Intruder Alert
Jon materialized on Dragon Isle beach, far enough from the tree house not to be heard. If his grandfather had retired early, the noise of a transport near the vanyean tree might disturb him. Yden’s two moons cast some illumination, but he knew the route so well he could have found his way in the dark. In addition, Ophelia’s glow cast all the light he needed.
As he trudged up the beach and into the garden, a crushing sense of loneliness descended. I wish Casey and Fred were here. They could dig a fire pit in front of the bungalow and have some late night laughs. But there wasn’t a fire pit and Jon had no one on the island to talk to. He couldn’t envision yukking it up with Max, especially after the way he’d zeroed in on Brett tonight.
The heat-sensitive statues were still radiating the warmth of the day and glowed eerily in the dark. Suddenly he saw a human shape dart past the dragon statue. At the same time, Ophelia started to sting. Jon crouched behind a tree and counted several more bodies passing by — five in all. The intruders were heading for the vanyean tree, but Jon knew a shortcut. He slipped through a break in a hedge and practically flew to the bungalow. Max was snoring, but he woke with a start when Jon clapped a hand over his mouth.
“Shhh,” Jon whispered. “We got trouble outside. There are five hostile wizards in the garden and they’re heading this way.”
Instantly alert, Max leaped from his hammock and grabbed his Bo.
“Let them come.”
“I’ve got to warn Ronny,” Jon said. “Get Quixoran.”
The two apprentices bent double as they crept through the outdoor dining area. Jon saw a flitting shadow in the garden. He exchanged a glance with Max.
“The next shadow gets sent to Lunegra,” Max said with a smirk.
“Agreed.”
Moments later, they both shoved a wave of repulsion at a passing shape. Whoever was hit screamed as he soared through the air. Jon made a break for Ronny’s bungalow, but a glancing force knocked him to the ground. Several rocks became embedded in his elbow, but Jon rolled to his feet. With his teeth gritted against the pain, he sprinted the last few yards. He burst into the bungalow.
“Ronny, wake up. We’re under attack!”
She was already stepping into her tennis shoes. “I heard a scream.”
“That was one of the bad guys. Stay behind me.”
“Yeah, right, macho man. Let’s go out the back.” She dove through one of the open windows in the rear of the bungalow.
“Er… good idea.”
Outside, Jon and Ronny nearly stumbled into Max as he neutralized one of the intruders with his Bo. The unlucky fellow landed on a holly bush, moaning.
“Not bad, Max,” Jon said, impressed.
“Watch and learn, Dragon Boy.”
“I can’t do much fighting with magic yet, but for some reason I can see in the dark much better than I used to.” Ronny grabbed Max’s shoulder and pointed. “Incoming!”
Max sent a pulse with both hands. Moments later, a thud and an “oof” followed. Ronny jerked on Jon’s arm and pulled him around to face the next intruder.
“Bad guy!” she yelled.
Jon pulled the intruder in with gravitation and broke his nose with a punch. Whimpering, the injured wizard clutched his bleeding face.
“Gross,” Ronny muttered.
The invading wizards suddenly transported away with five flashes of light and thunder. Deadly quiet ensued. Jon formed an everlasting orb and hoisted it in the air.
“Looks like we’re clear.”
“Feels like we’re clear,” Ronny said, massaging her hand. “My clan ring stopped stinging.”
“Mine too,” Max said.
Quixoran burst out of the tree house just then. “What by Solegra is going on?”
****
Cressidia plucked rock fragments from Jon’s injured elbow as Quixoran and his apprentices gathered in the tree house. Shirtless and clad only in pajama bottoms, Max smirked at Jon with a superior attitude.
“Do you even own a shirt?” Jon muttered.
“Okay, so what was that all about?” Ronny asked. She wore baby blue pajamas decorated with a little white lamb pattern. “I’m drifting off to sleep and suddenly Dragon Isle is overrun with ninja assassins?”
“They were wizard apprentices,” Jon said. “I could tell by the level of pain in my clan ring they weren’t very powerful.”
“The question is, whose apprentices?” Max asked. “And why?”
“It might’ve been my fault.” Jon glanced at Quixoran. “Maybe.”
His grandfather peered at him. “Would you care to explain?”
Jon related the dream about Moala in the tavern, but when he described his altercation with Guinn of the Fox Clan, Quixoran began to glower. The energy surrounding the older wizard made the hair on Jon’s forearms rise. Max flicked Quixoran an apprehensive glance and Ronny took a step back. Although the nighttime temperature was warm, Jon couldn’t suppress a shiver.
“You think Guinn sent his apprentices for revenge?” Max asked.
“Not revenge,” Ronny said. “It was more of a threat assessment.”
Quixoran, Jon, and Max were taken aback by her terminology.
“What? I was Junior ROTC in high school. That’s the Reserve Officer Training Corps. We learned about stuff like this. Tonight wasn’t a serious engagement. They were trying to flush us out. The goal was to count our numbers and gauge our strengths and weaknesses.”
Jon laughed. “Well, we owned them. Did you see how—”
“This isn’t funny in the least, Jon,” Quixoran interrupted. “You and I shall talk tomorrow morning about why you withheld information from me. And now, instead of sleeping, I must walk the night, casting spells to prevent this sort of attack from happening again. This tree house and its grounds have become the Dragon Clan stronghold.” He strode out without a backward glance.
After a long moment, Ronny took a deep breath. “That’s my cue to leave.”
She headed for the stairs. Before he joined her, Max held Jon’s gaze long enough to draw a line across his neck with his forefinger, execution-style. Finally, only Jon and Cressidia remained.
“Thank you, Cressidia, for the bandage.”
He offered her a smile, but the wood sprite shook her head and faded into mist. I’m friendless, alone, and in the doghouse. Chastened, he made his way to the bungalow and rolled into his hammock, fully clothed. Max’s light snores reached Jon’s ears. As he stared into darkness, he felt a stab of jealousy. Since Max wasn’t the focus of Quixoran’s wrath, he could enjoy a sound sleep.
Ronny, Max, and I did well tonight though. We worked as a team.
Jon’s brief moment of satisfaction dissolved into regret. Tailing Moala had been reckless, but not consulting Quixoran after his encounter with Guinn had been flat-out stupid. As a result, he’d drawn Max and Ronny into something that wasn’t their fight. He’d just have to suck it up, apologize, and get back into Quixoran’s good graces somehow. Exhausted, Jon turned over and tried to get a couple hours sleep.
****
Dr. Hansen and Quixoran were waiting for Jon at breakfast the next morning. His heart sank at their grim expressions. When Max and Ronny were sent to pick fruit in the garden, the two apprentices hastened off to escape the impending firestorm. Even Cressidia disappeared. Jon bit his lip as he watched her retreat.
If he’d hoped for a brief scolding, he was disappointed. The longer he listened to his father and grandfather outline his shortcomings, however, the tighter the muscles in his neck and head grew. Dr. Hansen and Quixoran fell silent at long last. Jon merely folded his arms across his chest.
“Have you anything to say, Jon?” Quixoran prompted.
“Yeah. I should have told you about Guinn, and I’m sorry I didn’t. But it’s not fair to say I put everyone in danger. The Dragon Clan will always be a target because it’s powerful… just like the Fox Clan acts aggressive because that’s who they are.”
“Maybe so,” Dr. Hansen acknowledged. “But you can’t continue to be reckless.”
“I get it, but the raid last night might not have had anything to do with me. Guinn saw my face, and he knows I’m a wizard, but he can’t possibly guess I’m Dragon Clan.”
“Don’t underestimate him,” Quixoran said. “That would be a mistake."
“Everyone has heard about the young Dragon Clan wizard who stopped Efysian. Guinn might not have known who you were before you sparred, but he surely does now,” Dr. Hansen said.
“He can’t be absolutely certain, can he? More importantly, if my dream was for real, Guinn is paying unsavory people lots of money to find something for him. I’d like to know what he’s looking for.”
“As would I,” Quixoran said.
“Those wizard wannabees might have found out a bit about us last night, but we learned about them too. They allowed themselves to be picked off. They had no teamwork or strategy at all.”
Quixoran’s smile broke the tension. “Strategy, is it? You’re a real Dragon Clan wizard, Jon, through and through.”
Dr. Hansen handed his son a piece of paper. “I’ve prepared a list of medicinal herbs you’re to gather for Cressidia.”
His stomach growling with hunger, Jon folded the list and stuffed it into his pocket. “Okay. I’ll get to it after I eat.”
“No breakfast until you’re finished,” his father said.
“But I’m starving!”
“Then perhaps you’ll be more inclined to act with a little intelligence in the future,” his grandfather replied.
“Yes, sir.”
Jon snatched up the basket Cressidia had left on the picnic table. Tight-lipped, he brushed past his father and grandfather and headed into the woods. I should be doing drills, not gathering leaves! He recalled an old proverb Charles had told him once — old age and treachery beats youth and skill every time. The Fox Clan had old age, skill and treachery working for it and all Jon had was youth.
Any way you look at this, I’m holding a losing hand.
As he harvested sprigs of peppermint, Jon chewed on a pungent leaf to assuage his hunger pangs. His father and grandfather might think he’d been dressed down, but his curiosity about the Fox Clan had never been keener. Although he had no proof yet, he suspected the vanyean seed was linked to his dream about Moala and Guinn somehow.
Guess I’ll be putting it under my pillow every night.
****
When Jon met Casey and Fred for lunch on Monday, he learned Fred had invited Ronny to the Spring Fling. Fred’s face took on a dreamy look as he prepared to demolish his doublewide beef and bean burrito.
“Ronny is dazzling. I’m not worthy.”
Casey examined his salad without enthusiasm.
“Something wrong?” Jon asked.
“Kira was sort of distant at the party. I get the feeling maybe she’s hung up on somebody else.”
Fred managed to speak through a mouthful of food. “Like who?”
“Jon knows,” Casey replied.
Jon’s jaw dropped. At the same time, Fred’s brows shot toward his hairline and his eyes bugged out. “Huh?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Casey,” Jon said.
“Sure you do,” Casey said. “It’s obvious.”
Jon froze. “Well, I—”
“She’s into Dorsit, of course,” Casey said. “I think Kira’s only going to the dance with me to be polite.”
Fred swallowed his mouthful of food. “Man, Casey, for a minute I thought you meant Dragon Breath.”
Casey flicked Fred a sideways glance. “You’re always so dramatic.”
“When I took her home Saturday night, Kira was worried she wouldn’t have the right kind of dress. You know how girls are,” Jon said. ”That’s probably what was on her mind.”
Casey brightened. “Maybe so. I hadn’t thought of that.”
He picked up his fork and began to eat, but Jon pushed his tray away. Brett was chatting vivaciously with the Spring Fling planning committee at a table next to the window. When she laughed, she looked radiantly beautiful. Jon felt a pull somewhere in the center of his chest. Fred suddenly waved his hand in front of Jon’s face.
“Hello? Earth to Jon?”
“You say something?”
“Gonna eat that burrito?”
“Oh… no. Go ahead.”
As Fred tore into the food, Jon stole another glance at Brett. The light streaming in from the window made her blonde locks shine like a halo. She’d been charmed when Max kissed her hand at the party. He’d monopolized her so much, I could barely get a word in edgewise.
“Are you okay, Jon? You’re kind of tense,” Casey said.
As he followed Casey’s pointed look, Jon realized his hands were clenched. He relaxed his grip.
“I’m fine. Listen, I’m hitting the weight room after school if either of you wants to join me.”
Casey and Fred snickered.
“What’s so funny?” Jon asked.
“If you want, I’ll help you train,” Fred said. “That Max dude is pretty ripped.”
Jon lifted an eyebrow. “I hadn’t noticed.”
****
Fred and Jon met in the weight room after the final bell. Since it was off-season, a lot of Fred’s teammates were using the facilities to stay fit. To Jon’s surprise, Fred was a good personal trainer. He showed Jon proper form, talked to him about opposing muscle groups, and outlined how to do a split routine. Although Jon hated squats, he was sold when Fred demonstrated a standing vertical jump onto a box five feet high. After a few sessions, the soreness of Jon’s workouts resulted in a rolling gait reminiscent of a cowboy.
On Friday, Fred, Casey, and Jon were eating lunch when Brett brought over her tray.
“Hello everyone. It’s a fantastic day, isn’t it?”
She slid into a chair next to Jon, sighing happily.
“You’re in a good mood,” Jon said.
“Yes, I am! My mom came home yesterday. But that’s not the best part.” Brett paused. “My father came with her!”
“Really? That’s great,” Casey said.
“Didn’t you say your mom and dad haven’t spoken in a while?” Fred asked.
“They haven’t. Not for years.”
“What changed?” Jon asked.
“Mom said he just called her out of the blue. I don’t know, maybe he finally came to his senses.”
Jon gave Brett a warm smile. “I’m glad for you both. He’s already missed out on too much of your life.”
“What does your father do, Brett?” Fred asked.
“He’s some kind of big deal Wall Street futures trader… whatever that is.”
“Well, I’m dying to meet him,” Jon said.
Fred caught Jon’s eye and snickered. “Yeah, right. Meeting a girl’s parents is on my top ten list, too.”
Privately, Jon had no use for a man who voluntarily abandoned his family. Since Mr. Tanner made Brett happy, however, Jon vowed to be charming and ingratiating.
Hopefully I’ll make a good impression.
****
When Jon transported to Dragon Isle after school, he discovered a second flagpole had been erected in front of the girls’ bungalow, flying the flag of the Moons Clan. Just below that flew The Lone Star Flag of Texas.
Dorsit brought a new apprentice!
Jon was surprised to find two apprentices — fraternal twin sisters from Texas named Lora and Linda. Jon learned the sisters had played basketball in high school and had taken their school to several championships. Irrepressible and good humored, the girls laughed a lot. Even Max loosened up and offered to give them a tour of the Dragon Clan stronghold before dinner.
As the group headed toward the garden, Dorsit cocked an eyebrow at Jon.
“A moment, young wizard. I would have a word with you.”
Rats. What now?
“I heard about your brush with Guinn,” Dorsit said, when the apprentices were out of earshot. “You’re fortunate to be alive, Jon. What you did was extremely foolish.”
“So I’ve been told. A lot.”
“You must not go off on your own again, for any reason. Guinn of the Fox Clan has a particularly unsavory reputation, even amongst wizards.”
“Okay, okay. I get it.” Jon paused. “I wish I knew what the Fox Clan was planning.”
“I wish I knew where they’ve placed their stronghold.”
“We could really use one of Warlord Mandral’s spyrrows.”
Although Jon spoke in jest, Dorsit nodded. “That’s an excellent idea. The spyrrow was Efysian’s invention.”
“Really? You think the spell might be somewhere in the library?”
“More than likely, however the scrolls are in complete disarray. Finding the spyrrow spell might take a while.”
****
The next afternoon, Max, Ronny, and Jon began to learn the art of transformation, starting with the three physical states of water — solid, liquid, and gas. At the Waterfall Grotto, Quixoran demonstrated how to take water from its liquid state to mist, back to liquid, and thereafter to solid ice.
“I shall return shortly to check on your progress,” Quixoran said before he left.
The apprentices turned their attention to the task. Jon didn’t have too much trouble heating water. Instead of a nice, misty steam, however, he kept evaporating the water completely. Max, on the other hand, could make ice, but then he couldn’t melt it afterward. Ronny got the knack right off and crowed with delight.
“I finally found something I’m better at than y’all!”
Jon and Max exchanged a sour look and a shrug.
“Must be an Otter Clan thing,” Jon muttered.
“Gotta be,” Max said.
Jon redoubled his efforts. To his delight, he accidentally managed to make snow. Ronny and Max pitched in until mounds of snow began to pile up all around the Grotto. Ronny picked up a handful of the stuff and rubbed it on Max’s bare back. That led to a free-for-all snowball fight. Quixoran returned to the Grotto just as Jon deflected an incoming salvo from Ronny and Max. When the snowballs hit the older wizard in the face, the apprentices gasped. Quixoran sighed and brushed the frozen crystals out of his eyes.
Jon winced. “Sorry about that, Grandfather. I guess we got a little carried away.”
“It always comes to this.” Quixoran shook snow from his leonine mane. “As soon as apprentices learn how to make snow, chaos follows.”