Rebels: An Epic Fantasy Gamelit Adventure (Darkthorn Academy Book 5) Read online

  “Not cinnamon,” Kissalin answered.

  “What?”

  Haldol picked up one of the buns and took a sniff. “Good god, that’s not cinnamon! Someone’s been messing with my kitchen!” He stood up and crashed into the back room. Jack and Kissalin could hear him yelling at whoever was in the back.

  Jack and Kissalin sat staring at each other and then laughed. It wouldn’t be unusual for dwarves to play tricks on each other. Whoever was responsible should expect retaliation. Haldol came back out with a plate of chocolate muffins. He grabbed the plate of rolls and threw it in the garbage.

  “The bugger denies it, but I don’t believe him. This has been going on too often, I might have to find myself a new helper,” Haldol fumed.

  Jack and Kissalin bit into the muffin and were relieved that it tasted good. They complimented Haldol while they happily munched.

  “I’m done here. Let’s go see Nina. I imagine that Chef of yours has sent a list?” Haldol asked as he stood up from the table.

  “Just raspberry root,” Jack replied.

  “Raspberry root? You can’t feed an army on herbs, we will have to go hunting for fresh meat,” Haldol said as he gestured for them to exit the shop.

  “We aren’t feeding an army, just supplementing what we can’t grow in Kusharna,” Jack said, confused. His father seemed to be off. He was striding in the opposite direction of his home.

  “Where are you going Haldol?” Kissalin asked as she took a few big steps to catch up to his long stride.

  “Huh? Where do you think I’m going?”

  Kissalin put a hand on his arm. “Your home is on the other side of the village.”

  Haldol pushed her hand off. “I know that. Dammit. I just need to stretch my legs, you’re as bad as Cynthia, always on my case about something.”

  Kissalin raised her eyebrows in alarm at Jack. Cynthia was Jack’s mother and had been dead for a long time. Jack got an uneasy feeling in his stomach and scanned his father’s health. His stats seemed good, but his health was lower than expected. Jack sent a wave of healing energy his way, but his health didn’t rise. He tried again and got the same result. Jack racked his brain for reasons why. He mulled it over as Haldol led them around the village in an erratic pattern. Kissalin looked more and more concerned as they walked. Haldol ranged from lucid and enthusiastic to confused and angry.

  “Let’s go this way,” Kissalin encouraged as they neared the path to Haldol’s home. Both Jack and Kissalin sighed with relief as Haldol agreed. Nina was working in the garden as they approached. She looked strained and then relieved when she saw Kissalin and Jack.

  “Jack and Kissalin, what a welcome surprise!” she called out as they drew nearer.

  “Thank you,” Kissalin answered as she opened the garden gate. “I’m about ready for a cup of tea. Can I help you inside?”

  “Sure,” Nina responded as she gave Haldol a peck on the cheek and hugged Jack. “You two catch up while we get the tea.”

  Kissalin looked over her shoulder at Jack and gave him a nod. Jack knew she would question Nina about Haldol’s health and behavior while he was out of earshot. Jack planned to do the same, carefully.

  Haldol climbed the steps to the house and sat in the chair usually reserved for guests. Jack took the one next to him and waited for his father to speak.

  “I must be getting old. I can’t remember why you’re here,” he finally said.

  “I wanted to visit with you. I brought a few things I thought you might like. Gifts from the Ancient Lands for you and Nina,” Jack paused. He pulled out the gifts and placed them on the table. His father looked at them as if he was trying to decide what they were for. Not wanting to upset him, Jack changed the subject. “Do you have any new information on the Quarnon?”

  “Quarnon? Those bastards have been too quiet, mark my words, they will be spreading their poison in every corner of the empire,” Haldol said with venom.

  Jack nodded his agreement. “Yes. We have been printing posters warning the public about their intentions.”

  “Good. We’ve come too far in our relations with the orcs and humans to let a few zealots ruin it.”

  Jack was relieved that Haldol was able to remember and articulate current events. Jack let a breath out in relief.

  “I must be getting old, I can’t remember why you’re here,” Haldol said with a laugh as he leaned forward.

  Jack swallowed and was trying to decide what to say when Kissalin and Nina arrived with tea. He leaned back and tried to discern what Kissalin had learned by looking at her expression and body language. Nina complimented the gifts and thanked Jack for his thoughtfulness. As she poured the tea and set out some snacks, Kissalin messaged Jack.

  He has been getting progressively worse the last week. She has been giving him herbs for cognition and memory with no luck. She hopes you can help. She is sorry she didn’t message you.

  Jack caught Nina’s eye and gave her a reassuring smile. He didn’t know how to help, but he would figure it out. He didn’t want to see his father like this. They hadn’t had enough time together. Nina and Kissalin kept the conversation neutral and lighthearted. They finished the tea. Kissalin stood up.

  “If you don’t mind. I would like to take Jack to meet my friends. Should we meet you back here for dinner?”

  “Perfect, I’ll find the raspberry root for Chef Ramsey,” Nina said as she gathered the cups and plates.

  “See you youngsters later then,” Haldol said as he waved them off.

  Kissalin walked beside Jack down the path. “What do you think it is? Can you heal it?”

  Jack slowed his walk. “I tried. His health didn’t go up. I’m going to message Lana and Talia and get them to do some research.”

  Jack and Kissalin spent the remainder of the afternoon visiting the dwarves of Pine Grove and catching up on the politics of the region. Many expressed their concern over Haldol’s condition to Jack. He assured them that he would do everything he could to figure it out.

  “Time to head back for dinner,” Kissalin said as they left her parent’s house.

  Jack was about to agree when he received a message from Lana.

  Jack, we consulted with the Professors and had a thorough look through our library resources. I couldn’t find anything that seemed appropriate. However, Rhonda suggested you try the spell I have attached. She said it may help ease the symptoms. Spoiler Alert: No one has had high enough mana to test it.

  Jack memorized the spell. He cringed when he saw the amount of mana it required. He would try it tonight. He would need a fair amount of recovery time to meditate and ingest potions to restore his mana, but it would be worth it to see his father improve.

  Jack was walking beside Kissalin when he received another message. It was from Mitari on the Isle of Maga. He had left him with one of their message bars in case they ever needed to contact him.

  Jack, we have completed all repairs to our city. We will be holding an important ceremony to honor our dead and to celebrate the return to our splendid home. Maustafa has insisted that you and your team be here. Please return to the Isle of Maga within the next two days, we have many preparations to attend to.

  With Gratitude, Mitari

  Jack turned to Kissalin. “Looks like we’re going back to the Isle of Maga.”

  “Really? When? Is there a problem?”

  Jack laughed, “No, for once we don’t have a problem to fix or something to fight. The Minotaurs want us there for their celebration.”

  “Nice! What about your father?”

  Jack’s smile faded. “Rhonda sent a spell to ease the symptoms. I’ll try it tonight. It takes almost all my mana. I’ll need time and potions to restore it.”

  Kissalin raised her eyebrows, “Wow, I hope it works.”

  “Me too.”

  After dinner, Haldol fell asleep in his chair. It was uncharacteristic of him, but Jack was grateful. He didn’t want to try and explain to his father what he was doing and why. He imagi
ned the retired warrior would be resistant. Jack checked his mana pool and confirmed that he could perform the spell.

  It was a lot for Jack, the mana drained from his body as he recanted the words and he immediately felt sick and weak. He dropped to the floor gasping. Kissalin and Nina looked concerned but were quick to bring several mana potions to his lips. They helped, but his interface was still warning of mana depletion. Jack fell asleep propped up beside his father’s chair. He didn’t have the strength, or mana, to check his father’s stats.

  When Jack woke, Haldol was snoring lightly and Kissalin was meditating. Jack could hear Nina working in the kitchen. He propped himself up, swallowed another mana potion and slipped into a deep meditation.

  When Jack eased his way out of meditation, Kissalin and Haldol were gone, and Nina was sitting in the chair across from him sewing. She looked up when she heard him shift his seat.

  “How are you?”

  Jack stretched his legs and checked his stats; he was almost back to full mana and health. “I’m good, thank you. How is he?”

  “He woke up long enough to get to his bed. I think we wait to see what the morning brings.”

  Jack pushed himself off the floor and put a hand on her shoulder. “You’re not alone with this; he will get better. I promise.” Jack watched tears of relief spring to her eyes.

  “Thank you, Jack. I made up Elon’s bed for you. Sleep well.”

  The next morning Haldol was revived, and Jack was relieved to see he was back to full health. Jack, Kissalin and Nina didn’t notice any memory lapses or strange behavior. With his father better, Jack told Nina that he would have to return to Kusharna. He had projects to oversee before returning to the Isle of Maga. Jack gave Nina a message bar and told her to message him immediately if his father’s symptoms returned. It had been a short visit, but Kissalin and Jack felt that the information they had gathered was enough. They said their good-byes and returned home.

  2

  Elon

  Elon stabbed the pitchfork into the muck and then tossed it out the stable door into the wheelbarrow. He always woke early to look after the animals before heading to his classes. He’d been cleaning the stalls before sunrise and was almost finished. He glanced up to look out towards the inn. He could always tell what time it was by who was coming or going from the communal kitchen. Professor Cyr was teaching his first class this morning. He was waiting until she made her way from the inn to the building the residents of Kusharna had converted into a school. His stomach rumbled, and he cursed under his breath. He had forgotten to factor in time for a quick wash and breakfast.

  Elon tossed the last few piles of muck into the wheelbarrow and grabbed the handles. He ran it over to the area he made compost and dumped it onto the ‘new’ manure pile. He went to the water trough, pushing the oxen out of the way so he could clean his hands and arms. He kept a small square of soap pushed into the fence and pulled it out to lather his hair and face. He was always getting teased about smelling like the animals and he didn’t want to hear any of it again today. After rinsing out the soap, he shook his head to dry his hair and beard, pulled on the clean tunic he had in his bag of holding and jogged to the back door of the inn.

  Chef Ramsey locked up when Elon barged into the back of the kitchen. “You’re going to be late, she left five minutes ago,” he warned.

  “I can make it.” Elon smiled good naturedly as he grabbed a fresh muffin and ran back out the door. He could hear Chef Ramsey muttering something about bacon as he left.

  Elon jogged and ate as he made his way through the settlement to the school. Healing classes were held on the first-floor rooms, and he had a good chance of slipping into the back seats unnoticed. He brushed off his fingers and wiped his mouth as he skidded to a stop in front of the door. He pushed open the door. Professor Cyr had just stood up to hand out the last written tests.

  “Nice of you to join us, Elon. How are the beasts?” Professor Cyr said as she strode down the row of desks, handing out papers.

  “Good! The quail eggs have hatched and the Armittilas have shed their skins,” Elon said with a proud grin. “Sorry I’m late.”

  The other students snickered.

  “I’m the one who is sorry. I can see your hair is wet and you made an effort, but did you think to clean or change your boots?” the pretty human girl holding her nose asked from the next aisle.

  Elon looked down at his feet. She was right. The muck from the stables was stuck up as high as his ankles and his leggings were covered in shavings. He glanced up at Professor Cyr as she came alongside him. She glanced down to look at his feet.

  “You have ten minutes to clean up and get back into your seat and then you can explain the results of your exam,” Professor Cyr said as she put his paper in front of him.

  Elon glanced down and did a fist pump; it was his best grade yet. He bolted out the back door and ran as fast as he could to his room in the stable. He washed and changed in record time and ran back to the classroom. Professor Cyr had given everyone ten minutes to review their exams and ask questions about the ones they hadn’t understood.

  “Alright, everyone, settle down. Elon, you were the only one to correctly answer the bonus question. Can you please walk us through your answer?”

  Elon smiled. “Sure. Healing is amplified, regardless of mana, if the recipient of the healing has a strong will to live or to heal themselves. If the recipient has lost the will to heal or live, no amount of mana will be enough to overcome a fatal injury.”

  Professor Cyr nodded. “Correct. To test this theory, please partner up. Take turns experimenting with resisting the healing spell your partner is trying to give you.”

  As everyone in the room began scrambling to find partners, Professor Cyr came over to Elon. “Great work on your exam and thanks for changing your boots.”

  Elon blushed as he replied, “Thank you. Time with the animals has taught me a lot about healing. I’ve seen some incredible things.”

  “Yes, I imagine you have. Animals are good teachers,”

  “Just yesterday I thought I would lose a horned hippo; she was really struggling to give birth. The baby was bigger than usual but her will to live and care for the baby was strong. Both are doing well today,” Elon explained.

  “Do you use magic to heal the animals?” Professor Cyr asked as she tipped her head to the side.

  Elon shuffled in his seat. “Sometimes to ease their pain, but I think it’s better to let nature take its course.”

  Professor Cyr placed a hand on his shoulder. “Keep up the good work.”

  Elon spent the rest of the class listening attentively and practicing his skills. He knew he would never be a healer like Jack, but basic spells were essential for survival in the Ancient Lands and helpful for any warrior or beast-master.

  When healing class was over, Elon joined his fellow students on the training grounds for Instructor Brazee’s weapons training. Elon was excited. Today would be the first day that he would be tested with his weapon. Previously, they had done partner sparring, and endless rounds of practice, but now he would be put up against a strong opponent and graded on his ability to use his chosen weapon.

  He had surprised everyone when he abandoned his heavy dwarf ax and chose a war fork – a variation of a spear. It had two tips like a pitchfork, was light and fast and was sharpened so it could be used as a chopping weapon, thrusting, or stabbing. With practice Elon had developed his ability to also use it for defense and throwing. He was looking forward to seeing who Instructor Brazee had paired him with.

  Elon walked confidently into the group of students and waved to Stann, who was talking with Instructor Brazee. Stann acknowledged his wave with a curt nod of his head. Elon frowned. It wasn’t like Stann to be standoffish. He put on his armor and began his warm up sequence. Within a few minutes he had forgotten about Stann and was able to settle into the rhythm of the movements. He was happy to work on his mana circulation, like Jack and Stann, he found it highly e
ffective and calming before fighting.

  When the whistle blew, Elon was ready. The students lined up to face their instructor. Stann stood to the side with his hands on his hips, towering over them with a menacing stare.

  “Today you will be evaluated. You have been given instructions to choose the weapon you’re the most skilled and confident in. I have made a sheet of pairings and the order you will fight. Find your partner and begin preparations, you may want to change your weapon based on your pairing.” Instructor Brazee turned away as the students made their way over to the tree that had the list. Elon strained to look for his name.

  “Geez, Elon, what did you do to deserve that?” Chael asked as he pointed to the list. Elon stared. It couldn’t be right. Instructor Brazee had him paired with Stann. Everyone else had been paired with another student. He swallowed. Stann had only recently returned from fighting in Mosh Dagh. He had beaten their strongest warriors. Stann was no joke. Not to mention, he was huge and made the best weapons. Elon didn’t stand a chance. His heart raced as he met Chael’s eyes.

  “I don’t know. I guess I’m lucky?” Elon said nervously.

  Chael slapped him on the back. “It will be a great learning experience. Assuming you live.” Chael laughed.

  Elon knew he was just joking but battles can be unpredictable. He walked back to the arena. He was up first. Stann had been warming up while Elon and the other students checked the list. Elon took a deep breath and entered the roped off area.

  “Elon, you were selected to go first and will fight Stann. It’s a rare opportunity for you to show me what you and your weapon can do against an opponent that is bigger than you. First cut or knee wins.”

  Elon was tempted to drop to his knee now and save himself the embarrassment, but instead, he dug his heels in and hoisted his weapon. Stann had chosen one of his old war axes. Elon was thankful that he wouldn’t have to worry about trying to compete with Stann’s new weapons, until he had one of his own.

  Elon waited for Stann’s first strike. It didn’t come. Elon saw Stann resist a laugh as they both stood poised and ready, neither willing to break. Elon lifted one side of his mouth and then took a quick stab at Stann’s torso. His aim was true and if Stann had not jumped back, the tine of his weapon would have slid neatly between the folds of Stann’s armor. This time Stann did smile. The next instant, he was coming at Elon with a flurry of attacks. Elon met each of them with a quick adjustment with his fork. He knew he would run out of room and would have to take the offensive soon. Instead of waiting for the natural break in the attack, Elon ducked and tried to slice the back of Stann’s calf as he pivoted around Stann’s big body. Stann reacted quickly and jumped the weapon, landing in a position that gave him the upper hand again and pushed Elon across the arena in the opposite direction. Stann was fast but his weapon was heavier, Elon met them with all his power and managed to defend himself, using angles and deflecting the more powerful Stann’s attacks instead of trying to match his power.