“It can be, it depends.” Mariana relented. “What do you know about it? Your gear has pants.”

  “You’ll be surprised at what kind of situations I have found myself in.” Kaira waved her off. “Anyway, quit prolonging this. I know you don’t actually want to fight each other, but you need to.”

  Simon wished he could roll his eyes back into his head. He knew that they wouldn’t actually hurt each other, especially with their mentors there to intervene at a moment’s notice.

  Still…

  Mariana grabbed the brown crystal that hung on a leather chain under her shirt.

  “Defend me, Gecocat,” she called upon her Ispoleen. A blink later, a cat-lizard the size of a cocker spaniel was at her feet.

  Simon took his own crystal from under his shirt and squeezed it in his hand, closing his eyes for a moment, and concentrated on the link that connected him to the wyrm that lived inside.

  “Spread your wings, Revaeros!” he shouted, determined to get this right from the first time.

  When he opened them, he extended his hand, and Revaeros materialized in a swirl of gray smoke, his scales shimmering like the Onyx rock of his ring in the bright sun. It got easier every time he summoned the Ispoleen.

  “Ready when you are!” Mariana shouted, a playful glint in her eye.

  Across the training area, Gecocat had grown twice his initial size now that Revaeros had also joined the fight. He was the size of a large dog.

  Simon took a second to push the string of magic that bonded him to Revaeros behind his core before summoning his sword.

  Mariana chuckled and summoned her Fire-staff as well, spinning it around for the show.

  In the back of his head, Simon was scared of what would happen if Gecocat charged at him; the cat-lizard looked like he could do a lot of damage if he got close enough to bite him.

  Revaeros, can you make sure to keep Gecocat occupied while I fight Mariana? Simon asked his Ispoleen.

  Oh, I would love to play with the kitty-cat. The wyrm snickered and flapped his wings.

  Revaeros lunged forward, his lithe body ripping the air and filling it with an electric charge.

  Mariana smiled and charged at Simon instead, leaving Gecocat to be occupied with Revaeros. He had a split second to react— he called forth a Stone-shield. The shield aura appeared near instantaneously, its surface reflecting Mariana’s Light-strike like a mirrored surface.

  Revaeros was clawing at Gecocat’s eyes and was able to successfully land a few nasty scratches. Simon was aware of his fight happening close by without having to look. He could feel what was happening through his bond to the Ispoleen. Mariana must have been aware but she held strong, her face a mask of concentration.

  The taste of adrenaline lingered on Simon’s tongue as he closed the distance between himself and Mariana.

  “Light-strike,” he hissed, and a second later, a blast of magical light shot out of his hand. He had aimed it at nearly point-blank range. He had swung his sword too, making sure that if Mariana tried to dodge the projectile, she would be hit with the sword.

  “Step-out,” Mariana blurted out, and in an instant, she was a little way away from where she had stood.

  Simon immediately put more distance between them, anticipating Mariana would make a similar close-quarter maneuver, but instead, she put even more distance between them.

  So Step-out was a mini-teleport? Simon was intrigued.

  “Sloppy first attempt!” Kaira shouted from the side of the training area, where she sat next to Devin observing the fight. “If you are going to use it like that, might as well not waste the energy on it.”

  It was criticism of Mariana, not him, but still, he felt like it was too harsh. Mariana was good, but like her mentor said—it was her first attempt.

  She, meanwhile, seemed unfazed by that feedback. The wind blew past Simon and brought a smell of ash with it as the flames on either end of Mariana’s Fire-staff crackled. Sweat beaded on her forehead, and her breathing had grown ragged.

  Simon was struggling to keep his thoughts straight. His mind felt like it was in two places, one in the fight with Mariana and the other with Revaeros, occupying Gecocat.

  The competitive spirit both friends shared was on full display as neither wanted to make the fight easy for the other. As they circled each other, Mariana took advantage of the distraction that Gecocat and Revaeros’ battle was causing Simon. She feigned a forward lunge, then shifted her weight back, launching a powerful Frost-strike aimed directly at Simon’s chest.

  Stone-shi—

  Caught off guard, Simon was unable to summon a shield in time. The freezing blast collided with his body, knocking him off balance. Stumbling, he tried to regain his footing, but Mariana was already closing the distance between them.

  She used her Fire-staff to sweep his legs out from under him, the heat of the flames coming out of her weapon grazing his skin. Simon crashed to the ground, his sword slipping from his grasp as he tried to break his fall. The moment his head hit the ground, he felt the bond with Revaeros snap, and his sword burst into magic mist.

  A moment later, Simon felt the air get knocked out of him, pain spreading from his core throughout his whole body.

  Mariana’s staff hovered dangerously close to his face, the heat from the flames causing him to wince. She was panting, out of breath, but there was a hint of a smile on her lips.

  “Alright, you win.” Simon sighed. “But don’t think I’ll let you off so easily next time.”

  Mariana laughed, pulling back her staff and offering a hand to help him up. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  He waved her off as he couldn’t find the strength to get up just yet, his body still not fully under his control, his muscles spasming lightly from the pain.

  Mariana put a hand to his chest and murmured, “Healing-light.”

  An instant wave of relief washed over Simon and he got up at once. He was mesmerized at how easy it looked for Mariana to both fight and heal. It honestly looked like there was nothing that truly tired her out when it came to her magic.

  Gecocat had walked over to them, and as Simon and Mariana walked to where their mentors were sitting, he kept trying to get Simon’s attention.

  There was a nasty gash on the Ispoleen’s eyelid that prevented him from opening it fully.

  Revaeros had done well.

  After discussing the fight with their mentors, Simon and Mariana headed to lunch. But as they entered the dining hall, they noticed the headmaster, Jansen, sitting at a table near the front.

  They hadn’t seen him around the academy once all weekend. Simon almost didn’t recognize him. Today, he looked pale and sickly, his previously sharp eyes clouded with fatigue.

  The two friends exchanged a glance before heading over to join him. Simon fought to keep his expression neutral, desperately trying to hide the fact that he knew about the Force-Paradox curse the headmaster was battling.

  “Headmaster Jansen,” Mariana greeted him with a warm smile. “Would you mind if we joined you?”

  Jansen’s eyes flickered with a hint of light. “Please, have a seat,” he said, his voice weaker than usual but still carrying an air of authority.

  Simon’s appetite was momentarily forgotten as he stared at the man that was wasting away in front of him.

  “I wanted to talk to you both about the mission proposal Kaira submitted for you,” Jansen began, attempting to sound casual, but his voice trembled slightly. “I’ve given it some thought, and I’ve decided that if you two can win the Newbie Clash, you’ll be granted permission to go on the mission as is.”

  Simon and Mariana exchanged a glance—their mission proposal had gone through! Simon still had a bitter aftertaste for what Kaira had pulled and how they ended up doing her work for her.

  Jansen continued, “Furthermore, if you’re successful, I’ll grant you three more days of holiday leave immediately after the mission to spend as you wish.”

  Simon’s face lit up. It was hard to conceal his excitement about going back home and seeing his family for a little while. “Thank you, headmaster.”

  “We’ll give it our all, sir,” Mariana promised.

  Jansen managed a weak smile. “I have no doubt that you will. Now, enjoy your lunch.”

  The headmaster left the table and stalked out of the dining hall.

  As they ate, Simon couldn’t shake the nagging worry about Jansen’s condition. But for now, all he could do was focus on the Newbie Clash and the potential mission after that. If Mariana’s research was to be believed, the Alnwick mission wasn’t just chosen because of the potential Ispoleens they could tame.

  No, Simon was sure that Kaira must have chosen it because of its direct connection to the Onyx Scepter. Or maybe Devin had recommended it because of that. But if the Syndicate were simulating its power somehow in order to experiment on the Ispoleens they kept there…

  No, they didn’t have it, Mariana was adamant about that the night before. But what if they had something similar enough?

  “We should continue the research from last night,” Simon declared as the two of them were walking out of the dining hall. “The library or my room?”

  Simon and Mariana walked down the quiet halls of the academy, their footsteps echoing softly as they approached Simon’s room. Everyone must have been out training or enjoying the day off in the town because there was not a single soul inside.

  They had decided to dive deeper into their research, hoping that the combined knowledge of the Auclair Magitome and Simon’s father’s Magitome would provide some more concrete answers when put side-to-side.

  As they entered the room, they were greeted by Phooka, who seemed to have made Simon’s room his new home.

  Mariana and Simon dragged the large wooden desk away from the window and pushed it to the bed and set up their workspace on it, laying out the two Magitomes side by side. Simon pulled the chair that went with the desk and sat on one side, while Mariana sat down on the bed and got comfortable.

  As they were about to begin their research, Phooka hopped onto the desk, eyeing them curiously.

  “Are you studying for a history test or something?” the Ispoleen asked.

  Mariana chuckled, shaking her head. “No, Phooka, we’re trying to find some more information about the Scepter. We want to be prepared because… I think the Syndicate are using something similar on the Ispoleens in Alnwick. The Magitomes might have some information on it.”

  Phooka tilted his head, his whiskers twitching. “Ah, I see. Well, then, don’t let me distract you,” he said before stretching, then laying down in a sunspot on the desk.

  Simon was already flipping through his father’s Magitome and had found the section of the Scepter of Onyx in his Auclair artifact section at the very back of the book.

  —

  7. The Scepter of Onyx

  7.1 Origins & Creation

  The Scepter of Onyx was the last artifact Fleamont Auclair created. The Onyx used in the creation of the Scepter is said to have been mined from the heart of the Ispoleen realm.

  The Scepter was forged by Fleamont Auclair, with the help of an expert goldsmith and the First Guardian. It was created so it could serve as a bridge between the Ispoleen and Earth realms, allowing Ispoleens to come to Earth even after the rift.

  7.2 Abilities

  The Scepter of Onyx is rumored to possess the following abilities:

  Interdimensional Travel: The Scepter can open up a portal between Earth and another realm, enabling the user to travel between them. This has allowed Ispoleens to come to Earth and maintain a connection between the two realms, even after the Underworld was sealed off.

  Healing and Empowerment: The Scepter has the power to heal and empower Ispoleens, enhancing their natural abilities and allowing the Auclair to summon them again even if they have fallen in battle.

  Curse Removal: The Scepter can cleanse anyone from any curse, restoring them to their original state and freeing them from any magical afflictions.

  Resurrection: It is thought that the Scepter has the ability to bring a person back to life, the same way it can resurrect the Ispoleens.

  7.3 Legacy

  The Scepter of Onyx has played a pivotal role in the history between the Ispoleen Realm and Earth. The Scepter’s power has been sought after by many who wish to harness its abilities for their own purposes, but its location remains a guarded secret, protected by the Auclair family, who have sworn not to use it ever again after the youngest Auclair daughter died wielding it so she could seal the Underworld.

  —

  “If they are after the scepter as well, like I suspect… Of course, they attacked the safehouses because they knew that the elders would be there instead. If I remember correctly, they weren’t even killing anyone outright.” Mariana finally drew a conclusion. “They must have just been searching for the elders…”

  That was his opportunity to put his mind at ease about Mariana’s past.

  “Maybe you can tell me more about your brother?” Simon prodded her. “We never finished that conversation, remember? What happened to him when they attacked your safehouse in Paris?”

  All of the color drained out of Mariana’s face. She swallowed hard before she spoke.

  “I. Don’t. Know. Last time I saw him, he was shot six times and limp on the ground while I was burning my home to the ground, with most of the Syndicate agents still inside.”

  He was dead, Simon realized. Shot? With a gun? That felt like a sad way for a Guardian to go.

  “I’m sorry for—” he tried to say.

  “He’s not dead, Simon,” she cut him off. “I checked. Everyone that died was buried. There is no grave. I even double-checked by going…”

  “Do you know who shot him? The Syndicate—”

  “There is only one person in the world who can summon a gun made out of magic: Adrian Floquet. He was also the only Syndicate agent that survived the attack on my family’s home.”

  The only one who had survived… It finally dawned on Simon. Mariana had been attacked in her own home. She had burned the Syndicate agents to death, along with her home, as her family made their escape.

  Something in his chest twisted, but he refused to acknowledge it.

  “A magic gun? Like how I summon my sword, but a gun?” he asked to make sure he wasn’t misunderstanding.

  “You thought I was talking about a normal gun? Simon, as long as you are wearing your Onyx gear, a normal gun is useless against you… Did you not read about the properties?! Even then, a Stone-shield is more than enough to stop a real bullet.”

  And that marked the end of that. Mariana was more than relieved when Simon agreed to drop the topic. He had decided he didn’t want to know just yet. He wasn’t prepared to see his best friend as…

  She didn’t have a choice, after all, he thought.

  11

  Simon hated Monday mornings, but surprisingly he didn’t hate this one. Maybe it was because he was getting used to the pace of the academy or because, for once, he actually couldn’t wait to get to class.

  The real sparring would start today, and after having a taste of what it was, when fighting against Mariana, he couldn’t wait to hit someone else and see how well he would do.

  Mariana had dozed off on his sofa last night while they were researching the scepter. Phooka hadn’t helped, as he kept telling them all about the places he had lived over the centuries. They were a lot like a bedtime story, and before Simon knew it, Mariana had dozed off on his sofa, cuddling one of the decorative pillows.

  It wasn’t something that hadn’t happened before. His best friend had spent numerous nights on the sofa in his dorm back in Sofia, either on purpose—when she was fighting with her roommates—or accidentally, like when they had a late-night study session before a test.

  But this morning, she had woken him up by dropping Phooka on top of his chest.

  “Get up! We need to tell Devin about what we found out last night before Kaira gets to the dining hall,” she said before walking out of his room.

  “Tough, you didn’t even get a good morning from her,” Phooka remarked before stretching and jumped off him to the floor.

  He couldn’t understand what had gotten into her. Despite what she said, Simon took the time to clean up the papers they had used to take notes last night. Mariana had forgotten some of hers, so Simon gave in to his curiosity.

  His heart dropped—it was a list of all of the mission reports Adrian Floquet had been mentioned in.

  “Phooka, you don’t think Mari wants to go after this guy? Right?” Simon shook his head.

  He had to try his best not to crumple this paper and throw it out. Was he even going to tell Mariana he knew about it?

  “Adrian Floquet? He is by far one of the most powerful Syndicate agents, as far as I know. Auclair or not, she would be stupid to go after him. Maybe she’s building a case for the Union to back her to go after him?” the Ispoleen offered, scanning the paper Simon was holding.

  Even though Simon had taken his time getting ready, he still beat Mariana to breakfast.

  He and Phooka had walked into the dining hall. They scanned the tables and saw Devin sitting with Jansen in the corner of the room.

  “That’s my opportunity,” he mumbled, more to himself than to Phooka.

  He hadn’t thought that this opportunity would present itself so quickly, so as he walked there, he tried to conjure up a believable story about how to bring up Mariana’s research into Adrian Floquet.

  “Hey, Simon!” Devin called him over.

  As Simon sat down next to his mentor, the attention of both Devin and Jansen was on him.

  “I need to talk to you; I’m worried about Mariana,” he started.

  Devin furrowed his brows. “Did something happen?”

  Before he started explaining, Phooka jumped on the table and sat down in front of Jansen, studying the man from up close. The headmaster stroked the Ispoleen, and one of the corners of his mouth turned upward.

 

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