Chapter 13 version 2

So this is actually more like version five, but it's the second one you're being exposed to so we'll just call it version two. When I first wrote this chapter, I had a schedual. Literally everything was just about fitting the right amount of information in the right amount of space so that I finshed in under 15 pages. Then I realized that it made everything unnatural, stiff, and took away from Ivan's most important aspect, the humor that serrounds him. On the other hand, this chapter was also ment to show the slightly deeper aspect to Ivan, not just his funny side. So,I think thats what made it so difficult. Here's version two, let me know which one you prefer. I tried to clear up any places that I had thought was unclear before. Enjoy.


Chapter 13

Chaos reigned over the school of Einri the Navigator. People ran everywhere and teachers and professors were trying in vain to direct the flow of students into the main building. In the thrashing maul of bodies there were eight heads, covered in dark seaman’s cloaks that walked in the shadows. Each carried a large burlap bag across his shoulder. They hurried out the side gate and down the stone steps. When they reached the layer of white columns a large wave slammed against the structure, washing through the columns as it passed through the hollow area. The figures all clung to pillars as the storm sucked the water back to the oceanic depths. They continued down to the docks.

“Where’s the ship Wick?”

“O’er there!” he called above the whistling wind in his rustic accent.

There, illuminated by the lighting in the clouds, was a small wooden craft only about 20 paces from bow to stern. It had a single, tall mast with a white sail that had been trimmed all the way. On the deck was a cabin that didn’t look that big. All eight members of the Cuttlefish Crew looked at one another, and then decided to place their lives in Wicks hands as they climbed aboard.

Ivan was the last on. He pulled the anchor up with Dare and Coniglio. Dale was at the helm already and Wick and Tal had mounted the mast to unfurl the sails. Jack and Edric had taken the supplies beneath the deck to the ship’s small larder, then had gone with charts and instruments in hand to the cabin. Before closing the door, Edric called.

“Mr. Dare, if you please, get us away from the school before we’re smashed to pieces!”

Ivan took his queue from Dare, who had so suddenly changed into a first mate that he acted as if he had done it all his life. Ivan summoned Boreas on his piccolo and called out to the wind to blow them west of the school. The wind blew and filed their sails, and everything looked good, then suddenly Boreas was gone, the sail swung around, knocking the wind out of Wick, and the boat came to a slow halt.

“What’s the matter Ivan?” Called Edric from the cabin.

‘There are other winds here. Boreas is being overtaken! We’ll have to wait till we’re clear of the ring of clouds before I can summon him again!”

Lightning flashed across the sky. The whole crew had grabbed oars and were trying to direct the ship away from the school. Dale, the helmsman, was covered in icey water and sweat. His hands had gone numb and his body was shaking as he tried to direct the careening vessel. In the cabin, Edric sat with a swaying lantern, scanning a map closely, reading current charts, trying to figure out a way to escape the clutches of the storm.

As Ivan was pulling on an oar, Dare came up and gave him a gruff nod towards the cabin. Ivan walked over, trying hard to keep himself balanced as the ships surface rose and fell at steep angles. The little ship went up dark green mountains and fell into the chasming valleys of the sea. As Ivan walked his mind went back to earlier that night.

The tapestry. The room. The imp. The crash of glass. The sound of alarm as the school awoke. The crowds all assembling on the green as per the emergency drills. The impish figure grabbing the Seaking’s trident off the roof. Ivan’s arm was nearly ripped out of his socket by the fierce gust the blew the door open for him.

“Ivan. Good, here come help me.” Said Edric, shoving a map under Ivan’s nose, “You’re the cartographer. We need a current that will speed us out of the bay as fast as possible.”

“We want to go west, right?” Said Ivan knowing the answer.

“That’s where the trident was thrown, yes.” Edric said. “Ivan. Don’t blame yourself so. Anyone of us could have been tricked by the imp into releasing him. What matters now is to get that trident back, before Madam Tethys returns from her trip.”

“Right.” Ivan said as he pulled his goggles on and began searching the maps carefully.

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It took the crew of eight until noon to clear the storm surrounding the school. When they were finally out in the open turquoise water, the waves now gone and the sky cloudless, they all slumped down on the deck, exhausted. Tal came up from bellow deck with a bowl of yellow porridge for everyone. They ate the warm, bland food with ravenous hunger.

“Alright crew.” Said Edric as he walked down from the cabin to the deck. “We’re sailing west. We should reach the shore of Insular, the great western island, by sunset. If we’re lucky, the trident will be somewhere near there.”

For the rest of the day, the group of boys figured out how to sail. The going was slow especially since Ivan couldn’t summon Boreas. First they gave too much canvas, then too little, each time causing the sail to fly one way or the other, knocking someone overboard.

Ivan was in his cabin, listening as he peered over charts and maps with sexton and compass. He measured the angle of the sun and the horizon. As he was working his mind raced feverishly. He knew he had messed up big time. He needed to redeem himself. And hopefully not make a bigger mess in the process.

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As the sun dipped into the ocean, color dissolving into the waves, the shore of Insular was finally spotted by Tal up in the crow’s nest. They continued edging closer to the island as the day transformed into night with a vivid display of color. As they drifted up to the sandy beach, the bottom scrapping as it went along; they spotted a light on the beach. Sitting by the fire was a dark figure. Edric, Jack, and Dare went to ask him about the trident.

“So, what did he say?” Asked Ivan excitedly on their return.

“Well, the good news is, he saw it.” Everyone cheered and threw hats up in the air. “The bad news is, he saw it flying over the island. He says it may have landed on the other half of Insular.”

The cheer died into a groan. The ship lowered its anchor for the night, and the figures on board all gathered the burlap bags they had originally brought with them. After following Jack and Edric’s examples, they soon had transformed their bags into hammocks. The waxing moon illuminated the quiet scene as Coniglio’s twitching foot tapped the deck and Ivan’s snore echoed across the waves.

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The next morning Ivan awoke to the sound of splashing and laughing. Sitting up from where he had fallen out of his hammock the previous night before, he peered over the railing. Almost everyone was swimming in the cool, refreshing water. He found Dare to the side, looking down on the rest of the crew. Ivan decided to try and get him to speak.

“So, Dare is it?” Ivan asked as he stepped next to him and looked down at the figures bellow.

Dare said nothing.

“So, Edric told me you’re in Chief Office training. How’s that going for ya?”

Still no answer.

“Come on! You have to talk to me! Just one word! You can’t stay silent forever! I will get a word out of you yet!”

But Dare just stayed up there watching the other boys, or more specifically Edric. In fact, now that Ivan was really paying attention, he realized that Dare was only following one person with his frown. Did he have some sort of grudge against Edric, Ivan wondered.

“Well, maybe if you won’t talk to me, you’ll talk to…Edric.” He said the name, looking for a response, but received none.

“What’s wrong with you! Talk already!” and surprisingly Dare did, in a rough, gravely voice.

“Milord! Shark!” He said and leapt down into the water.

The other boys were out of the water right away. The water boiled and churned as it began turning red. Edric looked wide eyed at the churning water, holding his breath. After a few moments, the fin came up, and beneath it was the dark head of hair. With a heave Dare threw the slain animal, five times any of their length, on the deck. Sticking out of its head was a large knife, or at least the handle of a very large knife.

“Dare, are you alright?” Edric asked as he helped him up the ship.

“I’m fine, only a minor bite.” But Ivan saw the ring of evenly spaced holes running from his shoulder, across his chest, and back up his arm that were beginning to bleed.

“No, you’re not. We need to get you in the cabin.” Edric said.

“But milord. I promised the Duke I would not leave your side.”

“I don’t care what you promised my father. You’re going. If it means you’ll stay there, I’ll not leave your bedside until you can follow me around again.”

“Very well milord.” Dare said, trying to staunch the blood with his shirt he had torn off.

Soon the rest of the crew had carried Dare into the cabin, knocked aside all of the maps and charts and laid him on the table. Jack came in looking pale faced. He knew he was the only one who had taken medical officer training. He had with him the contents of his burlap bag. He brought out a pair of probes and began looking at the different holes. The rest of the crew was order to set sail around the island, following the coast.

“N-now. Let’s see.” Jack mumbled as Ivan dabbed sweat from his head. “It looks like everything is fine. No i-internal bleeding. No damaged o-organs. Um...”

“What?” Asked Dare in his gruff voice.

“There is a, um, tooth, that has gotten lodged in one of the, uh, wounds. I’ll have to take it out, b-before it gets infected.”

A few hours later, Edric emerged beaming, followed by a grumbling Dare with a shark tooth hanging around his neck over his bandaged shoulder. Ivan washed Jack’s equipment while Jack was leaning out of the porthole, saying goodbye to his lunch. Afterward Jack must have felt a bit better; he was back to his old, conceited self.

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“Ship’s Log
2nd Day after departure from Einri
Today the first mate Dare saved the crew from a shark attack. Tal is drying the meat as we speak. Says it will last for a long time and taste just like tuna. We sailed around the first half of the island of Insular, which is much larger than I thought. The island is actually split in half by a long narrow bay, so narrow you could build a bridge across it. We met some local fishing people. They weren’t very friendly, but when we explained we were searching for the golden flying star, they motioned over theirs heads and across the horizon. They seemed to be saying that the trident isn’t even on Insular. It looks like we’ll have to sail further on. Tonight though, we will anchor in the outlet of the narrow bay.”

Ivan closed the log book and looked out his window. A bobbing shape in the water caught his eyes. He quickly doused his candle and crawled back to the deck. There he crouched next to Dale and Wick and watched the small fishing coracles in the water t at were nearing the ship. Ivan looked up at the mast. He could just barely see the silhouettes of Tal and Dare up on the cross beam. He looked over and saw the nod from Edric. Just as they had thought, the fishermen from before had liked their pretty boat too much.

Standing up he gave a sharp whistle on his piccolo and just as boarding hooks from the fishermen clamored on the side of the ship, the two on top of the mast jumped down, bringing the sail with them and trimming it quickly. Then the wind filled the sail so suddenly that the ship lurched away, the ropes being torn out of the hands of the people in the fishing boats. Still following the coast, Jack and Edric rolled up the rope and boarding hooks and stowed them below. Then half of the crew went to bed, while the other half stayed up and sailed the ship. And so they traded throughout the night.

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“Ship’s Log
3rd Day after departure from Einri
Today has been horrible. We are stuck in the doldrums; we don’t even have a breeze. I still have not been able to summon Boreas. He seems to dislike these strange waters. That or we have come out of the domain of the north wind and are now in the domain of the west wind. I might try calling this new wind. According to the maps we are looking for a small island known as Glassiere. At this rate we’ll reach it next fall. We need wind!”

Ivan sat outside, feeling the warm sun bake his pale chest. He and the crew were lying about, waiting for the wind to kick up. He couldn’t believe he had forgotten his music book at school. He flicked a crumb of bread into the water and waited. His eyes grew heavy and slowly he drifted off to sleep.

He was standing in the secret passage of the Library of Castle Alexander. Next to him Klaus was peering through the crack at the two figures that were talking inside. Ivan already knew what they were going to say, but then he saw Klaus point at something. Acorss the room was a brass shield that Ivan had missed before. But then Ivan saw it. The face of the oterh person reflected in the shield.

His eyes snapped open as he sat up. He had only been asleep for a second or two but it had felt like hours. He couldn’t remember what he had dreamed about, but then he felt something tickle his face. He jumped up as he realized what it was.

“A breeze!” he yelled.

“Oh, goody!” Jack called sarcastically, “Now all I need is a cool drink and some shade and I’ll be able to tan all day.”

Ivan ignored him and held up his piccolo. He listened and as the breeze blew across the openings a tune could barely be heard on the thick oppressive silence. Then Ivan waited and the breeze was gone. He placed the piccolo to his lips and played the tune he had just heard.

Nothing happened.

Then suddenly a fierce gust hit the side of the ship like a hurricane, tilting the ship precariously to the side. The vessel soon righted itself and rocked gently back and forth in the water. Everyone got up and looked around, then pointed at Ivan’s head calling out.

“You have another arrow on your forehead. This one is pointing to the left!”

Ivan called the breeze again and this time as it thrummed the ropes and billowed the sail it made a strange unearthly, breezey sound. Ivan listened again closely.

“Zephyr? Is that your name?”

It was like the wind was laughing and clapping and jumping up and down at Ivan’s cleverness as it spun and soared through the ropes and around people. Then it filled the sail as it pushed the boat towards the west. There was a chorus of cheers for Zephyr, which seemed to encourage the happy wind to blow even harder. They sailed for the rest of the day and into the night. It was nearly sunrise when the Island of Glassiere and the town of Harborton was sighted.

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As they were came closer to Harborton, the golden grassed island came into view. All over the island, leaves were heralding the advent of fall in a brilliant display of red, orange, yellow, and brown. Harborton, while called a city was more like a large fishing town. Many small thatch houses, painted white and border in dark wood with the same golden grass for roofs lined the brick roads the crisscrossed the area.

The docks were nothing more than six piers jutting into the blue ocean. After tying their ship, they paid the dock master and signed their names in the dock books. Then they walked onto dry land and were immediately assaulted by the smell of drying fish and wood smoke.

“Alright, Tal, you take a couple of guys and go gather water and fresh supplies. That shark is starting to get old and tough.” Edric said.

“Sure! I’ll go and do all the work while you guys lie around and do nothing!” Tal said indignantly.

“No.” Jack said rolling his eyes, “While you guys are doing that, we’ll be trying to see if anyone has seen the trident.”

Soon the boys had gone their separate ways. Tal, Lio, Wick, and a grumbling Jack wondered through the busy and crowded market place looking for supplies. Edric, Ivan, Dare, and Dale split up and began questioning people about the trident.

The day wore on and after many arguments, a few broken chairs, and a bag full of money, the suppliers led by Tal had finally gathered everything on Tal’s list. Jack grimaced as he peaked into the bags. More shark meat. Great, he thought.

In the mean time, the other boys weren’t having any luck at all. Not a single person would talk to them. After a while they did meet up with an old blind beggar whose lips were looser. Ivan felt sheepish after asking him if he had seen the shooting star, but luckily he only smiled and told them why no one would speak to them. It was because they were foreigners, and people on Glassiere didn’t trust foreigners.

Feeling ready to give up, the boys spotted a crowd of people standing around something and acting strangely. They walked over and as they were about to question some people about the star, they saw what everyone was staring at.

“…and using those dark arts, I, Nanook the Magnificent will transform my assistant, May, into a cat!”

The crowd gasped as the strange masked man with the bushy beard kept speaking. The boys all forgot what they were doing as they watched with eager anticipation. The girl in the faded clown costume, with freckles and fiery red hair in pigtails, cartwheeled forward.

“Presto, pesto, garlic sauce-o. transform-o into a cat-o!”

There was a large cloud of purple smoke and a bright flash. The next moment a cat stood where the girl had been a few minutes ago. The crowd was shocked, then after recovering themselves, broke out in cheering and clapping. Nanook bowed thrice and then extended his top hat for money. The sound of coins jingling and people talking excitedly snapped the boys out of their trance.

From the corner of the building, Ivan caught a quick glimpse of a red pigtail disappearing behind a building. He decided that maybe Nanook would talk to them, even if it took some money to get him started. He grabbed a piece of silver and started up a conversation as he held it over the hat.

“Mr. Nanook. That was truly amazing.” The coin still in his hand.

“Why thank you kind young sir!” Nanook said, not even looking at Ivan as his eyes stayed don the piece of silver. “Why, I learned that trick myself from an elder of the Sedna Tribe of Teaul.”

“Then you know a lot about magic?” Asked Ivan, pulling his hand back as the hat kept inching closer.

“Yes, yes. I pride myself in knowing three magical languages, five types of magical dance, and even a magical joke. Guaranteed to be funny every time!” And here he almost lunged for the coin.

Ivan stepped back as he continued. “So, do you know anything about stars?”

“Yes! Yes! I know all about stars! The celestial, shooting, and even the famous types like me! Who need money!” Ivan saw he was losing Nanook’s interest so he quickly dropped in the coin and asked one last thing.

“Did you happen to see one a few day ago. Golden, flying low, and heading for the west?”

Nanook greedily grabbed the coin and stuffed it into his pocket before responding quickly. “Yes. Saw it a few nights back. Didn’t see where it fell, but my assistant might have.”

Dale stooped down and started interrogating the cat. He even pulled a coin out of his pocket to try and do what Ivan did. Ivan rolled his eyes then both started as they heard a giggle from behind.

“Silly! I’m over here. And yes, I did see your…” and here she paused as if to make a point, “…star.”

“Mayapple! Why did you show yourself! Now we can’t do the cat trick anymore. This is just like the parakeet incident on Insular!” Nanook said throwing a dramatic hand across his brow.

“Sorry boss.” She answered quickly, then turned to the boys and said, “ I saw your ‘star’ fall near the city of Harold…but, I’m not going to tell you where. First, you have to figure out my riddle.” She giggled mischievously.

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It was around lunch time and the four boys were sitting around a fountain thinking about the riddle May had given them. The sun beat down on the weary sailors, but luckily a cool breeze blew in from the sea. Edric read the riddle out loud again.

“Family of green, untamed ship’s bones
Between the gleam, of warmth’s way
and sunset of the one who brings a message.”

“So, we have to solve it if we want to know where the trident is.” Edric said, stating the obvious for the third time since they had left Nanook.

“Okay, so what are ship’s bones?” Asked Dale scratching his head.

“Maybe the beams or the planks. It could be the boards too.” Said Edric matter of factly.

“So lets just say wood.” Said Ivan, writing the word in the dirt. “So what would untamed wood be?”

“A tree!” said Dale, getting how the riddle was set up, “And a family of trees would be a forest. So the first part means forest!”

“I don’t understand the second part, but think I do know what the last part of the riddle means. ‘of the one who brings a message’. At our, um, home in New Firplice.” Edric spoke excitedly, “the only person who brings us messages are the heralds. And didn’t Nanook say it landed near the city of Harold?”

“Good!” Ivan called trying hard to write in the dirt. “But what does ‘between the gleam of warmths way and sunset’ mean?”

“It’s a direction.” Came Dare’s rough voice.

“A direction?” Edric asked puzzled.

“Yes. The answer is southwest. Between warmth, south, and sunset, west. Southwest.” Said Dare, folwing his arms again as he leaned against the wall of a nearby house.

“That’s it! Let me check my chart.” Ivan pulled a large chart out and quickly consulted it, “Hmm. Magnus Forest is southwest of Harold. That must be the answer!”

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After almost an hour of searching they finally figured out that Nanook and May must have left town. Asking many people, they finally found someone who was willing to give them directions toward Harold, where, according to May, the star fell.

“Oh, aye. You wish to travel to the city of Harold! Tis in the far North of Glassiere.” The elderly innkeeper was a short, stout, and rosy cheeked lady. She was more than glad to give them directions across the island to where the star fell. “Now, staring here in Therjar, or Harborton as you call it, walk west across the grazing lands for about two and a half hours. Den, when you come to Likkle Lake, head north across the farmlands. It should only tak about an hour or so. Dat’l tak you to the great city of Harold!”

They followed her directions and were surprised when they arrived that Harold was in fact a very large, fortified city, with well built walls surrounding it and a bustling harbor. They wandered around, until they finally spotted something that looked promising, a poster for the Amazing Nanook the Magnificent.

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At the old theater, they looked around the dusty stage until a giggle finally drew their attention upward. There, hanging from her foot on a single mental ring attached to the roof by a rope, was the girl in the faded clown costume.

“So, I guess you figured out my riddle.” She said, eyes flashing.

“It took us a while, but we did in the end.” Edric called back.

“Good. So, Captain.” She said turning to Edric, “Have you an answer for me?”

Her giggles echoed around the empty theater in a haunting way that sent shivers up everyone’s spines.

“Yes, I do. Do you have the location for us?” he called back.

More giggles. “Here’s a second riddle. Your answer is my answer.”

“So wait, are you telling us that Magnuson Forest is where the trident is?” Ivan called.

She only giggled, then spoke, “It was nice meeting you all. Good luck finding your trident. Something tells me we will meet again soon.”

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Following May’s directions they went to the woods to the southwest of Harold. They didn’t need any further trail, because the red and gold veil of leaves was torn by a solid black line of scorched leaves, soil, and bark. Following it they came to a large area that had been scorched clear, and in the middle stood the gleaming golden trident of the Seaking.

Ivan pulled the trident from the ground and at the spot a spring started bubbling up water. Dare tasted it and spat, mumbling something about salt. The group left and walked back towards Therjar/Harborton. It was dusk by the time they reached the ship. The rest of the crew were sprawled out on the deck, and from beneath Tal’s loud cried and calls of anger could be heard as he battled the ship’s oven, trying to push another tray of seasoned shark meat inside.

The crew of the Cuttlefish set sail the next morning. The sky was beautifully clear, Zephyr filled their sails up nicely, and seagull calls wished them farewell as they slid out across the blue sea. Ivan plotted a course that would take them south of the unfriendly shores of Insular’ Lowlands. The map had a thick line on it that simply read, “The Walls of Carolman”.

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“Ship’s Log
5th Day after departure from Einri
Today we spotted the great walls of Carolman. And they are indeed great. Jack explained to me that the Lands of Carolman are ruled by powerful magical kings who wished to protect their peoples from all outside evils, so they built a giant white wall all around their land’s borders, including the sea. He also said that they are rumored to have conjured sea dragons to protect their shores as well. I hope he was just trying to fool me. Either way, with our current speed we should reach the school by tomorrow.”

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“Ship’s Log
6th Day after departure from Einri
We saw them! The great sea dragons. They were magnificent beasts, covered in iridescent golden blue scales. They simply swam alongside our boats and one even leaped out of the water, spreading his large green wings and flew along the surface before diving again. Tal almost got his hand bitten of trying to catch one. He said that we were running low on shark meat. That’s probably because he burns the food so much that he’s almost used the shark up.

It is evening now and I feel cold. Not because of the temperature, but because of what I saw outside today. We are sailing along Alexandria’s coast, and may have overshot the school. I’m figuring it out right now. Really I’m trying to keep my mind off of the fact that just out of the porthole I can see the wasteland that was once so beautiful. I know somewhere out there the Princess is trying her hardest to rebuild and I also know that somewhere out there Bella is being chased after by Laburnum, or may even be in the clutches of someone worse. I had a dream a few days back. I just hope the others have found her.”

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As the boat neared Einri, they saw the massive destruction that had taken place. The new lighthouse had been snapped in half, and probably carried out to sea. The docks were now piles of drift wood that were tied to the grey base. The boats were all destroyed and the waves were still so high that they were reaching the walls of the school. As they neared the building, the clouds parted for them, and the sea around them was calm. It was like the sea knew they had the trident.

“Alright Ivan. You need to get the trident to Professor Prospero! I’ve seen Weatherers do a trick where they ride on the wind they summon. Call a wind and ride up quickly!” Edric instructed.

Ivan decided to call Boreas. The wind blew up behind him and he called above the storm as he held the trident up.

“Boreas! Take me up to the school!”

The next moment he was flying in the air. He caught his breath as he travel far and fast. Lightning flashed around him , but seemed to back away when it came near the trident. He pointed the glowing weapon forward and struck a triumphant pose as he did. Then Boreas disappeared again like before.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!” Ivan yelled as he fell.

“Ivan!” Edric’s eyes went wide.

From the west a gust of wind struck Ivan and caused him to hover, just short of the jagged drift wood at the school’s base. The wind flung him up again and caught him and took him higher and higher. It seemed to laugh at its clever trick of saving Ivan.

“Zephyr? Thank you so much!” Ivan laughed as he flew higher and higher until he reached the very top of the broken tower. He jumped down and ran down the stairs of the tower. Bursting out of the door at the base, he saw no one. He sprinted across the flooded green and swung the massive door to the main building open. Inside he found everyone.

Including the Madam Tethys.

“I have the trident back!” Ivan called out as he ran in.

“Ivan? Where are the rest of the boys?” Madam Tethys asked.

“Their down below in our ship.” He spoke quickly, “Can you still the storm and capture the imp before they are smashed on the school!”

“With pleasure.” She said smiling and taking the trident.

Stepping outside, Tethys’ eyes narrowed as she scanned the sky. Lightning flashed and immediately she blocked it with the trident, and sent it back up. The imp materialized holding his stomach in pain.

“Now, foul wretch! Return to your prison!” And she sent a beam of pure, golden light straight at the imp.

There was an explosion, and the wind blew from it with such fierceness that all the clouds were pushed back. The imp was gone. And the sun shone down on the school. Students stepped out of the building, the sudden bright sunlight hurting their eyes. Then they all cheered and threw their caps in the air as they hoisted Ivan on their shoulders.

Zephyr came and picked Ivan up and he flew over them and disappeared over the edge. A few seconds later he flew back up, with seven others that were shakily clinging one to the other to stay afloat. They settled on the grass, and then Zephyr shot up, blowing several white puffy clouds as he went. The crowd cheered.

Then Tethys approached and all fell quiet.

“Well, you eight are a mystery. From the first day you arrived here, you have made trouble. And now it seems you have made an even bigger mess than before.”

“It was my fault Madam Tethys.” Ivan said stepping forward.

“No, it was me!” Said Jack.

Soon every crewman of the Cuttlefish had stepped forward to take the punishment of the rest. They all now stood bowing on one knee in front of Tethys. She tried to suppress a smile and spoke so all could hear.

“You eight, have done what no student has ever dared to do. You snuck into the forbidden tower, freed the imprisoned imp, lost the Seaking’s trident, and… have saved the school and all of us in it. You have sailed across the untamed seas and returned. Rise, able sailors. You have proved your worth and have made the school proud.”

As they stood, all the cadets and able sailors stood at attention and saluted the eight. Madam Tethys also saluted them, along with all of the teachers and professors. They all looked forward and proudly saluted back, as everyone broke out in spontaneous cheering and applause.

“All the food’s still alright!” Called the school cook stepping out of the kitchen. “I propose a feast!”

This was greeted by even greater cheers, that echoed and rebound all around the school. Then the crew was swept up by the crowd and carried to the main hall. That night the celebrations went long and hard. The eight had become celebrities and everyone wanted the hear the stories again and again. Of course Jack and Dale made them more fanciful each time. And everyone was forced to try some of Tal’s shark surprise. So the evening went on with music, good food, and laughter.

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Chaos reigned over the school of Einri the Navigator. People were everywhere and teachers and professors were taking part of the festivities with the students in the main building. In the blur of celebration lights and feasting tables there was a single figure, covered in dark seaman’s cloak that walked in the shadows. He carried a large burlap bag across his shoulder. He hurried out the side gate and down the stone steps. When he reached the layer of white columns he heard a voice behind him.

“And where do you think you’re going?”

“Edric! Go back to the party!”

“No, Ivan. We’re not going anywhere.” Edric replied with a smile.

“We?” He asked raising his eyebrow.

“Yip! All of us!” Called Coniglio as he swung down from the top layer.

“You can’t get rid of us...” Dale said coming out ahead of Ivan.

“…at least not that easily.” Tal finished smiling.

“I mean did you seriously believe you could even make it out there without us?” Jack asked arms crossed, leaning against a pillar.

Dare gave a nod of agreement, and then a smile.

“Thanks crew. You’re the best!” Ivan said.

Suddenly they all lunged forward and pushed him over the edge into the sea. Sputtering, he surfaced next to Wick, who was in the ship and who threw him a line. “Sorry Iv! They said they had to get back at yer for that scary ride on yer wind pal.” He smiled.

And so they all set sail from the school, headed into the Bay of Bho and towards the Duchy of Giv. From high up on the school’s old tower, a figure with long blond hair stood next to the restored tapestry. She watched through the glass and smiled. They would be back once they finished their quest. She shook her head as she thought how much Ivan reminded her of the other boy. She smiled and said a quiet blessing before she walked down the stairs, locked the new door, and then transformed it into a regular wall. As she rejoined the feast, the small ship sailed on the wings of the wind, the red sunset behind them and the bright stars guiding their way.

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End Chapter

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So, what do you guys think?