Dead Rainbow

School

Unusual cumulus clouds moving from the land toward the sea encouraged shop keepers to close up for the day. An unseasonable cold front gripped the ocean coast city of Varina Luki, ships in the harbor battened down the hatches, and when the alarm bells of every defense tower rang out across the sparkling metropolis the citizens looked to the sky. 

As the billowing clouds that came out of nowhere blanketed the city, something magical happened; it began to snow. Children across town defied their parents to run and play and catch fluffy snowflakes on their tongues. 

When three massive white dragons dropped out of the clouds to do a series of flybys over the city, the merriment turned to fear. The alarms rang again and children returned to their homes. One of the dragons flew so close to the palace's towers that guards could almost reach out and touch its wing. That's when they saw Melock riding on the dragon's back and waving a happy hello. The call of alarm became a call to return to fun and the Duke of Luki, himself, declared a holiday for all; a winter solstice in summer.

Yuki blasted the clouds over the city with her liquid nitrogen breath causing a tremendous snowfall. She banked her wings and performed amazing aerial arc across the sky. She and the two other dragons glided down to the snow-covered lawn at the base of the lighthouse. Their riders dismounted there. 

Yuki landed first.

"Remember what I taught you and don't be afraid to cause mischief," she said lowering her massive head to let Redwing off. 

The ride was game-changing for him. He bowed low to her as a sign of respect.

"You've opened my eyes. I will write the spells down immediately." 

The other two dragons dropped off Melock and Øregård. 

"I was a pleasure as always, Mochi-Yuki, until we meet again," said Melock as he waved to three white beasts.

"A pleasure doing business with you." She flapped her wings and lifted off the ground with her children behind her. 

The city watched the majestic animals rise high into the sky and head back in the direction of the mountains. 

"I suspect the Duke will want an explanation, let's go into town," Melock said to Redwing, "and while we're there I'll introduce you to the scholars of the Varina Luki Library." 

Øregård slapped Redwing on the back. 

"Structure and discipline are crucial to a warrior." 

"Yes," agreed Melock, "and for wizards too." 

Thus began a decade of ruthlessly strict education. Redwing was never away from the watchful eyes of tutors, teachers, old soothsayers, librarians, dormitory masters, technical instructors, and adjoining students. He excelled in scholastic studies and devoured the permanent collections of the great library. The city of Luki was a port city that connected many other large seafaring realms. The standing order of the Duke was all new books passing through his city would be purchased or copied by the library staff. 

Redwing made it a habit of volunteering to transcribe new books. In that regard, he was kept abreast of the happenings of the world around him and stayed up to date with the latest discoveries and literature. He soon outpaced even the brightest teachers in Luki and was granted access to his father's contribution to the archives of history. 

Melock donated his personal collection to the city with the caveat that only readers of an extremely high education level and with the most humble respect for significantly advanced technology and outright magic be allowed to view the material and with regard to the more dangerous books, only under supervision. 

Cecily Bo-Bi-celli was a woman Redwing both admired and also hated. She was Melock's appointed archivist. She was in her late thirties, fabulously attractive in a librarian kind of way, and entirely too much like his father. So much so, that she tended to say things that Redwing knew where direct quotes.

"You could read the Tome of the Flying Carpet or you could go study weaving for five years with the rug-making Bedouins of the southern desert. Which do you think would have the more lasting benefit?" she asked. 

The way she would roll her green eyes at him made it oh so clear that she had; A) personally copied the book from Melock's real collection which he kept at his castle, B) knew first hand how to use a flying carpet, and C) she probably did live with desert weavers learning the skills of their most talented craftsmen. She was that kind of woman. 

This latest Melock assigned stepmother casually flashed a depth of knowledge that brought out jealousy in Redwing. She doled out books to him in a very specific order and acted as the gatekeeper to the greatest collection of history, technical knowledge, and magic in the entire universe. It was painfully obvious from the start that she was Melock's spy. She was reporting back to him on Redwing's progress and making alterations to his studies with the benevolent purpose of keeping him on the up and up. 

Cecily was a goody two shoes of the highest order and so smugly virtuous it nearly sent Redwing into late teenage fits of rage. There came a point where he realized she had taught him more than his mother and he added that to his resentment of her. He closed himself off from the kindness and support she gave. He secretly hid his anger and bitterness and pushed his feelings deep down inside. 

His tolerance for her righteous tutelage would all be worth it because, in the end, she would be the one who foolishly placed before him the book that changed the course of his life forever; The Tale of the Necromancer.