Chapter 10!!!!! (Ivan's Tale Part I)

Now I know you are all excite about the chapter so I won't take long. Bascially I just wanted to say thank you Paige, Laurel, Erika, Hannah, and Josh, as well as to all my mysterious ghost readers. Your comments, feedback, and continual support has given me the ability to perservere this far. To a great first 10! And many more to come! Cheers!

Chapter 10

The boat with the boys in it had sailed all night long at a slow and sluggish pace. The current was shallow at this point of the bay and the wind had died, leaving them barely drifting along in the water for most of the evening. Then when dawn’s first rays began coloring the sky, the wind picked up and the boat was moving again. Waves lapped against the side playfully, sea spray soaking the hair of all the young ones on the boat.

Ivan had drifted off and woke up when a large wave came over the side and splashed cold salt water all over him. Standing up he walked over to the front of the boat, trying hard to get his sea legs as the vessel rose and fell with the ocean. At the front were three other boys about his age.

“So, are you bound for Einri too?” Asked a boy in a naval outfit.

“Yes, but I didn’t know we needed uniforms.” Ivan said sheepishly motioning his soaked clothes.

The other boy laughed then said, “Well, actually I’m only wearing one because this is my second year. You’ll be getting yours after orientation tomorrow, but you can borrow one of mine until then. Don’t want to get sick your first week of class.”

“Thanks. I’m Ivan by the way.” He said introducing himself

“Edric.” They shook hands.

A quick change later and they were back on the front of the boat. Ivan asked Edric about the school, what the teachers where like, and how hard the classes were. Edric tried to answer as many of his questions, but in the end he just smiled and told Ivan to wait until they got there. And then the watchman sighted the school around mid day.

“What’s it like?” Ivan asked squinting at the horizon. “I had my glasses stolen in Yulleton so I can’t see.”

“Well, let’s see. There is a massive gray stone base, at least as tall as two houses. Above it is a level of tall white pillars to protect the school from large incoming waves. And on top of that, the third level. The school itself. From here all you can see is the high white wall that surrounds it and the domed buildings and towers.”

“What domes?” Ivan asked, getting excited but still not able to see anything.

“There is in the every middle of the school, a building like a cylinder, big enough to fit a hundred boats as big as ours in it. This cylinder has a glass dome on top of it so that it seems like there is no roof. There are identical but smaller buildings on either side of central one.”

“And the towers?” Asked Ivan yearning to be able to see the magnificent sight for himself.

“The towers rise form behind the lesser domes. The left one is taller than the right one, because it is the new lighthouse. On its top is a glass ball the size of a class room, and there are actually a few classes that do meet there. Within it is the great crystal that provides light at night or during storms. The shorter tower, only a little shorter mine you, is crowned by a simple small glass dome like the school building.”

“Is there more?” Ivan asked, close to salivating at the splendor of the grandiose structure.

“Yes, from here I can see it, though only barely. Crowning the highest tower is a large golden trident. When the sun hits it just right, it shines like a star above the clouds. They say that it was given by the Seaking as gift the Einri the Navigator, the founder of the school, to signify man’s rule of the seas.”

><><><><><><><><><

After another hour of unloading and climbing a mountain of steps carved into the solid gray stone, they finally reached the top of the third level and stood before the great blue painted gates. There were many groups of boys that stood in small pockets talking and laughing as they waited for the doors to open. After a few minutes there was a drum roll, and then a steady drum beat, and the heavy doors creaked open.

All of the returning students, or able sailors, as they were called, stood at attention in their uniforms. Ivan decided that since he was in uniform he should follow their example. However, he used the wrong hand to salute and as his arm made contact with that of a confused recruit on his left, chaos ensued. Able sailors and new cadets alike found themselves falling forward or backward in a domino effect and a few unlucky ones even plummeted down into the sea below.

They all groaned and struggled to get back up. Ivan tried to act as if he had no part in the cause of the pandemonium. Then he looked up at the door and saw too angry faces looking down at him. One was an elderly gentleman with a long beard, bald head, and blue staff. The other was a young woman with long flowing waves of blond hair hanging down her back over her turquoise robe.

“Well, we expected better behavior from an able sailor!” Said the old man.

“Please sir, my friend here isn’t an able sailor.” Said Edric covering for Ivan. “He is actually a new recruit that needed an extra pair of clothes so I let him borrow mine.”

“Hmm. I see. Well, since you seem so interested in his welfare, he will be part of your crew. Make sure he stays out of any more trouble. Or else.”

And then Edric and Ivan stepped back. The rest of the boys sent glares at Ivan, who tried to hide behind Edric who was a year older and slightly taller than himself. The woman said farewell to the old man who descended the stairs to go somewhere, obviously leaving her in charge. Ivan figured the man must be the principle.

“Now.” Called the woman, whom everyone simply called Madam. “Since the High Master has left on important business, I will be calling names today.”

And so she started to call names for room assignments. But they weren’t just room assignments, as Edric explained to Ivan, they were crews. Each room was considered a crew. The crews were made up of several able sailors and the rest cadets, who at the end of the school year would have to sail a vessel all on their own to prove their worth.

“Edric Callineb!”

Edric stepped forward and she waited until Ivan took his place next to Edric. They stood to one side as she went down her list and called more boys forward. Ivan was surprised that he recognized the first two from the voyage there.

Dare Liniste was a boy taller than Edric, with long black hair and long scar running from his temple across his eye and down to his chin. He didn’t say anything but stood silently by.

Jack Vanita had also been on Ivan’s boat, though he had looked a lot greener then. He had spent the large portion inside, or leaning out a window throwing up. Now, however he strutted forward in his uniform, stopping only to fix a strand of his hair that had come out of place.

“Wick Gebur!” She called and a boy Ivan age walked forward. He was wearing dirty overalls and had a grass hat on his head. He walked over and offered each of the crew a firm and strong handshake, though Jack seemed unable to stop staring at Wick’s bare feet in disgust.

“Coniglio Zucchar!” And no sooner had the words left her mouth than a boy zipped forward, jumping up and down a few times for good measure, and then standing by, tapping his foot, and drumming his fingers, as if impatient for the woman to continue.

“Dale and Tal Sereder.” Two identical boys walked out, both with a head of spiky blond hair. They were trying hard to suppress a laugh as they walked over to their friends. The next instant there was a loud yell and several students ran away from the group in agony and jumped into the sea. The rest of the group parted quickly to get away from the two skunks that had appeared out of nowhere.

“How on earth…” She began, but then seeing Dale and Tal’s giggling and the burlap sack they were trying desperately to hide, she quickly turned her heated gaze on the whole crew, “You will all report to your room this instant. There you are to remain until after dinner time. You must learn respect for each other as fellow students. And that at sea, all suffer for the choices of few.”

><><><><><><><><><

Ivan found their room slightly crammed. There were four bunk beds in the room, and one had its top bunk taken down, meaning someone would have to sleep on the floor. There were several drawers and chests for them to keep their things in. All were given sailor uniforms that were the plain and simply white garments hemmed with the two light blue stripes. Completely transformed now, Edric decided it was time.

“Alright everyone. Since Jack and I are the only able sailors here, I guess its up to us to get things started.” And here he looked to Jack to take the baton, but Jack was too busy looking in the mirror he had brought along and adjusting his new hat.

“So what are we suppose to do?” Asked Ivan determined.

“Well, first off crew, we have to decide who will be going into what.”

He got a universal confused response from them all. They gathered, sitting on beds, sea chests, and leaning against the darkwood bedposts. Edric decided that he better begin at the very beginning.

“Every ship is made up of four parts. There are the officers, the deck hands, the engineers, and the stewards. Each is called a quarter of the ship, and within each quarter there are different responsibilities.”

“So we have to decide which quarter we’ll be in!” Cried Ivan triumphantly at having figured it out.

“Well, yes.” Said Edric with a smile at his enthusiasm. “You’ll choose your quarter, and then within each quarter you will also choose an occupation. We get two officers, two engineers, two deck hands, and one steward. Ivan, since you’re weren’t originally in our crew, you get the wildcard. You may choose any category.”

Then the yelling and fighting began. The boys all began arguing and wrestling for the positions they wanted, and there were even a few cries of ‘not fair’ thrown at Ivan, thought they all knew that Edric was right. In the end, they had sorted out their fight and smiled good naturedly at one another, a few staunching bloody noses.

“Here, this is the list of descriptions. Ivan, would you do the honor?” Edric sad giving it to him.

Ivan cleared his throat then began.

“On the noble ship there are many people, officers, and hands that must work in unison as one body to achieve the desired affect of movement across the waves. The Officers comprise of the Captain, Medical Officer, Cartographer, and Weatherer. The Captain is head of the ship, the commanding officer. The Medical Officer sees to the crew’s medical needs. The Cartographer serves as general navigator of the ship. The Weatherer is responsible creating amiable weather for the ship.”

“Wait, they can do that?” Asked Tal excitedly.

“It doesn’t matter.” Said Jack, turning to them with a bored look. “Since Edric and I are able sailors we are the only ones who get to be officers in the crew.”

Tal and Dale both stuck their tongues out at him as Ivan continued reading.

“The Deck Hands are comprised of the Chief Officer, Helmsman, and the Seamen. The Chief Officer is in charge of the crew. The Helmsman steers the vessel. The Seamen are basically the working hands.”

“Oh! Oh! Oh! I want to be a Deck Hand! I want to be the Helmsman!” cried Dale pretending to steer a ship through a hurricane.

Dare only nodded his head, as if to say he would be a Deck Hand too.

“The Engineers comprise of the Chief Engineer, the Mechanist, and the Scraper. The Chief Engineer oversees all the others and is tasked with maintenance and repair of the ship. The Mechanist or Artificer is the blacksmith, in charge of making or adapting any parts of a ship that need adjustment or replacement. The Scraper is the unlucky soul that is lowered down into the depths to scrape the collected barnacles and other sea animals that would add to the vessel’s traction”

“Does the Chief Engineer have to sit down a lot? Huh? Huh?” Asked Coniglio hopping up and down on the bed, before he decided to jump from bed to bed.

“No Lio.” Said Ivan, getting slightly agitated by the continued interruptions. “The Chief Engineer would have to run everywhere the whole time, especially when the ship is out to sea, and would have to be fixing things constantly and doing things with his hands, and…”

“That’s it! That’s it! Chief Engineer! Chief Engineer!” and then with one hop he went to far and smacked his head against a bunk bed top, which flipped him in mid air onto his back on the wooden floor. “I’m okay.”

“So the Engineers work with their hands?” Wick asked, a slow, painful expression on his face as he tried to think, “Okay, I’ll be the Arti-thingy, the, um, Mecha whats it. The blacksmith”

Edric smiled and nodded writing all the answers down. “That leaves Tal for the Steward.”

“What does the steward do?” Tal asked, with excitement.

“Cook.” Said Jack smiling, and then before he could argue, “And you lost the wrestling match so you have to be steward.”

“Alrighty then. I’ll be cook!” He pouted.

“Then that just leaves you Ivan.” Edric said.

“Well, lets see. I’m really interested in the Weatherer but I would also like to do Cartography. It’s a tough choice.”

“You don’t have to choose.” Said Jack with a wicked grin on his face,

“Jack, don’t.” Said Edric worried, but Jack continued anyway.

“Those taking officer classes are allowed to take more than one positional training. I am taking Captain and Medical Officer.” He said with a proud smirk.

“Alright! If you can do it so can I!” Ivan said, getting very competitive.

“Ivan, think twice. You’ll be getting a double work load. Are you sure?” Edric asked.

“Yes. May the best man stick with it!” He said shaking Jack’s offered hand.

“I intend to.” Jack said and walked back to his mirror to fix his hair again.

“Okay you two, break it up.” Edric stepped in. “Now, we have to decide on an emblem for our crew as well as a name. It works great when the name and the emblem are the same.”

“Oh, oh, oh! I know! I know! The blue buccaneers!” Said Tal.

“No! The Red Beards!” Said Dale and the two were soon on the floor rolling around as they tried to pin the other down and win the argument.

“What about the Hurricane.” Ivan offered.

“Hurricanes. There are more than just you here Ivan.” Jack said contemptuously.

“No, I think he’s on to something. We work together as a single team, the way the wind, the rain, the clouds, and the sea all work together to make one Hurricane.” Edric said thoughtfully.

“I like it.” Lio said.

“Sounds good to me.” Wick agreed.

Dare nodded his approval.

“Alright Hurricane. Lets make this the best year ever!”

><><><><><><><><><

Much to their chagrin, they found out the next morning that at the dinner they had missed all the other crews had already chosen names, and the Hurricane was taken by a different crew. And, because they then had no back up name, they were assigned a name from a list.

“The Cuttlefish!” Everyone yelled in anger and surprise.

It was after the morning classes and everyone was eating lunch down by the docks, where they could go swimming in the cool water. Ivan, Wick and Lio sat on the swaying decks, eating the sandwiches from the mess hall. Edric and Jack were racing from pier to pier, and Dare stood by, arms crossed, wordlessly watching by the stairs.

“So, what were your classes like?” Asked Ivan a bit of tuna sandwich still in his mouth.

“It wasn’t that bad.” Said Wick, looking down at the rough wood and running his fingers on the old grain, “The Physics of Wind, Water, and Wood was a little hard, but I think I’m getting it. Basic Boat construction was very fun. We’re gonna be building our own boats this week.”

“What about you Lio.” Ivan asked, letting his bare feet dip into the cool water.

“Well, it was a lot of talking. Just talking and talking. It was like this at my others schools too. My parents thought this one would be different. Its not. Nope, no way, just the same. I guess I’ll probably get kicked out of here too.”

“Did you tell the teacher you have trouble focusing?” He asked.

“Nope, never made a difference before. Won’t make one now. Hey, at least no on will have to sleep on the floor once I’m gone.” And with that he pulled off his shirt and dove in.

“What classes did you have today?” Asked Wick.

“A lot.” Laughed Ivan. “But I have to say, nothing was as bad as Basic Knott tying.”

A universal grown went up from all the boys at the mention of the class. The ones in the water had heard the word knot and all were circling around the pier now, calling out as they did.

“That infernal class! Professor Bo Pugo thinks we’re all in the military academy. I bet he’d have been happier as a P. E. teacher. He looks like one.” Jack said.

“What all muscle and no brain?” Called Ivan laughing.

“Hey guys, come on. You may not like it, and I tell you I definitely don’t like having to take it twice, but it is the most important part of the ship. The knot is what keeps the sails up and everyone safe. It’s important. But you’re right; Captain Bo could try actually inflecting his tone once and a while.”

And so lunch time was over. The boys went to their other classes. During the middle of the day, there was a loud explosion from the kitchen. The next moment they saw Madam walk by dragging a singed Tal and Dale by their ears. They came back much later that night, smelling of soap and dirty dishes.

><><><><><><><><><

Ivan was excited for his first Cartography class. He stepped into the wedge shaped room, one of the many classrooms located in the glass domes main building. After everyone was seated and the class was to begin, a whistle sounded and an elderly man, who looked to be in his late forties or early fifties walked in. He was tall, yet slightly stooped with age and Jack stared in horror at his bald shining head, the semicircle of hair stretching from ear to ear the only remnant of what was.

The teacher, who said nothing and only unpacked his bag, had a scowl on his face, wore an old admiral’s uniform that had seen better days. His eyes were half moons, and two immense bags drooped down from them, while a perfect purplish circle surrounded each eye, encompassing bags and all. On his head were a few liver spots, and on his chin were a few scraggily whiskers. He straightened his desk and sat behind it, watching the clock intently.

A student walked in, a smile on his face as he thought it funny that he had come so late to class. However, the teacher only stared at him with a scolding expression, raising an eyebrow, and then looking back at the clock on the wall.

“Do you own a watch sir?” Asked the teacher.

“Um yes actually I do.” He said, pulling out a watch on a chain.

“And what time does your watch say?”

“Um, quarter past eleven.”

“I see. And what time does class start?”

“Eleven.”

“So why were you late?”

“I dunno. I guess I lost track of the time.”

The teacher seemed almost to experience visible pain at that remark. Then getting up slowly he walked back and forth in front of the slate board, finally turning to the class and speaking very pointedly.

“In my last sixty years of teaching I have seen people have begun to care less and less about education. Most of you are here so you can get a well paying job afterward, or because your parents expect you to be here. You don’t care about education. However, fear not, because I know how to make people care. It turns out that when you give many many F’s, people suddenly care very much. So, my only classroom policy is give no A’s and as many F’s as possible. Welcome to Cartography and Navigation.”

All morning long Ivan took bountiful notes on anything and everything. The class was challenging but he enjoyed Professor Paren Mudryj and the way he explained things. They learned mostly about the ancient art of cartography and how it was the taming of the land. No one really knew what he meant by that but they took it down anyway. After class was over, Ivan made his way to the mess hall, attached to the rotunda-like main building.

He found everyone eating lunch down by the docks again and joined them. They all laughed when he told the story of what had happened. Those who had had him before agreed he was probably the oldest and hardest teacher in the whole school. As Ivan was finishing his lunch, Wick and the twins came up and beckoned him to follow them.

They went up to the school and into the side domed building. Tal and dale seemed very excited and they quickly made sure no one else was close by when they showed Ivan what they had found. It was a tunnel.

“Look, look. Its writing.” Tal said as he found an old sign.

“Keep out. Maybe we shouldn’t go in.” Said Wick unsure.

“Come on. Don’t you want to know where it goes?” Asked Dale temptingly.

“Well, I guess a quick peak won’t hurt.” Ivan said as he and the other boys made their way into the tunnel. They had only gone a few feet when the door slammed shut and they heard laughter coming from the other side.

“Ha ha! Looks like you pipsqueaks are gonna be trapped down there forever!”

Wick recognized the voice.

“Fenn, you good for nothing weasel let us out!”

“Ha, you’re in no position to make demands country bumpkin!” Said another voice with a sneer.

“Thorn, let us out or you’ll be in big trouble.”

“Maybe we should, um, do as he says. I don’t want to be in big trouble boss.”

“Shut up! Don’t listen to him Torin. Finish your pie and keep leaning against the door!”

The four in the tunnel banged on the door for a while but the three only laughed and jeered more. Then suddenly, they stopped. The Ivan stepped forward slowly and pushed the door open. There was Madam and she had the three boys standing on the side next to two older upperclassmen. Then she beckoned the four over and spoke long with them about never setting foot in there again and never mentioning the place to anyone. Then all seven were sent to the kitchen on dish duty for the rest of the night and the next day.

“What do you think is down there?” Tal asked, curiosity now burning within him.

“I don’t know. But it must be something very important that they would guard it like that.” Ivan said, drying a plate.

“So, do you guys want to go back there tonight?” Tal asked, and was hit from all sides by soaking dish towels and a resounding ‘No’.

><><><><><><><><><

The next day was spent all day long continuing dishes duty and was very uneventful. It was Ivan’s fourth day at the school and he spent most of it contemplating the many things he had learned. As he was thinking, someone was cooking in the kitchen with ginger, and the smell suddenly triggered his memory.

He wasn’t supposed to be here. How could he have let himself get so sidetracked? He was worse than a black bird seeing something shiny, he thought to himself. He would have to escape the school itself. But that would require a boat. Shore was much too far to swim to. He continued thinking as the Nurse called him to her office.

He stepped in and Edric was standing there smiling as the nurse told Ivan to sit. She checked his ears, his mouth and his eyes. Then she did some more tests on his eyes, and walked out. Returning a few minutes later, she gave him a brown paper parcel, and called the next person in.

Walking back to the room, Ivan opened it and found inside a leather band with a hitch for adjusting the length. Set into the band were two brass goggles fitted with glass. Ivan tried it on and was amazed at the result.

“I can see! I can see again! And I can see better than I have ever seen before!”

“I’m glad you like it. You can’t be a Weatherer or a Cartographer if you’re blind.”

“Thanks Edric.” Ivan said, pulling his new goggles up and on top of his head, where they made his dark hair stand in all directions.

When they arrived back in the room everyone wanted to see him with his new goggles on. Even Jack seemed to approve, saying that when they were in his hair, it made him look less like a bum off the streets of Stoken. Ivan decided to take that as a compliment. Then they all went to bed. Tal and Dale had finally figured out the bed situation. Instead of alternating who slept on the floor they decide they would just share the small cramped bunk bed, since being twins they already shared everything else. All night long they made noise as they fought for the blanket, for room, and to try and kick the other off. Keeping the crew awake. They finally figured out to lay one head on one end and the other at the other end, just as the sunrise rose over Einri and peaked into their window.

><><><><><><><><><

“Keel?” Said the elderly lady, as she peered over the top of her half moon glasses at the class.

“The bottom of a sea going vessel.” The class recited in bored monotone.

“Stern?”

“The rear of a sea going vessel.”

“Rope?” She said, her mouth looking like that of a turtle.

“The raw material used on a ship.”

“Line?”

“Rope that has been used for something or tied in some kind of knot.”

“Tacking?”

“Turning the boat using the wind.”

“Running?”

“Having the wind directly behind you.”

And so it continued on for two hours. Ivan was having a hard time concentrating, and knew he would forget at least some if not all of the terms by the time he made his escape. Maybe he could sneak out with the boat Wick was almost done building. It was a small affair, with a single large triangular sail, a small cabin, and enough room for probably seven or eight people.

After Vocabulary class and then Cartography, Ivan went down to lunch down by the docks. The rest of the Cuttlefish crew was there too, but while they played and swam in the water, he went off to the side, thinking. Soon the whistle for next period was sounded. He followed the rest of the class, walking with Jack who took every reflective surface’s opportunity to fix his hair. Once they were at the top of the new Lighthouse tower they came through an attic door and found themselves in room above the tower. It was in fact a giant glass ball on the tower. And in here was a large glowing pink crystal in the middle.

“Hello, hello. Everybody’s here already. My goodness. What a thrill this will be for the new cadets. Erm, yes. Hello I am Professor Prospero de Milan, your Introduction to Weathering teacher.”

Professor Prospero was a large, tall, and round man. When he laughed his eyes became dark crescents, his rosy cheeks took over his face, and his immense stomach heaved like the ocean itself. He was dressed in a long flowing black robe with a pointed dark blue hat. On his forehead was a black diamond.

“Now, to begin lets have a little demonstration. Watch.”

And so he picked up a silver flute he had and played a thrill on it. From the north a wind blew gently through the open sections of the glass ball, the cool wind refreshing on such a hot day.

“This is Boreas, the North Wind.” The Professor said introducing the wind that in turn blew across the classroom, circling around several students, including Ivan. “There are four major winds and for minor winds. We will not be focusing on the lesser ones in this class. More advanced classes go into that subject. Now then, everyone grab an instrument and we’re all going to try calling the North Wind.”

And so, some picked up bugles, some French horns, some trumpets, and some flutes. Ivan was lucky enough to get a flute. Then they all followed the Professors’ conducting and instruction. Luckily, the notes had been marked on the instruments for further help.

“E-C-D-G.”

They tried and the sound sounded like a dying cat. Ivan had luckily taken some music classes in St. Mateus from Mrs. Paige and so he sounded slightly better than the rest.

“Good good. Now C-D-E-C.”

They followed again. Some weren’t making any sound at all, simply blowing. One person even turned blue and fell over. The Professor laughed then took a black stone and wrote the full notes on the pink crystal. He instructed everyone to keep trying while he helped those who were having difficulties. Ivan tried playing twice, messing up on the last part. Then he played the whole thing on the high piccolo.

“E-C-D-G. C-D-E-C. E-D-C-G. G-E-D-C.”

And when he did, the wind blew in again through the window and twirled around him. Everyone looked in shock at Ivan, pointing at his forehead. He looked over at the reflective glass surface and saw it. There was a small blue arrow pointing up on his forehead.

“Excellent Ivan!” he called and patted the boy on his back. “You have been accepted by Boreas. Where ever you go, play that tune and Boreas will come to your aid, if he can. Now see everyone, its not that hard. By the end of this class I guarantee that you will all have at least one wind, if not all four.”

Then after an hour or so of practice summoning the wind, class was over and Ivan took his new piccolo and went downstairs to dinner. That night Tal and Dale flooded the kitchen with greasy sink water, and the whole crew had to stay up till after midnight scrubbing, drying, and getting the mess cleaned up. Luckily Ivan was able to summon Boreas to blow the kitchen and mess hall dry for them.

><><><><><><><><><

The next day was uneventful, and Ivan found himself going from class to class, unable to get his mind off Holly and Klaus. He was trying hard to figure out a clever plan to sail to where ever they were at and come triumphantly to the rescue. The only problem was he had no idea where they were, and he would not be able to sail the boat on his own.

At lunch time he swam in the cool ocean, enjoying the feel of the refreshing water on his bare skin. He swam and swam, not ever wanting to resurface, feeling like he could stay there, beneath the waves forever. Then he saw them, a group of people in long flowing blue robes. They seemed to walk on some invisible path in the middle of the ocean. They carried dull yellow lights and their pale, straight, blond hair was interspaced with seaweed and shells. Ivan felt his breath begin to fail. As much as he wanted to stay he forced himself up.

Going back down he couldn’t find them. They were gone.

><><><><><><><><><

That afternoon they had their normal History of the Sea and Sailing class. The teacher was slightly crazy, in that she would show up to class dressed in some ancient sea warrior garb or kelpie dress in a desperate attempt to make the history classes fun. However, she was still a bit crazier than that, because whenever she spoke, she would randomly yell and hit the slate board with her hand or ruler, not even to emphasize a point. Just out of sheer insanity.

“Today we will learn about the great Einri the Navigator. Turn to page five and get ready for history to come alive!”

Everyone tried hard not to groan in agony at her history jokes or sayings. They began reading. Tal and Dale who were also in the class seemed to be very interested. While she was lecturing and enacting a scene from history, they motioned Ivan closer.

“Look at this!” Said Tal, a smug grin on his face. “Remember that tunnel we found? Well, I think this is why they didn’t want us up in the old tower.”

Ivan began reading. He read about how in old times a wicked sea sprite had caused so much mischief that Einri the Navigator himself had to seal the sprite in a magic tapestry using the Seaking’s trident.

“We should go check it out!” Said Dale encouragingly.

“I don’t know.” Ivan knew what he was supposed to do, but he really wanted to see what was in the tower.

“We won’t even touch it. We’ll just opened the door to see if its even still there. If it’s not then it would be out duty to report the missing tapestry before something bad happened.” Said Tal with an innocent look.

“Well, if you put it that way…”

“Alright! Tonight, after lights out.”

><><><><><><><><><

It was pitch dark. The three sneaked throughout the sleeping school until they came to the base of tunnel. They pulled away the panel that had been set up to hide the door, and went inside. They followed it until they came to another door. The door was locked but Tal was able to pick it in two seconds. Ivan decided he didn’t want to know. Within the door were stairs, they opened their lanterns now that they were inside, and climbed the many spiraling stairs up the old tower.

At the top they entered a small room. And there, hanging from four iron rings was a large wall long tapestry depicting a strange imp like creature with long pointed ears, a beaked nose, and three fingers to a hand. Each hand was enriched within a magic ring, almost like a manacle.

“Wow, Ivan there’s writing here, beneath the tapestry!”

Ivan walked forward, held up the lantern, and read:
“Freyhate” Then blew the dust away in front of the word, and read, “Do not utter this word: Freyhate.”

The Ivan saw the tapestry started moving as if a breeze was blowing it. The lanterns went out but the dull glow from the lighthouse illuminated the scene. The picture began to move, then the creatures turned to them and gave a smirk. Bringing all his limbs together in a ball, he jumped forward and the tapestry was torn to shred as he floated on the air in front of them.

“Hehehe! Many thanks foolish mortals!”

And with that he flew out and broke the glass dome roof of the tower.

“Man, we are in so much trouble!” Said Dale and Tal in unison.

><><><><><><><><><
><><><><><><><><><

End Chapter

So this and the seocnd part of Klaus was difficult, because I have so much i wante dto say, but that I couldn't because of space. My first version was so long that it was nearly four times teh length of my first chapters, and I had to cut out a substantial amount of text. I'm going to try and work it in later, but if not, it'll be for the best. As one of the greatest jazz musicians said,

"It's not about knowing which notes to play, and its all about knowing which not to play."

And I think that applies to wrting as well. To be a good author, you need to know what to write and what not to write. So, look for Holly's Part II tomorrow. I just need to reread it real quick and check for any inconsistencies.
Until then.