Chapter List

anko gently took the burning wooden baton very carefully with both hands, as if at any moment the flames would leap from its end and consume them all.

“I am Vicereine of the King’s Province of Kulnas.”

The woman used her free hand to pull back her cowl. All six girls were wide-eyed and silent. Reina’s long white hair rested on her shoulders. The golden irises of her eyes shocked Jessica, who held her breath.

She looked over the group, fixing on each of them with an unsettling gaze. Talitha was mystified: acutely aware of the presence of an immense intellect.

“That doesn’t help us very much,” Alanna said. “We have no idea where we are, or where Kulnas is.”

“You are in the Kingdom of Aventar. The relics you found are artifacts of knowledge belonging to an ancient people. They were stolen by a murderous renegade named Noret. He was responsible for the attack against you on Vuran’s Wharf.”

Each of the girls examined the treasure they were carrying, as if noticing it for the first time once again. Cici started spinning the Lantern, delighted by the pinwheel effect of the colors on the ground.

“Here.”

Jessica handed her Charm to Reina. She enjoyed wearing it, but she also knew it wasn’t hers to keep.

Reina’s expression seemed to soften just a little. It had been so long since she had seen genuine honesty. She closed Jessica’s fingers over the Charm with her own hand.

“I am here to instruct you. Not to reclaim them.”

Jessica’s expression brightened, and she cradled the golden treasure once again with a look of wonder in her eyes.

“What happened to that Cryptic?” Cici asked suddenly and at a slightly higher than normal volume.

The Vicereine regarded the youngest member of the group with a certain approval. After all, Cici had succeeded in getting her friends, the Chronicler’s Lantern and the map all the way from Mudwood to the Lockvern.

“He timed his attack unfortunately. By shifting into another dimension, he also managed to strand and paralyze his minions, leaving him with no advantages. It seems that Jarthius prefers an unfair fight.”

Cici didn’t have the tiniest clue what Reina meant, but that didn’t dissuade her rapt attention to the Vicereine’s every word. Jessica noticed the patience in her voice: how Reina spoke evenly and slowly. She also noticed Cici’s expression and understood. The sound made Jessica less anxious too.

“Why are we all saying such stupid things?” Shannon asked, brushing her long hair back over her shouder and indicating her Ring. “What are these supposed to do for us besides drive us crazy? Am I going to be hearing wolves everywhere I go now?”

Reina didn’t answer right away. She looked as if she were just letting Shannon calm down.

“I have introduced myself. May I know your name?”

“Shannon.”

“There is no more noble pursuit than the reasoned study of wisdom, Shannon. But impatience such as yours clouds the mind and starves you of peace.”

Alanna noticed Shannon’s contemplative expression. Reina’s voice seemed to affect everyone similarly.

“Each of you will face great danger if you choose to enter the Lockvern and study the powers your weapons possess. There are beasts in Aventar that will make you believe you have confronted your own nightmares: monsters coughed forth from the most foul depths of soulless avarice. They will pursue you tirelessly.”

The expressions of the six girls were all the same: wide-eyed and silent.

“But the people of Aventar face danger greater than that of monsters. The Cryptics threaten to afflict them with the curse of despair. This must not be allowed to happen. To avoid their machinations, you must all learn leadership. You must acquire discernment. You must learn to fight for what you believe in. These are the ways of a warrior. When you emerge from the Lockvern, you will be prepared to seek the wisdom your weapons represent.”

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Chapter List

he four basic elements understood in ancient times were fire, earth, water and air,” Talitha said. “Apparently, we have a treasure that corresponds to Earth: Cici’s Lantern. Cici can detect the presence of minerals with it. We also have one that corresponds to water: Alanna’s Bracelet. Alanna can detect the presence of water, including bodies of water like Silvermint River. It is reasonable to believe at least one of these pieces of jewelry corresponds to air and another to fire.”

“I hope mine is air,” Jessica said, adoringly examining the little Golden Charm attached to her jacket. “Maybe it will make it so I can fly! Even if it doesn’t, it’s still pretty and I still want to wear it.”

“Well, then what about Shannon’s Ring?” Alanna asked. “Are animals part of the elements?”

“No, but if her ring corresponds to animals, perhaps another of the treasures corresponds to plants.”

“Okay, Professor, that’s got to be yours, then. You’ve got the green leaves and the gold edges, and we already know there’s some kind of ghost shield in it too, and a ghost sword in Goofy’s.”

“So my Lantern knows about minerals and rocks?” Cici asked.

“Yes, Cici. Shannon’s Ring corresponds to animals, my Barrette to plants, and Alanna’s Bracelet to water.”

“Leaving my Necklace and Goofy’s Charm, which are either air or fire, right?” Ranko asked.

“Don’t forget the Earrings!” Jessica announced.

Shannon nodded. “Those might be something too. Except we’ve only got two elements left.”

“And we’ve found the gate,” Talitha said, stopping and pointing across the road.

Sitting out in the middle of an open grassy area were twin iron gates each attached to a short column made of gray stone. They were fastened together with a large block of metal. There was nothing unusual around them. It looked as if someone had built a fence, and then taken it down, leaving only the gate behind.

The barrier was made of black metal bars. Beyond was empty grassland.

“So this deserted place is the Lockvern?” Ranko asked quietly.

“Reina said there would be a test and that we would learn about how to defeat evil,” Cici said with an assured tone.

“I wish only that you learn to trust your own strength,” a voice interrupted. The girls all whirled around. Reina stood several steps behind them holding a long torch burning with a purple flame.

“Reina!” Cici exclaimed. She hurried to greet the robed woman but Alanna held her arm across Cici’s path. The younger girl stopped and looked up at Alanna with a confused expression.

“Who are you?” Shannon asked boldly.

“One who is pleased to see there are at least a few people in Gacenar with the initiative to do something besides count their neighbor’s portion and bicker.”

The woman walked towards them. It was a prolonged affair. After each second step she momentarily rested her weight on the enormous staff she carried. Jessica watched the purple torch, wondering how anyone could make fire a different color.

Cici wondered where Enken was.

Reina handed the torch to Ranko, who hesitated.

“It is harmless.”

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