Drakonika (Book 1) (34 page)

Magnus and Maren exchanged wordless looks. Except for Aedan, they were the only ones who saw one of the beasts and survived.

“Did you tell the Magi Police about this?” Belinda said after a while, but Aedan merely waved his hand.

“
That's of no use — Xanthar doesn't believe in dragons. As long as he doesn't see them right in front of his nose, he'd consider me crazy,” he said bitterly. “It's strange, but it almost looks as if the dragons were avoiding being seen. And yet, the citizens of Sinei must have seen them. Yes, they weren't always in Ragna. All the evidence suggests that it started right here in this town. That's why people had to run away in such haste, leaving only the Fellowship of the Devoted here, but they didn't resist the attacks much longer either. There was a battle near the old bridge we cross every time we go to Ragna. This battle left the abyssal crack in the ground, as a scar on Mother Nature's face.” At this point, Aedan had to wipe a tear away with his sleeve. “Anyway ... they lost the battle and no one knows for sure if they fled or where they hid. But if they survived, they must crave revenge.” Aedan surveyed the entire chamber with his mystic gaze. It seemed that after his “good-night” story, they were most likely going to have nightmares.

“
But ... where did they come from?” asked a boy near the middle in a terrified voice.

“
I don't know,” Aedan said in a distant tone, remaining in thought himself.

The novices were silent like never before. Should they really believe that something unreal and completely made up had just become reality? They used to hear bed-time stories about dragons ever since they were born! But if watermen existed, why not dragons?

When Magnus noticed that Lars was shaking and almost under the table, he understood the time had come to change the topic. Actually, he had something to say as well — it was now or never.

“
Well,” Magnus started carefully. “Since you have told me your secret, I will also tell you mine...” As soon as he said that, all faces suddenly turned to him.

“
Eh... well, I... I have been...” Magnus stuttered. “I have been invited to engage in the Magiker tournament as a player for Ragna,” he let out finally, then quickly looked at his teacher.

Ther
e was an outbreak of shocked whispering in the chamber. Even Maren and Fjalldís almost forgot to breathe — he told him! Who knows what would happen now ...

Magnus expected Aedan to frown or shout, but his face brightened instead. “This is very good news indeed,” Aedan said merrily, approaching Magnus with a happy smile.

Magnus wasn't sure if he was just dreaming. “Really?” he said blankly.

“
Of course! The druids will finally get a chance to shine before everyone,” Aedan said dreamily, watching the dark ceiling as though it was a charming blue sky. It seemed he wagered on Magnus' victory, just like Maren and Fjalldís. That would normally be quite encouraging, but since he had no idea how to play Magiker, it was merely oppressive.

“
But ... I will have to train for the tournament ... with our Rodrick here,” Magnus said, as he looked at the red fox sprawled lazily on the table in the shadowy corner. The cat was still trying to catch the white hawk.

“
No problem,” Aedan said swiftly. “If he'll turn back, that is...”

“
Oh, I'm sure he will,” Magnus said innocently. Reacting to his words, all the animals transformed back into their human forms in the blink of an eye. All attention was aimed at the Black Squad now.

“
Could you take those dirty paws off my face?” Viktor growled at Rodrick, who instantly jumped off the table to take a seat on the bench. “Thanks,” Viktor said grumpily.

“
Hey guys, that was great,” Giselbert breathed, still excited from the sharp cat senses. “We should do that again someday, I tell you! I really enjoyed chasing that white parrot!” he said, but then his head got hit from behind.

“
That was me, you idiot. And I wasn't a parrot,” Darius shot at him in an affronted tone.

“
You were too!” Rodrick agreed, which angered their leader even more.

The dark corner broke into a fight.

Aedan gave a small sigh. “I am really glad they were able to turn back, but I have to admit that I wouldn't mind if they remained in their animal forms a little longer,” he said in a slightly nostalgic tone.

Although most novices broke into a chuckle, Magnus didn't feel like laughing. There was a hard week ahead of him, but what worried him the most right now was the upcoming evening he was supposed to spend studying with Elmar and Lars.

As night fell over the land, the dark clouds broke into a heavy rain. Magnus and his friends decided to study in his room, since it was the warmest place of their house, located right above the hearth downstairs. Elmar and Lars rushed into the room with such enthusiasm, they left puzzled Magnus, Maren and Fjalldís standing in the doorway. All three of them understood that this was going to be a really long evening.

Soon they were all lying on the blue carpet with their books open. Magnus slumped down across his bed, facing his friends. The room was lit with a few candles on the table by the wall and in candle-holders on the ground. The raindrops were splattering heavily on the window.

“
That's so exciting,” Elmar was saying nearly every five minutes. “Did you know there's a plant that has such poisonous berries that if you eat them you'll be stiff within a few minutes?” he said with a shallow breath.

“
What? Eh ... no,” Maren said in a confused tone and returned back to reading.

“
You won't believe this!” Lars shrieked abruptly, as though he had found something utterly walloping. Everyone gave him a significant look, waiting for the shocking news. “Elmar is right!” Lars said swiftly, revealing his great find to the others.

Magnus rolled his eyes and returned to his book.

“That's so exciting,” Elmar started again. “Did you know there is a plant in Northern Aria that can literally entangle its rods around you and strangle you alive?” He looked up from his book to see the expressions of his friends, but except Lars, they all looked more bored than amazed.

“
Huh? No,” Fjalldís said in a distant voice.

When they thought that Lars and Elmar had finally understood that nobody was interested in their great discoveries, their studying was interrupted again.

“Woooow ... did you know there are horses that can fly?” Lars said merrily and Elmar spoke straight after him.

“
And did you know there are also flying –”

“
NO,” Magnus cut them off harshly and giving them a highly annoyed look, he sat upright on his bed. “And did you know that if I have to listen to your boring comments a few minutes longer I'll definitely go insane? I'm trying to study, in case you haven't noticed,” he snarled glumly.

His four friends gazed back at him in long silence. How did he suddenly come to such anger? But there was not enough time to think about it.

“M-Magnus ...” Lars stuttered fearfully, “I ... I think there's a snake under your bed!”

At these words, Magnus' eyes popped open. He carefully leaned over his bed and peeked underneath. There was a row of dark scales right beneath the opposite side of his bed, slithering in the dim candlelight. It wasn't only Lars' imagination!

The girls gave a terrified shriek, but Lars and Elmar didn't stay behind. They crawled away from the bed, screaming, “AAAAAH! It's a giant snake!”

Hearing the racket they made, Magnus was thinking frantically how to calm them down. If they continued screaming like this, the neighbouring novices would complain to Aedan and he could forbid them from making group meetings in their homes. “Shhhh ... easy ... relax …” Magnus whispered quickly, with a finger on his lips.

Maren and Fjalldís stopped shouting. There was the sound of clacking teeth behind them, as Lars and Elmar were holding each other tightly, staring at Magnus and then the horrifying snake under his bed.

“
Maren, you didn't scream like this even when we met that dragon in Ragna,” Magnus said calmly, but it had the opposite effect on his friends.

“
What? You have seen one of those bloodthirsty dragons? And you survived?” said Elmar together with Lars, as though they were twins. In the next second, they exchanged another frightened glance, took a deep breath and broke into more screams.

Magnus struggled not to cover his ears. “Look
— when Serena turned into a snake, you didn't panic like this,” he said, hoping to ease their mind.

Maren let out a fake laugh. “Eh ...
hello
! This is a
little
bigger
than Serena's snake form, don't you think? It's huge! You've seen it yourself!” she yelled desperately in an attempt to wake Magnus up to reality. How could he have been so calm? There was a large — and maybe even deadly — snake under his own bed!

Magnus understood there was only one thing left to do. “Look ... take it easy ... it's not a snake,” he said and leaned closer to them. It appeared he wanted to say something, but he hesitated. After a long pause, he said, “It's ... it's my tail.” As if responding to his words, the long black “snake” coiled out from under his bed.

There was a fleeting moment of silence. His four friends looked at the pointy tip, across the serpentine body and ... Magnus was right! It was coming from under his cloak!

“
Aaaaaah!” Elmar and Lars shouted even more. Actually, they yelled like never before. They were about to take a quick run, but in the panic they bumped into each other and fell down like two rotten pears. Finally they went quiet.

Maren and Fjalldís gazed at Magnus in shock. Was this even possible? They had an unquestionable proof in front of their eyes, yet they couldn't believe it!

“Magnus... what
are
you?” whispered Fjalldís' horrified voice.

“
Well, I... I don't know!” Magnus bellowed desperately. “I don't know what I am, I don't know where I came from, I don't even know why I'm here! I still don't remember
anything
, no matter how hard I try!”

It seemed that his words made his friends calm down and think.

“So... that's why you wear the cloak,” Maren said as she stared at him in surprise.

“
So... that means you're not a druid at all!” Fjalldís exclaimed in scandalised tones.

“
Well ... no ... I just use it to hide the tail,” Magnus said, sounding guilty.

“
And that's why we found the scales in your bed!” Maren said.

Magnus nodded wordlessly.

“And what about the shape-shifting lesson? I don't suppose Darius' gang would become druids all of a sudden,” Maren said in a highly doubtful tone.

“
No ... it was a spell. From the black tome,” Magnus said quietly.

Maren took a deep breath. “I knew it. You think it was very smart to change them back immediately after assuring Aedan they would turn back to their human form?” she chided, watching Magnus lower his head in shame.

“I guess not ...” he mumbled.

“
Magnus! How could you hide something like that from
me
? I thought I was your –” Maren said angrily, but she paused. She seemed to be struggling to say her next words aloud.  “Your best friend!” she said finally.

“
You
are
my best friend!” Magnus said swiftly, in an attempt to put things back to normal. “I don't understand anything, I don't know what's going on! I didn't tell you about it because I though you would be afraid and that you would stay away from me.”

Maren turned away and looked into the corner, folding her arms on her chest. “Such nonsense! You know that I like everything unusual. The true reason why you didn't tell me was because you were afraid I would tell on you,” she said, sounding nettled, and shot him a fierce look.

“Well ... All right, yes, you are right. I'm sorry,” Magnus said in a defeated tone. As Maren mouthed again, Fjalldís interrupted her.

“
Come on, stop it you two. Magnus, don't worry. We're friends and friends always stick together, right? Whatever happens, no one and nothing can part us, only death,” she announced. “Let's make an oath.” Upon these words, she brought her arms to the level of her chest, with her hands turned upwards. Without hesitation, Magnus climbed down from the bed with his tail following him, and along with Maren he held up his arms. All three of them held their hands in a circle, their faces lit with the candlelight.

With the rain hitting against the windows, Fjalldís said in a mystic voice, “Till death parts us.”

“Till death parts us,” Magnus repeated with a devoted look on his face.

There was a quiet moaning coming from the dim part of the room behind them. It was Lars and Elmar, slowly coming to their senses.

Maren loitered for a moment, taking a deep breath. She looked at Fjalldís with a little uncertainty, but when she looked at Magnus, she finally nodded, “Till death parts us.”