Drakonika (Book 1) (49 page)

“Justice,” said an old man's voice and Xanthar wheeled around immediately, the novices seemed to be holding their breath.

They could see only a dark figure standing next to Zimbadur, apparently dressed in robes that of mages, his long hair slightly dishevelled. “Is it not the attribute that should be your priority, Xanthar?” Said the old man courteously and, as he drew closer, hope revived in the children's faces again. Valezar!

“What do
you
want here?” Xanthar grunted. There was a note of scornfulness in his voice, but he was undoubtedly surprised.

Valezar gave a small sigh. “We have known each other for so long, and yet all you say every time we meet is merely: what do you want here.” As he said that, he thought could hear Xanthar's teeth creak. “I am here to set things right. Our young lad here, Magnus, did cast two spells here just a moment ago. But, correct me if I am wrong; I have heard that you punish novices for casting spells by giving them black points in their files. Would you be so unjust as to punish the others by merely giving them a black point, while you would arrest this boy for casting two simple spells?” He said evenly and fastened his gaze on the general.

Although it was quite dark, everyone could see the colour drenching from Xanthar's face. How did this outcast of the mages guild learn that he gave black points to two of Aedan's novices? The kids had heard it now, Zimbadur heard it, and probably some of his policemen outside heard it; the whole town would learn shortly that the terrifying general of magi police punishes children for spell casting by giving them silly black points that even school kids receive from their teachers at class! How could Valezar say it aloud in front of all these people? The nerve of him! Besides, just as the black points matter would spread all over the town, people would learn about his injustice if he did arrest Magnus for casting those spells. Valezar was a calm and silent old man, but also a cunning and witty old mage.

Xanthar took a deep breath and closed his eyes as he uttered the following words. “All right. He gets... two black points,” he fizzled through his teeth clenched tight, as he always did when he was angry, but cornered. Saying this, he immediately departed out to the square, walking by Zimbadur and Valezar without giving them a single look.

As Magnus breathed out, he swayed, as if a heavy rock had been cut loose from his heart. His friends had to support him from both sides so that he would not fall down. He muttered something under his nose, what Maren thought was “thank heavens for Valezar”.

Zimbadur could not help letting out a tart comment and giving a good laugh. “Oh my goodness, Xanthar... do you really punish children by writing black marks to their files?” He scoffed, but heard no answer.

“Xanthar... I think you are forgetting something...” Valezar said calmly, but his voice carried to the general's ears quite clearly, because they made him stop.

“
WHAT?” He growled glumly, the gazes of his policemen fixed on him as they awaited his command.

Valezar and Zimbadur came closer, and in a short while, Xanthar had found himself between the two men that he probably hated the most from the whole town. “By casting those two spells, Magnus has released Ragna from the haunting of dopplegangers. He is a hero.” Valezar said, audibly enough for everyone around to hear him.

Those words screeched annoyingly in Xanthar's ears. The criminal he was after had suddenly become- what... a HERO?!

“
You know what you should do now, don't you?” Zimbadur said pointedly, tilting his black obsidian staff closer to Xanthar's face, as though he wanted to revive his memory.

Xanthar gave him a deadly hateful look. But such were the rules; courageous and strong men were always hard to find, therefore a new hero should always be announced and presented to the whole town, no matter what the time was. And shortly, a few of his policemen were roaming the streets on horses, announcing Magnus' great victory. “Hear ye, hear ye! Magnus Il'idiel had defeated the Ragnan monsters! No longer we have to be afraid of the nights! Hear ye, hear ye! Magnus is our hero!” They shouted, their horse's galloping clacking on the pavement.

It took only a few minutes and window after window flew open, people curiously peeking out of their candlelit homes. What they heard appeared to be true; there were no monsters outside, only horsemen, two mages and five children walking  the streets undauntedly. As a few curious citizens came out of their houses, more and more had joined them. Shortly, They all marched together, dressed only in their night robes and despite the cold air, they were chortling happily in the moonlight, praising and calling Magnus' name over and over again.

Although Magnus had heard it at least a couple hundred times that evening, he still could not believe he was a hero. A hero just like from the stories and fairy tales told from generation to generation, except for one thing; he was real.

Maren felt happier than ever before. She had never walk the Ragnan streets at night knowing that no monsters would attack her. She kept looking around to see her friends smiling, took Magnus and Lars by hand, who took Fjalldís and Elmar by hand, and they were marching up the lanes together, accompanied by Zimbadur who carried the black tome and Valezar who was flooded with such cheer and joy he had not feel for long years.

Suddenly, Maren froze, looking dazed, which made her friends to stop as well and see where she was gazing. The others had no idea, but Magnus knew... as soon as he caught sight of a fair woman around her thirties, dressed in cheap but clean long dress with a wide black skirt, walking straight towards them; he knew... It was Mrs Samai, Maren's mother.

In less than five seconds, Mrs Samai crouched down and Maren dashed into her embrace. Magnus could see tears rolling down her mother's face and, was very surprised to see her smile broadly, as he was expecting some grumpy chiding and detention from her.

“
Mum, Magnus has defeated the Ragnan monsters... all alone!” Maren said in an ecstatic tone, when she looked into her mother's wet face.

Mrs Samai cast Magnus an indifferent glance and reached her hand forwards to imply he should come closer.

Magnus looked around at his friends, looking slightly scared, then together with Fjalldís, Lars and Elmar he bashfully made a few steps forward. As soon as they reached Maren and her mother, Mrs Samai outstretched her arms and embraced all five of them as though they were her own children and started kissing them into the hair, smiling happily again. “I'm so proud of you, kids!” She said through her tears, but then she gave them a sudden rigid look. “But you do realize it was very dangerous, I hope...?” And she smiled again.

Magnus could not believe it was the same person he had met on his first days in Ragna. It seemed that nobody could resist the mirth and joy of this event, except for Xanthar, who was observing them spitefully from distance.

None of the five novices had ever received so much love in such a short time. Namely for Magnus, Fjalldís, Elmar and Lars, who never knew their real parents, it felt that way.

“
Eh-ehm...” Valezar gave a slight cough to remind them of his presence, while people of all ages were passing by, smiling at Magnus and laughing with cheer, some of them dancing in the cool night air or watching the stars above them in awe.

“
Oh... Sorry... Mum, this is Valezar...” Maren said, and at these words her mother stood up to shake hands with the old mage with an extremely long white beard. Apparently, his mage background did not seem to be a problem at this wonderful night; not even to Maren's mum. “He is a good friend of ours.”

“
I am very pleased to meet you, sir Valezar.” Said Mrs Samai delightedly.

“
The pleasure is mine,” said Valezar, smiling at her and shaking her hand with such vigour that Magnus had never seen him move his arm so fast.

“
And this is Zimbadur, the guild master of the mages guild, he is our friend as well...-” said Maren's voice again. She opened her mouth to introduce her mother to Zim as well, but there was no need; they were already shaking hands; and they enjoyed it quite a bit, as it seemed.

“
I am... Mrs Samai, Maren's mother... I am... pleased to make your acquaintance...” She said a little shyly, and Magnus could see her face turning red.

Zimbadur gave her a charming smile. “Pleased to make your acquaintance, my lady...” He said courteously and raised her hand slightly to kiss her, giving a small bow and gazing mysteriously into her face from below the flood of his raven black hair. Mrs Samai darted her eyes downwards.

Maren let out a giggle, while Elmar and Lars had no idea what he was doing. They had never seen anyone greeting another person like that. For a moment there, they felt like aliens on a distant planet.

Seeing Zimbadur kissing Mrs Samai's hand reminded Fjalldís of Reinhart kissing hers before the Magiker tournament, and that reminded her of Darius, who was taken away the very same night. She looked back on the watch tower of magi police in distance; considering that Xanthar had been with them all this time, she reckoned Darius was watching others dancing in the streets merrily from one of the tower's windows... all alone.

Magnus tugged on Valezar's wide sleeve when he realized that his white hair had been exposed since he appeared in the clock tower's entrance. “Valezar, where's your hat?” He whispered curiously.

Valezar leaned to him, hoping his back would not cause any problems. “Hm...? Oh...” He said, seemingly thinking, then understanding the question finally. “I think I must have left it somewhere,” he smiled through his beard, sweeping dust from his lightly burned robe.

Magnus felt slightly puzzled, but he didn't find any words to contradict that. Although, somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew that Valezar was keeping secrets; again.

The celebrations continued all next day. Very few people were working; most of them were spending time with their families and friends. To Xanthar's fury, this day had also become a Ragnan holiday, as so many citizens requested it. And Magnus was spending it like most of them; with his friends, who were also his family.

To Magnus' astonishment, he was allowed to stay with Maren and her mother overnight, although it was hard to keep his cloak on all the time. He had to make up a lot of excuses and stories that would reason his clothes. Mr. Samai seemed to finally accept him as a good and pious boy, because she spent the evening by playing board games with them and talking about every detail that she had observed in Ragna while Maren was gone. There was a little stressful issue about the school in the nature”, for which Maren had to make up more lies. During the whole evening, not a single word about her father was spoken, though.

Fjalldís, Elmar and Lars had spent the night in Valezar's windowless house. All five novices along with Zimbadur had met up in Valezar's home the following afternoon. When Magnus and Maren came in, their friends were already sitting at the table, chewing on the tasty gingerbread from Valezar. They could hear insolent screeching every now and then. Zimbadur was leaning to the cupboards by the wall, drinking tea.

“
It is a pleasure to greet you all here in my house,” Valezar said, as Magnus and Maren joined their friends at the table.

Magnus wondered why had Zimbadur come as well, but his question was answered shortly.

“I have taken the book back into the guild library,” said Zim, gazing into the cup of tea, then looked up and fixed his eyes on Magnus. “I think it will be safer if we just leave it there. And you should hide that key - and hide it well... I am sure Xanthar knew it was something special and if he finds out it had disappeared from his office and
you
have it,” he stressed, “he will think you have stolen it. And there is no black point that could save you from the punishment of robbery.” He said, sounding a bit more seriously than usual.

Magnus and his friends fell silent, looking at each other wordlessly.

“The boy who stole it is gone and there is no evidence that it was not you who took it. Do you understand?” Zimbadur said insistingly.

“
Y-yes... I understand... I'll hide it...” Magnus said a little uncertainly, as he had never heard Zimbadur talking in such tone.

Zim's face cleared. “Good...” He smiled, then went on with his tea. “I will keep the book out of sight.”

Valezar nodded in agreement. “Zimbadur is right. There have been enough oddities about you already, and you better keep your dragon origin in secrecy. I am afraid that would set off a real avalanche upon your head.” He said in a concerned voice.

Magnus remained silent, and so did the others; but then, a green winged lizard with long tail had had emerged at the table's end by the wall, stretching among the plates of gingerbread and cups of tea on the table. “Did someone utter the word
dragon
?” He said and yawned contentedly.

Magnus froze. “Doppleganger!” He shrieked, but was stopped before he could grab the dragon's neck.

“No, Magnus, he is not a doppleganger... he is a real dragon.” Valezar said calmly.

There was a moment of silence again. Now that Magnus came to think of it, Valezar's word made sense. Why would one of the dopplegangers stay while all others had left? But he could not help saying one thing...

Magnus fastened a suspicious gaze on Valezar. “And how do I know that
you
are not a doppleganger? You seem like one to me...” He said, a note of amusement in his voice.