Dean Hawthorne: Headmaster of a Magical Academy, page 32
I sat in my seat again as the others regrouped and then I sent out another magical pulse, alerting other nearby beasts of our presence. With hardly any wait time, the next beast accepted the invitation, its fur-covered body careening through the bushes, hoping for an easy meal. The students got into position, ready to fight their next opponent.
Chapter
Forty-Six
THE DARK FOREST
By lunch that afternoon, the students had successfully defeated seven monsters of the dark forest, three of which they allowed to escape, the team determining the beasts to be too small to be of much consequence. The school provided sandwiches for our excursion, but in the spirit of adventuring, we roasted some of the boar meat over an open fire, enjoying the spoils of their efforts, their familiars also partaking in the feast.
Lucia was the only one who did not try the monster meat, preferring to stick to her specially-crafted cucumber sandwich. The rest of the team seemed to enjoy the meal as they chatted amongst themselves, the group seeming to get along better than ever. Even Mr. Crane and Mr. Bishop participated in the conversation, an unexpected smile appearing here or there as the group likened this trip to how things would be if they became adventurers after graduation.
Just as our meal was about to conclude, I sensed the presence of an incoming beast. I counted just one, but the beast was not one I purposefully called to the area, so it was best to remain alert. Whatever it was had drifted our way on its own, enticed by the smell of the roasting boar. In the true style of adventuring, no place was entirely safe, especially in the forest filled with untamed monsters, another great lesson for the students to learn.
“Dominic...” Luna whispered telepathically, her ears perking up as she determined the location of the incoming monster.
“I sense it,” I reassured her that we wouldn’t be caught off guard. “Everyone, I hate to cut our social hour short, but we have an uninvited guest on their way. It's best if you prepare yourselves.”
With magic, I could tell the creature was the biggest the group had faced, and it would be a good opportunity to test their limits. The students scrambled to prepare themselves, dropping the remainder of their lunches in favor of the weapons they had placed beside them on the forest floor.
“This one will be difficult. Remember, you are a part of a team. Rely on each other and plan your attack. I'll be here in case you need me. Luna and I will be behind a barrier so we can remain as separated from the fight as possible. I’ll also keep the meat on our side since that is likely the reason the beast has come to our campsite.”
As though waiting for my cue, a flock of birds set the leaves rustling as they flew off toward the forest canopy, their shrill squawks telling us the beast was close. With all the rage of a hungry animal, a horned grizzly crashed through the brush around the clearing, setting its sights on Luna and my location. Its eyes were fixated on the extra meat still roasting on the fire, the smell still lingering even after I erected my barrier spell.
True to my word, I sat comfortably on the boulder, remaining as a spectator to the fight—whether or not the beast preferred it that way was a different story. Luna relaxed beside the boulder as well, knowing the barrier kept the bear from breaching our location even as its mighty claws aimed for our small campfire and the hunks of boar meat positioned around it.
The beast’s paw bounced back immediately when it made impact with the shield, its own force working against it. So focused on the food in front of it, the grizzly bear did not take notice as the students got into position around it. Prince Ellis, proving to be a natural leader, wordlessly directed the students into position, a plan forming in his mind.
He remained calm despite the higher-ranked monster, although the same couldn't be said for some of the others in the group. Lucia held tight to her bow, although she failed to notch any arrows, too afraid that the slightest movement would direct the creature's attention to her. Her reaction wasn't entirely surprising, considering her specialty and her future goals which did not lie in the field of adventuring nor any other combat-heavy career paths.
Harvey appeared overconfident as I had come to expect, ignoring the prince’s gestures to stay low, barely containing his obvious desire to jump the grizzly from behind. Jeremy watched the prince intently, proving to be much more capable of following commands than I had been led to believe. Todd watched Jeremy, doing whatever he did, while Lizzie and Riley stayed in a crouched position as they moved, looking a little flustered but prepared to attack at the prince's word.
The bear continued to strike my force field in an attempt to break through, but its efforts were to no avail. When I deemed the distraction to be too much, I altered my existing spell, darkening the contents of the barrier to the outside world. Luna and I could still see everything happening outside our little bubble, but everything within the sphere was no longer visible to those outside the spell.
This alteration was perfect for secret meetings and other instances that required privacy, but it was the first time I had used it in such a situation. With the sight of the food no longer a distraction, and the smell having dissipated since the barrier’s construction, the grizzly quickly lost interest, returning its attention to the students behind it.
Seeing the small group of battle-ready humans that now surrounded him, the horned grizzly let out a loud, fear-inducing growl, standing tall on its two hind legs, trying to intimidate the group. The prince shouted the final words of his spell, launching a levitation spell toward the monster, trying once again to hold it in its place as they had done with the sciurat.
One heavy footstep toward the group was all it took for the great grizzly to break the hold the levitation spell had on it. Prince Ellis gave out his next command, all those with fire spells in their learned spell book to aim for the bear’s body, the varying levels of fire orbs making their way toward the target.
Some of the faster attempts landed, but the others the grizzly swiped right out of the air before they had a chance to do even minimal damage. Frustrated by the small amount of pain the successful attacks caused, the beast charged in the direction of the attacks, its head down as it adjusted its horns to aim for a single student.
As the bear rushed, the students scattered, the bear’s target changing more than once. With his back to a tree, Todd became its focus, the boy giving himself no place else to run. Todd froze, his eyes glued to the charging bear, unable to react to the imminent danger.
The prince erected a barrier a few feet in front of Todd, trying to block the impact, but the sheer force behind the creature’s charge was too much to restrain with the hastily-crafted barrier. I could see the fear in Mr. Emerest’s eyes when the beast broke through, still running full speed toward him, the boy readying himself for the pain.
“Mercury!” Jeremy yelled, the cat pouncing forward, its eyes glowing, a light that matched the aura now emanating from Todd’s body.
The cat jerked its head to the side, and Mr. Emerest went flying, the small celestial cat capable of telekinetic strike. Todd hit the dirt, avoiding the first slash of the bear’s claws, but the beast was quick to react, following Todd to his new position.
The others cried Todd's name, too far to assist him and too late to attempt any more spells. Mercury tried to move the boy again, but with Todd’s seated position on the ground, he found it difficult to clear him from the path of the attack, the familiar still needing to train his special skill. A loud clanging sound resonated through the clearing, the beast horns clashing with a newly-erected barrier, one of my own creation.
“And just like that, you are dead, Mr. Emerest,” I informed him before teleporting the boy into the barrier with Luna and myself, leaving the others to figure things out for themselves with one less teammate.
The students scrambled to regroup, Todd’s ‘death’ forcing them to recognize their disorganized teamwork. Prince Ellis tried to maintain the leadership role, instructing the team to spread out for another magic-based attack, but his orders were not well-received by the entirety of the group. While the others ran to surround the beast as suggested, the students chanting their spell of choice, Mr. Crane decided to send his walipna in for an aerial strike.
The two proceeded simultaneously and while both were effective strategies, implementing them together put Mr. Crane’s familiar in the line of fire. Familiars were the trusting sort, Mr. Crane’s being no exception, and the bird followed his orders, swooping in, her sharp claws drawn just as water orbs and ice crystals careened toward the grizzly.
Harvey’s familiar flew in the path of the attacks, the other students noticing their blunder, but having no way to recall their spells. Having seen enough, I teleported the scaled bird into my barrier, counting her as another casualty of the battle.
“Mr. Crane’s familiar has now been injured in a friendly fire incident and can longer assist in battle. Your team is losing numbers quickly and the threat is still imminent. What will you do?” I called out the play by play, hoping the students would realize the real-world implications of this monitored battle.
“We need to choose a leader!” Prince Ellis shouted as he rolled to avoid an incoming strike, the bear's claws narrowly missing him, instead scratching across the bark of a thick tree trunk.
Sylvester bared his teeth and growled at the grizzly, waiting for an opening to strike while he remained by Prince Ellis’s side.
“Even if it's not me, that's fine, but we all need to be on the same page.”
Everyone was aware his words were directed toward Mr. Crane, the only one who refused to accept his leadership.
“I should be the leader,” Harvey stated confidently, his wand directed at the back of the grizzly, who was busy chasing Lucia's forest fairy up a tree, the smart familiar distracting the beast as it used its vines to easily lift itself into the branches.
“I'm fine with that. What about everyone else?” Prince Ellis conceded, preferring to work together rather than against each other, even if it meant giving up his own position.
The rest hastily agreed, and Harvey accepted his new power and responsibility immediately.
“Alright everyone, here’s what we’re going to do. He's distracted by that plant thing now, so Lizzie, you hit the grizzly with a fire spell. Lucia, you continue doing what you’re doing and keep its attention on that tree. When the next attack lands, it’s gonna be mad, so when it faces us again, we’ll all attack at once. Are we clear?”
Lizzie tried to object, but her words fell on deaf ears, Harvey so sure of his new plan that he ignored her. He ordered her to begin, and she recited the fire spell, a large orb forming in front of her. Harvey egged her on, his eyes shifting from the bear to the fire, his own wand in his hand for the attacks that would follow.
When Lizzie weaved in the final words, releasing the orb toward the beast, the fire wavered, the spell coming undone as it moved through its intended path. Smoke was all that remained when it reached its target, Lizzie having yet to perfect her fire magic. She sighed in a ‘I knew this would happen manner,’ having failed to attract the grizzly’s attention.
The others moved on to the second part of Harvey’s plan, hitting the creature with the strongest spells they had in their arsenals. That meant fire for some, water for others and even an earth spell was in the mix. With the variety of spells, Harvey was sure they would see success, but the magic did very little damage, their trajectories intertwining, the opposite attacks canceling each other out, while the earth-based spell simply made a mess of things.
When the orb of mud that was left splattered onto the back of the bear, it certainly did draw the creature’s attention, if nothing else. The bear released another rage-filled growl, returning to all fours before rushing in Harvey's direction.
“Send out your familiars, quickly!” he called out, pointing wildly at the beast, which continued to rush his way.
The students followed his order and Sylvester hopped on the grizzly’s back first, sinking his teeth into its flesh. As the great wolf attacked from the back, Lizzie's horned rabbit, Liore, aimed for its side with her tiny horns, while Kline headed for the beast’s hind leg. As the two sprinted to catch up to the bear, Belle the flower fairy dropped in from the overhead canopy, hoping to slow the creature down.
The grizzly tried to shake off the unwanted riders, already angered by the sharp pain of the puncture wounds from Sylvester’s teeth. He lashed out toward the incoming rabbit, and the beast’s paw, nearly the same size as Liore, sent her flying backwards into Lizzie’s arms. Lizzie whisked her familiar from the fight, taking her to the sidelines to assess her for any injuries before rejoining the battle.
Mercury joined the others, his quick feet outmatching the speed of the bear and he soon overtook his position, managing to get in a good scratch to the eye with his sharp claws. He didn’t attempt his telekinesis, knowing it would have no effect on the bear and likely only trip Harvey who continued to run in front of them.
The pain from the joint attacks disoriented the bear, enough to slow his movements, and Kline took the opportunity to bite into the beast’s leg, but even that wasn't enough to stop the grizzly completely. Everything happened so fast, and things only went downhill from there, as one by one the horned bear threw the familiars into the air, as if they were mere rag dolls.
The prince tried another barrier spell to stop the beast’s charge, but the bear once again proved it was too strong for the low-level spell, its force enough to shatter the barrier completely. With Harvey in its sights, the boy felt the pressure and ran, which only enticed the grizzly more, the beast increasing its own pace to overtake Mr. Crane. Harvey hurriedly approached my bubble, demanding to be let inside, the grizzly hot on his trail.
“You understand if this were an actual solo or team adventuring mission, there would be no easy out, right?” I asked him calmly, remaining aware of the bear's distance from us.
“Yes, yes. I understand!” he cried back, banging his fists on the invisible force field.
Feeling the bear closing in, he turned to face it, his eyes growing wide as the bear drew back his massive claw, aiming to turn Harvey into ribbons. Harvey clenched his eyes shut the moment he saw the sharp claws coming toward him, and in the same moment, I reached through the barrier, grabbing him by the shoulders and pulling him inside.
Before the bear could touch him, Harvey was safely inside the barrier, the beast’s claws scratching harmlessly across the shield just inches from the boy’s face. He fell backward into the dirt, breathing heavily, as he stared up at the beast that, in another moment, would have had his life.
“Your leader, Mr. Crane, has also died. Your numbers are dwindling, team, what will you do?” I announced to the group, awaiting their next move.
“Is everyone alright with me being the leader?” The prince quickly took control of the situation, everyone raising their hand in agreement, following the previous voting instructions.
The vote resulted in a unanimous decision, and Prince Ellis assumed the role again.
“Call back all familiars!” he shouted, Sylvester responding to that order alone, the others regrouping from where they were thrown.
Realizing that he wouldn't make it through the dense barrier, the grizzly gave up his pursuit of Mr. Crane, focusing instead on the remaining students.
“Lucia, do you remember that little trick you showed us during training?” Prince Ellis shouted to her, his eyes never leaving the bear.
She thought back on the events of our mentoring lessons to pinpoint the one that stood out the most. She nodded, preparing her wand for the next order.
“Aim for the ground in front of the bear, and I'll draw its attention to me to make sure it heads straight for that area. Everyone, when it's stuck, blast it with every water attack you've got. Lizzie, you and Sylvester will be our main forces, so be ready,” he told her, knowing that her strength lay in water.
When everyone received their orders, the Prince began waving his arms in front of the bear, the other students making themselves small to ensure the creature's focus went to the prince. The grizzly blew air from its massive snout and went in for the kill, slowly stalking toward its prey before picking up the pace.
Lucia aimed her wand for a few feet in front of the creature's attack path, the consistency of the soil changing rapidly, the once-solid ground quickly becoming a deep mud pit. The beast rushed toward the muddy earth in full force, its limbs sinking into the muck. The mud quickly filled in all gaps around the beast’s legs, trapping it in place.
Lucia took things a step further and solidified the ground around the creature, ensuring that no amount of struggling would allow the grizzly to free itself. Now trapped, the team pummeled the bear with water attacks of varying levels. Sylvester’s, Prince Ellis’ and Lizzie's proved to be the strongest, but Jeremy and Riley manage to hit the beast with enough power to deal a little damage, the combined attack subduing the creature completely.
Prince Ellis delivered the final blow, showing off his skills in water manipulation as he turned his latest spell into an ice spear, aiming for the vitals of the beast. When the enemy was neutralized, I let the barrier fall, allowing the students pulled from the match to rejoin the others.
“Excellent teamwork at the end there,” I told them, heading over to examine the trap Lucia had laid for the grizzly, impressed by her intuitive use of the typically non-combat spell. “Prince Ellis, your use of your team's strengths is what allowed you to defeat this creature even with your smaller numbers. Don't worry, Mr. Crane, this strategy can be learned. Building a relationship with your team is one of the most important aspects that will strengthen your overall leadership skills. Even if you don't apply this information to your current team, you would do well to remember this if you decide to be a team leader in the future.”
Harvey hemmed and hawed over the advice, but he knew I was right, so he kept his comments mostly to himself. After removing the bear from the pit, I instructed the students to begin disassembling the creature, one of the most-important parts being to locate its magical core. I recited the locator spell to refresh their memories, but this time with no magic behind my words, wanting the students to utilize it for themselves.
