Friday, July 19, 2013

Chapter Four: What Am I Doing?!

Once again there was a knock on the door. Rizon quickly rose to answer it. But before he could open the door, it opened on it's own and the girl from yesterday strode inside. Apparently she had discovered that it was unlocked.

"Alright, what's going on with this weather? Spit it out," she demanded.

"Excuse me?"

"This weather. I came yesterday to find out what was causing it, remember? Well, the wizard wasn't able to answer our question because he left in such a hurry. So what do you know about all of this?"

"Um...well, I uh..." Rizon hadn't intended on telling anyone of what the wizard had told him, but... "it's because of a group of wayward wizards. A little experiment they did. And apparently there's much more to it than meets the eye. Something dangerous."

"Dangerous?! What type of dangerous?"

"Well, I'm not sure. The wizard isn't quite sure either. He just knows it is. There's no specifics yet, though."

"Is someone going to do anything? If it's dangerous, and in the hands of criminals, it needs to be stopped! What's the wizard doing right now when this is going on?"

"Um, he went to scout out the rogue wizards' center and got captured. He's sitting in a prison right now. Very happy place, I'm sure."

"Wait, how do you know he's in prison? Were you there?"

"No, he appeared to me using one of his wizardly tricks," Rizon admitted. There was a small moment of silence, and then,

"Well, what are you going to do?" the girl demanded.

"What am I going to do?!" Rizon exclaimed. "Now wait just a minute! I'm no wizard. I'm just a wizard's apprentice. What can I do?"

The girl was just about to answer, when there came yet another rap on the door. Rizon stepped over and opened the door.

"Hello, again!" a sweet voice greeted him. It was the little mouse maiden and her bird friend. Also from yesterday.

"Oh, hi," Rizon said. "Come on in."

"Lizzie! Tallie! Hi!" the girl exclaimed.

The mouse maiden smiled shyly. "Hi, Abigail."

Abigail quickly got the two new visitors up to speed as Rizon stood there, wondering what the rest of the day was going to look like...

"You need to do something!" Lizzie exclaimed, jerking Rizon out of his thoughts. Apparently the comment was directed at him, because all three girls were looking at him. Shoot, he thought. Here we go again.

"Look, like I told the girl-"

"It's Abigail."

"Okay, like I told Abigail,  there's nothing I can do. I'm no wizard. Wizard Martin only told me to go fetch the other wizards from Kamden." He wasn't about to say what else Wizard Martin had told him. He knew that he needed to keep it completely secret.

"But by the time you get the wizards, something could have happened!" Tallie squawked in frustration. "We need to do something now-before it's too late!"

These girls seem awfully hasty...Rizon thought. Mighty rash, they are.

"Girls, please, you have no idea what you're getting yourself into! This is not a job for girls."

Abigail raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?" Her hand went to her belt. Rizon now noticed a small sheath hanging from it. He watched as she drew forth a very sharp dagger and then jumped as she flung it past him, quick as a flash. It landed in the opposite door, in the exact center with a loud thud. "I'm very accurate," Abigail stated. "Care for me to demonstrate more?"

"Uh, no. There are no more demonstrations necessary. From anyone." Obviously he had underestimated her talents, and he wouldn't be surprised if the mouse and bird also had daggers hidden on themselves. He was hesitant about going after the wizard himself, but he wasn't wanting to argue with this dagger-throwing girl. It could cost him dearly, he feared.

"Well," he began slowly, "what do you all propose we do?"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Two hours later, they were on the road.

What am I doing?! Rizon thought. These girls know nothing about quests! And aren't their parents going to wonder where they are? This seemed bad all around. But of course, he wasn't about to argue.

"So, we're headed west to the Derzak Plains where these wizards are located. When we get there, we'll scout around the area and make a plan about how to rescue the wizard and we'll figure out what these rogue wizards are up to and stop them before it is too late. Sound good, everyone?" Abigail looked around.

"Sounds great," Rizon replied, rolling his eyes.

"A wonderful plan!" Lizzie exclaimed. "It's going to be just like it is in the books! We'll be spies!"

"It is not going to be just like it is in the books. It never is. Sorry to be a rain cloud, but this quest is no game." Rizon rolled his eyes again for the hundredth time and strode ahead, eager to be alone with his thoughts.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

When it became dark, Rizon persuaded them to stop for the night. He found a cave in the side of a canyon along which they had been traveling and moved them all inside. Abigail could have gone on for a while more still, but she figured the others needed rest. Rizon moved towards the mouth of the cave.

"I'll be back in a few minutes," he said. "I'm going to go collect some firewood."

Abigail nodded her acknowledgment and set to work unrolling some blankets. Her work was suddenly interrupted by a violent shaking of the ground. She collapsed, unable to balance herself. Overhead, a large rumbling sound began. Abigail glanced at Lizzie and Tallie, whose eyes were wide with fear. It was an avalanche. The three huddled together as rocks tumbled down the mountainside, landing in front of the cave. Finally the avalanche stopped and the girls opened their eyes. What they found horrified them. The mouth of the cave had been completely filled up by rocks!

They were trapped.

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