The Currents of Magic

Chapter Twenty-Six

When he looked up a few minutes later, Cade had reengaged in his reading on memory spells, and Ander was sulking in the armchair. At least they had avoided any arguments. Meyer finished his game of Astrix against Damian, losing in spectacular fashion, and began hinting to his friends that he wanted to go to sleep. They were finally all moving towards the door when Cade suddenly spoke.

"What about a light panorama?" he said.

Ander perked up.

"What's a light panorama?" said Meyer.

"It's when you combine a gasaraksi and azuras potion, and then cast an endataros charm on them," said Damian. "It causes—"

Ander waved him off. "You're going to ruin the surprise!"

"Does that mean we're doing a light panorama?" said Cade

Ander tilted his head back and forth. "Only because Meyer has never seen one."

"Sure," said Cade sarcastically.

Ander paid him no attention, seemingly already having regained his boisterous form. "I can grab the azuras and gasaraski potions," he said. "I have a lesson with Kellis in the Alchemy Building tomorrow, so sneaking into the storerooms will be no problem."

"Anything you want me to do?" asked Meyer.

"Prepare to be amazed," said Ander. He turned towards Damian. "You coming?"

"No."

Meyer tried not to look happy, and was further relieved when neither Ander nor Cade attempted to convince Damian to join.

"That still leaves the three of us," said Ander. "Midnight tomorrow. Be ready."

They didn't end up leaving for the light panorama until near one in the morning. Fedge was sitting in the third floor common room, and Ander insisted that he and the tree stump were going through a particularly edgy period (recently exacerbated by one of Ander's exploding geysers) and that the latter would report them to Jebb if he saw them leaving the dormitories. Meyer was still furious at Fedge and would have gladly used the opportunity as an excuse to incapacitate him, but he kept his thoughts to himself.

Instead, Cade proposed casting an illusion charm, but Ander would hear none of it. ("Unless you cast an invisibility enchantment on me, I'm not leaving until that fuzz-face clears out.") Even Meyer with his mere six weeks of magical learning knew that invisibility enchantments required extremely advanced skill, so they had waited. When they finally stepped out into the cool night, Meyer wanted to dash forward if only to release his pent up energy.

"This way," said Cade leading them behind the dormitories. It was darker away from the courtyard, which was lit by glowstone lamps, but the night was clear, and Meyer was still able to see the outlines of rocks and bramble. As they passed behind looming buildings, he glimpsed segments of the Main Road, also glowing in pearly glowstone light. After a few minutes, they reached the eastern edge of the Dale. Ander scouted ahead for any sign of a patrol, but the way was clear, and soon they had disappeared into the woods, walking through the darkness until they reached a small clearing.

Cade led them to the center of the glade before stopping. "Zurasos," he said, and a shining orb appeared in his hands.

Meyer blinked, the patchy grass suddenly visible beneath his feet. But whereas before he had seen all the way to the dark trees surrounding them, now his vision became hazy a few yards away where the night swallowed the bright light from Cade's charm.

Ander knelt alongside Cade and took out two glass vials and a small flask. He poured the contents of the vials into the flask, and placed the flask on the ground.