Heather's Adventures: The Search for Maxamus

Chapter 60. Max

The 'academy' wasn't as grand as it was the first time. We stood there for a moment while Heather dissolved a barrier around the place. This one was far more advanced. Heather was enraged with herself for taking so long to be able to dissolve it.

"Come on..." Heather spoke to herself, "why won't you dissolve?" She was speaking the ancient language while trying to remove it. She had to get it, she was strong enough, right?

She turned away from the barrier, "hell," She spoke to start speaking the same language as the rest of us again, "Whoever put this up is no simple mage. It's not UWO or someone from here. I've never seen this power before. Max, I need your power. It's dual-power locked." Before I could answer, Heather already took my right hand in her left and began to talk back at the barrier. She then let go, took a step back, and touched it gently with her right index finger. The barrier shattered like glass and fell to the ground beside us before dissolving. "Hmph. Still not that much of a challenge. I've created ones that took me over an hour to dissolve before. This one was unique though. No tracking seal, however I will remember this power."

I gave her a strange look, "Did you just take my power--?!"

"We're bonded. Don't be surprised. If I have access to something I'm going to use it if I need it." Heather smiled as she started to walk on towards the academy. The rest of us followed her as we re-entered the halls. We kicked aside more trophies, medals, awards, shattered glass, papers, parts of the walls—you name it. The place was a disaster.

"How do we know they're in here, anyway?" Sheria asked as she stepped over a broken display case.

"It's a hunch. This place holds much value and has the best protection. It's easy to know if someone is coming. Also holds a lot of valuable things and documents that should not be read aloud. Oh, and scriptures that they probably want. But they need someone to read them aloud since they probably don't have the skill..."

We all stopped in our footsteps. "Then this is a trap!" Rheannah stated as we all turned to face each other. The metal-framed doors on every side of us fell over the doors and windows.

"Well done, well done. I underestimated you and your little friends Miss. Mellissa." A tall man in all black came out from around the dark corner clapping slowly. Several ninjas came with him. Just our luck.

"To arms. Listen to Rheannah for an engage." Heather muttered in a low tone. We all drew our weapons in fear for what could happen next. "What do you want?" Heather stated as she twirled her bow in her hands and took a step towards the man. He was wearing a cloak with sleeves. Heather's didn't have sleeves. I knew she was still weak, but she wasn't going to play it off like she was all fine.

The man laughed to himself, "you said it yourself. We know you can read the scriptures. It's amazing how easily people would give up information on you."

"Well yeah, they know I can fend for myself. Oh wait, you wanted me to act like a damsel in distress? Alright, here it goes: oh no I can't defend myself, I don't know what I'm doing with this bow it's not like I have perfect aim!" Heather quickly drew back on her bow and shot an arrow at the lead man. He couldn't dodge it, so he caught it. He caught it in his hand.

"No way..." Rheannah gasped.

The man gave Heather a smile, "You're attempting to fight fire with fire. It's cute the way you think the world works. It's also cute how you have two Merrywells with you. And don't forget it's cute that I've already reported their whereabouts to their family council."

"Max, it's no good we need to get out." Rheannah warned me, "the council can't know about this. They can't know about me."

"Well they're going to have to. We don't have an out." I told her, "we're too far in to go back, and Nellie has our back on this one."