Chapter 3: A Little Learning is a Dangerous Thing

A Chapter by Roselynne

"Either way, we will reach the same location. If we go left, it is longer, however to the right is a swampland called 'Worel Kriint'." Analise holds the map in front of her, high enough that everyone else can see it.

"Worel Kriint?" Francine asks, "What does that mean? Is it in some other language?"

Thomas is the one who answers her, opting to look at the road signs rather than the map. "Its ancient Zedlian. Worel is a compound word, dating all the back to-"

"What does it mean?" Analise asks, not wanting an entire history lesson.

"Well Wor means time, and el is short for ellos, or darkness. Kriint, on the other hand, is the name the ancients gave to a place infested with the creatures of the same name."

"So, Time Darkness Kriint are here?" Francine asks mockingly.

"So, it is a dark place controlled by the Kriint. As in, watch out."

"I'm assuming you've heard of this place before?" Analise asks Elliot, who had been staring at the woods to the left. "Elliot?" she asks again, this time touching his arm. "What is it?"

His arm jerks away for an instant before he brings himself back to the situation at hand. "The Kriint are nothing to mess around with. If I had a larger group of people-" he pauses, glancing around, "or better fighters, it wouldn't be a problem. However, with the current group, I don't know if I'm willing to put all of your lives in danger."

"I can fight. The Kriint can't be too bad if you're even willing to risk it, and Helen can use that crazy ax strapped to her back at all times. Thomas and Analise can use magic, too, right? I'm sure they must know some sort of combat spells."

"I don't-" Thomas starts before being cut off by Helen.

"I can fight. We learn as part of our training at the temple."

"Wait, I really-" He is cut off again, this time by Analise.

"I can both repel and attack with my magic. I can fight as well. That makes four of us, including you. Thomas? What do you say?"

"I was looking at the signs, checking for signs of residual magic. Travelers used to mess with them in order to deter people from following them."

Analise holds the map out in front of him. "If the sign was changed, how does that explain this?"

"It was changed long before that map was made."

"What did it originally say, then, Thomas?" Elliot asks.

Waving a hand across the sign, the words change. "Worel Elton. Elton means-"

Elliot sighs, answering before he can continue. "Consuming darkness. We're taking the long way."

The Prince stands behind the group, letting them walk in front of him. Analise waits with him. "Elliot?"

He turns to her as they start walking. "Since when did you drop my title, Lady Analise?" He gives her a sly smile as she opens her mouth to defend herself. "Not that I mind. What were you going to ask me?"

She contemplates answering for a moment before going with her gut. "What was in that forest?"

His eyes narrow. "What do you mean? The Elton-"

"No, there was something else. I felt it. And I believe you saw it."

Looking up at the rest of their group-and making sure Francine was keeping the others thoroughly occupied-he turns back to Analise and answers in a hushed tone. "I heard my name."

When he doesn't continue, Analise sighs. "You'll have to give me a bit more than that unless you would like me to probe your-"

"It wasn't possible, but I heard my name. It felt like every fiber of my being wanted to go into the forest. It was logical-the shortest path on a lengthy trip-and, had it been the Kriint, we would have been able to take them, but it was unsettling. Even now, there's this pull. It's faint, but I can still hear my name being whispered." As he talks, Elliot subconsciously reaches a hand down to his sheathed sword. Noticing this, and sensing his emotions, Analise places a soothing hand on his shoulder.

"It must be mind magic-really, even a novice could perform something like that. The suggestion of fear is always in our minds, and it is disturbingly easy to tap into that. We do not have to ever go down that path. You are safe, Elliot."

The Prince nods solemnly. "I know that. But still," he trails off before returning to the present. "Lets just put this conversation behind us, alright? And remember, don't tell the others. They don't need to know their Prince is worried. It will only make things worse."

"Where did you even learn how to read whatever language that was? Did you go to some fancy school? Or maybe have a private tutor? I really thought you were a class A good-for-nothing-"

Thomas tries to cut Francine off by interjecting a quick "hey!" but she isn't phased.

"But I guess I was wrong. Really, though, where did you learn that?"

"I learnt ancient Zedlian at Signit Academy back home. I actually graduated three years ago with a major in history." Thomas pushes up his glasses, proud of himself. Even graduating at eighteen was a feat, and he was finished by fifteen.

"What? You graduated at fifteen? Doesn't that mean you only went to school for a year?" Francine turns around to face him, briefly meeting eyes with Elliot, but she shrugs it off. "How is that even possible?"

"Actually, I skipped almost all of standard school. I mostly taught myself everything then tested out."

Francine crosses her arms, still walking backwards. She acknowledges Helen with a huff. "Let me guess, you finished three years early too."

Helen barely glances at her. "No."

Smiling, Francine rights herself. "At least there's one normal person-other than me of course."

"No, I did not finish three years early, but rather five." Both Francine and Thomas are taken aback. "Me and Troy both. We had a natural talent."

"So it really is just me, then." Trying to hide her embarrassment, she laughs. "It's a good thing I'm here to protect the rest of you."

"You did win a few championship matches in combat, did you not? As well as get a scholarship to Tellure School of Martial Arts and graduate with the highest physical test scores that have ever been achieved?"

"How did you know about that? I mean, yeah, but still. I only graduated at eighteen."

Thomas speaks up. "Your body must be developed fully to train in your specialty."

A smile slowly takes over Francine's face. "Right; I couldn't have graduated early even with extra talent and average test scores."

"Your test scores certainly weren't average, Francine." Elliot and Analise join the group once again.

"It was a hypothetical situation," she says, flustered. "Where did you two go anyways?"

"We were discussing what to do if a combat situation did occur," Analise says, not skipping a beat. Elliot flashes a smile to add charm to her cover story.

"So, do you all know about Analise? How she actually got kicked out of school at thirteen?" Elliot asks, his smile growing. The obvious surprise in everyone else's face tells him no one else was aware of their teammate's history. Analise's elbow digging into his side and the piercing pain in his mind tells him she wanted to keep it that way.

"What? Why? She seems so smart-you seem so smart, Analise. Why did you get kicked out?" Francine is blown away.

"She was developing her fully fledged mind magic on other people. She actually got better than the other teachers, and they got scared. Obviously, having an 'uncontrollable young necromancer'," Analise flinches at the name, "wasn't an ideal situation."

"Mister Prince?" Francine asks, raising a hand as though she was in school. "If she's so dangerous, then why is she here?"

"That's a wonderful question, miss Francine. She isn't actually dangerous-she's never committed a crime-but simply powerful; definitely someone you want on our team. Speaking of her past, she's been working as a mercenary for all of the nobles." The pain in his mind suddenly stops, and a glance at the shadows playing over Analise's face tells him she turned it all inward.

Once again all heads turn to Analise, but she keeps a straight face. Helen speaks up. "Is it true? Do you want to defend yourself?"

"Yes it is true. And I will not defend myself; rather I will clarify what the oh-so-talkative Crown Prince has brought up. I was expelled from Standard School not because I was an uncontrollable student, but because the teachers the teachers couldn't take advantage of me."

"Take advantage of you?" Helen asks, curious.

"There was something suspicious going on. I will leave it at that." Analise shuts down the conversation, walking forwards briskly.

"Prince Elliot," Francine starts, "If she didn't want to talk about it, couldn't she have just erased our memories? Or is that not how this whole thing works?"

The moonlight shines down on the charred remains of their first camp. Sleeping under a makeshift tent-not unlike the one the rest of the group spent the previous night in-Troy fails to notice the footsteps outside of his tent. A small cat crouches by the opening, listening to his sleeping breaths. Once sure he won't wake up, she maneuvers inside, standing over his head. She places a paw on his forehead for a few moments before moving to a corner and curling up to sleep.

Once on the road again-after shooing the cat from last night-Troy begins using his link to try and find his sister. He had only gotten this far before, back with the rest of the group, and he didn't have time to take a map when he left. Still, he couldn't go back now. Deciding just to press forward, Troy continues on in the direction they were originally headed.

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