Hunter's Academy (Veller) (33 page)

-In here.-

He said, and as she crouched down to take a look, Vesper took his place on her shoulder. Inside the log were about six or seven large rats huddled in the corner. One of the rats came forward, a rather mangy looking black one, and she could understand why Vesper took offense at being called a rat.

“Are you guys alright?” She asked.

-Fine… Safe… Home gone.-

He said and she watched as Eric set fire to each of the rooms with a simple touch of his hand. He was
definitely getting more powerful with his edge.

“I’m sorry about what happened to your home.”

-Safe… Most.-

That was a vision she did not want to see, but it came to her anyway as the rat showed her the fire spreading so rapidly that not all of his kin had escaped.

“I know I have no reason to ask this, but can you help me?”

-What
?-

The rats didn’t appear to hold any grudges against the vir or even Eric for that matter, They didn’t’ appear to be as  affected by the death of so many of their own as she would have thought, but what Gorum had told her, so long ago, se
emed to make sense now. It was simply the cycle of nature. Life, death and life, it couldn’t be stopped therefore it had to be accepted. They sought no sympathy, the sought no revenge, they just carried on.

“People put boxes in your home?”

-Yes… sun… boxes.-

In those words she saw the boxes, seven of them line out on a table, somewhere in the kitchen areas. They were smaller th
an what she had figured and were made of gold that reflected the morning sun. She could see why the rats had called them sun boxes.  Eric had opened one and retrieved what looked like a small blue sphere. He tried to open the others but couldn’t, he tried to take the boxes but couldn’t, he tried to burn them, but couldn’t. Determined son of a lord wasn’t he, she thought.

“Please, tell me where those sun boxes are...
or were”

The mangy looking black rat didn’t so much
as speak this time, but took her through the pathways of the house, down through the walls and out into the kitchen. This was his path from his home to those boxes, and although she knew they would never get Murphy to fit between the walls, it was enough information.

“Thank you.” She said as she got to her feet. She felt bad for not having anything to give the rats for their help, but they didn’t appear to want anything. They gave the information because they had the information, why couldn’t the vir learn from the natural
world.

She ran back to the clearing where Daniel met her half way.

“The other groups think that this is some kind of scam.” He told her as he walked along side her.

“Are you kidding?” She asked. Were they really that suspicious that they couldn’t trust anyone?

“Okay. I’ll try to talk to them.” She said as she walked over to Murphy. He was already trying to calm himself down for whatever edge he was planning to use, and it didn’t help with Carter standing behind him with his hand upon his sword.

“Okay.” She said as she got Murphy’s attention. “
You're going to go through the front door, keep to the left since the basement does extend into that area of the house, we don’t want you falling through the floor. Pass the stairs you’ll find the kitchen. On the kitchen table were seven boxes, although I don’t suppose the table is still there. One of the boxes should already be open or gone or whatever happens when the contents it removed. One of those boxes is ours.”

“I got it.” Murphy nodded.

“Okay, wait here. Alex, come with me.”

Alex was the least intimidating member of their group, or the entire academy for that matter. If they couldn’t trust her, they had to trust him.

“You think this is going to work.” He asked her.

“I have no idea.” She replied.

She walked across the opening to where the other cadets were now standing with a respectable distance between them. These cadets use to sit side by side in the dinning hall without argument, place them into groups and they become mortal enemies. Why couldn’t they be more like the rats?

“Look, we have a plan.”
She said as she got closer. “Murphy has a way of getting into the farm house, he’s going to get our item from one of the boxes, he can get yours as well.”

“
And why should we trust you?”

“What’s that suppose to mean?” Alex said stepping forward. “Kile is the only cadet at the academy you can trust. She’s never been mean to anyone, she’s never stolen anything, she’s would never hurt anyone or get anyone in trouble.”

“I think that's enough Alex.” She said, pulling the small boy back. Maybe he wasn’t the best choice to come along.

“I trust
her.” One kid said from the back of the group as he pushed his way forward. “Mark, give her the key.”

“Are you serious Keith?” Mark said, as his hand gripped tighter on his pouch where he must be keeping it.

“Yeah, I’m serious. We don’t know how to get our…whatever it is out of there. If Kile does, I’m willing to take a chance.”

It was Keith Larks, the only other hunter to survive the first survival exercise and the boy she had forced off his horse. She was a bit surprised that he, out of all of them, would take her side.

“What’s your plan?” He asked as he took the key from Mark and handed it to her without hesitation.

“We have a member in our group that can withstand the fire, although we don’t know for how long. Hopefully it will be long enough that he can get to the chest, get the items, and get
out.”

“
That's a long hope.” Keith replied. “But we have nothing.” He looked at the other group who were still arguing among themselves.

“How does he know where in the house the boxes are?” On
e cadet asked.

“Because Kile told him.” Alex shot back.

“Then how does she know where the boxes are?”

“The point is I do.” She said, now it was her turn to get annoyed. “I’m not forcing this help on you, I’m offering it. If you don’t want to take it… don’t. I don’t care.” She said as she turned and started to head back.

“Come on Robby, what do you have to loose?” She heard Keith ask.

“This contest.” Was his reply.

She stopped.

“This isn’t a contest.” She said as she turned around. “What do you think you’re going to win, a paid vacation to
Baxter Bay.”

“Well… no… but…”

“This is an opportunity to utilize everything you’ve learned at the academy, this is a mock mission. If I’m out in the wild and another Hunter offers me their help, I’m going to jump at the chance, we can’t do this alone.”

“She’s got you there.” Keith added.

“Well… okay, it’s better than doing nothing I guess.”

The two groups of cadets followed Kile as she and Alex walked back to where Murphy was still trying to relax, obviously they didn’t trust her with the keys as much as they said they did.

“You ready Murph.” She said as she handed him the two keys and then pulled hers from around her neck, she dropped it into his hand without hesitating. He appeared a little nervous and she hoped that was just because he was about to go running into a burning building.

Murphy nodded, then closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths before he started to walk toward the burning structures. At first nothing happened, but as he got closer to the fire
he began to turn to stone, his skin, his clothing, everything. By the time he reached the farmhouse, he was a walking statue. So, she thought, that’s your edge. Morgan had alluded to a cadet that could turn to stone, and stone doesn’t burn, well, it does, it just requires a really hot fire.

Kile moved to the back of the group, grabbing Carter by the arm and dragging him with her.

“What's up?” He asked.

“I want you to use you
r edge, get around to the other side of the house and keep watch. If he tries to make a run for it, stop him.”

“You don’t think he will do you?”

“I don’t know, but I don’t want to take the chance.” She whispered. No need to raise everyone’s suspicion. She felt bad not trusting Murphy completely, but it was his idea, and she was responsible for two other keys beside her own. If this was part of Eric’s master plan and Murphy did try to make a run for it, she wanted to be ready.

Carter moved slowly around the outer edge of the clearing and faded as he walked. Within moments Kile could no longer see him, now she just had to wait with everyone else, the rest of the situation was out of her hands.

The big man pushed the door aside and entered the burning structures. Every minute he was in there felt like an hour to the spectators, and as the time passed the comfort level dropped, even Kile was beginning to get nervous. A section of the building finally gave way as it collapsed under its own weight, sending out a shower of sparks. Only she knew that it was not where Murphy was supposed to be, but it was also something that she hadn’t taken into consideration. He may be able to withstand the heat, but if the building fell on him, trapping him in there, could any of them get him out. She started to regret giving into his suggestion.

Suddenly the side wall blew out as Murphy came stumbling forward across the clearing. His clothes were smoking where they had changed from stone back to cloth and leather, but fortunately his skin was still intact as he staggered across the charred lawn. Daniel was the first to get to him as he eased the big man to a sitting positing away from the heat.
His skin was back to its original color and he seemed to be fine, although he had suffered some minor burns to his arms that Daniel was even now tending to.

He leaned forward toward Kile and opened up his two large hands, in one he held three globes of different colors, in the other he held the three keys.

“You did it.” She said as she patted him on the back. She took the keys and handed them back the other cadets. She didn’t want to give him too much praise, he was still the one responsible for getting their stuff stolen, but at least he was making amends, it was a step in the right direction.

“How do we know whose is whose.” Robby asked as he looked over the three globes.

“Key.” Murphy coughed. “Use the keys.”

Kile held her key over the three spheres, the red one began to glow.

“I guess we’re the red group.” She said as she took the small hand sized orb.

Mark ended up taking the green orb and Robby was left with the yellow one.

“Thanks again.” Keith said as his group began to move to the far corner of the clearing, they had completed their joint adventure and now they were back to being mortal enemies.

“You guys need anything?” He asked before he followed the rest of his members. “I mean, you seemed to be traveling really light.”

“Equipment failure.” Kile replied.

“We have some extra hard tack if you want some.” Keith offered.

She still wasn’t that hungry. She didn’t want to accept the offer, whether it was pride or stubborn determination she wanted to prove to Eric that his little trick didn’t work, on the other hand, she just used the argument that if another hunter offered her help she would jump at the chance, and it wasn’t just her it was the entire group.

“No, we’re good.” Carter said as he came up behind her.

“You sure?” Keith asked.

“Yeah, we’re good
, thanks anyway.”

“Alright then, then I’ll see you at the finish line.”

Carter waited until Keith was far enough away before he took Kile aside.

“How did you know about Murphy?” He asked.

“What happened?”

“He came out the other side like you said
he might. I’m not sure what happened after that. He just stood there for a few minutes, almost as if he didn’t know what to do, then he turned around and walked back into the fire. You knew that was going to happen, didn’t you?”

“But he went back in, and that’s the important part.”

Murphy had finally made a choice for himself, something that went against Eric’s wishes; hopefully it wouldn’t be the last. She sat down on the grass and watched the farmhouse burn.

***~~~***

12

Kile awoke to the aroma of real food cooking over an open fire as she blinked the new morning sunlight out of her eyes. It had been a debate, whether or not to stay in the clearing of the burning farm house, using its warmth to keep the night's chill away, or attempt to pursue the first group that had left the clearing in the hopes that they would lead them to their next destination. They chose the latter, and set out after Keith Lark's group, keeping a respectable distance away and hoping that Keith would unwittingly lead them to the next point on the map, but fatigue and the lack of adequate supplies forced them to stop for the night.

She pulled her cloak tighter around her and looked out from under her hat at the small campfire that was burning not more th
an five feet from her. She had seen enough of fire for a while, but it did provide a little reprieve from the morning dampness. What had surprised her most was that the boys had actually managed to build it. It was nice to know that she could leave them unattended for a couple of hours and they would play nicely together.