Firebrand
Chapter 42: Burnt Children

Burnt Children

The small band took a few branches from the campfire as torches and headed for the ruins. The dark hindered their progress. And they stumbled around a bit until they found the door that led down.

Light still streamed in from above as they entered the moon chamber. Without hesitation, Cheval stepped onto the sigil of the Jester. Alain joined him on the next symbol of the Warrior. All of them stared at Martel. Swallowing, he entered the beam of moonlight by taking the place of the Sage. Stone grinding stone could be heard as the door retracted.

Maximilian threw his torch as far as he could down the corridor. It landed on the ground, creating a small ring of light in the otherwise near impenetrable darkness. "That is a long hallway," he considered. "I wonder how far underground this place stretches? Martel, send your fire down."

Stepping away from the sigil, Martel conjured a bright flame in his hand. Straining his focus, he pushed the fire to move away from him and travel down the corridor. It illuminated the stonewalls, which carried the strange markings or letters unknown to him; at times, as the light went further, it disappeared to reveal unseen doorways.

"This place is a maze," Eleanor said softly.

Suddenly, Cheval pushed his way past them to cross the threshold.

"Stay back!" Eleanor reached out for him, but he simply took another step further in.

"What is the matter? Scared?" Cheval turned around to face them. Behind him lay the torch; further down, Martel's light still floated, though he struggled to maintain the connection.

An eerie sound reached them. Like a gust of wind or the snort of an animal. For a moment, Martel's magelight became reflected in something that resembled metal, or perhaps another material. Whatever it was, it moved, straight into Martel's fire, which dissipated. Once more, the farther end of the corridor lay in darkness, concealing everything.

"Cheval, get back!" Eleanor urged him.

The mageknight simply laughed, running his fingers over the inscriptions on the stonewalls next to him. He turned around to look down the nearly black hallway, where Maximilian's torch still lay on the ground. "Cowards, all of you."

Fifty feet ahead of him, something stomped on the torch to extinguish it, plunging the rest of the corridor into darkness once more.

"Cheval, run!"

The boy stood frozen in fear, rooted to the spot. None of them could see what hid in the black, but they heard a terrifying roar that turned their blood to ice, followed by the sound of something charging.

A shape rushed through the chamber. Reaching the doorway, Master Fenrick stomped his foot into the ground, and a wall of earth rose from the ground to block the foreboding corridor further ahead. Grabbing Cheval by the collar, he pulled the acolyte back into the moon chamber. "Close the door!" he shouted.

Maximilian, Eleanor, and Martel jumped onto the sigils. Slowly, too slowly for Martel's liking, the stone door slid back into place. Behind it, they heard the sound of something tearing Master Fenrick's earthen wall down.

~

Their heads low, seven students followed their teacher out of the chambers. "I specifically warned you about this place. I told you to stay at the camp. I hope this has taught you all a lesson. Two, even. To listen to your teachers, and never to underestimate the dangers of meddling in things you don't understand." Even walking behind him, Martel could tell that Master Fenrick was fuming.

"Yes, master," the students muttered.

"And I still have herbs to collect for Mistress Rana before all the moonlight is gone. I shall be lucky to get a single bell of sleep after I am done. I assume that this time I can rely on you young fools to stay in camp as told."

"Yes, master."

"How – how did you know to replace us so quickly?" Eleanor asked.

"My runes. They alerted me of movements in the camp as soon as you left. Which is why if any of you trip one of my wards again tonight, that student can look forward to being expelled."

"But did you know we would do this?" Eleanor continued.

"I suspected it. You tell children that fire is hot, they won't believe you. Not until they burn their fingers. At least this way, I was around to pull you morons out of the fire." The teacher gave Cheval an angry glare.

They reached their campsite. Left unattended, their campfire had died, and it looked as pitiful as Martel felt.

"Sleep. Now!" Master Fenrick barked the command, and none dared to disobey. He was still muttering about foolish students as he stalked away in search of herbs, brandishing a sickle.

~

The next morning, mood in the camp remain low. With only a few hours of sleep, Fenrick had a sour disposition as he ordered the students to break camp and get ready for the return journey.

Placing their belongings onto the mule, Eleanor glanced at the teacher. "I cannot believe he placed us in such danger," she whispered, looking over the back of the animal at Martel.

"Well, to be precise, he let us place ourselves in danger. After he explicitly warned us and forbade us from doing so." Martel patted the mule.

"What do you mean?" Eleanor placed her hands against her hips, looking a little offended.

"I am simply saying that maybe Master Fenrick has a point. A burnt child fears the fire," Martel explained, repeating a Tyrian proverb.

Eleanor crossed her arms. "I doubt that would help him against our parents if one of us had died."

Nearby, Clarissa giggled. "I cannot imagine what your father would do if his only child had died on a school trip."

Eleanor stiffened. "I have a sister. You know that."

"Sure, but it is not like… You know what I mean."

"I do not." Turning her back demonstratively, Eleanor finished packing.

Walking past them, Cheval scoffed. "My father expects me to face such danger. He even bought a healing potion for me to carry with, costing twenty golden crowns. I came prepared."

"Let's go!" With a face as surly as his tone of voice, Master Fenrick set their small party into motion, and they began the journey back to Morcaster and the Lyceum.