Gabriel ran up the hill back towards the guardhouse. His mind raced with everything he had heard and seen back in the square. The town was choosing a hero! There was going to be a quest to liberate Rodentia from Duke GrrGruff’s iron jaws. Gabriel supported the freedom and peace of his people, but there was something that he felt just didn’t fit.

The old Duke did not conquer us, but incorporated us into his kingdom. Because of that we have been under the dogs’ protection. If we resist, we will set ourselves against not only Duke GrrGruff, but also against all of his enemies! You cannot consider that your enemy’s enemy will be your ally!

  If we start a conflict with the dogs without there being a real need, we’ll get ourselves killed, he thought frantically. I can’t let that happen to us!

  The Mage Mouse was entirely out of breath by the time he reached the top of the hill. He really needed to get out and exercise more! Leaving his study more often would be good for his health. If only the other mice’s comments would do the same.

But, it was not just his trembling muscles that were causing him to shake, it was also his nervousness. And not just facing down the dogs for the second time in as many days, but the thoughts, hopes, and fears that tumbled through his head and heart. Gabriel wanted to be a hero to his people. He also was afraid of leaving Rodentia. He liked things comfortable, even if they were not ideal, but he was willing to serve.

His life as he had always known it was about to change, thanks to Michael’s quest. Honestly, going to the dogs and speaking with them was a small way in which he could exercise some freedom and self-determination.

Pencil came out and growled at him. “What do you want, filthy rodent?”

“Woah, woah, Pencil! That there’s the Mage Mouse,” Slobber said, ambling out of the guardhouse. “Here to put on a show for us again?”

Other dogs lopped over, excited to hear that some entertainment had arrived. Gabriel felt sick to his stomach. He was not in the mood or mindset to use his failed spells to placate the hounds. Bella strode over to him, her dead ear obscuring one of her eyes.

She asked, “Why have you come up here, Mage Mouse? There was no tribute scheduled for today.”

“He’s come here to give us a show,” Slobber insisted.

“He’s come up here to be a nuisance and waste our time,” Pencil growled. “Go away or volunteer to make yourself useful and become food.”

“Shut your trap, Pencil!” one dog snapped. “You don’t waste talent like his by making him food.”

“What does it matter? That’s where they’re all going eventually,” the Weiner dog muttered.

“Silence!” Bella barked.

Gabriel worried even more. The dogs had already spilled the kibble. Pencil’s off-handed comment could mean more than just sounding his dissatisfaction at serving as a guard for the mouse town. The dogs were getting angry, and Gabriel felt very small before their ire.

Trying to save the situation, the Mage Mouse shouted as loud as he could, “I have a few spells I wanted to show you! The other mice said I couldn’t practice within town limits, so I thought I’d come up here to practice.”

“Huzzah!” the pack cheered.

Pencil glowered and said, “So that you can blind us with some spell and get away? Think again, mouse!”

Bella slapped his muzzle and growled, “Stop making a fool of yourself! And if you’re so worried that the mice might try escaping, go on patrol. Go!”

Pencil yipped and backed away. He growled back but finally cowered before Bella’s height and muscular frame. The Weiner finally whimpered and padded off.

Not letting the mice escape, huh? That’s not a good sign, either.

The mere idea that Michael had been right made him miserable. That handsome, perfect mouse could do no wrong! But Gabriel still had to mine for information, and that began with putting on a display.

Clearing his throat with a squeak, Gabriel said, “I’ve been practicing with a spell that should cause a light to appear in a dark room.”

“Boo! That’s so small,” the dogs complained.

Oh, if only you knew, Gabriel thought grimly.

“It’s just the beginning. You’ve got to build up to the bigger stuff and grand finale,” he explained, lifting up his staff.

He spoke the incantation and a spark appeared at the top of his staff. It sputtered for a second, and then turned into an explosion. He was blasted right off his feet and tumbled away. The dogs barked and reared, but then cheered.

“Bravo! That’s our Mage Mouse! Show us another!”

Gabriel got shakily to his feet and retrieved his staff, which had fallen a little ways away. Thankfully, it had not caught fire. Picking it up and readying it, he explained his next trick.

“The next spell I want to practice is one that creates food spontaneously!”

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This was one that had caught his eye in a book, but he had not tried it out before. He really had no clue what would happen. He jabbed his staff at a rock and said the magical words. The rock didn’t change, but a fountain of cockroaches burst from the end of his staff.

The dogs’ jaws collectively dropped.

“Erm, well, that was interesting,” one dog said swiping away the vermin.

“Shut it off!” Slobber screeched.

“Already done,” Gabriel said, pulling his staff back. That was a disaster!

Yes, it had been, but the dogs still wanted to see more despite his utter failure with that spell. Gabriel was not certain how much of their enthusiasm was from how much they liked seeing him fail, or if they genuinely thought his magic was fun to watch. At least the mice made their opinions abundantly clear.

  The Mage Mouse proceeded to wow and dazzle the dogs with a series of botched spells and conjurings. He plunged everything into darkness trying to summon light. He caused moss to grow while trying a shrinking spell on Slobber. He tried summoning water and instead conjured roaring fires. The opposite occurred when he tried summoning water.

  Gabriel was used to his spells failing in some form or another. He cataloged everything into his memory so he would remember the results of his individual spells. It was disheartening to see his hard work come all for not, but as the dogs cheered him on he found some confidence.

  Finally putting in a flare of showmanship, the Mage Mouse declared, “You have seen me try to summon light, but now I will try to summon darkness!”

  “He’s gonna conjure up a big ball of light,” one mutt panted excitedly to another.

  “We will see,” Bella said.

  Gabriel focused his powers and chanted the spell, waving his oversized staff above his head. He felt energy flow through his arms and paws. His whiskers vibrated, but he felt something cold blossom deep within his chest.

  Darkness did come, but it was not the kind of darkness that he or any of the dogs were expecting. A blanket of blackness fell over them, but hues of red, purple, and deep blue flashed and slashed across the veil. The dogs oohed and ahed, a few even howled, but then those sounds turned to yips and whimpers.   

  Claws and faces appeared out of the slashed of darker colors. The images of monsters crawled out of the darkness and began edging in on the dogs. Gabriel felt his body seize up, but his arms continued to stir his staff. Darkness spilled from it.   

  “Gabriel! Shut it down!” Bella barked.   

  Unable to think of anything else to stop it, Gabriel threw himself onto the ground. He tackled his staff and his paws stopped waving. The darkness cut out immediately and disappeared. He lay snout down in the dirt and panted.

  What was that? It felt so wrong! It felt... almost evil.

He shook himself and swore silently that he would never try that spell again. He wished he knew what was wrong with him that all his spells were a wreck. The dogs all cowered and whimpered. That was, until Bella strode forward and barked at all of them.

“Alright! You’ve had your entertainment! You’ve got duties to perform. Jump to it!”

A few hounds gave her bewildered look. She growled at them and they leaped away. Gabriel meanwhile got uneasily back to his feet. He clutched his staff gingerly. Bella drew close to him and stared down her nose at the mouse.

  “You should go back to the town,” she said.

  “Um, yes,” Gabriel replied shakily. “I think you’re right that I should go back. Sorry for causing you all trouble.”

  “Not at all.”

  Gabriel was surprised when Bella got down on her belly and invited the mouse to get on her back.

  “Don’t act so timid. I’m not like Pencil; I don’t enjoy eating mice,” she said pointedly.

  “I-I, uh, alright,” the mage stammered.

  Truth be told, he had never thought he would ride atop a dog. They were such large and magnificent beasts. They were on a level so much higher than he and his fellow mice. Also, he was afraid of falling off Bella’s high back.

  “Hurry up, Mage Mouse!” she growled.

  Gabriel gingerly took hold of her fur and hauled himself up. He did his best to not pull on his hand and footholds. Bella shook under his paws.

  “That tickles.”

  Gabriel’s ears stood up straight. It was the first time he had ever heard Bella giggle. He would never have guessed that such a grizzled dog was capable of something like giggling.

  “Sorry,” he quickly apologized.

  Bella shook her head and said, “There’s no need to apologize. It just tickles. Come on, hurry up!”

  The mage settled himself as best he could at the nape of Bella’s neck. He felt a swooping sensation in his stomach as she surged to her feet and set off for Rodentia. He feared puking all over her fur.

  Once Bella was out of earshot from the guardhouse, she said in a low voice, “Why did you come up here, Mage Mouse? Most of your kind don’t just come for a chat, and you don’t come to put on a show. I know that your magic embarrasses you. So why did you travel over here?”

  Gabriel felt warm at the neck for being found out. His whiskers drooped as he wondered, Am I really that easy to read? I must be even pathetic than I thought more!

  “Yes, you’re right,” he acknowledged. “I came because I wanted to ask some question about what Duke GrrGruff is doing.”

  Bella was silent for a moment and then asked, “What do you want to know?”

  “Well, first of all, what does he intend to do with Rodentia?” Gabriel asked, relieved that the large dog was willing to answer his questions. “Secondly, what is going on in the kingdom? And… What will be done about dogs like Pencil? The mice are not happy.”

  “I can easily answer those questions,” Bella replied smoothly. “The Duke is readying himself to expand his kingdom. There are dangerous packs and gangs at our borders. He wants to defeat and annex them. It is for our security and prosperity. But that means we’ll be going to war. For Rodentia, that means we will soon be taxing your fellow mice for food, supplies, and bodies to wage the war.

  “Pencil could remain here as a guard, or he could be called into duty,” the way she said that last bit made Gabriel very certain that the Weiner would remain behind.

  This must be a big reason why he hates being here, he thought. But if we are going to war, my people will be very upset. Does Michael know that he could possibly make us an enemy of a kingdom that is already preparing for war? Rodentia cannot take on the dogs by itself and win!

  “Ah, I see what’s going on. Thank you, Bella,” Gabriel said, honestly. “I’ve just been worried that we’ve been out of the know for too long. My people are getting anxious.”

  Bella nodded and then flicker head to get her dead ear out of her eye. “But those are our orders. I’m telling you all of this in confidence, Mage Mouse. Don’t tell the mice what you’ve just learned. An edict will soon come your way and explain everything. I’m counting on you.”

  Her admission made Gabriel’s whiskers stick up on end. He became worried. If Bella wanted him to keep this all a secret, there was no way he could then cross what he had learned with the plans of Michael and the others. This was a serious problem with his plans.

  Maybe if I talk with Maira, I can get the other mice to go and work with the dogs. Maybe we can use politics to give ourselves a better standing in this situation.

  He and Bella were both silent the rest of the way. Only when Bella let him down in front of the village did she talk again.

  “Be wise, Mage Mouse. You may not think yourself important, but in the coming war we could use someone like you. Get you out of this backwater town. You could rise up through the ranks and be a real sorcerer at the capital. I’ll be in touch.”

  She gave the Mage Mouse one of her rare smiles, her dead ear sliding back into place, before plodding back towards the guardhouse. Mice all gathered and watched with trepidation at the edge of the village. They gave Gabriel fearful and distrustful looks. He was more focused on the dog’s retreating, wagging tail.

  A good feeling blossomed in his chest. At first he was confused by what it meant, but then he realized what it was. It was pride and happiness. Someone had just paid him a compliment and saw potential in him.

  If that’s good enough for Bella, then it’s good enough for Maria! I should find her right away, he thought exuberantly.

  But as he turned to march off into town and through the crowd of upset mice, he saw one figure on the horizon. It was staring back at him, angrily. He recognized Pencil, and suppressed a shudder.

  Gabriel charged into the throng of mice to get away.