Twig

I stared at the open expanse of land in shock. I had never seen such a range as never ending as this before even during my adventures in Open Sky.

Cowlquape was in shock as well and he stood there for a moment, trembling with either cold or emotion and then sank to his knees. "Now, Now Cowlquape," I said, determined to take charge of the situation for fear that Cowlquape might completely breakdown, "before we do anything else, let's just keep our wits about us."

I walked over to him and pulled him up by his arm and he steadied himself on me, taking in a few shaky breaths. My eyes clouded with sympathy, no one should deserve this, the least of Cowlquape who wanted nothing more than to help New Sanctaphrax.

I looked around me and something caught my eye. It was a dark mark on the ground that didn't match the color of the rest of the ground around us. I hesitated. I did not know whether to drag Cowlquape along with me or leave him on the ground. I sneaked a look at Cowlquape and saw immediately he was in no condition to be left by himself.

He had gone unnaturally pale as a result of worrying and he looked no better than the time I had rescued him from the Tower of Night. "Come along now Cowlquape, I think I found something" I murmured softly in his ear. He looked at me, his eyes vacant and hopeless and my heart quelled at the sight of it.

He prepared himself and pushed himself off of me before turning to me once more and asked, "Well, where is it?" I pointed towards the mark and the two of us made out way towards it. When we reached it, I bent down and brushed the mark with the tips of my fingerprints. It was dark alright, but it wasn't soil. Then suddenly it became clear to me.

"Scorch marks" I cried out loud, looking up at Cowlquape from my position on the floor. "Scorch marks?" Cowlquape repeated and crouched down next to me, brushing his hand in the burnt soil as well. "The camp was burnt to the ground?" Cowlquape whispered, looking at me for answers.

I couldn't tell whether he was curious or on the verge of bursting into tears and so I hesitated before nodding slowly. Cowlquape bit his lip and stood up, while I searched his eyes for possible tears and started walking forward, deeper into the camp.

His eyes were focused on the ground but not in dismay, but a look of determination and there was a slight frown on his face as he continued to walk. For a moment, all I could do was watch him and I began to smile fondly at the expression on his face. He looked so adorable like that, so vulnerable and all I wanted to do was…

NO! Not again, not now of all places! I sighed and stood up, brushing myself off. "Twig!" Cowlquape's voice called out to me and I looked around to see him crouching down on the ground, scrabbling at the dirt fiercely.

I started running and soon reached Cowlquape and bent down next to him. In his hand was a barkscroll, Cowlquape's barkscroll and he smiled softly, before tucking the scroll underneath his arm and standing up wordlessly. He didn't even look at me. I stood up as well and a smile tugged at my lips and I crossed over to a glint in the dirt. I carefully dug around the thing in the dirt until I managed to expose a golden chain.

My eyes grew wide and I smiled as I realized what the thing was. I pulled at the chain and out came the Seal of Sanctaphrax, still in pristine condition.

"Cowlquape, I have something for you" I sang and smiled at him, holding up the seal. Cowlquape turned and gasped and started at the seal for a moment. Then a smile that seemed to light up his whole and he ran to me, pulling the seal from my grasp. He put on the seal of Sanctaphrax and he became Most High Academe once more.

Cowlquape opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off with a quick wave of a hand and pointed at a figure in the distance. In the morning light, the silhouette was bent as if it was picking at the ground and exchanging a look with Cowlquape, the two of us set off for the figure. As I neared, we saw a young lad using his hands to pick away at the dirt, evidently searching for something.

"Oi, you there!" I cried out as we neared the lad, running so he wouldn't be able to get away. I saw the Lad look up and I could imagine the fear in his eyes and could feel his instinct to run. But he was waiting for us. Why on earth would he do that? We neared the lad and without warning he pulled the seal off Cowlquape's neck and started to run. And run he did. He took off at quite a fast speed for someone his age and I turned around to see a shocked Cowlquape, hands still reaching for the seal that was now not on his neck.

I badly wanted to catch the lad and not only get the seal back but force some answers out of him on the whereabouts of the scholars but there was absolutely no chance of me catching him if Cowlquape couldn't run. He saw my worried glance and said as if he could read my mind, 'go, I'll catch up Twig." I didn't feel like leaving him alone but there was no choice and so with a quick nod of my head I sped up.

The lad sped down a street on my left and in a second, I was charging down the street as well. I saw him round a corner and I sped up even faster until I could barely control my own minutes. The streets were empty except for the two of us bolting down the streets. My lungs were fit to burst and my breaths came in short, wheezy gasps after ten minutes or so of running. In the back mind somewhere I hoped that Cowlquape was still able to catch up.

An image of his smiling face wormed its way into my mind and spurred my on as my physical agony began to numb. I turned another corner and saw the back of the lad just a few ways off. I drew my sword and raced faster and got so close I could hear the sound of the lad's short gasps that passed off as his breathing. And then I tackled him and the two of us fell to the ground, the seal falling to the floor with a small clatter. I pinned the now struggling lad down on the pavement and quickly stood up, the tip of my sword pressed against his neck.

We stayed there for a moment, as we caught our breaths and looked each other up and down. Then I heard the running of footsteps and Cowlquape rounded the corner. I smiled in relief, glad it was not a patrol or a lone guard who had seen us but the lad groaned and began to whimper. He stopped when he saw me and slowed to a walk before coming up and standing next to me.

"Not bad Cowlquape" I started in a teasing manner, "you're quite the runner." He smiled at me and I grinned before turning back to the lad on the floor. He had seemed afraid before but now he was practically petrified as he covered his face with his hands and said softly "A ghost" he whimpered more to himself than to us before saying, "please don't hurt me" turning his head in Cowlquape's general direction.

My eyes widened as realization hit me. Word must have spread that Cowlquape was supposedly dead and all in Undertown must believe it. The lad looked younger than Cowlquape even, a mere six or seven year and looked as if he had been living in the sewers all his life. He had brown hair that was cut short and in an untidy mess and I could see a long scar on his hand.

As for his clothes, he wore those that most beggars of Undertown would wear; whatever they found and he was walking barefooted. He looked so vulnerable and pitiful lying on the floor that I almost felt sorry for him, but then I remembered he was the one who stole Cowlquape's seal and anger quickly replaced pity.

I was about to ask him why he had stolen the seal, but Cowlquape had other plans. He knelt beside the younger boy and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder before saying in a voice that sounded to me was like sweet honey, "there, there, there's nothing to worry about. We're not going to hurt you." The lad looked up but didn't smile but instead said in a small, terrified voice, "you should be dead. Vox told us that you were murdered. They found your body and everything."

I felt like running the sword right through the boy at this moment, couldn't he see that Cowlquape wasn't in the least bit dead. "I'm not dead" Cowlquape said in his ever patient voice and smiled when the young lad nodded. Tired of this rather two person conversation I cut in loudly, "you mentioned Vox. Why would he bother telling the Undertowners anything? He hates the lot of you."

The boy looked up at me and more importantly, the sword still positioned near his neck before saying quietly, "I am a scholar, or at least my parents were" but he said no more. "What do you mean were?" I asked and the lad bit his lip before replying, "They're not anymore." I knew I was being heartless, but at the same time I was quite curious and I opened my mouth to say more but was immediately silenced by a disapproving look shot at me by Cowlquape.

Cowlquape cleared his throat. "Perhaps Twig, you would be so kind as to stow your sword. You and I can plainly see that he poses no threat" he said in a tone of voice that dared me to do otherwise. I put my sword back in its sheath and heard the boy say, "I… I'm… I'm sorry for stealing your seal. I knew it was buried in the dirt somewhere and I knew how valuable it was but I needed to eat and-"

Cowlquape cut the lad off with the wave of a hand and said, "It's fine, really. You had a perfectly good reason for doing what you did. I would have done the exact same thing" and as he said it, he smiled.

Cowlquape picked the seal of the floor and put in around his neck and then bent down towards the boy yet again and asked, "Do you have a name?" The boy paused for a moment before saying, "Ernest, Ernest Serviperius." Cowlquape nodded and looked at me in an imploring way. I was suddenly expected to introduce myself. "Twig" I said, holding out my hand for him to shake. Cowlquape was still not satisfied by my introduction.

"I'm captain of the ship SkyRaider and a good friend to Cowlquape" I elaborated. He shook my hand and nodded and then he stood up. We stood there, the three of us in an awkward silence for a moment with absolutely no idea as to how to grow the conversation.

It was finally I who broke the silence as I said, "Ernest, the streets of Undertown are no place for a young lad of your age. Why not you come with us and stay aboard my ship until we can find the scholars. Maybe you can help the crew."

I was surprised by this, I still hadn't decided whether I liked him or not and whether he was who he said he was and not some thief who would run away during the night but he seemed so young to be left behind and once again pity washed over me. This time it stayed.

"I can do better than that Sir," Ernest said eagerly, "I can tell you where the scholars are." Cowlquape looked both surprised and pleased and I myself was happy about this new piece of information. "Well then, we should hurry back then. You have a lot to tell us" Cowlquape said and the three of us set off with all due haste to the safety of the SkyRaider.

We passed Undertown without incident and after a brief struggle over the boulders and depressions in the ground, we reached the ship. We climbed aboard and explained to the crew what had happened and who Ernest was. Then Cowlquape, Ernest and I crowded in the small galley and I put a plate of the best food I could find in front of him along with some water.

"Now" I said smiling, "tell us everything and don't leave a single thing out."

Ernest nodded and with a brief sip of his water, he began.

So what do you all think? Please read and review and tell me what you think. Plot suggestions are welcome along with constructive criticism.

I don't own the Edge Chronicles or any of the characters or places associated it with it.

The only thing I do own is Ernest Serviperius. By the way? What do you think of the name? I wanted it to be fancy so it's befitting of a sky scholar but I had no idea what would make a good name.