Ten years later

For what seemed to be the thousandth time in my life, I tried to go into the Spiral Chamber. All of the other wizards who were running by me were able to go in. Why couldn't I? Again, I met that invisible wall that prevented me from going any further. I growled in frustration and stormed away. What did those wizards have that I didn't? I was a well-trained Life Wizard, level ten. I knew as many attack spells as I did healing, and my second school was Storm, which gave me many chances at powerful attacks. I could take care of myself when it came to fighting. So why wasn't Bartleby allowing me to access the Spiral Chamber?

Annoyed, I decided to check in with Moolinda Wu to see if I was eligible for any new spells. Talking with her helped calm me down a little, but my patience grew thin when I learned I wasn't ready to learn anything "just yet". Sighing, I waved goodbye and headed outside. As I was turning towards the tunnel to the Commons, a small black dragon came out of it, flying at such a fast pace that it knocked me off balance. I hit the ground with a thud, my head spinning.

"Hey!" I yelled after the dragon's rider. "What's the big idea, bowling me over like that?"

The dragon stopped its flight at once and turned around in midair. It flew over to me and landed, allowing its rider to dismount. The rider reached down and held out his hand for me to take, pulling me back up to my feet.

"I'm really sorry about that," he said, genuine concern lacing his speech. "Ian here gets a little too caught up in flying. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, I'm fine." I muttered, brushing dust off of my dark green robes. "Just watch where you're going next time."

"I am sorry," he repeated. "Hey, let me make it up to you. Do you need help with any of your quests? I'm a great necromancer."

"I don't need anyone's –" I stopped, realizing how rude I sounded. I looked up and got a good look at his face for the first time. He was about my age, around fifteen years old. He had a low hood on, which almost completely covered his eyes, but I could see that they were black as night. He had a tentative smile showing, trying to be friendly. I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"Well," I began, "I was wondering what I needed to do to gain access to the Spiral Chamber."

His smile grew larger, and he laughed a bit. "Well, I certainly can't help you there. I'm only level eleven." As my face grew sadder, he quickly added "But I know some people who can help you."

"Really?" I said, becoming hopeful again. "Who?"

He mounted his dragon and motioned for me to do the same. "Hop on. I'll show you."

I stepped forward and climbed up behind him.

"I'm Kane by the way. Kane NightWraith" he called back to me as we flew into the tunnel to the Commons.

"Terri DawnBlossom." I replied.

We emerged in the Commons soon afterwards, and he guided his dragon over to the Shopping District tunnel. After a bit of flying we arrived at a small home, connected at the walls with the other shops around it. As we dismounted, I glanced to the right and realized the house was situated near Elik's Edge, a strange place for a home. Kane led me to the door and knocked loudly on the wood. It opened to reveal a young woman with bright eyes and white-blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail. Her eyes widened when she saw Kane, and she hurried us inside without a second thought.

"So what's the deal, Kane? Anything interesting?" She started to babble as she led us into a sitting room. "Oh, I know, down on Firecat Alley, those pesky fire elves are causing trouble again, aren't they? No? Oh, wait, its Unicorn Way again. I swear, no matter how many wizards they send down there those undead just keep coming back. You defeat one, three more come back. When are they going to stop the flood of those things, I mean, honestly, you would think—"

"Debbie, it's not Unicorn Way." Kane interrupted, holding up a hand to stop her stream of words. "We have a question for you."

"Oh, now, a question for us? That's a first. Rosa, where is that tea? We have guests!"

From up the staircase I heard another woman's voice call down. "Debbie, hang on! There are these wizards outside my window and I think one of them is about to con the other one out of her treasure cards!"

"Ooh, that does sound interesting! Keep watching, tell me what happens!"

"Oh, darn, the girl just realized what was going on. Party-pooper! Hang on, Debbie, I'll be right down with the tea."

Debbie turned to Kane and began to bombard him with questions again. I sank back in the upholstered armchair, laughing at the personality of these women. In a few minutes, the woman called Rosa appeared in the doorway. She had hair the same color as Debbie's pulled back in a high bun. She wore thin blue glasses that were pointed at the ends. She held a tray with a teapot in her hands. When she saw Kane, she rushed forward and took a seat next to Debbie.

"What's new Kane? Any good gossip?"

"Kane here has a question for us, Rosa."

"A question? About what?"

Debbie turned to Kane. He leaned forward, folding his arms and resting them on his knees.

"Terri wants to know how to get into the Spiral Chamber."

"Well, there are several ways." Rosa immediately spoke up, counting the different ways off of her fingers. "There's always the option of cheating your way in. I've seen plenty of students do that before, but if Professor Ambrose caught you, you'd be expelled for sure. Then there's the regular way, by working your way towards it, though that takes time. I think that's it, unless…"

She trailed off. Debbie sighed, then said: "Oh, Rosa, don't keep them hanging. There is one more way. Rumor is that Ambrose has a job for a certain wizard. It's been said that not only will he give that wizard access to the Spiral Chamber, but he'll also unlock the portal to every other world in the whole Spiral!"

Kane shook his head. "Why would Ambrose give any student that much? It doesn't seem right."

Debbie shrugged. "All I know is that one student in Ravenwood is going to be very lucky very soon. Who knows, Terri? You might be her."

I let out a short laugh. "Me? Ambrose barely notices me."

Rosa rose and collected the tea tray. "Don't feel too discouraged, Terri. We've seen it all around here, and we know that Ambrose hasn't seen anyone with potential yet. You should go to him and see what he says. Nothing to lose if you try, right?"

She walked out of the room. Debbie led us to the door.

"Make sure to tell us if anything happens, alright Kane?"

Kane nodded, and we walked towards his dragon. The door shut behind us, but I could feel Rosa's watchful eyes on me from the upstairs window as we flew away. Something told me that this was not the last time I would be seeing Debbie and Rosa.

We reached Ambrose's office quickly. As we walked up to the door, leaving Ian to sniff around in the courtyard, I realized how silly this was. We were about to ask the headmaster about a quest meant for one specific student out of the thousands that were in Ravenwood. I had been here for almost five years, and I hadn't gotten any recognition from Ambrose, let alone a calling to be the one that accepts some monumental quest.

"Terri?"

I snapped back to the present. We were standing in front of the headmaster's door.

"I'm sorry." I muttered. "Just a little hesitant, that's all."

"It'll be fine." he said as he pushed open the door.

One quick look and I knew it would not be fine. The headmaster's office had been raided. Papers were strewn everywhere, tables and chairs were overturned. Gamma, the headmaster's pet owl, was flying around the room, trying to avoid the outstretched hands of a cave troll, which was lumbering about the room, still destroying what remained of Ambrose's office.

"Whoooever you are, please help!" Gamma hooted over to us, continuing to fly just out of harm's way.

Kane rushed forward, and I followed suit. The troll realized we were not furniture and tried to cleave Kane in two with his spiked club. Kane easily dodged it, casting a dark fairy under his arm. I pitched in with an imp, and together we quickly dispatched the troll. Gamma fluttered down with relieved hoot.

"Thank you, young wizards, thank you!"

"What happened?" I asked, surveying the wreckage.

"I was enjoying a nice peaceful slumber when I was awoken by a loud crash. I saw the troll and tried to fly for help, but it overpowered me. I was trying to avoid it when you two wizards came in. Whooo do I owe my rescue to?"

"I'm Terri DawnBlossom, and this is Kane NightWraith" I motioned to Kane, who was walking around the room, seemingly looking for something.

"Where's Professor Ambrose?" Kane called, hidden behind a toppled desk.

"He left last night. He told me he had business in Dragonspyre."

"Dragonspyre?" I asked. "Why would he want to go to such a dark place?"

"For once, I do not know what he is up to." Gamma replied.

Kane reappeared from behind the desk, a strange expression on his face.

"Are you alright?" he asked Gamma.

"A bit shaken, but I will be fine."

"Good. I'll try to get some people to come help you clean up the place before Professor Ambrose gets back."

"You are too kind, young wizard."

Once we were outside, we approached Ian. I stopped Kane before he mounted the dragon, for he looked very peculiar.

"Are you okay? You look a bit strange."

"I'm fine." he replied, but I kept a hand on his arm.

"Kane." I said.

He sighed, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper.

"I found that in Ambrose's office. It was sticking out of a drawer in that desk I was looking at."

I unfolded the paper and began to read:

APPLICATION FOR RAVENWOOD SCHOOL OF WIZARDRY

Name: Murkil ShadowBane

Age: Fifteen

Chosen School of Wizardry: Death

Secondary School of Wizardry: Life

Birthworld: Dragonspyre

Mother: Sylvia Drake

Father: Malistaire Drake

At the bottom of the page, a large red stamp bearing the word "DENIED" was pressed into the paper. I stood, stunned. Kane slowly took the page out of my hands and put it back in his pocket.

"You know that business that Ambrose had in Dragonspyre?"

"Yes?" I whispered.

"I think it's going after this guy. He was probably looking at the application before he left. I think Ambrose wants to make sure Malistaire doesn't have an heir. I think he wants to get rid of the threat once and for all."

Something registered in my mind. "That application. It's old, isn't it?"

Kane nodded. "It's dated about ten years ago. That means that this Murkil ShadowBane has had ten years to train. Ten years to make himself as strong as his father."

I shook my head. "But what if he isn't? What if he's not like his father? He was going to make Life his secondary school!"

Kane scoffed at me. "So? That was probably just an act, to make it look like he meant well. This is Malistaire's son, Terri. How could he not be a vicious monster?" He turned and mounted Ian, helping me to do the same.

"Where are we going?"

"We have to wait for Ambrose to return. You want to get into the Spiral Chamber, right?"

"Yes."

"Then we wait. And hope that Ambrose finishes what was started twenty-five years ago."