Vengeful Earth: The Dark Sky Chronicles - Book Two, page 12
‘Ah, yes, my dear, I seem to have got carried away as usual. It’s a trait found in all academics, I’m afraid.’ He paused again, his eyelids lowered as though taking a nap.
‘Professor?’ Jasmine repeated, a little loudly.
‘Ah, it’s in the tower, my friend.’
Well, we know that, thought Oscar trying not to roll his eyes in frustration. ‘Yes, Professor, we know, but which one?’
‘Which one?’ The professor’s confusion was genuine.
‘In which tower did my father conceal the Stone of Oridonyx, Professor Blythe?’ Quinn had raised his body from his footstool, his piercing azure eyes staring directly into the old man’s dark gaze; their familiarity seemed to wake the professor from his preoccupation.
‘You have your mother’s eyes, Quinn.’
‘I know. Professor, we have little time!’
‘Well, it’s in the Tower of Geodomus, of course.’
Wil nudged Aimie and whispered, ‘told you so!’
‘So off we go!’
Oscar leapt up, stuffed Blod into the rucksack. and joined Quinn as he strode towards the door. But Professor Blythe remained seated in his chair, contemplating a particularly complex silver instrument which had started to buzz.
‘It’s no use hounded off over there unless you have the key.’
Chapter Fifteen
Geodomus Tower, Hadrixia Academy
‘What key?’ asked Oscar, coming to a halt on the threshold, his head swung back over his shoulder to stare at Professor Blythe.
‘The key that opens the vault.’
‘And Max didn’t leave it with you?’
‘No, of course not!’ The professor frowned at such a ridiculous suggestion.
‘Or with Sidikulus?’ asked Jasmine hopefully.
‘No! Maximus would never put our lives at risk in such a way, or the lives of any of our students. Do you know nothing of the kind of man Maximus Hadricus is? For years he has borne the whole of Hadrixia’s worsening fate on his shoulders with honour and integrity. Only with great reluctance did he engage the support of Aurelia, against his better judgement. Look, where she is now!’
‘So you are saying that without the key, even if we locate the Stone’s hiding place, we won’t be able to gain access to retrieve it?’ said Oscar.
‘No key, no Stone.’
There was a moment’s pause.
‘But you know where the hiding place is?’ Oscar pressed. Good grief, it was like drawing teeth, he thought. Professor Eldrik Blythe might be brilliant at building strange, mechanical instruments but his powers of concentration had deserted him long since.
‘Oh, yes.’
‘Then why didn’t you tell us. Come on, show us!’ Oscar didn’t want to appear disrespectful but they’d already wasted enough time.
‘Well—’
Aimie crossed the room and knelt at Professor Blythe’s feet. ‘Professor, please show us where the Stone is hidden. Oscar is the leader of this quest – he may be able to think of an answer to the key problem when we are there. Our friend, Zara Bulmer, who led the last quest, was able to locate the chest in which the Stone of Exerith was hidden and we transmorphed successfully back to the Outside where Max restored the Stone. Perhaps if we can transport the Stone, even without the key, Max will be able to—’
‘It’s not hidden in a wooden case, Aimie, my child. It is sealed within… Oh, come along. I’ll take you there.’
Professor Blythe prized his aching bones from his armchair which, over the years, had moulded to his body’s shape, checking his silver pocket watch as a gong sounded in the quadrant below.
‘Lunch.’
‘We won’t be missed,’ Quinn said, ‘everyone is either playing or watching Coralayus. Except Farron, of course!’
They descended the stairs, waited until the central courtyard cleared of the few stragglers who disliked sports, then filed into the west tower where they found themselves back in the very office they had visited when they first arrived, hung with the tapestries embroidered with the symbol of Geodomus House – a single ear of corn. This time, though, the room boasted its occupant who shoved a plate of bread and cheese into the top drawer of his desk and fixed his green-eyed enquiry on Professor Blythe.
‘Eldrik?’
‘Professor Sidikulus, permit me to introduce four friends of Quinn Hadricus. They are Outsiders, sent here at the behest of Maximus.’
Oscar smiled at the sight of the professor-cum-caretaker whose expression bordered on the incredulous as he counted the contingent of students traipsing into his room. The former teacher reminded him of his uncle James who had a similar habit of stroking his thumb and forefinger through his beard whenever he was nervous or in deep contemplation.
However, Oscar was much more interested in the menagerie of unusual creatures dotted around the place. He paused in front of a life-sized, but long-dead Mindox poised for take-off, its bead-like eyes dull, its iridescent blue-black feathers glistening in the midday sun which streamed through the study’s narrow leaded windows.
‘Wow…’
‘Marvellous specimen, isn’t she?’ said Sidikulus, his lilting Scottish twang a surprise as he joined Oscar in his appreciation of the bird’s beauty whilst the others gathered, cross-legged on the hand-tied rug in front of the fireplace, with Professor Blythe choosing to perch like a kindly vulture on the corner of Sidikulus’ desk.
‘Awesome.’ Oscar muttered, his eagerness to locate the Stone suddenly on hold. ‘Where did you get her? What happened for the Mindox to end up here? Why is she—’
‘Och, a fellow enthusiast! I’m afraid this Mindox was shot down by Xophicus himself over the Plains of Darlott, five turns of the moon ago. I witnessed the incident from this very window, recovered the body with the assistance of a few dedicated students, and now this magnificent bird spends her days here in my study.’
‘Why would anyone want to kill a Mindox?’ asked Wil, coming to stand next to them. ‘They allow us to ride on their backs; to fly!’
Oscar experienced a surge of renewed hatred for the Dark Ruler as he pictured this wonderful creature blasted from the skies for sport. A familiar mounting nausea began to curl through his abdomen so he turned away and strode to the fireplace to join Aimie on the rug, his head bowed, unable to speak.
‘Sidikulus, we need you to show us your “gallery”,’ said Professor Blythe.
‘For what reason, may I ask?’ Sidikulus’ green eyes suddenly became cautious, guarded.
‘Maximus has sent these Underlings to retrieve the Stone of Oridonyx and deliver it to his camp on the Outside from where he is orchestrating his return. Sidikulus, Maximus already has the Stone of Exerith!’
‘Do they have the key?’
‘They do not, I’m afraid. I believe Maximus left the key in Aurelia’s possession. Sadly, he did not foresee her incarceration.’
Sidikulus glared at Professor Blythe. ‘Eldrik, without the key there is no point in—’
‘I have already exposed this argument but I was persuaded to relent and agreed to show the Underlings the gallery.’
‘But I—’
‘Professor Sidikulus, we have come this far. If we have to return to Max empty-handed, we at least need to report that the Stone remains safely contained in its box,’ said Oscar.
‘It is not in a box! It’s... och, okay, come this way.’
From his patched magenta robe, Sidikulus withdrew what Oscar recognised as a wizard’s Gornic, a silver aerial-like wand they had seen used previously by Semyon to assist in their escape from his potions shop through the golden frame of a family portrait. Sure enough, Oscar now noticed a large rectangular oil painting of an ugly purple Brozig hung in an alcove to the right of the fireplace. He jumped up from the floor and went to stand at the professor’s shoulder next to Quinn, Otto, and Aimie whilst Wil, Hayden and Jasmine remained on the other side of the fireplace with Professor Blythe.
Sidikulus brandished the silver wand, sketching a line around the edges of the painting. Within moments, the tarnished-gold frame began to glow, then swung forwards to reveal a doorway chiselled into the wall of the tower which led to a set of narrow stone steps.
‘The access is difficult and the chamber holds only six,’ Sidikulus warned.
‘Then I will remain here with Otto and Hayden,’ said Professor Blythe, dragging them back by their shoulders and ignoring the death looks bestowed upon him having been in receipt of a similar level of loathing on an almost daily basis from the academy students or their parents.
Sidikulus led the way up the steps and into a vault-like room above his study, his Gornic held high casting fingers of bright white light into the domed ceiling. Oscar scoured the cave-like room quickly. The gallery was small, essentially a cave, albeit a decorative one, the walls of which were carved with deep impressions chiselled from the stone walls in intricate patterns. Vertical rows of inverted cubes, stars and pyramids alternated with horizontal rows of indented crosses, spheres and rectangles. Each depression had been meticulously painted in a variety of colours to form an elaborate work of art.
But the chamber was completely empty.
‘Erm, Professor,’ Aimie ventured. ‘Where exactly should we be looking? There’s nowhere to hide anything in here.’
‘When the key is inserted into the correct combination of the hollows, the Stone of Oridonyx will be revealed.’ Sidikulus handed Wil his lighted wand and retreated to the door. ‘I’ll leave you to ponder.’
Oscar inhaled a breath; the air in the chamber had become stale and dry and he realised they were probably the first visitors to the gallery since Max had hidden the Stone. Suddenly, a wave of panic crashed through his chest
Was this to be the end of their quest?
Quite apart from the fact that they had failed to recover the Stone, they now faced making the perilous journey back to the city. But without the Stone in their possession how could they transmorph back to camp to report their failure to Max? Shame mingled with his anxiety, and then guilt joined the throng and he struggled to breath normally, feeling as though the walls were closing, slowly but surely, in on him.
He watched Quinn, Aimie and Jasmine sink to their knees to prod and poke the kaleidoscope of cavities in the walls, hoping to hit upon the correct combination by accident. But Oscar knew that wasn’t going to happen – Max would have make sure of it.
‘There’s no point staying here,’ said Oscar.
Trying hard to conceal his disappointment, he turned his back on everyone and took a step to the arched entranceway at the same time as Aimie. He saw her eyes soften when she caught a glimpse of his face which made him feel even worse, especially when she slipped her hand into his and squeezed hard to indicate her reassurance and support.
‘Owww!’
‘What’s wrong?’
‘The links in that bracelet of Aurelia’s you insist on wearing are really sharp!’
Oscar inspected his palm whilst Aimie raised her wrist to study the bracelet. In Oscar’s view it was a totally impractical object, but even he had to admit the craftwork was superb as its silver orbs and crosses glinting under the beam of Sidikulus’ Gornic.
‘Sorry, Osc. Here.’
Aimie grabbed his hand and began to rub it, like a mother would a toddler’s. As she did so, the links of the bracelet jangled and clunked at her wrist. They giggled, which morphed into laughter, relieving the tension and frustration Oscar had felt at having travelled so far only to be thwarted at the last hurdle.
‘Hey, Aims! Stop!’ Wil cried, reached down and grabbing her wrist.
‘What? Why?’
‘Your bracelet; Aurelia’s bracelet!’
‘Yes?’
‘Quick, take it off!’
Wil handed the Gornic over to Quinn and bounced on his toes in front of Aimie, his pale face flushed as he struggled to contain his excitement. Aimie exchanged a quick glance with Oscar, scrunching up her nose in confusion as she fiddled with the catch before depositing the heavy piece of silver jewellery into Wil’s waiting hands.
‘We thought it was strange that Aurelia would leave something so precious behind on the mantelpiece where anyone could find it, didn’t we? Either she would have taken it with her or hidden it.’
‘I suppose…’ began Aimie.
‘Look!’ Wil stretched the bracelet between his thumb and index finger of both hands, struggling to contain his enthusiasm. ‘Alternate three-dimensional noughts and crosses.’
‘Wil, what are you talking…’ Jasmine paused, realisation flooding her face. ‘Yes! Wil, you are a genius! A true genius!’
Grabbing one end of the bracelet each, Jasmine and Wil sunk to their knees, counting the indentations from the floor to the ceiling until they reached the exact sequence of Aurelia’s bracelet.
‘Here it is!’ Wil exclaimed, and together he and Jasmine slotted the seven links of silver into the corresponding crevices in the stone.
Nothing happened.
‘But… but… I was so sure…’ Shock blanched Wil’s features, then his face drooped; he wasn’t a genius, after all.
‘I thought so, too,’ said Jasmine. ‘It does fit perfectly.’
‘Switch it round. So the engravings point inwards!’ Oscar suggested, kneeling on the floor next to them, his heart giving a sharp nip of sympathy at the dejection written across Wil’s expression.
‘What do you mean?’
‘Like this.’
Oscar grabbed the bracelet key, spun it round and pressed each link into its corresponding void. No sooner had he inserted the last link than a harsh, grating noise filled the chamber. A section of stone, thirty centimetres in length, slid inwards to reveal a shallow cavity. He brushed away the crumbs of stone and peered into the hollow in the wall.
‘There’s something in here.’
Wriggling his fingers into the space, he dug away a mound of sand to reveal a scarred leather pouch which he removed.
‘Open it! Is it the Stone?’ cried Quinn.
With great care, he pulled the thong drawstrings apart and the Stone of Oridonyx tumbled into his lap. Words failed him as he turned to look at the others who were crowding around him before holding up the olive-green gemstone the size of a small rugby ball for them to see.
‘Awesome,’ Wil murmured.
Aimie and Jasmine crouched down next to Oscar. He could see the necklace of tears along their eyelashes as they ran their fingertips over the Stone’s smooth facets, glinting like a rippling woodland stream under the glare of Sidikulus’ Gornic. It was a creation of pure beauty.
‘Wil, you solved it! You solved the puzzle!’ Jasmine declared, flinging her arms around his neck, hugging him before performing a dance of jubilation.
Wil twisted his lips, clearly desperate to accept the credit but not wanting to appear boastful or arrogant.
‘I suppose I did, yes. Aurelia’s bracelet was the key. It seems my obsession with gaming came in useful at last. I wish my parents could see me now!’
‘Well done.’ Aimie took her turn to hug the crimson-faced Wil.
Oscar carefully replaced the gem in its pouch and tightened the drawstrings before offering his palm to Wil. ‘This quest would have failed if you hadn’t been with us. Thanks.’
The boys shook hands, and then, after a pause, hugged too.
‘Hey, what’s going on up there?’ Otto’s voice drifted up from below.
‘We’d better go back down,’ said Quinn, dashing from the gallery, a smile stretching his face from ear to ear. ‘Hey, guys, guess what! Wil solved the mystery of the key. It was Aurelia’s silver bracelet!’
‘So, does that mean you’ve recovered the Stone of Oridonyx?’ asked Professor Blythe, his eyes wide in amazement. ‘May I see it?’
Oscar unwrapped the Stone and immediately they were joined by Otto and Hayden, issuing congratulations, slapping their backs, whooping with delight whilst the two Academy professors inspected the stone, discussed its origins, its history, and its magical properties.
Time slipped by and without Oscar noticing, the sky outside Sidikulus’ study window had darkened, bathing the room in long shadows. A spasm of anxiety shot into his stomach; it was late and they had lingered far too long revelling in their success.
‘Okay, we need to make our way back to the city. We’ll collect our things from the Pyradomus dormitory and be on our way.’ Oscar turned towards the two professors who were engaged in a vociferous debate about Hadrixian geology. ‘Thank you, Professor Blythe, thank you, Sidikulus. We couldn’t have done any of this without your help.’
‘Come back anytime, my boy. I’ve plenty more magical creatures to share with you. It’s been an honour to make your acquaintance. You are truly an Underling of the Earth. I believe that, if you chose to remain at the Academy, you would be a welcome member of my Geodomus House.’
‘Come now, Sidikulus, surely a quester of such skill and intellect would be placed with me in Pyradomus?’
‘No, Eldrik, I think you will find all Underlings who show such a high level of aptitude for—’
The seven friends left the professors to continue their favourite pastime – arguing.
Chapter Sixteen
The Grounds, Hadrixia Academy
Oscar stowed the Stone of Oridonyx away in the custom-made compartment at the base of his rucksack, made sure Blod was comfortable, and then joined the others in collecting his belongings from the Pyradomus dormitory. It was a more sombre group that made its way to the huge arched gateway that stood between the Academy’s walls and its extensive grounds.
‘I wish I could accompany you on your journey back to the city.’
‘You have done enough for us already, Quinn,’ said Oscar, exchanging a goodbye fist-bump with the Hadrixian he was privileged enough to call a friend. The quadrant behind him was empty, the last straggle of students having filed into the dining hall for the Monday night feast, but the level of noise bursting from the windows told him that the Academy’s esteemed Professors had not yet taken their seats at the top table.
