"A lot of people prefer the gold pixie dust, but I like the silver a lot more." Anvard hated awkward silences. He started playing eye-spy with their topic choices, because he couldn't come up with anything original to say.

Corinth was in thought. His delayed response was less than useful in spurring the conversation along. "Yeah, they're both kind of cool," he said no more about the dust than that. "Are you sure you know where we're going?"

"Yeah, we have to get out to the fields beyond Delphi dorm." Anvard pointed into the dark distance ahead, and the marble pillars on the grounds instantly lit up, revealing everything that they couldn't see before. It scared Corinth at first. "This far out they're motion censored at night," Anvard pulled him in close to the side of his ma.s.sive body for comfort, and Corinth pushed out.

"Why'd they put the coaster so far out?"

Anvard ignored Corinth's reluctance to be close to him. "Well, why the heck would they want to build it all the way across the tops of these tall standing school buildings? They could just start it as far north as possible without separating it from school grounds." Anvard looked around, dubiously seeking a sign. While he was speaking, he felt something strange compelling him to look back and survey the fields.

"Why couldn't we have taken the chariots over there?" Corinth complained.

That snapped Anvard back from peering into the darkness behind them. The censors they set off near the school were beginning to go out. Because of that, he figured they weren't being followed, so he brushed off the weird sensation.

"You're just as lazy as Emma complains, aren't you?" Anvard caught up with Corinth. Puckishly poking fun at him to see if he would finally let down his guard. "Your parents must have done everything for you. You're obviously an only child."

"I'm not lazy," Corinth said quickly, "but my mom always said I was special. So, I take that pretty seriously." A big grin crept across both boys' faces, but Anvard ruined it with a simple question.

"Why don't you talk about your mother ever? That's the first time you've mentioned her. At least to me." Anvard unintentionally struck a nerve.

Corinth clammed up. He didn't like thinking about what happened to his mom. He knew his dad was stalling about it too. Just before he left for Eterna, he told him that they could visit her sometime when he came back. But he could tell when his dad was lying. He had the same tone as when he said that Corinth wouldn't have to stay in Hyperborean. He didn't have to read his mind to know what those upward inflections in his monotone voice meant.

"Is she alive?" Anvard pushed too far.

"Why would you ask a question like that?!" Corinth turned around quickly, with his version of rage curling into every seldom occurring crease on his youthful looking face. It was always a lot less intimidating than he wanted it to be. But he just didn't have it in him to naturally lash out at people. "Of course she's alive! Why wouldn't she be?" The truth was, Corinth had no idea. But his -hopes were even higher than his father's were.

Andy threw he's hands up like a burglar caught red handed. "I was just curious, is all. I want to get to know you better, but you keep pushing me away every time I think we're getting closer. I don't know what to do with you sometimes."

"Did you ever think that maybe it's you?" Anvard had to think. He couldn't even process that as a possibility. He was doing everything right, in his opinion, to let Corinth know he cared about him. "Maybe, it's your approach. You come on fast and strong. I'm not even a teenager yet. You're at that point, I guess, but I'm certainly not!" Corinth wasn't really angry, but his tone soared anyhow. He just wanted Anvard to understand that patience is a virtue well received in his eyes.

Anvard hated hearing that. He thought it was the perfect night for them to get closer. They were under a full moon with thousands of visible stars staring down on them from above. The pixie dust shined in the background, and they finally ditched those annoying sisters of his. How could it be any better?

But the reality was that it was the worst time to make a move. Corinth was fixated on a dream he couldn't understand. A desire he couldn't control. And not a desire concerning Andy. His desire was much more elusive than the emotionally vexed jock standing before him. He was on his way into a possible trap that could deliver him right back into the hands of Sebastian Wilc.o.x. The last thing on his mind was Anvard's problematic feelings.

"I'm sorry," Anvard conceded. "I know I'm pushy. I'll just leave you alone." He walked forward. Pa.s.sing Corinth with a gloomy cloud looming menacingly over his bolt-shaped head.

"But that's not what I want," Corinth huffed. Andy turned around with a pinch of hope in his heart. "I just want you to be a little less about progress, and a little more about priority. We have to find something that's been lost since the beginning of recorded history. And the only thing to guide us is this useless looking map. And really, I'm not sure it's going to be any help." He unfolded the plain beige parchment and held it up. The hologram images of the school sprung to life in an instant. "It stops revealing things in the middle of the Northern Coaster ride. After that, it just drops off to the waters of North Lake."

"Well, really what did you expect? If that thing told you where the temple was than Sen. Bernard would be one of the most famous men in all the Worlds for the credit of its discovery."

"Yeah, that's true," Corinth said while manipulating the images with his fingers. He at least thought that the map could guide them through the mountains beyond the lakes, but it didn't seem to stretch that far. It just seemed to want to go downward, into the North Lake.

Crack!

Anvard, taking several steps, leapt in front of Corinth. "What are you doing?" Corinth demanded to know why he was acting so suspiciously. "Why do you need that?"

He noticed Anvard slowly reaching inside his pocket and pulling out his standard gold pixie llave. "Don't say another word. Just stay behind me," Anvard told him, without looking back. He surveyed the area, just waiting for another sign.

Crack!

Another small branch on the ground was split into two near a tree to their right. Corinth hadn't heard anything to begin with, but Anvard was on high alert. Like a lightning strike, Anvard threw his llave forward as hard as he could and it suddenly stopped midair. Standing still there for no more than half a second, it started rotating clockwise, pulling itself closer to his chest.

Aimed directly at the tree, from Corinth's perspective, Anvard shouted out loudly. "Perturbo!" An instant flash of white light darted out of his llave's rotation and bounced off what looked to be the tree, but didn't leave any mark on the old dirt hugger. It ricocheted off a mysteriously veiled surface, flying right back at them. Anvard ducked while pulling Corinth to the ground with him. The flash slammed into the ground just to their backs and dissipated without affect.

"Why'd you do that?" Corinth punched Anvard in the shoulder.

"Just look! Instead of complaining so much." Anvard pointed at his true target, and then realized he indeed made a mistake. A small mistake, by his account.

Hanging out beneath the large tree was a staggered Lindle. "I'm sorry for interrupting you guys-again," his voice went in and out,hanging on a whimper. He tried moving, but more so, he just goofily stumbled about. Finally, in an effort to stabilize himself, he allowed his bruised body to fall backward, pressing up against the tree trunk for support. "You know, I wasn't trying to bother you. I was just pa.s.sing by. No big whoop!" He flagged his hand toward them and slumped over. "Whoa! I'll feel this tomorrow morning. And probably the morning after that too." They rushed to his side. Well, Corinth rushed. Anvard made his way over on his own timetable.

"Are you okay?" Corinth quickly knelt beside Lindle's stretched out body.

Lindle tried to speak coherently, but it didn't quite work out. "Yeah, yes. I'm's so pretty good now. Better!" he said, though he was starting to feel worse. "Just winded. Let the wind take me a little more there."

"Okay, I guess," Corinth didn't know how to respond to that. He looked up to an arriving and unsympathetic Anvard. "Why'd you do that if you knew it was him?"

"I didn't," Andy admitted. "I heard something creeping, so I reacted. It was just reflex, really." He looked sincere, but his tone was totally cavalier.

"Yeah, he be right! This one!" Lindle seemed like he was trying to help make Andy's case. He pointed up to him. Anvard looked like a giant hovering over them both on the ground underneath the large tree. He tried to touch his leg, but Anvard stepped back. "I'm just glad I had an aura up with that invisible stuff spell."

"Invisible?" Corinth questioned.

Anvard quickly blurted out an explanation. "It's just low light reception. It's really a reflection spell. You aren't actually invisible. Really powerful wielders can see right through that c.r.a.p." He shrugged it off, as if it was to be ignored. "That's old magik anyway, just parlor tricks."

They both looked back to Lindle. His dark curly hair looked fried. His brown skin had dirt and dust all over it. That Perturbo could have driven him mad for an excessive amount of time. Lindle was right to express how lucky he was that he had a force field up, in addition to trying to stealthily maneuver around them unnoticed. He started to come too.

"Sorry, bud." Anvard gave him a hand getting to his feet. "I 'probably' wouldn't have done that if I'd known it was you." Andy smiled.

"Probably," Corinth echoed.

Anvard frowned now. "Well ... I was. Uh, just joking really."

Corinth didn't believe him one bit, but Lindle chose to. "I'm sorry I was snooping-again. But I overheard so much of your conversations that I felt like I could really help you guys, if you let me, of course."

"What do you mean -'conversations?'" Anvard reasonably questioned. "You've already been following us, and we saw you leave before. So, what other conversation could you have heard besides back in the Refectory?" Anvard moved closer aggressively. Lindle knew exactly what he was. .h.i.tting on, but Corinth was still in the dark.

"I was in the library too!" Lindle yelped out. "That's why I went to the Refectory. I beat you there in hopes that Corinth would strike up a chat when he saw me there. I'm sorry, I just..."

"Wait!" Corinth jumped into the debate. "How much did you overhear at the library?"

"Ah, just about ... everything," Lindle confessed with a mixed look of hope and terror in his Arcan brown eyes. "After the girls left, that is."

Anvard knocked him to the ground without notice. Ever since the things he went through in Imperativo, he hated gossipers and eavesdroppers with a pa.s.sion. He had him pinned down with his right forearm across his throat. Right up against Lindle's face, Anvard's words seethed through his teeth. "I don't know if you're in on some kind of conspiracy, or just plain stupid. But I know that I'll take you out if you breathe so much as a word about Corinth to another soul. And I'm not talking figuratively here. I will kill you." If not a bit overzealous, he feverishly defended Corinth's anonymity.

He never raised his voice. That's what scared Corinth most about what Anvard just said. If he'd raised his voice, he may have appeared more upset or nervous rather than anything else. But he knew exactly what he was saying, and he meant every word. Corinth pulled on Anvard's white uniform shirt, trying to get his attention. But Anvard still looked a frightened to death Lindle-dead in the eyes.

"You understand, don't you?" Anvard wasn't kidding around. Lindle couldn't speak. There was a lump in his throat too stiff to dislodge. All he did was nod as a tear fell down from his right eye. Rolling down his cheek, and onto the side of Anvard's elbow. He had him pinned with half his face shushed against the dirt and gra.s.s underneath the tree. His fist still dug into his throat, and the rest of his arm ran overtop the right side of his face. Ironic, he wanted a response, yet he held his victim in such a way that it was next to impossible to speak. Still fitting though, in the sense that Anvard required -a finite finish to Lindle's investigative monitoring of their whereabouts.

"Now go back to your dorm!" Anvard barked in a commanding tone. They all got up from the ground, dusted themselves off. He didn't bother to help Lindle up this time. "Go back. Peacefully and quietly." He stuck his finger out, letting him know he meant business. Anvard's pink eyes shined against the twinkling light of the pixie dust. His very deep and dark tan skin sweaty from the commotion.

Lindle steadied himself on his feet and started to speak, but Anvard waved him on. So, he instead picked up the backpack he'd lost when Anvard's spell hit his aura. He started walking away with several tears welling in his eyes. He couldn't help himself but wipe vigorously. Lindle also couldn't help but turn back toward them.

"My little brother got kidnapped a while back. He's safe now, but it never made the news in Arco. With as hard as we tried to get it publicized, no one would report on it. Squadron raided our house at least four times during those five months. They told us it was none of our concern. To stop the search. They were in control of the matter. They had black eyes, just like the ones that raided the Pavilion. I'm not in on it, Anvard." He looked at him from the other side of the tree trunk. The tears he wiped were gone, but new ones showed up to replace the others. They fell faster than he could brush them away. "I'm really not in on anything ... but I want to be. Whatever the 8ights Council is doing with Squadron affected more families than just yours, Corinth. My little brother is mixed too. My dad died, when I was young, about eight years ago. My mom remarried pretty fast. My brother had his sixth birthday, just before I left to come back to school. Like I said, he's fine, but I know other people aren't. I heard about your story, Corinth. It was online when school started back up. A small site, really just randomly speaking out on conspiracy theories. It's gone now. Not just the article about you. But the entire site is gone. It's like it was never there. And so is every trace that my brother was ever missing."

Anvard was the most bewildered by Lindle's words. He didn't know what he was talking about in reference to Corinth.

"I don't think there will be any more kidnappings, Lindle. I'm pretty sure that I was the one they were looking for. Not your little brother or any of the possible others." Corinth hoped that would help ease Lindle's distressed appearance.

Lindle thought it made perfect sense, but still wanted in. He wiped a few more stray tears away while saying, "I know a lot about mythology too. I might be able to help."

Anvard and Corinth looked to each other simultaneously. They made a joint decision without speaking. Lindle was now a part of the team.

Chapter 23:.

Ascending Through The North Lake

May 23, 1002 ~ Nightfall They made it all way over to the rusty gates of the Northern Coaster station. There was a warning sign posted on it in red.

Coaster Under Construction! Not Available Till Next Semester!

Corinth walked up to the gate and tore the caution tape away. "If you want out, Lindle, just say so." He seemed different. More in control than usual.

Lindle was inspired by Corinth's blind courage. Still reluctant, but ready to push past it. "I'm fine. If the Coaster was broken they would have locked the gate, right?"

Anvard was beginning to tire of everyone second-guessing themselves. "Let's just go. We're already here after all." He charged forward, walking pa.s.sed Corinth up the short flight of metal stairs. His loafers clanked each step up to the landing.

He looked around as he paraded through. The tunnel up ahead that led to the coaster looked dingy and unkept. Weeds had taken root. They lined the walls, making it look as if they'd exit on the other side into a dense forest, and not a high tech rail system. He grabbed up one of the veins running along the walls between his fingers and sniffed.

"What are you doing?" Corinth said from behind him.

Anvard didn't bother turning to him. "I'm trying to tell how old these are."

Corinth didn't exactly understand how sniffing around like a hound dog would provide any information, but he decided to just roll with it.

"What's your buddy doing up there?" Lindle said while trying to keep pace with Corinth and Andy.

"I don't know," Corinth said without a clue. "I've learned to just let it happen. He likes to be in charge. He's probably making some decision that he thinks is really important, even though it's most likely not."

Lindle laughed loudly. Anvard stopped suddenly, and looked back to them. "Sound waves travel smoother through narrow s.p.a.ces. In other words, I heard you both loud and clear. So there's no need to whisper anymore if you're going to keep insulting me."

"I was just joking!" Corinth tried plotting his way back into Anvard's good graces. "You really are pretty smart, you know?"

Instead of feeling smart, Anvard's facial expression showed all that he didn't know. He had no idea why he let this unfit journey progress this far. He started second-guessing not only himself, but also the integrity of their mission. He wanted to put an end to this unnecessary quest. But before he could talk Corinth down from the high of getting the answers he desperately sought- their situation changed drastically.

The gates they just walked through closed hard behind them!

"Get down!" Anvard shouted at the both of them. Immediately they took cover. They dropped to ground, as Andy dropped to one knee. He tossed his llave forward. "Annihilate," he said it more calmly than expected.

He was sure it'd knock down the suspicious gate, ensuring that they wouldn't be locked inside the tunnel. But what he didn't antic.i.p.ate was that a new feature had been built onto the brick tunnel. A Valid Steel sheet came crushing down over the mouth of the tunnel. His Annihilate spell ricocheted off the strongest metal known to man on an angle. The metal was so perfectly refined that you could see your reflection in it. It deflected his attack, like a beam of light refracted through a magnifying gla.s.s. Only this beam wasn't going through. It came streaking back toward Anvard. He thrust his body up, instead of further down, while sidestepping toward the left. He flattened his toned physique against the side of the tunnel walls to get out of the way. The beam struck the ceiling just a few yards away from his head.

Rocks came tumbling down. The tunnel looked like it'd cave in, right over his head. Quickly, Corinth got up from his crouched position, and pulled a stunned Anvard away to what safe distance he could manage. The big oaf didn't budge easy, but Corinth got him to stumble back, away from the incoming wreckage. Anvard fell on top of the little guy-hard.

"Owww!" he shouted. "You're not as light as you to think you are. Get off of me!" Corinth pushed and pushed. Anvard couldn't take his eyes off the rocks. He froze. That wasn't good. "Anvard!!!" Corinth leaned up and yelled directly into his ear from behind.

He snapped out of whatever it was about the cave in that transfixed him so. "Sorry." He got up fast, and turned to give Cory a hand. They dusted themselves off as Lindle nervously brushed up behind Corinth.

"Hey! Calm down," Corinth said to him. Then turned around swiftly and smacked Lindle's two overly familiar hands away from his neck. "What are you doing?" he shouted at the curly haired geek.

"The book," Lindle awkwardly started. "It's fragile. We can't have all that knowledge being lost because of a freak accident."

Corinth knew he had the Fate Forgery, as well the holographic map, secured in his backpack. The book was heavy enough that he couldn't possibly forget it. "Hey, if you care about it that bad, then let's switch." He gestured for Lindle to give him his side shoulder pouch.

"Uh, sure that sounds cool." He didn't actually want the responsibility of carrying the large thing. But he figured his mouth wrote that check, so he'd might as well make it out to cash. He took the bag with a lofty sense of hesitation, and Corinth gave it up without any at all.

Corinth wondered why Anvard hadn't offered to take it from him. That was his usual stance. To make everything easier on Corinth.

"Wow!" Lindle flipped the straps of the backpack onto his back and the weight made his back crack. "What was that all about?" he asked, changing the subject back to their cave in situation.

"Well," Corinth started, "it would have just been an accident, if somebody hadn't gone all superhero on us and used a spell that's trapped us in here." He motioned to the rocks blocking their path ahead and then back to the Valid Steel wall that kept them from turning back.

Anvard was preoccupied with otherthoughts, but he figured the sooner he shut these two up, the better. "First, we're not trapped. We've been inconvenienced, that's all. Second, the gate and that wall were no accidents. Look at the material, I'd say it's Valid Steel." He gestured back toward the steel wall. "Someone's got it out for us. They want us to keep forward."

"You think it's Walker, don't you?" Corinth sounded disappointed, like Walker hadn't tried to poison him just a day ago. Though no one was sure whether that was true or not. Especially Corinth.

"I don't care if it's Walker or G.o.d even. I know it's not good either way. If we go forward we're headed right into their hands."

Corinth seemed agitated. "We didn't come out here expecting to find nothing. There was supposed to be something or even someone there all along. They have my uncle for crying out loud!"

"And who exactly is they?" Anvard barked. "You mean Walker, right? Your best friend, who apparently wants you dead!" He was feeling the heat too. He went along with this bad idea to please Corinth, but now it was becoming real. Too real.

"No!" Corinth countered. "They don't want me dead! They want my power, you idiot!" He covered his mouth quickly. He didn't mean to breathe a word of what he just said. Including calling Andy an idiot. "I'm sorry, you're not stupid-I am!" Corinth added quickly,"I don't even know what I'm doing." He turned, walking past a confused looking Lindle.

Anvard felt worse than he did. He didn't fully understand what was running through Corinth's mind, but he knew enough. Not about Corinth's personal experiences, but generally about psychics. They're almost always troubled people. And Corinth apparently had a stalker trying to s.n.a.t.c.h him up. Anvard wouldn't know what to do if his life were ever in a danger like that. He just froze in front of some lifeless rocks. He didn't have the steel trapped mind he thought he had under pressure. At least not always. What a thing, steel-trap, considering that's exactly what they're sealed up in.

"Corinth," Anvard called, "we'll go forward. But we have to be careful. I don't want anything to happen to you. Not even a -scratch." Corinth turned to him and smiled. That's how Andy preferred to see his little friend. Bright and happy.

"What about me?" Lindle looked between the star-crossed friends and felt a cold chill come over him. And he knew neither of them could pull themselves away from each other long enough to throw a little warmth his way.