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– Then, we shall ponder…
It would take immense power to alter any fundamental quantity. But who here could possess such strength? My thoughtful gaze swept the dining hall. Could it be one of the teachers? Or some upperclassman? What if it’s Zheka? Look how skillfully he plays the fool. Or maybe he’s not playing… In any case, it could be anyone. Even Asya. But it would be a shame if I had to fight her. Better she joins my side. Maybe I should get married? Exactly! I’ll finish this business and then marry. Possibly even to Asya!
– Asya, do you want to go to the city on Saturday? – I asked casually.
Apocalypse or not, personal life goes on.
– On a date, you mean? – she inquired suspiciously, squinting.
– Yes, – I replied simply.
After all, I’m not seventeen anymore to be shy about such conversations.
– Okay, – Asya quickly agreed, warily glancing at her brother.
However, Zheka was too engrossed in devouring his porridge to pay attention to the surrounding conversations.
Perfect. At least we’ll eat well on Saturday. This endless porridge for lunch and dinner is getting tiresome. I want meat! And a pastry! And coffee!
– You’re right, – the sorcerer began without preamble, unfolding the ley line map on the table. – Look! The pattern has changed again, the intersection over the castle is even thicker. Someone really is pulling magic here.
Well, this was to be expected. Magical energy is weakening across the planet, artifacts and spells are failing. At this rate, people will soon see the true form of the Egyptian pyramids or, worse, gain access to the Library of Alexandria. We couldn’t allow that to happen.
– Why would anyone need so much energy? I know of no spell that would require such a potent source, – I confessed honestly. – Unless…
– Precisely.
The dragon confirmed my unspoken, yet dreadful suspicion. Only one ritual required such colossal magical expenditures. The sorcerer realized it first. Indeed, I had become complacent in my role as a peaceful Guardian. But what now?
Unexpectedly, the castle trembled. Powders and jars tumbled from the long-suffering shelves, shattering on the stone floor. Potions mixed, forming a murky, foul-smelling, hissing puddle. Without a word, the dragon and I dashed for the exit, but before we could take a few steps, everything ceased as abruptly as it had begun.
– And what was that? – the sorcerer inquired.
If only I knew. Closing my eyes, I focused on my inner magical vision. At first glance, nothing in the castle’s enchantment structure had changed, but…
– We’re cut off from the outside world, – I realized in surprise, peering at the barely discernible intricate weavings covering all walls. – A Veil of Despair.
– A Veil? Seriously? – even the veteran dragon was a bit flustered. – So no communication at all? No owls, no mail, no portals, no spatial jumps?
– Not even the Guardians can pass through a Veil of Despair, – I stated grimly. – There will be no help. We must deal with all problems ourselves.
– Should we try to break through? – the sorcerer stared thoughtfully at the wall. – Got enough power?
– The enchantment is powered directly by the ley lines, – I shook my head. – Even if we join forces, we’ll achieve nothing. We’re trapped.
Or, conversely, in an ark. It depends on the intentions of the unknown sorcerer. As long as the castle is enveloped by such a powerful Veil of Despair, it’s the safest place in our world. However, Russians don’t give up that easily. I’ll exert every effort to bore even a tiny hole in this defense. Just for the sake of curiosity.
– I have an idea, – I cheerfully informed the noticeably disheartened dragon. – How are you at developing spells?
The sorcerer laughed. He understood me.
Students of the State Academy of Magic, Sorcery, and Wizardry went about their personal affairs, relaxing after a hearty dinner. Some read, some slept, others cuddled in the dark corners of the castle, and a few quietly drank with roommates in the dormitory. Students, what can you expect?
But in the sorcerer’s office, true, unique magic was being wrought. The creation of magical weavings required knowledge in magical theory, maganalysis, the history of ancient spells, languages, numerology, and many other disciplines. Even with the combined efforts of the Guardian of Secret Knowledge and the ancient dragon, the work proceeded frustratingly slowly.
I tore myself away from the calculations and looked around. The once ordinary lecture hall had succumbed to the chaos of knowledge. Books, ancient scrolls, manuscripts in dead languages, and papers with mathematical calculations were strewn everywhere. We had spent the whole day at work, deriving a new spell formula. Yes, it was far from perfect, but it was finally time for a trial run.
The first application of new spells is the most dangerous stage in enchantment development. The slightest error in calculations could turn the simplest spell into a fiery tornado, an icy hailstorm, or a localized earthquake. In the worst case, the new weaving would do nothing at all. Why is this the worst scenario? Because a spell always does something. If nothing happens to you, it’s quite possible that an entire species of bird has vanished on the other side of the planet, a glacier has melted, or a small town has been destroyed.
I stood up and uncertainly stepped into the center of the runic circle drawn on the lecture hall floor. The dragon nodded encouragingly, but just in case, he crawled under the old teacher’s desk and shielded himself with a dozen protective spells. Some friend he turned out to be.
Casting one last glance at the diagram of the new weaving, I mentally repeated the words of the verbal spell. Yes, unlike the familiar mental-nonverbal form, new spells are always created with words. It’s a sort of developer mode, designed for more complete control over the weaving.
I was getting distracted. My nerves were playing up. According to the plan, this spell should momentarily breach the Veil of Despair and transport me to the old oak in the overgrown park near my home. Well, all calculations were checked, the words learned, it was time to start. Leaning on the staff, which now served as a conduit to the very oak from which it was made, I knelt down and closed my eyes. The schematic of the new weaving immediately appeared before my inner eye.
– Azm ego khranitel vokatus et silam natura. Servus serv quadrum elementa vokatus liberta. Vedi via indespectus eb quae ed quae.
I carefully pronounced each word, fearing to make any mistake in the details. The spell was a blend of Slavic, Latin, and ancient Atlantean dialects. I was invoking the power of nature, the energy of all four elements, asking to pave the way from the existing to the existing. Our idea was as simple as it was brilliant. Using the forces of nature, we wanted to connect two parts of a whole – the oak and the staff made from its branch. Such a connection should pierce a momentary breach in the Veil of Despair and transport me to the familiar park, along with the staff, of course.
The floor began to vibrate slightly, the staff heated up, and the weaving quickly gained power. Unexpectedly, the lecture hall was enveloped in impenetrable darkness, instantly destroying our hard-wrought spell.
– It didn’t work… – I sighed in disappointment.
– It did! – a voice chuckled from under the teacher’s desk.
As the darkness dispersed, I understood the dragon’s amusement. The spell had indeed worked. Only in the opposite direction. A meter away from me stood a majestic old oak. The very one from the overgrown park beneath my apartment windows.
We spent the entire night with the dragon fruitlessly searching for errors in the calculations, but we couldn’t reverse the polarity of the new weaving.
– What shall we do now? – the teacher asked wearily, sitting under the oak now towering in the middle of the lecture hall.
– We need to find the orchestrator, – I replied without hesitation. – Before it’s too late.
– We certainly won’t manage it alone… – the dragon said tiredly.
– And since no one outside can help us, we’ll have to seek allies within the academy, – I continued for him. – Do you have any trusted students?
– Where from? – the spellcaster was surprised. – I’ve only been working here for a week. Have you forgotten?
Indeed. My thinking had slowed down. Still, we couldn’t do it alone; we needed more people. But who could we involve in the search for a powerful, destructive mage? Upperclassmen were out of the question; there was a high chance that one of them was behind this. The professors were similarly suspect. Maybe the freshmen? They’re clueless, of course, but in the absence of anything better…
– What if we ask Kazimir for help? – Altair Ivanovich suddenly suggested. – I’ve known him for many years; he’s a reliable man.
Kazimir Vseslavsky? That overhyped nonentity, only good for beating carpets with a staff? And how exactly could he help us?
– He’s not a very strong mage… – the spellcaster hesitated, seeing the outrage on my face. – In fact, he’s a very weak mage. But do we have a choice?
There really was no choice. Besides, Kazimir had influence among the students, which could be significant in our situation. Even a dozen mediocre mages from the senior classes would be a force to reckon with. But it was also worth involving the freshmen. There was no way out of the castle anyway, and my date was off, so why not get to know each other better? And provide some entertainment for the girl.
That was our decision. The dragon went to persuade the director, and I leisurely headed to the student dormitory. Asya was fortunately awake but unfortunately flatly refused to participate in any adventures without her brother. Well, Zheka could be useful too. In the decisive battle, he could distract the enemy with his green mohawk.
We decided to hold the first meeting of the operational headquarters for preventing the apocalypse in the same much-troubled spellcaster’s office, near the only intact table under the crown of the majestic oak.
– You’re probably wondering why we’ve all gathered here? – I began in a mysterious whisper. – A global-scale catastrophe is looming, and the culprit is here. In our academy. We’ve been sealed off from the outside world by the Veil of Despair – a powerful spell of the highest order. We can’t leave the castle walls to ask for help, so we must act ourselves.
– Uhh… – Zheka extended, not too meaningfully.
I didn’t expect anything else from him.
– What kind of catastrophe, and why exactly should we prevent it? – Asya asked suspiciously. – And who appointed you the leader?
A smart girl indeed. Maybe she’s really worth marrying?
– Simply because you are the only ones we trust. The matter is too serious to let anyone else know, – Kazimir unexpectedly intervened. – And you are the strongest students of the first year! I say this to you as the director of the academy.
Well done! He emphasized the importance of the moment, flattered them, played his position, and didn’t reveal any useful information! A professional! Too bad he’s only good at smooth talking. And he looks authoritative – a gray beard down to his belly, baldness, deep wrinkles all over his face… You wouldn’t guess the man’s barely in his thirties.
– Now we need to find someone who is behaving strangely. Skipping classes, not showing up in the dining hall, wandering at night, constantly writing or calculating something, – the spellcaster took over. – In short, we need a list of all suspicious persons. I will watch the fourth year, the director will oversee the teachers and fifth-year students, and you, my friends, will have to monitor the rest.
I would also use my magical vision to check everyone for illusion spells. However, Altair and I decided not to inform the director, Asya, and Zheka about all the details of the operation. At least, we chose not to talk about the nature of the impending ritual and the fact that I’m a Guardian and he’s a giant intelligent lizard. In short, we omitted the trivial details. Surprisingly, Kazimir didn’t know that his old friend was a dragon. But then, why be surprised if even I was fooled by the spellcaster’s disguise.
Chapter 3: Beyond Oneself
At dinner, the headmaster announced a glitch in the academy’s protective spells had us trapped inside. He vowed to fix it soon. And everyone believed him. I tell you, he’s a smooth talker!
During the weekend, our world-saving team collected intel on all castle dwellers. Students mingled, played cards, drank, partied, and drank some more. No one was hunkered down with books or calculations. Teachers too were quite normal, taking care of their affairs and resting after a workweek.
It seemed our plan had hit a snag, but then fortune stepped in. On Sunday night, Kazimir went to the kitchen for a drink and spotted a dark figure leaving the library. But in the dark, he couldn’t make out this mysterious book lover, and naturally, Kazimir failed to cast the night vision spell. Well, what to expect…
And we would have been clueless again, were it not for one small detail – all the library walls were adorned with mirrors. Few modern mages could explain their presence, but past wizards would have known instantly, even laughing at the ignorance.
Centuries ago, all books, especially magical ones, were extremely valuable. Naturally, they were guarded meticulously. But how to guard an entire library around the clock without extra expenses? Simply by hanging magical mirrors on the walls and integrating them into the castle’s defense system.
Soon, barrier charms, magical marks, and various copying spells emerged, making the mirror system obsolete, turning into an unusual decorative element. Everyone forgot about it, except the Guardians.
I wandered slowly through the reading hall, inspecting the ancient mirrors in their hefty gilded frames. I needed to find a special one – the control panel for the system.
Ancient mages were insightful, knowing knowledge could fade over time, so they always left hints. But what kind? Among so many identical mirrors, how to find the right one? What should make it stand out?
– Stop! I stopped at a dusty mirror. It looked no different from the others, but… something about it caught my attention. What exactly? It seemed ordinary, only the gold plating was better preserved. I cautiously scratched the frame and momentarily froze in surprise. This wasn’t gold plating! It was pure gold! Ah, those ancient, cunning mages!
But how to activate it? For access, a password, a code phrase was needed. How could mages pass it down through generations? How was it preserved in the annals of history? And then… I smiled at my own guess and stepped back to see my reflection better.
– Mirror, my light, speak and reveal all truth!
A fine ripple spread across the mirror’s surface, and soon, a pretty girl in a kokoshnik appeared in the reflection.
– Greetings from the voice assistant of the mirror defense system – Marfusha. How may I assist you? she said sweetly.
– I need to see who visited the library last night, I said, anticipating the capture of our elusive mage.
– That’s all you want to see? Marfusha snapped back unexpectedly. No hello, please, or a compliment! So demanding! She crossed her arms and turned away.
Yes, modern AIs had a long way to go compared to the creations of ancient mages. Who knew she would be so intelligent?
– Please forgive me, I said guiltily. I didn’t mean to offend you. You are very beautiful. And the kokoshnik suits you incredibly well. Could you show me last night’s visitor? Please!
– So, you think flattery will get you everywhere! Marfusha snorted angrily in the reflection. You think I’ll just forget how you offended me? I’ll help you, but what’s in it for me?
Great, she was bargaining too!
– If you show me, I’ll hang you in my house and compliment you every morning, I blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
Marfusha pondered. For a long time. I even began to suspect she had frozen, but no.
– Alright, she agreed. But don’t you dare deceive me.
Deceiving her was the last thing on my mind. I’d always dreamed of a magical mirror. I had the perfect spot in my hallway, with a stunning view of the wardrobe. The mirror’s surface rippled again, images flickered, and after a while, an image of a person appeared.
Finally, the situation was becoming clear. Observing the students and teachers, we had completely overlooked the service staff and the janitor. None of them had great power, but as they say, still waters run deep…
So, our powerful mage-janitor had exposed himself. What remained was to set a trap, capture, and eliminate him. Or maybe just reprimand him with a note in his file, something like, “Attempted to perform a deadly ritual capable of killing many people while on duty.” We’ll decide on the spot.
At the operational staff meeting, silence reigned. We sat in the enchanter’s office, exchanging silent glances, waiting for at least one viable idea. Little hope rested on Kazimir and my friends, but from the dragon, I expected some valuable insight. After all, an ancient, wise, powerful creature! But he just tapped his fingers thoughtfully on the tabletop, glancing sideways at me. The question that concerned us all was – how to catch such a powerful mage?…
***
The castle was enveloped in nocturnal silence. Even the sounds of the storm raging outside couldn’t penetrate the veil of despair that securely hid us from the outside world. The plan to capture the destructor-janitor was exceedingly simple, yet effective. Our united team of world savers stood frozen opposite the janitor’s bedroom.
The enchanter stepped forward, I stayed a step behind, Asya stood to my right, and Zheka to my left. The dragon was to attack the janitor with his favorite upper astral spells, I was to cover us all with a shadow dome, and the siblings, acting as walking batteries, were to power Altair and me. That was the entire plan. Oh, and Kazimir! The director was entrusted with the most challenging mission – to stand guard.
Everyone took their positions and readied themselves. I created a shadow dome and gave an encouraging nod to the dragon. The enchanter cautiously approached the door, knocked quickly, and dashed back, hoping to make it under the dome in time. And he did. We all froze in anticipation.
The janitor’s bedroom door creaked open, and the mage stumbled heavily into the corridor. A flash of lightning briefly illuminated our adversary’s face. Asya gasped, Zheka swore crudely, and the ancient dragon involuntarily stepped back. Well yes, our janitor always looked dreadful: crooked yellow teeth, a mad gaze, black claws, foul breath… But he had always been like that! What’s there to fear?
Unable to bear the tension, the dragon hurled some dangerous nonsense from his lethal arsenal at the mage. Anticipating trouble, I strengthened the shadow dome, turning it into an almost impenetrable magical shield. But it turned out to be unnecessary.
Struck by the enchanter’s spell, the janitor collapsed lifelessly to the floor. Altair and I exchanged glances. Had we just so easily subdued a powerful mage who nearly destroyed our world?
– Go poke him with your stick, I suggested to the dragon.
– It’s not a stick, it’s a staff! the teacher protested. – And anyway, you need to, you go!
– Can’t, I’m holding the shield, I replied guiltily.
The enchanter snorted disdainfully but didn’t argue. Emerging from under the dome, he cautiously approached our fallen foe and timidly prodded him under the ribs with his stick. Sorry, staff. The mage on the floor didn’t react. Growing bolder, the dragon crouched next to the janitor and made several hand movements, apparently using druid magic.
– He’s unconscious, Altair Ivanovich stated in surprise. – It all turned out to be much simpler than we thought, right?
