Chapter 12

I had a strange dream the night after the Spelldrive tournament. The mirror in my room glowed, and I saw a strange shadow. I examined it in the morning, but nothing appeared amiss. Maybe I had been hit in the head too hard.

Two weeks passed with no excitement, fortunately. Then Crowley showed up at my doorstep, asking Grim and me to be log keepers and photographers for something called "Camp Vargas." Apparently, all the sports clubs were going camping and having some sort of competition. We did not have a choice in the matter, of course. I did not mind too much though. I enjoyed camping in Hawaii.

I made sure to pack warm clothing, realizing it would probably get a lot colder here at night than I was used to. Coach Vargas had us arrive at the campsite very early to get set up with him. To both Grim and my surprise, we were camping at the Dwarfs' Mine. The place still gave me the creeps. At least this time there was an adult with us in case something went wrong.

Grim and made a beeline for the huge group of students as soon as they appeared in the forest. "Heeey!" Grim shouted, waving his arms. We stopped in front of Ace, Deuce, and Floyd, slightly out of breath. "Took you all long enough! I've been waitin' here for ages!"

"Grim?!" Ace and Deuce exclaimed.

"Morning, all!" I said.

"And Ona too!" said Ace.

"Hey, Little Shrimpy!" Floyd said happily.

I smiled at him. "Hi, Floyd. I didn't know you would be here."

"I'm in the basketball with your friend Crabby."

"He means me," said Ace.

"Hey, would you be willing to go mountain climbing with Jade?"

I blinked. "Jade? Oh, your brother." I shrugged. "Sure, sounds like fun."

Floyd grinned while Ace and Deuce shook their heads in disapproval. "Great!" he said. "He'll be so excited. No one ever wants to join him."

"You can count me out on that," Grim said.

"What are you two doing here anyway?" Deuce asked.

"We're the record keepers, DUH."

"The what?" said Ace and Deuce.

"They're here at my behest," said Crowley as he walked up to us. "I've tasked them with log keeping and capturing your efforts with their Ghost Camera for posterity."

"You're talkin' to Master Photographer Grim an' his assistant, Ona," said Grim. "And you can bet I'll capture every last one of your embarrassing moments!"

"Ugh. Smug as ever, I see..." Ace said.

"Additionally, at Coach Vargas's request, I've spoken with the local denizens," said Crowley. "The ghosts in the mine will assist you for the duration of the camp!"

"Heya! Happy to help!" said the ghosts that suddenly popped up out of nowhere.

"Thanks for your support, Headmage," said Vargas.

"Think nothing of it!" said Crowley. "It's the least I could do, what with my infinite generosity!"

"Those ghosts look awful familiar..." said Grim.

"All right," said Vargas. "Everyone's here and rarin' to go. Camp Vargas is officially in session! But before we get to the challenges, I've got a job for you guys... Pitching tents!"

"Man, we gotta set up our own tents?" Ace grumbled. "What a lousy way to kick off our trip. Oh well, we'll just bang 'em out with a little magic and call it a day. Let's get this over with..."

"NOT SO FAST! I'm confiscating all of your magical pens and smartphones. I expect you to solve problems with brains and brawn ONLY."

"Did you hear that, Jack?" said Deuce. "No smartphones. He's taking one of our most valuable tools."

"Losing our magical pens is even worse," said Jack. "That pretty much bars us from using magic."

"Wait, what? ...Oh yeah! Blot!"

"Exactly! As you know, blot is a dangerous and highly toxic substance that generates when you use magic. Normally your blot gets absorbed into the magestones on your magical pens. But without those stones... Using magic will cause blot to accumulate directly in your body. Even minor cantrips would take a heavy toll, let alone signature spells."

"Yikes," said Ace. "So basically, we can't use magic at all."

"Heh... A test of brawn without any magical assistance?" said Sebek. "That's about what I'd expect from Coach Vargas. Then I have every confidence in my ability to excel beyond all others!"

"Yeah, I'm quite comfortable with physical competitions myself," said Deuce.

"I'll hold onto your magical pens and smartphones," said Crowley. He began to walk around to each student. "And rest assured—I shall return them to you once Camp Vargas is over."

"All right, let's head over to the campsite where you'll be pitching your tents," said Vargas. "Keep up and stay together!"

"I shall return to the school, then. I'll see you all on the last day of camp. Give it the old college try, boys!"

Vargas led everyone to an empty field surrounded by trees. "You'll be camping here for the next three days," he said. "The tents hold one to two people, and we got plenty of 'em. Each club can take as many as they need. You have one hour to set them up. That might sound like a lot of time, but make sure you don't get cocky. A proper campsite is CRUCIAL to protecting yourselves and resting your weary muscles. Will you seek the shelter of trees as a defense from sun and wind? Or will you set up on flat ground so you can rest comfortably? Each club should discuss the options amongst themselves. And feel free to grab a toolbox if you need one. We've got several. Your hour begins...now!"

"It's record keeping time!" I said.

"Yeah!" said Grim. "Let's stop by each club."

Record keeping turned out to be quite entertaining. Some of these boys did not know the first thing about camping. Still, all clubs managed to pass... barely. Then Vargas explained the competition. There would be seven challenges, and each club would earn a Vargas badge when they completed the challenge. If a club failed to to earn all seven badges, it would be disbanded.

Today they had three challenges. They needed to build a campfire, catch and cook fish from the lake, and find a magestone in the mine. They had until sunset to complete the tasks and earn their badges. Grim and I set off, interacting with each group as they tackled the challenges. I even got a few good photos. Then Deuce let us eat some of the fish the track club caught. It was quite good!

After visiting each club, I took a small break away from Grim, who just wanted to nap. I was drawn to the lake and found myself staring into its depths. I wondered if I could get in any swimming on this trip. I still had not made it to the school's pool.

Suddenly, there was a hand over my eyes and an arm around my waist. "Make sure you don't fall in," whispered a dark voice. "Wh-what?!" I exclaimed. My captor released me, and I turned to see Floyd laughing at me. "Oh, it's you."

"Hello, Shrimpy," Floyd said. "Why do I always find you near water?"

"I like water. Sue me. What are you doing here?"

"Foraging for herbs so Jamil can make a nice meal out of the fish I caught earlier."

"Oh right. Kalim said he was a good cook." In the silence that followed, I took in his new clothing, my eyes lingering on the eel attached to his pack. "You look good in that outfit, you know. It suits you."

Floyd grinned. "I thought so too." His eyes followed mine. "You like my moray mascot? It's supposed to be Jade since he wanted to come camping. Looks just like him, yeah?"

"Uh, sure?" I peered closer at the eel. The eyes did match Jade's. Maybe that was what he meant. "I love eels."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I'm fond of all sea creatures. Honu - that's sea turtles - are my favorite, but eels are probably my second." My hand reached out on his own, and when I realized it, I drew back.

"It's okay, Shrimpy. You can touch it."

I smiled. "Thanks." I moved closer to Floyd so I did not have to stretch so far. "It's soft. Very nice, even if real eels don't feel like this. From what I've heard. I've never actually been able to see one in real life."

"Maybe some day you will get the chance to touch a real eel." There was a teasing edge to his tone that I did not understand.

"Yeah, hopefully." I lowered my hand and looked up at Floyd, surprised to find his face was right next to mine. My heart beat quickly but not from fear. "Well, th-thanks for sharing, but I should get back to my record keeping." I took a large step back.

Floyd frowned. "Aw, I wanted to have some fun with you."

"I wouldn't want to keep you from your foraging. You still have to eat, right?"

Floyd hooked his hands behind his neck. "Hmm... True." His face suddenly brightened. "Hey, I have an idea! Meet me here tonight after everyone has gone to bed."

My eyes widened in surprise. "You mean sneak out? I can't do that!"

"Sure you can. I'll let you know when I'm ready."

"Feel free to do that, but I'm not making any promises." We could get into serious trouble for sneaking out. Maybe he didn't care, but I couldn't afford it. I needed to keep a low profile. My life was better when it was simple and predictable, and Floyd was anything but. So, why did I lay awake in my tent long after Grim had fallen asleep?

I tensed when I heard something outside. Vargas might be next door, but I still felt fairly helpless out here without magic. There were no dangerous predators in Hawaii, so I never had to be on my guard while out in the wild. Who knew what lurked in these woods? Something slipped through the flap in my tent. I let out a breath of relief when I saw it was a paper plane.

I picked up the plane and unfolded it but found nothing inside. Still, I knew it must be from Floyd. It was time. I glanced to my left. Grim was sound asleep. I knew from experience that nothing would wake him. And with Vargas in a cabin, I thought my chances of sneaking away were good. Still, I held my breath as I exited my tent. Only when I was on the path to the lake did I let myself breath normally. Still, I was alert for any signs of danger.

Fortunately, Floyd was already at the lake waiting for me. I did not need him to scare me right now. "Hey, Little Shrimpy," he said, giving me a lazy smile. "You look nervous. You're not afraid to be alone with me at night, are you?" He grinned, showing me his sharp teeth.

"No, I'm not afraid of you. I just - " I hesitated. "I'm wasn't thrilled about walking here at night alone. I don't know what kind of animals are out there, and I don't have magic to defend myself."

Floyd's face fell. "Hey, if you're in danger, you can just call me and I'll take care of it, okay?" He stepped closer to me, and I saw the sincerity in his eyes. "Not just here but anywhere. I won't let anything bad happen to you, Ona."

My eyes widened in surprise. That was the first time he ever called me by my name. And his offer of protection was something not even Ace and Deuce had given me even if it was implied on their part. "Thank you, Floyd."

He smiled. "If you were afraid, why did you come here?"

"I - I guess I wanted to spend time with you."

Floyd grinned at me. "Ah, I knew it."

"Knew what?"

"I watched some videos on that surfing thing you mentioned. I saw what it takes to do it." He took a step closer to me. "You are fearless."

"I - I am not. I just admitted I was afraid."

"But you came here anyway. That's fearless to me. I don't know what that's like. I've got nothing that could hurt me. But you are impressive."

I titled my head to the side thoughtfully. "Hmm... maybe you'll never be in physical danger, but I bet there's something internal you'd be afraid of. You just haven't experienced it yet."

Floyd frowned. "Aw, are you trying to bring me down?"

"No, I didn't mean it that way. Don't worry about it. What did you want to do tonight?"

Floyd's face lit up. "Let's go swimming!"

I grinned at him. "Really? Then it's a good thing I'm wearing this." I took off my hoodie and sweatpants to reveal my surfing wet suit.

"Wow, you're prepared." Floyd took off his clothes until he was just in a pair of blue swimming trunks.

"I was hoping I'd get a chance to swim on this trip. I used to go every day back in my world, but I haven't been yet since I got to this school!"

"This little lake is nothing like the sea, but it will do. Come on!" Floyd grabbed my arm and all but dragged me into the water.

I flinched at the contact of water on skin. "It's cold!"

Floyd tilted his head. "You think so? It feels fine to me."

"Where I'm from, the water is always warm. The air temperature is always warm too. This is the coldest I've ever been."

Floyd smirked. "Then you better make the most of it." He reached for me, and I gasped and swam away. It did not take long for him to catch up to him. He wrapped his arms around me from behind, pinning me to his chest. "Take a deep breath."

I was confused but did as instructed. A second later, Floyd plunged underwater with me still attached to him. I shut my eyes to prevent water from getting inside them. Besides, I could not see anything in the darkness. Somehow, Floyd swam really fast with just his legs. Fast than me. It was quite thrilling to be taken for a ride, actually. Just when I thought my lungs would burst from the lack of oxygen, he brought me to the surface.

"What did you think of that?" Floyd asked. He released me, and I turned around to see his grinning face.

"That was awesome! You're great in the water."

"Thanks! Now let's see what you can do."

We ended up swimming for a long time. It felt really good. I thought Floyd had tired himself out by the time we walked back on land, but he grabbed my sides and began to tickle me. "Hey, not fair!" I said. I tried to turned around but was unable to do so. I fell to the ground, and he immediately got on top of me. Instead of surrendering this time, I remembered my Wing Chun training. I had learned the self-defense response to this exact situation. I took a deep breath and moved my body in a specific motion. We were both surprised when it worked and I ended up on top of Floyd.

"Whoa, how did you do that, Shrimpy?" He appeared impressed and fascinated.

"It's a move I learned in my club."

"Can you teach me?"

"Sure. I"ll teach you once we get back to class." I rolled off him and sat in the grass. "Hey, look at the stars." They were numerous and shone brightly. I was surprised to recognize constellations from my own world. Perhaps this place was not so different. "They're beautiful."

"Yeah. Jade would love this."

I smiled at him. "You too are pretty close, huh?"

Floyd grinned. "Of course. It's a shame we're not in the same class this year. I miss having him around."

"I get that. I have a brother too. He's two years older than me, so we've never been in the same class, but outside of school, we did everything together. He's the one who taught me how to surf." My smile faded as memories of Luano filled my mind. "He left for college before I even got here, so I would be missing him even if I was in my own world. That still doesn't make it easier. And I hate thinking that he believes I'm kidnapped or dead." I wrapped my arms around my legs and rested my chin on my knees. I glanced at Floyd in surprise when I felt his hand on my back. His expression was calm and serious for once.

"That just means you have to make the most of your time here. If he knew you were here, he would want you to be having fun, not moping around. So no need to feel guilty or anything. I bet he knows you're alive and just wants you to be happy, wherever you are."

I gave him a soft smile. "Thanks, Floyd. You're probably right." I leaned my head against his shoulder almost out of instinct. He moved his arms around me squeezed me tightly, which I somehow found comforting. It felt so nice, in fact, that I nearly drifted off. It was only when I opened my eyes from Floyd's shaking me that I realized I had closed them.

"Sleepy?"

I stifled a yawn. "Kinda."

"Let's get you to bed." Floyd helped me to my feet. We quickly put on our clothes and then walked back to my tent together, stopping just outside it. "Good night, Little Shrimpy."

I smiled sleepily. "Good night, Floyd."

I awoke very early to the sound of ghosts banging on frying pans. I was barely able to get dressed, and when I stepped outside, I saw the sun had not even risen. Crowley and Vargas said nothing about this! Grim stumbled out, and we headed over to the campsite to meet with the students.

Vargas explained the three challenges for the day. Everyone had to find a lanternblossom and brew a potion with it, catch a giant catfish, and find a large magestone. Needless to say, no one was happy about it, especially this early in the morning. Grim and I leaned against a tree, trying to stay awake, while the clubs split off to discuss their strategy.

"Hey, Sealie. Little Shrimpy. Got a sec?"

The sound of Floyd's voice jolted me awake. He stood with Jamil, both their expressions neutral. I bit my bottom lip nervously. Had Jamil found out we snuck out last night? "Oh, hi," I said.

"Mrah? What's goin' on, you two?" said Grim.

"Have you seen Ace?" said Jamil. "He never came back to camp last night."

I hid my relief. He didn't know. "That's a negative."

"Well, this is Ace we're talking about. He's probably ditching work and hanging out in another club's tent."

"Yeah, I'm sure." Hopefully.

"I got a message for Crabby if you see him," Floyd said. "It's, 'I'm gonna squeeze you later.'"

I stared at him. "Uh..."

He smiled at me. "Pass it on for me, wouldja?"

I could not help but smile in return. "Sure, I guess."

"Catch you on the flip side." Floyd waved at me before walking away with Jamil.

"Where's Ace got to now?" Grim said. "Oh well, we're gonna be doin' lots of rounds today. Maybe we'll run into him."

"Someone should, at least," I said. I had nothing to worry about, right?

I was too tired to do anything but my job anyway. At least my classmates were entertaining enough to keep me awake. By lunchtime, Grim's stomach brought us to the basketball club, where Jamil was cooking something that smelled quite delicious.

"Hey, Jamil," Grim said. "Smells good. What are you making?"

"Fish curry," said Jamil.

"Ooo... Can we have some?"

"No, you did not help with the gathering of ingredients." Jamil did not his eyes off of his pot. "You can't get something for nothing."

"Aw, come on! I'm starving here!"

"Is there some way we can help?" I said. "It looks like you have more than enough."

Jamil paused. "Go find some shiitake mushrooms. Then I'll let you have a plate."

"Alright!" said Grim, punching his fist into the air. "Come on, Ona!" I chuckled lightly and followed him into the forest. He lasted several minutes before he started complaining. "Mrah... I thought pickin' a few measly mushrooms would be a cinch. Turns out I got no clue where they grow. But I can't let this dinner pass me by! The grilled fish we ate with Deuce last night was great, but I hear Jamil's food is top-notch! I gotta find somethin' to get me in on that sweet, sweet curry action!"

"Well, we just gotta keep looking," I said.

"Hm? Ooo! Hey, Ona! Check out this brown thing at my feet. That's gotta be a shiitake, right?!"

I glanced down at the mushroom. "No idea, but it looks appetizing enough."

"All right! Myahahaha, SCORE!" Grim plucked the mushroom from the ground. "This baby's gonna be my ticket to a five-star feast-"

"I don't think so," said a familiar voice. Then Floyd appeared behind Grim and grabbed his mushroom. "Yoink!"

"Mrah?! Geez, Floyd! Don't creep up on me like that! And what's the big idea, swipin' my 'shroom?!"

"Ahaha. You really wanna know? Then I'll show ya. YEET!" Floyd proceeded to throw the mushroom far away.

"MYAAAH! MY MUSHROOM! Why'd you go and fling it like that?!" Grim suddenly ran in the direction of the mushroom. "Oh geez, where'd it go?! It looked like it fell in that thicket..."

"How's about you just let that one go and get a different-"

"HERE IT IS! I found it!" Grim pumped his fist holding the mushroom in the air.

Floyd recoiled when he returned with the mushroom. "Ew! Most guys don't pick up food others have thrown away, you know. I chucked it 'cause it's inedible. Get it now? So just drop it." He crossed his arms, appearing annoyed.

"We should go look for a different mushroom," I said.

"I don't wanna!" Grim said.

"Ugh, how greedy can one cat get?" said Floyd. "Didn't you hear what I said?"

"Grim, I really think we should listen to him," I said.

"Why should be?" said Grim. He looked at Floyd suspiciously. "Y'know, I was wonderin' why you'd wanna throw out a perfectly good shiitake mushroom... But now I get it! You don't like 'em, do you?! You're messin' with us 'cause you don't wanna eat any! Well, TOUGH. I got a plate of curry ridin' on this puppy, and I'm bringin' it to Jamil RIGHT NOW!"

I held in a groan. "No, Grim. That's not a shiitake mushroom. Floyd wouldn't lie." I paused as I considered everything I knew about him. "Withhold information, maybe, but not lie."

"You're too trusting for your own good, Ona. If you want some curry action, you better be on my side!" Then Grim took off running.

"Hey, wait!" Floyd shouted, taking off after him. "Don't you run from me!"

I sighed. "Another exciting day in my life." I was left with nothing to do but run after them. How Grim evaded Floyd all the way to camp was beyond me. How did I get myself into these situations?

A/N: Hello, everyone! I hope you're all enjoying the story so far. There will be a bit of a detour before Octavinelle's book. From the way I calculate it, there is a large chunk of time between books two and three. I thought the Coach Vargas event would be fun to include. I will add events if I can make them work logically and think they can add something to the story. This one just has some minor tweaks to fix some continuity issues such as Ona and Grim not really knowing Jamil yet and not knowing about Floyd's real form. And let's just say they've met Epel before and view him as an acquaintance. Oh, and happy Easter!