Finneaus?

Turns out the tutor is more than he seems.....

"The piquä.....it's choosing!" Polaria backs away, and Carl releases me from his grip. I stare at the necklace as light seems to bubble up from within it, shining through the very small cracks between the door and sphere and still managing to light up the room, blinding us all.

Then, suddenly, as soon as it had started, it stopped.

"Give me the necklace." Polaria ordered me, and I curl a protective hand around around it, shaking my head no. "I'm not going to take it. I must validate the Choosing." We stare at each other, one distrusting, the other with an extended hand and an expectant expression. Finally, I reluctantly unclasp the necklace and drop it in her hand.

"Thank you." she says curtly, and returns to her seat, setting the jewelry on her desk. Very gently, she opens the door, and pulls a slender piece of equipment that she then sticks in the sphere. When she pulls it back out, it's connected to a tiny little figurine. I sit back on my chair and lean forward to get a better look, and Polaria stares at it.

"No." she breathes. "That's impossible." She stares at me with fear and apprehension.

"What? It's a little toy fairy." I'm unimpressed by the tiny metal creature, smaller than a dime. Polaria puts the tiny fairy back in the necklace with a certain amount of....reverence?

"I am so sorry, Avaline. Here are your things." she returns my gifts and the necklace, and ushers me out. "Ms. Lani will take you home. You will have to somehow get training from the nearest MBC, and his name and information is on this paper. Show him your necklace for proof." She conjures up a paper and hands it to me. I take it.

"Wait, what's going on?" I ask curiously, but she's gone. Carl grunts something unintelligible, but gestures for me to leave the room. I slowly walk out, and I'm greeted by the cranky lady who had given me that bucket, presumably Ms. Lani. Without a word, she starts off, and I have no choice but to follow.

We get back to the place where I had arrived, and Ms. Lani moves me onto a platform, then says something in a different language, pointing at me.

The blue cloud suddenly returns, and I grip my new things tightly as it swirls around me. When it dissipates, I'm back in my room, standing in the middle, like I had never left. After the transport, I feel dizzy, but this time, luckily, I'm able to keep from puking out my guts. Holding my reeling head, I plop back down on the bed, right next my book of fairy tales and the slightly crumpled parchment.

Remembering the secrecy of magic, I quickly tuck the transportation spell back into the shallow groove in the book, then carefully apply paste and replace the covering.

"Hey, Ava, coming down." Dantaus's voice floats down towards me. Bolting to my dresser, I shove all of my new things and the book in the drawer and shut it hurriedly, just as my older brother swings into the room.

"Dantaus! Hi!" I know my face is flushed and nervous. I'm a terrible secret-keeper. He looks at me, suspicious, but is distracted by Pasquel, who needs help getting down into the balcony.

"Ava!" Pasquel runs over and envelops me in a hug, which surprises me a little, but not too much, after seeing her display when she arrived. Her warm, overpowering friendly was usually infectious, so I forced a smile to appear as if nothing too heavy was weighing on my mind.

"Dantaus has a plan to help you." Pasquel bubbled, clapping her hands, and I assumed an enthusiastic expression.

"It's nothing, really. Just some one the spot stuff." Dantaus grinned. "First, I'll sneak aboard the carraige, and when we-"

"No."

Dantaus looks a little shocked.

"No, wait, hear me out." he protested.

"No." I repeated firmly. "I will not agree to anything that endangers your life, or anyone else's, for that matter, besides mine. Dantaus, I don't need and I don't want your help. I will manage."

"No!" he looks aggrieved. "You don't-"

"I. Will. Manage."

His shoulders sag with defeat. He knows how stubborn I can be when I want to. Pasquel's exuberance slowly dims like a dying fire, and she looks sad and depressed.

"Oh, it's not all that bad, is it? Really, it'll all be fine." I promised. "Come on, Dante, you never properly introduced me!"

"Ava, this is Pasquel. We are going to be married tomorrow." Dantaus said dully, and Pasquel offered a small smile.

"Why, hello." I joked, curtsying, but only silence ensued. Pasquel felt out of place, and awkward, as Dantaus brooded.

"Go." I sighed.

"What?" Dantaus looked up.

"You have to go." I repeated firmly. "I need to think."

"Ava, please, just let me see your plans. I can help, I promise." Dantaus pleaded desperately.

"No."

"But-"

"No."

"You're going to die! King Leopold is going to KILL you! D****t, Ava, stop being so stubborn!" he shouted at me, and I only stared up at him.

"Leave." I said quietly. Throwing up his hands in disgust, my brother helped Pasquel into the climbing perch, then looked at me with terribly sad eyes. I returned the stare with an unreadable expression, and watched him until he hoisted himself up and out of sight.

As soon as he was gone, I opened up my dresser and pulled it all back out. The piece of paper that Polaria had given me caught my eye, and I picked it up and unfolded it.

"Let's see....who is my teacher?" I muttered, scanning the paper until I saw two words that made my heart stop.

Finnaeus Mackson.

Finneaus?

I grab my necklace and the paper, then leave my room and jog to the classroom. Bursting through the door, I find Finneaus, sitting at his desk. He jumps with fright at my sudden entrance.

"Avaline! Don't come barging in like some-" he begins irritably.

"I know that you're a magic holder." I interrupt, and he's shocked into silence. A long pause stretches between us.

"I don't know what you're talking about." he finally speaks. I wordlessly hand him the paper. He reads the script, and gently touches the signature at the bottom.

"Oh." he is quiet. "I see."

"You have to help me! I leave tomorrow for Zancastle, and now I really can't afford to do that. I'll be killed." I begged. "Is there anything you can do?" He just sits there, staring at me with an inscrutable look for a very long time. An intense look of sadness and longing flits across his face before he slowly begins to speak.

"I'm sorry, Avaline, but even though you're a magic holder, I can't save you." I cut him off as I thrust my necklace at him.

"Polaria told me to give that to you."

"Polaria?" two deep red spots appear on his cheeks. "Did she...mention me at all?"

"No." I slowly reply, curious, but he coughs suddenly and changes the subject.

"If you're a magic holder, I'm well aware that you have a necklace. That doesn't change anything."

"Open it." I order him, and he wearily opens the tiny door, and pulls out a replica of the instrument that Polaria had used. He pulled out the tiny fairy, and let out a cry of surprise.

"What does it mean?" I ask, frustrated that yet again, I'm out of the loop with the tiny toy.

"I'll explain later." he tells me, his demeanor changing very suddenly. "First, we must figure out a way to get rid of Leopold."

"Finally!" I sigh, and sit down tiredly in one of the chairs.We both sit in silence, thinking.

"I have one idea." he finally replies, and I nearly cry with relief.

"Oh, thank-"

"No, don't thank me. You're not going to like this. Zancastle is huge, and once you get away, the King will have everyone over the kingdom searching for you. You can't come back here; your mother will find you. You can't escape to neighboring kingdoms, because you will most likely be either recognized as the escaped princess or you'll be unable to find shelter or food. There is only one way that you might survive."

"What is it?" I ask eagerly, and he pulls out a large map.

"Here is Zancastle." he points to a large circle on the map. "Zancastle is next to a very dark, and very dangerous forest; the Forgotten Forest. No one has ever come back alive from the woods." he pauses, and adds for emphasis, "No one."

"So, how does that help me?" I ask, confused.

"You're going to go in there."

"Oh, okay, that's a great plan. I'll just go into a forest where everybody dies, and-are you trying to kill me?!" I start sarcastically and end angrily.

"No. You won't die, I promise. At least I don't think so." he holds up his hands in a surrendering fashion as I open my mouth to tell him off. "Hey, nobody said that it would be risk-free. Do you want to hear my idea or not?" I consider describing him with some very choice words, but think better of it. At this point, he's my only hope.

"Fine." I sigh. "Let's hear it."

Author's Note

So, cranky ol' Finny is actually a MBC! Who knew?