The Buried Symbol (The Ruins of Issalia Book 1) (24 page)

Saul, the Inn
’
s cook, was busy preparing breakfast. The portly man had a bald head and a short-cut black beard. More than anyone Brock had ever met; the man was an artist in the kitchen.

“
Good morning, Saul,
”
Brock said as the man glanced up at him.

“
You are up early, Brock,
”
the big man replied.
“
So, my young friend, today is the day you leave us then?
”

“
Yes, Saul. I go to the Academy to be relegated to far inferior meals. My tongue and stomach will miss you dearly.
”

Saul nodded, as if it were a matter of fact.
“
Well then, let Saul make you a parting gift. If you give a few minutes, Saul will have something ready for you to eat as you walk.
”

“
Thanks, Saul.
”
Brock walked out the back door of the kitchen.

He crossed the yard and knocked on the door to the room attached to the stable. Moments later, the door cracked open. Tipper was shirtless, holding his trousers up with one hand. His blonde hair was a mess. He slid outside and pulled the door closed.

“
Tip, is someone in there?
”
Brock asked.

Tipper grinned back.

“
Libby?
”
Brock asked.

Tipper nodded.

“
Well, you seem to be doing well here.
”
Brock noted.

“
Yeah. I
’
ve never been happier,
”
Tipper said.
“
But I am going to miss you, Brock.
”

“
I
’
ll miss you too. I know it
’
s early, but I wanted to see you before I left,
”
Brock said.
“
I
’
ll get every seventh day off, so I
’
ll come visit when I
’
m able.
”

Tipper leaned close and gave him a hug.
“
Thank you, Brock.
”
He let go, putting a hand on Brock
’
s shoulder.
“
Thanks for everything. You
’
ve been my best friend for five years. You healed me back to health and you brought me food every time you saw me. You gave me clothes, you gave me friendship, and you gave me hope. Now, you
’
ve taken me from a life of begging on the streets to this.
”
He gestured back at his room.
“
I have a roof and a room of my own. I
’
m fed amazing food every day. I found a beautiful girl who I might even love.
”
Tipper hugged him again.
“
You
’
re the best, Brock. You know that if you need anything, anything at all, I
’
m here to help.
”

Brock was overwhelmed. He wiped a tear from his eye.
“
You
’
ll always be my friend, Tip. This isn
’
t goodbye though. I
’
ll see you soon and often.
”

With a nod and a smile, Tipper slipped back into his room. Brock stared at the door for a moment before returning to the kitchen. When he entered, Saul handed him a tube-shaped pastry filled with red sauce and berries. Steam poured from the middle. It smelled delicious. Brock thanked him and left the kitchen, walking through the empty dining room and out the front door. His thoughts soon turned from sadness to anticipation.

When the Academy came into view, the first rays of the sun were lighting the upper floors of the massive building that was his new home.

PART IV: THE ACADEMY

CHAPTER 38

New students crowded the Main Hall, standing in four lines. Those lines slowly advanced toward the check-in tables at the back of the hall. Brock soon found himself at the front of his line.

The girl at the table smiled at Brock.
“
Welcome to the Academy. I need your name please.
”

“
Brock. Um
…
Brock Talenz. T-A-L-E-N-Z.
”
He spelled it out for her.

She flipped through a stack of papers. Her finger scanned the sheets until it neared the bottom of the past page.

“
Here it is. It looks like you were a late addition.
”
She turned to the boy behind her.
“
Boys
’
Wing, room 1099.
”

The boy turned and ran to a cart. Rows of pegs filled the cart, each holding a room key.

The girl handed Brock a lightly filled pack marked with the rune of Issal.

“
Here
’
s your student pack. It has some information and supplies inside.
”

The boy returned with a key looped through a leather cord. He handed the key to Brock.
“
Here
’
s your key. You
’
ll find your room at the end of that hall.
”
He pointed to Brock
’
s right.

“
Thank you.
”
Brock looped the leather cord over his neck and shouldered the pack.

He headed down the hall, following other boys heading the same direction. This was his first time down this particular hallway. Similar to the other hallways, doors, glowlamps, and tapestries adorned the corridor walls.

The hallway narrowed, now lined by single doors on each side, set in regular intervals. He glanced through an open door to see a student sitting on a bed, digging through his pack. Beside the door was the number 1015. He had a ways to go yet.

As he continued down the long corridor, the traffic before him dwindled as other boys found their rooms. He soon found himself alone and nearing the end.

Just beyond his room, a set of double doors stood open. He peeked through, finding that they led to a large round room with a spiral stone stairwell in the center. Along the rounded walls of the lounge were clusters of sofas, chairs, and tables.

Brock stepped back to his door, pulling the cord with his key over his head. He unlocked it and stepped inside. The small room contained two beds, one along each of the side walls. A desk sat between the beds, under a window along the far wall. A wardrobe stood along the wall next to the door.

Setting his two packs on a bed, he opened the wardrobe and found two blue cloaks hanging inside. He pulled the smaller cloak from its hook and secured it around his neck. As he looked down at the cloak on his shoulders, a deep voice sounded.

“
Hello.
”

Brock turned to see a hulking figure blocking the doorway. The figure stepped forward, the light from the window revealing a blonde-haired boy about Brock
’
s age. He stood more than a head taller than Brock, his shoulders so wide that he had to twist to fit through the door. He held out a massive hand.

“
Um. I
’
m Cameron.
”
His blue eyes focused on the floor, flashing upward for brief moments.
“
People call me Cam.
”

Brock shook his hand, wincing at the larger boy
’
s firm grip.

“
I
’
m Brock. It
’
s nice to you meet you, Cam,
”
he replied.
“
I assume you
’
re my new roommate then?
”

“
Um
…
Yeah. I guess,
”
Cam said.

Brock reached into the wardrobe and handed the larger cloak to Cameron.
“
Here
’
s your cloak. Welcome to the Academy, Cam.
”

A grin stretched across Cam
’
s face as he held the cloak up.
“
Thanks, Brock.
”

Cam continued grinning at the cloak. Brock felt the same way.

CHAPTER 39

Brock and Cameron settled into their new abode, each claiming a bed without contention. They were soon dressed in the academy wear found in the drawers of the wardrobe.

Brock attempted conversations with Cam a few times, but they soon died out. For such a large boy, Cam was shy and seemed unsure of himself.

Some of those short discussions yielded information. Brock learned that Cameron was from Nor Torin, the capital of the province north of Kantaria. Much like Brock
’
s home city of Kantar, Nor Torin was a busy port city on the Indigo Ocean. He also discovered that Cameron
’
s father had been a paladin in the Holy Army, now retired and acting as the captain of the guard for the city prelate.

It was late morning when a student popped his head through the open doorway.
“
Meet in the dining hall in fifteen minutes.
”

Brock was thankful to have something to do. Just waiting idly in his room was agonizing.

They both stood and walked out the door, pulling it closed behind. Brock locked the door and looped the key back around his neck. At that moment, two boys exited the room across the hall. Brock gave them a nod in greeting.

“
Hello.
”

The first boy was tall and thin, his dark hair combed back. He nodded in return before heading down the hall. The other boy locked the door and turned to greet them.

Standing a hair taller than Brock, the boy had a thick mop of dark hair, combed to one side. He had a thin, non-muscular frame and wore rectangular-shaped spectacles. Flashing a goofy smile, he put out a hand. Brock grabbed it, and the boy shook it vigorously.

“
Hi guys. I
’
m Benedict. Benedict Hedgewick.
”
The boy rocked his shoulders and jutted his elbows out as he talked.
“
Everyone calls me Benny.
”

He shook Cam
’
s hand. The larger boy nodded but didn
’
t say anything.

Brock remembered hearing that name before.
“
Hedgewick? I know that name.
”

Benny nodded.
“
Yes indeed. You might know it from the
Hedgewick Knowledge Center
, the library here at the Academy. Or perhaps you know it from the histories.
”

Brock nodded, glancing at Cameron, who looked confused. The three boys began walking toward the dining hall as Benny continued his story.

“
My ancestor, Byland Hedgewick, was an influential figure,
”
Benny said proudly.
“
He was an important leader at the Academy and was part of the very founding of the Empire.
”

Brock raised his eyebrows.
“
That
’
s impressive, Benny. I assume you
’
ve had other relatives at the Academy then?
”

“
Oh, yes. While my father didn
’
t come to the Academy, most generations of Hedgewicks since Byland had members who trained here.
”
Benny
’
s shoulders seemed to shrug involuntarily as he talked.
“
When my mother became pregnant, my father decided to remain in Selbin and serve the local temple rather than coming here.
”