Chapter Three

Chapter 3

Holden finally decided to get up when he saw the sun peaking through his window. He dressed in his school uniform: a deep blue blazer and light blue breeches with a red belt. This designated him as one who was studying energy magic. Specifically, he was a student of mechanics and electricity.

Picking up the seer bowl, the vial of liquid, and a foot long brass contraption, he left his roommate snoring and headed down the halls. He exited his housing and walked swiftly across campus, passing by a few students and maestros who had also gotten up at dawn. Some people noticed the bowl under his arm, but most ignored him. He reached the tower of the maestros and walked in. The woman sitting at a large wooden desk in the entrance hall looked up at him blearily. She recognized him and waved him on, knowing who his father was. Holden nodded his thanks and entered a nearby elevator. He pulled the lever to shut the door, then pushed the button for the fourteenth storey. In his mind he reviewed what his mother had told him once again.

The elevator stopped and he exited into a small antechamber with two guards standing at the only door. Head Maestro Sulgur's quarters. He approached the men and hailed them.

“Oltor, Wruthgun, I need to speak with the head maestro. It's urgent,” he said shortly.

“Holden, he only just woke up,” Oltor said. “Can it wait?”

“No. This is about my father's safety.” The words made his gut clench in worry.

The two men nodded and Wruthgun placed his hand on an emblem on the door. It glowed white and they heard a click. He pushed the door open and led Holden in.

Holden had been here before. The floor was covered in forest green carpet, Sulgur's favorite color. The walls were maple wood panel and had paintings and other art from various students. Holden liked looking at one piece in particular. It was a beautifully elegant, hand-crafted fife, made by a student as a senior project twenty years prior. It stood on a stand and behind a glass case.

Wruthgun approached the door to Sulgur's bedroom and tapped on it. The door opened an inch and Sulgur peered out.

“What,” he said, irritated.

“Sir, Holden is here and has news of his father,” Wruthgun said dutifully.

Holden saw Sulgur's eyes glance at him, then the door shut. Wruthgun looked at the young man and rolled his eyes. Holden smiled, familiar with Sulgur's gruff nature.

“He'll be a moment,” Wruthgun said. “It appears he just finished bathing.”

Holden nodded and placed the seer bowl upon the large ornate desk. He examined the student projects around the room. Some were mechanical, some were utilitarian, some entertaining, and all were works of art. He saw a model aership that looked like it actually flew. There were a few other instruments around, including a guitar, a violin, and a harp. He noticed a longsword hanging on the wall that emitted a soft white glow on one side of the blade and a dark purple on the other. It was also behind glass.

Wruthgun was leaning against the wall near the door when Sulgur opened it.

“Return to station, Wruthgun,” he ordered. He sat down at his desk and Holden sat in front of him. “You brought your seer bowl,” said the maestro after Wruthgun closed the door behind him. “What is this about your father?”

“My father was being followed by Chaelestans last night,” Holden said hurriedly. “And my ma says there was an attempt on King Leijon's life.”

Sulgur grunted and leaned back, stroking his short beard. “And your ma said to inform me.”

“Yes, but she wants to talk to you herself. That's why the bowl.”

Sulgur gestured to the bowl, indicating for Holden to do what he had to. The younger man took the vial from his blazer pocket and unstoppered it, then poured the liquid. He swirled it around gently and hummed the lullaby his mother used to sing to him as a child. An image formed on the surface. He set the bowl down and took out the brass contraption. He pulled out four legs that joined at a single point where a lens was attached. He placed the legs over the bowl and turned it on.

“What is this?” Sulgur asked about the brass device.

“I made it recently. It takes the image from the bowl and turns it into three dimensions. No matter what angle you look at it from, the image remains the same,” Holden explained, silently hoping Sulgur would be impressed. All he got in response was a grunt of acknowledgment.

“Holden?” came his ma's voice. She appeared before them in three dimensions, wrapped in a warm woolen cloak.

“Hey, ma,” he said.

“Why can't I see you? Is Sulgur there?”

Holden realized that, although they could see her just fine, he had forgotten to design it so she would be able to see them.

“Yeah. One second and I'll make it so you can see us.” He removed the brass device and her image returned to the bowl.

“There you are,” she said. She was standing in a small room, pipes lining the walls behind her. A steady hum could be heard.

“Are you on the aership?” Holden asked.

She nodded.

“It's your Uncle Stilbrant's private ship. He's at the helm. Your siblings are here, in another part of the ship.” She turned toward Sulgur. “Head Maestro Sulgur, thank you for giving audience to Holden.”

“Ainu, what is this about your husband and the king?” Sulgur asked, his voice rumbly from waking up.

She looked around, then back at him.

“King Leijon has been infected with some sort of disease. I confirmed it with the queen during the night. The healers have been unable to cure it. And he's not the only one now. The queen also said there have been reports of other people having the same symptoms around Suuri. Bloodshot eyes first, then a high fever. The sick have been gathered to a quarantine in the castle. She said there are only about thirty people so far.”

Sulgur was holding his head in his hands and rubbing his brow. “Have they found the source?”

“Yes. It came from a Chaelestan ambassador.”

Sulgur looked up at her words. “Chaelesta? We just accepted our first student from Chaelesta yesterday. His family came with him to bid farewell.”

“Why admit a foreign student?” Holden asked.

“It was a gesture of goodwill to the nation,” Sulgur replied. “I will have the student brought in to me for an interview. Holden, will you tell Wruthgun to find the student 'Tumus Pretorna' and to bring him to my office?” Holden stood to do so. “Continue, Ainu. What of your husband?”

“He was being pursued by Chaelestans on his way from Sailenen Kaupunki to Suuri. I do not know where he is,” she said sadly.

“I am sure he wasn't captured,” Sulgur tried to console. “He's a powerful mage.”

“I know.”

“But why tell me all this?” asked the head maestro.

“My children and I are on our way to your academy,” she said. “We'll arrive this afternoon. The queen asked that I inform you to prepare 'the Mammutit Measures,' whatever that is. She gave me a bright green orb.” She pulled it from her cloak and showed him.

Sulgur sat back and took a deep breath. Holden sat back down and watched him.

“I pray to Jot we do not have to use that device,” Sulgur said, rubbing his brow again. “Nobody alive is really certain what it does, but it has never been activated. For all we know, it could kill all the students, or transform them, or some other ridiculous thing.”

“The queen said to only activate it if the threat to our students was so high, that the future of our nation was at risk if something wasn't done.”

Holden was taking it all in. The king was ill and seemed to be dying. His father was in danger. And now the academy may be in danger. He thought for a moment.

“Ma, are we sure we're not just mistaking a pond for an ocean?” he asked.

Ainu looked at him now. “Holden, the attack on the king and the people after your father could not be a coincidence. Someone, or maybe many people, must have turned traitor for the Chaelestans to be able to not only enter Neljan Joen, but make it all the way into the royal court and attack Leijon.”

Sulgur looked at him and continued the thought. “And if they are attacking on two fronts, surely they will attack on others. We have over ten thousand students at the academy. Plus the staff of over a thousand. And this is where the future of the nation lives within a complex only four square miles large. If we are not a target, the Chaelestans are fools.”

“Or perhaps they are fools if we are a target,” Holden observed. “I mean, we do have thousands of mages who will fight if needed.”

“You're faith in your peers is inspiring, if not childish,” Sulgur said.

Wruthgun opened the door and they looked at him.

“Oh, uh, the student Tumus is here, Head Maestro,” he said quickly.

“Keep him out there for a few minutes more,” Sulgur said.

Wruthgun withdrew himself and shut the door.

“Head Maestro,” Holden said, thinking, “after what happened to King Leijon, do you really want to have a Chaelestan here in your office?”

Sulgur smiled at him. “I was thinking the same thing. But I have an idea.”

He explained the plan to Holden and Ainu. Fifteen minutes later, they were ready to go. Ainu had disconnected, letting them know that she was only three hours way. Holden stood in a corner, fife in one hand. He had played a melody on the harp moments before and was now invisible. Sulgur placed Holden's now-modified three dimensional projector behind his desk, then took the seer bowl and retreated back into his bedroom. Holden activated the projector and returned to his corner. Sulgur appeared, looking as though he was simply standing behind his desk.

Holden went to the door, pocketing the flute, and opened it slightly. He quickly whispered the plan to Oltor, then shut the door. A moment later, Tumus entered, followed by Oltor.

“Head Maestro Sulgur, you wished to see Tumus Pretorna,” Oltor said.

Sulgur looked up and smiled. “Yes, Tumus, please take a seat.”

Tumus looked to be about fifteen, older than any other first year students. He had short dark hair and slanted eyes, with a firm jaw. He obeyed and sat down. Holden watched his every movement.

“First, I wanted to again congratulate you being selected by your people to attend Akademia Magia. You are a very gifted mage, I am certain,” Sulgur said, being more professional than he ever was around Holden.

“Thank you, sir,” Tumus said with an accent. He appeared uncomfortable. Holden noticed his hands fidgeting in his lap.

“Tell me, Tumus, have you been able to visit any Joenic cities or towns on the way here?”

The young man nodded. “Yes. But only small towns. We did not visit Suuri or the other cities.”

“Then you have not seen how grand our cities truly are, or the extent of our machinery. It is quite something to behold. In fact, let me show this to you. It was made by a student just last year.” He gestured to a small metal disc on his desk. “Come, pick it up.”

Tumus stood and took it in his hand.

“Place it here, with the hole in the center over this little post,” Sulgur said, pointing to a brass box with a pole in the center. “Good. Now press that little button.”

Tumus did so. The disc began turning. A scratching sound filled the room, then it turned into a well-known folk tune being played on a guitar. Tumus jumped back and looked at Sulgur with wide eyes.

“I am certain you do not know this melody, but wouldn't this be something amazing to have in your home?” he said to Tumus. “Imagine listening to your favorite song anytime you want.”

“How is this possible?” Tumus asked, still afraid.

“This is technology and magic combined. This is the power we have in Neljan Joen, and that is available to you to learn here at the Akademia Magia. Please, sit down again.” Tumus did so, shaking slightly. He put his hand to his blazer pocket and played with something through the fabric. Holden held tighter to the fife, ready.

Wruthgun opened the door and asked for Oltor to come out into the antechamber. Tumus watched him go, then turned back to the head maestro. Holden saw a steely look appear in his eyes.

Sulgur turned around and faced the large window behind his desk.

“This school and this nation have so much to offer the world. So many wonderful inventions that could save lives and even unite nations.”

Tumus paused at those words.

Sulgur swept his hand in front of him, gesturing to the view of the academy outside the window. “Here is the entire future of not just Neljan Joen, but the whole world.”

Tumus pulled from his pocket a small iron tube. He quietly put a small dart in one end as Sulgur talked. Holden put the fife to his own lips as Tumus put the pipe to his.

“And you are now helping that wonderful future happen, Tumus,” Sulgur said, turning around again.

Tumus blew into the pipe and Holden played the fife.