The Howl of Avooblis Page 23

  Dagdron swam to the side, away from the cascading water. He made it to the shore and rubbed the water from his face, blinking his eyes to clear them. The left side of the cavern was covered with water, but the right side was dry ground, littered with wood and large rocks.

  “Whoa!” echoed around the cavern as Earl flew out of the tunnel.

  Dagdron watched as his roommate surfaced and swam toward him. Lita followed quickly after him, and then Elloriana, whose screech almost seemed to shake the cavern, fell into the pool.

  “At least it cleaned off my robe,” Elloriana said as she pulled herself out of the water.

  “What did you guys learn about defeating a water elemental?” Dagdron said.

  “What do you mean?” Elloriana said. “You’re the one who’s been spending countless hours in the quest tree. We’ve been preparing to be adventurers.”

  “Dagdron, weren’t you listening all those times we were discussing this under the quest tree?” Earl said. When Dagdron gave him a questioning look, he continued. “I’m going to start making you climb down from the tree during our important conversations. We’re going to evaporate the water elemental. Elloriana will be casting flame spells while me, you, and Lita start a fire.” He pointed to where some wood had been lodged against the wall.

  Dagdron shrugged and led everyone toward the wood. As they went, the cavern fell silent as the cascading waterfall stopped. They turned around to see the last water trickle down the wall, and then blue flames burst to life on the walls and the water in the middle of the pool blasted upward, forming itself into the water elemental. The body was curved like a mighty wave, and the head and arms swirled stormily.

  “You’re going to evaporate that?” Dagdron said.

  “We’re going to try,” Earl said, sparking his sword against the wall.

  Dagdron watched Elloriana cast flame spells as Earl and Lita worked at starting a fire. Elloriana’s spells hit the water elemental, creating a tiny sizzling sound but having absolutely no effect except causing the creature to roar with rage before it loomed up even higher until it began to tilt forward like a tidal wave.

  “Watch out!” Elloriana screamed.

  Dagdron and Elloriana darted out of the way. Earl and Lita stopped clanking their swords and their mouths dropped open as the water elemental continued to fall toward them. The warrior and lady warrior sprinted across the cavern. Earl, being chivalrous, pushed Lita ahead of him, so when the elemental crashed to the ground, the force knocked him off his feet and came within inches of bashing his head against the boulders. The rushing wave crashed against the back of the cave before rushing back toward the pool, carrying Earl with it in its current. Once in the pool, the elemental reformed into its monstrous self, holding Earl high above the water in one of its tempestuous arms.

  “Earl!” Lita yelled, sprinting forward. She had her sword drawn, and when she reached the shore, she leapt, plunging her weapon into the water elemental. The sword and Lita passed right through the lower body of the monster, and she splashed into the pool.

  The water elemental roared again as it looked down at Lita, and then it let Earl drop. Lita swam out of the way as Earl belly flopped with a smack that echoed around the cave.

  Dagdron grabbed the two rocks closest to him and hucked them at the water elemental. They splashed right through it. While their passage caused no pain, at least it succeeded in distracting the elemental from Earl and Lita. The water creature brought itself down in another tidal wave, so Dagdron and Elloriana sprinted across the chamber as Earl and Lita swam to the shore.

  “I think we can forget the fire,” Earl said, gasping for breath.

  The water elemental reformed itself, howled with rage, and then crashed down in another wave of fury. This time they all made it safely out of the way, but the current tripped Earl and Lita and they fell to the ground. Elloriana and Dagdron helped them up, and the four took refuge behind the largest boulder in the cave.

  “What are our options?” Earl asked the group.

  Everyone was silent in thought as the water elemental smashed against the ground again, spraying over the boulder they were crouched behind.

  “We have to somehow attack it while it’s out of the pool,” Elloriana said. “That’s the only time we can avoid it.”

  “Good idea, Elloriana,” Earl said. “We can build a dam with the boulders. Maybe they will keep the elemental from getting back to the pool.”

  Having no other ideas, they hid behind the boulder, bracing themselves for the next tidal wave, and then sprinted out. Earl and Lita used their strength to lift some of the boulders and carry them closer to the shore. Dagdron and Elloriana spent their time loosening boulders and rolling them into an easier position for their friends to pick up.

  Building the dam took time, as they had to keep taking shelter during attacks from the water elemental, but Earl and Lita built up a barricade boulder by boulder. Now when the elemental rolled back to the pool, it was forced to split apart to go around the dam.

  Dagdron and Elloriana began throwing smaller rocks to fill in the spaces of the dam, while Earl and Lita each took a side of the cave and continued hefting boulders to complete the dam. When there was only space left for a large boulder on each side, Earl and Lita waited until after the next tidal wave then counted to three. Each of them roared, helping to increase their adrenaline, as they hefted the last boulders, and they ran them across the cavern, dropping them into place.

  Earl and Lita sprinted back to cover as the water elemental brought itself down toward them. They made it behind the biggest boulder with Dagdron and Elloriana, and, after they all covered their faces and held their breath as the splash of the elemental crashed over them, they watched as it rolled back to the dam. They worried that the spaces between stones might allow passage for the water monster, but instead of passing through, the water accumulated, and the elemental reformed on dry land. They watched in horror as the creature grew above them, but at least it wasn’t as tall as before.

  “Time to face it,” Lita said, drawing her sword.

  Earl nodded and copied her. Dagdron and Elloriana stepped out with them, but Dagdron kept his dagger stashed, seeing no reason to pull it out when the elemental couldn’t be harmed by it.

  Just as before, the water elemental crashed down toward them. While it had obviously lost some power, the amount of water was still enough to impede their breathing and knock them off their feet. The four of them scrabbled as the current carried them toward the dam and barely succeeded in escaping before being dashed against their own formation.

  “I’m sick of this!” Elloriana screamed as she glanced at her sopping clothes and flung her soggy hair out of her face.

  The enchantress turned back to face the water elemental as it was taking on its monstrous form again. She started casting flame spells. The fire balls hit the elemental but fizzled out immediately, so Elloriana switched to blast-bolt spells. Much like rocks and swords, the bolts shot through the water but had no effect. The water elemental bellowed as it prepared for another tidal wave, just as Elloriana decided to try out a whirlwind spell. As the water elemental crashed down, it was met with a whirlwind, blowing powerfully against its right side, splashing a spattering of water away from the body.

  Elloriana was swept off her feet by the rush of water, but Earl and Lita ran to grab her before she was carried back by the current.

  “I think the wind helped,” Elloriana said. “Use your swords and dagger while I cast whirlwinds.”

  Dagdron still didn’t take out his dagger, but he started throwing rocks as Earl and Lita charged the elemental. With these combined distractions, the water elemental kept contorting itself in different directions as if deciding who it wanted to drown. Elloriana extended her hands and cast whirlwind spells as fast as she could. Each blast of wind that hit the monster splashed water from its body, spraying it across the cavern.

  Realizing its true threat, the water elemental veered upward and crashed d
own toward Elloriana. Earl and Lita raced back to assist her, holding her steady so she could cast whirlwinds again. Dagdron stopped throwing rocks and retreated to the side of the cave where he could watch in safety.

  “Keep going, wench,” Dagdron yelled.

  Elloriana glared at Dagdron, who was climbing on a boulder to lounge on a rock, and her next three whirlwind spells were even more powerful, diminishing the size of the water elemental as huge splatters of water spread across the cavern. The water elemental was now only a few inches taller than Elloriana, so the enchantress sprinted forward. The water elemental, in a last effort to drown its foes, dove toward her. As it splashed all around Elloriana, she focused her whirlwind spell, and the twister took up the last of the monster, twirling the drops of water in all directions.

  Earl and Lita let out cries of triumph as they rushed forward to congratulate Elloriana. Dagdron jumped from his rock as he saw the pool of water was disappearing. Earl, Lita, and Elloriana joined him, climbing over the dam and watching the water drain completely out of the cavern, leaving a wooden box in the muddy depression.

  Elloriana, still filled with magical adrenaline, cast a trigger spell at the box. There was a magical blast that sent mud all over the cavern, but Elloriana stood her ground, casting an open spell. The sparkling circle opened the lid, exposing the rolled-up scroll. Next, she cast a fetch spell, but as the scroll was being carried back to her, Elloriana suddenly wobbled, so Earl steadied her. Dagdron reached out and grabbed the scroll before she recovered.

  Dagdron unrolled the parchment as the other three moved to his side, and Earl read out loud.

  “The trial of water crashes and drowns,

  But unsinking resolve draws the next clue down.

  Now to the east the heat and smoke churn,

  Where warmth may give light or may burn.”

  “How are we going to get back up to the tunnel?” Dagdron asked, throwing the scroll to Earl and examining the wall. The rock was so slick from the water and mud that Dagdron didn’t think even he could climb it.

  “We’ll just have to move our dam a little further,” Lita said, smiling.

  Dagdron noticed that Earl didn’t seem quite as happy as Lita, but once they got moving, they were both smiling as they tossed boulders into the mud pit, creating a pile that would get them within reach of the tunnel.

  They slid down the mud and climbed up the pile of boulders. Dagdron climbed the short section of wall that remained and then Earl helped hoist the girls up before Lita pulled him up after her. It was much more pleasant walking up the tunnel than the breathless ride down had been.

  When they pulled themselves out into the open air, they all shivered as the March breeze blew through their drenched clothing. They looked around but saw no sign of Wendahl, Rance, or anybody else. But, as they set off toward the academy, Byron, Landon, and Gordon stepped out from behind a pine tree to block their path. Out of the corner of her eye, Elloriana saw another figure stay behind the tree.

  “Grady, get out here!” Elloriana yelled. Byron, Landon, and Gordon were so shocked by her tone that they froze, and everyone waited until the freckle-faced Lordavian walked sheepishly out. “I told you to stop following us!”

  “We have to obey the headmaster’s orders,” Byron said.

  “The headmaster hasn’t given you any orders,” Elloriana said, scowling. “He would never ask three Broodavians who aren’t even going to be adventurers to follow us.”

  “You’re one to talk,” Byron said. “You’re going to go back to Lordavia after the academy and never leave the city boundaries again.”

  “I most certainly am not,” Elloriana said, shooting daggers from her eyes at Byron. “I am going to be an adventurer. I’m not even going back to Lordavia after graduation. I’m setting out directly on a quest.”

  Byron was stunned into silence, and Landon and Gordon looked shocked as well.

  “You are?” Grady said. “I thought we were going to court each other properly after you graduated.”

  “Yeah right,” Elloriana said. “I just told my parents that so they wouldn’t withdraw me from the academy.”

  “None of that matters,” Byron said. “We’re on a mission and there is nothing you can do about it.”

  “Just stop it already,” Elloriana said, casting a blast-bolt spell that knocked Byron’s sword out of his hand. “We know what you’re up to. We know about the information on Lordavia you bought from Mercer. We know about the chest of seeds and Lordavian goods you were hiding in the cave last year. And we know about the Backer and his plan to use the Arches of Avooblis to build a castle at Central Crossing for you.” Elloriana took a breath as she scowled at the four boys in front of her. “That’s right. We know everything. You think you were doing all that stuff in secret? We’ve broken into your room every year at the academy and known everything you’re up to. We’ve just been going about our own quests, letting you think we don’t know so you wouldn’t be able to hide things better.

  “And Grady, you think you deserve to be an adventurer? Well, you don’t. I know you and your family are the ones that betrayed Lordavia. Why did you do that?”

  Elloriana glared at Grady, waiting for a response.

  “He promised us we could be high-ranking nobles in the new city,” Grady muttered.

  “Well, if you think the Valoringtons losing their nobility status was bad, wait and see what’s going to happen to your family. You don’t deserve to be an adventurer, that’s why you weren’t accepted in the academy, and you don’t deserve to be a Lordavian royal of any ranking, and that’s why you’re going to be banished from the kingdom. Have fun living in the city Byron builds, because it’s going to be a dump. You’re never going to get your hands on the arches, so you’ll have nothing.

  “Now stop following us!” Elloriana flipped her wet hair and stomped past the boys. Dagdron, Earl, and Lita, frozen momentarily by the outburst, walked past with smiles spreading across their faces.

  Chapter 26: Fire Flared

  “Did you talk to your dad?” Elloriana whispered to Dagdron.

  “Yes,” Dagdron said. “Earl made me go.”

  “What did he say?”

  He and Elloriana were creeping down the valley trail from the academy with Earl and Lita behind them. They had changed their tactics and snuck out in the middle of the night the last week of March. They were unsure how they were going to identify Mazannanan’s treasure quest insignia in the darkness, but that seemed preferable to having everyone who knew about the arches following them.

  “He said Wendahl left before him and Egon when they followed us to the water elemental location,” Dagdron said.

  “That means he could still be the Backer,” Elloriana said.

  “Earl doesn’t think so,” Dagdron said.

  Over the past week and a half, in addition to drying out from their encounter with the water elemental, they had spent much of their time discussing whether Wendahl could still be the Backer or not. Earl claimed that he had seen no sign of magenta underneath the Backer’s black cloak as he descended from the tree and that Wendahl wouldn’t have had time to change clothes while Egon and Dugan were chasing him and still get back to defend them against Rance, Kas, and Wally. Elloriana still thought Wendahl was powerful enough to have a trick like that up his sleeve. Dagdron didn’t know either way, so that was why he had agreed to sneak out the night before and meet with his dad in Bodaburg. Unfortunately, his dad hadn't shed any more light on the situation, either.

  “I still think we should’ve come to face the fire elemental last week,” Elloriana said. “We would have dried off a lot quicker.”

  “Stop talking, wench,” Dagdron said. “We’re going at night so no one follows us this time. You’re making more noise than Earl.”

  Elloriana scowled, but Dagdron listened and realized it was probably true. He could hardly hear Earl’s padded boots, and he and Lita were whispering much more quietly than Elloriana.

  “Sorry. I’
m just nervous about the backlash from telling Byron and Grady off like that.”

  Dagdron shrugged and didn’t reply. As far as he was concerned, Byron and Grady could do whatever they wanted. As long as they never got their hands on Mazannanan’s treasure or the arches, there wasn’t much the Backer could do. And while to complete Wendahl’s quest they would somehow have to steal the arches from the headmaster’s office, at least that meant the objects were safe until then, because it was highly unlikely Byron could get to them.

  When they reached the fork at the base of the east peak, they headed up the switchbacks. They picked up the pace, not worrying as much about keeping quiet now that they were a good distance from the academy. When they reached the summit, they lit torches and headed off the trail, searching the area for an arch symbol. Earl made sure they didn’t drift too far apart, but he and Lita went to the left while Dagdron and Elloriana investigated to the right.

  “Do you think this will be the last elemental?” Elloriana asked.

  Dagdron stopped and moved the torch so its light blazed on Elloriana’s face.

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “I’ve just been so nervous about what story Byron and Grady might spin to the headmaster or my parents.”

  “Who cares what they say?”

  “I do,” Elloriana said. “How do you turn off your worries like that?”

  “Because it doesn’t matter. Byron and Grady will eventually do something, but until then, you don’t know what it is, so forget about it. Maybe they won’t say anything, because then they’d be exposed to more people. And the Backer’s already after us, so what is Byron going to do? He goes to the academy, but he’s really just a richy with no adventuring skills.”