The Valley Of Fear
The skinny guy's name was Rashid, and the tall, golden knight's name was Nood. They purposely took different dishes so they could share them and taste them both.
Cal watched their meal in amazement, and a vague suspicion crept into his soul.
Suddenly the Head joined the table.
The disciples jumped respectfully from their seats, but he signaled them to sit back down and placed his food on the table. They seemed to dine like this often because they understood each other without words. As usual, Liam ate a simple meal without changing his habits.
The silence was broken by Nood:
«Mentor, is there any particular reason for the twilight patrol?»
«Mm,» the Head hesitated, «and if there is, you won't go?
«Of course, I will,» answered Nood frightenedly, «I was wrong.»
Liam swallowed some food and turned to his older students.
«I haven't taken any new students for a long time, but today I noticed one child.»
Nood and Rashid put the instruments away and stared at the teacher.
«He is the first year, his name is Unner. Keep an eye on him, I haven't decided for sure yet, and I want your opinion.»
Both students nodded in agreement and continued eating. They soon forgot that the Mentor was sitting next to them and chatted merrily over lunch. When Rashid soaked himself in the sweet pie, Nood reached out and wiped the sweet nectar and licked his fingers.
Cal's hair stood on end in this picture. «What did I just see?» He asked himself, and then he noticed Liam leaning back in his chair with a contented smile and crossing his arms over his chest, clearly wanting to enjoy what was happening.
Rashid, too, wiped his sleeve across his lips and smiled. He picked up the prettiest piece of cake and handed it to Nood. He didn't get his hands dirty and opened his mouth and grabbed the pie and Cal could have sworn he touched his lips to Rashid's fingers.
That fleeting movement made Cal very excited. He remembered touching Liam's hand and the heat almost melted his flustered heart.
«Could it be that...» Cal struggled with doubts as he looked at the mortal enemies who fed each other sweetly...
«It was all for show, and in fact, they were...in love?»
And then Cal noticed that the men were touching their knees under the table. Seeing the free display of such forbidden feelings, Cal was forced to take a few steps aside to come to his senses.
The whole point was that in his «past» life he had put a taboo on relationships and remained as pure as the first snow, and his heart was frozen with thick ice.
He couldn't help but stare at the couple at the table, because it was perfectly relaxed and bold of Liam to look at them, as if it were his favorite pastime and outlet.
After pondering for a few minutes, Cal realized that even if he was blushing, it wasn't obvious, so he went back to take another look at Liam's reaction. He continued to sit there, clearly enjoying what was going on.
Cal paused in indecision. If Nood and Rashid are Liam's only students, then he owes it to himself to befriend them, to become part of this group. «And yes,» Cal suddenly realized, «I must surely become a disciple of the Head. How do I get his attention?»
Slowly the evening fell. The elders were carefully inspecting the students' rooms to make sure all the children were lying in their cribs and not wandering around the Academy looking for trouble.
When everyone had gone to bed, the previously punished students, Nood with Rashid and Grady with Michal, gathered in front of the entrance to the Academy. They stood at a distance from each other, at least the latter two distancing themselves as best they could and waiting for the Head.
A moment later he appeared spectacularly, cutting through the space behind them. Without stopping, he called the disciples after him. When they reached the round platform, they took off softly and landed on top of it.
Everyone looked up at Mentor, and at the last moment, Cal caught hold of Liam's sleeve. Mentor looked at everyone and then touched the crystal.
Instantly the landscape changed. They were upon a black cliff, and in the distance lay the fire or the battle.
Something threatening in the scratchy, dry air. There was shouting and fighting in the distance. Cal instantly assessed the situation as very dangerous and braced himself to act according to the circumstances. The Head led by example and drew his sword, everyone followed him.
As the group moved out toward the bloody blaze, they quickly reached the spot and everyone felt a sudden sense of fear. From the depths of the rift in the rock, monsters one scarier than another were climbing out. It was as if they were made of the bodies of different animals, and so they made a hideous impression.
Cal wiped a sweaty brow and looked around. About a hundred defenders stood in a tight ring and at the cost of their lives were not letting the monsters leave the perimeter. That was where the Head had sent his group.
Seeing the reinforcements, the defenders emboldened and began to fight the advancing enemy with redoubled vigor. Nood and Rashid wanted to rush into battle, but the Head showed them a hand sign unknown to Cal and they stood on either side of Liam.
At the same time, Grady and Michal bravely rushed into battle, showing desperate bravado. It was obvious that they were scared, but there was no way they would show weakness to each other.
Blood splattered on Michal's face, and he wiped it away with the back of his hand as he continued to wield his sword.
But for some reason, the biggest of the lot was tearing at him, and soon he was backing away, little by little. Grady could see that his enemy was losing, but he remained as deaf and blind as a sworn rival should be.
Grady's indifference lasted three minutes...
Then he lunged toward Michal with a wild roar, slicing through some of the monsters with his sharp sword and immediately piercing another. Seeing such a fierce rebuff, they were less likely to tear in that direction.
The Head was satisfied. He quickly put his sword away and began creating some kind of weapon right in the air.
It looked like a spiraling sword of incomprehensible purpose. The Head made an incision on his finger with the crystal and used some blood, infusing the weapon with spiritual power. Ordering them to move away from the rift, he pointed the weapon into the ravine.
The spiraling sword flashed a scarlet light and grew a hundred times larger. Panic-stricken people scattered and the sword rumbled into the rift. The monsters turned into ash, and soon not a single living monster was left on the surface.
Meanwhile, the sword entered the rift and sealed it. The glow faded, and the smoke cleared. A beautiful starry sky was visible overhead.
Even the temperature of the air dropped instantly. The Head went down with his disciples to the plateau and he was surrounded by tired but happy people.
After a brief conversation, it was revealed that the rift had occurred after a quarrel between the two defenders. Somehow the fabric of space was cracked, and monsters began to emerge from it.
It was a young world, only recently created, no wonder it easily became a portal. The stability of the core was still insignificant.
The creators immediately fled inland, and all the defenders rushed to fix the problem. As he listened to the story, the Head occasionally turned his head toward Grady and Michal, and they shamefully pressed their bowlers into their shoulders.
Cal noticed that Liam looked a little pale, but chalked it up to the weak nightlight.
Considering that Michal and Grady had received a minor lesson, the Head told them to stay here for a week and share the hardships of the new world with its creators. The disciples, stooping, nodded. The Head then visited the alliance of creators and listened to their requests.
As usual, they complained about the lack of entertainment and normal food. After all the formalities, the Chapter, with two students and one illegal alien, returned to the platform near the Academy. Cal immediately sensed how the atmosphere had changed.
There was a sense of hostility in that new world, but here there was peace and quiet. Liam stumbled suddenly and Nood supported him, discreetly holding out a handkerchief so the Head could wipe the blood under his nose.
Cal's heart skipped a beat.
«Liam's power had its price,» he thought, and immediately his thoughts were interrupted by a shout, «Chapter! Head! - The Third came rushing in from the side of the Academy.
«One student is missing!»
All looked at each other.
«Do you know who?» Head asked.
«First-year pupil Unner, he is not in bed, all around the Academy searched, he disappeared!»
The Head looked up - from behind the clouds the full moon had appeared. Everyone understood him without words, and together they took to the sky, heading for the valley of fear.
As they approached, they stopped at the boundary and froze in anticipation. No one could enter the valley when one accepted the challenge. The only thing left to do was to wait.
«Not for nothing did this upstart get the Head's attention,» Cal noted.
«Mentor, is this the apprentice you told us about?» Nood asked.
Liam nodded. His gaze was fixed on the solitary figure by the lake. When the ghostly flowers bloom, the valley will be shrouded in mist.
Suddenly a milky haze crept across the grass, spreading quickly and enveloping everything around him.
The teacher took a step to the side and sat down.
"I think we'd better wait here," Said Liam. "The first-year student is just a kid, I'm a little worried about him.
"Yes, of course, Mentor, we'll wait with you," Rashid joined in.
Nood and Rashid followed his example.
"The wait would be long. Only at dawn would the illusion collapse and the outcome would be known."
Liam closed his eyes and sank into his thoughts.
Nood threw his cloak over Rashid's shoulders and huddled closely against him, whispering something occasionally in his ear.
If Liam felt like a third extra at the moment, it wouldn't be true, because Cal was sitting right in front of him, eagerly gazing into his stern face, catching his every breath, remembering the events of the day.
«Everyone says he needs protection, but I just saw him single-handedly destroy a horde of evil spirits and seal the rift,» Cal pondered.
«And as Head of the Academy, he is doing well. His students are capable and brave. Even at the edge of the universe everyone respects and appreciates Liam, then what is it? What can I protect this man from?» Cal puzzled.
Suddenly his сrystal glowed, he quickly stood up and, moving far enough away, touched the crystal.
«How was your day?» Fifth asked him.
«It was all right, but so much happened that you can't even recount it,» Cal answered.
«It's all right,» Fifth answered, «no problems?»
«No, but there is a question.»
«Tell me.»
«The Head doesn't look weak or helpless. I made sure today that he is very strong, I have never dreamed of such a thing ... and I cannot understand how I can protect him!»
«It's a natural question, and you'll know the answer to it when you've been at the Academy a little longer. I'll give you a little hint: the Head is not strong in intrigue and is still gullible, that's all I can say.»
The Fifth passed out, and Cal thought about her words. If Liam is as gullible as he once was, does that mean he could be surrounded by deceitful people who want the benefit of knowing him? Does it mean he could easily be fooled? Cal remembered Brigitte for a moment and shuddered.
The Fifth had been worried for a reason and with her all the others. The Head is strong and weak at the same time.
Somewhere in the distance, a nightbird screeched, and Cal, awakened from his reverie, decided to return to the others. Arriving at the spot, his heart clenched.
Nood and Rashid were lying unconscious, and Liam was barely on his feet, covered in blood. Some vague shadows were running away from the place, having committed their heinous crime.
«How could this happen?» Cal was perplexed.
Liam tried to fumble for the crystal around his neck, but his bloody hand prowled in vain; it was nowhere to be found. Nood and Rashid were also missing their crystals.
No one could call for help except Cal. Then, breaking the rules, he touched his crystal and called to Seventh.
«Mistress Seventh, there has been an attack on the Head and two disciples by the valley of fear. Their crystals have been stolen.»
«I see, but you…» she paused, and after a moment she cut through space and appeared beside Cal.
She made a sign with her hand and returned his body to Cal, though she changed his appearance.
The man ran to Liam as quickly as he could, just in time to pick him up as he was losing consciousness. Seventh immediately sounded the alarm and called for help.
In the commotion, everyone was frightened and no one asked Cal who he was.
It seemed that Seven's patronage was enough. On her orders, Cal carried Liam to her house, where she dealt with the Head's injury.
Cal watched her check on Liam with confident motions, and he blamed himself for going off and leaving him in danger. But who could have thought...?
As if understanding his thoughts, Seventh spoke to him.
«This is not as safe a place as everyone thinks. The proximity of spiritual frontiers makes the Academy very vulnerable. Besides, not all the elders support the Head and are prepared to weave intrigues against him.»
She was silent for a moment, examining Liam's shoulder.
«It's obviously a conspiracy,» she said with disgust, «look, they were aiming at his sore shoulder. Somebody knew about the wound. How can you trust people?»
Cal was helplessly silent.