The bull stopped, its thin tail slapping against its back legs as it looked down at the slime. The beast’s head bobbed left and right, and its eyes bulged. Before it, Ziggy swayed back and forth, skin rippling. Alistair heard a low hum as the deathbull snorted, and slowly relaxed onto the ground.

[What are you doing, Richard!?]

Ghost: The bull’s name is Richard? First Lionel, now this. What is it with professors at your school naming their summons so terribly? If this was my Deathbull, I’d name it something like Stormbreaker or Skullcrusher. Anyway. Not important. Stellar Empathy in case you’re wondering what the hell Ziggy is doing.

“Yoooo. Ziggy tamed the bull?” Juno said once the bull rolled over onto its back, its legs bent.

“Will someone help me?”

“Sorry!” Juno rushed to Zola’s side and moved the piece of wall off her leg.

By this point, Alistair was standing near them as well, his wand cautiously drawn, pointed at the bull as he guarded his friends.

The bull let out a cute little snort, the beast being playful, almost like a dog rolling on its back.

“Are you okay?” Juno asked Zola as he helped her to her feet.

“It took you long enough to ask.”

“Sorry, it’s not every day you see a slime seduce a bull. Tarnis must be pissed.”

[Don’t make me—!]

The collapsed walls around them rumbled. They shot back up, snapping into place as they righted themselves, gusts of wind filling the chamber. This forced the deathbull onto its feet, which had the beast seething again in a matter of moments.

Ziggy leaped onto its back. Squishhhhhhhhhhh!

The bull took off, charging through the nearest wall, and crumbling each one beyond.

“Let’s go!” Noctarii raced after them, the other summons following behind.

Ghost: Madness, all of this—

“I’ve got her!” Juno told Alistair as he helped Zola limp toward the new opening.

“I’ll keep on the defense.”

They moved ahead, Alistair in the lead, where he stopped several lingering skeletal enemies from attacking them using his wand. Tarnis continued shouting at them to the point that the dungeon architect was starting to go hoarse:

[You think you’re so clever? You’re so smart? You think you can just use my own creations against me? How do you know this isn’t the trap? Turn back now, Fledglings, or else! You won’t like… you won’t like what comes next!]

“Shut the fuck up,” Juno said as they continued after the summons, the slime, and the bull. “You okay, Zola?”

“I’m fine. Just my ankle.”

“We’ll get you to Seraph’s Rest soon.”

After climbing through several more collapsed walls, the three reached a circular room, one with a raised platform in the center. The bull paced on the other side of the platform, snorting, but never turning towards the trio in any way that indicated it would attack them. Ziggy continued to ride on its back, directing the beast with well-timed squishes.

Squish? Squish! Squish? Squish!

Around the other summons, Desolara looking as confused as the scorpion can look; Hooty standing there on her two hind legs; and Piglet sniffing at something on the ground.

Noctarii placed his hands on his hips and shook his head. “I don’t even know what to say about this, so I’m not going to say anything.” He motioned to the raised platform, which had a wooden chest on it. “I already checked the chest. It’s not a mimic. Whatever you all are looking for should be in there.”

“The Whispering Chalice of Lyrshadow,” Juno said, his eyes widening. “You cool to open the chest, Alistair?”

“I’ll do the honors.” Alistair approached the chest and Ghost took over. He lurched forward and collected himself.

Alistair: What are you doing?

Ghost: In case it’s a trap.

Tarnis spoke, the dungeon architect half-composed this time:

[I can’t believe I’m doing this. Congratulations. You have won yet another battle, Fledglings, but you have not won the war. Not even close. Once you collect your stupid chalice, a portal will open up, and you’ll be transported back to the Wraithen Archives. See? I can be nice as well, and rather than have you walk all the way back, I’ll have the dungeon portal you back to the Academy so you can collect your reward. Yes, the dungeon is alive. Yes, all dungeons are alive. If you don’t know what this means, ask one of your professors about Mechanical summons. Now hurry, get out of here before I change my mind. Just remember that this isn’t over…]

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

A portal fizzled into existence just at the moment Ghost popped open the chest.

Ghost: That has to be it.

Resting on a swath of red velvet, the silver chalice was etched with an ancient script Alistair didn’t recognize. Ghost lifted the piece to examine it.

Alistair: What language is that?

Ghost: You won’t believe me, but I think it’s an ancient Dracolich language.

Alistair: Why wouldn’t I believe you?

Ghost: I don’t know. I’m an assassin.

Alistair: That doesn’t mean I don’t believe you. It just means I don’t trust you.

Ghost: Fair. Our body is yours.

Alistair regained control, the silver chalice heavy in his hands. He placed his ear to it after checking the object with Gem Gaze and not coming up with anything out of the ordinary.

“Do you hear any whispering?” Juno asked.

“None. I guess we should get back then.”

Juno glared up at the ceiling. “Tarnis, can you hear me?”

[What do you want?]

“First, I want to confirm that you won’t be pursuing any charges against us. That would be petty. If you want us to challenge your dungeons, send us a message or some shit, like a civilized mage. No wayward bards, or nothing like that. And bringing the Board into the equation is a cowardly move. Next, I want to confirm that we will receive nine hundred silver coins as promised.”

[You will receive your money! Bah! Can’t you three just leave an old man in peace?]

“And the Board part?” Juno asked, pressing him.

[I won’t say anything this time.]

“Good. In that case, Alistair, Zola, um, all of our summons—”

Squish?

Hoot?

Oink?

Juno laughed. “Love that shit. Let’s get the hell out of here.”

****

Alistair certainly felt richer after the box in the Task Terminus room opened up, revealing three coin purses, which Juno distributed.

Rather than each receiving hundreds of individual coins, their rewards were set in three hundred-coin pieces each, which were much larger. Alistair knew if he bought something with this, he would get change.

He empty the contents of the purse into his own purse, and placed the original back into the box on the mysterious plinth in the center of the room.

Ghost: That will do nicely in our forthcoming adventures.

Alistair: You are serious about finding your teacher next weekend?

Ghost: When am I not serious? I suppose if we waited longer, you’d only get stronger. You second guess me so much that I’m starting to question my own sanity. Let’s see how this weekend goes first in your survival challenge. But yes, I’m serious, and don’t spend all of our money at the campus store.

Alistair: So it’s our money now?

“Hey, are you coming?” Juno asked Alistair. The other boy was already near the exit with Zola.

She turned to Alistair as well, the girl still nursing her ankle. “Are you?”

“Right, I’ll come—”

Kanda: Where are you?

Alistair blinked twice as another message came in from the older girl.

Kanda: I’m ready to go. It’s a bit early, but there is a reason for that. I’m in front of your dorm now. Are you close?

“Yeah?” Juno asked Alistair.

Ghost: What is it? Why are you stalling?

Alistair: I just got a message from Kanda wanting to meet now.

Ghost: Easy. Go to her, and let Juno handle Zola. She’ll be fine.

Alistair contemplated a way to frame this, and went with the most obvious: “Um, actually, I think I’d better get back to the dorm and study.”

“Study what?” Juno asked him. “We hardly have anything to study around here. It’s experiential learning, remember?”

“We have plenty to study,” Zola told Juno. “What are the three card types?”

“Imprint, Resonant, Attribute. Easy. You’re going to have to try harder than that.”

“The five summon sizes?”

“Ummm… that part is a bit unclear to me. I mean, I get it, Titan Class is bigger than Sprite Class. But I don’t understand how we deal with that aspect. I get the evolution part now, but how is size not considered evolution?”

“It is. Have you been listening to what Humboldt says? We are given the option of increasing the size of our summon when the time comes. That’s why his Runedrift Sky Manta is Champion Class, when it could be Behemoth Class.”

Juno gave her a befuddled look that turned into a smile. “How about you quiz me at Seraph’s Rest rather than the Task Terminus? Alistair, have fun studying.”

“I’ll walk out with you all,” he told his two friends as they exited into the entrance room.

Zola motioned to the desk where Lorcan the historian often sat was empty at the moment. “I wonder who is running the Archives tonight.

“Don’t worry about that,” Juno told her. “Let’s just worry about your ankle.”

The three stepped outside, where they parted ways, Alistair quickening his pace on his way to his dorm.

He passed a few Magelings carrying a large scroll between the two of them, forcing Alistair to move to the left and take a different path, one that cut through a garden he hadn’t walked through before.

[Ahem, you are looking at a fountain dedicated to Trismegistus Weaver, famed battledeck mage and father of Provost Eldora Weaver. Now retired, Trismegistus serves as leader of the Battledeck Board of Education, which governs the five academies and their numerous branches in the Dawncrest Kingdom. Trismegistus, known for the phrase true genius is beyond most, continues to teach a course on Celestial Bonding in the summer months open to Magelings at the top of their class. To apply, please reach out to—]

Ghost: Nepotism much? It seems like this fountain serves as both an advertisement and a reminder of how our current Provost got her role.

“You don’t know that,” Alistair told Ghost as he moved on.

Once he reached his dorm, Alistair spotted Kanda sitting on the stone bench outside, the older girl wearing an elegant red dress. She also had what looked like a folded suit on a hanger next to her, which she grabbed as Alistair approached.

“Head up to your dorm and put this on.”

He took a step back. “Do what?”

“There has been a change in plans. I will still help you later tonight, but until then, we need to go to Lumina to meet my uncle.”

Alistair gulped. “Felix is here?”

“He is, and he isn’t happy at all.” She shoved the suit into Alistair’s hands. “Go change. And sorry for such short notice. Maybe wash your face too. You look dirty.”