the kid needed to realize he was not his brother, and his brother wasn''t him. He needed to figure out who he was and what he was good at and stop using his brother as the blueprint for success.

    And he needed to realize Benjamin was dirty.

    I know, I know. The kid was loyal. It was actually one of the things I liked about him. He wasn''t going to turn on someone he considered a friend without hard evidence, and he didn''t know everything I knew.

    The biggest thing he didn''t know? Benjamin did transport something that could steal powers, just like Arnold said. Me.

    I just needed to keep Seth from doing anything too stupid until he figured it out. And we needed to expand our vocabulary. I want to learn how to ask for specific types of fish or poultry. You know, the important stuff.

    Duvessa and Blaise were waiting outside the dining hall.

    "You made it!" Duvessa cried as soon as Seth was close enough, she grabbed him into a quick hug and shoved him back so fast he nearly fell. Not me though, my balance was perfect. "I was sooo worried when you didn''t show up to class. I was afraid they''d killed you both. Is Booth alright? Why did you miss class? Did you only just get back? What happened? Did you need to get healing? Have you seen Owen? Well? Are you going to answer me? Oh! I have so much to tell you!"

    Most living things need to breathe. Except for Duvessa. She didn''t take a single breath in all of that, and she was still talking.

    Booth and Owen joined them moments later, and as soon as Seth asked where Selendrith was we saw her with Professor Laur. She nodded firmly to whatever he''d told her and they separated. She spotted us and came right over.

    "We have so much to discuss!" Duvessa said. "We should grab sandwiches and go to our training corner. It''s a nice day, and we shouldn''t talk about this inside."

    "What did you guys do that we can''t talk about it inside?" Selendrith asked suspiciously.

    "Exactly! We can''t talk about it here. I wonder if I can find more tuna sandwiches." Duvessa marched inside.

    Owen was looking from Duvessa to Blaise and back. He was more reserved and awkward than usual. I nearly laughed myself off Seth''s shoulder thinking about what kind of moment he''d had with Blaise last night if he was now confused about both Blaise and Duvessa. No, Owen, you are not the protagonist of a harem story, nor am I foreseeing a ridiculous triangle here. The girls like you, but neither of them are at the like-like stage.

    Teenagers. Such a riot.

    The grab''n''go table in the dining hall was small. I was sorely disappointed in the offerings, and they didn''t have tuna. Seth got exasperated with my pickiness and finally chose a mystery package that smelled like poultry for me. I wasn''t keen on it, but I was hungry so, whatever.

    Duvessa didn''t have a blanket with her, so everyone crowded on the two benches in our little corner. The boys on one bench and the girls on the other. As they started their rundown of events Selendrith was horrified to learn they''d gone to the Palace.

    "You said you wouldn''t snitch," Booth said. "We won''t tell you anything else, now or ever, if you start causing trouble. If this is how you''re gonna be, walk away now."

    "I''m not too wild about it either, Selendrith," Blaise said. "But we found the person who stole my power."

    "We found the person who has your power," Seth said. "We don''t know if she''s the thief or the customer."

    "Nope," Booth said. "Not another word. Either all of us are in, or we ain''t. If you want to walk, do it now."

    Selendrith glared at Booth. "Did you steal?"

    "I''m not answering that."

    "That means yes." Selendrith stood up and looked around at everyone. Finally she looked at Seth. "Are you fine with this?"

    "I''m not really fine with it, Selendrith," Seth said. "But for some of this stuff, I don''t really see what else we can do."

    "But you voluntarily helped them?" she asked.

    Booth snorted. "It was his plan."

    Uh, excuse me. It was my plan. Mostly. But I am a gracious kitty and will share credit. Though, to be fair, the getting jobs in the Palace thing was all him.

    Selendrith was silent for a long moment. "And you think you found the talent thief?"

    "No, we didn''t. We found a person that has Blaise''s stolen power, and we confirmed it using Blaise''s mana signature from the school Administration Office," Seth said.

    She considered some more before deciding. "All right. I''ll be in. Stealing talents ruins lives. I think it''s more important to find them than to worry about the less damaging infractions, and those people were in my home too. I will promise not to snitch. I won''t tell anyone here in school or any guards what''s going on, without permission," Selendrith said.

    Stolen story; please report.

    "Oh, about that," Duvessa said. "I told my grandmother all about what we discovered in the Palace."

    Booth face palmed, and Seth sighed.

    "Yeah, I wrote my brother Brand about it too. I did that last night, but he hasn''t answered me yet," Blaise said.

    "A letter would get there already?" Owen asked.

    "I have the twinned ink bottle," Blaise explained. "I write a message, it makes a copy where he is. He writes a message, it makes a copy where I am. I just leave the bottle open next to some paper in my room. I''ll check it after class."

    That was a neat trick. It was the Copy spell in a bottle. I wondered about how else I could use that. If you could bottle the Copy spell, what else could you bottle?

    "Why don''t you tell me the whole story then," Selendrith said.

    Most of the lunch break was bringing everyone up to speed. There were a few things I didn''t know that they talked about. Like Seth meeting the Princess and discussing the regalia of an empress from a few hundred years ago.

    That sounded like some fancy bling. That was in the vault I''d had a peek at. And I''d apparently left the door open? Whoops. I guess the ring doesn''t always shut doors behind me.

    And that Hellena woman was very interested in the regalia.

    "If she''s interested in that, could we bait her with it?" Blaise asked. "You said what was in the vault was fake, right?"

    "You mean bait her with rumors and make our own fake regalia piece?" Booth asked.

    "Well, yeah. Does she know the Palace vault only has fakes?" Blaise asked.

    "I don''t know how much of the conversation she overheard," Seth said. "She might know, she might not."

    Blaise nodded. "I''ll talk to Brand when he gets back, and work something out. What about that Lord Thurstan?"

    "Oh, I already started on him," Duvessa said. "I asked my grandmother to invite him to tea. I wanted to invite Hellena too, but Nana said that would tip our hand too much. It would be too obvious we knew what they were up to and that they were working together."

    That was actually brilliant. I wondered if I could attend that tea party. I bet it would be entertaining.

    "How did things go last night?" Owen asked. "You both missed class this morning, I was worried. And you didn''t show up for our morning run, Seth."

    "Yeah, sorry about that. I''ll be there tomorrow," Seth said. He gave them a brief rundown of what the Skulls had them do.

    "Why would someone want the mana tree pictures?" Owen asked.

    Duvessa gasped. "To know who to steal from! Whoever hired the Skulls is organizing the thefts!"

    "Think it was Thurstan?" Blaise asked.

    Heh, Seth thought it might have been Benjamin. I looked over to see he was frowning and shifting uncomfortably. Good. You should doubt Benjamin more.

    "It had to be! He''s a stinky fish!" Duvessa was on her feet. "We need to know who''s next ourselves!"

    "Bad fish! Bad fish!" Reginald the Second shouted.

    That fucking bird. At least he wasn''t dropping rocks on me today. I ignored him.

    "You should see if you can get your grandmother to find out what his connection is," Seth suggested. "Anything she can learn could be helpful."

    "We should search his house," Blaise said.

    "No, we should not," Selendrith said firmly. "Do you have any idea how dangerous that is? Let Duvessa''s grandmother talk to the guy first."

    "Yeah," Owen said. "If we''re going to search houses, we should probably start with those Skull guys. They''ve got the magic ring and something that lets them steal shadows, right?"

    "I haven''t lost any more shadows," Duvessa said. "I''ve been keeping better track."

    "You''ve been keeping them away from those guys though, haven''t you?" Seth asked.

    "Of course. You told me to be careful, so I did," Duvessa said.

    "Then that''s why you haven''t lost any more," Booth said. "That doesn''t mean they''re not stealing them, just that they haven''t recently."

    "The house of a street gang is even more dangerous than that of a minor lord," Selendrith said. "You all need to be so much smarter about this."

    "What else could we do?" Owen asked. "The gang stole the ring from Booth, and then told Booth to return the ring. I don''t know how else he can do that."

    "At this point," Seth said to Booth, "even if you return the ring, they might not leave your brother alone. If Hayfield wants in the gang, you won''t be able to stop him, either."

    Booth nodded. "I was thinking about what you said, about blackmail. I think the best bet is to get them out of the city, or at least somewhere else in the city, and away from the East Side. That''s gonna take money. A lot of it."

    "When we look into how the Skulls are taking Duvessa''s power or getting the ring off Ned, it''d probably be best to do that after your siblings are safe," Seth said. "That way if things go wrong, we won''t need to worry about them."

    They''d decided to let Duvessa''s grandmother talk to Thurstan, and possibly Hellena at a later time. Blaise was going to talk to Brand about baiting Hellena with a regalia piece. And Booth was figuring out a plan to get his siblings moved.

    They chatted a bit more amongst each other as the lunch break was nearing the end.

    Seth stood up and approached the girls'' bench as Duvessa gathered all the sandwich wrappings into the basket she''d taken from the dining hall.

    "Selendrith, could you tell me exactly what this is? I was told it was an affinity bracelet." Seth took off the bracelet and handed it to her.

    Selendrith examined it for several moments. "It is an affinity bracelet. It has an extra bead on it, but it just has a good luck symbol on it."

    "Is it possible for it to be something else?" Seth asked.

    "Do you think someone tampered with it? I suppose that''s possible, but not likely. It looks normal to me. If you want, I could have my grandfather take it apart and give it a thorough examination."

    "I would like that, thank you," Seth said, and left the bracelet with her.

    As they headed to class, Booth asked Seth and Owen to hold up a moment.

    "I didn''t want the girls to hear this," Booth said. "I''ve got some stuff I need to sell, and I need to do it outside the city. Some of the stuff is going to be difficult to move."

    "Like that magic whistle from the hyena woman that let her control them," Seth said.

    Oh? This was something I hadn''t heard. A magic item that made animals obedient? That gave me a nervous shiver. I hope Seth doesn''t try to convince Booth to keep it.

    Then I wondered if I counted as an animal. If I did, then would humans count as animals, too? Could this whistle make humans obey? That was super creepy.

    Booth nodded. "If I''m going to move my sibs, I need to pay for housing for them, and any travel expenses. I can''t have the little ones walking to Lilandrium or Vernar. They''d need a wagon or something."

    "You don''t have to send them to a city," Owen said. "Blue Ridge is a small farming village. That''d probably be pretty comfortable for them."

    "That''s a good point. And Blue Ridge isn''t that far from here. I''ll have to work that out, but either way, I need money, and to get that I need to move this stuff. Would either of you be willing to go with me out of town?"

    "How far out of town?" Seth asked. "I don''t want to miss class if I can help it. It''s bad enough I missed Laur''s class this morning."

    "Don''t worry about that," Owen said. "You can already cast the barrier we''re working on."

    "It''s the point," Seth said. "I don''t want to miss class."

    Booth shook his head. "A little village nearby isn''t going to be able to afford what I need to get for some of this stuff. And a professional fen¨C ah, the right type of merchant isn''t going to hang out there."

    Owen rubbed his chin. "You have a whistle that commands animals, right? It was used on the hyenas?"

    "Yeah. We think it''s how she controls them," Booth said.

    "I have an idea," Owen said. "Meet me at the school gate after classes are over."

 87 - You Were Right

    When Seth was leaving after class he spotted Arnold heading towards the library. He hesitated a moment before deciding to run after Arnold instead of heading straight for the school gate.

    "Hey!" Seth called. "Can I talk to you?"

    Arnold glanced back at Seth and kept walking. He even sped up a little.

    "C''mon man. Don''t be like that. I have something important to tell you," Seth said.

    Arnold stopped and shook his head. "I don''t want to talk to you. I don''t like you."

    "I promise I don''t like you either. But you know what this is about."

    "Fine then. Speak quickly, and let me be on my way."

    Seth considered his options for starting. He decided to just lay it out. "You were right."

    "I''m always right. What of it?"

    "No, I mean you were right about talents getting stolen," Seth explained.

    Arnold flicked his hands wide. "And? If that''s all you wanted to say, then stop wasting my time."

    "Stop being such an asshole. I have proof that a woman named Hellena has Blaise''s water power. I want to know if you can do something to get the power back from Hellena."

    "Go on," Arnold said. Seth had his complete attention now.

    Seth gave a quick rundown of them using the gulliants and comparing the signatures. He didn''t mention the Palace or anything he felt might be questionable.

    Arnold stared at him intently the whole time he was talking. It was disconcerting. When Seth lapsed into silence, it stretched for an uncomfortably long time, and Arnold''s stare never wavered.

    "Well?" Seth finally asked.

    "Well what?" Arnold asked.

    "How do we get Blaise''s power back from Hellena? You''ve done it, right?"

    "I told you before, I didn''t do anything. You''d have to ask Hellena that, and I bet she won''t talk."

    Seth shook his head. "She won''t talk to me at all. About anything, and I was trying to be helpful."

    "Color me surprised that other people don''t like you either."

    This was a waste of time. "Are you going to help Blaise or not?"

    "I don''t know what you think I can do. I told you ages ago we need to know what the artifact is and what it does. Without that, everything we try is just guesswork. We could end up destroying the power or killing both of them."

    "What about Professor Marjorie? What''s going on with her and the research? Can they get Hellena in there for testing? Get some new data points or something?"

    Arnold pressed his lips tightly and just shook his head.

    "Fine. Whatever." Seth felt stupid for reaching out and stalked away.

    "Seth," Arnold called after him.

    Hopeful, Seth turned around.

    "I think the guy that had my power died."

    Seth digested that statement, and its implications.

    "Some of my power died with him," Arnold continued. "It''s been permanently weakened by whatever they did. I''ve been hoping to figure out how to heal it if I could find out how they took it in the first place. But I don''t have anything right now." He paused and then said, "Thanks for telling me." Arnold sounded like he was in physical pain saying those words.

    Seth just nodded and left. There was nothing more to say anyway. He had his answer on how to get the power back to Saben. And it was not a price Seth was willing to pay.

    Mau had been walking on her own until now, and she jumped up onto his shoulder and then draped herself like a boa.

    "Thanks, Mau," Seth whispered and scratched her head. She was such a calming force for him, and he was grateful to her. She always knew when he could use some support.

    The others were already at the gate waiting for him, and he put all thoughts of stolen talents out of his mind for now.

    Seth wondered where in the city Owen was familiar enough with to want to lead them there. It turned out the place was very close to the southern gate, and was in the first market district by the city entrance.

    "I was thinking, that if we can''t spend too much time out of the city because of class, we might be able to do something else," Owen said as they walked. "We did mostly honest work this weekend. I thought we could do more of that."

    Booth was shaking his head. "That was way too much work for not enough money. I don''t want to do that again."

    "This is usually worth more money," Owen said.

    Near the front gate to the city were a series of pens with sheep and goats and a common green where several horses were grazing. The shops in the area looked to cater to farmers specifically. There were seed warehouses, a blacksmith with scythes out front, and more. Seth had never explored this part of the city, he''d only passed through it.

    Owen led them inside what looked like a horse seller''s hall. A mezzanine overlooked an arena filled with sand and hoofprints. A dozen or so people were grouped in twos and threes at tall tables and a pair of waitresses delivered drinks. Seth looked past the crowd into the arena, but no horses or other animals were there now. That was not what Owen had brought them to see. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    There was a long wall opposite the arena, and it was covered in papers nailed to the wall. Owen led them over and started looking through the notices.

    "What are these?" Booth asked.

    "These are job listings. People in rural areas sometimes need somebody to do things for them, that they can''t do themselves. Like this one here. This farmer has a group of wolves harassing his sheep. He''s offering a bounty for whoever can kill or capture the wolf pack. He wants to see the wolves or the pelts, and a month with no attacks on his sheep. He''s paying two bur a wolf." Owen scowled. "He''s a cheapskate. He should be paying at least eight bur, or a full deener if one of the wolves has become a magic beast."

    "Is this mostly hunting, then?" Seth asked. Locating and killing wolves might not be so bad.

    "It varies. Sometimes they''re just notices. Like this one, a toddler has been spotted at the Below entrance south of Rosia and they''re asking anyone who knows who the toddler might be to contact them," Owen said.

    "Who loses a toddler?" Seth asked.

    "Some people are stupid or just don''t care," Booth said. "Or someone took him and then dumped him there. People are shitty."

    Mau paced up and down the wall, studying the bulletins. Seth wondered if she could understand them.

    "This one is for building a wall," Owen said. "You don''t know any spells that could do that, do you, Seth?"

    "I don''t. This one is about a group of ogres near Laureli who are killing travelers. Two crowns per ogre, alive or dead, and a half crown for any villager returned alive," Seth read. That was Lady Jonetta''s village. Well, Lord Thurstan''s now.

    There were a few dozen notices. Quite a few were animal bounties.

    "This one looks really good," Booth said. "Half a crown for any magic beast captured alive, up to two dozen. A preference for mammals and predators. Reward paid by Isolde. Isn''t that the ritual geometry teacher?"

    "Yeah, it is," Seth said. "She has a side business of selling familiars. She does the ritual for you and everything. She just had a couple of toads and a bat last time I saw."

    "At half a crown? We could make bank," Booth said. "We should do this one."

    Owen nodded. "We could spend a couple of hours a night hunting, and still be back for class." He looked straight at Booth. "And you won''t need to fence that stuff. You should return it, instead."

    "Return it," Booth said, deadpan. "I''ll wait to see how we do."

    Seth knew Booth would never return what he took, but he didn''t think it was worth the argument. If Owen wanted to push the point, Seth would be happy with that.

    He quickly started making a mental list. "We need to plan out what we need to do, and how to do it. We need supplies, like catchpoles and cages. We need to know where to find the beasts. Wandering aimlessly through the mountains every night as winter is starting doesn''t sound like a good time."

    "You''re overthinking this," Booth said.

    "No, I''m not," Seth replied. "You remember the trouble we had with that badger, Owen, and that wasn''t even magical."

    "We just need to use the whistle," Booth argued. "We don''t need to be spending money on stuff like cages. If the hyena woman can get them to follow her around like that, we can just do that too."

    "Do you know how to use the whistle?" Seth asked. "How long do you figure she spent training those things? More than an hour, I''m sure. I don''t think a wild animal will hang around that long."

    "Fine. I''ll let you figure out the whistle then. You can practice with it on Mau," Booth said.

    "All right. And how many beasts do we need to find? Is four enough? That''d give you two crowns," Seth said.

    "I need money too," Owen said. "I need a whole crown to get that sword I found fixed. That''s why I thought this would work."

    "I thought you liked the old crappy swords?" Booth asked.

    Owen shook his head. "I like the old ones, not the broken ones. My power can make it better, but it can''t fix it. The blade is corroded enough that I''m concerned it would shatter if dropped. My power doesn''t work on anything I''m not holding."

    Seth nodded. "And getting disarmed is a thing. But a crown? You can buy a couple new swords for that."

    "It''s magic. That makes it hard to work with, I guess," Owen said.

    "That old thing?" Booth said surprised. "That was a lucky find. Or you''re getting scammed."

    Seth looked back at the bulletins. "So, three crowns would be six beasts. Is that enough?"

    "That would be a minimum," Booth said. "But that should work."

    Owen was looking at the board some more. "Do you think we could take an ogre? I bet they''d be easier to find than beasts. People might have hunted out the areas near the city."

    Seth shook his head. "Do you know any combat spells yet? No? How about you Booth?"

    "I don''t. The money is better for the ogres, but I think finding beasts is the safer option," Booth said.

    "We should learn at least a couple of combat spells first. What if we encounter another wyvern?" Owen said.

    "Shit. Good point," Booth said.

    "We''ve got prep work to do then. We need to find magic beasts in the nearby area, that someone else hasn''t captured or killed yet. We need the means and ability to capture that beast. We need to be able to get it back to the city. And we need to be able to defend ourselves," Seth said. "Are we including the girls in this? Duvessa and Selendrith were both a big help against that wyvern."

    Owen brightened. "Yeah, I''d like to. I liked the mountain hike."

    "All right. Let me make copies of these to show them," Seth said. He pulled ink and paper from his school bag and made copies of all the most interesting bulletins. Another patron looking through the bulletins glared at them.

    Outside the horse sellers hall, Booth nudged some straw out of the way with his foot and then turned to Seth. "You''ve got the best shot of figuring this out," Booth said and handed Seth the whistle.

    Seth examined the jeweled dog whistle. It was white, and looked like the gems were growing out of the whistle. It hung from a gold box chain necklace.

    "I''ll take a couple of days to practice with this, we''ll find some spells we can use in the library, and then we''ll give it a try on, say, Thursday?" Seth suggested.

    "Thursday is good," Booth said as he started walking. "And I want to talk about Ned a bit. I''m thinking we''re going to need to bust into the Skull Gang''s house to find that ring."

    "Do you think we could take him if we found him alone in the streets?" Seth asked.

    "Not with that barrier thing he''s got," Owen said. "I thought I broke my hand for a bit there."

    "We''ll need a counter to that then. Unless you think you could pickpocket him, Booth?" Seth asked.

    Booth looked skeptical. "I''d need a big distraction, something Mau level. There''s a chance he''d notice anyway, because he knows what I can do. They all do."

    "Mau level?" Seth asked. His cat perked up at the description.

    "She has a flair for the dramatic and getting everyone looking at her. It works nice. If she weren''t such a pain in the ass, I might be tempted to get a familiar myself," Booth said.

    Mau was giving Booth the stink eye now.

    "That barrier is against fast things, so we hit him slow," Seth said as they turned down a carriageway towards the school. "Do you know if those work against magic?"

    Booth and Owen both shook their heads.

    "Once we get your siblings out of town, we can tackle that," Seth said. "We should all come up with some plans in the meantime."

    "I''m gonna head that way and make sure they''re fine," Booth said. "And I''m gonna clock Hayfield."

    "Do you want company?" Owen asked.

    "Nah, not this time."

    "Okay. I''ve got homework to get done anyway," Seth said.

 88 - Listen

    I wandered up and down the library bookcases as Seth and Owen searched for hunting spells. Owen did his searching by wandering like me, running a hand along the books and stopping to read titles occasionally. Seth was poring over a spell index.

    "Here is a Lure cantrip," Seth said. "The description says it will entice a creature known to the caster to a specific location."

    "We''d need to know what we was hunting and whereabouts it is then. What''s it last? Can you do a mess of different ones?" Owen asked.

    "No. It''s a focus spell. It''ll only last as long as I''m focusing on it."

    "Yeah, that won''t work. Actually, what''s the range on it? Does it say?" Owen asked.

    "Range isn''t listed," Seth said. "That might mean it''s flexible based on intent."

    "Or it might mean the spell''s only for using right there, like collectin'' mice in a barn or fleas off a dog," Owen said. "For them, better to be using a Repel than a Lure. Are there other versions of it? Something higher tier, maybe?"

    "I''ll look when I get to the next section. Here is an Alarm spell. If something touches the target of the spell, it''ll make a sound. This is a focus spell, too," Seth said.

    "Nah. It''d chase away what we''re trying to catch," Owen said. He stopped at a book and pulled it out to look at it.

    That sounded like a thing about cantrips. They didn''t last long. Most of them, like Seth''s Moonlight spell, only lasted as long as he was focusing on it, and Booth''s Lightstone spells only lasted a few minutes.

    I wondered if it was a power thing. Most magic I''d seen cast was a quick effect. A spell was cast and a thing happened. Done. The long-term stuff was anchored in some way. It was carved into magic substances or held mana somehow.

    Summons followed that, too, to an extent. Duvessa had a limit on how much she could summon, and when that thing was killed, she suffered mana exhaustion. But she didn''t suffer from exhaustion while the summons were out and about. She must have been connected to their mana somehow, even when they were far away.

    "We''ve got Moonlight as a spell for light. That should be fine, right?" Seth asked.

    "Sure. It was plenty bright enough, I thought." Owen put the book back. "Go to the next tier already, I wanna hear what they got."

    "Should I look through the basic tier or go straight to median?"

    "Straight to median. You''re good at casting, you can pick those up easy, right?" Owen asked.

    "I don''t know. It did take me most of the two weeks to do Copy. And that one is on the easy side of median."

    "I don''t think we can spend two weeks learning new spells. Especially if they don''t do exactly what we want," Owen said.

    "I suppose we could ask Selendrith tomorrow. She might know of some we could try to learn." Seth flipped forward chunks of pages. "Here are the median spells." He ran a finger along the list. "Oh, Bind looks interesting. And there''s Fireball. A bunch of these are crossed out, like Lightning Trap, and Stolen Voice."

    "Does that mean they''re forbidden or something?" Owen asked.

    Ooooh, forbidden spells? I liked that idea. But wait, why would you list forbidden spells in an index with regular spells? Shouldn''t they be on a hidden list instead?

    "I don''t think so. Stolen Voice is ¡­ okay let me see if I can find the book listed." Seth left the index open and headed amongst the bookshelves.

    He couldn''t find it. And when he checked other crossed out spells, those books were missing too. So, they left those spells listed because, well, I don''t know. They wanted to show off what they used to have? Or was it too difficult or expensive to reprint the book? My guess would be a bit of both.

    "Why do you reckon the books are missing?" Owen asked. "Most of these should be in more than one book, right?"

    "Yeah, some do list multiple books. But some people take books and don''t return them. Like that cantrip book Kaban lent us. Well, lent you, and then I took it. We haven''t given that back yet."

    You book thief! Dirty rotten book thief! Steal more of them! Or not. Just let me learn magic already. Well, I could use items anyway. That was a very nice form of magic.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

    "Yeah, we need to finish doing those," Owen said. "Do you know if there is a cantrip version of Lightning Trap? Or a basic version? If lightning don''t kill you it can knock you out, or at least make it hard to move, right?"

    "I''m going to find Bind first. I want to see how complicated that one is."

    Hmm. Yeah, I can see that being a really useful spell. Curious, I hopped up on the table and took a look at the spell lists.

    My reading wasn''t there yet. I could get a few words, and could sound out a fair bit to get the meaning. It would take me hours to read just these pages.

    Welp, I had nothing better to do, so I got to it.

    Seth made copies of spells from books and headed to the library practice area. It wasn''t as private, or as nice, as the dining hall training rooms, but Seth didn''t have a time limit here.

    Seth learned the Lure and Alarm cantrips pretty easily and worked on teaching Owen. The assholes used me as their target.

    I spent the next hour doing my damnedest to ignore that freaking spell. The better they were at casting it, the harder it was for me to ignore it. It was like starving all day, and suddenly you can smell an orange, all sweet and delicious. The compulsion to check it out was uncanny. And the brats were ecstatic every time I gave in a little.

    I could resist it. I didn''t need to walk over to it. But I wanted to. I could see how an animal without a strong will or awareness would be lured in. But smarter or stronger beasts wouldn''t be fooled.

    Then there was that little shot of happiness when I touched the Lure. That instant of ''Yes! I got it!'' It was its own type of addiction.

    The stronger versions of that spell scared me. I wasn''t sure resisting them would be possible, depending on how high a tier it was.

    We practiced a bit more, until Owen managed to cast Lure and decided he was done practicing for the night.

    <hr>

    Seth turned to Mau after Owen left. "I think I should practice with Saben''s power. I''ve never had a good relationship with it, and I''m a little concerned about how it will go. I have class in the Wind Tower tomorrow."

    Mau, who''d been doing her best to ignore both boys, and their Lure spells, walked over to sit before him.

    Seth laid one of the spells he copied onto the floor in front of him. Wind Blade.

    It was one of Saben''s favorite spells, one he could do nearly without casting. Seth had never managed to make it work properly for him.

    Part of that was the makeshift, unstructured mess of a spell Saben had taught him. Sure, it was nearly the spell, but from what Seth had learned using mana vaults, that wasn''t good enough for true structured casting.

    The first thing he did was practice the correct form without mana. It was technically a cantrip but bordered on basic. As he already had an idea for how the spell worked, It didn''t take long before he was confident he had the right motions and incantation now. After all, they were very similar to what Saben used, but Saben''s were effectively slurred or mumbled.

    Then Seth closed his eyes and listened. He no longer felt like his magic was supposed to obey him. He''d tried to view it that way before, but in his heart he always thought it should do as he wished. That wasn''t true anymore. The power wasn''t his. He was nothing more than a temporary guardian. Anything the power did for him was a gift from Saben, and should be respected as such. So he listened, and he waited.

    He could hear it. The wind that had always defied him, ignored him, fought him. This time it listened in turn. As Seth listened, he felt like it was speaking to him. He could hear where the air was in the room. He could hear its whispered movement over the papers on the floor, the air ducts in the ceiling, even Mau''s breath.

    And then he could hear his own breath, and hear the wind''s reluctant willingness to work with him. The power didn''t trust him, like it expected him to force it to his will, subjugate it.

    Seth knew better now. The wind could not be subjugated. It would never be caged.

    But he could ask for its help. And it would help him.

    Seth opened his eyes and made the motions to cast the spell. The apple he''d placed on the table sliced neatly in half.

    Seth closed his eyes again and listened. For the first time, he understood what Saben had been talking about, that he needed to listen to the wind.

    It made him wonder. If you needed to listen to wind, was that true of all wind casters? Did others feel it differently? What did a water talent feel like? Stone?

    He wondered what a talent really was. Why they could be stolen.

    Booth had likened a talent to a limb or eye. You could never see out of someone else''s eye, or use someone else''s limb.

    Why was a talent different? Why was Seth too young to have his own? Why did the very young not get talents? Were prodigies genuinely impossible?

    Why didn''t everyone get talents?

    Mau rubbed against his legs and meowed at him.

    "Why do you think someone needs to have a talent in order to bond to a familiar? Any ideas, Mau?"

    Mau cocked her head. ''What?''

    "I was just thinking about talents, is all. I was wondering why a normal person can''t have a familiar. What is it about talents that lets the soul bond happen?"

    Mau snorted.

    "I think it is relevant. My talent is stolen. It''s really Saben''s. What if the familiar bond is really between you and Saben, and not me at all?"

    ''What? No,'' Mau signed. ''No,'' she signed and rubbed her whiskers with a paw. She waited a beat then did it again. ''No,'' whisker rub, ''far away.''

    Seth wondered if he''d forgotten signs again, and then decided no, these were new words. "All right, that whisker rub. Magic? Pressure? Water?" It took a few minutes, but Seth worked out that Mau could not sense Saben at all, and did not consider him to be a component in the familiar bond.

    "All right. I won''t worry about it then. If something happens when Saben gets his power back, would you be willing to do the bond again, Mau?"

    Mau jumped up on his shoulder and made grumbly noises.

    She nodded firmly.

 89 - Piss and Shine

    I waited for Seth to fall asleep before I swiped the magic dog whistle. I would''ve headed out right then, but asshole roommate Isaac showed up.

    Isaac activated the lights in the room, and stared at Seth who was curled up and sleeping happily. After a moment he walked over to the desk and shuffled through the stack of blank paper. Then he used just a little bit of magic. It was unstructured, so there was no way for me to know what he was up to.

    He glanced back at Seth, and I guess Seth looking content irked Isaac, because he dropped the stack of papers and made a ton of noise getting his own stuff ready for bed.

    He banged his trunk open, slammed books to the ground, shook Seth''s bed by bumping into it repeatedly. Seth slept through it all. Isaac didn''t stop with that nonsense until I growled at him. If I wasn''t using Isaac''s mattress as a hiding spot for my stolen loot, I would have been tempted to cut all the supports holding his mattress to the frame. I''ll need to think of something else.

    I continued to growl at Isaac until he deactivated the lights and went to bed. Once I heard him snoring softly, I jumped down. I had the box chain of the dog whistle securely wrapped around my front leg. I paused at Isaac''s shoes and carefully shredded small sections of his shoelaces with a claw. Those laces would snap now when he went to tie his shoes.

    Happy with my pettiness, I slipped out the door.

    Outside the dorm I had a look around as I considered the best course of action here. I wasn''t worried about the whistle being dangerous to use. The hyena woman had been using it safely. I was worried about the whistle being dangerous to me. And possibly to the kids. Before I let Seth play with it, I was gonna have a go.

    I needed vict- ah, volunteers.

    Most familiars stayed in their bondmate''s rooms, so I won''t be able to use familiars for this. I''d have to use normal animals. Which meant I wouldn''t be able to ask them what the whistle does. This will be a trial and error endeavor.

    But I knew just the group of animals to start with and headed off to the arena where combat class was held.

    Outside the coliseum, I found a nearby tree with a bunch of birds roosting in it. These were the guys that mobbed the combat students when Professor Mick the Mighty was doing his weird games. These birds might be a little annoyed at having their beauty sleep disturbed, but I wasn''t concerned. I''d have a light, poultry themed snack if they got aggressive.

    I unwrapped the whistle and tried to make a connection to it like I had the vault and the skull ring. This was a pretty complex piece. I sensed it could do a few things, but I had no idea what those were. And like all things magic, intent mattered. If I intended it to do something it couldn''t do, I wasn''t sure what would happen.

    May as well find out.

    My cat lips couldn''t make a good seal. My teeth got in the way, and the split in my front lip left a gap. But I did get some air in the whistle. I decided to go with a basic, ''Come'' command. I figured that was probably pretty universal.

    The whistle was insanely high pitched and hurt my ears. I wasn''t even blowing that hard, because I would blow it right out of my mouth, and it was still crazy annoying.

    Not a single bird moved. Not even a squawk.

    Was I being too specific? Or not specific enough? Lets find out. I recognized one of the birds on a lower branch as a finch and started with that guy. ''Come finch!'' I thought hard, as I fueled the whistle with mana and blew.

    Nothing.

    Okay, all the birds in the tree! ''Come!''

    Nada. Not a one even twitched. Can birds not hear dog whistles?

    One more time, all creatures nearby, ''Come!''

    "Will whatever fucker is making that racket shut the fuck up!" bellowed a very cranky and squeaky voice.

    Nice! We got results!

    "I beg your pardon, oh mysterious sir," I said. "I was merely attempting to utilize a new tool."

    "I''ll shove that tool right up your ass if you don''t shut the fuck up right now."

    I waved my ass in the direction of the voice. "Come on over here and try it." Then I blew the whistle again. ''Come, rodents!''

    A swarm of rats poured out of a small gap between the coliseum stonework and the mountainside. There were only eight of them, so a really small swarm for rats. I would have expected a few dozen. As they got close I blew the whistle again, ''Stop!''

    All but one stopped.

    That one was nearly twice the size of the other rats, and it gnashed its teeth and jumped at me. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" it was screaming.

    I sidestepped and watched the rat. Wow, this whistle sure could drive some creatures nutso. Sure, the guy was a good sized rodent, but I was bigger, and I was a cat. I could eat him if I chose to. "Fine, fine. Talk to me a bit and I''ll stop."Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    "I''m going to bite your face off!"

    "No you won''t, or I''ll blow this thing so hard your ears will be bleeding for a month." I put the whistle in my mouth again.

    "No! Please, don''t! For the love of piss and shine, don''t." The rat collapsed on the ground and covered its ears.

    I could see the creature shivering as it braced for the piercing shriek of the whistle again. It was a light tan color with a white belly, and a furry tail. Except for the tail, it looked like a normal rat. All the other rats had furry tails too. Were these some kind of squirrel crossbreed?

    I had to agree with the rat though. If I wasn''t the one blowing the whistle, I''d probably be really ticked off by it too.

    "Okay. Truce," I said. "Who are you?"

    "Thank the midden for small mercies," the rat said and rubbed his ears. "I am the grandfather of these younglings." He turned to look at the other rats, who had held still since the ''Stop'' command. "What did you do to them?"

    "I am practicing with a whistle that can train animals. I intended to use it on the birds there, but got you instead." I watched the other rats. They did not appear to be held in place magically, or under a magic compulsion. If anything, they just looked confused and not sure what they should do.

    "Go back to the nest," Grandfather said, and shooed the others. Most left right away, a couple were looking at me curiously before scampering off with the others.

    "Well that told me almost everything I needed to know," I said. "Thank you for your assistance."

    "My fucking assistance? You blow out my ears with that hateful noise, take control of my family, and you fucking call it ''assistance''?"

    "Well, yeah." I sat down and curled my tail around my paws. "You helped. I thanked you. It''s called being polite."

    "There is nothing fucking polite about what you just did!"

    "Grandpa, with a potty mouth like yours, do you even deserve manners? Take a valium. Sheesh."

    "Oh fuck off, you inconsiderate cat. And what the fuck is a valium?"

    Well damn. "Fuck if I know. I think it calms people down? Anyway. What are you? I thought rats had naked tails, and yours is furry. You''re not part squirrel, are you?"

    The rat looked like it was counting to ten. "Are you deliberately trying to provoke me? Implying I''m some type of squirrel?"

    "Nah, sorry. I''ve just not seen anyone like you before." I should probably play a little nicer here. I might get an opportunity to swipe a power, or this guy could volunteer to be a familiar. Or not volunteer and the kids could capture him.

    That was a sticky thought. On one hand, these were animals, and buying and selling animals was normal. On the other, I''m an animal now too, and buying and selling me would be a hard nope.

    My moral compass had always been a little shaky, but I do have some lines. If these guys were being sold into slavery, obviously, that would be a hard no. But being a familiar isn''t the same thing. If a familiar is unhappy with the arrangement the bond will break, and an animal could always run away. There were benefits to being a familiar too. The cat from the Menagerie, Tom, got greater intelligence and longer lifespan from it. And possibly other benefits.

    Yeah, I think I''m fine selling out the wee beasties to be familiars. I''m one, after all. It''s like joining a cult or a MLM. You rope everyone you know into it too.

    "I''m sorry for disturbing your night. I did not know you or your family lived here. I only intended to disturb the birds."

    Grandpa rat glared at me and then huffed. "Fine. Apology accepted. Now fuck off already."

    "Of course." I''ll fuck off when I''m good and ready. "But first, I''m serious. What kind of animal are you?" I wondered if it would it be too rude to ask him what his power is.

    The rat puffed himself up and stood tall. "I am the Grandfather! I am the caretaker of the largest treasure trove of all the packrats!"

    Packrat? So this guy runs around collecting cool shit, and maybe magic cool shit since, you know, he''s living in a magic school, and packing it away? That''s a real thing? The dude must have seen the glint of greed in my eyes because he immediately huffed, "No! You will not see it. Those are my treasures! I have sealed and protected all of them!"

    Sealed? I had a bad feeling about that. The dude had mentioned piss and shine a bit ago. And rats were famously dirty. "Do you piss on your treasures?" I guessed.

    "Of course I do. That''s the best way to cement them in place. I have a power that makes it dry quickly into yellow resin."

    I shuddered. Any interest I had in his treasure trove vanished. And I didn''t want to try out power stealing with this guy, either. Gross.

    That just drove home the point that this guy was an animal. A dirty one.

    "Are there other unbound beasts here in the school?" I asked. I still considered having the kids capture this guy for that bounty, but I wasn''t sure how a rat would go over. I knew where he lived, so if we ended up short, we could come collect him later.

    The rat shrugged. "None of my business. Now beat it."

    I waved my ass at him as I walked away, my tail straight up. I don''t think he noticed as he returned to his hole in the wall. That guy might be useful in other ways, too. I bet I could bribe him with shiny things, and I wouldn''t need to offer anything magical for the rat to be enticed, just pretty.

    None of that mattered as much as discovering that this whistle wouldn''t be useful against magic beasts. If they could hear it, it would only piss them off. But if a group had normal animals with them, like the packrat and chickens both did, it could be useful. They would obey simple commands.

    Over the next few days, Seth practiced the new spells and experimented with the whistle ¨C to my enormous discomfort. While my apology to Grandpa Packrat was mostly sincere, I was beginning to think I owed him another one. Yeowch.

    Seth also collected the odds and ends he thought we''d need. He sourced a few catchpoles, some heavy duty burlap sacks, rope, and even a map.

    On Tuesday, Seth asked Ace at the Wind Tower if he knew of anyone heading to Vernar in the near future. Seth was getting worried about Saben. Here we were on week five, and no word yet. I didn''t know how long would be normal here. Did they send mail by magic? Or by horse?

    Ace didn''t know of anyone, but promised to let Seth know if a plan was made. And if Seth still hadn''t heard soon, Ace would fly a letter there himself.

    Saben had such good friends. The guy was well connected. By all the pretty green peas, how did he end up in a distant city like Vernar?

    That''s right, I almost forgot. A field trip to Vernar was still on my wishlist. That''s the city my egg was shipped from. I wondered if I could get Seth to take a trip with Ace there.

    Probably not. It was a full days ride by horse or carriage, two by wagon, and four by oxen. I''m not sure if that accounts for the mountain slopes there and back. Either way, Seth will object to missing class.

    That was fine. I had a feeling I would want more magic under my belt before we headed that way. I was optimistic with this beast hunting project. I would have more opportunities to swipe powers.

    And no. I did not want a piss power.

 90 - Basic Light

    Off we were on another mountain hike! No tents this time, still no cooking pots, but hopefully we won''t need any of that stuff. The magic cub scouts packed water and fried chicken. I''m okay with their culinary choices.

    We''ve got the whole crew for tonight, Seth, Owen, Booth, Selendrith, Blaise, and Duvessa.

    The plan was to hike up the southeast mountain for two hours, spend an hour or so hunting, and then hike back, and be back before midnight. The kids even brought lanterns and planned for a couple of hours of wiggle room.

    They be learning.

    They chose this way because it was close to several areas of interest. The Below entrance where I met Seth was somewhat in this direction, just more south than we were heading. Any beasts that might''ve wandered out before the entrance became guarded could still be in the area. Also, Owen thought he might know a good hunting spot. And last, but not least, this was in the opposite direction of that cheapskate guy complaining about the wolves. Owen was serious about not wanting to help him out with how cheap he was. Dude was genuinely offended.

    There was still more than an hour of sunlight left when the kids got their shit together and set out. Seth tried to make me walk on my own. I did for a little while, but I''m lazy, and that didn''t last long.

    I give you permission to carry me, oh human palanquin.

    These types of adventures are going to suck when I get bigger. There might come the day where I''m carrying Seth''s lazy ass. Nah. Sucker can walk.

    Owen led us off the road just before sunset. "We should light the lanterns now. It''ll be full dark soon, and we''ve got a ways to go yet," he said.

    "Why are we not using light spells?" Duvessa asked as she watched Owen and Seth pull out lanterns.

    "Waste of mana, mostly," Booth said. "I don''t want to keep casting those all night. I''ll have no magic left in no time."

    I never really worried about mana. I next to never used it, at least not consciously. I am still unsure if the chicken dodge used mana. I assumed it did, and that was why I couldn''t do more than three in a row. But either I regenerated mana super fast, or I didn''t use it.

    I''ve not seen Seth run out, either. But then, he kept his casting to small spells most of the time, and when he cast bigger ones, there was always a period he didn''t cast after. I never wondered if that was intentional or not.

    I have seen other students run out. Some in the middle of spells, causing them to backlash in strange ways.

    Selendrith cocked her head. "You only need to cast them once."

    Seth was kneeling next to the pack he''d brought and looked over at Selendrith. "The only light spell I know is Moonlight. That one is a cantrip and is a concentration spell."

    "Basic Light is one of the spells needed to pass this semester. It''s in the student handbook," Selendrith said, looking at the group in mild judgment. "You could cast it on the lantern and it''d stay lit for several hours."

    "That''s right!" Duvessa said, snapping her fingers. "I did see that there. But that''s towards the end of the semester, so I didn''t bother with it."

    "I haven''t read the handbook," Owen admitted sheepishly. He glanced over at Seth. I knew Seth hadn''t read it either, but he didn''t admit it now.

    "I don''t have one," Booth said curtly.

    Blaise turned around to face Booth. "How do you not¨C" she cut off when Duvessa stepped on her foot.

    "It''s fine, really, it''s fine," Seth said. "Selendrith, could you demonstrate that spell for us? If we can learn it, we''ll all have light whenever we need it."

    Selendrith looked to be doing some mental math. "I can cast it once," she finally said. "I shouldn''t spare the mana for more than that."

    I haven''t seen Selendrith cast much. She was a miserly caster. She was the type to track and measure her ability. She probably knew to a half cantrip how much she could cast and how long it would take before she could cast again. If possible, she''d have someone else do the casting.

    "Wait a second then. Instead of just casting it, lets go through the signs and sounds," Seth said. He''d put the lantern down and gave Selendrith his full attention. The kid really did like magic.

    "We don''t have time for this," Blaise said. "This isn''t a cantrip so it''s going to take you all night to get it right. We use the normal lanterns for now, and let''s just go."

    What do you know. Blaise can talk sense.

    "Yeah, you''re right," Seth agreed, disappointed. "We should get going." He got right to getting that lantern lit. Good kid, and don''t worry. You''ll have ample opportunity to learn more spells.

    The temperature on the mountain dropped quickly as the sun went down, and now a stiff cool breeze was rolling down the slopes. We came to a clearing in the woods with a gentle slope. A stream at the far end burbled, and the fir trees loomed at the edges.The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    "We should douse the lanterns here," Owen said. "The light will chase off anything we want to catch."

    "Then how will we see to catch anything?" Blaise asked. "It''s darker than black here."

    I could see fine.

    "The moon won''t be out til much later, and it won''t be very bright," Seth said. "We should probably leave them lit for now."

    "We''re gonna need light, Owen," Booth said. "We''ll be walking into trees."

    I chuckled at the thought.

    Seth tapped me on the nose. "Stop laughing at us."

    Booth turned to glare at me. "Is your cat seriously laughing at us because it can see in the dark and we can''t?"

    "No!" Duvessa said. "Mau is a sweet kitty. She''d never take pleasure in our misery."

    "Meow!" I said to Duvessa, and then glared at Seth. I opened my mouth just a little bit. If that finger came near me again, it was gonna get shorter.

    "What did I tell you about biting? No! Down! Mau, get down." Seth struggled to pull me off his shoulder. I was clinging with my claws as gently as I could. I was having fun, but I didn''t want to make the kid naked by accident. Shirtless in the mountains at night didn''t sound like a fun time.

    "And people pay money for those things," Booth muttered. "How are we going to find, much less catch, anything in the dark?"

    "We can leave them lit for now and start with a locator spell. This one is unstructured, so it''s a little inconsistent," Seth said.

    "If it''s inconsistent, how do we trust it?" Blaise asked.

    "It doesn''t lie or anything, but it doesn''t always answer. I''ll look for any nearby animals? Or large animals only?"

    "We''re looking for something smaller than a dog, but don''t waste our time with rodents," Booth said.

    Seth closed his eyes and breathed deeply. I focused on the familiar link, interested in how this was working for him. He''d been avoiding using his, or rather, Saben''s, talent for a while now. The berries had made it hurt, and then we found out it was never Seth''s power.

    That did somewhat explain why only Seth felt pain after eating a berry. I''m not real clear on how it all works exactly, but if Seth had a bunch of magic stuffed into him, and then ate a berry stuffing a whole bunch more magic in, then yeah. I could see how that would hurt. The interesting bit was that it was the talent specifically that hurt the most.

    And there were so many reasons that could be. The mana overload might be trying to pull the talent free and send it back to Saben. I could see that being potentially fatal. Or the too much mana might be ripping up Seth''s magical insides. Also potentially fatal. The berries might also be toxic to normal people, and because Seth doesn''t have a talent of his own, the berry is poisonous. And you guessed it, potentially fatal again.

    That talent could kill him. I could understand him being nervous about using it. The fact the talent didn''t really want to obey him was just icing on the shit pie.

    Yet he practiced with it anyway. And now he was using it again.

    Kid was calling the wind. I could feel the ache through the link, but it wasn''t nearly as bad as it had been. Whatever that injury was, it was healing. The steady mountain breeze swirled in the clearing.

    I watched as Seth let the spell stay completely unstructured. He didn''t cast at all, and just let the talent do the work. It took several long minutes, while Booth shifted from foot to foot and looked at the other kids, clearly wanting them to step in and do something.

    Owen was leaning against a log with his arms crossed. Duvessa sat cross legged under a tree. Selendrith was gazing out into the darkness at the edge of the lantern light. Blaise was peeling bark off a stick, tall and thick enough to be a hiking staff.

    I thought Booth might have a meltdown waiting for Seth. The kid was really antsy at times. He was patient enough with his own stuff, but everyone else needed to be done yesterday. Eh, he''ll get over it.

    Finally Seth opened his eyes. "There''s something a little bigger than a dog that way. And there are several more after that in the same direction. I have no idea what they are."

    "Good enough. Let''s go." Booth took the lantern and headed out.

    "I''ll send out scouts!" Duvessa said. She created a small flock of sparrows and sent them winging in the direction Seth had determined.

    The troop marched on. Well, stumbled through the brush and banged into trees.

    There was nothing sneaky about this crew.

    "We should have brought a muffler," Blaise said, echoing my own thoughts. "We are going to scare everything away."

    "Next time," Duvessa said. "I think this is fun, and I totally want to do it again."

    Booth sighed.

    A shadow sparrow flitted through the group and Duvessa caught it. A moment later she whispered, "There is something up ahead! Be quiet!"

    "Should we douse the lantern?" Blaise asked.

    "Yeah, at least shutter it," Seth said.

    The dark didn''t make the kids any sneakier. They were just slower, and much louder as they walked into every bush and tripped over every rock. They would be better off keeping the light.

    In the trees not far ahead, I saw a goat. It was looking right at us.

    "Maaahaaa!" the goat bleated. It lowered its head like it would ram us with its horns.

    Okay. Not a magic goat.

    Owen dug through his pockets and pulled out a carrot. Because of course he has carrots in his pockets. He approached the goat carefully. Seth got his catchpole out, and when the goat took the carrot, Seth looped it.

    The goat didn''t notice or didn''t care.

    "There''s another one that way," Duvessa said. "Should we catch that one too?"

    "Yeah," Owen said. "Any magic from this guy?" he asked Seth.

    I shook my head when Seth glanced at me. "I think this is a normal goat," he said.

    "On to the next one!" Duvessa whispered energetically.

    The next one was calmly munching on a bush and ignored our approach. The kids fanned out around it and Booth set up his catchpole.

    I hopped up a tree to watch this. I didn''t think it''d be a debacle, mostly because the goats were completely tame. Then I saw a shadow move in the bushes and heard a faint rustling.

    My ears pointed automatically in a direction none of the kids were. Shit, there was something else here. I scanned the darkness. My eyesight was fantastic, and I could see almost perfectly.

    Almost. I couldn''t see through things, and there was a lot of brush around here. I growled.

    Seth glanced up at me and immediately cast Moonlight.

    "Ah!" Selendrith cried, lifting a hand to block the light. Girl, it''s moonlight. That shouldn''t be blinding you.

    An older woman with a bow drawn stepped silently out of the bushes, the arrow pointed first at Selendrith, and then at Booth.

    "Just what do you think you''re doing with my goats?"

 91 - Goats

    "Excuse me, ma''am," Seth said and stepped forward. The bow swung in his direction. "We are here to do bulletins that were posted in Rosia. We found your goats by accident and thought it best to collect them. We mean no harm and do apologize."

    I have to say, Seth is pretty good at de-escalation. The woman relaxed the bow and lowered it, but kept the arrow nocked. I bet she could draw and release it in an instant.

    "All right, I''m listening. What bulletins could you have in this area? My farm is the only one around here and I didn''t ask for nothing."

    Seth pulled his copies out of a pocket. "This one, specifically. We are looking for magic beasts to become familiars." He offered her the paper.

    The woman glanced at it and shook her head. "Can''t read." She stared hard at Seth. "You mages? You thinking my goats are magic?" She sounded skeptical.

    "No, ma''am. Just lost."

    She relaxed a bit more. "They was set loose on purpose. I''ve been half the day collecting them," the woman said.

    "Why would you do that?" Duvessa asked.

    "Why would I collect my goats?" the woman asked, incredulous.

    "No, why would you release them?" Duvessa clarified.

    "I didn''t." She gave Duvessa a side eye and spoke to Seth. "A couple of city scum come by and decided they could just help themselves to what was mine. I objected and run them off, but not before they killed my dog, broke the fence, and scattered the goats. I think they stole some. My old nanny goat came back with about half the herd, but my daughter and I are still looking for the rest. Was on my way home, now. I''ll have to pick up in the mornin''."

    "I''m sorry that happened to you, and we can probably help. Duvessa, you said there were a couple more around?" Seth asked.

    "Just one more after this one," Duvessa said. "Hmm, that way. About a ten minute walk."

    Booth made some grumbly noises. I didn''t think he was trying to purr though. When Seth and Owen discussed directions with Duvessa, Booth whispered to Blaise, "Why are we wasting time doing favors?"

    "Because maybe I can repay that favor, boy?" the woman said as she turned to Booth. I was impressed. The old bat had some sharp hearing.

    "I''m not interested in normal goats," Booth said.

    "But you are interested in magic beasts. And I know where you can find some," the amazingly dignified and knowledgeable old lady said.

    If she could save us from wandering the mountain all night, she''d be my new favorite-ish person. Somewhere after Owen, but before Blaise. That list was subject to moment by moment changes, and was usually topped by whoever had the most interesting food.

    What can I say. My heart and my stomach are the same organ.

    I watched the kids pick their way through the trees with the woman before I followed at the rear. We hadn''t stopped for dinner yet. We should do that soon.

    Oh, maybe this lady will feed us too? Maybe goat soup?

    I eyed the animals in front of me. I had never noticed how evil looking a goat''s eyes were. They were freaky and demonic. That got me to wondering what kind of magic power would a goat have. Cliff climbing? Shooting horns? Sticky hooves?

    And the all important questions, would I want it, and could I take it? I could be down with walking up walls.

    We obtained the third wayward goat and followed the old woman, who''d yet to give us a name, back to her farm. When Booth complained again, Owen told him it was the direction they were going anyway, since this track¨C we were following a track? I couldn''t see it ¨C went right by her house.

    The woman''s farm was a small place, a tiny house and a barn twice the size. Three dogs went bananas as we approached.

    In short order we got the goats away, dinner out and eaten¨Cto my dismay, no, the woman did not share goat soup with us¨C and Owen got one of the fence posts upright again and roped off. The fence wasn''t fixed, but it should get the woman through the morning long enough for her to fix it properly in the daylight. The woman''s daughter hadn''t been back at all, and three goats were still missing.

    And now both Seth and Duvessa were casting. Duvessa accumulating a small flock of shadow birds, and Seth with his eyes closed, waiting.

    "You said you know where there are some magic beasts?" Blaise asked the woman.

    "I do. There''s a cave not too far from here. It was a Below entrance some twenty years ago and got sealed up right away. There''s always some critters in the area, so we stay clear. Guards come by every few months to clear them out and check the seal. Been a bit since they been by, so you should find something there."Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    Owen perked up. "You know where the cave is? I knew it was here somewhere, but not exactly where."

    Old entrances get sealed up? Beasts hang out in those areas? Maybe beasts like Chicky-Chicky? I hope we ain''t biting off more than the kids can chew.

    "I''m not getting a firm answer," Seth said. He still had his eyes closed and his head cocked, listening. "There''s nothing close anyway."

    "It''s a fools errand, running off in the dark," the woman said, tut tutting. "Bit a fool myself. I''ll keep looking for my daughter, you can head to the cave. It be that a way, about a half mile and you''ll see a dry stream bed. Follow it upstream until you get to three boulders, and go left. It gets real rocky, and the wide entrance is there. If you want to find the small entrance, climb those rocks, and there''s a shaft down. Watch yourselves. That fall will break legs and you probably won''t be seeing it in the dark."

    "Thank you, ma''am," Seth said.

    "Right. If you see my daughter Iva, or any more of my goats, I''d appreciate you sending them home."

    This time Blaise took the lead. She hung one of the lanterns from her hiking stick and slung it over her shoulder. I have to admit, it lit the way much better up there.

    I hopped back up on Seth''s shoulder for the hike.

    A half mile was a lot further than I thought when bumping around in the dark on a mountainside. Once following the stream bed we found the three boulders easy enough. Then Blaise stopped abruptly and planted the pole with the lantern.

    The light shone on the body of a goat.

    "Oh no!" Duvessa cried and turned away. Selendrith didn''t say anything, but stood next to her, also not looking at the goat.

    Booth and Owen examined the body while Blaise kept watch.

    "Do you think it was the people that attacked that woman''s farm?" Seth asked.

    "No. There are too many cuts. A person wouldn''t slice it up like that," Owen said.

    "I dunno man," Booth said. "Those are crazy deep cuts. And look, one of its horns was sliced clean off. Ain''t no claws I know of that can do that."

    I really didn''t want to look at the goat, but I did anyway. This was just part of the violence of this world. It was just as gory as I feared.

    Booth was right. The poor creature had been sliced deeply. And most claws weren''t sharp enough for those types of cuts. Mine were. But mine were not long enough to do that, and even my mama''s claws were not long enough for some of these wounds. I would have thought maybe a sword did it, but the wounds also twisted, as if the blade was hooked or curved, like a sickle or scythe.

    The scariest thing here was how neatly things were severed. Legs and horn sliced off, the cuts smoother than any saw. There was no jaggedness to the injuries, like the goat never had a chance to even try to dodge and was just sliced clean through. Flesh, bone, horn, and all.

    Whatever did this was fucking dangerous.

    I looked around at the teenagers. These children were going to try to catch this thing. Sizzling souffles, Blaise was already pulling out a catchpole.

    I headed to the nearest tree and climbed it. I''m fucking noping the fuck out.

    "You wanted to put the lanterns out before, Owen," Blaise said. "Should I put it out now?"

    ''No!'' I was shaking my head frantically. No one was looking at me though. What the fuck, girl. You are trying to catch something that can decapitate you in one shot. So the most logical thing to do, is to do it in the fucking dark? We don''t even know what the fuck this thing is!

    "No, we''ll keep ''em lit," Owen said. "This could be a bit more dangerous than we thought."

    You fucking think?

    Booth was pulling out a catchpole now too. "Seth, do you think your amulet can heal something that''s been severed?"

    Right. Magic. Crazy fucking magic land.

    Seth shook his head. "I don''t think it can restore lost limbs, even if you had the limb to reattach. I think it would prevent someone from bleeding out, and give us time to get them back to the city, but it heals pretty slow, and I don''t see it fixing damage like this."

    "I''m not so sure this is a good idea," Selendrith said.

    Thank fuzzy little kumquats, someone has sense.

    Seth nodded in agreement with Selendrith and I felt relieved. I knew the kid was smart. "If this was a human, then we are dealing with the people who attacked the farm. If this was an animal, then this is definitely some type of magic beast. This is a pretty strong cutting power. My Wind Blades are not this strong." Seth stared at the dead goat for a few moments and then started casting. It was his locating spell by the look of it.

    "I can''t tell exactly what did this, but I think it''s an animal, and I think it''s right outside the cave entrance," Seth said after a minute. "We need to be careful, but I think we can do this."

    I take it back. The kid had the brains of a turnip.

    "It doesn''t seem to be that big. I think we can catch it. Here''s how I think this is going to go, and what I think we need to do¡­"

    I listened to Seth''s plan. It wasn''t bad. He was making some assumptions I wasn''t keen on, but it did sound like it would work.

    Fine then. We''d try it. Or more likely, I''d watch them try it, and then try to rescue them when it all went to shit.

    Duvessa began by recalling all her summons in the nearby area. She needed the volume to summon something bigger. I didn''t know if she intended it to be bait or not, since she summoned a goat.

    The kids scrambled over rocks and boulders, following Duvessa''s shadow goat towards the cave. The trees had thinned out and there was a broad clearing in front of the cave. I noticed that some of the clearing was due to trees having been knocked down. That didn''t give me the warm fuzzies. I wanted to climb a tree to get away from whatever chaos was going to occur, but now that didn''t look viable. Shit. I leapt up to the tops of the boulders above the cave entrance. Hopefully, I was out of sight here.

    The shadow goat pranced around the clearing while the kids and I waited. As I scanned the dimly lit clearing, I noticed another animal corpse. This one was smaller than the goat, and long and slinky. It looked like a dead weasel.

    Suffering succotash. I wanted to know what that thing was. I thought about going to go down there to check it out. Nope. I''ll wait. I''m a cat, I can be patient. Yup. Patient. I''ve waited longer, I''m sure. I couldn''t remember it, but I''m sure I did it.

    I gazed out at the clearing and tried to pick out any more animals, alive or dead. There was another one. Looked like another weasel.

    Seth spotted the first one. I watched him inch out into the clearing, his head on a swivel as he tried to watch every direction at once. Without thinking, my back paws shifted their balance and position, wiggling my ass as I readied a pounce. I could rocket out there in an instant.

    The wind kicked up suddenly, surprising me. Seth hadn''t cast before, but he was now. What the hell did he see?

    Then I spotted it. Roiling downhill off to my right was a dust devil. Riding the dust devil was a weasel with long silver claws, hooked like sickles. The thing twisted and spun in the miniature tornado and flung out blades of cutting wind that shone silver in the darkness.

 92 - Weasels

    Seth crept out into the clearing carefully, alert for any sign of movement and ready to cast Barrier in an instant. Mau had become unusually alarmed when he''d headed into the clearing, so he tried to figure out what she''d seen, but so far there was nothing here but the dead animals.

    They needed to know more about the dead animals, what they were, and how they died. And the only way to find out was to go and look.

    He understood how dangerous it was. Something out here was able to sever limbs. Seth liked all his limbs attached, and wanted to keep them that way.

    Seth recognized the dead animal he''d crept into the clearing to examine. It was a whirling sickle weasel, but he could see no immediate cause of death. It wasn''t bleeding, and there were no visible wounds. He was still a few feet away when the wind picked up.

    As fast as he could he cast Barrier, and not a moment too soon. A pair of weasels whirled into the clearing, floating in their personal dust devils. The weasels flung cutting blades of silvered air at Seth and his friends.

    Seth caught most of one barrage on his Barrier. Booth had cast Barrier in front of him and Owen, while the girls scattered.

    Blaise held her hiking stick like a spear, and crouched. She kept Seth and his Barrier between her and the weasels, and waited for her opportunity to strike.

    Duvessa pointed at her shadow goat, commanding it. It dodged the incoming blades by laying flat on the ground, and then leaped up and charged the weasels.

    Selendrith ducked behind a boulder. Seth couldn''t see what she did after that.

    Owen was casting Lure. Good. Seth needed to keep the Barrier up, and couldn''t split his attention to cast it himself. Once both weasels were diverted, Seth could grab a catchpole himself and capture the one Blaise was not targeting.

    The weasels were zipping around the clearing, spinning in their dust devils and shooting wind blades in all directions. Owen finished casting and both weasels paused, their attention snared.

    Blaise leapt up and charged the closest weasel. She raised the staff to bash the weasel out of the air, but slipped and landed flat on her back. Mud splattered in every direction. The weasel had flung blades at her that passed over her. Her staff fell to the ground in three pieces.

    "Ack! It''s all muddy here!" Blaise cried out. "The bastards sliced my staff!"

    Seth jumped forward to get his Barrier between Blaise and the weasels. He too slid in the mud, but only fell to one knee. He was able to keep the spell up. "Focus harder on the Lure!" he yelled to Owen.

    "Get ''em!" Duvessa commanded her goat, who charged the weasel attacking Seth and Blaise.

    The goat charged, head down. The weasel quickly spun in the air and flung another batch of blades about. The first blade severed one of the goat''s legs, another sliced one lantern in half, putting it out.

    The goat didn''t stop and bashed into the weasel, knocking it against Seth''s Barrier. Blaise reached up and snatched the weasel out of the air and pushed it into the mud. She quickly got her hands on the back of its head, and on its hind legs and held it to the ground.

    "Quickly! I got it! Tie it up!" Blaise shouted.

    Duvessa ran over, pulling out a rope. She touched her shadow goat as she passed, and dismissed it. "Good job," she said as it disappeared.

    "Ow!" Blaise snarled as the weasel attempted to claw its way loose. "It''s not casting those wind blades anymore now that it''s out of that whirlwind. No, start with the front claws, Duvessa. I don''t want it to claw me again."

    "I don''t want it to bite me either!" Duvessa said. "Hold its head better!"

    "It might not be casting anymore because you''ve got it flat on the ground," Booth said.

    "It''s still out of the wind!" Blaise argued. "Try it! These would be a lot less dangerous without those blades."

    "Watch it, the other one is heading for you!" Owen called out. "The Lure isn''t strong enough. It isn''t going to work!"

    "Seth, let''s trap it between the barriers," Booth said.

    "Right," Seth agreed and stepped around Blaise, moving carefully in the mud. He kept the Barrier positioned between the loose weasel and the girls.

    "Yeah, I''m dropping the Lure," Owen said. He pulled out a catchpole and moved in behind Booth.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    That was a bad move. When the weasel was no longer distracted by the Lure, it turned its attention into becoming a whirling dervish of death. Cutting wind blades flung in every direction. The dust devil it rode on picked up speed and grew in size.

    Owen darted forward and swung his pole, trying to knock the weasel out of the dust devil. Instead he needed to duck and dodge the blades that sliced his pole into short sticks. "Shit! How do we catch it now?" he cried as he darted back behind Booth''s Barrier.

    "I''m not sure how much longer I can hold this," Booth said. "I don''t have the deep pool you do, Seth, and I can feel it draining every time they hit it."

    "I''ll need to drop the Barrier to cast something else," Seth said. "You two get back to the trees at least, or behind one of those boulders. And put the one you caught in a bag so it can''t bite anyone."

    "Right," Blaise said. She picked up the caught weasel by the hind legs, and when it twisted up to bite her, she grabbed it by the scruff of its neck. Both Blaise and Duvessa scrambled back to the edge of the clearing.

    The girls leaving with the captured weasel enraged the free one. It focused its blades on them and ignored everyone else.

    Seth managed to cover them, mostly. Blaise swore softly as one of the blades nicked her.

    "How bad did it get you?" Seth asked.

    "It''s fine. Take that thing down before it does real damage," Blaise said angrily.

    The next blade hit the second lantern, sending the clearing into complete darkness.

    Dropping his Barrier now would be certain death. But if Seth couldn''t manage to cast some type of counter to the weasel, it would overwhelm Booth and kill either him or Owen.

    Mau gave a screechy kitten roar, and Seth could sense her leaping into the clearing. He could hear her tussling with the weasel. And some unexpected squawking.

    "Did you just hear a chicken?" Booth asked.

    Owen snickered. "I think that''s the weasel? Are they flying chicken weasels?"

    Seth shook his head and focused. Maybe he could make use of the darkness. Most of the blades the weasel hurled were at chest height. Seth decided to gamble on it. He dropped to his knees and ducked, and then let the Barrier go. He closed his eyes and urgently begged the wind for help.

    He cast Stillness, and put everything he could into making all the wind stop.

    At that moment Selendrith cast Moonlight and lit the clearing.

    Stillness didn''t stop the weasel''s blades, but it did interrupt the dust devil. The wind paused and hitched, causing the weasel to fall. Mau pounced. Once the weasel was out of the dust devil, it dispersed.

    "I got it!" Owen shouted and dove onto the weasel that Mau wasn''t heavy enough to hold still. The weasel promptly bit him for the trouble. "Ow! Ow! You bugger! No! I''m not letting go!"

    Booth dropped his Barrier and whipped out a piece of rope. He quickly got it tied into a loop and around the weasel''s back end. He tightened it and went for the claws next.

    "Seth, you cast Moonlight now so I can cast Basic Light," Selendrith said.

    "Why didn''t you start with Basic Light?" Duvessa asked.

    "Because it''s a more complicated spell and takes longer to cast. I could do Moonlight in a second or two."

    "I got it," Seth said, casting Moonlight as he eyed Booth and Owen''s mediocre success against the weasel. "Be careful, that thing is going to¡­"

    It ran up Booth''s arm and down his back, slipping out of the rope as it ran, its sickle claws leaving bloody scrapes everywhere they touched him. "Fuck!" Booth snarled.

    Mau circled the boys, eyes locked on the weasel.

    Blaise rushed forward to help catch it. "Don''t let it get the wind going again! It can''t do those blades without the wind!"

    Duvessa finished tying the first weasel''s legs together and stuffed it into a canvas bag. She then tied the bag shut.

    Selendrith finished the light spell, and focused it on the top half of one of the lanterns.

    The moment Seth noticed the other light, he stopped Moonlight and cast Lure. Instead of focusing the spell on a rock or other nearby object, he made Booth the lure.

    It was enough.

    The moment of distraction was all Booth needed from the weasel to grab it and get the loop back around it before it could get to the ground. With Blaise and Owen''s help they had it tied and in a bag in short order.

    "Is everyone okay?" Seth asked. "I think some people got hit."

    "I''m scratched up and been bit, but I wasn''t hit by any blades," Booth said.

    "I''m untouched," Duvessa said.

    "I got nicked," Blaise said. "It got my arm pretty good, it''s long, but not deep."

    "I got bit and nicked," Owen said.

    "All right, I can split this up amongst you." Seth set about using his amulet to close the wounds. "We should probably bandage them too. A little extra protection and support will prevent them from opening back up on the walk back."

    Mau rubbed up against his leg and then jumped up to his shoulder. ''Stupid. Dangerous.''

    "Were you worried about us?" Seth said affectionately and rubbed her head. "Ow! What did I say about biting me? Down! Bad kitty! Ow! Stop biting me!"

    "She''s right," Selendrith said. "That was very reckless and dangerous. You all are very lucky."

    "It was teamwork," Duvessa said dismissively. "We had it handled."

    "I want to know what all this mud is from," Blaise said. "It hasn''t rained in days. It shouldn''t be wet like this."

    "Yeah, I don''t know what killed those other weasels either," Seth said. "I didn''t see any marks on them."

    "They''re wet," Owen reported. "Do you think they drowned?"

    "On a mountain? How?" Booth asked.

    Selendrith lifted the glowing half of the lantern and examined the clearing. "At least four dead weasels are here," she reported. "The whole area is wet."

    "You don''t think¡­" Seth began.

    From deep in the cave came the distant bleating of a goat, and the indistinct shrill of a woman yelling angrily.

    Blaise''s eyes lit up. "They''re still here!" She looked around. "Shit. I don''t have a weapon."

 93 - Vote

    I watched Duvessa and Booth as they bagged the wackadoodle weasels. They were still screaming, "Kill the killers!" and "I''ll cut you up!" They were pretty ticked at the assholes that killed the other weasels and wouldn''t listen to anything I had to say, so in the bags they went.

    Blaise was sitting on the ground in one of the few dry spots around. "I don''t see why this has to be done right now," she complained.

    Selendrith was kneeling next to her and tying a bandage around her arm as Seth used his healing amulet.

    "You passing out from blood loss in the middle of confronting those people is not useful to anyone," Seth said.

    "I don''t think we should confront them at all," Selendrith said. "There is too much risk and not enough reward."

    "That bitch has my power. Getting it back is going to be all the reward I need, and worth all the risk," Blaise said.

    "There are other ways to do that than following them into a dark cave. If the seal to the Below is broken, we could have a lot more trouble," Selendrith said.

    Oh, Selendrith honey, this crew isn''t known for logical, considered actions. Jumping off bridges into the dark is more their speed. Or walking into the middle of a field with magic weasels tossing cut-your-limbs-off spells at everything that moves, and trusting a spell you''d just learned the week before to keep you safe. I should bite Seth again. Maybe some of the others too.

    Who was I kidding? I jumped into that field too. We''re all crazy in crazy land. Seth''s plan had even sounded reasonable to me for a hot minute. Until I saw the fucking weasels.

    And when I''d jumped in, I wanted to steal their powers. I don''t know if it worked, but I sure tried. I''ll need to figure that out later.

    "That should hold," Seth said, lowering his hands and stepping back. "But be careful with it. It''ll open easily." He turned to look at the cave as Selendrith checked her work on Blaise''s bandage. "Mau, are you getting a sense of the mana here? Is it high, or does it feel normal?"

    Oh? Should it be high? I lifted my head like I was sniffing the air and focused on my whiskers. Oh yeah, it was higher than elsewhere on the mountain. It was at about school level or outside the mana well. I nodded back at Seth.

    "The mana here is higher than normal," Seth said. "Do we have a plan?"

    Oh, this should be fun. I watched them ''plan''.

    Blaise reached down and picked up a rock twice the size of her fist.

    "Somebody else will need to carry the weasels," Duvessa said. "I need two hands for my bow."

    "I''ll stay out here with the weasels," Selendrith said. "I''m not going in another cave."

    "Summon something that can sneak up behind them and bite them in the ass," Booth said.

    Ass biting was always nice. Good call, Booth.

    Seth shook his head. "Duvessa, put one or two small summons at this exit and the other one up there. Chances are they chase us out or we chase them out. We will want to know where they go and what they''re up to after."

    Look at Seth, thinking ahead.

    Blaise snorted. "They won''t be leaving if I can help it."

    "Is that safe?" Owen asked. He was moving his sword to his belt where it''d be more readily accessible. He''d tied it to his backpack earlier when it kept snagging on bushes during the hike up.  "I don''t want her to lose more summons."

    "Because losing summons is the most dangerous thing here," Selendrith muttered.

    "It''s fine," Duvessa said. "I know just the thing! And it''s not creepy spiders. Did you know spiders can''t hear the way we do? They just feel vibrations, so they can''t hear words or understand language. It''s so weird when they come back and say ''zzffpp zzzpttt zzffettt''." Duvessa dusted off her hands and cast several times. She then picked up a handful of tiny shadows. "See? Aren''t they cute!"

    "What are those?" Owen asked, peering at the tiny blobs in her palm.

    "Chameleons! They''re super tiny but see everything. I''ll have to drop them off where they can hitch a ride with the bad guys. These little things are too small and slow to catch up to people."

    "That will work," Seth said. "Duvessa, you and Booth find the other entrance shaft, and come in that way. Drop off a couple of your chameleons on the way. I''ll take the others, and put them on the ceiling this way. We''ll have both ways out covered then."This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    "Why me up top?" Booth challenged. "And why are you deciding all this?"

    Seth glared at Booth, I didn''t need to look at the familiar link to know how irritated he was. "I thought it best for you to go with Duvessa, because Owen''s sword might catch on stuff if the entrance is narrow. You use knives and are better at tight spaces than he would be. You are also a better fighter than me. Climbing would be bad for Blaise''s arm, and Selendrith is staying out here. If you want to be the one thinking about how to keep everyone alive and not getting trapped in a cave with dangerous people, then go for it. I''m all ears. We came here for you, anyway."

    Is that a hint of my man Seth growing a spine? And such a polite way of telling an older teen to step up or fuck off.

    I watched Booth and Seth. Booth didn''t like authority. It had to be even worse taking orders from a younger kid. In his mind, he was the oldest sibling, and he was the one who was supposed to tell the others what to do. A younger sibling, or in this case a younger kid, taking charge must feel like disrespect.

    I got that. But it actually wasn''t. The people in charge needed to be thinking ahead, planning moves, and anticipating outcomes. Not everyone thought that way.

    None of these kids were there yet.

    I take that back. Selendrith might be there, but she wasn''t as invested as the other kids and didn''t want the responsibility. Seth was working on it, but I didn''t think any of the others were.

    Booth glanced around at the others. This was a pivotal moment. If Booth accepted Seth''s commands, the group dynamic would shift.

    "Is it time to vote for a leader?" Duvessa asked, clapping her hands excitedly. "I vote for me! I still want to be the Mistress of Shadows!" And then, of course, there was Duvessa keeping the dynamics weird.

    "A vote is pointless if everyone votes for themselves," Selendrith said.

    "No, it''s fine," Booth said. "I''ll go up top with Duvessa. Mind if I take that light, Selendrith? We gotta get this done before they leave."

    "They''re still arguing in there," Owen said. He was squatting near the entrance, listening. "It sounds like she''s crying now."

    "Good!" Blaise declared, hefting her rock. "Let''s go."

    "Wait a second, we don''t have a plan for what we do when we see them," Seth said.

    "We fight them," Blaise said.

    Booth agreed. "We fight them and take their money."

    "Oh! That''s called mugging. We shouldn''t do that," Duvessa said. "We should just fight them instead."

    These fucking kids.

    Seth and Selendrith exchanged a look, but the others were already heading out.

    The cave entrance was a short, waist high crevasse that tilted down into the rocks. It expanded after just a few feet into a roomy chamber littered with weasel nests and droppings. Seth cast Moonlight and illuminated a door set into the back wall.

    "Is that the seal?" Blaise asked. "Did they go into the Below?"

    "Shhh, not so loud. No, the seal is in more," Owen whispered. "This is probably to keep critters out, and people from messing with it."

    "It''s locked," Seth said softly after trying the knob. "Maybe I shouldn''t have sent Booth the other way."

    "There will be another door the other way then, right? Or why put a door on one and not the other?" Blaise asked, as quietly as the boys.

    "Yeah, probably," Seth said. "The people in here either have a key, or can pick locks like Booth."

    "Maybe the key is here?" Owen suggested. He ran his fingers over the door frame. "Look under the rocks nearby."

    I watched the kids search, not terribly inclined to help. After a few minutes Seth suggested trying a spell to open the door. The only one he knew was Soften Stone. He could use that to pull the hinges out of the rock.

    "I don''t like the idea of leaving the door open," Owen said. "There are farms near here and critters could damage the seal."

    "Are you sure it''s locked?" Blaise asked, frustrated. She walked over to the door to try it herself. I conveniently positioned myself between her feet and touched the door when she tried to open it.

    "It''s not locked," Blaise said, exasperated.

    "I tried it!" Seth exclaimed softly. "It was locked."

    "Maybe the handle was stuck," Owen said softly. "Shush now, you can hear them. They ain''t far."

    I scooted out ahead as Seth put Duvessa''s shadow chameleons on the upper door frame. Just after the door, the cave floor changed from smooth dirt to craggy and treacherous stone. There was a clearly marked path through, worn by boots and claws. I didn''t need to think about my whiskers to feel the rise in mana.

    The sound of arguing became more distinct as we picked our way down the tunnel. A woman was crying and pleading to be let out. A man was shouting at her. They were in a pretty big chamber by the sounds of the echoes.

    At the next bend, I looked into a cavern the size of the ballroom at the Palace. The floor was soaked, and puddles of various depths were everywhere. The body of a goat lay in the middle, next to the corpse of a very large crocodile-looking thing. A man and a woman were looking at a hole in the cavern floor.

    The woman was Helena, and she was standing with her arms crossed and glaring down in the hole. The man held a spear and was using the butt end to push at something in the hole. A lit lantern sat at the hole''s edge.

    A woman I couldn''t see cried out, "Please! It''s empty! There ain''t nothing else!" Some poor schmuck was in the hole.

    "Keep looking, you stupid woman. If you would just look already you''d be done and out," the man snarled.

    Blaise chose that moment to hurl her stone. Whether she was aiming for Helena or the man, I''ll never know. She hit the ceiling.

    The stone cracked into a stalactite and dropped to the floor before skittering across and into a puddle.

    "What the fuck?" the man yelled, whipping his spear around.

    "Shit! What is she doing here?" Helena said. "They''re supposed to be north, chasing wolves!"

    Seth started casting. Blaise picked up another rock. Owen pulled out his sword.

    I skedaddled. I didn''t need to be in the middle of this mess.

 94 - Second

    Seth had been taken by surprise when Blaise threw the stone. <i>There''s only two. We can do this.</i> He cleared his thoughts as fast as he could and started casting, hoping he was focused enough.

    The man with the spear leaped over the hole and shot his spear out directly at Blaise''s stomach.

    Seth jumped forward just as he finished the Barrier spell. He got it in front of Blaise the same instant the spear would have connected. Seth could feel the mana drain, but it held. He could hold the man off just like he did the weasels.

    "No! Don''t kill her!" Helena cried. She flung her arm forward and the puddles of water all over the chamber trembled.

    The man retreated a step and pulled the spear back, shifting his hold from the butt of the spear further up the haft. He was an older guy, and wearing worn leather brigantine with several plates missing. Seth thought he was a mercenary.

    "Can I kill the boys?" the man asked. He looked from Seth behind his barrier to Owen with his sword out and in a fighter''s stance. The mercenary turned his spear towards Owen.

    "One of them, no, he''s protected. I don''t know which one," Helena said. She hissed in annoyance and flung her arm out again. The water on the floor rocked a bit more and trembled, but still didn''t move.

    <i>We got this,</i> Seth thought. Helena didn''t have the control she needed over Blaise''s power, and she wasn''t allowing the mercenary to use lethal force. Owen was talented and could probably handle the mercenary himself.

    "Inconvenient," the man said flatly. He stepped forward to engage Owen. As he did so, he swung the butt of his spear behind Seth''s barrier connecting hard with Blaise''s ribs. He reversed direction in the same smooth motion and sent the spearhead shooting at Owen.

    Blaise crashed into Seth, breaking his focus. The barrier came down, and both Blaise and Seth went sprawling.

    <i>We might have this, but it won''t be easy,</i> Seth revised his first impression.

    Owen caught the spear tip with his sword. He used the edge of his sword to hook the spear where the haft met the head and with a jerk, almost disarmed the mercenary.

    "Well, hello," the mercenary said, maintaining his grip and pulling the spear back. He focused his full attention on Owen.

    Blaise scrambled to her feet before Seth, despite the fact she was still wheezing and trying to catch her breath. She darted at Helena and hurled another rock as she went, missing widely.

    Helena was casting. As far as Seth could tell, it was a poorly performed ''Flow'' cantrip. Regardless, water began pouring forth from puddles on the ground.

    Owen was holding his own against the mercenary.

    Seth got to his feet and closed his eyes. <i>Help me, wind.</i> Seth decided Helena was currently the most dangerous. Seth didn''t think Blaise had a shot at defeating her, and the water levels were rising.

    He listened. He considered casting Wind Blade, but discarded it because Blaise was in front of him. Instead, he focused on casting a concentrated Breeze. He kept the focus narrow, and imagined the wind knocking Helena over but not touching Blaise. He cast.

    It took him seconds longer to cast than it should have, but the wind cooperated. And by not having to fight the talent, the spell was more effective than he expected.

    Seth opened his eyes and watched the wind snake through the cavern, picking up droplets of water and small shards of stone. The wind blasted Helena from behind, picking her up off her feet and flinging her face first into the jagged cave floor. The rising water cushioned her impact, but the wind knocked the breath out of her, and she struggled to get her face out of the water while gasping and choking.

    Seth looked at Owen and the mercenary, intending to blast the mercenary next. Instead, before Seth could recognize that Owen was on the ground bleeding, the butt of the mercenary''s spear cracked Seth in the head so hard the world went black.

    When Seth came to, he was on his side on the ground. He could see Owen a few feet away, also on the ground and clutching his bleeding leg. His sword was several strides away.

    <i>We don''t have this.</i>

    Seth thought only a few seconds had passed but things had changed so quickly. He pushed to his knees and blinked furiously, trying to clear his thoughts and his vision. He needed to know where the mercenary was, and what was happening to Blaise.

    Blaise was partially submerged in one of the larger puddles. Helena had a fistful of Blaise''s hair and was kneeling on her back.

    Mau was between the boys and the mercenary, her back arched and spitting mad.

    "Are you sure we can''t just kill them?" the mercenary asked, not impressed by Mau''s posturing.

    "I want my power back, you bitch!" Blaise snarled.

    "Shut up. If that cat comes any closer I will cut you," Helena said.

    Blaise chuckled. "If I die you lose my power, don''t you? That''s why you don''t want me dead. You won''t cut me."

    "I''d rather lose the power than my life," Helena replied, twisting her fist in Blaise''s hair until she cried out.

    "I get why you don''t want to kill the girl. You should drop her down a hole or something then. But why not kill the boys? They don''t have anything you need," the mercenary asked.

    Mau growled and hissed.

    "Because one of them is protected. If we kill the wrong one, we will both be eliminated. I don''t know which boy is protected, but if you get the chance, kill the cat."

    "Fucking magic." The mercenary sighed and kept an eye on Mau as he walked over to the deep hole beside the lantern. The corpse of the large crocodilian lizard lay beyond it. "You aren''t protected," he called down the hole. "You have ten seconds to pass up the chest or I will kill you."

    The woman in the hole was crying. "It''s not here! There ain''t nothing down here! I swear it! Come down and look yourself. It ain''t here!"If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    "Leave," Seth started to shout, but speaking made his head hurt so bad he nearly blacked out again. Getting the clarity to cast would be impossible.

    Owen didn''t have that trouble. "Leave her alone!" He scrambled towards his sword, dragging his injured leg.

    Mau darted forward but Helena lifted a knife to Blaise''s throat. "Last warning, cat," Helena said. Mau stopped and growled.

    "On your feet," Helena said, jerking Blaise upward. "You''re coming with us." Helena dragged Blaise by the hair away from Mau and towards the lizard corpse on the far side of the hole, carefully picking her way around the puddles.

    "Five seconds," the mercenary called down. He glanced at the boys and dismissed them as a threat. He did keep an eye on Mau.

    The woman just sobbed.

    Seth held a hand to his aching and bleeding skull. <i>Stupid, stupid, stupid.</i> They didn''t have a real plan coming in here. He knew that and let it happen anyway. Everyone else was so sure of themselves, he didn''t question it hard enough. Only Selendrith knew how bad an idea this was and refused to go.

    "Four."

    Owen reached his sword, but couldn''t stand up.

    It was ridiculous to think Owen, no matter how talented he was, could stand up to a seasoned mercenary after only a month of training. Seth didn''t know enough combat spells, and didn''t have the experience in fighting he''d need to match that guy.

    They thought Helena would be the main threat. Because she was new to her power, and the power didn''t belong to her, they thought they could take her.

    They probably could have, if it was just her. But the mercenary outclassed all of them. If not for this mysterious ''protection,'' he and Owen would be dead. If they didn''t figure something out, and quickly, Blaise would be taken. Again.

    "Three."

    The woman was sobbing and splashing frantically in the hole.

    He needed to do something.

    Seth closed his eyes. The last time his head ached this bad the wind had helped him without him needing to cast. He silently begged it for help again. Help not just from the wind, but Saben too.

    "Two."

    <i>Stop him,</i> he asked. <i>Cut him.</i>

    Seth made the motion for Wind Blade, but didn''t speak the incant. The spell went off, sharper and denser than Seth had ever managed before.

    It struck the mercenary on the arm holding the spear, cutting deep and knocking the spear from his grasp.

    "Fucker!" the mercenary shouted and reached to catch the spear with his other hand.

    At the same moment Duvessa jumped over the lizard corpse and bashed Helena with her bow. Booth darted out and kicked the spear away from the mercenary.

    Seth had trouble following what happened next. Mau jumped on Helena, and there was a tussle that ended with Duvessa pulling Blaise free and pointing the end of her bow at Helena. Mau kept going and jumped at the mercenary, shredding the man''s armor and drawing blood before being punched away. The next thing Seth knew the mercenary had Booth in a chokehold.

    "There''s more of them, now. It''s time to start killing a few and taking the chance that we don''t kill the important one," the mercenary said calmly.

    "It''s not here," Helena said. "We should just leave. Make it hard for them to follow us."

    "As you wish." The mercenary kicked the lantern into the hole with the woman, plunging the cavern into absolute darkness.

    "No!" Duvessa shouted. Seth could hear her thwacking things with her bow.  It sounded like she was mostly hitting the floor, and possibly the dead lizard, except for an "Ow!" from Blaise followed by a "Watch it!"

    Seth thought he heard the man and woman move past him, but he couldn''t tell for sure over the racket Duvessa was making. He sincerely hoped that was them leaving. One of them could see in the dark, so at this point Seth and the others were sitting ducks.

    "Booth, can you cast a light?" Owen called. "Booth?"

    Seth tried to clear his head enough to cast Moonlight. Then he remembered he had another light, and activated his amulet. It would burn mana they needed for healing, but being able to see was the more pressing need.

    Helena and the mercenary were gone, and Booth was lying on the ground where he''d fought with the mercenary. Both girls ran over to him, and he started coughing.

    "Damn, his fist is a fucking hammer," Booth choked out as he sat up. "Did they leave?"

    Seth stumbled to his feet and lifted his amulet. "I don''t see them, so yeah, I''d say they''re gone. Duvessa, what happened to your light? You had the spelled lantern?"

    "Right. We dropped it and it fell really far, and I lost all my arrows, and Booth lost a knife, and I don''t like bats anymore," Duvessa explained.

    "Can someone please help me out?" the woman in the hole asked.

    "Of course!" Duvessa exclaimed. "Booth, we need more light. And a rope."

    "I don''t have any rope," Booth said, picking up a stone and making it glow.

    "I left the rope outside," Owen said. "It''s with the weasels." Owen held a bloody scrap of cloth to his leg. He sat where he''d dragged himself next to his sword, and now held it in his other hand.

    "Selendrith! She''s outside!" Blaise exclaimed.

    There was no way Seth could rush outside as he was. Owen couldn''t even stand. Seth gestured to Mau, who took off running.

    Seth used a bit of the power in the amulet on his head. He needed to be able to think straight. Then he started first aid on Owen. They''d have to use Mau''s amulet on his leg. He''d been speared in the thigh and the bone was damaged, but Seth didn''t think it was broken. Seth pulled out a bandage and put pressure on the wound, making Owen hiss in pain. Seth debated how much mana he should spare to healing it now, or if it was better to wait for Mau to get back so Owen could get a larger and more effective dose of healing. He decided to wait a few moments. If Mau couldn''t return quickly, he''d give Owen everything the amulet had left.

    Blaise picked up the mercenary''s spear and held it haft down to the woman in the hole. "Grab on and I''ll pull you out."

    "You sure they''re gone?" the woman asked.

    "I am. Now grab on," Blaise said.

    Instead of grabbing the spear, the woman ducked under the water in the hole. She came up a moment later with a thin chest that she held tightly under one arm. "Okay, pull me out."

    Seth felt the pokes from Mau. "Selendrith is fine. They left without bothering with her."

    "Yes!" Duvessa announced. "We beat them!"

    "No we didn''t," Blaise said.

    "They completely trashed you guys," Booth said.

    "Trashed you too," Owen said defensively.

    "We lost. It doesn''t matter," Seth said. "Let''s get everyone bandaged up, and healed as much as I can. Ma''am, are you all right?"

    "Cold and wet, but yeah, I''m okay," the woman said. "Thank you for saving me." She put the chest on the ground and wrung out her hair. "I''m Iva."

    The kids introduced themselves. Booth was very interested in the chest.

    "So this is what they were here for?" Blaise asked. "Why were you saying you couldn''t find it?"

    "I knew they''d kill me the moment I turned it over. I was hoping they''d have to try somewhere else and I''d have a chance to slip away later," Iva said. "Or that another lizard would show up and I could get away then."

    "You mind if I open it?" Booth asked.

    "Outside," Seth said. "Let''s get outside."

    After some healing Owen could walk with assistance, but he needed to crawl out of the waist-high cave exit. Once outside Seth helped him over to a large rock he could sit on.

    Selendrith shook her head at them. "If you keep biting off more than you can chew, you''ll choke to death."

    "Pshaw," Duvessa said, waving her hand. "We''re fine."

    "We can rehash the fight later," Booth said. "We need to get back tonight, so let''s hurry up with this thing."

    "Right. We should check for magic on it first," Blaise said.

    "You''ve got the best detect, Seth. You do it," Booth said.

    Seth cast Detect Mana on the chest. "It''s not magical. Like at all," he said. "No spells or effects that I can sense."

    Mau sniffed the chest and shook her head, confirming it.

    "Well, that doesn''t make sense," Duvessa said. "You don''t hide a secret chest in an abandoned cave with monsters and not put magical protections on it! You just don''t do that!"

    "We should just open it," Booth said.

    "It''s your chest, Iva," Seth said. "You recovered it. You can do what you like with it."

    Iva glanced around at the kids. "You can open it, but what''s inside belongs to me."

    "That''s fair," Duvessa declared. "I think I would die of curiosity if you didn''t let us see what''s inside."

    Booth had a look on his face. Seth knew he didn''t like the idea of turning potential treasure over to Iva, but he didn''t say anything.

    Blaise said, "I wonder if they''ll come back looking for it again."

    Iva looked uncomfortable at the idea. "We''ll see what it is, first."

    "Go ahead and open it, Booth," Seth said.

    Booth worked with the chest for about a minute. "Sorry, there was water in the mechanism," he said as he popped the lock open. "The lid is stuck, can I have a knife?" Blaise handed over a penknife, and Booth fiddled a moment more with the box. "There we go."

    The inside of the chest was dry and lined in green velvet. There was a card lying on the velvet. The box was otherwise empty.

    "Empty? What a waste," Iva said.

    "What does the card say?" asked Blaise.

    Booth read the card out loud. "Sucks to be second. Love, Mom,"

 95 - Fishing

    "Well, that was unexpected," Blaise said. She stood with her hands on her hips as she glared at the open chest.

    Duvessa snorted. "There''s no drama like family drama." She held aloft the lantern they''d retrieved from the cave. It was the normal lantern brought by Helena and the mercenary, not the one Selendrith had cast Light on. Long shadows danced around the clearing outside the cave entrance every time Duvessa swung the lantern, which was often.

    "I''m glad," Iva said. "After what those assholes did to me and my mum, and my goats, I''m glad someone got whatever that was before them."

    Now that he took a good look at her, Seth figured the woman who had been in the watery hole was in her thirties. She was fit and strong, but soaking wet and a little bloody. Her clothes had rips and tears from the jagged rocks in the cave. She shivered in the cold mountain air.

    "Their mum though?" Booth asked. He was still kneeling in front of the chest and held the card that had been left behind.

    "That''s not how family is supposed to be," Owen said. He was only mildly interested in the chest and what it contained. He was sitting on a large rock and pressing his palm into his injured thigh. It had been somewhat healed, so it wasn''t actively bleeding, but the injury was still painful. Owen was keeping watch on the clearing and the woods beyond, as much as he could in the darkness.

    "Good. I''m glad for that too," Iva said. "They deserve a mother that hates them."

    "But she signed it ''Love''," Duvessa said. "She shows it weird, but she said she loved them."

    "I think she''s lying about loving them, Duvessa," Seth said. "Iva, do you have any idea what was supposed to be in here? Did they talk about what they were looking for?"

    "They didn''t say what they was looking for. They had a map they was following, and knew about that lizard thing in the hole they sent me in. The woman was in charge, and she seemed to be working for someone else. She had a debt to pay or some such," Iva said.

    "Are people stealing powers to go treasure hunting?" Blaise asked. She sounded offended.

    "Well, there''s at least two competing people or groups," Booth said. "And they know each other."

    "Related, even," Owen said.

    Seth didn''t think treasure hunting was the reason the powers were stolen. He wasn''t doing any treasure hunting, and he had Saben''s power. He glanced over at Mau. She was perched atop the cave entrance, her tail tip flicking rhythmically.

    "We know whoever is involved has a mother, and she is not a good person," Duvessa declared.

    "She could be fine, and her kid is the piece of shit, you know," Booth said. "These people were working for the kid."

    "Or they are both trash," Blaise said.

    "I think they were looking for the one of the things Helena was looking for at the party," Seth said.

    Duvessa gasped. "The regalia of the Flower Empress! And she came here to find it! She <i>is</i> on a treasure hunt!"

    Seth wanted to face palm. He glanced over at Iva. "Something like that."

    ¡°You shouldn''t be talking about <i>her</i>," Iva said, meaning the Flower Empress. "It''s bad luck." She shook her head and walked over to Duvessa. "It''s dark, it''s cold, I''m wet, and I''m going home. I''ll take my lantern now."

    "Oh! We should walk you home!" Duvessa glanced around at everyone else, nodding her head at each of them as if agreeing for them. "Who is going to carry the weasels?"

    Iva sighed. "Look. I''ll be a lot faster on my own¡ª"

    "Oh, no. We couldn''t!" Duvessa interrupted, swinging the lantern around and holding it up to shine in Iva''s face.

    "Yeah, we could," Booth muttered.

    Iva heard him and agreed. "You all are kids. He''s gimped," she indicated Owen, "and you''ve got a long walk home. My house will just make your trip longer and harder. Go that way, straight down hill the whole way. You''ll run into the road eventually. Impossible to miss it. That''ll get you back to the city the fastest. My lantern now, please."

    Duvessa slumped dramatically and handed over the lantern. "As you wish."

    "Be careful and stay out of trouble," Iva said seriously. "Leave this mess alone."

    Seth watched her leave with their only current form of light. Resigned, he cast Moonlight since his amulet was still empty.

    "She didn''t take the chest," Booth said.

    "Then we keep it," Duvessa said. "Unless you think we should put it back?"

    "We keep it. If they come back to look again and find it, they''ll know who has whatever it was. I''d rather leave them wondering," Blaise said. "Any idea what was in there, Booth?"

    "Too big a box for a piece of jewelry," Booth said, examining the chest. "Too small for something like boots."

    "Bracers, maybe," suggested Seth, "or a circlet."

    Booth glanced back at Seth. "You''re still thinking regalia?"Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

    "Yeah. Since the regalia set in the Palace are fakes, the real ones might be hidden around out here," Seth said quietly.

    "Or in some other country''s treasury. Rosia isn''t the only kingdom descended from the Empire," Blaise said.

    As far as Seth knew, it was common knowledge that Rosia had the regalia. The mana here could easily keep the regalia powered, and none of it would be at risk of decay. The only better place for long term storage would be in the Below. He hadn''t heard any rumors that another country had any of the pieces.

    Selendrith asked for the chest and gave it a thorough look over before handing it back to Booth. If she found anything, she didn''t mention it.

    Blaise and Booth tied both bagged weasels to her spear to carry between them. Selendrith cast another Light spell, making it clear that this was the last spell she would be casting tonight, and handed it to Duvessa. Then she helped Seth in supporting Owen for the trip down.

    Seth was deep in thought as they headed out. There were a few things about this situation that niggled at him. Why was Helena running around flaunting the power? Why was Blaise released? It would have made more sense to keep her locked up. No one would have known her power was stolen, and the power would remain safe so long as they kept Blaise safe. Why let that information out?

    Arnold hadn''t been quiet about his power loss and subsequent return, either. People knew. Not a lot of people, sure, but this was a badly kept secret.

    And then sabotaging the attempts to fix it. It was like someone wanted people talking about the problem, but not solving it. Why?

    And how was he related to this? Helena had been instructed to leave one of the boys alone. Seth was pretty sure that was himself, as he also possessed a stolen power.

    He glanced down at Owen''s injury. It wasn''t bleeding, but his clothes were torn and bloody, and he was in obvious pain. If Helena had known Seth was the protected one, Owen would be dead. Booth too, probably.

    She''d known who they were. He wondered if she knew in the Palace too, and that''s why she wouldn''t talk to him. No, the only one she knew was Blaise. She knew of the boys, but didn''t know who was who.

    And she thought they wouldn''t be here tonight, she thought¡­

    "Hey," Seth said suddenly. "Helena thought we would be north of the city hunting wolves. Anyone have any idea why she would think that?"

    Everyone stopped to look at him.

    "I forgot she said that," Blaise said. "But she did. She said we were supposed to be wolf hunting."

    "We didn''t take that contract," Owen said.

    "But she knew we looked at it," Seth said. "How did she know?"

    "Well, that''s really creepy," Blaise said.

    Duvessa spun around and peered into the darkness. "Do you think they''re spying on us?"

    "Probably not this minute, or they''d have known we went this way," Booth said. "But yeah. Someone is keeping tabs on us. Or, at least some of us."

    "Me, probably," Blaise said. "And one of you." She gestured to the three boys.

    "They could be using summons," Selendrith said. "Just like Duvessa does."

    "They could be using Duvessa''s summons. Someone was stealing them before," Owen said.

    "My summons! I''ll send Reginald to get them tomorrow night. Then we''ll know all their secrets!"

    Seth hoped they''d finally get a lead they could actually follow somewhere. He didn''t know where Helena lived. He didn''t know what Lord Thurstan was up to. And Jay just hung around the Circle Tower all the time.

    "Hey, I forgot to ask you, Duvessa," Seth said. "Is your grandmother still having tea tomorrow with Lord Thurstan?"

    "Yes she is. I''m going straight there after class."

    "So we''re not doing more hunting tomorrow?" Booth asked, disappointed.

    "Oh, I''m sorry. But I cannot miss this opportunity," Duvessa said.

    "I have another engagement," Selendrith said.

    "So do I," Seth said. He was supposed to be meeting with Selendrith''s grandfather tomorrow to discuss the bracelet.

    "I don''t reckon I''ll be up for it," Owen said. "Healing can knock the bells out of you."

    They made their way down the mountain, stopping more often than Seth would like, and less often than Owen really needed. It was nearly midnight when they got back to the school and dropped Owen off at the Circle Tower. They had to insist for Blaise get checked out too, because she felt it was healed enough.

    Everyone else headed to bed, leaving Booth and Seth to take the weasels to Professor Isolde.

    She wasn''t assigned to a tower, so she had a small apartment suite on the school grounds in a similar building to Duvessa''s room.  Seth was surprised when she answered their knock within a few seconds.

    "This isn''t office hours," Professor Isolde said flatly. "If you are having trouble with your familiar, that''s not my problem. No refunds."

    Seth handed her the notice. "We''re here to collect the bounty on magical creatures."

    Isolde''s eyebrows shot up. "You''ve got some loose familiars?"

    "No, we went and captured two magic beasts," Seth said.

    She blinked slowly. "Right. New beasts. That''s unexpected. Come on in and let''s see what you''ve got."

    Seth looked around as she led them through a comfortable looking living room to a bedroom that had been converted into storage.

    The bed was still in the room, and on top of it were a variety of chests and boxes¡ªsome he recognized from her basement, where she''d performed the familiar ritual. There was also the rack of cages, but these were currently empty.

    "Right. Show me what you''ve got," Professor Isolde said after shutting the door.

    Mau jumped atop a stack of crates. That would be above the weasels'' typical blade height, and Seth was glad she would be out of harm''s way.

    Booth pulled his out first.

    Professor Isolde took one look and nearly snatched the creature from Booth. "You wild caught a whirling sickle weasel?" she said, incredulous. "Are you crazy? You''re both first year students! You''ve been here, what, a month?"

    "Yes, yes, and yes," Booth said. "I need money."

    Isolde eyed him. "Money''s worthless to the dead. You should pick your targets better. Right. Let me check these guys out." She quickly removed the bindings on the weasel and thoroughly examined it in less than a minute. She popped it into one of the cages and locked it before taking the second weasel and giving it the same treatment.

    The weasels were unexpectedly docile while she handled them. Seth glanced up at Mau, who was watching Isolde with her head cocked curiously.

    Seth figured that was fair. Isolde had managed Mau just as easily when Seth had first gotten her.

    A moment later, Isolde handed a small bag of coins to Booth. "A crown and a half. I gave you a bonus for delivering wild caught and uninjured."

    "Why is wild caught so surprising?" Seth asked.

    "Because there''s someone in the school stealing familiars. That and familiars can get annoyed with adolescent caregivers, so they sever their bonds and wander off. This bounty usually gets filled that way."

    "Let me get this straight," Booth said. "You sell familiars. Someone steals familiars and sells them to you. Then the person who had their familiar stolen has to buy another one from you?"

    "Pretty close, some details¨C"

    "That is so awesome. That''s like free money all day," Booth said.

    Professor Isolde snorted. "If I catch you stealing, or have proof you did, I will dump your ass in lockup myself."

    A couple of things suddenly clicked for Seth. "This is a ruse. The bounty is bait. You''re out to catch the thieves."

    "Smart boy," Isolde said, and smiled at him. "Now keep your mouth shut and get out. And bring me any other wild caughts you get. I''ll pay top coin for those. But if you blab this all over, I''ll cut your bounty instead."

    Isolde hustled them outside and then Seth and Booth split up.

    As soon as it was just him and Mau, Seth said to his cat, "I get the feeling that me and Blaise and probably Arnold are being used as bait. I hope tomorrow we find out who''s doing the fishing and what they''re trying to catch."

    Mau snorted. ''Benjamin,'' she signed.

    "I don''t think so. His mom died years ago."

 96 - Affinity Bracelet

    On Friday afternoon, during Combat Class, Seth dug through the pile of wussticks in the coliseum''s antechamber. Most of the students were already filing back into the arena.

    Owen wasn''t in class today, and it looked like it would be another miserable day for Seth. Gregor, the guy with a thunder power, was in high spirits and was bouncing thunder charged mana balls against the walls. The guy had been boasting the entire time during the physical training portion of class. Without Owen to compete with him, he''d target Seth.

    This wasn''t working. Seth was years younger than the other students. He was smaller, weaker, and less physically talented. He wasn''t fast or nimble enough to make up for his smaller size. Sure, he kept practicing. He did all the drills and gave his best efforts to all the training. But this just wasn''t his strength. It would take months or even years to get to where he could hold his own against the others.

    After choosing a newish wusstick, he headed out to the arena and summoned a mana ball.

    He thought about the fight with the mercenary last night. He needed to figure out a way to beat someone like that now. Owen couldn''t stand up to him. Seth didn''t think Gregor could either.

    Seth could learn spells quickly. That was probably his only skill at the moment. Casting them was still iffy, but he was coming to an understanding with Saben''s power. It was almost like asking someone else to cast for him, and showing them what he wanted them to do.

    Which was kind of the truth. It was Saben''s power, not his.

    But that meant he wasn''t fast enough at casting. Not for a real fight.

    Seth tossed and caught the mana ball in the wusstick. The balls were really easy to make now, and he hardly needed to think about it anymore.

    Could he do something like that? Could he make or buy a tool to cast specific spells quickly?

    The third years learned how to make single-use enchanted items, like the muffler. Seth also knew of other small things like that, things that purified water, sent messages, or generated heat.

    He couldn''t think of any that cast offensive spells. Wands or staves might do it, but he didn''t know how those worked. He wondered if they were advanced forms of vaults.

    Defensive spells could be possible. There were those barriers the Skull Gang used. If he could get a hold of those or, even better, make his own, that could have protected all of them from the mercenary''s attacks. That fight would have gone very differently.

    He got a rush of frustration from Mau, and looked up in the stands. He was very relieved they were empty today. Only his familiar was up there.

    Mau was at the back of the stands, hopping on her rear feet, twisting in circles, and batting at the air. At first, he thought she was doing some type of weird interpretive dance, but then he realized she was probably chasing a bug. He watched her hop and spin and bat at something he couldn''t see.

    Blaise stalked past him and pulled the mana ball out of her wusstick. She was getting better at managing how much she pulled from her vault. "Professor!" she shouted at Professor Mick. "Teach us how to throw!"

    She hurled the mana ball at Professor Mick. It hit the ground and vanished before it got anywhere near him. There was a smattering of guffaws.

    "That was terrible!" the Professor announced. "Did you even aim?"

    "We need training. I can throw with the stick, but not with my arm. I''m not gonna have this outside class," Blaise said, waving the wusstick. "I want to do it on my own. Show us!"

    And just like that, class was diverted from an adversarial contest that Seth had been dreading, to throwing drills and target practice.<i> Thank you, Blaise.</i>

    <hr>

    Seth met Selendrith at the school gate after classes ended for the day. He held Mau''s limp form under one arm.

    Selendrith frowned at the cat. "Is she all right?"

    "Yeah, she''s fine. She''s sulking about something, so she pretends she has no bones."

    "What happened that she''s sulking?" Selendrith asked.

    "I have no idea. She''s a cat, there might not be a reason."

    Seth ignored Mau giving him the side eye and flattening her ears. Selendrith noticed it.

    "Oh, she is mad. Are you sure she''s fine?"

    "Yes, she is. She''s just dramatic."

    Selendrith tentatively reached out a hand for Mau to sniff. "I wish I could have a familiar. She''s beautiful."

    Mau liked the compliment because suddenly she had enough bones to rub her face against Selendrith''s hand.

    "When we are catching magic beasts, if you see one you like we can have Professor Isolde bind it for you," Seth offered. "We can keep looking for more to finish the bounty."

    Selendrith shook her head. "I can''t have one."

    Seth didn''t press the issue and changed the topic instead as they headed to the Magic District. "I was thinking about single use items and tools that would make casting quicker and easier."

    "Combat items," Selendrith said.

    "Yes. I don''t know what''s available, or what I could use."

    They walked in silence for a little bit before Selendrith answered. "There are several things we can do. The problem is that offensive items that can be used by anyone are forbidden within the city, so getting them will be more difficult. Items that only a wizard can use requires a certificate."

    "If I wait for my certification, I''ll already be able to cast anything the tool would let me do," Seth said.

    Selendrith nodded. "And the materials for combat spells can be expensive. They tend to use more mana than most utility usage items, so they require specialized materials with mana to work. Some materials will let you put the mana in and will store it for a short time."Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

    Seth nodded. "Like the muffler. You make one, and it''ll last a week or two until you activate it, and then it''s good for an hour or two."

    "Exactly. A muffler is just a Quiet spell cast on mana infused wool and string, with a delayed activation. You can do that with just about any spell, if you can find materials that are compatible with the spell," Selendrith said.

    "Do you know how to make those already?" Seth asked.

    "Some things, yes, most things, no. To make something, you need to be able to cast it. My grandfather is also a student of the 10,000, but he wants me to work on my own library and not his. He says I''ll know and understand my spells better if I earn them all myself."

    Seth almost stepped into the gutter when he turned to look at her. "So the spells we owe you for the vault training can be almost any spells?"

    Selendrith smiled and shook her head. "No. Because the crutch belonged to my grandfather, and I owe him spells for borrowing it."

    "He would make you pay for using it?" Seth asked.

    "To teach someone else, yes. He is running a business, not a charity, as he likes to say."

    They walked in silence again for a little bit and turned down one of the footways.

    "Do you think you could help me make Wind Blade items? Or a Barrier?" Seth finally asked.

    "Why would you want items for things you can already cast?" Selendrith asked. "That seems like an expensive waste of materials."

    "During the fight last night, I couldn''t cast fast enough. Those moments of gathering focus and intent, as well as casting, took too long. By the time I''d cast, Owen had been stabbed. Before I could adjust the spell or cast again, I''d been hit too."

    Selendrith considered that. "The activation of items will be faster for us right now. As we become more familiar with different spells and become experienced with different levels of casting, that may not always be true. For now, we''d need to keep an eye out for materials we can use."

    "Like what type of materials?" Seth asked. They both had a materials class, but it was mostly memorizing what the materials were and how to identify them, not how or why they were used.

    Mau decided she wasn''t boneless anymore and climbed up to his shoulder. Seth guessed she was interested in the conversation.

    "I''m not sure for some of it. My grandfather mostly uses different crystals and stones, with some metals, because they are readily available around here and hold mana well for a long time. Most of what he uses comes from the Below or is produced in the Mana Wells. Another source for materials is magic beasts."

    Mau shivered. Seth wondered what she was thinking.

    "You mean like the horn your ring is made of," Seth said, indicating the ring she was wearing that was made from the same horn as his amulet.

    She touched the ring. "Yes. This was especially precious material from a very powerful beast." She eyed his coat where his amulet would be. "You are very fortunate to have found it."

    "I''m grateful to your grandfather for the healing rune he put on it. I''ve used it very often."

    "You should use the protection on it more often then. You won''t need the healing so much. If you have any more, I''m sure my grandfather would be willing to add more runes to your amulet in exchange. There is still room on it for more carvings."

    Seth had honestly forgotten about the protection. "I''ll think about that." Could he add Wind Blade to the amulet? Would that be a good idea, considering how often he emptied it using the healing rune? "About the protection. How is that different from the Barrier spells?"

    "It''s a much higher tier, for one. And a more complex spell. It protects you from outside harm. It doesn''t produce a shield like a Barrier, or a mana skin like Flexible Barrier. It''s more powerful but also more limited because it can''t be used to protect anyone else."

    They reached the carver''s shop and went inside, the bell clanging as the door shut. Selendrith indicated to Seth to have a seat in the comfy chairs by the fireplace, and went to the back to make tea. Her grandfather was talking to a customer. By the time Selendrith came back with the tea, her grandfather had finished and closed the shop.

    The old man sat opposite Seth and laid a box with the affinity bracelet on the table between them. Mau picked a spot on the couch. Selendrith introduced Seth to her grandfather, Wulrind, and poured tea for all of them, including Mau who eyed her cup consideringly. Seth wondered how the cat would drink it and hoped she wouldn''t knock it to the floor.

    "This turned out to be an interesting piece," Wulrind said.

    "It''s not an affinity bracelet?" Seth asked, a knot of dread forming in his stomach.

    "Oh, it is. A finely crafted one too. It''s designed to enhance mana flow, increase affinity, and stabilize mana. And initially I thought that was all it did," Wulrind explained. He opened the box and lifted out the bracelet. "The band enhances the mana flow. This isn''t as common in affinity bracelets, most just have this single bead here that increases affinity."

    "And the second bead does the stabilizing then?" Seth asked.

    "It does. And anyone else wouldn''t look further. But not me. Look here." Wulrind pulled out a small pointy tool and popped open the first bead, revealing a second bead within. "Tricky little thing. This inner bead here records mana fluctuations. It has monitoring and stabilizing runes of an exceptionally high tier for their small size. Anything that happens to you magically would be recorded by this. It is a powerful variant."

    "So if something were to happen to his talent, like someone tried to steal it like they did Blaise, this would record what happened?" Selendrith asked.

    "Yes it would. I think this might be sensitive enough to know every spell you cast, and is cast on you," Wulrind explained.

    Seth didn''t know how he felt about that. Recording everything mana related? While it felt like Benjamin was looking out for him and would know if someone tried to steal the power, it also felt extremely intrusive. The bracelet would know everything he did with magic.

    He wondered at the stabilizing rune. He couldn''t think of a reason a normal person would need that, but did know why he would. Did Benjamin know his power was unstable? Would he know why?

    "That''s¡­ I''m not sure how I feel about that," Seth finally said. He suddenly found his tea unappetizing.

    Mau growled, but Seth ignored her.

    "I wouldn''t like it," Selendrith said. "But then, I''m a very private person."

    "If it helps find out how powers are stolen, I think I''m willing to keep wearing it," Seth said.

    "I''m not sure you should," Wulrind said. "That''s not the only secret." He popped open the second bead to reveal another inner bead.

    "What does that one do?" Seth asked as his stomach twisted harder. He put his teacup down on the table. Maybe Mau was right, and Benjamin was behind the thefts.

    "I don''t know. I''ve looked up this rune everywhere I can think of. There''s no record of it. It''s no maker''s mark I recognize, and there would be no reason to hide it. It vaguely resembles luck runes, but those have been unfashionable for centuries."

    "Luck runes? What do they do?" Seth asked.

    "The thing about luck is it can go both ways," Wulrind explained. He leaned back as he sipped at his tea. "You can have good luck or bad luck. There are stories of the holders of luck runes having tremendous good fortune, and also bizarre deaths. Some even say they can attract demons."

    "Do I need to worry about demons if I wear this?" Seth asked. That felt far-fetched. The demons were hunted out after the fall of the Flower Empire. The stories of the hunts were carved all over the city.

    "I don''t think so. While it resembles the luck runes, it isn''t one." Wulrind handed Seth a page with the rune image and notes on it. "If you find out more about this rune, please let me know. I''d like to understand why it was used here and possibly add it to my repertoire."

    Seth watched Wulrind close the beads and seal them in such a way that Seth couldn''t find the seams that opened them. He didn''t think the second secret bead had anything to do with Saben''s stolen power. Seth already had the power before Benjamin gave him the bracelet. Could Benjamin have discovered that Seth had a stolen power? Or was Benjamin the reason the power was stolen?

    "Do you think the bracelet is safe to wear?" Seth asked.

    "That''s hard to say. The known harm in the bracelet is the invasion of privacy. However, the only way to retrieve the information is from the bracelet. So long as you don''t lose it, no one will have access to this information. The unknown harm is in the bead I can''t analyze. It might just be some type of maker''s mark. It could also be something very different. Overall, this is a complex and beautifully done piece."

    Seth studied the bracelet and wondered if he should keep wearing it. He remembered that Benjamin had taken it once to ''calibrate it.'' Was he doing this to help Seth, or for some other reason?

 97 - He has to know

    I followed Seth out of the carver''s shop and wondered where he was going. The school wasn''t this way. I shrugged and trotted behind him, looking for an opportunity to jump on his shoulder. If he was heading somewhere other than to dinner, he could carry me.

    He wandered aimlessly around the market square. Most of the shops were closed and the street lamps were lit. The mountain breeze was frigid and the stone street was cold under my paws.

    Abruptly, Seth turned to look at me. "He has to know. An affinity bracelet doesn''t need stabilization. He knows."

    The familiar link was a riot of emotions. Shock, confusion, worry, guilt, anger, hurt, disbelief, and more were shifting so rapidly I doubted Seth knew what he was feeling.

    Fair. The kid was coming to grips with the fact that the guy he trusted knew about the stolen talent. And had done something to make the stolen talent stick.

    That sounds to me like ol'' Benny Boy was involved in the theft. He might not have done it himself¡ªSeth had said Benjamin wasn''t present¡ªbut he probably arranged it.

    I had no emotional attachment to the asshole, so I was fine with him being first on the shit list.

    Seth had to sort out his head, though. That kind of betrayal does more than just sting. It can cut pretty deep. And hurt people get angry.

    And now Seth was picking up speed. Sheesh. I''m just lil'' cub here, making me run after your ass. I don''t like working this hard.

    I loped after Seth as he ran down the streets away from the Magic District.

    Shit. I recognized where we were going. Seth was going to confront Benjamin right now.

    I meowed at him, but he ignored me. How bad could this go? How dangerous was Benjamin really?

    Murder was unlikely, I decided. No one was dead that I knew of. I take that back. Seth''s Dad had been killed, but the guy who did that was also dead. So still, Benjamin wasn''t likely to harm Seth.

    Me, on the other hand, I was just an animal. There would be no crime in killing me. And Benjamin might do just that to punish Seth.

    I slowed down. Maybe I didn''t want to be present when Seth had his tantrum.

    On the other hand, if Seth had the ability to blow this all open, and sick the authorities on Benjamin, then silencing Seth would just make sense. And that mercenary had been perfectly willing to kill the kids.

    Fuck it. I''ll shred the guy if he touches me or Seth. I sped back up.

    It didn''t matter much. I was a slow poke. So, I sprinted. All out, everything I had, and caught up. Then I had to walk as I caught my breath and Seth got far away again.

    When I caught up to Seth, he had ducked into an alley and was watching Benjamin''s house. Palace guards were outside with a carriage. A moment later, an older man who looked like a noble left the house, climbed into the carriage, and headed up the street away from us.

    "Do you think they know, Mau?" Seth asked quietly, never taking his eyes off the carriage. "Does the Palace know what''s going on?"

    Actually, no I don''t. No respectable authority would let this shit run around unchecked. And how the fuck am I supposed to answer you when you won''t look at me? We do sign language, you turnip.

    I climbed up the front of his clothes.

    "Ow! Mau!"

    ''Listen,'' I signed. ''Dangerous.''

    Turnip brain wasn''t paying attention. He dropped me onto the ground and marched up to the front door as soon as the carriage was out of sight.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    I gazed around at the surroundings. I didn''t see any spies or eavesdroppers.

    "I''m here to see Benjamin," Seth said when John answered the door.

    "Ah, of course. He''s out of town presently, and will be for the remainder of the month. You had mentioned being concerned for Saben, so the Master rearranged his schedule to spend time in Vernar. One moment." John partially closed the door, and a moment later handed Seth a sandwich wrapped in paper, and a letter. "This arrived for you, and this should tide you over until you return to school. Good night." The door clicked shut.

    Seth stared in confusion at the sandwich, the door, the letter, and then at me. I dunno, I was intrigued by that sandwich.

    I shrugged. Honestly? This was the best outcome. Seth could process the betrayal and confront Benjamin with a cool head. We also needed more than circumstantial clues.

    I didn''t know what was up with the sandwich, though. It smelled tasty, so I jumped up on Seth''s shoulder and tried to snag a bite. Good luck getting me off now, sucker!

    "Stop it, Mau. This is serious," Seth said, reflexively jerking the sandwich away from me.

    I head butted his cheek. I made plans to snag the sandwich when his guard was down.

    "I can''t believe he would do this. To me. To Saben. He was my dad''s friend, Mau. Why would he ruin Saben''s life like this?"

    Because he was an asshole?

    Nah, I knew the guy was up to something and had for a while. Now, so did Seth. We''d already figured out he was fishing for something. I wondered if Seth was the primary bait, or Saben.

    We needed to know how he did this so we could undo it. And I doubted that guy would just tell us how he performed that particular trick.

    How do I say this? Here we go. Charades time.

    Seth watched me. "Is that a bar? Poke? Move? More like move. Bend? Lever? Leverage? We need leverage? Before we talk to Benjamin, we need leverage." Seth thought about that. "We need to be able to force him to tell us what we want to know."

    I nodded.

    "Right now, he''d just lie. He''d probably deny everything, and convince me I had the whole situation wrong. He''s done that to me already, hasn''t he?"

    ''Yes.'' He sure has, kid. And you believed him because you wanted to believe in him. You thought he was a good guy and your friend. It''s not bad to trust your friends, kid, but don''t be blind about it. I couldn''t say all that, so I rubbed my body across his face.

    "Blech. I don''t want to eat your fur, Mau."

    That''s okay. I managed to sneak a bite of that sandwich. Roast beef!

    "I''m going to drop you on the ground again." Seth sighed and turned towards school. He looked at the letter.

    That was purple wax on the seal. Damn, that looked like an invitation. To the Palace. And that bastard Seth shoved it in his bag without opening it. I was going to die of curiosity.

    So what if he was still holding a sandwich and didn''t want to get meat juice on the pretty paper. I wanted to know what it said! Fine, fine. Stay on target, girl.

    ''Talk Duvessa about Thurstan. Get whole story.'' My signing while riding on Seth''s shoulder was sloppy, but he got the idea.

    "Right. I forgot she was doing that. Do you think Benjamin works for him?"

    ''No know. We guess.''

    "We guess? Yeah, you''re right. We only have guesses." Seth looked at the bracelet he''d put back on. "I wanted to believe he was just trying to help me. But now..."

    I wasn''t sure why he''d put it back on. I supposed it was stabilizing his power. And not wearing it might tip off Benjamin.

    I snagged another bite of Seth''s sandwich and let him figure himself out more on the way back to school. We''d talk later and make a real plan. We needed to put Benjamin in a position where he''d have to tell us, and that the risk to life and limb for both of us was minimal.

    Benjamin wasn''t the only player in this game too. There was the mysterious ''Mom'', and whoever her kid was. Thurstan, maybe?

    I would have thought that message was for Benjamin, but if he doesn''t have a mom, then there are at least three players involved. And possibly more than one mystery.

    I think Seth is right though. Someone is fishing with the talents as bait. The regalia might be another form of bait or might be from one of the other players. That, of course, was assuming what was in that box was a piece of regalia. I thought so. It felt right.

    And what was the connection to ''Mom''? She certainly was taunting them. Would ''Mom'' be interested in talents? Or were they competing with her for the regalia, and this was a separate issue?

    Ugh, I''m going in circles. A person with a stolen talent was looking for something, and ''Mom'' got it first. That''s the only hard fact we had about that.

    We got back to school in time for the end of dinner. Whooee, I was worried we''d missed it. Seth was preoccupied and not feeling hungry, but dammit, I was a growing kitty. I had like a half ton of growing to do, and just eating the meat out of his sandwich wasn''t going to cut it.

    "Yay! Seth!" Duvessa called, waving her hands as she walked out of the dining hall. "Meet me in my room after you eat. You can see my updates!"

    "Updates?" Seth asked.

    Yeah, that baffled me too, until I remembered her wall of crazy. Updates, indeed.

    "I''ll show you! Come quick!" Duvessa said.

    "I''ll come now," Seth said.

    No! I threw myself to the floor and cried. I staggered like I was dying and lay boneless.

    "Your cat is weird," Booth said, watching me askance.

    "Uh, I''ll be right there after I feed Mau," Seth changed his answer.

    A few minutes later I perched on Seth''s shoulder as he was on his way to Duvessa''s dorm room. He held a chicken leg up to me and I gnawed happily on it.

    I was excited for what Duvessa found out. That conversation should tell us if Benny-boy was a peon or a co-conspirator.

    And then we had to figure out what we were doing this weekend.

 98 - Skulls are White

    When we got to Duvessa¡¯s room, Booth, Owen, and Blaise were already there. Blaise let us in and then headed back to Duvessa at her desk. Duvessa didn''t acknowledge us; instead, she focused on whatever she was writing, with her tongue barely touching her top lip. Booth sprawled in an overstuffed chair, and Owen sat on the velvet couch.

    Reginald perched on the stained glass lampshade by the chair. Well, perched might not be the right word. He was actively working on balancing there. It was a pity the lamp used glowy rocks and not oil. I thought it''d be funny if the bird brain lit his feathers on fire.

    "We haven''t started yet," Duvessa said as she looked up from her paper. "Is Selendrith coming?"

    "No, she''s staying with her grandfather this weekend and working in the shop," Seth answered. He put his bag on the floor next to the couch, but instead of sitting down, he headed to Duvessa''s evidence board, her wall of crazy. He looked at a new picture, one with the ink still wet.

    I was happy that Seth was feeling calmer. Most of what I was getting through the familiar link was determination with an undercurrent of anger. I decided spite was good for mental health.

    "So what happened at tea today, Duvessa?" Seth asked.

    "I am so mad about that!" Duvessa declared.

    Blaise, who was about to sit next to Owen on the couch, paused. "What happened? Did he admit it was him?"

    "No! Actually, I wasn''t allowed in the room! Can you imagine that? Nana said I''m too easy to read, and he''d figure out I''m on to him," Duvessa replied.

    "I can see it," Booth said.

    "No you can''t! I''m great at keeping secrets. And I can be sneaky! Nana was so unfair."

    Blaise paced around the room. "What are we supposed to do now?"

    "If that dog''s gone, then someone else needs to watch the sheep," Owen said.

    "Nope! That dog is not gone. I<i> listened</i>. I hid in the dumbwaiter and listened to the whole conversation." Duvessa looked around expectantly.

    "That¨C that was amazing and quick thinking, Duvessa," Seth stated, somewhat unenthusiastically. "What did you find out?"

    Duvessa beamed. "So much politics! Thurstan thinks regular people, non-nobles I mean, shouldn''t have talents at all. He wants only people born to noble families to have powers. And he wants to repeal the law that prevents mages from holding a title," Duvessa said.

    "We knew that," Seth said.

    "The difference is, he doesn''t want to allow mages to become nobles, he wants to turn nobles into mages," Duvessa said. "And he wants to make it illegal for common born people to use magic at all."

    Blaise stared at her. "Nobody''s going to accept that. It would cause a war. The amount of abuse that magical and entitled nobles could cause to the common people is absurd. That law''s been around for centuries. We don''t need another age of wizard-kings like before the Flower Empire."

    I thought about that. Someone with magical and political power could effectively do whatever they wanted. Who would stop them? The only people that would have a shot would be other magical and political people, and that would never happen. It was like asking the rich to vote for taxes on themselves. You might get a few votes from the honorable and civic minded people, but most humans were selfish creatures.

    Also, I didn''t see any circumstance where the people without magic gave up their political power voluntarily. Sure, there were plenty of noble families that had mages in the family. Duvessa''s was a perfect example. But I couldn''t see some uncle surrendering a title to his mage nephew just because dear nephew had magic. Could this be what the thefts were about? Give the unmagicked nobles magic? There would be a line out the door.

    And under no circumstance could I see common born mages surrendering their magic. Unless it wasn''t intended to be voluntary.

    "Why hasn''t anyone shut him down yet then?" Booth asked.

    "He said he''s being quiet. He told Nana that he''s being careful and only telling people when he needs their support. Nana was very interested in how he planned to give people powers, but all he would say is that he''s got a plan, and in a few months he should be able to grant anyone powers," Duvessa said. "Nana stalled him and didn''t make a deal, but did agree to think it over and talk to him again."

    "He''s not half as quiet as he thinks he is if we know about it," Booth said.

    "That''s admitting to the thefts," Blaise said. "He''s definitely involved in this."

    I agreed with Blaise. Dude was involved. The question I had was if he was the mastermind or the peon. Booth was also right, he wasn''t being quiet at all. Seth''s bait idea felt dead on here. If Thurstan was the mastermind then he had to be after something higher, and probably more personal, than political upheaval.

    Why hadn''t he taken a power for himself yet? I''d have expected him to grab one if he had access to magical talents. Unless there was a problem with swiping powers? Was that why Seth was protected? Was he a prototype? That would make the recording bead he was wearing make a lot more sense.

    "There is a regalia piece that can grant powers," Seth said. "It''s supposed to grant temporary fire talents. Do you think they are looking for that piece? Or maybe they already have it and are trying to make it work longer?"

    "You think that''s why Helena is after the regalia?" Booth asked.

    "It might be connected." Seth reached up to touch the red string on the board connecting things together. "How are you organizing the things posted, Duvessa? They don''t look chronological to me, and I don''t see any other pattern."This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    I jumped up on the back of Booth''s chair to get a better view of the wall. There was so much stuff here, and it was amazing. Duvessa had certainly put a lot of effort into this. It still made no sense, but I loved it.

    "Oh, new bits of information go where the shapes I drew them on match other things I''ve drawn. It looks better that way," Duvessa said. "If it gets crowded somewhere, then I start new groups where there''s room."

    Well, I guess that was one way to organize it. I think I just insulted the word ''organize''.

    "Shapes, Duvessa?"

    "Yes. See? I draw people like this, and places are all like that, so the people are together, and then the places are together, and I know what''s what."

    "Do you have events listed? What do they look like?" Seth asked.

    "Oh! Those are these ones." She pointed to one picture that looked like dancing snakes with little triangles.

    "What event was this for?" Seth asked.

    I looked at the events. Some were obvious. I could recognize the carriage chase, and she put hyenas on top of a castle¨Cso that must be the party at the Palace. But for a bunch of others, I had no idea.

    Duvessa frowned at the event, and then scanned her other posts. Finally she pulled it down to get a better look and sighed. "I don''t remember. I know it was important, too."

    "I''d like to make some recommendations. I''d suggest putting a summary or title at the bottom of each, um, thing you have up here," Seth said. "So for this one, maybe say carriage chase, and then have who was there, and maybe a little bit about it. It would help other people who look at it know what you meant."

    "But it''s obvious! You can see the carriage. And that one has hyenas. And that one is the weasels! I even drew their tornadoes and flingy spells."

    "Right. But you don''t remember that one. I was also going to suggest rearranging these. Probably put them in chronological order. And then use different color string for what we think is going on. Like see here, this was where we met the skull gang, so that should have a black string that then goes to¨Cthose guys with the ''X''s on their heads?"

    "Nope. Can''t be black. That string should be white," Duvessa said firmly.

    Seth paused with his fingers still touching the tack holding the drawing of X''d guys. "Why white?"

    "Because skulls are white, obviously."

    "Why are you so interested in her board all of a sudden, Seth?" Booth asked. "Everything up there we know, or is impossible for us to decipher."

    "It''s not impossible to decipher! Deciphering is what the board is for!" Duvessa said.

    "So, about this¡­" Seth explained his idea that the stolen powers were being used as bait. He suggested using the board to figure out where the bad guys were casting their net, and to figure out what the bad guys were fishing for.

    They discussed how to organize the board and what all the clues were for over an hour. While I listened to that fascinating conversation, I perched on the back of the couch and let my tail drop down into Owen''s face. He''d pet my tail and move it out of his face.

    So, I''d curl it and shove it right back in his face. After doing this for several minutes, Owen leaned forward so my tail couldn''t reach him.

    My fun interrupted, I hopped over to Booth''s chair and did the same thing.

    He wasn''t as nice a player. "Blech. Cat, get your tail out of my mouth," Booth complained and batted my tail away. I lashed my tail and turned around, but Seth scooped me up before I could instigate anything.

    Curses. Foiled again.

    The evidence board discussion wound down and Duvessa sighed. "That is so much work, you know," she said. "Those are a lot of details to remember and that''s a lot of moving things around."

    "Let me know if you need help," Seth said.

    I didn''t know what he thought he could do. He was scheduled out the wazoo. Running most mornings with Owen, classes, homework, reading lessons with me¨CI mean Owen, and extra spell practice every day, plus whatever random ''training'' the boys got in their heads to try. At least the lessons with Professor Kaban were making those extra ''training'' sessions look more like real practice as they repeated the drills and forms they were taught.

    Blaise stood next to Seth examining the wall. "You want to find the net. You want to know where and who is caught in it." She shook her head. "We should just be focusing on Thurstan. We know he''s connected, so we should follow that lead and not get distracted by all this other stuff."

    Seth glanced at her. "There was a third name on the list from Selendrith''s shop. There was Thurstan, my guardian Benjamin, and another merchant named Samuel. Benjamin could be just an employee of Thurstan. The other merchant might be the same, or something else. The more we look and the more we find out, the more things are connected. There has to be someone in the center. I want to be sure we''re finding the right person." He reached out and touched the paper that had the hyenas on it. "Why were they blamed? Why is Helena being so obvious with the power? Is this just about the regalia, or are they looking for a person too?" He touched the stick figures with x''s on their heads. "How are the Skulls related to this? The way they use and take powers is different. Are they working for ''Mom'', for Thurstan, or themselves?"

    "And who is ''Mom''," Booth piped up.

    "Oh! I forgot," Duvessa said. "Nana asked about his family, and Thurstan doesn''t have any living relatives. So, ''Mom'' is not his."

    "So, not Thurstan, not Benjamin, not Helena. There have to still be connections we haven''t found yet," Seth said.

    I thought about ''Mom'' being a code name, but dismissed it. If it were a code name they''d have used ''Mother''. ''Mom'' is much more personal.

    "So what do you think we should do about this?" Blaise asked, waving at the evidence board. "I still say we should focus on Thurstan."

    I knew Blaise might be more willing to listen to Seth''s ideas if she knew Benjamin was just as involved. But we weren''t going to tell her that.

    "First we need to make some choices," Seth said.

    "I already know what string colors I plan to use," Duvessa said.

    "No, I mean, choices about how we work on this," Seth said.

    "What choices, then?" Blaise asked.

    "The first choice, is do we ask for help," Seth said.

    "What is with it with you always wanting to snitch?" Booth said.

    "I''m not suggesting snitching," Seth said. "We are in so far over our heads, any one of us could have been killed already. That mercenary could kill any one of us next time we see him. I can''t beat him, can you?"

    "He got me dead right," Owen said.

    "Tsh. We don''t have to be chasing that asshole," Booth said.

    "I did!" Duvessa said. "Reginald picked up my summons from a restaurant by the lake. The mercenary hangs out there a lot."

    I walked from the back of the chair to Duvessa''s desk. If she had interesting intel like this, I wanted a look at her kindergarten art in progress.

    "No inky paws, kitty," Duvessa scolded and dumped me to the floor. A travesty. I''d have jumped up again, but now Reginald was giving me a side-eye. That lamp was delightfully wobbly.

    "Okay," Seth said. "That''s good to know. We still need to decide if we ask for help, and if we do, who do we ask. A professor? Some other adult? Upperclassmen?"

    Booth was shaking his head. "I say we don''t ask. Last thing I need is some busybody telling me I can''t see my sibs or can''t leave campus."

    Blaise was shaking her head, too. "We know at least some professors have been compromised. I don''t think we should tell anyone what we think is happening."

    "Didn''t you already tell your brother Brand?" Seth asked.

    "That''s different," Blaise said. "He''s supposed to be back tomorrow, but he''s meeting with my dad. And Dad isn''t talking to me still, so, yeah. I''m not talking to them right now either."

    "Nana knows," Duvessa said. "She told me to stay away from Thurstan, and not to come by the next time she has him over. She''s going to string him along and see what his plans are."

    "I don''t know nobody that could help," Owen said.

    "We need some type of help," Seth insisted.

    "What we already have is fine," Blaise said. "We don''t need to ask adults for help, beyond those we''ve already talked to." She stopped pacing in front of the wall and gestured at it. "What''s our next move?"

    I wondered if Seth would keep to the group consensus and not ask for help. I figured he would keep quiet. There weren''t many options that felt safe to him, and anyone he reached out to on his own might be compromised.

    But more importantly, I just found Duvessa''s yarn basket. I knew what my next move was.

 99 - Weekend Plans

    Seth was standing in front of Duvessa''s evidence board with Blaise. Booth was eyeing Reginald, who looked like he was trying to tip the lamp over. Owen jiggled one leg where he sat on the velvet couch. Duvessa was at her desk and held up two pieces of paper as she looked between them. Seth thought she was trying to decide which one she liked better.

    "What''s our next move?" Blaise asked. "How do we get to Thurstan?"

    "I think we need to finish getting Booth''s family out of the city first," Seth said.

    "I want my power back!" Blaise punched the back of the chair. "We just spent over an hour talking about conspiracies! What was that for then if we''re just going back to walking around in the woods?"

    "We gotta do something about this, too," Owen said. "They''ll be planning to snag somebody else soon."

    "No, we don''t," Booth said. He threw his arm over the back of the plush chair and rose to one knee on the seat to face Blaise and Seth behind him. "We ain''t the saviors of some rando''s magic powers. I''ve got to get my sibs out before I do any other shit. If none of you want to help, whatever. I''ll be doing it either way."

    "I''m important here, too," Blaise said. She pointed to one of the pictures that Seth guessed was Helena. "I want to know how she got my power. I say we catch her and beat it out of her."

    Owen interjected his disagreement. "That''s suicidal. That mercenary nearly killed us. If that''s what we''re going to do, we need help, like Seth said."

    "No snitching," Booth retorted.

    "Blaise," Seth said, "when will you be talking to your brother again?"

    "I can send him a message anytime. But unless he comes here to school, I won''t be seeing him in person," Blaise said.

    "Unless we ask him for help," Seth said, "which isn''t snitching because you already talked to him, Blaise, then we can''t go after Helena directly, and we should avoid the mercenary."

    "I''ll put a summons to watch the restaurant," Duvessa said. "What should I have it do? Lots of people go there, and a summons can only do what I''ve instructed it to. It can''t make decisions."

    "Don''t bother with that," Booth said. "It ain''t worth losing more summons if we can''t be sure what we''ll get out of it."

    "Should we go there in person then?" Blaise asked. She turned to Duvessa, looking hopeful. "You and I could go there for lunch or something and see what''s going on there."

    "I''m not going," Booth said, turning back to sit normally in the chair. "I''ve got other things to do."

    "Booth is on a time limit," Seth said. "I think¨C"

    "I could be on a time limit too," Blaise said. "We don''t know if power loss becomes permanent after a while."

    Seth''s gut twisted. "And my brother''s power has been missing longer than yours. It''s important to me too, Blaise. It really is. But finding and getting powers back is useless if people get killed."

    "No one is getting killed," Blaise said. "You''re being dramatic. That guy wouldn''t have actually committed murder."

    "I don''t think he''s dramatic," Owen said. "I''m the one that keeps needing healing." He rubbed absently at his thigh.

    Seth wondered if it still hurt despite being healed. Bone injuries could be difficult. He glanced around at the others. Blaise was standing near the evidence board with her arms crossed and tapping a foot. Booth was scrunched into the overstuffed chair, and Owen was sitting on the velvet couch, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees. Duvessa was capping her ink bottle and putting her blank paper away. Reginald was hopping from lamp to lamp, teetering on the lampshades for a bit before flying to the next one. Seth was sure he''d eventually knock the floor lamp over. Mau had a piece of string she was playing with. It was nice to see her acting like a normal cat for once.

    "How about we do both?" Seth suggested.

    Booth fiddled with one of the buttons on the chair. "You got some idea that we steal beasts from Thurstan or something?"

    "This is the weekend. We''ve got two days. That''s exactly enough time for an overnight trip to Laureli," Seth said. He''d considered suggesting Vernar instead, but it was just too far. They''d miss a week of school. And what was going on in Vernar would probably be too much for this group to handle if Benjamin was there. Seth just hoped Saben was safe.

    "Nobody''s been to or mentioned Laureli, Seth," Blaise said. "What does that have to do with anything?"Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    "We can''t be going after them ogres," Owen said. "Professor Carol at the Circle Tower has been doing the healing on me and she said if I come back stabbed again she''s going to confine me to campus til winter break."

    "You''re right," Seth said. "We can''t take the ogres. I don''t think we should try. But Laureli is further out from Rosia, so we might be able to catch enough small beasts to finish what we need from the bounty."

    "But why there?" Blaise asked. "Laureli is specific."

    "I have three reasons. First, Laureli belongs to Thurstan. Second, it''s in the direction the people that took you went," Seth explained. "It''s out the north tunnel and on the way to Mariglade. So we might find some clues about where those people took you. The third reason is when I was thinking about what happened to Saben, I thought it might have happened when we stayed at an inn there. If we went beast hunting that way and stayed at that inn, we might find something."

    "That sounds logical," Duvessa said, and nodded in agreement.

    "If we are going there to look for magic beasts, I think looking for more old Below entrances would be a good idea," Booth said. "That worked with the weasels. Do we know where any are?"

    "I don''t have any way of knowing where old entrances are," Seth said. "We could ask around when we get there."

    "Oh! Nana and I were talking about that. I made a copy of her map. " Duvessa went to her bookcase and pulled out a leather tube. From the tube she pulled out a large map and laid it on the low table in front of the couch.

    Duvessa hadn''t drawn this map. It was professionally done, with a map key, terrain markers, and a compass rose. The map covered the whole kingdom, from the edge of the desert to the foot of the mountains. The key differentiated between known caves and Below Entrances, as well as other areas marked as ''high mana''.

    "There are a lot of old entrances. I never would have thought there were so many." Blaise said.

    "Some of these are really old," Seth said. "Look, there are dates next to each of these. Some were sealed over a hundred years ago."

    "Would they be any good then?" Owen asked.

    "Of course!" Duvessa said. "Nana said the mana is really high in these mountains, and that''s why the Below is so close to the surface here. She was surprised they haven''t closed the one that was found recently. She said it was too close to the city to be safe."

    "Vernar has an entrance less than an hour from the town," Seth said. "This entrance is a few hours away. Why would it be too close?"

    Duvessa shrugged. "Too close to the Mana Wells, maybe?"

    "Does that mean we should look closest to the wells?" Owen asked.

    "It''ll depend on how long it takes to get there. If we walk, it''s a whole day," Seth said. "If we walk the long way, and hit places like here or here, we''ll be getting there well after dark."

    "I''ll ask Nana for her carriage," Duvessa said. "She uses summons to pull it. We''ll be there in less than half a day."

    That surprised Seth. "Her summons can go that far away from her?"

    "Oh." Duvessa looked at the map. "Maybe? She has much better range and can summon bigger critters than I can. Unless she sends Reginald the First with us, the carriage can only behave a certain way. It won''t stop and it''ll follow the road, and at a particular time it will leave to come back. We are on it or we are walking."

    "I like this idea," Blaise said. "We are getting Booth''s stuff done, and not letting Thurstan get away. We''re still working on that too."

    "So, what do we do then?" Booth asked. "If we go that way, and run into that mercenary again. Or stars help us, the ogres, what do we do?"

    "We run away," Duvessa said and waved her hand. "We don''t have to fight anything we don''t want to."

    "I don''t think it works that way," Booth said.

    "Yeah, running away wasn''t exactly a thing we could do against Chicky-Chicky," Seth said. "We were stuck and had to fight."

    "We can all cast Barrier now, can''t we?" Owen asked.

    "That''s right!" Duvessa said. "That''s what Selendrith cast to keep Chicky-Chicky away while I shot it with my bow and sent summons after it. If that''s enough for a giant wyvern, it''ll work for other things too."

    "That''s probably all we need to run away," Booth said. "We still ain''t fighting anything like that."

    Seth wasn''t really satisfied with that, but the others were, so he let it go. He had a couple of ideas for emergency backup plans. It would only take a little bit of preparation, and he probably had time before they left.

    "We need to plan incidentals too, like food, and a way to transport anything we catch too," Seth said. "Canvas bags won''t work for more than a couple of hours. We need cages."

    "I don''t suppose your grandmother can take care of that too?" Booth asked Duvessa.

    "Nope. We don''t have cages," Duvessa said.

    "It''s late, but I might be able to wrangle some for tomorrow morning," Seth said. He could ask Professor Isolde if he could borrow a few. She might let him take them, probably for a fee.

    "Okay! Meet in the courtyard an hour after dawn and we''ll get going! I like adventures," Duvessa said.

    "Duvessa, do you mind if I make a copy of this map?" Seth asked. "This is really good information."

    "Oh sure! Anyone who wants to can. But I don''t have any paper big enough, so you''ll have to use what I have, or your own paper."

    Seth retrieved his bag and noticed Mau had left string all over the floor that wrapped and tangled in a dozen directions.

    "Mau? What did you do?" Seth asked.

    A moment later Reginald succeeded in knocking over the floor lamp, likely with a shove from Mau. As he did so a dozen strands of yarn shot up like a rope trap and tangled the shadow raven.

    "Traitor! Traitor!" Reginald the Second screamed as he floundered, and the more he floundered, the tighter he was bound in the yarn.

    "Oh! She got me too!" Duvessa said. When the yarn had tightened, it wrapped around her legs and tied her to her chair. Everyone else was similarly bound.

    "What was that for?" Seth demanded of his cat.

    Mau jumped onto the low table and sat smugly. ''Revenge,'' she signed.

 100 - Whats Your Name

    I was happy and excited when Seth volunteered to ask Professor Isolde if they could borrow cages. I was sad and disappointed when the weasels weren''t there anymore. Damn. Gone in a single day. I had questions I wanted to ask them.

    I stared morosely at the empty bank of cages in Isolde''s storage bedroom. Seth was talking to the Professor in the living room and she didn''t immediately stop me when I wandered in. She did keep an eye on me though, so I kept my visit polite.

    I was really hoping the weasels would be here. I couldn''t get their powers to work for me. I did everything I saw them do. I even yelled ''I''ll kill you!'' the way they did. Nothing. I didn''t know if that meant I didn''t succeed in stealing their powers, or if I just hadn''t figured out how to activate them yet.

    It would be so much easier if I could get a ''Power Acquired'' notification. Then I wouldn''t wonder if I did it right. That would be life on easy mode.

    Maybe the middle of a fight isn''t the best time to experiment with a magical ability I''d only done once before and by accident.

    Then there was the possibility I could only have one stolen power at a time. I didn''t want to give up the chicken dodge, so maybe that was why it didn''t work.

    And if the weasels had been here, I could have tried again to steal their powers.

    I wasn''t going to fret over it. If I had the power, I''d figure it out. If I didn''t, I''d have an opportunity to try again. Maybe even tomorrow if the kids'' hunt went well. They could find some critter with a power I like better, too. The mini tornadoes were a bit conspicuous for my tastes anyway.

    Seth sorted out the cages with Isolde. He''d pick them up in the morning.

    When we finally got back to the dorm room, it was late, dark, and we were exhausted. I was so glad Isaac was gone again this weekend. I wanted to see that letter Seth got, the fancy Palace one with the purple wax, and with Isaac gone, Seth might read it now.

    So when Seth pulled it out of his bag, I was excited. When he opened his trunk and put the letter in, I was disappointed. He got his sleeping clothes on, probably a good idea before the kid passed out, and then pulled out the wooden box that had his father''s spyglass. And then, he pulled the letter out again. Dude, my heart can''t take this rollercoaster.

    Seth put the box and the letter on the desk and stared at them. The familiar link was a jumbled mess again. Poor kid had lots of emotions around those two things.

    Seth looked up at the window, high above the desk. The window was inset in the thick wall and shaped like an arrow slit, but the window was a bit wider than I thought it should be for an arrow slit. The lights in the room reflected in the glass, making it impossible to see outside.

    Abruptly Seth turned the lights out in the room, scooped up the box and the letter, and then jumped up on the desk. From there he climbed up to the window.

    Seth sat cross legged in the window well with room to spare. Plenty of room for me, and I jumped up with him. With the lights out we could see the city at night. Some neighborhoods were lit up with magical lights, particularly around the Palace. The moonless sky lent an otherworldly glow to the magically lit city.

    The castle was gorgeous at night. The Palace had been built as both a stronghold and a work of art. The lights were positioned to accentuate the graceful lines and solid walls.

    Seth watched the castle. The view from this room couldn''t have been more perfect.

    "I can''t believe Benjamin would do this, Mau," Seth said quietly. "My dad trusted him. I trusted him." He paused for a moment. "Saben didn''t. Do you think Saben knows? Or did he just know Benjamin couldn''t be trusted?"

    Ah, so we would be sorting through this first. That was fine. I climbed up in his lap and tried to purr. And right on cue, Seth chuckled at my pitiful noises. Maybe one day I could make a passable purr, even if it could never be the real thing.

    ''More Dad and Benjamin,'' I signed to Seth. This whole thing was an emotional minefield, and I knew full well I''d be setting a few off. I just wasn''t savvy to this kind of shit. But the kid needed to sort himself out, so I''d try to help him.

    Seth took a deep breath. "My dad introduced me to Benjamin just before we left the Palace. They''d been friends and business associates for years at that point. We would be traveling with Benjamin''s caravans while my dad did research in different places. We did that for just over a year. We mostly traveled to the smaller towns outside Rosia, but we did spend over a month in Vernar, and then several weeks in Laureli. Gavin would join us from time to time, too."Stolen novel; please report.

    A Palace guard was off gallivanting with a merchant caravan? I questioned Seth on that one.

    "Yeah. Usually he was doing Palace business and his travel lined up with ours. Looking back on it, I don''t know."

    ''Dad friends bad,'' I signed. Benjamin was a two timing asshole, and so was the Palace Guard guy that killed dad.

    I could feel the stab of Seth''s pain in the link. I felt bad about it, I didn''t want to make him think less of his dad. But I also thought we needed to cover this.

    "Yeah, they are. I wonder why he was friends with them."

    The first answer that came to mind was that birds of a feather flocked together. Maybe dear old Dad was also a two timing asshole, or some kind of shady shitbag.

    Of course, I couldn''t tell Seth that.

    I also didn''t really believe it. Seth had a moral compass, and Saben had family loyalty. A shitbag dad wouldn''t have instilled those values in both boys. If Dad was a shitbag, then chances were one of the boys would be a shitbag too. And as near as I could tell, both were good kids.

    So my second thought was that Dad was doing roughly the same thing Seth was. He was trying to get to the bottom of a convoluted mystery.

    ''Dad look?'' I asked and paced in my ''no vocabulary'' circle.

    "Look? You think my dad was looking for something, no, someone? You think my dad was investigating something?"

    ''Yes.'' It made sense to me. Why else would he have backstabbing assholes around him, other than looking into those backstabbing assholes? While he could have been a pawn in whatever scheme happened to kill him, his killer died too. That sounded like a hit gone bad to me. And with Benjamin being all schemey too, it tracked.

    "But what was he looking for? The power thefts didn''t start until months later. Unless, do you think my dad knew about the artifact they''re using to steal powers? Do you think he was trying to stop them from getting it?"

    I shrugged. We were into wild guess territory.

    "Dad was meeting with Thurstan''s wife. Gavin killed Dad, the wife, and himself. Benjamin arrived just after. He could have known about it too. He rescued me. I had all of Dad''s papers and things, so Benjamin could have read through all that. I never read them, and at the time I wasn''t thinking about any of this. I have no idea where a lot of those things went."

    Seth went quiet for a bit. The familiar link still echoed with grief, but the pain was shifting to anger. "Maybe I should ask Benjamin where those are now."

    Yeah, anger is better than pain, but don''t kick the hornet''s nest stupidly, kid. ''Ask Saben.'' Your brother has been sneaking out and meeting people. He''s involved in this shit. Not that I had the words to say all that.

    "Saben." Seth stared at me. "He knows. Maybe not everything, but he has to know a lot more about this. He''s been nervous and jumpy. I thought it was because of his power, but now I''m not sure. He told me to stay at school and to leave all this stuff alone."

    ''Dad killed, dangerous,'' I signed.

    "Yeah. It makes me worried that he hasn''t written back at all. I know mail is slow. But I was hoping for something by now." Seth leaned towards the window and looked to the west side of the city. "I wonder if either Gavin or Benjamin were ever my dad''s friends. Honestly, I like the idea that my dad was playing them better than the idea they betrayed him."

    Whatever helps you sleep at night, kid. In the end it didn''t make much difference. Gavin was dead and Benjamin on the shit list. We were going to keep on the same track we were taking.

    "How do you think they know what we''re up to?" Seth asked. "It''s not perfect, whatever they''re doing, but someone is keeping track of us."

    I''m a stranger to these lands, kid. I''m not going to know what kind of magical shit these people have access to. Actually, there was a listening stone under Isaac''s bed. I thought that was connected to one other stone, but could it be connected to others, too? I should move that thing and bury it under a bush or something. I still needed to collect the other stone too, but we hadn''t been back to the Menagerie yet.

    I shrugged and stretched while Seth turned pensive. I gave him a minute before I turned to what I wanted to know.

    I tapped a paw on the letter with the purple wax seal.

    "So you want to know what this is?" he asked.

    Ya think?

    He chuckled at my enthusiastic nodding. "I''m pretty sure I know what it is. Princess Lily invited me to join a personal guard she was putting together. I''m pretty sure this is just the formal invitation for that."

    You don''t know that kid, open it! Actually, he was probably right. I didn''t care. Open it!

    Bastard didn''t read it out loud.

    Seth tipped the letter towards the faint light coming in the window. "It is an invitation, but it''s a ways off yet. Princess Lily also plans to get permission to attend class here." Seth stared at the letter. His eyes weren''t moving, so he wasn''t reading it. "When we first left the Palace, I thought it was my fault. I thought it was because I became friends with Lily. I thought I''d gotten us kicked out and my dad in trouble." Seth let the letter drop and looked back at the window.

    "I know that''s not true. I know Dad had already planned on leaving, but one of the Queen''s Ladies realized we were friends and she was so angry at Lily and me. She said it was wrong for us to be friends and tried to stop us from meeting, but I at least got to say goodbye. As we were leaving she told me Lily would forget all about me in no time, because I was just a peasant."

    Well then. Some of the nobles here were classist sacks of shit. No surprise there.

    "Dad told me not to listen to her. He said when I''m a wizard famous enough to walk into any royal court from Ice Fields to the Stinging Sea I''d know she was wrong. And that if Lily and I were really friends, she wouldn''t forget me."

    Seth looked down at the letter again. "She did forget me."

    ''I remember you,'' I signed and rubbed up against him. ''What your name again?''

    That got a chuckle. "Thanks, Mau."

 101 - Favors with Strings

    The next morning Seth retrieved one of Isolde''s cages with Owen and met the others in the courtyard by the school gate. The sun was already well up, and had started warming the cold air. A black carriage with a grey-cloaked raven embossed on the side waited for them. Two shadowy horses were hitched to the carriage, and two guards, one with a sword and bow, the other an axe, waited beside the carriage.

    The presence of the two guards scandalized Duvessa. "How dare Nana send me babysitters! I can take care of my own business! You two go home. I am not a toddler!"

    The woman with the axe smiled at Duvessa. "Of course not, my lady. Your grandmother gave us strict instructions not to interfere with your affairs. Mostly. She also instructed us that you are not allowed near certain areas of Laureli, you are not allowed to talk to certain people, and we will be arranging all travel and accommodations."

    Duvessa gasped. "Nana! This is sabotage! I hereby reject my grandmother''s meddling. We will walk!"

    Owen dropped the cage to the ground beside the carriage with a thunk. "Then who gets to carry these things? Once they''ve got critters in them, they''re gonna be heavy."

    Seth put his own cage down more gently. "I don''t care if they''re empty. I''m not carrying them."

    At first Duvessa gazed hopefully at Owen, but he wouldn''t look at her. After a moment Duvessa huffed at the cages, and then stared with narrowed eyes at the shadow horses. "I know! We¨C"

    "No you won''t," the woman with the axe interrupted. "The horses will return to your grandmother once they''ve been unhitched. She said you might try that."

    "Ugh! This is so unfair," Duvessa complained. "Favors with strings are not favors."

    "It''s fine," Blaise said. "At least we don''t have to walk there, and we can spend more time catching beasts." She shot a meaningful glance at the soldiers. "We can discuss the changes in our plans later."

    "Is Booth coming? He''s not here yet," Seth said as he scanned the tower courtyard by the front gate. "We still have one more cage to fetch."

    "If he''s not here when we''re done, he can chase us on foot," Blaise said. She peered into the boot of the carriage.

    Seth snorted. "If he doesn''t help hunt, he doesn''t get paid."

    "Is that fair?" Owen asked. "He needs it the most, doesn''t he? I mean, I can use it too, to fix the sword, but I thought he needed it right away."

    "Of course that''s fair," Blaise said, dropping her backpack beside the carriage. "I''ll go get the last cage. You get these loaded." She lowered her voice so the guards couldn''t hear. "We won''t have to do as much hunting if he doesn''t show, and we can focus on what I want to do instead."

    Getting the cages fitted properly into the boot of the carriage with catchpoles and everyone''s luggage took some finagling. Seth and Owen rearranged everything several times with suggestions from Blaise and Duvessa, and jeers from Reginald the Second. Reginald the First perched calmly above the driver''s seat and watched Mau assessingly.

    Owen had just jumped down when Booth wandered in from the front gate.

    "Hey. Right on time," Booth said as Owen shut the boot hatch. "Nice."

    Blaise simultaneously looked disappointed he showed up and like she was thinking of drowning him.

    "It''s fine, let''s get going," Seth said and ushered everyone into the carriage. He picked up Mau and plopped her inside, too.

    The carriage rolled out as soon as Booth shut the door behind him and took his seat. The three boys were on one bench seat, and the two girls on the other.

    "How long do you figure it''ll take with this carriage, Duvessa? Summons should be quicker than regular horses, right?" Seth asked.

    "Hmm. I''m not sure," Duvessa said as she scooted over closer to the window. "Summons don''t get tired like animals do, but where it takes energy for an animal to run, it takes mana for a summons. I don''t know how much Nana is giving us."

    "A regular carriage would get to Laureli by early afternoon," Blaise said. "That should give us plenty of time there, even if they," she jerked her head at the guards at the front, "get weird about where we can go in the village."

    They whispered plans and watched the city roll by. Mau hopped up in Seth''s lap to better watch out the window. The gentle swaying of the carriage put Seth to sleep in no time.

    He was woken by a sudden falling sensation.

    "I got you, you''re fine," Owen said, positioning Seth on his feet.

    Seth blinked rapidly and tried to figure out what happened. The carriage was stopped and he''d apparently fallen out the open door.

    "Sorry, man, but you wouldn''t wake up. I figured you would if we moved you," Owen said. Once Seth was steady, Owen let go.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    "I told you to just slap him a bit. He''d wake up," Booth said, and headed to the back of the carriage.

    "Rude," Duvessa said. "You should get more sleep at night, Seth. You''re younger than us, and I don''t think you''re getting enough."

    "I''m alright. I''m just a heavy sleeper. Sorry for dozing off like that." That was embarrassing. He''d always been a heavy sleeper, but this was becoming a problem. Eager to change the subject he gazed around. "Where are we? This isn''t Laureli."

    The carriage had pulled over beside the road in a broad meadow. They were approaching the foothills and the slopes were shallower and the valleys broader. The forest had turned golden in fall colors as fewer of the trees here were evergreens.

    "He''s a genius," Booth said as he pulled the catchpoles out of the carriage boot.

    "Quit being an ass," Blaise said. "He''s not getting anything out of doing this favor for you." To Seth she said, "It''s only been about two hours. I''d guess we''re a little over halfway there."

    "This is the closest the road comes to two old entrances," the woman with the axe told them. She''d turned around in her seat to address them. "That way is the first and closest one, but older. The second one is that way. You can follow a stream down to it." She picked up her axe and gestured at the forest. "I will remind you that we are outside of the regular patrol routes. While that makes it more likely you''ll find the little beasts you''re looking for, you may also find some of the bigger beasts that hunt them. Watch yourselves. Send your familiar if you need help, otherwise we are to leave you to it."

    "I''m ready!" Duvessa exclaimed happily as she tossed her bow on her shoulder. "Let''s go!"

    "Be back a couple of hours before sundown. The summons can see in the dark, but we can''t," the woman called after them as they crossed the meadow and headed into the autumn woods.

    They came to the stream they''d been told about. It was more a dry stream bed with puddles than an active stream.

    "Time to plan!" Duvessa announced. She turned to follow the stream bed. "Are we walking from here to Laureli, going to Thurstan''s house and asking to be guests, or hunting beasts like we said we would?"

    "Hunting beasts," Booth said. He shook his head like he found the question ridiculous.  "We can look around in Laureli when we get there."

    "What will going to Thurstan''s house do?" Owen asked.

    "We can search it if we''re there," Duvessa said.

    "No we can''t," Seth said. He trailed after Duvessa and Blaise and stepped carefully around tree roots. "He is not going to let us in, and if he did, he isn''t going to let us wander around in his house by ourselves. And if he did, we aren''t going to find anything that way. It would be hidden or guarded."

    "Ugh. I liked the idea," Duvessa said, and absently whacked a bush with her bow as she walked. "Laureli is still an option then."

    "I like the idea of having more time in town to look around, but we can look tonight," Blaise said. She stopped and turned, looking around at the forest.

    "Yeah, we''re here," Seth said, stopping with her. "Let''s do the thing we''re here for and not get distracted. I think we should get closer to where she said the sealed entrance was before we start searching for beasts. Owen, you''re the most familiar with navigating the woods, why don''t you take the lead?"

    Everyone fell in behind Owen. Reginald the Second was sent to scout ahead, and Mau draped herself across Seth''s shoulders. When they thought they were in the vicinity of the old Below entrance, they used the same tactic they''d used when they found the goats. Seth used the wind to find medium small animals, and Duvessa sent summons to identify the type of animal and exact location. They deliberately avoided larger animals.

    Over the course of the next few hours, they found very little that interested them. All of the animals they''d found had been normal forest animals.

    After the sixth time being disappointed by a normal fox, Seth started casting Detect Mana periodically also. Eventually Mau jumped down and took the lead.

    Owen didn''t even question it and let the cat lead them.

    Mau led them to an outcropping overlooking a small meadow. Mau lifted her head and sniffed the air, her whiskers twitching in the breeze. She made the sign for ''Quiet''.

    Seth relayed Mau''s command and then cast Detect Mana, whispering the incant. Sure enough, there was more mana here, but it was only a small increase. Seth thought Mau''s sensitivity improved if she could lead them here.

    Duvessa opened her mouth but Booth wrapped his hand over it before she could speak.

    "Shh," he hissed. "There''s stuff down there. Quietly, take a look."

    "Look," Owen whispered. He had crept up to the edge and looked down. "The meadow is perfectly round. I''d say this is the other sealed entrance we''ve been looking for."

    "I thought it was supposed to be a cave?" Blaise said, also whispering.

    Owen shrugged. "This ain''t natural, whatever it is."

    "What are those, Owen?" Booth asked quietly. "I can''t see them well enough in the grass."

    Seth watched the meadow, looking for what Booth had seen. He guessed the yellow grass was about knee height, and some type of animals were moving around in it, but they were too short to see.

    "No more weasels, no more weasels," Blaise muttered.

    Finally Seth spotted one. "They''re not weasels, they''re rabbits. There''s a whole warren down there," he whispered happily, "so there should be at least a couple of magic ones."

    "So, not dangerous," Duvessa said quietly. She sounded disappointed. "This should be easy."

    "Really? How do we catch them without them all running away?" Booth said, also quietly. "And how do we catch the magic ones and not regular rabbits? We don''t have much time left either. We''re supposed to head back soon."

    "We don''t have to hurry," Duvessa said. "They will wait for us."

    "But the longer we''re here, the less time we have to look around in Laureli," Blaise said.

    "I ain''t running after rabbits with a catch pole," Owen said.

    "I could shoot one and then we heal it," Duvessa suggested.

    Owen shook his head. "They''ll hear the arrow coming and dodge it. Even normal rabbits are quick that way. Unless you think you can hit them while they''re running from this distance?"

    Duvessa gaged the distance, but both Booth and Blaise shook their heads. Seth also knew Duvessa didn''t have the skill for that.

    "Can we lure them?" Owen asked.

    "I was thinking about that," Seth said. He was crouching at the edge of the outcropping and looking down at the edges of the circular meadow. "We can lure them, but then when we go to catch them, they would run away. The lure isn''t a trap. And if we set a trap, we might just catch normal rabbits."

    "So what do we do then?" Booth asked. "Running into the middle of them and grabbing them like we did the weasels isn''t going to work this time."

    "Owen, where do you think the rabbits are likely to go if they get scared?" Seth asked.

    "They probably got holes in the meadow. There''s also some dense brush on that side, so maybe there, too." Owen examined the woods. "Yeah, they''re not going to go west, the forest is too clear. They''ll go underground, or northeast."

    "Okay. I have an idea. Here''s what I think we should do," Seth said.

 102 - Tripwires

    I felt like a sucker. I left the kids discussing their plans as I took a roundabout path down from the overlook. They would need to go the long way around to not disturb the rabbits, but I picked my way nearly straight down. I was careful of the spongy earth that would send me skidding down the slope if I stepped wrong and made my way into the thorny underbrush.

    There was a trail this way, and Seth wanted me to set up tripwires and snares. Like I did in Duvessa''s room. Because they thought the rope that Owen brought would work for bunny snares. Not. Because they thought I could set bunny snares. Not.

    What I did in Duvessa''s room was little more than some advanced cat''s cradle. Sure, I wrapped everybody''s feet up, but all they had to do was step out of it. I did get the birdbrain pretty good, though.

    I let myself picture the struggling raven. Such happiness.

    Zigzagging yarn through furniture didn''t compare to setting traps. Oh well. I should be more careful about letting people expect things from me. They''d make me work. Like now.

    The most annoying bit was I did know how to do this. I knew how to set tripwires. Snares were a bit more fuzzy, but I was pretty sure I knew that too.

    And I had no idea how I knew. No, that wasn''t right. I knew how I knew. It came from who I was before. I just had no memory of learning it, why I learned it, or anything about it. But I could look at a basket of yarn, or a coil of rope, and know what I could do with it.

    Not today, but one day, I''ll be getting all that back. And when I do, I''ll be kicking the ass of whatever did this. But for now, it was just one more item on the ''shit to deal with later'' list.

    I got to the place Seth wanted me to set the snares and ducked out of the loop of rope I''d been given. I wasn''t sure I could pull this off, but I''d give it a try. First hurdle, how do I attach the rope? I don''t have thumbs, I can''t tie knots, and there wasn''t enough rope here to wind around a half dozen trees.

    The whole thumbs thing was a pain in my tail.

    I could just do a shit job. I didn''t have to put full effort into this. I could lay the rope on the ground and be all ''I did my best!'' What could the kids say about that? I was just a cub.

    It was pleasant thinking that, but I knew I''d never do it. I was too competitive and had too much pride in my work. Today, anyway. I might be lazier tomorrow.

    After taking a look-see at what I needed and where, I got to figuring out how to anchor the rope without thumbs.

    I could put a rock on it. But that wouldn''t hold if there was tension in the rope. It would either slide out, or the rock would move. And if the caught bunny had some oomph, it could drag the rock with it.

    The rope was made of natural plant fibers that would be saggy and stretchy. Not the best to be working with here. Something thin and inelastic would be better, but not what I had. I had to figure out how to work with this.

    I could still do loop knots, and a simple overhand knot at the end could work and was something I could tie without thumbs. I could then catch that in the V of a tree, and that would be sort of secure. If I measured and laid this out properly, I could do this, even if getting the loops right would be a pain. I got to work.

    The kids gave me a half hour. That was supposed to be enough time for everyone else to do their preparations and get into position.

    It was not enough time for me.

    But that was fine. I kept doing my work as best I could, and got ready for the moment I needed to abandon it in favor of hunting rabbits the old fashioned way: with claws and teeth.

    I had that thought while I was pulling a loop tight with my mouth. I was somewhat startled at how completely I was going native. Or would the term be feral in this instance?

    Meh. I was a cat now, and I liked it.

    I could hear a commotion in the meadow even though I couldn''t see it through the underbrush. Something hit the rope I was holding in my teeth with remarkable force. It jerked the rope out of my mouth. Fortunately I let go in time and it didn''t pull out any of my teeth. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    I did see a rather startled rabbit flipping up in the air, its legs still running in midair.

    I leapt at it. I had the jumping range, and I caught that sucker in midair. I didn''t know what its power was, but I wanted it. I bit into its shoulder and tasted blood.

    The power would be mine.

    We landed, me on my feet, and the rabbit on its side. It was still kicking like mad as if it believed it could run while laying sideways. I held it tight.

    Now what?

    I didn''t feel anything, but I tasted blood this time, unlike with the weasels. Did I have the power? Was this even a magic rabbit?

    I focused on my whiskers. Yes, this was a magic rabbit. I didn''t know if that meant the rabbit would always be magic if I stole its power or not, or I didn''t steal the power.

    If I successfully stole its power, I didn''t want to kill it. I thought that would be a bad idea. What if I needed to ask it how its powers worked?

    If I didn''t steal the power, then I wanted to keep trying. How could I find out?

    The rabbit was roughly the same size as me. I figured I could carry it back to the kids, but it could give me some trouble. And once I got it to them, I couldn''t really experiment with stealing powers without them wondering what I was up to.

    I hauled my prize away from the tripwire and partially set snare and put it down in a circle of trees. I held it firm with my front paws and peered in the direction of the meadow.

    I couldn''t see much, but from what I could hear Duvessa had fired a couple of arrows into the meadow, and Seth was blowing rather softly on the magic whistle. It was a very subtle ''stay'' command. I doubted it would sooth my prisoner, but it might.

    "Hey, man, calm down. I''m not going to hurt you," I said.

    The rabbit froze, eyes so wide I thought they''d pop out of its head, and it trembled like it was caught in an earthquake.

    "If I was going to hurt you, I''d have done it already. You''re safe, you''re alive, and you''re fine. Calm down, man. Talk to me."

    I think it died of a heart attack. The trembling stopped and the wildness left its eyes. It went completely limp under my paws.

    "You alright? Talk to me, man. I''ve got questions for you."

    Still no answer.

    Welp. This sucked. I repeated ''take its magic'' over and over in my head, and licked the rabbit''s bloody shoulder.

    I had no idea if it worked. Maybe it did. I wondered how to know what I took or how to activate it. Ugh. I may as well have taken nothing.

    I let go of the rabbit and sat back.

    "Look. I really hope you''re not dead. I didn''t mean to scare you to death. All I want is a conversation, okay?"

    I gave up. I was pretty sure I''d killed it, and I felt pretty bad about that. I hadn''t intended to.

    Then the rabbit jumped up, spotted me, thumped its hind foot and shot off faster than I could see. In a blink it was gone, until it bashed head first right into a tree and knocked itself silly.

    Nice! That thing was <i>fast</i>. What should I call these? Run Rabbits? Dash Bunnies? And with a simple thump and run.

    Well then. I could do that.

    I left the rabbit where it lay under the tree it attempted to bulldoze with its skull. I pointed myself in a better direction, one without large obstacles, and gave it a try. I thumped my rear paw and ran.

    And I ran as fast as normal.

    Fuck.

    I did not steal its power. I probably should have expected that, considering the rabbit still had its power.

    I turned around and watched the stunned rabbit squirm on the ground. It was pretty dazed and rattled.

    Twice, I''d tried to steal its power. The first time when I first caught it, and then here when I licked its blood¨Cwhich, incidentally, was not nearly as gross as I expected. It was actually tasty.

    That meant I was doing something wrong. It was also clear to me I hadn''t succeeded at stealing the weasel''s power.

    I thought back to when I swiped the chicken dodge. I had caught that chicken, I bit it, and I wanted the power. All three things I''d done here. Magic took intent. That should be enough, right? What was I missing?

    There wasn''t anything more that I could think of. I didn''t use any mana consciously. I didn''t try to activate anything. I was just thinking about how much I wanted the dodge.

    Was that it? I needed to know what power I wanted and was taking?

    The rabbit was sitting up now and looking around like it didn''t understand where it was. I figured I might as well try again.

    I walked back to the rabbit and pounced on it again. I thought about the dash power as I bit the rabbit again. I held on for just a moment, and let go.

    "Ahh, ahh, ahh," the rabbit panted at me. It was unsteady on its feet. "Liar!"

    I ignored it. I pointed myself in a safe direction and tried the thump and run again.

    Still normal. I spun around and dashed back to the rabbit.

    Damn thing screamed and thumped, but I caught it with one paw as it began its dash.

    A shiver passed from the rabbit through me and my whiskers positively vibrated. I recognized it as the feeling I had when I''d caught the chicken.

    I knew I had the power this time.

    I let the rabbit go. It thumped and ran. This time its run was no faster than a normal rabbit dash.

    I had stolen the power.

    Well, I guess that answers the question of whether that chicken still had its power. Wait a second, do I still have the chicken dodge?

    As quietly as I could, I bawked.

    Yup. Still worked.

    This was a delightfully productive trip. Not only did I gain a new power, but I now knew how it worked. And the new power didn''t activate with something ridiculous.

    I could only steal a power when it was in use. I didn''t need to bite my victim, I only needed physical contact at the time the skill was used. I bet I needed to see the power in use first before I could take it, and I needed to be specific about what I was taking.

    I went to check on my tripwire. Something had tripped up in it and completely scrambled my partially set snare, but it had kept going. No worries, I''d wait a few minutes. If another one came by, I''d catch that one for the kids.

    I could hear from the meadow that things were getting a bit exciting.

 103 - Feathered Grass

    Seth watched the feathered grass sway as dozens of rabbits moved about beneath the golden stalks. There was the faintest glitter to the soft grass heads.

    This circular meadow was directly over a sealed entrance to the Below, so the meadow grass was full of mana. A good number of the rabbits eating the magic grass would be magic beasts.

    Seth held Duvessa''s bow with an arrow nocked as he waited for the others to get in position. Right on time he got waves from Owen, Booth, and Duvessa. Blaise was a few moments later. He didn''t see anything from Mau, but decided not to wait.

    Duvessa sent her summons in. Seven long, thin snakes disappeared into the grass. Owen and Booth had catchpoles ready. Blaise had a loose net draped from her spear.

    Seth cast the Lure spell on an apple impaled on an arrow, and fired it into the grass near the others. He aimed for the area Duvessa''s summons were supposed to be.

    Immediately he pulled out the magic training whistle, and blew very softly. He focused on the rabbits and commanded them to be calm, and stay still.

    Mau complained when he blew hard on the whistle, so he was trying to be more subtle with the command. Magic beasts were unaffected, but he didn''t want to scare them with a loud whistle. Seth couldn''t hear it, so he''d have to judge his success based on how the rabbits reacted.

    The non-magic rabbits should stay still, and the magic rabbits should go to the Lure.

    And they did. He couldn''t see them clearly in the tall grass, but he guessed there were at least eight of them. They''d have all they needed if they could catch even half of the rabbits.

    Abruptly, the largest of the rabbits thumped a hind foot and dashed off faster than Seth could see. The others soon followed, but Duvessa''s summons had managed to sneak up on three. Long black snakes grabbed the rabbits and tangled them long enough for Owen and Booth to each grab one. Duvessa grabbed the third, but let go when it kicked her.

    "Ow!" Duvessa cried out as the rabbit bolted away. She jumped after it and into a bush.

    Most of the magic rabbits ran away from the humans, and towards the path Mau should have set traps already. The normal rabbits held still, until Seth needed to take a breath, and then they scattered too.

    "Don''t let go, no matter what," Owen said, struggling to get a better grip on the rabbit he''d caught and stuff its head through the loop of the catchpole. The shadow snake was still wrapped around it. "Buggers are fast. We got no chance of getting close again."

    "But it kicked me!" Duvessa said. "I didn''t know bunnies had claws. It scratched me and it hurt!"

    Blaise tried to head off a pair that headed for the trees in Mau''s direction. She wasn''t fast enough.

    "Use your summons, Duvessa! Slow them down!" Seth called down to her.

    The normal rabbits had scattered. Most of the magic ones had, too. Seth readied another Lure. If he could confuse or distract the rabbits before they left the meadow, or lure them back into it, the others might get another chance to grab one.

    Duvessa crawled out of the bush and glared at the tall grass with her hands on her hips. "I don''t know where it went! It''s hiding now and it still has my catchpole!"

    Seth nocked the Lure arrow and scanned the meadow. He thought one of the magic rabbits had paused at the edge of the forest, but he couldn''t see it anymore. He couldn''t see the one Duvessa had let go of either. Should he fire the lure next to the other one? Will that make the pull to that spot stronger? Or was he better off firing it near the trees, to pull back rabbits that had fled that way?

    "Duvessa!" Booth screamed.

    Seth pulled back on the arrow without thinking and his eyes snapped to Duvessa.

    Seth didn''t see anything and wondered why Booth was so panicked. Then he realized a large creature had crept out of the bush directly behind her.

    It was green, and blended perfectly with the bush behind it. If not for the fact that it had stepped into the yellow grass, Seth might never have spotted it. Its bulbous eyes and triangular head were tilted, as if it were trying to figure out what Duvessa was. It moved slowly as it crept out, but Seth knew how insanely fast a praying mantis could strike.

    This one was nearly human sized.

    Duvessa whirled around at Booth''s cry, some instinct warning her of where the danger was. She stood eye to eye with the giant insect known for eating its prey as it still lived. Duvessa froze.

    Owen threw his rabbit and pole at Booth and scrambled towards Duvessa, pulling his sword. There was no way he''d make it in time.

    Blaise charged also, shouting and waving the spear. She probably hoped to distract it.

    Seth fired the Lure arrow at it. The apple made the arrow flight short and inaccurate. He fumbled for another arrow briefly before dropping the bow and preparing a spell.

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    "Duvessa, run!" Booth yelled, still kneeling in the grass. "Don''t look at it!"

    The mantis'' arms snapped out faster than Seth could see. It grabbed Duvessa by the shoulder and jerked her towards it. Duvessa was screaming now, too.

    Reginald the Second descended on the mantis'' head like a meteor. He was nearly double in size, and the shadows around him twisted weirdly. The mantis let go of Duvessa to fend off Reginald. The shadow raven pecked the insect''s eyes and battered its head with his wings. The mantis struck out at the raven in retaliation.

    The moment Reginald broke Duvessa''s line of sight to the mantis, Duvessa scrambled away.

    Seth took an extra second to tighten his focus. He did not want to hit Reginald or Duvessa. He aimed a powerful Wind Blade at the body of the mantis and successfully struck. The spell cracked the carapace and sliced into the body.

    "Don''t look it in the eye!" Booth yelled.

    Owen was there an instant later, hacking at the monster with his sword from the side. He quickly severed both legs on that side and hacked at the crack that Seth had opened. The mantis couldn''t disengage from Reginald to meet the new threat.

    Once Blaise arrived too, they made short work of it.

    "Away from the bushes!" Blaise said as she backed up. "There might be more!"

    "Mantids are territorial," Seth called down. "There should only be that one. Once we move out a bit, there could be more though."

    "Good eye, Booth," Owen said. "I didn''t see it at all until you called it out."

    "Then get over here before I lose these things. If they keep kicking like this, one of us is going to have broken bones," Booth snapped. He was holding one of the rabbits by the hind legs and it was kicking viciously.

    "Are you all right?" Blaise asked, and crouched down to get a look at Duvessa''s injuries.

    "Ugh, what an ugly thing," Duvessa groaned. "I got poked and scratched, but nothing too deep, I think."

    Owen fretted behind Blaise, leaning over to see Duvessa for himself.

    "Owen!" Booth yelled. "Get over here! She''s fine! I''m not!" The rabbit he was holding by the feet had nearly escaped. Booth was barely hanging onto it by a single foot. He was kneeling on the other rabbit, but it was squirming aggressively.

    Seth scanned the meadow one more time from his vantage point before collecting Duvessa''s bow and walk-skidding down the outcropping. He jogged up to Booth and helped him and Owen get the two captured rabbits into a canvas bag.

    By the time they were done, Duvessa was on her feet and smoothing out her hair.

    "You okay?" Seth asked. "I can give you some healing if you need it."

    "I am fine. A few bruises will help me remember to stay alert," Duvessa said. She raised her arm and adjusted her coat. It had holes in the shoulder and a tear along the sleeve.

    "Are you sure? The guards your grandmother sent might have different opinions," Seth said. Honestly, she''d been lucky. If Reginald hadn''t done what he did¡­ "Actually, what happened with Reginald? He got way bigger and looked different."

    "You have a familiar, you don''t know?" Duvessa asked, looking at him from under her raised arm.

    Seth glanced in Mau''s direction. He spotted her sitting calmly at the meadow''s edge, looking at the dead mantis. "I don''t. Should I?"

    "It''s a feature of familiars to gain mana and power when their master is in danger or very frightened. The familiar will jump to protect their master in whatever way they can. It''s one of the reasons Nana is fine with our adventures. She knows Reginald is looking out for me," Duvessa explained. She sighed at the damaged sleeve and lowered her arm.

    "Reginald didn''t do any of that during Chicky-Chicky," Seth said. He didn''t see any blood on Duvessa''s clothes. Maybe it was just bruises and a torn coat.

    "He was outside. I don''t know if he did or not. Mau defended us though." Duvessa nodded her head firmly.

    "Yeah, she did. She didn''t get bigger or anything though." Seth plucked one of the feathered stalks of grass. "And I don''t think she got more mana or anything."

    "Reginald the Second is a summons. A special one, but still a summons. Of course his reaction was more apparent." Duvessa watched him shred the feathered grass. "Should we keep any of this? There''s mana here, yes?"

    "Please don''t eat the magic grass, Duvessa," Blaise said with a sigh.

    "Mau, did you catch any?" Seth called out.

    She cocked her head, considering, and then shook it. Seth interpreted that as an ''almost''.  He probably hadn''t given her enough time to get set up.

    Well, two wasn''t bad. Seth glanced up at the sky. "We have a choice. We can leave this meadow and back up a ways, and see if the rabbits come back in half an hour or so, or we need to start back."

    "Do you think the rabbits will come back?" Blaise asked. "I figured they''d be gone for good."

    Seth twirled the grass. "This is magic. It has mana in it, and the rabbits need that to become magic beasts. They''ll be back. I just don''t know if it''ll be today. They might stay away for a few days."

    Booth walked up as they were talking, Owen just a step behind.

    "They won''t be back today," Owen said. "At least not before we gotta go."

    "Okay," Seth agreed. "We''ll take one more good look around and make sure the rabbit Duvessa almost caught isn''t hung up on anything, and we''ll head back. I think we might be a bit late as it is."

    They were a bit late, but the guards didn''t scold them. They put the rabbits together in a cage and headed to Laureli.

    It was dusk when they arrived at the thorny hedge that surrounded the village. Sturdy wooden gates would be closed after full dark, but for now were open and unmanned. The road through was paved with stones, unusual for such a small village. Beside the gates on either end of the village were covered lookout towers. There was no one manning them now.

    Laureli was part waypoint, part crossroads, and mostly a farming village. There were about a hundred houses in the village proper, along with a blacksmith, general store, leather worker, and other individual artisan shops.

    The carriage rolled through unimpeded and stopped beside the barn of the only inn in the village. The woman guard hopped down and headed inside.

    "Where is Thurstan''s place? Is it close to town?" Blaise asked quietly.

    "The Lord''s place is down that road." Seth pointed west. "About a half hour walk. Mariglade is that way." Seth pointed north east through the town.

    "You won''t be going to either," the male guard said just as quietly, and smiled politely at Blaise''s startled expression.

    "We''ll be staying here," the woman guard told the kids as she walked out of the inn a few minutes later. "There''s room, so it''ll be boys in one room, girls in the other."

    "Excellent! I''m famished. Let''s go eat," Duvessa declared and marched inside.

 104 - A Couple of People

    Seth paused at the entrance and looked around. The place was familiar, homey, and uncomfortable all at once.

    The main room was spacious, with a merry fire heating the far end. The bar had a half dozen stools filled with boisterous patrons. Some tables were occupied by locals, and a few more by travelers.

    Seth recognized one of the travelers. It was Hugh, Arnold''s friend. One of the jerks that Mau had turned yellow during the first Combat Class.

    The serving girl rattled off what dinner options were available in a disinterested monotone as she pointed the group to a table.

    "Yes! Meat pies are delicious," Duvessa declared as she sat down at the offered table. "Everyone wants some, yes?" Duvessa gazed around at the others.

    "Depends on who''s paying," Booth said, choosing a seat near the wall.

    "Nana is paying."

    "Then count me in," Booth said, brightening. "Beer too."

    Seth made a face at the mention of beer. "Water for me, please." He had no intention of ever drinking alcohol here again.

    "Baby," Booth sniggered.

    Seth glared back but didn''t want to explain or justify his choice. It would open up too many avenues for questions.

    "It''s fine if he doesn''t like beer. I don''t like it either," Duvessa said. "I''ll have tea, please," she said to the serving girl who rolled her eyes.

    "That it?" the girl asked. "Pies all around, pot o'' tea, water, and one beer?"

    Owen looked at Booth like he was considering ordering beer too, but the girl walked away before he''d made up his mind.

    Seth glanced under the table, but didn''t see where Mau had gone. He figured she''d wander back when the food arrived. Reginald the Second stayed outside with Reginald the First.

    Duvessa talked about needing a tailor, and Blaise mentioned wanting a look around. Seth tuned them out and watched the people in the inn.

    He recognized many of them. The innkeeper was a cheerful old man with no respect for personal space and a fondness for his own brews. He had his arms around two patrons sitting on stools at the bar and was singing off-key with them.

    There were two servers. One was the innkeeper''s wife, and she was just as fond of brews as her husband. She was chatting with a group of locals and had pulled over a chair to join their table.

    The other server was their granddaughter, who''d just taken their order. She was brusque and standoffish a year ago, and by the looks of it, nothing had changed. If anything, she was even more surly and temperamental.

    The last time Seth was here, the innkeeper''s son was the cook. Seth assumed that was probably still the case, though he could neither see nor hear into the kitchen.

    If Benjamin had accomplices here, it was most likely one of those four. Seth nearly snorted aloud. It could be all of them, honestly.

    There was also the possibility he and his brother had been taken elsewhere after passing out. That meant it could be someone else, like one of the other patrons.

    The people present were most of the same people who were there the night Saben''s power theft happened.

    The table the innkeeper''s wife sat at was populated by local farmers. They came in a couple of times a week, as Seth recalled. Another table had the town blacksmith and a couple of other artisans. Seth couldn''t hear the whole conversation, but they seemed to be bashing one of their suppliers.

    Another table had the village grandmothers at it. There were six of them and four wine bottles on the table already. Mau was under their table with her ears pointed up, very interested in whatever she was hearing.

    Then there were the strangers. There were several travelers present tonight, one of which was Hugh. He was talking with three people Seth thought might be traveling merchants.

    Seth hadn''t had many interactions with him since the day Hugh caused problems in Combat Class and Mau dumped yellow ink on him. But that didn''t mean Hugh didn''t still hate him. Like he sensed Seth''s stare, he met Seth''s gaze with an angry glare.

    Seth immediately dropped his gaze. This wasn''t the time or place to provoke Hugh into making a scene. It would make finding the truth harder if the locals saw Seth as a troublemaker, even if all the trouble was caused by Hugh. Seth didn''t want to jeopardize his goals over something stupid.

    Hugh was an asshole, but Seth was glad he was here. It meant Arnold was taking Seth''s information seriously. Beyond that, Seth didn''t care about him one way or the other.

    That led to another uncomfortable thought. If Seth wanted to know what happened here, he needed to talk to these people. And he couldn''t just straight up ask ''Hey, do you know if anyone is stealing magic talents?''

    What kinds of things could he ask about that would get people talking about magic? Something that wouldn''t be blatant or tactless.

    The serving girl thunked a stack of plates and a pitcher of water with enough force to slosh water all over the table and startled Seth out of his thoughts. She marched right back into the kitchen without a word and came back a moment later with a teapot, a mug of beer, and a heaping plate of little pies.

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    Duvessa cheerfully passed out plates and ignored the puddle on the table. Owen dipped his plate in the puddle and flicked droplets at Booth.

    "I was thinking," Duvessa said. "Once we''re done eating, we can¨C"

    "Stay right here," the woman guard said as she walked up to their table. Her male counterpart was with her. "You are not to leave the thorn hedge without one of us. You are to stay here, and stay out of trouble." She snagged a meat pie from the plate. "You''ve got rooms upstairs already."

    "Ugh. What time do we leave tomorrow?" Duvessa asked.

    "It''ll be in the afternoon. We have a few things to do here, but one of us will be available to you, always. And Reginald the First will be making sure you don''t sneak off, so don''t even think about it." She looked at the pie in her hand. "These are good."

    Seth agreed, they were good. They were just the right amount of spicy and had been Saben''s favorite.

    After everyone finished, they split up. Duvessa and Blaise wandered out into the town to ''look for a tailor''. Booth followed after one of the traveling merchants, and Owen headed to the barn to check on the rabbits. Seth headed over to the table with the blacksmith and other artisans.

    Seth started by asking about a tailor in town, taking that cue from the girls, and then asked about the ogres. That led to some interesting discussions, with most of the artisans insisting that the ogres would never come near town, and weren''t actually much of a threat. One of the grandmothers at the next table started yelling that ogres don''t eat drunk people because alcohol was poison to them, and offered Seth wine.

    While the conversations were entertaining and lively, Seth left disappointed that he hadn''t found out anything useful. And if those grandmothers knew anything, they were all sloshed enough to have told him everything. Seth decided the artisans probably didn''t know anything either. If they did, Seth wasn''t skilled enough to trick them into telling him about it.

    Mau made rounds. She listened and wandered under every table, and even walked along the bar at one point, sniffing everyone''s drinks, and letting the patrons pet her. Seth was surprised she didn''t steal anyone''s meal, including his.

    Seth decided to head outside and take a look around town before it got too late. Once outside, Mau jumped up on his shoulder and draped herself there. She was steadily getting too big to sit or stand comfortably on his shoulder, but she could still sprawl.

    Outside, Seth was surprised to discover the little village had magical lights. Those were new since the last time he''d stayed there.

    There were still people wandering around even though it was full dark, because of the magical lights. There were poles down the main road, and spotlights on the two watchtowers at either end of the town. It wasn''t a lot, but it was enough.

    The gates were shut for the night. Seth spotted Reginald the First perched on the southern one.

    The first thing Seth did was walk around the inn. He wasn''t sure what he was looking for, but he figured it would be nearby.

    When he didn''t find anything he could point to and say ''There, that''s suspicious,'' he decided to take a look around the town and see if anything interesting turned up. Seth turned off the main road and walked along the track beside the thorn hedge that circled the outer edge of town. It was darker here, but his eyes quickly adjusted to the gloom.

    He hadn''t gone far when he saw a teenager, probably his own age, cleaning wooden handled tools in a bucket of water then drying them and laying them on a tray. There were a number of sheds behind the building with racks of hides stretching. The building stank of blood, rot, and chemicals.

    The boy continued his chores as he watched Seth approach.

    "Yer cat has a mighty fine coat," the boy said. "That a pet, or a familiar?"

    "She''s my familiar," Seth answered, absently lifting his hand to stroke Mau.

    The boy nodded and stared a few more moments as he put the last of his tools on the tray. Then he picked up the bucket and walked towards Seth.

    He stopped at a ditch next to the thorn hedge, only a few inches from Seth. "Don''t be out alone," the boy whispered as he dumped his bucket in the ditch near the hedge. "It''s not safe."

    "What do you know?" Seth demanded quietly. "Who''s doing it?"

    Surprised, the boy shook his head. "I didn''t say nothing. Just, don''t." He didn''t say anything else or respond at all to Seth''s questions as he collected his tools and went inside.

    Mau hopped down and swished her tail. She looked back at Seth.

    "Yeah. That''s proof to me it happened here. Not that I really doubted it."

    ''That?'' Mau asked, and tilted her head at the tannery.

    Seth was uncomfortable with the idea. On one hand, the boy had warned him, so he couldn''t be that bad. On the other, he''d commented on Mau''s coat as a tannery employee, and since he knew enough to warn Seth, he could be involved or related to people who were.

    "I don''t like it, Mau."

    The cat scoffed.

    "You''re going to look around anyway, aren''t you?"

    She nodded.

    "Then why did you ask?"

    She signed ''Good do,'' followed by her no vocabulary circle, and then a new sign.

    "Act good? Manners? Polite? Is that what you mean? Yeah, okay. At least you pretend to care about my opinion. Good kitty. Be careful, okay?"

    His familiar sauntered off with her tail high and the tip bent. In seconds she''d disappeared into the darkness.

    He should try to meet up with one of the others if he was going to take the boy''s advice. As Seth recalled, Owen had stayed at the inn to look after the rabbits they''d caught, the girls had gone together, and Booth was on his own. Instead of continuing along the hedge track, Seth cut back to the main road and looked for his friend.

    It was a small village, and it didn''t take long to find Booth. He was standing outside a large stone building. The windows were covered with wooden shutters and no lights shone under the door. Seth guessed it was a meeting hall or public building as it didn''t look like anyone lived there and it was far too big to be a home.

    "You look pissed. What happened?" Seth said as he approached.

    "I was fucking robbed." Booth glanced around and continued quietly. "I brought some stuff to sell. This place has lights and shit, stuff the neighborhoods in Rosia don''t have, so I figured there''s people with money around, you know? And someone fucking swiped it."

    "That sucks, man." Seth tried to sound sympathetic. It was hard. Everything Booth wanted to sell was stolen, so someone stealing from him didn''t really bother Seth. "What do you want to do now?"

    "Nothing left to do. There''s nothing here. Anything we''d be interested in is up that road, and Duvessa''s babysitters aren''t letting us go. I already tried to slip past, too. I''m thinking this is a bust."

    "I''m not so sure." Seth gestured to the light pole in front of the meeting house and leaned against a fencepost. "How does a little farming village have the money or magic for stuff like that?" he asked quietly. "The people here are mostly farmers. Sure they get some money from travelers, but they aren''t trading here. Everyone is on their way to Rosia or Mariglade. And," Seth turned to look at the meetinghouse again as he dropped his voice even more, "I was warned not to be out alone."

    Booth stuffed his hands in his pockets looked around as he and Seth considered the peaceful village. Only a handful people were out. Most were chatting on porches, but a few wandered the street on their way home.

    "You''re right. There''s a couple of people that keep glancing at us," Booth said.

    Seth hadn''t thought the whole town was involved. He thought it would be just a couple of people. But that opinion was shifting. "I think we should get a better look inside the inn."

 105 - Brilliant

    Booth eyed the two double beds in their room. "I''m not sharing."

    Seth and Booth had been wandering the inn until the innkeeper''s wife had ushered them to their room. It wasn''t a bad room. It was clean, had the two beds, and a side table with a pitcher of water and a basin. There was a trunk at the foot of one bed, and a small table at the foot of the other.

    "I don''t care," Owen said. He was already in the room when they''d arrived and was sprawled diagonally across one of the beds. "I''ll share or not. I''ll even sleep on the floor."

    "I thought you''d be used to sharing a bed," Seth said. He''d noticed there was only a single bed in the basement Booth shared with his siblings. That, and piles of blankets on the floor.

    "Just because I''ve done it plenty before doesn''t mean I want to keep doing it. You two can share." Booth stepped past the beds and examined the floor by the wall, and then scanned the ceiling.

    "You don''t get to decide that," Seth said. "We can flip for it if you want, but you don''t get to decide who gets what." He opened the trunk and pulled out the blankets inside.

    Booth snorted. "And you do?"

    "Of course not. Like I said, we can flip for it or draw straws or whatever."

    "No sharing necessary! I''ll take the floor," Owen said, raising his hand. "These beds are short anyway. I just need a blanket."

    "Is the girls'' room bigger?" Booth asked.

    Seth lightly tapped the bottom of the trunk and felt along the edges at the bottom before replacing the blankets. "I stayed in their room the last time I was here. It has two skinny beds and the room is smaller. I''m just glad we don''t have to share with a fourth." After closing the trunk he crouched down to look under the beds.

    It was common for inns and similar places to rent by bed space rather than room. This room had four bed spaces, so the innkeeper could rent out the fourth spot. When the inn was very crowded, they could rent three to a bed. For the boys to have a room to themselves was a small luxury.

    "Do we get one of Duvessa''s babysitters?" Booth asked.

    "They have a room together," Owen said and sat up. "Are the girls back?"

    "Yeah, I heard them earlier," Seth said.

    "This room lines up with the kitchen," Booth said, turning away from the walls and facing the other boys. "If the girls are directly across the hall, their room lines up with the kitchen storage. We should head over there."

    Seth opened the door and glanced either way down the empty hall before crossing to the girls'' room. Duvessa jerked the door open before he could raise his fist to knock.

    "Oh! Perfect, here you are," Duvessa said as she waved the boys in.

    Owen plopped down on the bed next to Blaise.

    "Of course. Make yourself at home," Blaise said sarcastically as she stood to make space for him.

    "Thanks, I appreciate that," Owen said and stretched out. "These beds are as short as the ones in our room."

    Duvessa closed her door behind them and locked it. "Is your room bigger? It''s really crowded with everyone in here. I don''t like it."

    Even with Owen sprawled on a bed there was hardly room for the other four to stand in the room. Two narrow beds and a table between them were the only furniture in the room and yet the room was painfully cramped.

    Duvessa put her hands on her hips as she looked around and dropped her voice. "I have looked everywhere. I can''t find anything suspicious. Are you sure this is where your brother lost his power?"

    "This had better not be a wasted trip," Blaise said.

    "It isn''t wasted, Blaise. I got most of what I needed already," Booth said. "This is the room you and your brother stayed in last time, Seth?"

    "It is, and yes I am sure," Seth said. He squatted to see under the beds. "And I was warned just a little bit ago not to be alone. Whatever they''re doing, it''s happening here."

    Booth started scanning the floor along the blank wall, then ran his hands over the paneling.

    "What are you two looking for?" Owen asked, and leaned up on one elbow.

    "I think it''s here," Booth said, running his hand over a single panel on the wall. "I just can''t figure out how to open it." He took a step back and scanned the ceiling. "Could you see if there''s any illusions here?"

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    Seth closed his eyes and listened to what the wind said about the shape of the room. The air was still and the wind didn''t have much to say, so he cast Detect Mana instead. "I''m not picking up anything. As near as I can tell it''s a normal room, and there''s no magic nearby."

    "Magic? What are you looking for?" Duvessa asked.

    "You think there''s a secret door," Blaise guessed.

    Booth nodded. "It makes sense. Seth and I mapped out the inn and the rooms don''t line up quite right. It could be the next room over, but if you and your brother were staying in this room then I''d say it has to be here. I''m betting there are stairs down on the other side of this wall."

    "Secrets! How exciting. We just need a key!" Duvessa said, grasping her hands so she wouldn''t clap them.

    Booth looked at Duvessa a moment. "Sometimes I can''t figure out if you''re brilliant or something else. I''ll go get the innkeeper''s key ring."

    "Of course I''m brilliant," Duvessa said as if surprised he could doubt it.

    Booth shook his head as he left the room. He was back just minutes later with a huge key ring that held a least fifty keys.

    "Booth, I don''t think that''s the right set," Owen said. "There aren''t that many doors in this building. I dunno if there are that many in this whole town."

    Booth started flipping through the keys. The others stood watching him.

    "This is agonizing," Duvessa said. "I want to take that and look through them myself."

    "That''d be pointless. You''d have to go through the ones he''s already checked," Blaise said.

    "I think it''s one of these," Booth said a few minutes later, flipping through a small handful on the big ring. "These aren''t regular keys. These work like the school sigils do for the Towers." One by one he touched them to the wall. On the fourth key, a narrow door pushed into the wall.

    "Why didn''t your Detect Mana sense that?" Owen asked Seth.

    "Because I wasn''t casting it directly at the lock. The wall isn''t magic, and the lock isn''t leaking strong mana. There wasn''t enough to pick up." Seth said and shrugged. "It''s only a cantrip. I''d need a stronger, more specific spell to detect stuff like that."

    "You might not even then," Booth said. "There are more than the lock sigils here. Though if they''ve got magical locks, I wonder why they didn''t use dimension magic to hide the space."

    "Probably power," Seth said. "The towers are all expanded but they are getting fueled. This place doesn''t have a strong mana source and the cost of stones to fuel a permanent dimensional space would be outrageous."

    Booth turned and held the key up so the others could see which one it was. "This key gets us in, so it''ll probably get us out too. We need to be very quiet."

    "Can I look at those keys?" Seth asked.

    Booth handed the ring over and pulled a stone out of his pocket. After turning it into a lightstone he held it up and crept down a very steep and narrow spiral staircase. The girls were right after him, followed by Owen. Seth listened for a moment, and then felt for where Mau was. She was a little ways off, and feeling irritated and bored. She hadn''t returned to the inn yet. Satisfied she was fine, Seth touched the key to the door and it closed behind him.

    Seth was too far away from Booth''s light to see in the tight space, so he lit his amulet. He passed another hidden door on the first floor and kept going down until he reached a large basement chamber where the others were fanned out. Booth handed Blaise another lightstone.

    "This is further down than the regular basement," Booth said quietly and held his light aloft. "We''re in a sub basement right now."

    The walls and floor were stone, and the room was more than twice the size of one of the bedrooms upstairs. Black cloth hung on all the walls, making the chamber darker and deadening sound in the room. Seth could see iron hooks embedded in the ceiling and more swaths of cloth draped overhead. There were patterns and discolorations on the floor. It smelled strongly of vinegar and salt.

    Seth tried to remember this room, but couldn''t. But if he and Booth were right, this was where Saben''s power was taken and given to Seth. He spotted a set of manacles hanging from one of the hooks and imagined Saben hanging there. Seth felt sick and angry at the thought.

    Stay focused, he told himself. He walked to the center and examined the floor more closely. He was relieved to find the discolorations didn''t look like blood.

    "This is a ritual diagram," Seth whispered to the others. "They''ve cleaned up the materials, but you can see where it all was. Look there. It was linked to something too. This is shaped similar to the familiar ritual."

    "Yeah. I think I do remember something like that," Blaise said quietly. "I think they did do a ritual on me. I remember someone casting something."

    "Do you remember this room?" Duvessa asked glancing over at Blaise as she pulled paper and ink out of her bag.

    "I don''t," Blaise said as she stared at the hooks in the ceiling.

    "They need to do a ritual to take powers," Seth said, still looking at the remnants of the ritual on the floor. "That''s good news. That means they can''t just touch an artifact to you and whoosh, power gone."

    "Do you think there is an artifact?" Owen asked. "Or do you think they figured out a ritual that can do it?"

    Everyone looked at each other.

    "Well that''s horrifying," Blaise said. "If it''s just a ritual, then anyone can do it to anyone else if they learn how."

    "I do think there is an artifact involved," Seth said. "A familiar ritual needs a soul orb. This ritual looks like it might be similar, and this here¡ª" he pointed to what might have been a small star shape¡ª"looks like where the orb would go in the familiar ritual. There is some type of artifact or something that they need to do this. It''s more than just a spell."

    "Can you hold your light higher, please, Seth? I''d like to get a good copy of this," Duvessa said.

    Seth complied, and the copies Duvessa made didn''t look anything like her typical artwork. She accurately and completely captured the detail on the floor, and what the chamber looked like.

    "There are no chests or storage here," Blaise said. "Where do you think the artifact is?"

    "They took it with them," Booth said. "Someone has it if it''s not here."

    "Do you think they''d carry it through the inn?" Seth asked.

    "That would depend on how big it is," Booth said. "But I see your point. Someone looking for magic can usually find something as strong as an artifact pretty easy." He looked at the cloth covered walls. "I suppose they had one secret door, there might be more."

    Everyone spread out to look behind the black cloth. Blaise got irritated and yanked at one of the cloth panels.

    "Don''t rip it down," Booth said. "They''ll know someone was here."

    "So? We''re not leaving this place like this," Blaise said.

    "Why wouldn''t we?" Seth asked. "We haven''t found the artifact yet. We know it happens here, but we don''t have what they use to do it."

    "I don''t care. We stop them here," Blaise said as she reached up to grab the hanging manacles. "See this? I''m not letting this stay. I''m gonna burn this place to the ground."

 106 - Burn It to the Ground

    "I''m gonna burn this place to the ground," Blaise declared quietly, and stared challengingly at the others.

    Seth lifted his amulet to shine light on the creepy room as he considered what Blaise said. He hated fire. He hated the dreams he had of the mansion burning. Thankfully they weren''t often anymore, but they still scared him. He wanted to be that confident guy that wasn''t bothered by stuff.

    Saben was able to keep his head in a crisis, and even when things had gone completely to shit, Saben could get up and keep going, and keep Seth going too. Seth wanted to be like that.

    So what would Saben do? That was easy. He''d burn it to the ground and not think twice.

    Seth found the idea of the black fabric going up in flames, the whole inn a raging inferno, terrifying. But this wouldn''t be like the mansion fire. He wasn''t going to be inside it. He wouldn''t be setting it either. Blaise would want to.

    It was just that little bit of distance. He wanted to be more than a scared kid, more than a sandbag or victim, so he would use that little bit of distance and try to act like his brother.

    If by burning this place all the misery caused to himself, Saben, and Blaise went up in smoke, then that would be awesome. This was a strike back. This would be saving future victims. Firming his resolve, he answered.

    "Yeah," Seth said quietly. "I like that idea." After he said it he was surprised to find he meant it.

    Owen vehemently shook his head. "We can''t do that. There are people sleeping upstairs. I won''t be burning up innocent people because they''re sleeping in the wrong place." He spoke just as quietly as Seth.

    He was right. And now that Owen said it, Seth was surprised the fact that arson was wrong never crossed his mind. When had his moral compass gone so far askew?

    Trapping random people in a burning building wasn''t something Saben would do, or Seth could do. Destroying this place would be satisfying, but not at that cost. And there would be consequences. Seth realized he was so focused on overcoming being afraid, he wasn''t thinking straight.

    "I want this place gone," Blaise insisted. "We burn it to ash."

    "We could wait until after breakfast then," Duvessa said. "The pies were yummy. I want to see what they cook next. And it''ll be no trouble for people to evacuate in the morning."

    "Someone is going to see us burning the place down when everyone is up and wandering around," Booth pointed out. "Then we get busted and the fire gets put out."

    "So we think this through," Seth said. The key ring he held rattled as he lowered his amulet. "We want to destroy this place. So what happens if we light those, well they''re not curtains, but the black fabric things on fire? We light them and they start to burn. This room fills with smoke and we leave. There''s no wood in here, and the ceiling is stone. Once those burn, then what? The smoke goes up the stairs and lets everyone know there''s a fire?"

    "The stairs could burn," Blaise said. "That could light the rest of the inn."

    "What if the stairs light up while we''re still on them?" Owen asked. "We need to get through that skinny door and the spiral stairs are really tight. Fire is fast. I don''t want to be trapped down here."

    "Yeah, that''s risky," Seth agreed, suppressing a shudder. There was no way he was doing that. "So, lighting it from down here is a bad idea. So, say we light it from one of our rooms instead? After breakfast tomorrow? What happens then?" Not that he''d be doing that one either.

    "Whoever lights it has to get outside," Duvessa said. "But everyone else could be outside already."

    "And hopefully none of the other guests are sleeping in tomorrow," Owen said darkly.

    "And no one sees us set the fire, or we all get blamed," Booth added.

    Seth agreed. "There''s lots of risks. But say we succeed. The inn burns, and we don''t get caught. What then?"

    "I don''t care. This place would be gone," Blaise said.

    Seth could see the appeal of that kind of thinking. Things wouldn''t end there though.

    "I imagine the town would put out the fire," Duvessa said, tapping her lip. The motion sent weird shadows through the room since she was holding a lightstone in that hand. "The whole inn probably won''t burn."

    "There would be all the burnt pieces on top of this room. Nobody would find it for weeks," Owen said.

    "And if they did find this room, what is there to find?" Seth asked. "It''s just an empty storage room." As much as he hated that this wasn''t going to work, he was also relieved. Fire wasn''t the way.

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    "But it''s not just a storage room," Blaise argued. "They did things here!"

    "And they can do those things somewhere else," Seth said. "We haven''t found the artifact they''re using. If they''re even using one. Burning this place down would hide what they''ve been doing. It helps them more than it does us."

    Blaise turned away and with a muttered curse she punched the stone wall. Then she cradled her fist and cursed some more.

    "We need to think about what we want to have happen," Seth said. "We want these people stopped. We want the powers returned." He dragged the toe of his boot across the marks on the floor. "What''s the best way to get that? Should we confront the innkeeper? Make him confess?"

    Booth chuckled darkly and his accent thickened. "We drag him out of bed, give ''im a bit o'' a beating, and tell ''im to own up? Say he does? ''Yup, right-o young sirs! I been messing wit'' the clients ''ere.'' Then what?"

    "We turn him over to the authorities," Owen said.

    "Like they''d do anything," Booth said bitterly.

    "Someone has to," Blaise said, turning back around.

    "Who is the authority here?" Seth said. "Thurstan, right? Booth''s right that he won''t do anything. We ourselves can''t take it any higher. And if we could, say we managed to talk to the Count, are we sure that Thurstan is as high as it goes?"

    "That''s bad. It sounds like we can''t do anything," Owen said.

    "I can," Duvessa said confidently. "I can take it higher. At least, Nana can. She can do something here."

    "All right, say we do that," Seth said. "Say we get the two guards down here and show them what''s going on. What then?"

    "They''d believe us," Owen said. "It''s here." He waved at the marks on the floor and the hooks in the ceiling.

    "Nana isn''t going to let this go," Duvessa said. "We can trust her."

    "I can tell Brand, too. If he knows, and tells the rest of my family, things will happen." Blaise looked up at the ceiling. "This place will burn, even if it isn''t me that does it."

    "That doesn''t mean we do nothing," Seth said. "There''s a reason this room was built. It isn''t new."

    "Smuggling, probably," Booth said.

    Seth gestured at the narrow spiral stairs. "There''s no way people move cargo up and down those stairs. Maybe a crate or two at a time, but not whole wagon loads. They didn''t move cargo through here."

    "Some other purpose then?" Duvessa suggested. "Secret rituals? Magic experiments?"

    "Why not use a room in the regular basement for that? No, I think Booth is right, and this was used for smuggling, but not for cargo. I think they used this to get to somewhere else unseen. I think he''s right that there''s another door here somewhere," Seth said.

    "Another secret door!" Duvessa said excitedly and clapped her hands.

    "Shush!" Hissed Booth and Seth.

    "Oh, right. Sorry," Duvessa said, her voice whisper soft again. "I''ll search this wall."

    "I don''t like those hooks in the ceiling," Owen said. "Y''all fine if I mess them up some?"

    "Do it," Blaise said. "What am I looking for to find a door?"

    "Lines on the floor or ceiling where the door swings are the easiest thing to spot, but they''ll be faint. You can also look for seams, or listen to the sound the wall makes when you tap it. I don''t suggest tapping down here, though. We don''t want company," Booth said. "Sometimes just feeling it is enough to notice a difference, but that''s a lot harder."

    Booth, Blaise, and Duvessa each took a wall and pulled the black drapes out of the way. Booth made more light stones as the ones he''d already made faded. Owen cast Soften Stone on the ceiling blocks the hooks were drilled into, and then wiggled each hook to loosen it without pulling it out entirely.

    "I reckon the best I can do is give the next poor soul in here a fighting chance," Owen explained.

    Seth examined the wall with the staircase, but decided the chances of the secret door being there were small. Rather than double up on a wall one of the others was searching, he instead looked through the keys on the enormous key ring.

    Most of the keys were normal iron keys, the kind used to lock doors or trunks. A handful were sigil keys, like the one Booth had used to open the secret door upstairs. Seth took the sigil keys one by one and touched them to each of the walls to no effect.

    Another small batch were ornate keys, made of silver or brass. As he was looking through those he noticed a pecular iron key mixed into that group. What was unusual about that key was it had symbols embossed into the blade. If he hadn''t been looking closely, he''d have never noticed them.

    Seth figured this was a disguised sigil key, as he thought the tiny symbols were actually sigils. He looked closer and recognized the first symbol near the bow. It was the same symbol as the one inside the second bead of his bracelet.

    He stared at the key and wondered what the meaning of the symbol was. The connection was clear to him though. And now he had physical proof of Benjamin''s involvement. Slipping the key off the ring was not as simple or as quick as he would have liked, but he got it done.

    "Any luck?" Seth asked the others quietly.

    Duvessa sighed and slumped. "No. I was hoping to be the one to find it too."

    "I didn''t find anything either," Booth said. "There might not be anything here."

    Seth handed the ring of keys to Booth. "You''ll need to get these back. Before we head up, I want to try this one." He touched the iron key along each of the walls. When he touched it to the far corner, a jagged door opened.

    "I swear I looked there," Blaise said.

    "It makes sense that these would be magically locked too," Booth said. "We probably should''ve tried the keys first, then."

    "I want to look first! Please don''t be a dead end, please don''t be a dead end," Duvessa chanted softly as she stepped through the door. "It''s not a dead end! It''s long and straight, and I can''t see anything after that. We should follow it."

    "Do we put the curtains back like they were, or do we want them to know we were here?" Owen asked.

    "Put them back," Blaise said, smoothing out the curtain beside her. "I want them shocked and surprised when the hammer comes down on them."

    "Do we get your babysitters now, Duvessa, or after we search that tunnel?" Booth asked.

    "Now would probably be better," Seth said. "They can see this with us."

    There was a faint thump from up the stairs.

    "Someone''s coming!" Booth hissed. He grabbed Blaise, dragging her with him. "Into the tunnel! Fast! Lights out!"

    They all scrambled into the tunnel and Seth pulled the curtain across before closing and locking the door. Once it was shut he put out his amulet light. Booth grabbed Duvessa''s lightstone and both hers and his winked out.

    "How are we going to sneak away in pitch darkness?" Duvessa asked.

    "Shush, I can hear them," Seth said. "There''s more than one person."