In Secret (Sequel to Behind the Scenes)

Teamwork

"This 's so 'citin, ain't it James?! Levy settin' us up mishuns?" Steven bounced happily along the road, following his blue haired friend. James just nodded, trudging towards the bookstore by the river where Levy had acquired this task. Can't believe she's forcing me to work with this weirdo. He can't barely even read. He shoved his hands deep into his pockets and lead his partner into the store. "Hey Dan, I'm back. We're just going to head down, okay?"

The shop owner just waved a hand, continuing to deal with his customers. Steven stopped bouncing and skulked a little beside James before being elbowed in the stomach. "Knock it off!" James hissed at him. "He's a nice guy, and Miss Levy said he was her friend. He's not going to hurt you." James was just a little bit taller than Steven, so he hooked his arm around Steven's neck and dragged him towards the back of the store. There was a steep set of stairs sinking into the floor behind a curtain, and that was their destination.

James paused at the top. "Alright, go ahead and start now. Won't do us any good to fall and break a leg on our very first mission. Miss Levy will never trust us on our own again." Steven nodded solemnly, screwing up his face in concentration and muttering, "First Light!" He kept his focus for a moment before slowly starting to emit a soft light. "Aight, lemme go firs', an' it'll light yer way." He stepped down the stairs, James following in the glow of his friend, watching his step carefully. They made their decent into the cellar, and Steven pushed a little more magic into his Light, brightening the small space.

James looked around. "Okay. Dan said the manuscript is a scroll, and it's on old herbal remedies. It seems as if he's got these things fairly well organized." He trailed off as he walked down the row of old books and scrolls. He squinted at the titles on the old spines, the ink fading a little. "Well, 'e sure keeps this place spiffed!" Steven remarked as he looked around curiously. "I mean, we stole from a lot o' cellars, but I ain't never seen one wi' so lil dust!"

Rolling his eyes, James gestured back at the doorway to the room. "See that shimmer on the door? There's a rune barrier to keep the elements out." He continued walking, reading titles out loud. "Wonders of the World. Complete History of Runes. Basics of Boscan." Steven just gawked at the doorway and looked back at his partner. "Howdya see tha'? I hadda squint ta catch it." James ignored him, moving around the shelves. He stopped and sighed. "Steven. I need you to come over here so I can see."

"Oh! Yeh!"Steven bounded around the corner of the shelves, knocking over a pile of books that were stacked on the floor. "Steven! Be careful!" James lurched for the books, standing the stack back up as if they were sacred. "S-sorry, James." The shorter boy muttered, looking at his feet. The light he was emitting started to dim, and James sighed, standing back up. "Hey, it's fine. Just pay attention, okay?" He went back to reading out the titles on the shelves, ignoring the sniffling of his partner.

"J-James?" He paused in his reading for a moment and glanced over his shoulder. "Yes?" Steven was looking at him strangely. "What is it?" James turned fully to look at Steven curiously. "Wha' ya readin'? Tha's na the language we been learnin'?" He scrunched up his nose in confusion, staring at the books James had just been trailing his fingers across. James turned to look back at the books, "Yes it is? Surely! I only know Fioran!"

"James, I ain't dumb! I know I cain't learn all th' letters, but I kin tell ya tha' ain't Fioran!" James blinked at him a few times before continuing his search. "I'll have to ask Miss Levy about that. Maybe there's something to the Script magic that makes it so I can do this?" He made a mental note to talk to his mentor when they returned to the warehouse.

"Tch! It's not here! Miss Levy said I'd need to use my Script magic too..." James muttered to himself as he looked around. Spotting a few scrolls high on a shelf, he pulled out his light pen. "I wonder... Solid Script: Ladder!" The boy wrote the word carefully in the air, watching it form in front of him. He focused his attention on pouring magic into it, watching it grow until is was long enough to get him where he needed to go. He then grabbed it, turning the word and leaning it against the shelves carefully. He climbed slowly, balancing as he stretched for a stack of manuscripts. "HA! Here it is!"

He pulled it out and handed the scroll down to Steven, who cradled it carefully. James hopped down, dispelling the ladder quickly as he felt it pulling on his energy. He leaned on a shelf for a moment, taking deep breaths to steady himself. "Ya good, mate?" Steven patted his arm and looked around. "We shoul' head out. I'm wearin' thin." James nodded and started for the stairs. Steven passed him the scroll, and the boys headed up to their employer to complete their job.

"Ah! Good job then, boys! You found it! Have any problems?" Dan was standing behind the counter when they emerged, working through his ledger. Steven dispelled his Light before completely leaving the cellar, and lurked behind James as he finished their job. "No sir, no problems at all! The runes keeping your cellar clear are fascinating. Do they have to be renewed often?"

There was a twinkle in the old man's eye as he looked up at James. "They do, actually. I have a standing appointment with a man named Freed, once a year. Do you know him?" James didn't know what exactly Levy had told this man, so he just nodded and changed the subject, handing over the scroll. "Is there anything else you need, sir?"

Dan opened the scroll carefully, glancing across the words inside. "No, boys. This is exactly what I needed. Here's your payment!" He handed James a bag of jewel and watched him expectantly. James opened it and peeked inside, trying frantically to decide if counting it would be rude or good judgement. After a moment he closed it again, tucking it into his pocket. "Thank you, sir, for allowing us to work for you today." He bowed slightly and turned to leave, tugging Steven out the door with him.

When they got outside, they looked at each other and took off running with loud whoops and laughs. Even if the job hadn't been hard in and of itself, doing it on their own had been a fun challenge, and it was exhilarating. People laughed as they raced by, bumping each other and leaping over objects in their path.