Mind, Body, Spirit - these are all topics for heated debate at Beor's 1,125th SoulCon. But when attendee Prince Ampersand is kidnapped, it will take all the unusual talents of newly resurrected Dave Mortes and the Teenmagers to find out who the rea...
The Teenmagers waited for a good 10 minutes outside the tavern. Artie had paid the Cavorting Centaur Carriage Company a hefty fee to have a stop placed in front of his establishment. Although there was no posted schedule, the last carriage had dropped them off for their brunch date, so it was past time for one to be stopping on a return trip.
"There it is!" said Esperanza. They watched it approach and were somewhat dumbstruck. "Those centaurs are gagged!" shouted Kharimar. Their arms appeared to be tied as well. Sitting on top of them were dwarves, carrying spiked riding crops that they were using repeatedly. Other dwarves were hanging out of the windows, shooting arrows at passersby. There were cries of pain, and general mayhem as people fled the main road, many ducking inside the tavern.
Elona and Kharimar knocked off the dwarves on the roof with a barrage of carefully controlled, small fireballs; and surprising everyone, Esperanza raised an earthen wall in front of the oncoming carriage, and then made it surround the vehicle on all sides as Emilia sent a sleep spell over the area.
"Wow! Way to go, Espe!" cried Elona, patting her on the back, "I didn't know you could do terraforming magic!"
"Neither did I – I just thought it would be the right magic to do what I wanted and did it!" Espe was surprised and delighted. She was unsure where the actual spell had come from – it was almost as if she already knew it, which was impossible, wasn't it?
Ravvy, joined by Artie and Redner, had already tied up the dwarves felled by fireballs. One of them, Marbellus Tylestone, kept shouting, "Dwarves First! All other races are the worst!" After Emilia had Gutshank cocoon the heads of some of his buddies, Marbellus revealed that they were on their way to witness the first step in Dwarven domination, and that Beor's Royal Family better watch out!
"Oh, no!" said Pete, "We're going to be late for the lecture!"
"Ravvy," said Artie, "I need you to stay here and see that these Centaurs..."
"Biggs," said one, his arm holding his bleeding flank. "Wedge," said the other, wincing as a flap of hide hung halfway to the ground, part of the foreleg muscle showing.
"...Biggs and Wedge get proper medical treatment and watch the tavern while Drattus and I take these 'Dwarves First' idiots to the Royal Guards. Sorry about the lecture." He laid a hand on his ward's shoulder.
Emilia groaned. "I have to do a report on that lecture – I can't afford to miss it. Hey, Dingleberry! I need you now! Right NOW!"
Above their heads they heard a 'popping' sound, followed by a thousand small flower petals cascading over them. The Flarey zipped through the air and began chirping at the necromancer. "Whatever he's saying," said Pete, "the little guy is not happy!"
Emilia had both hands on her hips. "I'm sorry...no I didn't know...No, it's not like that...Please. Everyone, stand close together. To the Necademy's Theatre!" After a few snaps, crackles, pops, more pops and a few fizz-fizzes, they all vanished in a ball of light.
Only to appear center-stage, behind the curtain (thank Bob, the Eldest God!) and -most unfortunately - in the middle of the assembled guest speakers and headmaster Rayze M. Uphigh. They landed in a pile of arms and legs and stood up with as much grace as they could muster. Pete, of course, made a show of it. He bowed to the speakers, and said to Uphigh, "Sorry about our inconvenient arrival, but we had to stop a runaway..."
"Mr. Van English, I don't care what outlandish story you've concocted." He turned to stage right, and shouted, "Hildy! We'll hold the curtain for three minutes." The same student who'd given Emilia the Box key glared at Pete, curtsied to the guests seated in their chairs, and exited backstage. "I trust three minutes is enough time for you to be seated or leave to do whatever it is you do on Sundays."
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"That's our cue," said Kharimar, leading the group off the stage, and up the stairs to the Royal Box. Looking down, they saw there wasn't an empty seat, anywhere. Emilia inserted the key and opened the door. The Box contained enough seats for a party of 20, a bar with bartender, and a servant to fetch anything your heart might desire (or your stomach.) Imagine their surprise to find that the prince himself was already there, enjoying a plate of crackleberry scones. Naturally, Emilia took the seat next to him. (No crackleberry scone was safe with her around.) The lights dimmed, and Headmaster Uphigh addressed the audience.
