The students were all dismissed the minute they made it back to camp. There were no evening lessons, and no combat critiques. Everyone felt the tension in the air, despite not knowing what was going on. Even the instructors were quiet.
Meals were cooked early, with most students discussing the situation amongst themselves. There were a lot of theories going around, and within an hour most students knew of the transporter. They had known about the hidden cave before they had even made it back to camp.
The subdued atmosphere remained until High Mage Strenger arrived back. No one knew what the problem was, but not knowing what was going on had its own kind of stress.
“Gather around for a briefing! Quickly now!” High Mage Strenger’s magically magnified voice carried through the campsite, almost the moment he walked back in.
Students dropped what they were doing and jogged in from all parts of the camp.
“We are leaving tomorrow morning, at first light! I expect everyone to be packed and ready by then. We will not be organizing our columns at first light, because you will all be in formation already. Is that understood?”
Murmurs of acknowledgement echoed around the assembled students.
“I have spoken with Colonel Huang. He will be providing a platoon to screen us on our way out. We do not expect there to be any trouble along the already cleared route, but if there is, they will handle it. They will also handle our camp. No one is to dismantle anything. Just pack up your things, and be ready to march. I expect you all to be able to handle a faster pace than the one we held on the way here. Now, are there any questions relating to what you need to get done?”
“Sir,” one student spoke up, “can you tell us what is going on?”
“I thought I was clear that any questions were to be those regarding your immediate duties?”
Reprimanded, the student looked down at his feet.
“I understand that you are all very curious, but that will have to wait. There will be time for answers on the way home. I intend to get us back to Lekton as soon as possible. Now, you all have things to prepare. Dismissed!”
This time there was a lot more chatter as everyone made their way back to their tents. Refusing to explain the situation only made the students even more curious, despite the promise to explain the situation in the future. Theories ranged from intelligent kobolds to a full-scale invasion. The more extreme theories were quickly shot down when someone pointed out how calm the military camp was. Nothing unusual was happening there, and they clearly knew what was going on.
This backfired an hour later when three squads arrived inside the students' camp and took over guard duties. None of the students would have any shifts at all, reigniting the furious discussions. Then High Mage Strenger left again to visit the army’s camp, stoking the fires further.
Yaric and Sven managed to get everything packed early, despite all of the excitement around them. They even managed to meet up with Lauren and Li Na. A combination of free time and mysterious orders had students making extra large fires for larger groups to sit around and talk.
“We would have left already if it was an emergency. The army could escort us now if they wanted to,” Cormac said.
“And if it was really that bad, High Mage Stranger would have gone ahead,” Lauren pointed out. “It can’t be that serious.”
“Not unless it was so bad that he felt we would be in danger without him,” replied Chris. Yaric was shocked to see him joining their fire, along with his whole group of friends. Ming Yu and Yusaf sat down next to Chris as they joined the group, while Devin squeezed in next to Cormac.
“We would be briefed if the High Mage felt that there was any threat to us,” answered Sven.
“He wouldn't if he was worried about causing a panic.”
“Actually, yes, especially then. We would need to know what the danger is so we can be on the lookout ourselves, and we would need to know how we are expected to react if the danger shows itself. There is nothing to gain by keeping us in the dark, it would only make things worse.”
“But he still isn’t telling us anything.”
“True. It looks like he is busy though. I’m sure there are many other things that are far more important than explaining the situation to us. And remember, he said he would be explaining things soon. I’d bet that he explains things only once the most urgent issues are taken care of.”
“But he’s still evacuating us as quickly as possible. If the danger is really that high, it might be too dangerous to move at night.” Rupert pointed out.
“Evacuating us, or getting us all back to Lekton as quickly as he can?” Yaric asked.
“Same thing. We are retreating.”
“Think about it for a second. If it’s something important, High Mage Strenger would need to report the issue to the Council. And if it was very important, he would be in a rush. We are already close to the time the expedition was supposed to turn back, so why not leave now and make a report earlier?”
“And the army escort?”
“Speed and convenience. But my point is that everything makes just as much sense without some secret apocalypse. In fact, High Mage Strenger’s reaction makes less sense if there was some big danger hiding in the dark.”
There were a few seconds of silence while everyone thought about what Sven had said. It was only broken when Li Na spoke up, “I wonder what I’m going to get though? It should be something good!”
“Huh?” Sven asked.
“For finding the hidden tunnel! No one would know anything if it wasn’t for me! I bet I get a reward…”
Lauren rolled her eyes so hard her head followed along. “Lina, how can you be thinking about that when we’re about to drop everything and march back to Lekton?”
“Pshhh… what happens, happens. Like anything we talk about now will change anything. I’m just wondering what my reward will be. I mean, this is something big, right? So, my reward should be big too! I’m sure High Mage Strenger will be asked who found the tunnel.”
“Please, you didn’t actually find it! The High Mage did. All you did was point out that the wall looked funny!”
“And you were only in there to hide and take a break!” Yaric added.
“Was not! I was scouting, like you should have been! It was really hard to spot you know! And High Mage Strenger only found it because I pointed it out!”
The rest of the group carried on with their own conversations, ignoring Li Na. But Li Na and Sven had done a lot to break the tension.
“Maybe we’ll find out what’s going on tomorrow morning?” suggested Cormac.
“Or on the way out of the forest,” Rupert added.
“As long as they don’t decide to keep things from us.”
“There might be things they don’t tell us,” Sven replied. “We’re just students, we aren’t entitled to know everything. But they will tell us about anything that we actually need to know.”
“You’re sure they won’t just keep it secret?”
“What for? It’s better for everyone if we know anything important. People like High Mage Strenger don’t keep things secret for the sake of it. Secrets are kept when something needs to be kept secret, for good or bad reasons, or when something has just been overlooked. But we need to stop talking about the instructors as if they’re trying to screw us over. They’re not out to get us. Even if some of them didn’t care about what happened to us, they still wouldn’t go out of their way to actually cause problems.”
“True.”
"Yeah, but you're from a noble family - you would say that!" Li Na laughed.
"My family includes us in discussions from a young age, so we can learn. I can assure you that they always made decisions that were in everyone's best interests. If any of you were in charge, would you guys be trying to screw us over or keep secrets for no reason at all?"
"No, but some would. Some do. My dad had merchants trying to screw him over all the time. And he knew of some that were fleecing their customers and cheating their own employees. You can't judge everyone based on your own family. The world is made up of all sorts."
Sven paused in contemplation for a moment. "True... But I still don't think we should be suspicious of our instructors just because they're holding authority over us. He's given me no reason not to trust him. I wouldn't do it if things were reversed, and I wouldn't appreciate anyone just deciding that I was. If I hold something against someone, it will be because of real problems, not imagined ones."
"Even if they keep secrets?"
"Even if they keep secrets. Does your father tell all of his employees everything about his business? His profits? His business deals? That would be stupid. They don't need to know everything there is to know, and it can be damaging to the business."
"But some people need to know if their boss is going to go bankrupt, or if he's cheating them in some way."
"Would your own father do that? Would you do that if you were in charge? Would you tell us everything no matter what it was? Should we all assume you are trying to cheat us? That's why you need people you can trust. And I trust High Mage Strenger. He's proven himself over centuries."
"Well I don't trust anyone who keeps secrets. It makes it too easy for them to hide things they shouldn't! You won't know that they're doing something until it's too late!"
The discussion continued for a few more minutes, until Rupert pointed out that they wouldn’t be able to carry any of the remaining meat with them when they left, and everyone soon had their own pieces of venison cooking over the fire.
The sky overhead was clear, with hundreds of stars glittering across one half of the sky. The other half was absolute darkness; the dark cliffs of Dragon’s Fang appearing to absorb all the light around it. Dancing flames cast flickering light over the whole group, rising higher each time they fed more wood, and illuminating everyone’s faces as the conversation continued long past sunset. Meat sizzled and the fire popped and crackled, creating an intermingled scent of wood smoke and cooking meat. The continuous conversation slowly ebbed, leaving them all staring into the bonfire while they ate in silence.
No one moved until the fire had died down to softly glowing coals, but everyone followed when the first person stood up. It was a quiet and relaxed ending to what had been a hectic day, but Yaric felt that it was oddly fitting. Weeks of nonstop fighting and tension had just ended. Now all they had to do was walk back to Lekton. The rest of the journey was going to be a walk in the park.
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A walk in the park. The trip was definitely a walk in the park – if the park in question was hundreds of miles of rough terrain, and if by ‘walk’, you actually meant, ‘forced march’. The journey home was most certainly not fun.
Each day was spent marching at a faster pace than was comfortable, and each evening consisted of setting up camp, and going straight to sleep. There were no more lessons, and no more time was spent training. Yaric did manage to spend some time with Lauren and Sven, trading tips and tricks that they had been taught by the army units, but everyone mostly just grabbed the chance to sit or sleep whenever they could.
The only change to the routine was when they made it back to a proper road. That evening, when they had finished setting up their camp, High Mage Strenger finally called everyone together.
“I am aware that you are all most interested in the recent events. Some of you may even be worried about the pace of our return journey. I assure you, there is nothing to be concerned about.”
High Mage Strenger raised his hands to silence the quiet murmuring that arose at his words.
“There have been new developments, I merely mean to say that they are of no concern to any of you. What we found in that cliff face was a transporter, which in all likelihood is how and why we have such an extensive kobold infestation throughout the area. It would appear that someone is either relieving their own infestation problem, which I find unlikely, by sending them away and into the wilds around Dragon’s Fang, or, far more likely, they are trying to cause damage to the local area.”
“Regardless of the reasons, we do know one thing to be fact. There is no doubt that at least one arcanist is involved. As a High Mage of Lekton, it is my foremost duty to protect the people of Malvec from any magical dangers. That is our priority. Once we have returned to Lekton, I will be able to inform the powers that be of the situation, and they will ensure that all necessary measures are taken to handle it.”
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
“For all of you, it simply means that you will return slightly earlier than planned. There's no need to worry about that, it is no loss, as you have already been in far more combat situations than we had originally intended.”
High Mage Strenger looked slowly across each of the faces looking back up at him. A smile slowly teased across his lips before he continued. “And for those of you that aren’t aware, your return is also the start of a new phase in your training. Once you get back, your classes will now include lessons on magic.”
The students practically exploded. Everyone was bursting with questions, excited at the possibilities and eager to find out exactly what was planned. High Mage Strenger merely looked around at the enthusiastic students, content to let them continue with their animated discussions.
“Hold on, hold on…” he said eventually, waving them all into silence, “I know this will be the first time you learn any magic. I was in your place once myself, remember. You will all be taught some basic exercises to improve your spellcasting, along with your first, basic spells. All of your initial spells will be augmentation spells. But this is all I will tell you on this topic. If you want to find out more, pay attention in class!”
High Mage Strenger laughed at their indignation. But no matter how much they all pushed for more information, High Mage Strenger refused to divulge any more.
This didn’t stop anyone from trying, and no one discussed any other topic for the next few days. It was almost a week later when Sven pointed out that the High Mage’s disclosure had distracted everyone from the discovery at Dragon’s Fang. Even more than that, the entire class was pushing much harder to get back quickly, as Lauren quickly noted.
It had taken just over 5 weeks to hike through forest, and another week to reach the kobolds. This time, the entire journey home took just 5 weeks. All supplies were purchased, saving time by eliminating the need to forage. They travelled until much later in the day, and only assembled the most basic of camps. But mostly, they just travelled fast. The pace was unrelenting.
No one was disappointed when Lekton finally came into view. In fact, the pace actually quickened once the students realized that they would be back in their rooms before sundown.
Spring was already well underway, but the hot afternoon sun did nothing to slow them down. The gates to the Academy finally came into view at midafternoon, and everyone stopped once they reached the middle of the courtyard. High Mage Strenger continued on without a word to anyone, but Mage Dmytro stepped forward.
“Well done, everyone! I can honestly say that this was one of our more successful expeditions. Each of you performed as expected, and when you take the unusual circumstances we found ourselves in into consideration, that is saying something!”
Mage Dmytro looked around at all the impatient faces, a big smile across his face.
“I have no doubt that each of you are looking forward to getting properly cleaned up, so I won’t keep you much longer. I’m sure you are all looking forward to a proper meal as well.”
The sudden excitement amongst the students suggested that many had actually not thought of that yet, Yaric included.
“There will be a proper debrief in time. For now, though, you may go back to your rooms. You will also have tomorrow to yourselves to do as you see fit.”
Cheers broke out at the mention of time off.
“There are no passes to leave Lekton!” Mage Dmytro hurredly added, which did nothing to stem everyone’s excitement. “As long as you are all aware of that. Are there any questions regarding today or tomorrow?” Mage Dmytro looked around the suddenly silent students.
“Nothing? All right then, you’re all dismissed!”
The entire class surged forward, eager to get back to their dorm rooms. There was some pushing and shoving to get through the doorway, but Yaric soon found himself in his own room, standing under hot, clean water.
It was another half an hour before he made his way back to the common room, wearing a fresh uniform that had never felt so good as it did at that moment. There was no one there to meet him. Sven joined him five minutes later, but they had to wait another 15 minutes for the other two.
All four of them were content to make their way slowly up the path, taking their time in the cool evening air. Five weeks of relentless marching had taken their toll.
“My feet are still killing me!” Li Na complained.
“I can’t wait to get back and put my feet up,” agreed Lauren. “Shoes are just so uncomfortable right now.”
“Does anyone else have bruises on their shoulders?” asked Yaric, rubbing the point where his pack had rested.
The ten-minute stroll was spent sharing complaints and appreciating being back at the Academy. Bright green parks and a fresh breeze definitely helped everyone to get into the right headspace after their grueling journey. Flowers were in bloom throughout the gardens and in many trees. Insects hovered in small clouds while birds swooped through them, and the smell of pollen and earth hung heavy. Distant clouds signaled rain, heavy and black on the horizon.
It was a welcome change to a never-ending forest crawling with savage kobolds.
As was professionally cooked food, especially with the wide range of options spread around the hall. No one had less than three helpings before heading back. They had all lost some weight during the marches, and the repetitive rations hadn’t helped much either.
An evening spent relaxing in the common room was just what the doctor ordered, along with a good night’s sleep in a proper bed.
The thunderstorm hit overnight, leaving windows shaking as thunder rumbled close by and frequent flashes of lightning lit up Yaric’s room. Yaric never even knew, however, fast asleep and dead to the world.
It was still raining the next morning; which gave everyone the perfect excuse to continue to laze around. They all had to leave at some point to return their weapons and supplies, but other than that, no one left the dorm building except to eat. The bright sunshine of the day before had given way to dark skies and a warm but gloomy campus. Rain continued to pour down until late on the second night, finally clearing up after midnight. Again, Yaric had no idea, passed out in his room. Sleep hadn’t come easily, but the exhaustion from the expedition had overwhelmed the excitement of what tomorrow would bring. Magic!
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“Ah, you’re here,” Sandy said as Lloyd walked into the Council Chambers.
The entire chamber was lit up as if were nighttime, with burning torches in their sconces low on the walls, and glowing stones scattered higher up. Heavy brass braziers hanging from the ceiling were flickering overhead. All of which was a ridiculous waste, considering how most of those present could light up the entire room with a simple spell, and do it better than any flaming torch.
Rain pounded against the windows, punctuated only by the crack of thunder, drowning out the conversations being held along the counter in front of the Council’s seats. Frequent flashes of lightning lit up the room, bringing some areas into stark relief, while plunging others into deep shadow.
“High Wizard Ivers,” Lloyd said, inclining his head her way.
The High Wizard sat in her seat at the very center of the chamber, in her position as Council Head. Another High Wizard sat to her right, with two more to her left. The fifth seat on her far right was currently empty.
Lloyd glanced around the council, looking to see who was present. It only took him a moment to spot the man he was looking for, as the wizard in question was clearly attempting to set Lloyd on fire with his eyes.
“Eli,” Lloyd said softly, projecting his voice over the sound of the storm raging outside. Unfortunately, High Wizard Ivers noticed, her disapproving scowl quickly silencing Lloyd and preventing him from going any further.
A gong sounded through the entire chamber, and everyone fell silent. Soon there was only the sound of the driving rain and rolling thunder. Lloyd looked around in interest.
“High Wizard Lloyd Chen, we have summoned you here today to brief you on a new mission. One which must be undertaken at once.”
“Of course. I am ready to leave at any time.”
“High Mage Lennon Strenger has brought us a most disturbing report. While chaperoning the fifth years on their expedition, he discovered that the kobold infestation they were directed to clear was in fact far worse than we had been led to believe.”
“Kobolds?” Lloyd asked, raising his eyebrows as he glanced sideways toward Eli.
“Yes, kobolds. It was decided that they would be a good introduction to combat for the fifth years. The threat would be low, and the infestation should have been well within their capabilities to handle.”
“And I’m assuming they weren’t?” he asked inquiringly.
“No, they were far beyond what any fifth years’ would be expected to take care of. The kobolds had already spread fifty miles further than had been reported.”
Lloyd frowned at the news.
“How is that possible though? I saw the report; it was sent eight months ago. That’s just before winter. Kobolds can’t have spread so far over the winter. That’s quick even during the summer. There must have been at least half a dozen additional villages between where they spread to and where they were expected. And that’s just the depth, I’m ignoring the width... It’s simply impossible!”
“Indeed. And yet it is the reality. Duke Anton dispatched an entire regiment to deal with the issue. They are busy with the infestation as we speak. But that is not why we have summoned you, however. The news gets worse, as High Mage Strenger will explain,” Sandy said, gesturing toward Lennon, who had been standing below her chair the entire time.
High Mage Strenger stepped forward, as all eyes turned toward him. A flash of lightning briefly illuminated him just before he opened his mouth to speak, causing a small smile to play across Lloyd’s lips. 'That’s melodramatic.'
“The students joined the army in clearing some villages, we joined forces in order to give them some additional experience," he explained. "The last village we cleared was directly below Dragon’s Fang, just below the tree line. It was easily cleared - one of the easier battles actually. During the cleanup, however, we were attacked by another kobold village, coming down from the mountain itself. Despite the soldiers having their own scouts on watch.”
“How is that possible?” Lloyd interrupted. “The mountain is unpassable, and the slopes above the tree line are completely exposed.”
“That was our concern as well. The company’s Captain was furious. He dispatched his men to determine how the kobolds had managed to get so close without being detected, and where they had come from. Our students joined them too. The trail was easy enough to follow, leading straight up to the cliff, but at that point, all sign of them disappeared.”
Lloyd was confused, and interrupted to ask, “Kobolds are not hard to track. Especially when they move as a pack. And I happen to know just how good Duke Anton’s men are when it comes to tracking – there are no scouts better than his.”
“True, hence our confusion. Coupled with the Captain’s embarrassment around being caught by surprise, the lieutenant in charge was desperate to find something. But no matter how hard they searched, there was nothing to find. It was one of our students that discovered the first signs that something was wrong. Prospect Jakobson was resting inside a small fissure at the base of the cliff when she noticed an anomaly.”
Sandy and Lloyd both leaned forward simultaneously.
“Prospect Li Na Jakobson?” Sandy asked proudly.
“A fissure?” Lloyd asked at the same time.
They both glanced at each other, but Lloyd quickly waved for her to go first.
“Yes, it was Prospect Li Na Jakobson," High Mage Strenger said, looking up at Sandy. "She noticed that the rock face on one side of the fissure created a repeating pattern. The mountain side looked like normal rock, but the lines and cracks were repeated across a large area. And yes, this was inside a fissure at the base of the cliff,” Lennon added, turning back to face Lloyd.
Sandy had already leaned back, looking satisfied, so Lloyd continued his questioning. “What kind of fissure? Was it just a small crack down the side? I need to know how high, how wide, and how deep it went.”
It was High Mage Strenger’s turn to look confused. “It was around 10 feet wide, maybe 20 yards deep, and at least 50 yards high. Why? Do you know it?”
“No. You don’t understand, there are no fissures at the base of Dragon’s Fang. What you are describing is not natural.”
Even Sandy seemed a little taken aback at Lloyd’s statement. “You’re certain?” she asked.
“Absolutely. I’ve been around that mountain many times; I know there is no fissure or cave anywhere at the base of the mountain. Moreover, there is no volcanic activity, and all rivers coming from the mountain flow through existing canyons. The rock is also famously durable. There’s simply no mechanism for a fissure or cave to form. Not like you have described.”
Lennon hesitated, looking back to Sandy for direction.
“This information may have bearing on the issue at hand, continue the briefing.”
Lennon cleared his throat, just as a thunderclap boomed outside and a flash lit him up again, bringing another smile to Lloyd’s lips.
“As I was saying, there was an unusual anomaly inside the fissure. Which seems to be an anomaly in and of itself. It was quickly apparent that the repeating pattern had been created with the use of magic, and after a few minutes I was able to determine that the magic used had not marked the rock, but created an illusion. I dispelled the illusion quite quickly, revealing a tunnel in the side of the fissure. It was not very long, but it was lit throughout with mage stones.”
“This tunnel ended in a small room, carved directly into the mountain, and right in the middle, I found a transporter.”
Lloyd started, standing straighter. “A transporter? Are you sure?”
“I did not enter, but I could see it quite plainly. There is no doubt as to its purpose. And if that were not enough, I could still detect traces of arcana in the air. Much of it was space aspected.”
“There was a noticeable amount of arcana in the air?” Lloyd repeated questioningly. “That would mean it had been used very recently… the kobolds!”
“Yes. The second group of kobolds had come through the transporter while we were down in the village belonging to the first group. But there’s more. Students had already noted that the tools in that village were of higher quality than what we had seen so far. There were also far more shelters than we would normally see, and more than what would be needed for the number of kobolds we faced.”
“So, you believe that the kobolds in that village were housing other kobold villages after they came through the transporter?”
“It seems the most logical explanation,” Sandy interjected. “It would seem that the village at the base of the mountain was older than any others the students had come across, based on the quality of their tools. And the presence of extra shelters makes sense if they were there for kobolds that pass through.”
“It would also explain the rapid spread of the infestation. If fresh villages are continuously coming through the transporter, they would spread even quicker than usual. Their numbers would explode!”
“Indeed, that is our thoughts exactly.”
“But that would be considered a hostile action. An attack! If the kobold numbers had grown much higher, they might have been able to multiply quick enough to overwhelm the closest settlements. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that the entire area would have been devastated. Not to mention the time and effort it would require to clear an infestation of that size.”
“So you see our concern. We need you to travel to the base camp that Duke Anton’s men have set up, High Mage Strenger will give you the directions. I want to have a full investigation done immediately.”
“You want me to examine the transporter?” Lloyd asked curiously.
“No, we have already briefed a specialist on the matter, and she will handle the investigation. I want you to accompany her. You are far more accomplished in battle than most, and we cannot rule out any hostile reactions to our investigation. We don’t yet know who could be behind this or why, but they are clearly willing to leave a lot of death in their wake.”
“I also need you to handle the diplomatic aspect of the investigation. You will be responsible for briefing Duke Anton. You’ve always been infuriatingly proficient at diplomacy.”
Eli snorted off to the side in his new seat, leaving Lloyd smirking quietly to himself.
“I will handle it.”
“Good. The information you need is waiting for you outside, and High Wizard Gardiner, your charge, will meet you at the staff administration building tomorrow morning at 9am. High Mage Strenger will also be available to you before then, should you have any further questions for him.”
Lennon nodded at that.
“You realize that with a transporter in use, they could be based anywhere? In fact, it's certain that they are based far away and in another remote area, because they would need a large amount of wilderness to breed the kobolds they are sending through.”
“We are aware, we don’t expect you to apprehend anyone. Just determine where they are, and if possible, who. This is effectively an act of terrorism.”
“And what protocols would you like me to follow, should we come across those responsible?”
“We obviously need to establish their motivations, and what kind of organization they have set up. I would also like to know where the breeding site is, as that is also a danger. But apart from that, these people are to be treated as traitors to Malvec, and extremely dangerous. You know how the current King is with cases like this. He is as concerned with intent as he is with what they actually accomplish. They will be treated as mass murders.”
Lloyd nodded in acknowledgement.
“Now I am sure you have things to prepare. I need not remind you how important this is... You are dismissed.”
“High Wizard Ivers,” Lloyd said in farewell. Lloyd inclined his head toward those seated around him as well. “Have a good evening, honorable council members.” Turning on his heel, Lloyd made for the doors, with High Mage Strenger following close behind. Lloyd paused part way and turned slightly to wave and say goodbye to one of the newest regular council members. An angry looking, bloated wizard, draped in fine silks and staring daggers at Lloyd.
“And you as well… Eli.”