Calum sat up quickly and gasped for air. Raindrops battered him from above and he had to wipe his eyes. Fear settled deep into his mind as he scrambled to his feet. He looked around, but all he found was a thick tangle of bushes, vines and tree trunks. He realized now why the rain hit him so hard. Large drops splattered against the dense foliage, pooled, then spilled out in streams. One of which was repeatedly filling, then dumping onto him.
He couldn’t make sense of it. How had he even gotten here? The last thing he remembered was… was… he couldn’t remember anything but his identity. He looked around for somewhere to get cover, and his heart stopped when he found the spot. There, at the base of a large tree, sat a woman. She was breathing hard, though Calum could tell she was doing her best to remain still. She looked several years older than Calum, and something about her tickled his memory. He tried to bring that memory to the surface, but found himself unable.
“Are you alright!?” Calum called out, but the woman gave no sign that she heard him. He moved closer and saw that she held something tightly to her chest.
“Hello? I said, are you alright?” Still, no response. She didn’t even seem to notice him. He came closer to her and saw that she was carrying a strange box with flowers. Calum felt drawn to it, though he couldn’t say why. Something inside of him told him that the box was important, but why? He slowly reached out to grab it, then paused and waved his hand in front of the woman’s eyes.
She looked scared. He could see that now, but she still seemed to stare straight through his hand. Suddenly, he heard a deafening roar not far off, the sound was so loud he had to cover his ears. Looking back to the woman, he saw she now clutched the flower box even tighter. Calum stumbled back and looked for the source of the roar.
Somewhere behind him in the thick tangle of plants he could hear twigs snapping and vines ripping. Whatever it was, it sounded fast. The sound suddenly stopped, and Calum froze in place. He strained to listen, but could only hear the constant patter of rain.
Without notice, a bear the size of two pluma jumped at him from his left. He braced for impact, but instead of plowing him to the ground, the beast passed straight through him. He felt tingles as his body morphed into a cloud of dark blue smoke, then reformed. Like the woman, the bear seemed to have no idea that he existed. It stomped around, clearly looking for something, but completely ignored him.
Calum watched in horror as the bear moved closer to the woman sitting under the tree. He hadn’t noticed before, but she had moved. The flower box now lay at her side and she held what looked like a piece of a thorny vine with her left hand. She looked like she was going to try to use it to fight the bear when suddenly she slapped it to her wrist. The vine seemed to come to life, wrapping around her arm in a strangely fluid motion. She screamed in pain and the bear charged.
The next series of events unfolded in a blink of an eye. Calum fully expected the woman to be caught by the bear’s large claws, but she avoided them by sliding underneath the beast. Holding the flower box in one hand, she looked up into the canopy and jumped. Strangely, when her feet left the ground, she flew, soaring up through the canopy and out of sight. Without hesitation, the bear ran after her.
Calum was suddenly very alone. With all the excitement, he’d forgotten his predicament. Now that the woman and bear were gone he didn’t know what to do with himself. He started to move into some cover when a thick wall of dark smoke emerged from the forest before him. With no other option, he followed the bear’s path.
Even with the bear trampling the plants in front of him, Calum struggled to stay upright as the curling smoke behind him seemed to be gaining speed. After a few minutes, the forest opened up into a clearing where a large black stoned wall halted his path. He squinted in the rain and saw the muddy figure of the woman falling to the ground, two arrows protruding from her body. He almost started running toward her, when he saw a most peculiar sight. At the top of the wall, he saw Himself. His memories came flooding back to him, he knew what this was now, or at least, knew he’d lived through it once before. Calming himself, he allowed the smoke to envelop him.
The space around him felt strange and empty as he returned to reality. His eyes opened and he tried to blink the sleep away. Swinging his legs out of bed, he stood up, and moved to his window. It had been a full night, and it looked like he’d woken up only a few minutes early. He tried to push the dream he’d had aside as he packed his things and set out for school. Along the way, he kept himself busy by pulling out his notebook and doing his best to write some notes:
—
- Woman ran from bear, and used some sort of vine to get on the wall… *ask Dominic about the vine.
- Two open spots on the team, brocket and owl.
- Da has a strong emotional connection to the box, what is it?
- Echo Island says information is dangerous, be cautious.
- Find out more concerning the fox clan.
—
Putting his journal away, he felt a hand tap his shoulder, causing him to jump. To his relief, he found an amused Brenan at his side.
“Good morning!” Brenan said. “You’re looking mighty serious this morning. Something on your mind? You’re not nervous about receiving your team spot today, are you?”
“No, actually,” he responded, “just have a lot on my mind is all.”
“Oh?” Brenan said, “And the Clan Games isn’t part of that.”
“Maybe a little, but it’s only a small piece. My da got back last night.”
“Isn’t that early?”
“Ya, his team started without him.”
“I see. That must be nice, are you going to spend some time with him after school then.”
“Probably not, he said he’s got more work to do and won’t be free for a while.”
“Bummer.”
“Is what it is. I got to talk with him last night. Oh, and I had another dream.”
“What? And you didn’t lead with that?”
Calum laughed. “Sorry, like I said, there’s a lot on my mind.”
“So, what was this one about?”
“I think it’s what happened before my last dream. It had the same woman in it as the first one and ended around the same time, only this time I saw it from earlier on and from the ground.”
“That’s interesting, any idea what it’s all about.”
“Not yet, but I get the feeling that my da might.”
“What do you mean?”
“I showed him the box last night and he got pretty upset. He acted angry at first, but then he left and I saw him from the roof. Whatever his connection, he definitely wasn’t ready to talk about it.”
“Hmm, this might be insensitive, but could it somehow be connected to your mom?”
Calum tensed. “Maybe, that would explain the strong response, but you know how he gets when I bring up my mom. Asking him wouldn’t do anything but upset him further.”
“So what, you’ll just have to wait for him to come around?”
Calum shrugged. “Well, Dominic won’t tell me, so I don’t see many other options.”
“Oy! You two!” A deep voice called out. The boys stopped as an imposing figure stepped into the road in front of them. “Where are you going so early in the morning?” Stepping closer to them, Calum noticed that the man was wearing a clan guard uniform.
“You deaf, boys?” The man said. “I said, where are you going?”
“Scho—” Brenan began nervously, “school. We’re going to school.”
“Right.” The man said with raised eyebrows. “Come with me.”
The boys shared a nervous glance. Not wanting to cause any trouble, they silently followed the man. At first, it appeared they were being escorted to the school, but then the man took a hard right just one street away from their supposed destination. Hearts thumping, the boys were taken to the side of a small rectangular building and led down a narrow flight of stairs.
Finally, the big man ducked underneath a low door frame, held the door open, and gestured for them to come through. Several wall-mounted oil lamps lit the room revealing a small rectangular table and four chairs. In the far corner sat a cloaked woman leaning back in a chair. Calum wasn’t sure who she was, but something about her was familiar.
“Have a seat,” the guard said. The boys took their seats and the guard stepped back toward the door.
“Morning, boys,” the hooded woman said. “Nice time for a stroll, isn’t it?” She pulled her cloak off, revealing a soft smile. Calum’s heart dropped. It was the agent from yesterday.
“We were just heading—” Brenan started.
“I know what you were doing.” The woman said firmly, then turned to face the guard. “You may leave us. I can handle things from here. Thank you.”
The guard exited the room, and the agent pulled her chair over, placing it so that the back of the chair was facing the table. She sat down facing the boys and leaned forward on crossed arms. Her face was soft yet stern, with a quiet but solid confidence in her dark brown eyes.
Calum shifted uncomfortably in his seat. What could she possibly want now? Since yesterday he had a growing list of secrets she might be interested in, but did she actually know about any of them? Without thinking, he pulled his bag a little closer to him. After a long awkward silence, she finally started to speak.
You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.
“I wasn’t expecting to see you again so soon,” she said, looking at Calum. “Why am I not surprised that Dominic chose two troublemakers to join the school’s team? I’m sorry we must meet this way, but it is my job to ensure the people, including you two, remain safe within The Ten Clans. The name’s Freya, and in case you missed it, yes. I’m an agent.”
“I’m Calum and this—”
“Calum and Brenan. Yes, I’m aware.”
“Are we in trouble or something?” Brenan asked.
“No,” Freya replied, “at least, not yet, though you should be after what you two pulled off yesterday.” She paused and rubbed her chin. “We’ve been keeping close tabs on your head educator. He’s actually the reason why I was patrolling the rooftops yesterday. I was convinced you weren’t connected to him, but then he recruited you for The Clan Games.”
“What do you mean connected?” Brenan asked.
“We’ve been watching Dominic for some time now. He’s been known to stir up trouble in the past, and I’d hate to see the two of you caught in the middle of it. I know you haven’t been around him much, but when I heard you would be taking private lessons with him, I thought you might appreciate a warning. Dominic may appear kind-hearted and cheerful, but he is an expert in politics. He will stop at nothing to get what he wants, and we have cause to believe he has been hiding things from the public eye.”
Calum’s heart began to beat loudly in his chest. Stop at nothing to get what he wants? Good for him. All he wants is to stop shielding people from the truth. This agent would clearly love to prevent him from continuing his studies. Fortunately, this line of thought had boosted Calum’s confidence so that by the time Agent Freya asked her next question, Calum was ready for it.
“We’re worried that if he has something going on, it will cause trouble in the future.” She continued. “He hasn’t done anything suspicious or secretive with you around, has he?”
Brenan started to answer, but Calum quickly cut him off. “Nothing out of the ordinary. Besides yesterday when I caught him meditating on his desk. That was a bit odd.”
“Alright, let’s get to the point,” Freya said, leaning in a little closer. “I didn’t suspect you two would know much by now, but Dominic keeps his school’s team unusually close. Mark my words, he is a dangerous man and at some point he will try to bring you into his confidence. When he does, I want you two to share anything important with me.”
“He doesn’t seem very dangerous,” Calum said. “He’s a little quirky, but that’s all. From what I can tell, he’s just trying to help the students at the school as best he can.”
“I don’t buy it,” Freya said. “My informants tell me that there is a disturbance in the city underground, and I’m becoming more and more sure that Dominic is the root cause of it. I’m not sure what role you two play in it, but trust me when I say his plans for you extend beyond that of The Clan Games.”
“The underground?” Brenan asked. “What is that? There isn’t some sort of tunnel system like the one we saw in the—”
“That book we were reading last year,” Calum cut in nervously.
Agent Freya looked suspicious but decided to move the conversation along. Standing up from her chair, she paced slowly back and forth across the room as she spoke.
“The underground is the network of criminals within The Ten Clans,” she said. “We’ve tried for over a hundred years to get rid of them, but nothing works. Instead, the Clan Guard does its best to utilize them as our eyes and ears.”
“How come we’ve never heard of this underground before?” Calum asked.
“Those in the underground are experts at what they do,” Agent Freya said. “They can stay undetected even from some of The Ten Clan’s elite, let alone from a couple of boys. At any rate, we try to keep the existence of the underground a secret from the public. I only tell you two because I worry that you’ll soon be introduced to them.” Freya glanced at an upper window. “We don’t have much time left, so let me cut to the chase. Dominic is not a good man, I have strong reason to believe that he is planning something big, and I don’t want you two to become casualties in any fights he picks.”
“So you want us to spy for you?” Brenan asked.
“Frankly? Yes, but I mostly want to ensure you know that you are not alone. From here on out, I’ll keep a couple of my best agents near you and give you these.” She reached into a small pouch and handed each boy a small metallic sphere. “These are special signaling devices we agents like to use. Throw it on the ground hard enough, and a chain reaction will start, causing smoke to come out and float into the sky. You won’t likely see my agents, but they’ll always be near enough to see the smoke. Throw one of these on the ground, and you’ll receive help within a minute or two. Likewise, if you ever learn anything suspicious about Dominic, please return to this room or ask any guardsman where I am. Again, my name is Agent Frey; Memorize it. If I’m busy, I’ll station someone I trust here. Please be careful. We don’t want to see you get hurt. Now, go ahead and get to your morning lesson. Any longer, and your tardiness might be discovered.”
The boys took their metal spheres and headed back through the door. As they were just about to go back up the stairs, agent Freya spoke one last time.
“Oh, and boys,” she began, “this meeting never happened, am I clear? If Dominic finds out about this, things could get… messy. Understand?”
The boys verbally confirmed and promptly climbed up the stairs.
They stayed silent as they finished their walk into the school. Calum’s brain went into overdrive as he thought about their meeting. This Agent Freya wanted to keep Dominic in the dark about their conversation. Was that the right thing to do? So far, Dominic had been nothing but good to them. In fact, everything he showed them had proved that he was a good man with noble intentions.
“You thinking what I’m thinking?” Calum whispered to Brenan.
“That depends on what you’re thinking,” Brenan responded.
“I think we should probably warn Dominic about Agent Freya.”
“Are you crazy? She is an official member of the Clan Guard. An actual Agent, can you believe that? To go against what she said would be a death sentence.”
“Would they actually kill a couple of kids? Besides, by that logic, so could working with Dominic and reading his book. I’m starting to wonder if the government really has our best interest at heart. Dominic wants to stop the government from keeping information from the people.”
“That’s fair, but is it worth the risk?”
“Dominic seems to think so.”
“Alright. If you think we should tell, I’ll trust your judgment. I just don’t feel super comfortable about it.”
“And you think I do? I’ve never done anything this illegal. The risk is huge, but if there is a chance we can help our nation, it’ll be worth it in the end. I also think Dominic already knows the Clan Guard is watching him, he’s not dumb. He probably suspects that the guard will try and speak with us anyway. Concealing this from him will only hurt our relationship with him. At least we can take comfort that even though he’s been on the guard’s watch for some time, they still haven’t pegged anything on him.”
Turning and entering the schoolyard, Calum and Brenan stopped their conversation. It was odd for them to be at school so early. Neither of them could remember when the school had been so empty and quiet. Though several lamps lit the hallways, not a soul was in sight. Similarly, the head educator was nowhere to be seen when the boys entered Dominic’s office. Two chairs were set up facing Dominic’s desk, and three steaming plates of food could be seen waiting. Calum’s belly began to grumble at the sight. This was the first meal he’d have at the school, and it did not look like it would disappoint.
“Usually, you two would join the rest of your team for breakfast,” Dominic said, appearing behind the boys and placing a hand on each of their shoulders. “It’s one of the greatest perks of joining the team, a nice hot meal three times a day. You’d think it’d get old, but our chefs are excellent at keeping things interesting. You’ll find each meal varies from day to day, and you’ll rarely ever be served the same thing twice. Please, have a seat.”
The boys sat down, and Dominic joined them on the opposite side of the desk. Calum completely forgot about the morning’s events as he shoveled the food into his mouth. To his satisfaction, he found that the food was some of the best he’d ever had. There was fat juicy sausage, spiced eggs, and some delicious hashbrowns. The room was quiet as they ate, then Dominic pushed his plate aside and began to speak.
“We’ve got several things to discuss this morning. Not the least of which was the cause for your showing up late. Care to explain?”
Brenan looked nervously at Calum, and Calum immediately saw that he’d have to be the one to explain what had happened.
“We were going to be on time.” He started. “But we were stopped by someone. She asked us not to tell you that we met with her, and we’re worried that if we tell you who, we could get into trouble.”
“Ah,” Dominic said, understanding dawning on his face, “this wouldn’t happen to have anything to do with an agent, would it?”
“Ye—” Calum hesitated. “Yes, sir. It did.”
“Then say no more. I have a pretty good idea of what they wanted. Let me guess, they told you it was all about your safety, but it sounded more like they wanted you to spy on me, right?
Calum looked stunned. “Yes, that’s exactly it. How did you know?”
“This isn’t my first time dealing with such shenanigans. That explains why I was held up this morning. I was on my way here when a member of the clan guard asked for my help finding a sword he’d lost. I thought that was suspicious. Thank you for being forward with me. I’ve been dealing with agents since I was fifteen years old. That’s when they first caught on to my studies. Fortunately, they still haven’t found anything to get me in trouble.”
“What about your book? They’ve never found that?” Brenan asked curiously.
“Oh, of course not. I’m not one to take such big risks. That book is one of a kind, and I always keep track of its whereabouts. Additionally, the cover is made of a similar wood to the confidence boxes. It can sense emotion and respond to it, though this one is much more difficult to figure out. Only when someone feels intense amounts of curiosity can they find that book. Otherwise, the book somehow muddles the brain and causes them to forget why they approached it in the first place. Once someone knows about the book, it becomes much easier to find.”
“And you still don’t think that counts as magic?” Brenan said, raising one eyebrow. “How could you possibly explain that one?”
“It’s not magic,” Dominic replied. “I think it has something to do with chemicals, but I’m not sure yet.”
Brenan rolled his eyes at the response but didn’t want to push the subject further.
“Ingenious,” Calum said in disbelief. So far, he’d loved learning about everything Dominic had taught them. In many ways, it appealed to Calum’s own way of thinking. Boosted by the thought of the many things yet to be discovered, Calum was comforted.
“Thank you,” Dominic acknowledged, “you two can leave your plates there. I’ll have someone clean them up for us later. For now, you must come with me. I’m afraid we’ve got a fair bit of traveling to do today.”
They stood up, and the boys followed Dominic out of the office.
“Where are we going?” Calum asked.
“I’m sure you’ve already been told you’ll be assigned your team positions today, correct?”
“Yes, sir.” Calum said.
“We’re heading deep into the Green Forest today. Deeper, I dare say, than most have ever gone before. Since you’ve been forward with me, I’ll be forward with you. We are going to a very powerful man, my ‘secret boss’ if you will. Normally I’d take you to the training grounds and assign your team spots there, but this man has requested to meet you specifically.”
“Why doesn’t he meet us here?” Brenan asked.
“I’m afraid it’s not safe for him here. Like me, he has spent his life in pursuit of knowledge. Unlike me, however, he has not been so discreet. He’d be arrested within minutes if he stepped foot near any of the Clans. Don’t worry, I trust this man completely, and you’ll be under my protection. I’ll need you two to return home and pack a few things. We’ll likely be gone for a couple of days, possibly up to a week. I’ve already spoken with your parents, Brenan. And as for you, Calum, I’m told your father isn’t in town, correct?”
“Actually, he got back last night. Shouldn’t be a problem, I’m sure he’ll be alright with it, though isn’t a week kind of long, sir?”
“Ah excellent news, I’ll send a message his way just to be safe. And yes, it is a long trip that is why I’ve arrange for the rest of your team and your mentor, Berns, to come with us. Now, I’ll expect you two back here in two hours. Don’t worry about packing food, just a couple of changes of clothes. Got it?”
“Yes sir,” both boys said, though Brenan’s voice was much more unsure than Calum’s.
Much as the day before had been, this day was starting to feel like a whirlwind. With their spirits high, the boys set out to return home. Once they left the school grounds, Brenan’s face went serious.
“So what now?” he asked.
“What do you mean?” Calum responded. “We go home and pack of course.”
“Oh, come on, you have to admit that this is kind of suspicious.”
“Yes, and I’ve thought about it. I trust Dominic. If he says it’s safe, it’s safe.”
“Do you really think so? You barely know him.”
“I guess it has a lot to do with the fact that he trusted us. He took a risk showing us the things he did, so we owe it to him to give him the benefit of doubt.”
“Sure, but I think this goes a little beyond thatt. I’m sure my parents aren’t thrilled about this news either. Up to a week away, deeper in the forest than most have gone? I don’t suppose that’s what he told them, or they’d never have agreed to it.”
“Hey, relax. I’m sure it will all be fine. Besides, if nothing else, we have these little smoke balls Agent Freya gave us. Worst case scenario we throw these on the ground and someone will save us, right?”
“Maybe, but we might be too far out for anyone to see the smoke. Maybe we should go warn Agent Freya, you know, just in case?”
Calum laughed at the thought. “And tell her what? ‘Oh hey Agent, so we did exactly what you told us not to do and Dominic knows that you’re watching him now.”
“Fair enough,” Brenan sighed, “I’m still not comfortable with this, but I’ll play along for now.”
“Glad to hear it, because, to be honest, I’d be much more nervous without your help. You’ve made some good points, so we’ll be cautious. As long as we have each other’s backs, what’s the worst that could happen?”