Aiden looked around the portal searching for any more of the Riftshadows. When they had taken the runeport they had thought they would be done with the creatures, but now, it seemed that they were all around.
“So, you know that there are Riftshadows?” Elara asked, “Does everyone know?”
“Yes, I did know.” Instructor Harling answered simply, “But does everyone? Hmmm,” she smiled and Aiden thought it looked a bit out of place on her hard features, “I don’t think everyone would agree that the sky is blue.”
“How could Riftshadows be in Stonebridge?” Morgan asked and then added quickly, “Is everyone okay? Did anyone get hurt? My family is in Stonebridge, my mother, my father, my three brothers…”
Instructor Harling gestured with her hands for her to slow down, “Everyone so far is fine,” the instructor began, “everyone was alive, although some had been injured.”
Morgan let go of a breath and Aiden watched as she visibly relaxed.
Instructor Harding spoke gently, “But that is why I need to know, what happened in Brookside today?”
“We don’t know what happened in Brookside,” Jabari said speaking quickly, “Whatever caused this many Riftshadows to appear wasn’t us.”
Instructor Harling didn’t say anything but from the way she was looking at Jabari, she wasn’t convinced.
Jabari lifted his hands up, in a gesture of admission, “It really wasn’t us. Brookside has been off limits for months, but it wasn’t dangerous.”
“Oh, and how do you know that?” Instructor Hardling asked.
“I’ve been there, many times,” Jabari admitted. “Look, you said you needed to know what happened, so I’m being honest. The last few times I was there, there had been a few small imps, creatures like that, all level 1s, maybe a level 2 and none of them seemed to cause much damage or even really get in the way. It was off limits, but it wasn’t dangerous.”
“You know that admitting that you deliberately entered Brookside after knowing that it was off limits could get you in some serious trouble,” she admonished.
“Yes, but I wanted you to know I’m telling the truth when I say that there nothing dangerous in Brookside until today.”
“What changed today?” Instructor Hardling asked her curiosity showing.
“I don’t know what changed,” Jabari answered and when Instructor Hardling frowned, he protested, “I really don’t know. But when I got there this morning, it was different. It wasn’t one or two imps like before; there were many more imps and they were all around.”
“This morning, before the Call of the Champion was cast?” she asked looking from Jabari to the two girls.
“This morning,” Elara agreed, and Morgan nodded.
“The area was overrun with imps when we got there, when the World Spell book still showed the Call of the Champion,” Jabari explained.
“If that’s true, that is unfortunate,” she admitted and looked at each of them in turn.
“It’s true,” Morgan said, willing her to believe them, “on my family’s life,” she added as seriously as she could. “The imps weren’t created by the Call of the Champion; they were there before the Spell was ever cast.”
The instructor took a deep breath as seemed to consider.
“That is very unfortunate,” she said at last. “We’ll have to talk further, but for now, I want you all to go back to the town. If you managed to get out of Brookside with Riftshadows there, you will certainly be able to help them defend against any that get close.
“We can’t,” Morgan blurted out, her calm tone gone, “Instructor Harling, we were just doing whatever we could with whatever we had. I was fighting with my Tailoring Small Tack Hammer and Elara was using a Ring Sizing Mandrel. If they hadn’t been fire imps who took so much damage from simple water spells, we wouldn’t have gotten out of there at all.”
Aiden noticed that she hadn’t mentioned him in the conversation and remembering Jabari’s warning, didn’t add anything to her explanation.
“Plus,” Jabari said, “If my family ever heard I was using my father’s Garden Trowel as a weapon, I’d be stuck doing the planting by hand for a month.”
"Well then, you may have to help in a different way,” Instructor Harling said thoughtfully, “You were all scheduled for induction at Lyndon Academy tomorrow," Instructor Hardling began, her voice cutting crisply through the air. "Perhaps we can just move that up a bit to deal with this mess."
“What?” Dorian asked surprised. “How?”
Instructor Hardling continued, "Since the riftshadows are advancing towards Stonebridge and since you five have shown that you don’t seem to know how to stay out of trouble, I may as well grant you some abilities to help clean up this mess."
“But I thought the ceremony took always took place in the Induction Hall at Talindor Academy?” Darion asked, “How can we be accepted to the academy here?”
“The induction itself is nothing more than an agreement,” Instructor explained, “The ceremonies are just that ceremonies, but they are not required. If they are important to you, you can participate in them when we arrive. However, right now, there is no need for the pomp and circumstance.”
"Now, present your Invitations to Lyndon Academy," and stood there expectantly.
Immediately a new screen appeared for Aiden:
Request to share quest “Invitation to Talindor Academy”
with Instructor Harling YES NO
Aiden considered for a moment. He had been answering these questions, and agreeing to things entirely too much today. He never seemed to know what would happen next and had been going along with it. This time he decided he wasn’t going to simply agree. This time selected “No”.
Instructor Harling, who had been nodding approvingly at each of the teens, stopped what she was doing and looked over at Aiden. “You have something to say, Aiden?”
Aiden looked at her, gathered himself and spoke up, "I... I think there's been some mistake. I’m not supposed to be here, Instructor Harling I’m not even from this world,” he said expecting the words to be significant, but she seemed unimpressed. “Honestly, I don’t actually want to go to Talindor Academy, I really just want to go back home."
Instructor Harling fixed him with a stern look that made him feel as if he had made a major misstep, "Wizzaron Aiden Stone, you possess an invitation to the Academy, and as such, you are obligated to attend. There are no errors here and there will be no changes."
Aiden felt his heart sink and the message popped up again.
Request to share quest “Invitation to Talindor Academy”
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
with Instructor Harling YES NO
He could see the portal from where he stood. It was so close, it had taken him here, it could take him back home again. If he just could figure out how it worked, but once he agreed to attend Talindor he didn’t know what would happen or when he would be as close to being able to get back home.
Sighing Instructor Hardling looked over at him, “I’m sorry, Aiden, but that was not an optional request.”
“Invitation to Talindor Academy”
Accepted by Instructor Harling on behalf of Talindor Academy
‘QCore’, Aiden thought to himself, ‘how could the invitation have been accepted when I didn’t accept it?’
The light flashed and then the response appeared:
Turns out indecision is a valid enrollment strategy!
Your Academy invitation?
Accepted on your behalf by Instructor Harling of Talindor Academy! Congratulations!
Aiden just watched as the little sparkles of celebration filled his vision.
“Welcome to Talindor Academy, Aiden,” Instructor Harling said simply.
Jabari looked over at Aiden with a smile. "Looks like we’re in this together now,” he said and clapped him on the back.
Immediately a new page popped up…
Lyndon Code of Conduct
Aiden looked at the screen as a list of rules and regulations scrolled in front of him.
Welcome to Lyndon Academy. Students are expected to embody the principles and values of our institution in all aspects of academic and social life. By adhering to these guidelines, we ensure that ….
He started to read but was interrupted with a subtle elbow jab from Jabari that hit him square in the ribs.
“Just scroll to the bottom,” Jabari whispered under his breath.
Aiden looked up to see that Wizza Harling and the others were all staring at him.
With a heavy sigh, he scrolled to the bottom as quickly as he could and was unsurprised by what he saw at the bottom.
Do you acknowledge that you have received the Talindor Academy Code of Conduct, which outlines its rules and regulations, results, resolutions, and consequences? Acknowledgement
Aiden hesitated, ‘What if I don’t acknowledge it?’ he thought to himself. With that the Acknowledgement button flashed bright as if it was clicked in its place, appeared a new message:
You've been automatically subscribed to the Academy’s Code of Conduct.
(Don't bother searching for the unsubscribe button; it doesn't exist.) Admission to Talindor Academy Completed!
Aiden received another set of sparkles but he dismissed them.
“Very good,” Wizza Harling said, nodding her satisfaction. “Your training won’t be able to begin until we actually get to the Academy in two days, but for now you will at least be able to assist with any of the vermin that make their way into the village.”
“But if I discover that you have been using any of these skills for anything else, other than what I or another Master at the Academy, tell you to do, you will immediately lose any skills you have learned and all of your skills may be reset for good measure.”
He heard Morgan gasp and although Aiden wasn’t sure what being “reset” was, the look on his friends faces convinced him that whatever it was, it was a profoundly serious punishment.
Murmurs of “Yes, Wizza Hardling,” came from each of the teens and Aiden said the same thing as well.
“Also, you will only be able to gain the first five levels toward each skill,” she warned.
“But, what if the Riftshadows are higher than that?” Morgan asked.
“So far, we haven’t seen one over Level 4,” she answered, “Five levels should be more than enough.
Instructor Harling took a breath as if to say something else and then stopped, and silently looked off toward the forest. She frowned for a second, cocked her head as if considering something, then pursed her lips together as if was she had thought of was something she didn’t like. Finally, turned her attention back to them.
“It’s no longer safe to stay out here, more riftshadows are coming and you all to head back to town,” she said.
“Back on the runeportal now,” she admonished as she waved them toward the portal, “Hurry up, I don’t have all day.”
As they made their wat to the runeportal, she continued her instructions, “And make sure to head to the infirmary as soon as you arrive. I want them to make sure you are all as uninjured as you claim to be, and.”
“We will,” Elara agreed.
“Thank you for bringing Pearl back to me,” Aiden said.
“Hopefully, the infirmary will also be able to help Pearl.”
Aiden took a few more steps to the middle of the runeportal and then reached his hand out for Pearl, “I was pretty dizzy the last time I did this, Pearl, it might be better if I hold you while we transport,” She hopped into his hand and he held her close as he took his place among the others and waited.
Even though he had gone through the portal twice already he was still nervous about what was about to happen. The first time he had taken a runeport he didn’t know what was going to happen, so he didn’t know to even be worried. The last time they had been trying to get away from the rift shadows so that was all he had been concerned about, but this time was different. This time he had time to consider what was about to happen was that he was going to be transported from one place to a far distant one. It made his stomach do flip flops.
The message once again appeared.
Transport to Stonebridge: Town Center
In Progress
As the transport activated, Aiden felt himself rooted to the spot. That familiar paralysis took hold, gradually erasing his form from view. Passing through the portal felt like a blend of soaring and plummeting—an odd, unsettling sensation that he didn’t think he’d ever get used to, but this time he tried to watch what happened at least and didn’t close his eyes.
The world faded away anyway.
* * * * *
Welcome to the Stonebridge Town Center in Draydon!
The message was the first thing he saw when the runeport was completed. Even though he had only been through the runeportal a couple of times he felt like he was already getting used to it. He didn’t quite feel his disoriented as he had in the past, which was probably good.
The town they arrived in was bustling with people and obviously very busy. There were buildings crowded with creatures and things that Aiden hadn’t seen ever before. At first, he was slightly disoriented and didn’t quite know what to do or where to go.
“There you are!” a familiar voice shouted at them from a few feet away from the portal.
Aiden looked down to see Instructor Harling standing there staring at them, with nearly the very same look of frustration on her face and her hands on her hips.
“How did she?” he mumbled softly wondering how she had beaten them into town. As he was fading for the runeport, he would have sworn he had seen her walking toward the forest, yet here she was standing there in front of them.
“Well, hurry up!” the woman who looked to be Instructor Harling said impatiently. “I don’t have all day!”